10/19/23 Full Edition

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

VOL 110 , NO. 4

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

OCTOBER 19, 2023

'Our student body is hurting:' ϔ Ǧ As they have read the news and spoken with family and friends, students at Wake Forest have struggled to navigate The ongoing war in Israel and Gaza hits close to home the violence and political unrest in both for Wake Forest students with cultural and familial ties Israel and Gaza. to the region.

“I’ve spent a lot of hours on my phone Last weekend, the Palestinian militant group Hamas refreshing Twitter, seeing what the new attacked Israeli towns bordering the Gaza Strip — a news is, how many people have died Palestinian territory that Israel and Egypt have block- and what areas are getting affected,” aded for the past 16 years. In response to the attacks said sophomore Andrey Ismail-Zade afthat left at least 1,400 Israelis dead, Israel has carried ter last week’s vigil. “It’s me texting my out airstrikes and killed more than 2,800 Palestinians, mom once an hour asking how our famaccording to the Palestinian Health Ministry. ily friends are in Israel who are serving Thousands of miles away, American college campuses on the border and if they're alive.” have become flashpoints for protests and advocacy. AdSenior Hasan Pyarali expressed feelministrators at Columbia closed campus to the public ings of frustration and hopelessness. due to hundreds of protesters that gathered on campus “It just still feels like there’s so little we for pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrations on can do [to help],” Pyarali said. “So that’s Oct. 12. On the same day, UNC Chapel Hill’s Students kind of where the anger comes from. It for Justice in Palestine held a protest that was met with is the feeling of being hopeless.”

Evan Harris/Old Gold & Black counter-protests from those supporting Israel.

Four students declined to speak with At Wake Forest, Jewish students hosted a candlelight the Old Gold & Black. One Muslim The Instagram account @freepalestinewfu annouced a vigil on Oct. 10. An Instagram account called @freep- student cited concerns of being “black- demonstration that will be held on an unannounced date. alestinewfu posted about a “Liberate Palestine” student listed.” said. “And their goal is the eradication of Israel and all demonstration a few days ago. The demonstration, origiMuslim Life Chaplain Naijla Faizi nally scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 18, has since been explained that Muslim students fear the backlash they Israelis, and I think that's wrong. I unequivocally conpostponed to an unannounced date. The managers of may receive from speaking out. She said student fears demn that and the attack that happened where people at the account did not return the Old Gold & Black’s re- have grown since hearing about students at Harvard be- a concert and kids were killed. There's never a need for quest by Direct Message for an interview. ing doxxed after writing a statement in favor of Palestin- that ever, ever, ever.”

According to the New York Times, the leader of ians, saying that Israel was “entirely responsible” for the violence that Hamas’ military wing Muhammad Deif said in a recorded message that the attacks were in response to Iskilled hundreds of people.

“Muslim students feel like they rael’s occupation of the West Bank, Israeli police raids must stay silent and avoid attention on the Holy Land site Aqsa Mosque and the thousands or risk being publicly blacklisted or of Palestinians currently in Israeli jails.

“You know, a lot of times, people said this was unprodoxxed,” Faizi said. voked,” Pyarali said. “I take a little bit of issue with the Hamas’ attack and Israel’s response word ‘unprovoked,’ because there has been an occupation since 1967 of the West Bank. Gaza, since 2007, has On the morning of Oct. 7, Hamas been basically an open-air prison.”

He continued: “It often leaves a situation where there's released thousands of rockets into Isa lot of hatred. So while I understand that hatred is not rael, targeting cities like Tel Aviv. Approximately an hour after the rockets an excuse for what they did, there is some context for it. were fired, Hamas fighters crossed If you lock people up in a cage for so long, there is going into Israel, attacking 22 Israeli towns to be an explosion. Do I think that was the right way to and army bases. Hamas also took do it? Absolutely not. But I think that context has to be there and has to be recognized.” nearly 200 people hostage.

Alongside carrying out airstrikes, Israel responded to “This is a war and a terror against Hamas attacks with a “complete” blockade of Gaza — all Jews across the world,” President ordering that no food, electricity or fuel be sent to the of Chabad Chloe Mazo said after last territory.

On Wednesday, Israel said that Egypt will be week’s vigil. “And we're not talking about land right now. That is a fully allowed to deliver “limited quantities of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.” Approximately 360,000 Israeli different issue.”

Pyarali, who is Muslim, said that reservists and troops are stationed at the Israel-Gaza borEvan Harris/Old Gold & Black Hamas’ taking of innocent lives is der and Israel has demanded for civilian evacuation of Gaza. ϐ against his religion.

“Hamas is a horrible group,” Pyarali See War, Page 3 hosted by students in the Jewish community on campus.

MADDIE STOPYRA News Editor

What's Inside NEWS WFU Jewish community hosts unity vigil Page Four

FEATURES

ENVIRONMENT

Sowing the seeds of reconciliation and resilience

Foraging fruit on campus

Page Six

Page Eight

OPINION Divided politics at Wake creates room for growth Page Twelve

SPORTS Colton twins face off in womens' soccer match Page Fifteen

ARTS & CULTURE The best Wake Forest name drops in hip-hop Page Eighteen

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

From Exec: Pain demands to be heard It is never easy to learn in the shadow of tragedy. The atrocities we have witnessed in Israel and Gaza may be half a world away, but for many on our campus, the violence could not be closer to home. As our front page story this week reports, our campus community is in pain.

That pain does not seem like it will go away anytime soon, and that fact must be acknowledged. Today, two events put on by Campus Life will offer space for students to process the events of the past two weeks.

We applaud this effort, but, overall, more spaces are needed for students

to discuss this event candidly and respectfully.

The Old Gold & Black will not offer an opinion on the violence occurring in Israel and Gaza. We cannot.

Our editorial board, and even our executive team, have differing views.

What we can and will do is provide a space for students to process this conflict. In our news section, we will report objectively on how the Israel-Hamas War is affecting the campus community. Two stories in the news section of this week’s print edition represent the beginning of that work. Additionally, in our opinion

section, we have two different perspectives on the violence.

As Wake Forest’s paper of record, we have a duty to capture the student voice, to “cover the campus like the magnolias.” But as student journalists, it is also our responsibility to stand up for free expression.

We are troubled by the fact that students, particularly Muslim students, fear they will be “blacklisted” for expressing their thoughts on the Israel-Hamas War. We are disheartened that students at universities across the nation have been doxxed for sharing their views on current events. Let us

be clear: there is a place for passionate debate, but creating cultures of intimidation around expression, in whatever form, is dangerous.

Wake Forest’s motto calls us to work for humanity as we work through and process the violence and tragedy with which we are daily confronted — in the Middle East, at home and everywhere in between.

The first step of that, which must be taken by students, professors and administrators alike, is to create a space of truth telling, honesty and free expression from which that work can begin.

Old Gold&Black THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY SINCE 1916

CHRISTA DUTTON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF duttcd20@wfu.edu

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MULTIMEDIA MANAGING EDITOR

BUSINESS MANAGER

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>> NEWS Daniel Parolini, parodj20@wfu.edu Maddie Stopyra, stopmf21@wfu.edu Assistant: Claire O'Brien, obricc22@wfu.edu >> FEATURES Natasha Heisenberg, heisng20@wfu.edu Isabella Romine, romiie21@wfu.edu Assistant: Eli Leadham, leadey22@wfu.edu >> ENVIRONMENT Una Wilson, wilsui20@wfu.edu Ella Klein, kleiek22@wfu.edu >> OPINION Shaila Prasad, prassp21@wfu.edu Lauren Carpenter, carple21@wfu.edu >> SPORTS Cooper Sullivan, sullcg20@wfu.edu Aaron Nataline, nataae21@wfu.edu Assistant: Sean Kennedy, kennsm21@wfu.edu

>> ARTS & CULTURE Adam Coil, coilat21@wfu.edu James Watson, watsjc22@wfu.edu >> PHOTO Virginia Noone, noonvc21@wfu.edu Evan Harris, harres22@wfu.edu >> VIDEO Asheton Ayotte, ayotag20@wfu.edu >> SOCIAL MEDIA Lucy Roberts, robels20@wfu.edu >> COPY CHIEF Josie Scratchard, scraja20@wfu.edu >> DESIGN CHIEF Oliver Hale, haleop21@wfu.edu >> WEBMASTER Christina Tran, tranth21@wfu.edu >> ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Ava Cofiell, cofiac20@wfu.edu

>> ADVISER Phoebe Zerwick, zerwicp@wfu.edu

Want to write for us? Email wfuogb@gmail.com

>> POLICIES Our job as a newspaper is to be a platform for all voices, not just the ones we agree with. However, we reserve the right to reject advertisements that are vulgar, inaccurate, obscene or violate Wake Forest’s policies on nondiscrimination, diversity, equity, and inclusion as they pertain to student organizations. We will also reject any advertisements that promote illegal activities according to the state of North Carolina.

Not only do we hold our newspaper and its contents to a high standard, but we also expect that those who choose to use us as an outlet for their ideas, opinions and skill hold themselves and their content to a high ethical standard.

The Old Gold & Black is published Thursdays during the school year, except during examinations, summer and holiday periods, by Triangle Web Printing of Durham. The views expressed in all opinion pieces and advertisements contained within this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Old Gold & Black. As part of our commitment to reporting news fairly and accurately, we will not remove any previously published content online unless it is retracted. If an error in either our online or print content is brought to our attention, we will revise the originally published article with an appended correction. In order to facilitate thoughtful and appropriate debate, profane, vulgar, or inflammatory comments on our website are not allowed and will be deleted. Comments which incite violence, target individuals in a form of cyber bullying, or which promote ideas which vilify marginalized communities will be deleted, and proper authorities may be notified and involved. >> SUBMISSIONS The OGB welcomes submissions in the form of story tips, columns and letters to the editor.

Letters to the editor should be fewer than 500 words, and columns should be around 500 words. Send yours via e-mail to duttcd20@wfu.edu the Monday before publication. We reserve the right to edit all letters for length and clarity. No anonymous letters will be printed. >> ONLINE MEDIA Web: wfuogb.com Facebook: facebook.com/ogb1916 Twitter: @wfuogb Instagram: @wfuogb TikTok: @wfuogb Sports Twitter: @wfuogbsports

News | Old Gold & Black

Thursday, October 19, 2023 | Page 3

Don’t panic, top postgraduate schools say they don’t consider U.S. News rankings 7RS ODZ PHGLFDO VFKRROV FRQ¿UP 8 6 1HZV UDQNLQJV GR QRW PDWWHU LQ DGPLVVLRQV AINE PIERRE 2QOLQH 0DQDJLQJ (GLWRU Students applying to top medical, law and graduate programs need not worry about Wake Forest’s drop in the U.S. News National Universities rankings last week, according to information obtained by the Old Gold & Black.

Anxiety has been high among some members of the student body, especially seniors who are looking for a job or applying to postgraduate programs, about Wake Forest’s fall from the top 30 to a No. 47 overall ranking by U.S. News.

The Old Gold & Black reached out to the top three medical schools as ranked by U.S. News, the “big three” law schools — Harvard, Yale and Stanford — and also

reached out to several graduate schools on Wake Forest’s list of common postgraduate institutions. Each of the four institutions that responded to the Old Gold & Black confirmed that the U.S. News rankings have nothing to do with admissions decisions.

Medical schools such as the University of Pennsylvania

Perelman School of Medicine, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School all indicated that they do not consider the ranking of an applicant’s undergraduate institution in admissions decisions. Both Harvard and JHU no longer participate in U.S. News rankings themselves.

“We have never paid attention to these rankings,” Paul T.

Photo courtesy of Stanford Law School

White, assistant dean for admissions at JHU School of Medicine, told the Old Gold & Black. “We look at the individual applicant using a holistic review process, not their school’s rank.”

As for law schools, Admissions Specialist Megan Fernandez at Stanford Law School confirmed that SLS does not use U.S. News rankings when making admissions decisions.

Harvard and Yale Law Schools did not respond to the Old Gold & Black’s request for comment; however, both law schools made the decision last year to withdraw from the U.S. News and World Report’s Best Law School rankings.

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War: Campus community discusses Wake Forest’s response Continued from Page 1 Another student, whom the Old Gold & Black granted anonymity due to their concerns about personal safety, shared that many people choose sides without considering all perspectives.

“Everyone has access to see the injustices that are happening to the people of Gaza,” the student told the Old Gold & Black via email. “Civilians were instructed to evacuate to the southern part of Gaza and were told a safe route would be provided. Yet bombs were dropped.

Access to basic necessities is being restricted.”

The student continued: “If this isn’t a humanitarian crisis, then I don’t know what is. All I know is you don’t have to be a Muslim to side with the Palestinians.

You just have to be human.”

Ismail-Zade said that he and other Jewish students do not support the deaths of Palestinian civilians.

“Us Jews aren’t here saying, ‘We want death, we want war,’” said Ismail-Zade.

“This is by no means what we want. The people of Palestine and Hamas are two different things … The people of Palestine don’t deserve to die. And that is not the intention of the Israeli government.”

Wake Forest’s response Wake Forest President Susan Wente re-

leased a statement on Friday, Oct. 13 in response to the crisis.

“At Wake Forest, our response to crisis should never be a single message or act,” the statement reads. “It involves overlapping layers of effort and continually evolves to meet the changing needs of our global community. Our community also evolves and finds further ways of responding to these moments of challenge. Rarely is a crisis response effort ‘finished;’ instead, it becomes part of the fabric of how we continue to communicate care for one another as we create meaning of what has happened and consider what comes next.”

In addition to Wente’s statement, the university released a webpage that features statements from the university as well as support resources.

Some students like Pyarali expressed dissatisfaction with the university’s response and wished for specific mention of the Jewish and Muslim communities on campus.

“I think it’s been a pretty poor response,” Pyarali said. “I think the statement that was given by the president the other day mourns civilian life, but it didn’t say much more than that. There was no nuance, there was no context and the lack of support that the administration and Student Government and the university as a whole has given to the

[Muslim Student Association] and Hillel, to me, has been quite appalling.”

Student Body President Jackson Buttler said that Student Government aims to serve as an advocate for all students.

“Our student body is hurting because members of our community (and their loved ones) are deeply and personally impacted by ongoing violence in Israel and Gaza,” Butter told the Old Gold & Black via email. “Our job as Student Government is to do what we can to ensure student perspectives are elevated to administrators and to advocate for the support and resources necessary for student safety and well-being. It is our position that we are best equipped to do our jobs for all students by providing support to affected student groups directly.”

Buttler said that Student Government is committed to being available to students and “voicing their concerns to administrators.” He advised students to reach out via email, Student Government’s concern form or by visiting their office in Benson 304.

Sophomore Ben Esser expressed similar sentiments but thanked various administrators who assisted Jewish students in organizing last week’s vigil.

“As much as there’s some dissatisfaction with the school’s response, I would like to thank the Chaplain’s Office and

the offices that [helped] put [the vigil] together for providing security with Campus Police. We are grateful for that,” Esser said after the vigil. “We really do appreciate that, as much as we wish there was a bit more.”

Assistant Vice President for Campus Life Matt Clifford explained that the university is working to accommodate students who need support.

“During these heavy days, it’s important for Wake Forest to be the caring community that we are known to be,” Clifford told the Old Gold & Black via email. “While I know that words carry meaning, caring for each other goes much deeper than a statement. We are reaching out to our impacted students through a variety of means — through existing groups, including faith communities, residential supports and direct connection to students with families in the Middle East.”

This Thursday, at 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., the Campus Life office will hold space for students to come together to connect and explore how the university can better extend care to its community.

