10/24/24 Full Edition

Old Gold&Black THE

Old Gold & Black

is column represents the views of Editor-in-Chief

Maddie Stopyra and City & State Editor James Watson

The Old Gold & Black presents the 2024 Election Edition

ere are reasons to be more concerned about election misinformation this year than in years past. We need not look further than the last month of discourse on the social platform X, formerly Twitter, to gure out the public discourse we might expect after the polls close on Nov. 5.

Hurricane Helene resulted in a torrent of misinformation, culminating in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) brie y pausing operations due to threats by a militia in the region. Many online recklessly speculated that FEMA was seizing land and homes in storm-battered Appalachia. FEMA, of course, was not there to impose eminent domain (nor do they have the power to do so). ose threats, spurred by false information, resulted in serious harm to already-hurting communities, undermining e orts to bring relief to the area. ere's no other way to say it: it’s despicable.

e truth is, the sunk-cost fallacy is a powerful drug. When you put time, resources and energy into believing in something or someone, it can be hard to divorce yourself from it — even if it's problematic or disappointing. Or, in the case of elections, even if your candidate loses. When you add misinformation to an already roaring blaze of passion and disappointment, the results can be explosive and dangerous.

e Old Gold & Black is committed to combating the spread of false information. We are proud to present the 2024 election edition, where you will nd 13 stories dispersed over 20 pages exploring the upcoming election. e OGB publishes this edition as a part of our commitment to providing our readers with information and resources to make an informed decision at the ballot box over the next few weeks.

e Wake Forest community is respond-

ing to the election, and we strive to document this response through accurate and thorough reporting. You will nd a how-to guide for voting in News, hear from rsttime voters in both News and Opinion and get an in-depth look at goings on of the election itself in City & State. Environment is also continuing to follow the lasting e ects of Hurricane Helene, covering how it has affected voting in North Carolina. Our election reporting on election night itself will be focused, accessible and always, always accurate — veri ed to the highest degree.

Misinformation about the ballot counts is inevitable. A reminder: some states legally cannot tabulate early or mail-in votes from until after polls have closed on Election Day. at’s not fraud. It’s just slow. If, like in 2020, a candidate has an early lead that gets shrunk over the course of the night, that’s not fraud either — that’s just counting. An-

Old Gold&Black

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MADDIE STOPYRA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF stopmf21@wfu.edu

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Mia Springer, spriml21@wfu.edu

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Sean Kennedy, kennsm21@wfu.edu

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Lydia Derris, derrlf23@wfu.edu Adam Coil, coilat21@wfu.edu

other reminder: networks do not decide races, they merely project them. If you want to see the numbers for yourself as they come in, go straight to the source: state government websites which post results in real-time. A nal reminder: not a single court across the country found any evidence of voter fraud in the 2020 election. e people running this election, counting the votes and working the polls are just that: people. ey’re volunteers. ey're Americans. We’re Americans. For the next president, whoever it is, we owe it to ourselves to believe in a common set of truths. And it starts with accepting the results of this election — committing ourselves to doing the work necessary for a peaceful transition of power. at commitment begins right now in this paper: to the truth. To democracy. God bless America and please, go vote.

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e Old Gold & Black is published ursdays during the school year, except during examinations, summer and holiday periods, by Triangle Web Printing of Durham. e views expressed in all opinion pieces and advertisements contained within this publication do not necessarily re ect 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 in ammatory 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 noti ed and involved.

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A guide to voting in the upcoming election

The Old Gold & Black details how citizens can do their part in the 2024 election

MIRIAM FABRYCKY Contributing Writer

As the election draws closer, Wake Forest students have likely noticed many recent initiatives on campus to register students to vote. However, registering is only one step towards exercising one’s constitutional right to shape local, state and national governance, so it’s important that intended voters still turn out to actually cast their ballots.

Deb Marke, who serves as the University’s assistant director for advocacy and social justice education and leads the Deacs Decide project, said it is crucial for students to create a clear plan to vote — not only to decide who and what they will be voting for, but also understanding the logistical details of when, where and how they will vote.

“ e research shows that when you write down your goals, you’re more likely to actually do them,” Marke said. “It’s really important to think through: are you going to vote early? What day are you going to go? Are you going to take the shuttle? Are you going with a friend?”

North Carolina voters

As North Carolina is a highly contested swing state, voting here can prove more pivotal to this presidential election than nearly anywhere else in the country.

“Most elections here are decided by a few thousand votes,” Marke said. “And even though that may seem like a lot, that’s all of campus. When you really think about it, it’s such a small margin. And so your vote does actually really matter, and it makes a di erence. ese decisions that we’re making throughout October and November are going to shape our communities for generations.”

One stop early voting

Why? Because classes will be in session on Election Day, early voting is a good option for Wake Forest students. Early voting is also a much more exible process than voting on Election Day itself. Early voters may cast their ballots at any polling location in Forsyth County. Additionally, it is possible to register to vote at the polls during One Stop Early Voting.

Students who are not registered to vote or are not sure if they are registered, should plan to vote early. To register to vote at the polls, you will need to bring a paper copy of your proof of residency. is document is available in the housing portal for students who live on campus. Follow the directions to access and print your proof of residency.

All North Carolina voters must provide photo identi cation or sign an ID exemption form at the polls. Wake Forest students should be aware that DeaconOne cards satisfy this requirement.

When? Early voting in Forsyth County begins on ursday, Oct. 17 and continues every day until Saturday, Nov. 2. Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays (except on Nov. 2, when voting will run from 8:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.), and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sundays. Anyone who is waiting in line to vote at closing time still has the right to vote and should

stay in line.