The Old Gold & Black will continue reporting on the Israel-Hamas war and its effects at Wake Forest. &RQWDFW 0DGGLH 6WRS\UD DW VWRSPI #ZIX HGX

POLICE BEAT • • • • • • • •

Unknown subject(s) took six chairs from a conference room in Tribble Hall. The report was filed at 12:00 p.m. on Oct. 2.

Unknown subject(s) removed the victim’s secured mountain bike from a bike rack. The report was filed at 4:44 p.m. on Oct. 2.

A subject entering campus communicated a threat to the victim on a scooter then left campus. The report was filed at 10:12 a.m. on Oct. 5.

A subject took an unknown 200 mg edible and was transported to the hospital via Forsyth County EMS. The report was filed at 10:53 p.m. on Oct. 5.

Wake Forest University Police Department recieved a call in reference to the theat of a firearm in a residence. No firearm was located, but accessories were located and confiscated. The report was filed at 10:12 a.m. on Oct. 6.

Wake Forest University Police Department observed four women smoking marijuana at Tohi Gardens behind Angelou Hall. Three are Wake Forest students and one is not.

The report was filed at 1:20 a.m. on Oct. 8.

Unknown subject(s) took a victim’s Huffy bike that was secured to a bike rack outside Deacon Place Building 8. The report was filed at 3:08 p.m. on Oct. 9.

Two signs were taken from the Tohi Garden area. The area was checked and Wake Forest Police did not find any individuals or litter in the area. The report was filed at 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 11.

Page 4 | Thursday, October 19, 2023

Old Gold & Black | News

WFU Jewish community hosts unity vigil Students and administrators gather for a candlelight event on Manchester Plaza MADDIE STOPYRA News Editor In an effort to support Wake Forest students as they navigate the violence and political unrest in Israel and Gaza, students from Jewish student organizations Hillel and Chabad held a candlelight vigil on Manchester Plaza on Oct. 10.

“We’re talking about coming together in unity and solidarity supporting the Jewish students and the community of this school and every other single person affected by this,” said President of Chabad Chloe Mazo. “Every single one of us has a friend or family or some kind of tie to Israel regardless of whether we are Jewish or not.”

Dozens of students and administrators gathered on the lower quad on Monday evening to hear from Jewish leaders at Wake Forest. The event, which was open to all members of the Wake Forest community, was held in response to Hamas’ — a Palestinian militant group based in Gaza — surprise attack on Israel over the weekend.

At least 1,200 Israelis have been killed, and Hamas fighters have taken at least 150 Israelis hostage. In addition to the climbing number of deaths in Israel, at least 1,100 Palestinians have been killed. In response to the surprise attack, Israel carried out airstrikes to the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian territory that Israel and Egypt have blockaded for the past 16 years. In response to the Hamas attack, Israel has ordered that no food, electricity or fuel be sent to Gaza.

“I’m thinking of the man who made my favorite sand-

“

My heart goes out to Palestinian people and civilians the same as my heart goes out to my brothers and sisters who are Israelis.

—Austin Margol, Chabad Board Member wich at the market every Friday morning,” said Wake Forest’s Hillel International Israel Intern Ella Sadikman during the vigil. “And of the people who I sat next to in coffee shops. I’m thinking of my Israeli friends who were called to defend their people and are risking their lives right now.”

Sadikman continued: “And I’m thinking of my American friends who are gathering across the country to grieve and support each other. And I’m thinking of our community, which is full of strength and compassion, in spite of the heartbreak that all of us are feeling.”

Mazo expressed her gratitude for the community members who attended the vigil. To her surprise, the number of

Evan Harris/Old Gold & Black

Students held candles and read prayers and songs on Manchester Plaza on Oct. 10 during the vigil organized by students in the Jewish community on campus. attendees exceeded the organizers’ candle supply and her team had to quickly retrieve more to give out to the crowd.

“I’m just amazed, and I just have no words to describe how I feel,” Mazo said. “And I’m glad that so many Jewish and non-Jewish people came to support. It really means a lot, and I appreciate it so much.”

Mazo and President of Hillel Eliana Horowitz led the event, welcoming attendees and introducing speakers.

Mazo opened the ceremony by inviting attendees to light candles and hold them for the duration of the vigil. Senior Austin Margol and Sophomore Polina Sheyner read passages from Psalms and Alpha Epsilon Pi President Cameron Goloub read a prayer for those in captivity. Sadikman led attendees in singing the Shema — a central prayer to Judaism.

Hillel and Jewish Agency Israel Fellow Amit Melchior read a prayer in both Hebrew and English for members of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Junior Will Treiman, who has a close friend serving in the IDF, expressed gratitude for Melchior’s participation as an IDF veteran.

“Everything had a good purpose, especially having Amit up there,” Treiman said. “I’m sure this is even harder on him than it is on all of us.”

Chabad Rabbi Levi Gurevitz offered closing remarks on kindness and peace. He invited attendees to write prayers and words of kindness and support on Post-it notes and place them on a small board.

“What can we do for our people, for our brothers and sisters?” Gurevitz said. “What can we do to make this world a more peaceful place? As Jews, we believe that every

Evan Harris/Old Gold & Black

Amit Melchior (on stage), who is from Israel, addresses the crowd at the vigil.

action we do creates life. Since we are united as one, when we do more good [and] more kindness, that doesn’t just affect the people here.”

Sophomore Ben Esser told the Old Gold & Black that he has a good friend serving in the IDF who is currently missing. Esser explained that he has spent the last few days checking news organizations and connecting with friends and family to find out how they can help their friend, who has dual citizenship in the United States and Israel.

“It’s been hard to focus on other things,” Esser said.

After the vigil, Esser spoke about the overwhelming support he received from attendees and members of his fraternity, Alpha Sigma Phi. He said that many of his nonJewish friends attended the vigil in support of the Jewish community at Wake Forest.

“I was just grateful to see everyone coming together on this in support,” Esser said. “[Rabbi Levi] spoke about a lot of loneliness, especially here where it is not a super Jewish area. This has been a big departure from that.”

Alongside expressing gratitude for the overwhelming support from students, Mazo and Sadikman explained that after Mazo met with university administrators as a representative of Jewish students who wanted to hold the vigil, campus leaders helped students organize the event.

According to Mazo, these administrators include University Chaplain Timothy Auman, Associate Chaplain for Jewish Life Gail Bretan, Interim Dean of Students Matthew Clifford, Vice President for Campus Life Shea Kidd Brown, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion José Villalba and Associate Dean for Student Engagement Tim Wilkinson.

“As faith leaders, we condemn violence in all its forms and are committed to engaging the full legacies and histories of oppression that continue to shape this devastating conflict,” said Auman in a statement to the Old Gold & Black. “We invite students, faculty and staff to join with us in solidarity as we explore the depths of this tragedy and to commit to reconciling the cost of occupation and of war.

We pray for the people of Israel and Palestine. We pray for Muslim and Jewish members of our Wake Forest family who are acutely experiencing the deep pain of this long and traumatic strife.”

Margol, who is on the board of Chabad, echoed Auman and expressed sympathy for Palestinians affected by the war.

“My heart goes out to Palestinian people and civilians the same as my heart goes out to my brothers and sisters who are Israelis,” said Margol.

Mazo said that after Fall Break — which takes place from Oct. 12 to Oct. 15 — she will meet with Auman to discuss next steps.

“This situation’s only going to get worse, and it’s not ending today, and it’s not ending tomorrow,” Mazo said.

“This is going to be a situation that lasts weeks, maybe even months about what more as a school we can do.”

Contact Maddie Stopyra at stopmf21@wfu.edu

FEATURES

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

OLD GOLD & BLACK

PAGE 5 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2023

DEACON PROFILE

Stan Meiburg

DANIEL PAROLINI News Editor

In more ways than one, Wake Forest is a different campus from the one Dr. Stan Meiburg knew as an undergraduate studying political science almost 50 years ago.

For one, it’s grown quite a bit. And yet, according to Meiburg, who is currently co-executive director of the Andrew Sabin Family Center for Environment and Sustainability, Wake Forest maintains its charm as a place of companionship and mentorship.

“I did wonder when I came back if it was going to feel the way it did when I was a student,” Meiburg said. “But that essential commitment on the part of faculty to engage the students, to care about teaching, to care about education — it’s still there. You see that with faculty all over, and it’s the experience I had — and in my own experience of teaching, that’s what I want to give back. Because I think that is, in fact, the thing that makes Wake Forest special more than anything else.”

Meiburg’s connection to Wake Forest began before he was a student. In 1957 — just one year after the college moved from Wake Forest to WinstonSalem — the Meiburg family moved into what used to be the faculty apartments on Allen Easley Drive, now renamed Allen Easley Street.

“And what I remember of course, from those days,” Meiburg said, “is four-year-old me coming up over that ridge on what was then Silas Creek Parkway, and you see [the campus] spread out, and there’s this ginormous steeple all lit up at night. It was terrifying.”

Meiburg spent his formative years around Wake Forest at the same time the school was establishing its identity in Winston-Salem. It was certainly a memorable era for Wake Forest’s sports — Arnold Palmer’s golf career was at its peak, and the men’s basketball team appeared in the NCAA tournament Final Four for the only time in school history — all of which Meiburg followed reading the sports sections in the paper.

Though Meiburg moved from Winston-Salem at age 11, his affinity for Wake Forest continued, and in 1971 he enrolled as an undergraduate after receiving a Guy T. Carswell Scholarship.

Perhaps as a testament to Wake Forest’s uncanny ability to spark lasting relationships, Meiburg still remembers — and remains good friends with — the first person he met that fall, former Director of the Wake Forest Scholars Program Tom Phillips, who retired in 2020.

He also has fond memories of late nights in his dorm room arguing and debating with his roommate, Mark Thomas, with whom he shared the politics departmental prize when they graduated in 1975.

“I remember Mark all the time when I walk around here,” Meiburg reflected. “My whole life has been blessed, really, by all of these threads, which in some way, shape or form connect to Wake Forest.”

Of the 42 years between Meiburg’s graduation

from Wake Forest and his 2017 return to head the Graduate Program of Sustainability, he spent 39 of them serving in various positions within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), including as Deputy Administrator from 2014-2017.

Meiburg’s path to the EPA wasn’t exactly traditional. After pursuing a Ph.D. in political science at Johns Hopkins University, he was connected by a professor in what he described as “a happy accident.”

“Well, I could barely spell EPA at that time,” said Meiburg. “But they were going to pay $1,000 a month, so I thought I was rich, and I said ‘me, me, me!’ and, in fact, started up that November. And three months turned into 39 years.”

Even though he jokes about wishing he had taken more chemistry, Meiburg’s experience has made him a believer in the liberal arts education and its ability to prepare students to engage in a wide range of endeavors over the course of their life.

“I admire so much [that] students, who I see now, are doing all of their educational preparation and things like that to study environment[al] sustainability, when that was not my experience,” Meiburg said. “But I think what did help… was that the basic skills that you learn at Wake Forest, the writing skills and the communication skills

— the so-called soft skills that are only called soft because they’re really hard. All those things serve you very well no matter what field people choose to go into.”

Today, Meiburg is encouraged by the recent $5 million donation to the newly renamed Andrew Sabin Family Center for Environment and Sustainability and what it means for the future of that liberal arts education in sustainability.

Reflecting on the paths that have led him to where he is today, Meiburg considered the many memories and relationships that have stuck with him through time.

“There is a great cloud of Wake Forest witnesses,” Meiburg said, “and this school deservedly gets tremendous affection and support from people who went here — you become a member of that cloud.”

He continued: “So all those threads, and even the threads of my parents living in that community, the years that they did and walking around the old campus… you just feel that cloud of witnesses everywhere you go. And I feel, again, it’s been such a big part of my life, and that makes it so special to be here and to be able to continue to give some of that spirit back to current students.”

Contact Daniel Parolini at parodj20@wfu.edu

Photo courtesy of Wake Forest University

Dr. Stan Meiburg, previously a Wake Forest student, is currently the co-executive director of the Andrew Sabin Family Center for Environment and Sustainability for Wake Forest University.

Old Gold & Black | Features

Page 6 | Thursday, October 19, 2023

Natasha Heisenberg/Old Gold & Black

Sowing the seeds of reconciliation and resilience Richter Scholarship recipient shares her research on Australia’s First Nation environmental programs.

NATASHA HEISENBERG Features Editor

The Pacific Ocean stretches endlessly toward the horizon, its surface glimmering as sunlight dances atop the cobalt waves. Where the sea meets the southeastern coast of Australia, foam gathers along the rocky shoreline, speckled with grains of sand and strands of seaweed swept from the ocean floor. Close to two and a half centuries ago — in 1788 — this was the land on which the First Fleet of European colonizers set their sights, declaring their ownership of Botany Bay. This land was not unoccupied. On the contrary, this land — and the rest of the continent of Australia — was part of Country, a First Nations, or Indigenous, term encompassing the lands, waters and skies, and the deep-

seated relationships forged within them.

Centuries later — in 2023 — Country still possesses the same intrinsic value that it did when the first colonizers, who brought death and destruction to both First Nations people and their land, arrived. However, in the face of the climate crisis and the wake of colonialism’s violent legacy, officials and governments are turning to First Nations individuals for solutions to contemporary environmental threats.

“Speaking from an Indigenous perspective, we don’t necessarily attribute [environmental] changes to a particular event,” said Principal Program Officer for the Queensland Indigenous Land and Sea Ranger Program Buddy Ahmet in an interview with the Old Gold & Black. “We see changes and sometimes we ask the question, ‘What is it related to?’

Western science and Indigenous science go hand-in-hand and need to work side-by-side to come up with answers.”

The Queensland Indigenous Land and Sea Ranger Program is a governmental initiative to incorporate First Nations leadership and expertise into land and sea management strategies across the state. The partnership beganin2007andoffersgrantfunding,training,networking and support to participating First Nations communities.

This initiative is not unique to Queensland. Each of the other five Australian states — Western Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria — all support their own iteration of this program. While separately governed by their respective states, they share a common appreciation for First Nations knowledge and culture regarding Country.

One part of this culture is the strong tradition of oral history among First Nations communities, which enhances the understanding of Country and the processes through which to best manage it. This form of narrative sharing existed far before European documentation of history and relies heavily on generational storytelling — whose importance Ahmet emphasized.

“Because we keep everything prior to the advent of Western ways of keeping records, Indigenous people just carried it in their heads,” Ahmet said. “If that knowledge isn’t passed on, younger generations won’t notice these changes.”

Community-Driven Impact

Across Australia, Indigenous ranger programs do not represent the only efforts to include First Nations voices in the conversation surrounding environmental degradation.

Other community-based organizations, including those affiliated with local governments and councils, have stressed the need for First Nations participation in conservation, education and land management.

“What we’re really keen to do — and have been for years — is empower our community,” said Manager for Sustainability at Randwick City Council in the greater Sydney area Peter Maganov.

As Maganov described, this empowerment is directed at all members of the Sydney community, but particularly those within First Nations groups who have historically been excluded from policy and decision-making processes.

“We have five or six different community committees on a range of things — seniors, children, kids, families — [and] Natasha Heisenberg/Old Gold & Black we have an Indigenous one,” Maganov said. “And I think we A map located on the campus of the Randwick City Council Sustainability Hub. The site includes aim to try and get the representation, but we don’t always ǡ ϐ Ǥ get a solid representation.”

Thursday, October 19, 2023 | Page 7

Old Gold & Black | Features The challenges associated with achieving First Nations representation are not deterrents for the Randwick City Council or other groups seeking diverse engagement. In fact, this desire for more inclusivity has inspired further efforts to encourage participation from traditional owners and custodians of the land.

“There has been a real cultural shift … where we also have had a real increase in the number of Indigenous Land and Sea Ranger Programs,” said Manager of World Heritage Connections at the Wet Tropics Management Authority in Cairns, Queensland Saskia Salmeron-Rodriguez.

Salmeron-Rodriguez further underscored the importance of consulting directly with First Nations communities and individuals.

“We need to engage more with our First Nations people,” Salmeron-Rodriguez said. “Sometimes they get pushed to the backroom and are not being heard, and sometimes they get frustrated.”

The Wet Tropics Management Authority, jointlyfounded by the Australian and Queensland governments, is dedicated to rehabilitating and conserving theWetTropics of Queensland World Heritage Area. As Salmeron-Rodriguez noted, First Nations insight is integral in accomplishing this objective, especially since each individual group of First Nations peoples have their own environmental knowledge based on their region and culture.

“There’s got to be a real acknowledgement in the role that Rainforest Aboriginal people have...and how valuable Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) is and not to be dismissive of this… [but] to respect it,” Salmeron-Rodriguez said. “It wouldn’t be ‘World Heritage’ if it wasn’t managed so well for thousands and thousands of years.”

Both Principal Project Officer at the Wet Tropics Management Authority Alicia Haines and Salmeron-

citizens. Hannah Binge, a member of the University of Sydney’s Native Grains research team — a group dedicated to cultivating native grains previously grown by First Nations people — highlighted the value that First Nations’ environmental contributions have made across history.

Despite this, Binge cautioned against the appropriation of this knowledge.

“Since this knowledge has come from our Ancestors — and I don’t think Native Grains would be looked into like it is at the moment if [First Nations people] didn’t know it was food,” Binge said. “I feel like [First Nations groups] should have more of an ownership over it, so that other people aren’t just picking it up and treating it like a commodity.”

Confronting Challenges Consistent with the vast majority of sociopolitical issues plaguing the world today, challenges to seeking and enacting solutions in Australia are many. Obstacles impeding efforts to grow Indigenous Land and Sea Ranger Programs and similar initiatives readily appear, including the difficulty in obtaining funding and support.

“In order for these programs to work, funding needs to be ongoing,” Ahmet said. “And I think that’s the biggest problem with a lot of things that happen these days.”

Moreover, experts acknowledged that the ethos behind diversity and inclusion efforts has to be genuine and intentional. Will McDonald, a sustainability official at the Cairns Regional Council voiced the necessity for authentic engagement as opposed to incorporating First Nations voices solely to fulfill mandated requirements.

“A lot of times... consultation is done as a ‘box-ticking exercise,’ and then they just do whatever they want afterwards,” McDonald said. “Engaging with First Nations

were listening and that we want to work on issues that are relevant to them and change things.”

Maganov continued: “Considering what the views were, we’re developing a new resilience framework. And the top of the list is really to make sure that we work with and involve our First Nations community in that whole process, as well.”

A First Nations Voice Including First Nations communities in decisionmaking processes does not only serve to better the future of sustainability and climate resilience in Australia. On a more profound scale, many believe that modern efforts to incorporate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives into questions surrounding land management, climate impacts and mitigation attempts are the first step to confronting the history of epistemic violence and brutality that First Nations peoples faced at the hands of European colonizers.

“It’s reinforcing a sense of identity for some of us; some of us might not feel like we need it, you know, we’re all different people with different views,” Binge said. “With everything that happened here — our peoples getting moved on the missions, we weren’t allowed to speak our own language and practice our own culture because they were trying to assimilate us.”

Binge continued: “There were policies in place — a lot of fear, because they used to take the kids... so some of our people ended up following those rules. So for some people it’s like, ‘I haven’t had the opportunity to learn anything about my culture; I don’t know how to speak my language.

I know that my ancestors used to live in this country, but for Aboriginal people, what makes us Aboriginal?’”

Binge is not the only one posing this question. In recent years, a greater nation-wide scrutiny of Australia’s colonial history and its implications has led to national reconciliation efforts. On Oct. 14, 2023, Australians had the opportunity to vote in the Voice Referendum, a decision to change the Constitution and establish a legislative body called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. However, all six states voted “no,” leading to a unanimous rejection of the referendum and a disappointing loss for many.

“I still think we’ve got a long way to go,” Maganov said.

“But, you know, it’s beyond just a conceptual minority view to how do we integrate [First Nations voices] into our policies, our plans, our strategies and our planning instruments.”

The Future of Australia, The Future of the World

For now, the future of environmental resilience and social equality is just as elusive as the whitecaps that disappear beneath the surf along the Australian coast. However, one thing that is not evading Australians in their fight for a more just transition to sustainable practices are the values of community and optimism.

“We do try and localize what we’re doing,” Maganov said.

“And we also try to stay positive and constructive because there’s no point over-amplifying all the doom and gloom that [communities] hear. So we know it’s going to affect us.

There’s a new approach or buzzword that’s come out now, which is resilience.”

Now more than ever, Maganov is urging residents to lean on each other. In his work, he stresses the promise of connection and understanding as a tool for progress.

“The most important thing we think people need to do is know their neighbor. So that, when these events might Photographer Name/Old Gold & Black happen down the track, they’re supporting each other,” Maganov said. “Because the reality probably will be that Natasha Heisenberg/Old Gold & Black even councils may not be able to get out on the ground Ǥ and help them from some of these shocks or major storm Ǥ events and things that are likely to happen.”

In Australia, neighbors — whether First Nations or not Rodriguez expressed the historical success of utilizing groups for solutions is ideally going to be the actual influence — are coming together in the existential battle against the TEK to manage lands and resources, prior to and after the in the plans that have developed.” climate crisis. Many, though, still fear the consequences advent of colonialism in Australia. As Salmeron-Rodriguez This problem is not localized just to Cairns, or even of continuing to circumvent change until the situation mentioned, this is indicative of the vast wealth of knowledge to all of Queensland. In Sydney, Maganov conveyed the becomes irrevocable and irreconcilable. that First Nations communities possess, but that is often barriers in generating comprehensive support when relying “It takes drastic — or quite severe — events for people overlooked and cast in the shadow of Western science. on volunteers and other unpaid employees. to sit up and take note and say, ‘Something’s happening,’” “We’ve got this Western science, but…there’s a changing “Sometimes the same people, like any volunteer group, Ahmet said. “That’s the biggest issue for me with trying to mindset at the moment,” Salmeron-Rodriguez said. “But are trying to stretch themselves too thinly,” Maganov said. address climate change... it’s like applying a band aid to it we’ve still got a very long way to go.”

“So you don’t always either hear that full community view while festering a wound.”

Other individuals within the field also underscored or engage with the wider community, as well. And I think the importance of TEK to First Nations and Australian we need to make those connections so they trust that we Contact Natasha Heisenberg at heising20@wfu.edu

ENVIRONMENT PAGE 8 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2023

OLD GOLD & BLACK

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

Foraging fruit on campus +RZ WR VDIHO\ ¿QG :DNH )RUHVW¶V EHVW XQWDSSHG UHVRXUFH ELLA KLEIN Environment Editor Pit swipes, Old Golds and food dollars have long satiated the student body of Wake Forest — with nearby grocery stores and the occasional off-campus dinner to satisfy any cravings. However, some students, faculty and staff have found the secret to dining on fresh, seasonal and free food on campus: foraging. Hidden from those who aren’t looking, native fruits and nuts are abundant, especially if you know what you are looking for.

Sophomore and Winston-Salem local Neriah Olivier is glad she attended college close to home for two sweet reasons — to be close to her family and the native pawpaw fruit.

“When pawpaw season rolls around in late August, it’s one of my favorite times. It’s a great way to close out the summer, going and scavenging for pawpaw groves,” Olivier said.

The pawpaw can be described as the halfway point between a banana and a mango. It is the largest native fruit tree in North America, growing in the eastern United States. Wake Forest houses several pawpaw trees, which bear fruit just in time for the beginning of the calendar school year. While Olivier enjoys foraging as an occasional hobby, she uses caution with every outdoor morsel she finds.

“It’s hard to know what’s edible or not, and I like to be 100% sure what I’m collecting is good for me,” Olivier said. “I stay away from mushrooms, but feel pretty confident in easily identifiable things like fruit.”

Pawpaws aren’t the only treat located on campus.

Tucked away, there is a secret grove of fruiting trees, harboring a fig tree, native Chickasaw plums and persimmons — the location of which is urged to be found through personal exploration of the grounds. There are also many varieties of nuts to be collected when walking around, such as a large chestnut tree on the South Campus and a stately pecan tree in front of the Campus Garden. With a bit of time, dedication and research, one can find many uses, beyond eating, for foraged items. Growing everywhere — but very concentrated in the Reynolda trails — are black walnuts, which look like big green golf balls. These can be used to make dye or to eat.

Persimmons also grow in abundance, with several trees located on Wake Forest grounds. These rich, cinnamony

Evan Harris/ Old Gold & Black

fruits are ripe when they turn orange or yellow. They reach their peak harvest season when the leaves change to hues of yellow and orange, as well. Persimmons are a popular item when they roll out every year at Trader Joe’s, so foraging for them instead means you can save your money. If you wish to gather some persimmons yourself, there is a fruiting tree located near Piccolo and Palmer, which will be ready to harvest within the next few weeks.

Dr. Amanda Sames, a visiting assistant professor for the Environment and Sustainability Studies Program, has three crucial tips for foraging — especially if you’re just starting out.

“Make sure — your first several times — you go out with someone who knows what they’re looking for,” Sames said. “I think there are a ton of great guides, videos and folks on social media who are really good at talking through how to ID things. And that’s really helpful once you’ve built a foundation of knowledge, but to get to that point, you really have to go with someone who knows what they’re looking for.”

Sames continued: “Tip No. 2 is just to start paying attention … The slower you move through, the more you focus on what you notice, and the more likely you are to start to see things that you can forage.”

Sames also encourages enthusiasm, but to always be cautious.

“And then tip No. 3 is no matter what you’re inEvan Harris/ Old Gold & Black terested in, whether it’s

mushrooms or fruits or greens or anything else, try and start with the super easy low-stakes varieties,” Sames said.

“There’s always things out there. ‘Oh, there really aren’t any dangerous lookalikes, and this is easy to identify.’

Start there.”

Foraging can be easy, relaxing and fun, but it’s important to have the right education and tools to start foraging mindfully and safely.

When going on new foraging endeavors, remember not only to harvest safely for you, but for the ecosystem.

Overharvesting can lead to entire crops being wiped

James Li/ Old Gold & Black

out and damaging the community you are taking from.

Sames urges this practice, as well.

“You can overharvest and ultimately undermine the future supply,” Sames said. “All of these things are parts of the ecosystem — we want them to remain within the system, and that means it’s important to know enough about the community of the species that you are interacting with.”

As the Earth and nature give to you, remember to practice mindfulness, gratitude and reciprocity.

&RQWDFW (OOD .OHLQ DW NOHLHN #ZIX HGX

Thursday, November 9, 2023 | Page 9

Environment | Old Gold & Black

ϐ Ǥ Ǥ UNA WILSON Environment Editor

You might be familiar with the odors associated with the indoor pens of barnyard animals. One strong waft of manure is enough to make most people plug their noses and escape to fresh air as quickly as possible.

Imagine, however, that the smell stayed with you. That it followed you home, filled the spaces of your car, the walls of your home, your backyard. It came with you to bed at night and greeted you each morning, clung to your clothes, hung in your hair and caked your lungs.

This is an everyday reality for residents of rural Smithfield, North Carolina, where the stench of 10 billion gallons of waste from the 8.8 million pigs produced each year in industrial feedlots permeates into the local air and waterways.

For the predominantly Black, Latino and Indigenous residents living near the hog mega facilities, the putrid odor is only the most conspicuous negative impact they suffer from. A slew of health issues, including nausea, breathing problems, anemia, kidney disease, septicemia, tuberculosis, infant mortality and low birth weight among newborns also accompany the stench.

The documentary “The Smell of Money” was screened last Thursday at Wake Forest University in the Annenberg Auditorium of Carswell Hall. The film, written and produced by Jamie Berger, follows the story of local Smithfield resident Elise Herring and their community as they take on the multibillion-dollar

pork industry through legal action. The event was funded by the Provost’s Fund for Academic Excellence and the Environment and Sustainability Studies Program and as a collaboration between Wake Forest, CleanAireNC and The NC Conservation Network.

Berger reported that, while filming, she was frequently appalled and shaken by the racial discrimination and environmental injustice the residents of Smithfield face. Experiencing the power of white privilege and prejudice that led Black and Brown residents to fear for their health — and, at times, their lives — is part of what motivated her to finish the multi-year-long project.

“One of the most disturbing stories that I’ve heard people talk about is the sensation of actually feeling the spray, the fecal waste, raining down on them,” says Courtney Woods, an associate professor at the University of North Carolina School of Public Health, who has studied these effects, in an article written by Berger for Vox. “They see it on their cars, on their homes … and outside of that, just feel outraged. There are associations with stress and anxiety that we have studies to demonstrate.”

Senior Mia Handler was in attendance at the screening. She said that she wasn’t expecting the film to move her as much as it did, especially in scenes where resi-

dents feared for their lives at the hands of hog farmers.

“There was an interviewee — she had been outspoken in the past against industrial hog farming — who showed the measures she took every day to keep safe.

She had to put cardboard around her windows so people couldn’t tell where in her house she was and shoot at her,” said Handler. “It was really heartbreaking, and showed the courage all of the participants had in speaking up for environmental justice.”

Berger acknowledged that there were times during the filming process when she and her crew even felt unsafe driving through the rural parts of Smithfield.

“The police pulled us over once to ask what we were doing there, what we were filming about,” said Berger. “At one point a farmer even came to his front yard and cocked a shotgun at us. They really don’t want opposition to the industry they have there, and they are willing to do what it takes to protect that.”

Berger emphasized, however, that the goal of the film was simply to educate the public and empower people to make a change in their actions.

“This system — hog farming — is truly all around the world now. And no matter where it is, it is affecting the most vulnerable people, the people who have the least economic and political power to be able to fight it.” Berger said. “So I think it’s important that we show people that we are all connected by what we choose to eat, and we can all make a difference Photo courtesy of Shawn Bannon by the choices we make.”

Lagoons of waste water collect hog feces and urine and Contact Una Wilson at leach into the air and waterways of rural N.C. communities. wilsui20@wfu.edu

Local art collective prioritizes sustainability ELLA KLEIN Environment Editor Sustainability might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you picture the arts scene in Winston-Salem.

Although the city is officially dubbed the “City of Arts and Innovation,” its environmentalist and art activist groups don’t overlap often. However, a group of local sustainably-minded creatives are trying to change that.

The Second Hand Art Collective (Art

SHAC) is dedicated to repurposing gently used art supplies that would otherwise be thrown into a landfill. The Art SHAC is a new institution in Winston-Salem, operating for the past year and a half as a pop-up at popular events like Art Crush and the Ardmore Art Walk. The group recently acquired a meeting space in the historic neighborhood of Ardmore, which they hope will increase donations and community engagement.

Working as a non-profit and fully managed by volunteers, this collective of cre-

Maryam Khanum/Old Gold & Black

The Art SHAC has operated mainly through pop-ups at local downtown events like the Bookmarks festival in September.

atives not only sells the donated supplies back to the community at a low cost but also offers instructive classes utilizing the repurposed materials. Anyone is welcome to donate, including manufacturers and community members.

Patty Pape, a local artist and the board chair of the Art SHAC, is proud of the work the collective does to keep supplies out Maryam Khanum/Old Gold & Black of landfills.

SHAC volunteers lead sustainable notebook“We weigh everything making tutorial at a public engagement booth. that comes in, so we can say we kept so many thousands of pounds there was a need that needed to be filled out of the landfill, which is important,” in Winston-Salem.

Pape said.

“I really wanted [Winston-Salem] to Their volunteers have recorded over have a place that was more accessible 6,000 pounds of materials being saved and affordable for artists,” Tefft said. “I from the landfill in the short time the Art thought [Winston-Salem] should have SHAC has been operating. Pape hopes one since we’re the city of arts and innothat the collective can one day operate on vation.”

The new space hopes to draw in more a larger scale to maximize their impact.

“We would like to see this be really big artists, creatives and volunteers, intending so that we can offer all these products to to ingrain sustainability into the robust the public at lower prices and teach a lot Winston-Salem art ecosystem. To get inof classes where we reuse the products volved with the Art SHAC, head to their grand opening on Nov. 11, in Space 4, that are donated,” Pape said.

Jessica Tefft is another artist who vol- 1622 S. Hawthorne Rd, Winston-Salem, unteers with the group. She saw other re- 27103. claimed art supply stores, like Reconsidered Goods in Greensboro, and realized Contact Ella Klein at kleiek22@wfu.edu

Old Gold & Black | Environment

Page 10 | Thursday, October 19, 2023

ϐ New York City wasn’t prepared for a state of emergency. What is Winston-Salem’s plan for natural disasters?

NATASHA HEISENBERG Features Editor

Pedestrians wade through feet of murky standing water with plastic bags tied haphazardly around their ankles. As flood levels rise, the rain refuses to stop pouring from the clouds, landing like bullets that pelt abandoned cars decorating the empty streets. A state of emergency has been declared — airport terminals are closed, and trains are suspended. This bleak scene is not a dystopian world, nor the setting for a doomsday novel. It is Sept. 29, 2023, and New York City is underwater.

What New Yorkers are experiencing while navigating their submerged city is something that will only increase in frequency as the climate crisis continues to grow more dire by the day. According to the United Nations Climate Conference in 2022 (COP27), extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, tropical

“

While more stringent policies are needed to prevent further damage, irreparable harm has already ensued. storms and elevated rainfall resulting in flooding, will lead to displacement and disaster, particularly in countries with the lowest carbon footprints.

While COP27 echoed the warning bells that have been ringing for decades, the world — especially countries contributing the most to global greenhouse gas emissions — did little to confront the issue at its source. In COP27’s concluding decision to establish a loss and damage fund for nations disproportionately

burdened by the consequences of the climate crisis, UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the risks associated with a 1.5 degree Fahrenheit temperature increase. He cautioned against crossing this “red-line,” describing it as a “battle for our lives.”

Despite the fact that the world has not surpassed this limit, the immense flooding in New York City serves as a stark reminder that the implications of the climate crisis do not abide by specific numbers set by officials. This event underscores that, while more stringent policies are needed to prevent further damage, irreparable harm has already ensued. Thus, the New York City flooding event illustrates a demand for climate-resilient infrastructure.

This is not the first time that this issue has come to the attention of officials and citizens alike. In 2021, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio passed Local Law 41 alongside the City Council, which introduced transformative guidelines regarding City Capital projects. According to Local Law 41, all city projects are required to comply with strict preparedness guidelines for extreme weather events by 2026.

The pervasiveness of the climate crisis not only requires elevated building codes and development policies, but also calls for green infrastructure in relation to comprehensive greenspace and stormwater management. The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has invested $400 million in an effort to combat stormwater surges as part of permanent wastewater resiliency protections announced in 2023.

This multifaceted approach to climate resiliency features a variety of initiatives, namely expanding two existing programs — The Cloudburst Program and Floodnet. The Cloudburst Program, which was developed alongside the city of Copenhagen, Denmark, directs stormwater to dedicated areas during major storm events. Floodnet, which is already active in the five boroughs of New York City, monitors flooding through the use of sensors.

In addition, New York City has invested $8 billion

Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock

in constructing more green spaces throughout the city with the intent of absorbing and filtering stormwater.

These natural systems provide residents with recreational areas while also strengthening the city’s ability to respond to extreme weather events, such as the rainfall the city is currently experiencing. Under this initiative, New York City has committed to constructing more than 11,000 new curbside rain gardens, 1,500 green acres and 660,000 square feet of porous surfaces to streets and sidewalks that were previously impervious surfaces that prevented water drainage.

New York City is not the only city attempting to mitigate the impacts of the climate crisis. In WinstonSalem this past May, City Council approved a nearly $200 thousand engineering contract in conjunction with a $3.5 million Innovation Quarter project. These projects aim to fortify a retention system that receives rainwater runoff from downtown Winston-Salem and directs it toward Salem Creek in the event of immense flooding or extreme weather. In addition, a council vote this past February sought to increase the efficacy of stormwater systems throughout the city.

“

Immediate action is required to address the issues playing out before the eyes of New York City residents today.

Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock

While these efforts are promising in the midst of the climate crisis, it is clear that more immediate action is required to address the issues playing out before the eyes of New York City residents today. As residents plow through the rivers that course through the streets of the city that never sleeps, it is evident that the hour of action has arrived. The climate crisis, once a distant thought, is pounding at the doors of homes across New York City. And — much like the stormwater from Friday’s rainfall — it will enter whether invited or not.

ϐ Contact Natasha Heisenberg at ǡ Ǥ heisng20@wfu.edu

OPINION Shaila Prasad, prassp21@wfu.edu

OLD GOLD & BLACK

Lauren Carpenter, carple21@wfu.edu

PAGE 11 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 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

Hamas’ reign of terror must end

Eradicating Hamas is the only viable option to curb Islamist terror in Israel and the West HARSHIL JANI Contributing Columnist

The Israeli military should annihilate Hamas.

Hamas was formed in 1987 during the first Intifada (uprising) against Israel. Over time, they’ve gone from being somewhat a political organization to being a militant group with the sole goal of ridding Palestine and Israel of every Jewish person.

Those who reside in the West and spend a single breath defending Hamas should be excused from polite company. Consequences should not stop at ignoring what Islamist sympathizers say but extend to losing job offers, leadership positions, and whatever else can be lost except their physical ability to speak.

Parallels between the Nazi “Final Solution” and Hamas’ charter are strong. In their charter’s preamble, they declare, “Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it.” When the Allies were closing in on Berlin, Hitler at least attempted to cover up the atrocities he committed instead of glorifying and documenting his violence.

Hamas does the opposite. They celebrate the murder of innocent Jews. They take grandmothers hostage. They rape girls. The worst part is not that they do this — the worst is that we, in Western society, have not learned our lesson, mainly because we rightfully learned the lesson when it came to Hitler’s brand of antisemitism. We condemn the Holocaust, but when history rhymes itself, and there’s a modern-day Holocaust, many are quick to sidestep the issue or offer condemnations.

Sexual mutilation, rape, and murder are a part of Hamas’ arsenal. But, no, in the West, we hilariously believe all groups, even Hamas, deserve the same respect. This is why, time and time again, we’re slapped with reality checks that do nothing to change our outlook.

Palestinians call the Gaza Strip an open-air prison. In that case, the media and pseudo-sophisticates sit back, parse their language for nuance, and nod, ignoring Israel’s many generous peace offers from which Hamas walked away. I would not be writing

Photo courtesy of AP News

Dz ȋ Ȍ ϐ Ǧ Ǧ ϐ Ǥdz

this piece if we had not excused the erratic and unsafe conditions on Israel’s doorstep countless times.

Thousands of lives on either side would not have been lost, and innocent sons and daughters of Palestinians and Israelis would be alive and well.

Take the case of Mor Bayder, whose grandmother lived in Nir Oz, a commune in southern Israel. Islamist terrorists working with Hamas, on the morning of Oct. 7, blazed into Nir Oz with guns and grenades, looking to murder as many people as possible.

Bayder took shelter over the weekend as Hamas fired rockets into Israel. When she and her family deemed it safe to leave the shelter, they received a call from Bayder’s aunt, yelling at her to check Facebook. She opened her phone, and she saw nothing short of evil.

“My grandmother on the ground, in her own home — murdered — in a video,” she said in Hebrew to Israel Channel 13 News. “The floor was all bloody. My grandmother, laying there.”

The terrorist posted the horrifying scene to Bayder’s grandmother’s phone by using the dead woman’s phone.

Some may argue killing young women and children must be part of some larger scheme to win a war. This is absurd. The truth is that these barbarians murdered 260 people here because they were “frustrated” with Israel’s reluctance to hand over Photo courtesy of AP News what Hamas believes to be Palestinian land. These ϐ ǯ militants’ orders plainly stated, “Kill as many peo Ǥ ple as possible.”

Where we go from here is what matters. But before discussing that, I propose one foundational premise upon which all must agree — the moral high ground in this conflict is on the side of Israel.

Article 8 of Hamas’ covenant states, “...Jihad is its path, and death for the sake of Allah is the loftiest of its wishes.”Any individual who directly or indirectly supports these people is enabling a terror campaign that values death the way I think we should value life. Those not siding with Hamas feel deep sorrow for every death in this conflict, civilian or not.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are known to drop leaflets or low-yield bombs on buildings to warn inhabitants to evacuate before their attacks on Hamas equipment flatten buildings. You may rightfully wonder why there would be military equipment in residential neighborhoods. The answer takes you right back to Hamas’ priorities. They care not for their people but solely for jihad.

These jihadis urge the innocent Palestinian people to stay in their buildings and not give up their land, and when the IDF inevitably follows through on their warning, Hamas’ propaganda wing plasters the civilian casualties in everyone’s faces.

All in all, the fault for all deaths falls squarely on the shoulders of Hamas. Hence, for the good of all Palestinians and Israelis, the IDF should bomb, shoot and punch Hamas back into the stone age once and for all.

Contact Harshil Jani at janih23@wfu.edu

Page 12 | Thursday, October 19, 2023

Old Gold & Black | Opinion

Letter to the Editor: Who cares about a silly number? OVAL OFFENSE I want to become a Demon Deacon more than ever The Speaker Sh*t CONNOR KERIN Prospective Student Dear Wake Forest Community, As an early-decision applicant to your school, I write to you as a stressed-out senior going through the college admissions process. I’m not a student at Wake Forest yet, but hopefully, by the time you read this, I will officially be a Demon Deacon.

As a prospective student, I can offer a point of view on the recent U.S. News & World Report ranking decrease that many others cannot. The answer to the question of “What attracted you to Wake Forest in the first place?” is fresh in my mind as I check my application portal every chance I get, anxiously awaiting a decision.

To organize my thoughts, I wrote a list titled “Why My Mind Looks South” and explained in detail a few of the reasons why I’m choosing Wake Forest.

These are reasons that the folks at U.S. News & World Report sadly don’t use

in their criteria.

1. I want my professors to know me — not just my name or test scores. I want them to know who I am, what I like, where I’m from and what I want to do with this life. My interviewer told me a story about her professor coming up to her at a football game a few weeks ago, after she had graduated, asking questions as if they were close friends.

I envy this relationship and view it as a vital part of being successful in college.

I know I would find it at Wake Forest.

2. I want a place that people care about. When I wear my Wake Forest hat around, so many people come up to me asking if I’m a current student. “Hopefully very soon” I reply with a big smile.

They go on to tell their story or the story of their brother, daughter, son, niece or nephew who enjoyed their years on campus. It’s amazing how long people can talk when they’re passionate about something. People care about Wake Forest to a different extent than they do about other places.

3. I want to work with faculty and

staff who are true masters at their craft.

As a writer, I want to be part of an English department that is filled with people who have advanced degrees and storied careers. When I go on the Wake Forest website I see faculty that have written novels, won awards, have MAs, PhDs and even honorary degrees from other institutions.

4. I want to go somewhere that believes in what they stand for. Pro Humanitate at its core means helping others. I see this in the university’s new Early Action option for first-generation students, which will provide more opportunities.

So, it wasn’t a silly number dictated by irrelevant criteria that attracted me to Wake Forest. It was the many other factors that made Wake Forest special.

Hope to see you on campus in September!

Go Deacs, Connor Kerin Contact Connor Kerin at connorkerin29@gmail.com

Divided politics at Wake creates room for growth Students should be learning from their peers’ varying beliefs TOWNE MOORES Contributing Columnist

“Am I going to fit in?”

This is a question that everyone has asked themselves multiple times in their life, whether that be on their first day at a new job, at a party with unfamiliar faces or sitting in their freshman dorm.

We all ache to feel that we belong.

Socially, academically and even physically — everyone wants to fit inside that comfortable box of societal acceptance. We gravitate toward people who feel familiar, who have common interests and beliefs. And oftentimes, we gravitate toward people who hold the same political views.

In such a polarized time in America’s history, the Wake Forest University campus is not immune to the division that politics creates in social settings.

I will admit that I did have the fear of not meeting anyone who shared the same political beliefs as me when committing to Wake Forest.

Something I noticed prior to starting my freshman year is that every time I mentioned to someone where I was going to be going to college, they made a comment about Wake’s conservative reputation. Being a democrat in West Virginia, I have plenty of experience interacting with people who have opposing political views to mine. However, this continuous comment made me feel isolated, and that I was already extremely different from my peers.

During my time here, I’ve observed that this conservative reputation isn’t entirely accurate. I’ve also observed that people drift toward others who have the same political views as them.

Just as I’ve watched these divisions

occur, I’ve noticed the lack of political discussions that happen in daily life. I know this is true in my daily conversations. I do not believe that I was seeking out people who have the same political views as me, but somewhere along the way, we connected over that shared trait.

I don’t think that connection is a bad connection. But I do think that it creates educational limitations in a place where we’ve all come to learn.

The only time that I’ve had a true, structured conversation about politics since I’ve been at Wake is during my American Government and Politics class freshman year. That class was the first time I’ve ever truly thought critically about politics in my life. That class alone helped me to gain insight into different views, and even reconsider some of my prior beliefs.

College is the time to foster new beliefs, make your own decisions and challenge yourself. Wake Forest needs more spaces to engage in eye-opening political conversations. We have a politically diverse campus, and we as students and administrators need to take advantage of this opportunity to have structured political discussions consisting of people from all walks of life.

We shouldn’t worry about “fitting in”. We should worry about staying stagnant.

The question should not be “Am I going to fit in?” It should not be “Will I feel uncomfortable?”

The question should be “What can I learn?”

Contact Towne Moores at moortv22@wfu.edu

Piper Saunders/Old Gold & Black

“I will admit that I did have the fear of not meeting anyone who shared the same political beliefs as me when committing to Wake Forest.”

Show: It’s can’t all be on McCarthy DILLON CLARK Senior Columnist Who wouldn’t want to be the Speaker of the House? Third in line to the presidency, the power of appointment to committees, presider of house sessions and a significant platform to grow as a politician. Yet, in recent years, the Speaker of the House position has become a less glorified and less appreciated position. While it does grant power, it also puts a name and face to the inefficiency and incapacity of our government, opening the door for constant and intense scrutiny.

On Oct. 3, 2023, Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was ousted from his position as Speaker of the House after eight right-wing Republican Congressmen, led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), joined House Democrats in voting to vacate the speaker’s chair. As much as we would like to blame this entire crisis on McCarthy himself, we can’t.

This is a national embarrassment, and fault falls on both Democrats and Republicans.

McCarthy, in my opinion, was not remotely satisfactory as Speaker of the House. His problems can be summarized in a single word: unreliable. He was doomed from the start — making promises to both the moderate and more extreme right.

For example, he was split between the extreme right who argued to stop aid to Ukraine and the moderate right and Democrats who wanted to continue aid. On the other hand, McCarthy abandoned a negotiated spending deal to appease the far-right faction.

As moderate Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace (R-SC) stated, “I feel like the House was in chaos with Kevin McCarthy. He broke his promises.”

Ultimately, such inconsistency and unreliability led to his downfall.

If we criticize McCarthy for his failure to negotiate and compromise with numerous Congressional factions, we must also turn to the leaders of other factions for their failure to extend the olive branch. Without a doubt, Democrats had a chance to turn this crisis into a turning point for Congress and even further, the entire country. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Democrats had the opportunity to make peace and compromise with Republicans and show that there was at least one competent party in Washington D.C., but they squandered it.

Democrats took a gamble by ousting McCarthy — dismissing him without assurance that a less extreme, less conservative Republican would take power.

The recent failed attempts to elect a Speaker of the House show, however, that the next Speaker, like McCarthy, will have to try to keep promises to a multitude of factions. Whether they will be successful in doing so is a whole different story.

Contact Dillon Clark at clardj@wfu.edu

Opinion | Old Gold & Black

Thursday, October 19, 2023 | Page 13

̵ ϐ Ǥ Ǥ ,VUDHO PXVW WDNH UHVSRQVLELOLW\ IRU WKH YLROHQFH WKH\ KDYH LQÀLFWHG SYED ABDULLAH Staff Columnist The recent surge of violence in Israel and Gaza has brought global attention back to a longstanding issue that defies an easy resolution. While media organizations have labeled this a “conflict,” it should more accurately be described as "oppression, genocide, apartheid and colonization.”

The key to understanding this complex situation lies in history and identity. It’s regrettable that, without Israel portraying itself as a victim in this situation, the world would have remained silent –– as it has for more than half a century until now.

A brief history This oppression is not a matter of religion but a matter of two groups claiming the same land. Contrary to popular belief, this conflict only goes back a century, starting in the 1900s. Around then, the regions along the eastern Mediterranean, which we now call Israel-Palestine, was part of the Ottoman Empire. This area was diverse, with a mostly Muslim and Christian population, with a small number of Jews. Even today, just more than two percent of the Palestinian population is comprised of Christians, which most people tend to overlook.

So, what changed? In the early 20th century, the land that is now Israel and Palestine was under Ottoman rule.

As the Ottoman Empire declined, the idea of Zionism, advocating for a Jewish homeland in the region, gained momentum. This movement predates the Holocaust and was supported by some in the Jewish community, although there were varying opinions and some strong opposition, particularly from socialist and anti-Zionist Jewish groups.

After World War I, British control (1917-1948) of the area, mandated by the League of Nations, led to an influx of Jewish migrants, altering the demographics and heightening tensions with the Arab population. This influx of Jews into the region, perceived by many Arabs as a European colonial movement, led to bitter conflicts.

As the Jewish population grew from less than 10 percent in 1917 to more than 30 percent in 1947, Palestinian demands for independence escalated, culminating in a rebellion in 1937. In 1947, the United Nations recom-

mended partitioning the land into separate Jewish and Arab states, leading to the establishment of Israel.

During this time, a significant shift occurred in the region. An increasing number of people in the area began identifying as Palestinians, forming a distinct national identity. Concurrently, more Jews were embracing Zionism, asserting that Judaism was not solely a religion but also a nationality deserving of its own homeland. This movement aimed to provide Jews with a secure place of refuge, especially considering centuries of persecution and culminating in the Holocaust.

As Jews sought a homeland, many Jewish refugees arrived in the region, holding banners that read, “The Germans Destroyed Our Families And Homes — Don't You Destroy Our Hopes. ” These refugees were initially accepted by the Arabs.

Little did the Arabs know that this initial acceptance would sow the seeds of a genocide that would haunt their community for decades to come.

I strongly condemn Hamas for their actions, including the killing of innocent Israelis and the hostage situation involving Israeli civilians, including children. I call for the hostages’ immediate release. But I will not be starting every sentence with “Hamas is bad.”

Israel is committing genocide With that out of the way, I would now like to talk about how Israel has been committing a genocide since 1948.

Article II of the 1948 UN Genocide Convention defines genocide as a crime committed with the intent to destroy a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, in whole or in part. The eviction of 750,000 Palestinians from their land in 1948, the Nakba, is a crime for which Israel and the world have yet to atone. This catastrophe occurred 75 years ago, when Zionist militias drove Palestinians from their homes, an act many describe today as ethnic cleansing. In late 1947, the UN General Assembly, under the Resolution 181, divided Palestine into separate Arab and Jewish states, a move the Palestinians saw as a clear infringement on their rights and thus rejected.

The Arab-Israeli war of 1948 resulted in Israel capturing 77% of Palestine, with the rest divided into what are now the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip, which led to a massive refugee crisis. Today, the Nakba continues with forced evictions and near-daily killings of Palestinians, committed by what many see as an apartheid state, all while the rest of the world stands by and

Photo courtesy of CNN

watches.

The events on Oct. 7, 2023 illustrate native Palestinians reclaiming their land from Israeli settlers. This resistance, sometimes labeled as “militancy” or “terrorism” in the media, mirrors historical patterns. Like those who resisted apartheid in South Africa, an oppressed population subjected to prolonged military control is now asserting its rights.

Nobel Peace Prize winner and former South African President Nelson Mandela once expressed his perspective, stating, “If one has to refer to any of the parties as a terrorist state, one might refer to the Israeli government, because they are the people who are slaughtering defenseless and innocent Arabs in the occupied [Palestinian] territories, and we don’t regard that as acceptable.”

Given the ongoing Israeli settler aggressions, escalating tensions surrounding the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound driven by disputes over access and control, as well as the profound historical and religious significance of the site, coupled with the high Palestinian casualty rate due to Israeli military actions, it was inevitable for the Palestinians to respond forcefully.

The Gaza War in 2008-2009, termed Operation Cast Lead, saw 1,965 Palestinian fatalities and 43 Israeli deaths. In the 2014 Gaza War, known as Operation Protective Edge, 2,251 Palestinians lost their lives, while Israeli fatalities numbered just 73. Operation Pillar of Defense led to 105 Palestinians and only four Israeli deaths. There are numerous other examples from at least 27 unnecessary and unjust Israeli military operations that have resulted in significant loss of life.

Furthermore, the illegal, 16-year blockade of Gaza and the unlawful expansion of settlements on Palestinian lands have played a significant role in igniting this current crisis. Gideon Levy, a distinguished Israeli author who contributes to Israel's largest newspaper Haaretz, recently wrote an article titled “Israel Can’t Imprison Two Million Gazans Without Paying a Cruel Price.”

If individuals within Israel can acknowledge its genocidal regime, then why is it difficult for the global community to comprehend it?

Israel’s recent actions Israel’s recent actions, including a “complete siege” of the Gaza Strip and the alleged use of white phosphorus in densely populated areas, constitute further evidence of its ongoing genocidal actions. The use of white phosphorus violates the requirement under international humanitarian law to take all feasible precautions to avoid civilian injury and loss of life, according to Human Rights Watch. More than 300,000 Palestinians have been rendered homeless, and the tragic death toll has reached 1,417. Additionally, Israel has cut off access to basic necessities such as food, water, fuel and electricity, and the only power plant in the territory was shut down shortly thereafter, plunging Gaza's 2.3 million residents into darkness.

Since then, humanitarian organizations have repeatedly cautioned that Gaza's overwhelmed hospitals, already grappling with a 16-year blockade, were rapidly depleting their supplies of medicines and other critical necessities. After a one-hour meeting with President Biden, Israel has decided to allow aid into the region.

Occupied Gaza, often referred to as the world's largest open-air prison, is experiencing a severe deterioration in living conditions. I wouldn’t describe it as a prison, as prisons typically result from committing specific offenses and have defined sentences. In this case, people have endured ongoing suffering for the past 75 years. This has led prominent figures, such as Colombia's President Gustavo Petro, to even go as far as to characterize it as a concentration camp.

Is it completely justified for Israel to want to wipe out an ethnic group from the face of the Earth? Is Israel themselves forgetting the horrors of the Nazi Holocaust?

If Israel’s entire agenda is ethnic cleansing, then how are they any different than Hitler?

If this is not genocide, then I don’t know what is.

"The key to understanding this complex situation lies in history and identity. It's regretta- Contact Syed Abdullah at ble that, without Israel portraying itself as a victim... the world would have remained silent." abdusm23@wfu.edu

SPORTS

PAGE 14 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2023

Follow us on Twitter @wfuogbsports OLD GOLD & BLACK

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

No. 3 men’s soccer continues winning Jake Swallen tallies three assists in 5-1 victory over Robert Morris AARON NATALINE Sports Editor In the team’s last non-conference matchup of the season, No. 3 Wake Forest (11-1-3, 4-1-1) defeated visiting Robert Morris (4-4-5, 2-2-2), 5-1 on Tuesday night. A four-goal advantage for the Demon Deacons midway through the second half allowed for more experience for the team’s depth before they head into the final two games of the season.

“I’m happy that we were able to put the game away when we did so that we

could rotate some guys,” said Men’s Soccer Head Coach Bobby Muuss. “We played 24 guys, so I’m excited with the result.”

The Demon Deacons assisted on four goals, and three of these passes came from the bench. However, it was just one substitution, senior Jake Swallen, who notched all three assists. The three-assist game from Swallen is the first of its kind in just under six years. The last Demon Deacon to hit this mark was Luis Argudo on Oct. 10, 2017 in a 3-0 win over University of Alabama-Birmingham.

Substitutions for Wake Forest also ac-

Virginia Noone/Old Gold & Black

Junior forward Babacar Niang fends ers.

Niang recorded two shots

off in

a pair of the 5-1

defendvictory.

counted for three of their five goals in the match. For freshman Jeffrey White, this was the first of his career as a Demon Deacon. In the 65th minute, freshman Liam O’Gara shortened the pitch with a crossfield pass to White. The freshman fought off a defender on his heels to clear the necessary space to earn the fourth Wake Forest goal of the night.

The score was the first of three exchanges between both teams within a two minute period. While the Colonials were able to make it 4-1 with their first possession off of the ensuing kickoff, junior Julian Kennedy restored the fourgoal lead with the help of Swallen.

Leading a breakaway down the middle of the field in the 66th minute, Swallen was not just looking for Wake Forest’s fifth goal but also his third assist of the match. His pass led Kennedy into the penalty box, where he had just the goalkeeper to beat with a ball into the bottom right corner.

Swallen’s second assist came in the 56th minute, this time from the midfield after spotting senior Jahlene Forbes in open space. Receiving the senior’s pass on the left side of the attacking third, Forbes bisected a pair of defenders in a sprint towards the penalty box. From there, he launched the ball into the far side netting to claim the Demon Deacons’ third goal of the night.

While starters still filled the pitch, Forbes worked in tandem with junior Cristiano Escribano to weave the ball from the midfield to swings down the

sidelines. They led attacks throughout the first half, often finding senior Hosei Kijima, who took the first three shots of the night for the Demon Deacons.

Forbes found a scoring opportunity midway through the first half as Escribano met him with a pass halfway up the right side of the attacking third with a through ball. Defenders stifled Forbes on his shot, but junior Leo Guarino managed to poke the ball through for the score before the goalkeeper could secure it.

The first assist of the night for both Forbes and Swallen came as the former cut toward the end line in the 20th minute. Swallen pushed the ball through to Forbes, who drew the Colonials’ last line of defense before sending a pass across the goal for junior Roald Mitchell to finish.

The five goals on the night proved more than enough to stack Wake Forest’s eighth win in a row, a streak second only to No. 1 Marshall’s undefeated record.

“At this time of the year, midweek matches are difficult,” Muuss said. “From a mentality standpoint, we did everything we possibly could as a staff and as players to not look past this game with the excitement of a really good Notre Dame team coming.”

The Demon Deacons host the Fighting Irish (10-1-3, 5-0-1) at 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 20 in the last game at Spry Stadium this season.

Contact Aaron Nataline at nataae21@wfu.edu

Football in freefall after loss to Virginia Tech Clawson describes the 30-13 loss as a ‘bad performance’ SEAN KENNEDY Asst. Sports Editor

Every game is historic. Every game goes in the record books. But for Wake Forest (3-3, 0-3), a 30-13 loss to an inconsistent Virginia Tech team (3-4, 2-1) is one the Demon Deacons would very much wish to rewrite.

“They kicked our butts,” said Head Coach Dave Clawson. “It was a bad, bad performance.”

The term “bad performance” encapsulates the play of both offenses during the first quarter. Each team couldn’t seem to get the ball moving on the offensive end, and three consecutive threeand-outs from both teams led many fans to believe it would be a long day.

The first sign of action came from quarterback Mitch Griffis, although it occurred for all the wrong reasons. Late in the first quarter, Griffis threw a ball

intended for wideout Walker Merrill on the left sideline, where it was intercepted by Hokie senior Derrick Canteen.

Multiple plays from Griffis led to a quarterback change during the second quarter. In his stead came Michael Kern, who had previously battled with Griffis in the 2022 preseason, when Sam Hartman was injured.

“There were plays where [Griffis] just wasn’t executing the offense,” said Clawson of the decision. “It wasn’t the pick.

I just thought our team needed a spark.

Last week at Clemson, at times, the offense wasn’t functioning because of the quarterback.”

In the previous five games, the Wake Forest rushing attack had looked to be an important part of the game plan, and multiple games featured rushers with over 100 yards. This time, the Hokies kept the Demon Deacons’ running game in check, only allowing 35 rushing yards.

Despite those struggles, running back Demond Claiborne still managed to show out. A 96-yard kickoff return midway through the second quarter saw him weave through traffic and turn on the burners to beat out the Hokie special teams, leading to the first points on the board.

The momentum dissipated fast, however. It took two plays for the Hokies to strike pay dirt again, this time after Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones found wideout Jaylin Lane down the middle of the field. After a missed tackle from the secondary, Lane rushed the ball downfield to increase the Hokies’ lead back up to 10 points.

“That was a killer,” Clawson said.

“That one hurt, but we still got back into it.”

Approaching halftime, the Demon Deacons were able to sneak an extra three points on the board after Matthew Dennis hit a 28-yard field goal with 20

seconds remaining.

Although that may seem like success at first glance, it represented yet another offensive possession in which the Demon Deacons found themselves in the red zone and couldn’t capitalize with a touchdown. The Demon Deacons have only converted 8 out of 25 red zone trips into touchdowns, the worst conversion rate in the nation, per NCAA.com. (The Demon Deacons do rank second in the FBS in number of red zone field goals.)

When Kern threw a ball in wideout Taylor Morin’s direction with 30 seconds remaining in the first half, it could have been good for six, but Morin couldn’t come down with it.

“Kern threw a good ball in the corner, and we dropped it,” Clawson said. “We make that play, it changes the game.…

It’s been the same story. We get into the red zone, we don’t score touchdowns.”

See Football, Page 16

Thursday, October 19, 2023 | Page 15

Sports | Old Gold & Black

‘Full circle moment:’ Colton twins face off in women’s soccer match Emotions run heavy for Abbie and Emily Colton in draw against UNC COOPER SULLIVAN Sports Editor

When most fans go to Spry Stadium to watch a soccer match, they go with one team in mind.

They wear that one team’s colors, cheer for that one team’s performance and celebrate — or mourn — that one team’s final score.

Debbi and Jeff Colton are not most fans.

On Friday night, the couple sat in Spry Stadium’s unofficial parents section ready to cheer on their daughter Abbie Colton, a junior midfielder for the Wake Forest women’s soccer team. They make the trip from their house in Chapel Hill to Winston-Salem quite regularly, but on Friday night, there was another reason. Emily Colton, a junior midfielder for the University of North Carolina women’s soccer team and Abbie Colton’s twin sister, was on the opposing sideline.

“We are clearly a house divided,” Debbi Colton says while sporting a Wake Forest t-shirt and UNC ballcap. “Clearly.”

Jeff Colton wears his split allegiance subtly, dressed in a plain black hat and tee with blue jeans, but his face beams with pride when he sees his daughters mark one another on the pitch.

However, the parents’ calm demeanor is misleading. This is the most nerve-wracking game they’ve watched their daughters play.

The Oct. 13 match between the Demon Deacons and No. 3-ranked Tar Heels was the first time the Colton sisters played against each other in their 15-year soccer career.

“

It was amazing. I think [for] both my parents — especially my mom, I think it was just such an amazing moment for her. We’ve obviously both dreamed of playing college soccer and to see us both on the field, playing against each other and starting, I mean? I think she couldn’t be more proud of us.”

- Emily Colton, UNC midfielder Originally from Southern California, Abbie and Emily Colton began playing soccer when they were five years old, starting out with the City SC San Diego club team. They very quickly fell in love with the sport.

By the fall of her freshman year, Emily Colton was offered a scholarship and committed to play collegiate soccer at UNC. By the time she graduated from La Costa Canyon High, Emily Colton had already gained international playing experience while representing multiple age groups of the U.S. Women’s National Team. While still with City SC, Abbie Colton was named a team captain three times and defensive midfielder of the year in her final season. Abbie Colton did not decide on Wake Forest until her senior year of high school, but she had known all along she wanted to be close to her sister.

“We are best friends,” Abbie Colton said. “We

Cooper Sullivan/Old Gold & Black

Sisters Emily, left, and Abbie Colton, right, were literally matched up against each other ϐ Ǧ Ǥ ͳ͵ǡ ʹͲʹ͵Ǥ

never fight or anything. Maybe trash talk a couple times, but not a lot.”

Emily Colton agreed. “She’s amazing. I love her so much. She’s literally my number one fan and I’m hers.”

Debbi and Jeff Colton would soon follow suit, moving across the country from Carlsbad, Calif., to Chapel Hill in order to follow their daughter’s college careers. Both parents attend every home match, and if there happens to be a schedule overlap, they will split up to make sure both Wake Forest and UNC are cheered for.

“They’ve given everything to us,” Abbie Colton said. “A lot of both my and my sister’s success has come from them. They’ve never pressured us to play soccer; they’re always here supporting [us]; they moved out here actually to watch us. I think we were both playing for them today more than anyone.”

The sisters’ parents and grandparents — who flew in from Texas to catch the match — were engrossed in every play, gasping with every breakaway, wincing at every tackle and congratulating every heads-up decision, regardless of which team it was. And if Abbie or Emily Colton had possession of the ball, all eyes were glued onto the field.

“It was amazing,” Emily Colton said. “I think [for] both my parents — especially my mom, I think it was just such an amazing moment for her. We’ve obviously both dreamed of playing college soccer and to see us both on the field, playing against each other and starting, I mean? I think she couldn’t be more proud of us.”

Because their positions mirrored each other — Abbie Colton plays defensive midfielder and Emily Colton plays attacking midfielder — the twins were next to each other, guarding one another, for the entirety of their time in the match (66 minutes for Emily Colton, 82 for Abbie Colton).

“She’s been playing on the right, I’ve been on

the left, so we kind of knew we were going to go right up against each other,” Emily Colton said.

“It was such a surreal feeling. I think going in we were both super nervous, but also super excited. I mean, we’ve been waiting for this day for like three years.”

As Abbie Colton said, “the pride I had was on another level just because it’s a full circle moment for both of us.”

Wake Forest played UNC in Chapel Hill, almost a year prior to the day, but Abbie Colton did not appear in the 1-0 defeat. She redshirted her sophomore season, sitting out to recover from a torn ACL. The injury was a tough blow for Abbie Colton, the same one Emily Colton suffered while in high school. With her sister’s encouragement, Abbie Colton has not only returned to the pitch this year, but has also become an integral part of Wake Forest season, in which she has started in 13 games and logged over 1,000 minutes.

“We were just like, ‘holy shit. This is insane,’” Abbie Colton said. “She was like, ‘you’re doing great’ and I was like, ‘you’re doing great.’ We said ‘I love you’ before and after, so it was cool, super cool.”

It was also an emotional day for Wake Forest team captain Emily Murphy, as the former Tar Heel scored the equalizing goal with 13 minutes remaining to secure a 1-1 draw for the Demon Deacons.

As the minutes ticked down, and the crowd chanted the remaining seconds, there was one more wave of emotion. For all the Coltons, that really just happened. The final whistle blew, and the scoreboard read exactly what Debbi Colton wanted to see.

“It’s a tie. Mama’s happy. It’s a tie.”

Contact Cooper Sullivan at sullcg20@wfu.edu

Page 16 | Thursday, October 19, 2023

Old Gold & Black | Sports

Football: WFU drops three straight Continued from Page 14 After halftime, the Demon Deacons never found a rhythm offensively. Out of six second-half offensive drives, only one put points on the board — a 34-yard field goal by Dennis with 12:37 left in the fourth quarter.

Although Kern took command of the offense, he found himself on the wrong side of a tackle late in the game. With less than three minutes remaining, Hokie defender Antuan Powell-Raymond sacked Kern, who momentarily laid on the turf before being replaced by Griffis. “[Kern] is going to be out for a couple of weeks,” Clawson revealed in a Tuesday press

conference.

Griffis returned to the field for the last possession but didn’t escape unharmed either, getting hit by Powell-Raymond on 4th & 18.

Despite the chaos at the quarterback position, it’s a situation where Clawson has been before. Postgame, he referred to a situation in 2016 when former quarterback John Wolford struggled, and Kendall Hinton replaced him before injuring himself in the next game. (Wolford then set single-season school records the next year in both passing yards and touchdowns.)

“I believe in our quarterbacks,” Clawson said. “I think they will get there. We have to get them better. Right now, they’re not

FOOTBALL AP Poll rankings in parentheses; as of Oct. 15

FIELD HOCKEY NFHCA Coaches Poll rankings in parentheses; as of Oct. 17

ACC W-L (Conf.) PF PA Florida State (4) 6-0 (4-0) 253 110 UNC (10) 6-0 (3-0) 224 126 Duke (16) 4-1 (2-0) 187 59 Louisville (21) 4-0 (3-1) 239 144 Georgia Tech 3-3 (2-1) 185 174 Virginia Tech 3-4 (2-1) 171 173 Clemson 3-2 (1-2) 193 116 NC State 4-3 (1-2) 178 165 Boston College 3-3 (1-2) 166 190 Pitt 2-4 (1-2) 117 130 Miami 4-2 (0-2) 226 114 Virginia 1-5 (0-2) 107 178 Syracuse 4-3 (0-3) 201 155 Wake Forest 3-3 (0-3) 141 138

ACC W-L (Conf.) GF GA Duke (3) 13-2 (5-0) 41 16 UNC (2) 11-2 (4-0) 40 16 Louisville (8) 12-3 (2-2) 27 12 Virginia (7) 9-5 (2-3) 33 17 Boston College (12)10-5 (1-3) 45 19 Syracuse (13) 9-5 (1-3) 48 28 Wake Forest 6-7 (0-4) 13 20

MEN’S SOCCER United Soccer Coaches rankings in parentheses; as of Oct. 17 Atlantic W-L-D (Conf.) GF GA Wake Forest (3) 11-1-3 (4-1-1) 33 10 Clemson (15) 8-3-2 (3-2-1) 35 12 Syracuse (22) 6-3-4 (2-1-3) 21 16 Louisville 9-3-2 (2-3-1) 30 19 NC State 6-8-1 (1-5-0) 22 26 Boston College 3-7-4 (0-4-2) 9 14 Coastal W-L-D (Conf.) GF GA Notre Dame (6) 10-1-3 (5-0-1) 29 7 Virginia (18) 7-3-3 (3-2-1) 34 20 Duke (9) 8-3-1 (3-3-0) 29 14 Pitt (23) 6-4-3 (2-2-2) 27 16 Virginia Tech 4-5-4 (2-3-1) 17 24 UNC (11) 6-2-5 (1-2-3) 19 8 VOLLEYBALL AVCA Coaches Poll rankings in parentheses; as of Oct. 15 ACC W-L (Conf.) PTS/SET Louisville (5) 16-2 (7-1) 17.76 Pitt (7) 16-3 (7-1) 18.30 Florida State 13-7 (7-1) 17.41 Georgia Tech (13) 15-3 (6-2) 17.29 NC State (6) 15-4 (5-3) 17.13 Wake Forest 14-5 (5-3) 16.35 Miami 12-6 (5-3) 17.71 Notre Dame 10-6 (4-4) 15.40 Boston College 14-8 (3-5) 16.24 Duke 12-7 (3-5) 16.99 Clemson 12-8 (3-5) 15.58 UNC 9-8 (3-5) 16.31 Virginia Tech 11-8 (1-7) 15.75 Virginia 8-10 (1-7) 16.17 Syracuse 2-16 (0-8) 11.91

WOMEN’S SOCCER United Soccer Coaches rankings in parentheses; as of Oct. 17 ACC W-L-D (Conf.) GF GA Florida State (1) 11-0-1 (6-0-1) 38 10 Pitt (18) 12-2-1 (5-1-1) 45 13 Clemson (8) 11-1-3 (5-1-1) 40 8 Notre Dame (12) 9-2-3 (5-1-1) 36 17 UNC (3) 9-0-6 (4-0-3) 30 9 Wake Forest (17)8-2-4 (2-2-3) 28 13 Virginia Tech 6-6-3 (3-4-0) 20 14 Louisville 3-7-5 (2-3-2) 14 21 Miami 3-7-4 (2-4-1) 11 22 Virginia 6-3-5 (1-3-3) 25 11 Duke 5-5-3 (1-3-3) 14 15 NC State 2-7-6 (1-3-3) 14 27 Boston College 3-9-3 (0-6-1) 15 29 Syracuse 2-11-2 (0-6-1) 15 36 DEMON DEACONS AT HOME THE NEXT TWO WEEKS Women’s Soccer vs. Boston College Thursday, Oct. 19, 6 p.m.

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

Women’s Volleyball vs. Louisville Friday, Oct. 20, 7 p.m.

Men’s Soccer vs. Notre Dame Friday, Oct. 20, 8 p.m.

Football vs. Pittsburgh Saturday, Oct. 21, 3:30 p.m.

Women’s Volleyball vs. Notre Dame Sunday, Oct. 22, 12 p.m.

Women’s Soccer vs. Louisville Sunday, Oct. 22, 12:30 p.m.

Football vs. Florida State Saturday, Oct. 28, TBD Men’s Basketball vs. Alabama (Ex.) Sunday, Oct. 29, 1 p.m.

playing well. They’re playing unevenly, not confidently. They look lost at times out there.”

Despite the three-game losing streak, the Demon Deacons face a struggling University of Pittsburgh (2-4, 1-2) team in a rematch of the 2021 ACC Championship Game. After both programs experienced record highs in that season, Clawson and Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi are each looking for answers.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve been in this position,” Clawson said. “It’s not fun.

We are really, really struggling. We need to get better, and I believe we will.”

Contact Sean Kennedy at kennsm21@wfu.edu

Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics

Michael Kern (No. 15) stays in the pocket against Virginia Tech.

Batra: Cricket World Cup season is upon us The international event kicks off in India PRARTHNA BATRA Staff Writer Myfavoritetimeoftheyear,i.e.cricketworld cup season, is here. The ICC Cricket World Cup is the most anticipated tournament of the year for all cricket fanatics. Officially known as the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, the event is organized by the sport’s governing body, the International Cricket Council every four years with preliminary qualification rounds that lead up to a finals tournament. Seeing as the 2023 tournament is being held in India — my home country — my excitement is heightened for the only sports tournament I religiously follow.

One day internationals, known as ODIs, are a pacier format which started in 1971 but gained in popularity during the 1980s.

These are single-inning matches of 50 overs per side. The tournament kicked off this past Thursday with England against New Zealand. Teams progressed to the tournament via the 2023 Cricket World Cup qualification process, with the West Indies missing out for the first time in their history of International Cricket.

The qualification process entailed a series of cricket competitions that determined which countries took part in the 2023 Cricket World Cup. In total, 32 countries took part in the qualification process, from which 10 teams qualified for the World Cup. The 32 teams were divided into three leagues – Super League that consisted of 13 teams, League 2 which consisted of 7 teams and Challenge League which consisted of 12 teams. Based on the results of the leagues, teams either directly qualify, are directly eliminated, or advance to other supplementary qualifying tournaments through which they could qualify for the World Cup. Growing up, I never followed sports except cricket. I eagerly awaited the big games, for which I would enthusiastically paint my face with the colors of the tricolor and wear my best blue attire to match the players while cheering in front of the TV. Be it the World Cup or the Indian Premier League, my enthusiasm to cheer for my team never backed down.

I vividly remember watching the 2011 World Cup Final Match between India and Sri Lanka. The match was played in

Mumbai, and I watched it from the comfort of my home in Delhi, but as soon as the final run was scored, song and dance erupted throughout the streets of the nation. Late into the night, you could hear the dhol on the streets as a state of immense joy had overtaken the country. I was just seven years old, but the memory of India winning a World Cup final on home ground and the entire country celebrating will forever be etched in my mind.

As someone who grew up in Delhi and has never missed a single game of cricket, this game defines what I understand to be sports and all that sports culture encompasses. My favorite cricket rivalry is between India and Pakistan, which I believe to be the strongest sports rivalry in the world due to multiple decades of political angst and tension between the countries.

Currently, India and Pakistan are scheduled to play each other on Oct. 14, and the environment surrounding that singular game is tense. The game will be held in Ahmedabad at the Narendra Modi Stadium, which boasts the largest capacity in India. The Indian travel industry has been experiencing an unprecedented surge fuelled by the insatiable passion of fans to watch the matches live. Ahmedabad experienced a 4000% surge in tourism, with practically every accommodation being fully booked out the week of the much awaited match.

Being on the other side of the world rather than at home in Delhi during the World Cup season will continue to break my heart.

Incidentally, World Cup season overlaps with the festive season — my two favorite occasions to occur in India.

Cricket has long been the binding factor of India — the one unfailing factor that will always succeed in bringing people together to witness the joys and magic of the game.

It is the game over which my brother and I bond as well as the topic of conversation between any two strangers.

No matter what, cricket will always bring people together. When two cricket-crazy nations clash, it results in a unique aura both inside and outside the stadium. It is never, ever just a cricket match.

Contact Prarthna Batra at batrp22@wfu.edu

ARTS & CULTURE Adam Coil, coilat21@wfu.edu James Watson, watsjc22@wfu.edu

OLD GOLD & BLACK

PAGE 17 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2023

The dramaturgy of ‘Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom’ A look at the research behind making Wake Forest’s new musical as impactful as possible KENLEY MCCLURE Staff Writer I consider myself a pretty big musical fan — but never once had I heard the term “dramaturgy” until it was mentioned in relation to Wake Forest’s upcoming musical, “Turning 15 On the Road to Freedom.”

The show follows the real-life story of Lynda Blackmon Lowery, who turned 15 during the Selma March of the Civil Rights Movement. Not only is Blackmon Lowery still alive today, but she will be attending a performance of the show. With the subject of the show in attendance, and with the time period of the show often being misconstrued in American history, it is imperative that the story is authentically portrayed.

Dr. Brook Davis, a professor in the department of theater and dance, and Carly Galbreth, a freshman member of the dramaturgy team are behind the effort to give “Turning 15” its accuracy.

“One of the most important things that a dramaturg can do and one of the most important things in ‘Turning 15’ is research for the audience,” Davis said.

Both Galbreth and Davis emphasized that if a show contains cultural references the cast and crew do not know, it is the dramaturg’s job to research these references and subsequently educate others.

For “Turning 15,” Davis’ dramaturgy team is planning on creating an audience experience in the lobby, including items such as a map of the Selma March with important highlights of the journey. Davis is taking inspiration for the lobby exhibit from a play she previously put on called “The Normal Heart.” The play centered around

the 1980s AIDS crisis, and while the audience may have known about the crisis, their knowledge was not likely to be personal or experiential.

“Most of our audience wasn’t even alive then, so we did a huge display all over [the] Scales [Fine Arts Center] lobby with timelines and all kinds of things,” Davis explained.

Galbreth spoke of a piece that she is crafting for the lobby display and how it aims to make audience members question society’s urges to rewrite history.

One of the locations along the Selma March was the Edmund Pettus Bridge, which is named after Edmund Pettus. Pettus was an infamous white supremacist and leader of the Alabama Ku Klux Klan. However, when many think of the bridge, they usually remember it in terms of the Civil Rights Movement, not Pettus himself. Recently, a push to rename the bridge was denied, and Blackmon Lowery was one of those against changing the name.

Galbreth used Pettus as an example of a “symbol of a white supremacist has become a symbol of black freedom.”

The lobby display will feature a poster about the Edmund Pettus Bridge, and audience members will have a choice to weigh in on their opinion regarding the name change.

In addition to this audience display, Galbreth spoke on the role of the dramaturgs in researching the music of the show. The music in “Turning 15” primarily consists of hymns from the Civil Rights Movement. Galbreth informed me that many of the hymns in the show have lyrics that changed throughout the movement.

For instance, when it was first written, one hymn in the show entitled “Up Over My Head”

contained the lyric “I see trouble in the air.” However, Freedom Singer Bernice Johnson Reagon changed the lyric to “I see freedom in the air” when she performed the hymn at a church following her release from prison. Knowing these contexts helps the actors tap into the emotional state of their characters at the time the hymn was sung.

With Wake Forest as an institution of higher learning, it is even more important that “Turning 15” is told in its most authentic form — as many school boards across the country are changing curriculum surrounding Civil Rights or removing it altogether. Galbreth stated that efforts have been made to invite surrounding public schools to see the show and learn from the exhibit. They hope to supplement the education received in the classroom while showcasing the Civil Rights Movement through a wider scope.

“People a lot of the time think they know so much about the Civil Rights Movement, and through this research I have already learned so much more,” Galbreth said.

The research being done by the dramaturgy team is in effort for the audience to get as much as they can out of seeing “Turning 15.” Davis admitted that, often, when looking at the Civil Rights Movement, its heroes can be idealized into figures that we think could do anything, oftentimes making us forget how scary that time must have been.

However, these people were human, and their endeavors required grit, bravery and struggle before their goals were achieved.

“Anybody can be a hero, but it takes a certain amount of guts, and it’s not easy,” Davis said.

“I’m so grateful for all that they did, and I’m so honored I get the chance to help tell that story.”

Galbreth spoke on how she wants the

Photo courtesy of NPR

audience to realize that, while this musical showcases a part of history, it is not exclusively rooted in the past.

“I want them to mainly take away that just because this happened 60-something years ago, it is still very prevalent,” Galbreth said.

“Putting this on stage is a way to start conversations about it and remind people how recent this is.”

See the dramaturgy team’s work in the Scales Fine Arts Center Lobby and on stage Oct. 27th through Nov. 5th during the run of “Turning 15.”

Contact Kenley McClure at mcclkj23@wfu.edu

Dr. Eric Wilson discusses ‘Point Blank’s’ timelessness 7KH :DNH )RUHVW 'HSDUWPHQW RI (QJOLVK FHOHEUDWHV 'U :LOVRQ¶V QHZ ERRN RQ WKH ¿OP REED TARLETON Contributing Writer Two bullet shots ring. A man falls and lies feebly in the corner of a prison cell. The cell is decayed and outdated, even for the 60s. We hear a raspy voice: “Cell. Prison cell. How did I get here?” Suddenly, we cut to a flashback. This is the opening to 1967’s “Point Blank.”

The opening reflects the overall nature of “Point Blank.” It’s mysterious, fragmented, gripping. It has “a non-linear narrative that works,” as film critic Roger Ebert says.

On Oct. 3, the Department of English held a film screening and a Q&A session to celebrate Dr. Eric Wilson’s recently published book on the film. Wilson briefly introduced the film and his work, then a partial screening of the film followed — as did a reception and book signing.

Wilson’s knowledge and appreciable passion for film underlined the experience. As he discussed “Point Blank” in detail during both his event and a recent interview, he conveyed how socially relevant and exceptionally enthralling the film is.

Wilson explained how this film is innovative, experimental and “very trippy” with its use of flashbacks and dreams.

“It’s very compelling just on the level of

form,” Wilson said.“More importantly for this generation, ‘Point Blank’ doesn’t feel old-fashioned.”

In this film — directed by John Boorman — a crook named Walker (Lee Marvin) is shot and betrayed by his partner Mal Reese (John Vernon) during their heist on the abandoned Alcatraz Island. Walker survives the attempted murder and returns years later to enact revenge and re-collect his money. In Walker’s absence, Reese became a part of an extensive criminal organization and is more protected than ever.

The cult classic has “been so influential on some of the great American films of the past 25 years,” Wilson said.

These films include Quentin Tarantino’s “Reservoir Dogs” and “Pulp Fiction.” Like “Point Blank,” these movies have dishonorable yet cool and attractive criminals.

There’s also a line to Steven Soderbergh and his films, such as “The Limey” and the Ocean’s trilogy. Christopher Nolan was another name mentioned. Wilson said Nolan’s breakout film “Memento” is almost a remake of “Point Blank.”

Finally, “John Wick,” “Drive” and “Baby Driver” are also derivative as they are all “hip and stoic and stylish,” according to Wilson. “[These movies have] this blend of a kind

of darkness…yet attractiveness,” Wilson said.

Wilson also praises the film’s slapstick comedy routines. While intense, exaggerated action ensues around him, Marvin’s character remains deadpan. This comedic contrast is utilized in other films such as “John Wick” and the Dollars Trilogy.

Wilson says the stylishness and coolness of “Point Blank” and its blend of comedy, drama and psychological thrill is why the film is so influential.

His book discusses this legacy, as well as an issue of gender portrayed in the film.

“The film seems to be saying that hypermasculinity is ultimately indeed toxic,” Wilson said. “It’s violent, it’s destructive. But, when we’re able to kind of move beyond our traditional gender category into something else, that may offer a possibility for healing.”

Wilson furthers this idea when discussing another one of Boorman’s films. In both “Deliverance” and “Point Blank,” when these “quintessential alpha male” characters adhere to their ultra-masculine facades, they aren’t successful.

Teachings of “Point Blank” through social commentary along with Wilson’s personal attachment to the film led him to write his book.

He and his dad always loved watching Marvin’s movies together. He recalls watching films such as “The Dirty Dozen” in his youth, so when Wilson saw “Point Blank” in 2017, he had already enjoyed the actor’s talent.

Additionally, Wilson was going through a divorce in 2017, so the film spoke to him when he “was struggling through a sense of betrayal and sorrow and trying to find the light.”

After that first watch, he devoted a year to working on his book. Written for the British Film Institute’s Classics Series, the book was published on Sept. 7, 2023, and will be the newest addition to the Wake Forest English professor’s critically praised works on film.

Wilson has written creative nonfiction, academic works and, most recently, film explorations such as “Secret Cinema: Gnostic Vision in Film” (2006) and “The Strange World of David Lynch” (2007).

“I just want to write about what I love,” Wilson said.

Check out Wilson’s already acclaimed book, and screen “Point Blank” next time you want to watch one of the classics.

Contact Reed Tarleton at tarlwr22@wfu.edu

Page 18 | Thursday, October 19, 2023

Old Gold & Black | Arts & Culture

For all the Deacs: The best Wake Forest name drops in hip-hop history COOPER SULLIVAN Sports Editor Forget the U.S. News & World Report, there’s a new metric in town and it’s far more influential — the infamous Drake namedrop. Okay, technically it was J. Cole who said the line, but it’s still a pretty big deal. Whether you choose to believe the “First Person Shooter” lyric to be a diss or a compliment is up to you, what you can’t deny is the popularity and mainstream attention the reference brings to a small, private, liberal arts school.

It’s only been a week since Drake released his latest album, “For All the Dogs”, and the sixth track is already doing numbers. At 36 million Spotify streams, “First Person Shooter” is the third-most listened-to song from the album, and landed at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 List.

It may be early, but it may be safe to assume “First Person Shooter” is the biggest Wake Forest namedrop in hip-hop history. But is it the best? Check out the top ten below.

10. “Pay For It” — Real Boston Richey (2023) “Been on top of my grind, n—, I ain’t never have to fake for it / F— up when I got the ball, I took off just like Wake Forest” Real Boston Richey may be well-known for getting the entire Florida A&M University football team suspended earlier this year but don’t worry, his association with the Demon Deacons isn’t as controversial. It may be a reference to this past weekend against Virginia Tech when Demond Claiborne took off for Wake Forest’s first kick return touchdown since 2021. “Pay For It” was released in January, so it is most likely just a reference to the athletic program’s general rise, but who knows for sure?

9. “Checclist” — Wacotron (2021) “I can tell you the type to go and pray for it / Shot and shot back like Wake Forest” As Wacotron shows, the easiest way to elevate a rather simple and somewhat confusing bar — the Texas rapper quickly switches the metaphor from basketball to football — into one that has people nodding their heads and singing along is with some umph. The emphatic flow and 808-heavy beat can get you ready to run through a wall by the end of it. Don’t be surprised if Reynolds Gym starts playing this through the speaker system.

8. “Pictures” — Berner feat. Styles P & Dave East (2017) “Brought the Phantom to the beacon / Since Tim Duncan was a demon deacon, I done seen the precinct” Unless Dave East has access to WFUPD records from the 90s and knows something about Tim Duncan that the general public

doesn’t, I don’t really understand this bar. The rest of Dave East’s verse is solid and fits well over the piano-plucking melody, but this isn’t a song people are asking to be put on aux. Props for namedropping Wake Forest’s most dominant athlete, but the alliterative “D” sound is just a dash distracting.

7. “Fully Loaded” — J.R. feat. Nelly (2021) “N— don’t believe me / Wait for it / I’m collegiate with the trees / Wake Forest” Damn the small class sizes, student-professor relationships, liberal arts education or any of the athletic programs, the best quality and most successful selling point of Wake Forest University is its gorgeous campus. It is second to none. It’s literally a part of the school’s identity. When Nelly was writing his verse for “Fully Loaded”, it is clear he was picturing a beautiful spring day on Davis Field fully loaded with students playing catch and catching rays, sprawled out in hammocks and blankets, just enjoying the college with the best trees. R.I.P. Davis Field.

6. “The Power” — Wale feat. Avery Storm (2010) “A real life viking, shout out to St. Paul / Foamposite Max like I’m out of Wake Forest / That’s Duncan for slow-mo’s, mine be so OG / That they probably be in the closet of old folks” Just like his game, Tim Duncan’s fashion style was straightforward. Knowing his aversion to the runway collections, it makes sense that the NBA Hall of Famer’s signature shoe looks just as simple. Wale, who loves to rap about sports stars and Seinfeld, references a pair of Duncan’s shoes in the outro of his “More About Nothing” mixtape. It may be fair to lump fans of the lego brick-look alike shoe with the elderly, but certainly not the power forward himself. After “The Power” dropped, Duncan would play six more seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, be named to three more All-Star teams, add one more championship ring to his hand and be namedropped by Wale once more.

5. “Wait for It” — Berner feat. The Game (2018) “That was cool, I just ran in the house and got a K for it / Gangbangin’, I was made for it / Runnin’ from them demons and the deacon like a point guard at Wake Forest” It seems like in order to be a feature on a Berner track, you have to show love to Wake Forest basketball greats. On “Wait For It”, The Game gives his flowers to the floor general Chris Paul. During his two year stint as a Demon Deacon, the Point God averaged 15.3 points, 6.6 assists and 2.4 steals per game, good enough for 2005 consensus All-American. Opposing defenses did not want any part of the Wake Forest backcourt, especially Paul, and it’s understandable why.

4. “Heisman Watch” — Wale (2016) “Speed kills, I’m a speed demon / And what you deem a deacon I see as a Duncan, big / Fundamentals, longevity in abundance and” There’s a specific formula necessary to play professional basketball for 19 years and as Wale says it isn’t speed, it’s the fundamentals.

Luckily Tim Duncan, aka “The Big Fundamental”, has it down pat. “Heisman Watch” is a treasure trove of old athlete references, although it serves as a cautionary tale for college athletes that quick success is not everlasting. Their names are known (Raheem “Rocket” Ismail, Bo Jackson, Ryan Leaf, etc.), they are often synonymous with the “what could have been” hypothetical. We know what happened with Timmy D. The subject matter may be for a niche audience, It is quite entertaining to hear Wale list all the “forgotten” names off in a rhyming succession.

3. “First Person Shooter” — Drake feat. J. Cole (2023) “The Spider-Man meme is me lookin’ at Drake / It’s like we recruited your homies to be demon deacons, we got ‘em attending your wake” The debate on whether or not this was a diss has been solved. The homies are not being recruited to “beat Demon Deacons”, although isn’t that a badge of honor in itself? Even without the Wake Forest reference, “First Person Shooter” is one of my favorite songs off Drake’s latest album. This is both rappers at the top of their game and the Fayetteville-native is still undefeated on features.

J. Cole’s namedrop is one of the most, if not the most, creative bars on this list, and shows that he is still undefeated on features.

Both rappers are at the top of their game on this song, but it doesn’t feel the most complete. J. Cole floats on the first sample-driven half of the beat and Drake kills the “Her Loss” beat switch on the back half of the song. It still goes on the workout playlist, but it won’t go on the top of this list.

2. “1010 Wins” — The Alchemist feat. Domo Genesis, Action Bronson, Mayhem Lauren, Roc Marciano, Despot (2013) “Mutherf— I’m a great artist / I fixed the game between Georgia Tech and Wake Forest” You heard it here first, Action Bronson was the reason for Wake Forest’s 30-16 loss to Georgia Tech on Parent’s Weekend. Okay, maybe not, since the rapper has been known to embellish on other posse cuts — “Outstandin’, I fixed the game between Georgia Southern and Gramblin’” on A$AP Rocky’s “1Train” — but it’s still worth an investigation.

Between The Alchemist’s spacy synth beat and all five MCs taking turns to be bragadocious gangsters, “1010 Wins” can get pretty crowded. The short and simple namedrop, coming at the end of Action Bronson’s verse, provides a needed reprieve. There’s no fancy wordplay, the bar isn’t stretched and while the rhyme isn’t typical (emphasis on the elongated “or” sound, not “st”), it fits perfectly with Baklava’s thick New York accent. It’s unique, but not exorbitant, and in the age of flash, that’s appreciated.

1. “The Ultimate High” — Nature feat. Nas (2000) “From St. John’s to Wake Forest, wait for us / Straight ballers, you hearin’ it first / Nate flawless in almost every event / Puttin up points, while n— like y’all stay scoreless” At first glance, there may not be much in common between the two East Coast schools, but Nature’s triple entendre says otherwise. As Nature says earlier in the opening verse — “At the airport, minutes before my flight leaves / Round-trip tickets to who knows where” — he needs a destination and stat. Yet with the departure board at his fingertips, the Queens, New York MC somehow lands on Winston-Salem (PTI). Any ‘90s college basketball nerd would know this isn’t the strangest destination choice since the programs had a bit of overlap.

Wake Forest and St. John’s combined for 13 NCAA Tournament appearances over the decade and although the two squads never played one another, St. John’s did play two tournament games at the LJVM Coliseum in 1993. This could have been where Nature and Nas, two Queens natives, met “The Ultimate High” producer Ski Beatz, a Greensboro native, and started laying the groundwork for their grimy, timeless anthem. Even if that isn’t the story of “The Ultimate High,” it’s still the best Wake Forest namedrop in hip-hop.

Adam Coil/Old Gold & Black

Contact Cooper Sullivan at sullcg20@wfu.edu

Thursday, October 19, 2023 | Page 19

Arts & Culture | Old Gold & Black

Taylor Swift brought new fans to the NFL — but she didn’t bring all of them Press surrounding Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce highlights need to reframe ideas of what a sports fan looks like LUCY ROBERTS Social Media Manager On Oct. 1, millions of people woke up to the sounds of birds chirping melodiously outside their windows and extended their arms in a content stretch. They sprung from their beds, wondering how they would occupy their time until 8:20 pm, upon which they could tune into Sunday Night Football.

No, 27 million viewers did not eagerly flock to their couches to simply watch the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, take on the Aaron Rodgers-less New York Jets. For many of them, their excitement stemmed from the chance to see a certain blonde figure grace MetLife Stadium, and I am not talking about the Jets back-up quarterback Zach Wilson.

The possibility that global superstar sensation Taylor Swift could be in a relationship with the immensely talented Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is one that has had the world in a chokehold over the past few weeks.

However, when you disentangle yourself from this trivially entertaining situation and take a step back, a

more complex picture materializes into view.

As sports networks, media outlets and the National Football League (NFL) have scrambled to take advantage of the frenzy surrounding these two stars, the emerging and overarching narrative has been that, due to Swift’s presence at the last two Chiefs games, women have finally discovered the NFL. But whether their fandom has been acknowledged or not, women have been in the stands for a while.

The sports world is one that has been historically male-dominated and is therefore widely seen as a masculine space.

When it comes to American football, this concept applies tenfold.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has a female counterpart in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). Similarly, the Professional Golf Association (PGA) exists alongside the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA).

Though there are certainly imbalances between these leagues, a distinct space for women prevails. The NFL has no such vacancy, though it highlighted women’s flag football in an NFL commercial during the most recent Super Bowl.

As far as representation off the field, women cannot expect to see much of themselves either. On-field officials were exclusively male until 2015 when Sarah Thomas became the first woman to officiate full-time in the NFL. Coaching staff and athletic trainers are also predominantly male, further presenting the organization and its followers as a boys’ club.

This gendered view of football often makes it difficult for women to feel a sense of legitimacy and belonging in their own fandom, despite making up 47% of the NFL’s fanbase in 2020, according to Commissioner Roger Goodell. They are put on a metaphorical stand and haughtily challenged by the man sitting next to them to list five players and their respective favorite post-game snacks just to prove their right to enjoy a game.

Currently, this undermining of the NFL’s female fanbase is shifting beyond a patronizing line of questioning to the belittling of the predominantly female Swifties, as sports broadcasters and other news media outlets embed references to Swift’s songs in their coverage with the intention of appealing to new viewers.

But this attempt to gratify the demographics that the NFL perhaps seeks to expand the most — women and Generation Z — feels unsavory at best, especially when you consider the organization’s past handlings of domestic violence committed by players and the workplace treatment of women.

Following the Chiefs win against the Jets, the NFL changed their X

Kennedy Packer/Old Gold & Black

banner (previously Twitter) to three photos of Swift at the game, along with an updated bio proudly displaying the lyrics, “we had the best day with you today,” in reference to Swift song, “The Best Day.” Ahead of the Chiefs-Jets game in a taped recording, Carson Daly, host of “The Voice,” said, “We got a call from our friends at NBC Sports asking us to put tonight’s story in language that the legions of Swifties would understand.”

Evidently, it is impossible to be bilingual in this so-called Swiftie language and that of the NFL. With that being said, during this game, NBC did indeed see a total increase of two million female viewers, with viewership among girls aged 12-17 rising 53% from the average of the prior three weeks of “Sunday Night Football,” according to the network. Additionally, viewership among women aged 18-24 increased 24% and 34% among women aged 35 and older. So, yes — Swift did bring in impressive numbers.

But even if a portion of viewers from what NBC said was its most-streamed regular-season NFL game ever tuned in solely because of Swift, it is quite unnecessary to perpetuate the idea that football must be dumbed down for their sake, or that one cannot simultaneously have “Red” as their favorite album and also know what it means to blitz.

Is the relationship between these legends of their respective fields real? Will Swift be at the next Chiefs game? Who knows. What is very real, however, are the disparities among who we allow to be a sports fan. The female presence is growing inside the NFL fan base — it is time to stop questioning those within it.

Contact Lucy Roberts at robels20@wfu.edu

Jorja Smith’s ‘Falling or Flying’ explores relationships and accountability The British R&B singer releases her second studio album Ameera Moinuddin Contributing Writer If you’re an avid music listener, you may welcome “New Music Fridays” with the same anticipation that I do, and if you’re an avid rap listener, you would know September as the release month of Drake’s long-awaited album, “For All the Dogs.” That is, until he very conveniently postponed the release date to Oct. 6.

Lucky for me, there was another album for which I had been counting down the days — Jorja Smith’s “Falling or Flying.”

A British R&B singer from Walsall, United Kingdom, Jorja Smith has been on the radar for R&B listeners for a while now. Her first studio album, “Lost and Found” earned her a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist, as well as a handful of Britpop awards. Since then, she has released multiple notable singles, ranging from a memorable and moody collaboration with rapper Stormzy to a light, rhythmic one with afrobeats icon Burna Boy. Her 2021 EP “Be Right Back”

was similarly full of songs I found to be layered with heavy emotions and her ballad-like vocals.

I associate songs with different places and times in my life, and Smith’s music has been the soundtrack to a lot of moments in my life. A few notable songs of hers have even become permanently meshed with certain emotions that are evoked immediately when I relisten to them. In fact, it was in the middle of my A-Level exam period just this past May when I rediscovered her music and began listening to “Lost and Found” on repeat whilst plowing through endless revision material.

Alternatively, her single with “Stormzy” was the song I played most often when taking the metro around the city, and it now reminds me only of this journey. These songs of hers possess the ability to take me back to relive these precise moments, and I was looking forward to welcoming a whole new range of songs in this album with which I would associate my first couple of months in college.

Strangely, I have developed a ritualistic approach to listening to new albums. On the first listen, I go through the album from first to last track without paying much heed to the lyrics and just absorb the sounds, instruments and samples of each song. On the second listen, I go back and do the same but with my beloved geniuslyrics.com open in another tab and, poring over the lyrics, I decide which of these songs would make the cut into my playlist.

I was doing this with this album, but upon reaching this particular song, I broke my own rules and pulled up geniuslyrics on first listen. “Backwards” started off with a beat to which I immediately started nodding my head, then Smith’s breathy, satinlike vocals entered, and I already knew it would be one of my favorites on the album.

In some songs, the words spill out, and it’s as if the lyrics were made for you to be listened to — and this was one of those songs.

“It hurts me if I hurt you / So I hurt you so you hate me / But you won’t leave, I can’t get out.” I heard that, immediately texted my

best friend urging her to listen and pressed replay before the song even finished.

The album as a whole is an exploration of multiple subgenres or side quests into other emotions. The titular track, “Falling or flying,” defines what this phrase means to Smith and how she never knows within which of the two motions she is caught.

There is a great deal of introspection throughout this album with Smith exploring herself and how she handles romantic relationships that comes across as a journey of accountability and self-checking.

Different from most songs on this project, “Feelings” — featuring fellow British star J Hus — is less of a monologue than a conversation. J Hus compliments Smith’s vocals on this song, adding his characteristic Afroswing touch.

Overall, the album ended up matching my high expectations and will be listened to frequently over the next month — hopefully this review encourages you to do the same.

Contact Ameera Moinuddin at moina23@wfu.edu

Page 20 | Thursday, October 19, 2023

Old Gold & Black | Arts & Culture

Who in the world is stopping Wes Anderson?

7KH $UWV &XOWXUH HGLWRUV GLVFXVV $QGHUVRQ¶V PDJLFDO \HDU DQG KLV ODWHVW EDWFK RI VKRUW ¿OPV ADAM COIL & JAMES WATSON Arts & Culture Editors James Watson Wes Anderson — our boy — had a mad productive year in spite of an industry that is facing an uphill battle of reinvention. This dude appears to be putting out the most work he has in any given time. It started this year with “Asteroid City,” a movie I loved…I don’t remember where you fell on it.

Adam Coil Ultimately, I liked “Asteroid City.” I think that it’s a step in the wrong direction for him, but we can talk more about that later.

JW I think you’re getting at something that occurred to me when we were watching his new short film, “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” and that is that I think he wants to direct a play. And that’s part of “Asteroid City,” right?

It’s literally about a theatrical production. That’s something people like to talk about a lot with Anderson — specifically, that he kind of has a troupe of actors, so he’s kind of giving in to that theatrical identity a bit. Why do you think he’s gone down that road?

AC First, I want to say that it’s crazy that he dropped a feature length and then four short films only two years after “The French Dispatch,” which I honestly thought was going to be his magnum opus.

it together, which maybe isn’t good writing. But to me, it’s there. And I think a lot of people are starting to incorrectly see this trajectory he’s on as all fluff with no soul. Now, to me, the production itself provides the soul, but I totally empathize with people who just find, you know, his late period stuff cold and alienating.

AC I definitely wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s cold and alienating. I found a lot of story and a lot of heart in “The French Dispatch.” With “Asteroid City,” maybe it’s there. I’ve only seen it twice. But it felt like a step in the wrong direction.

It felt too sparse. Too many layers, too much fluff, as you’ve mentioned. And then “[The Wonderful Story of] Henry Sugar” — I don’t know exactly what to do with [it] because it’s not a full length film, right? The more time you spend with a character, the more you’re going to feel for them, generally. So it’s hard to judge, but I don’t know if I really felt anything for Henry Sugar or his story.

JW Yeah. Well, it moves at a breakneck speed. It really zips.

AC I’m sounding more critical than I want to because, honestly, I loved it. I just would have liked more.

JW I think that they are really expensive exercises for him, more or less. This is Anderson’s version of weight train-

JW You could call it quits there.

AC Oh, yeah. I remember a piece about how [Anderson] was very much into the New Yorker when he was little, and most of the characters are based off of famous New Yorker staffers.

Photo courtesy of IMDb

“The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” is a AC faithful adaptation of Roald Dahl’s short story.

To go back to your earlier question, “Why do I think [Anderson] went in this direction?” It just seems like he can’t help himself. These are the types of movies he wants to ing, but we’re kind of spoiled by this style at this point. make. I mean, is it crazy to say that “[The Wonderful Story The blocking is so good. I think “Asteroid City” is peak for of] Henry Sugar” might be [the] most visually impressive blocking. Because he is such a prolific auteur, he doesn’t really have any other peers that are producing this quantity of work he’s ever made? work with as much care and detail.

JW AC I mean, there’s a lot of wizardry going on here. Because a I mean, I would be blown away if Anderson can make a lot of times when we’re changing locations in “[The Wonderful Story of] Henry Sugar,” sets are just coming up. more Anderson film than “[The Wonderful Story of] Henry They’re flying props out, instead of hard cut transitions to Sugar.” It just felt like if you turned the Anderson aesthetic something else. And, obviously, I’m sure there might be crank to the maximum — which I love. But I’m just really some…CGI wizardry going on with some of it, but it’s sup- curious as to where he goes from here. I don’t know how much more ground he can break in this direction. posed to impress upon us a real tangibility.

JW I think you’re starting to hear a lot of people talk about that. That was a huge complaint with “The French Dispatch.” A lot of people liked what they saw, but they didn’t feel any of it. And my kind of counter argument is that I think there’s actually a lot of heart and emotion in “[The French] Dispatch,” but you kind of have to Frankenstein

JW Or the jaguar shark.

AC Exactly. You just don’t get those moments anymore. Selfishly, I want them back. I feel like we’re at an inflection point in his career.

JW I’ve definitely heard that a lot. I don’t know if he knows it’s a thing, but I would love to ask him like, yeah, to our point, where’s the jaguar shark in “Asteroid [City]”?

AC I do not believe that the emotion is no longer there within him. You can feel it in “Asteroid City.” There is a certain amount of pain that this man is working through. But as he gets more famous and has more tools at his disposal, he seems less willing to put his emotions out on the screen.

AC Exactly! Like I’m thinking about “Rushmore.” I mean, that’s Anderson. It feels like he keeps pulling his heart further and further out of the movies. But at the same time, I get this weird sense that the emotions and the pain on his end are still there.

JW I think it’s kind of about himself.

AC Yeah, like you’re saying, it translates to the theater extremely well, but was there much story there?

AC Yeah, but they also have some really happy moments.

As you know, I love “The French Dispatch,” but there are no scenes in there like in “The Darjeeling Limited” where Adrien Brody is holding that dead boy and he says, “I didn’t save mine,” or even after that feather ceremony where the three brothers are running down the sand hill like little children.

JW Or at least without burying that emotion under like 100 levels of quirky mise-en-scene.

AC Exactly. I mean, it was a humongous film. It was a humongous film that blew me away. Not only on the first watch, but, for me, I think it keeps getting better each time.

JW Yeah, Jeffery Wright is supposed to be James Baldwin, etc. I also think “[The French] Dispatch” was the start of this new “New Wes” generation. Because I think all of these feel like extensions of the creative Mojo he was working with.

JW Those are sorrowful movies.

JW I wonder if people’s boredom with the style comes from how different his writing has been, now that he’s not with the same collaborators. Watching “The Life Aquatic [with Steve Zissou]” and then watching “Asteroid City” — that’s a totally different guy under the hood there, you know?

AC I think so. If you go back and watch “The Darjeeling Limited” or “The Life Aquatic,” there are certain moments in there that just punch you in the heart.

JW I mean, “[The French] Dispatch” and “Asteroid [City]” are really sad. “Asteroid [City],” on its face, is about grief. I think “The French Dispatch” is about [Anderson] because I think that if you view the movie as a story about Arthur Howitzer Jr. — who I would contend is the main character of the movie — all those stories are about the impact he had on the writers’ work.

They’re both sorrowful movies, but they’re not as overt with their emotion. Maybe he enjoys being less obvious, you know, and I think I understand that creative temptation. But I think for a lot of viewers, it’s unfulfilling.

AC What I’m thinking about now is how he is explicitly using artists as the medium through which he expresses these issues. And so, in that way, maybe he’s saying, “You’d be an idiot to not look at the form as the main vehicle for the pathos.” And so maybe there’s a certain amount of obfuscation that necessarily comes along with that.

JW Yeah. And maybe he’s just trying to put more onus on the audience.

AC Well, he’s earned it. I think we trust that if we put in the work and analyze the films at the granular level, we will be rewarded for it.

JW That’s why I really like art about art, and I think that’s why I have enjoyed his recent stuff — because I wholeheartedly love it when art is introspective of itself. I think a lot of people find that tiring. And maybe it’s a little much, but to me, that’s a really vulnerable place to be.

Contact Adam Coil or James Watson at coilat21@wfu.edu or watsjc22@wfu.edu