Where? Early voters may cast their ballot at any early voting station in Forsyth County. e closest location to the University is the Polo Park Community Center at 1850 Polo Road. For the duration of early voting, Wake Forest will o er free shuttles to the community center.

Additional details on early voting times and locations are provided on this yer published by the Forsyth County Board of Elections.

Voting on election day

Students planning to vote on Election Day should be certain that they are registered to vote beforehand, as it is not possible to register to vote at the polls on this day. Voters will be asked to provide photo identi cation or sign an exemption form. Wake Forest students can use their DeaconOne Cards.

When? Election Day is on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.. Just as with early voting, anyone in line to vote by closing time is still legally allowed to vote.

Where? Unlike early voting, Election Day voters must report to their assigned polling location. Wake Forest University is split into two voting precincts; South Campus students will vote at Salem Chapel and North Campus students at Bethabara Moravian Church.

e University will provide free transportation to the polls.

Voting by mail

Voting by mail is another option for both students who vote in North Carolina as well as those who prefer to vote in their home states. e last day to request an absentee ballot for North Carolina is Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 5 p.m. Because of North Carolina’s voter identication requirement, mail-in ballots must be accompanied by a photocopy of an ID. Free scanners for this purpose are available in Benson 334 and Benson 506. North Carolina mail-in ballots can be tracked online (see wfuogb.com).

Regulations and deadlines for mailing in ballots vary by state — the websites listed in the next section o er speci c guidance for those choosing to vote by mail.

“Don’t wait until the last minute,” Marke said. “Make sure you have everything that you need to ll [your ballot] out. Do you need a witness? Do you need a notary? Do you need a stamp? Knowing that mail sometimes takes a long time, you want to give yourself a little extra padding, just to be sure.”

Preparing to vote

ere are many online resources available to help voters understand their rights and create a plan to vote.

e North Carolina State Board of Elections Voter Search tool allows voters to quickly check their registration status, view a sample ballot and see their assigned polling location.

VOTE411 o ers nonpartisan guides to help voters choose who they would like to vote for. By entering their address, users can view the pro les and policy stances of the candidates who will be on their ballot.

VOTE411 also contains information on the voting procedures of each state.

TurboVote o ers comprehensive information about steps towards voting, from registration to setting reminders to go to the polls.

While it is illegal to take a picture of a ballot in North Carolina, voters are free to take their phones with them into the voting booth and can even research candidates and policies while at the polls.

“You can take as long as you need. You don’t have to feel rushed,” Marke said. “So take your time if you need to look something up, if you just want to be sure.”

Contact Miriam Fabrycky at fabrml24@wfu.edu

POLICE BEAT

• An individual’s bracelet was possibly stolen from the North Dining Hall but there were no cameras in the area where they were sitting. e report was led at 12:01 p.m. on Oct. 16.

• An unknown individual entered a 2018 Camry in the Deacon Place parking lot 2 between 8 p.m. on Oct. 15 and 7:20 p.m. on Oct. 16. e report was led at 1:42 a.m. on Oct. 16.

• An unknown individual removed a scooter from the front of Dogwood Hall on Oct. 14. e report was led at 2:56 p.m. on Oct.16.

• An unknown individual took airpods from a room on the fourth oor of a Wake Downtown building. e report was led at 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 16.

Photo courtesy of Forsyth County Board of Elections

SKYLER VILLAMAR-JONES News Editor

Many rst-year students at Wake Forest are engaging with their home and school communities as they navigate another milestone: the rst presidential election in which they are of voting age.

“I’m excited,” freshman Kaley Fondeur, who is voting absentee, said. “But I’m honestly kind of nervous, especially because voting [by] mail is a bit odd, and since it’s my rst election I have no idea what the ballot will even look like. But overall I’m excited.”

ough many rst-year students are unfamiliar with each step of the registration and voting process, they are eager to take their rst trip to the voter polls.

“I’m de nitely excited to vote because it’s my rst election,” freshman Sloane Simon said. “I think it’s important to be informed and to learn more about where you’re from and to have your voice heard.”

Voting registration

e Old Gold & Black spoke with several outof-state students who decided to register to vote in North Carolina, which is largely considered a swing state. Some students felt their vote would be more impactful in North Carolina than it would be in their home state.

“It’s de nitely important to vote,” Freshman Patrick Cimaglia, who is originally from Chicago, said. “I’s way more competitive to vote [in North Carolina].”

Freshmen Walker Cave and Brent Foytlin also registered in North Carolina instead of their home states because of the on-campus opportunities for students to register. ere have been organizations, including Deacs Decide and other non-campus a liated groups, that have encouraged students to vote around campus.

“I wasn’t registered to vote already, and the people on campus made it really easy,” Foytlin said.

“I kind of got heckled by the people around campus that were registering voters,” Cave said.

Learning about candidates

Some students also expressed feeling overwhelmed with the number of positions up for election. North Carolina’s Forsyth County has 29 positions listed on the ballot. Fondeur, who is voting in her home state Florida, said it is di cult to di erentiate between so many candidates and to stay updated on all of their beliefs.

“I’ve been doing research with my parents,” Fondeur said. “When I went home, we got mailed pam-

phlets that had the values of each candidate that they sent out. So I looked at those, and I’ve just been trying to nd who best aligns with my beliefs.”

She continued: “It’s really overwhelming, especially since this is a major election and it’s my rst time voting. People online are always super positive or super negative, and it’s always really black or white and people always lean one way or another about the candidates.”

Freshman Madison Schneider said that she nds the election to be a bit scary, though she is making an e ort to educate herself and is eager to vote.

“I’ve been following the election for a few months now,” Schneider said, “so based on my own reading — and I tend to read both sides to understand what everyone stands for — I’m then going to make an educated decision.”

Foytlin and Cave said as non-North Carolina natives, it is much easier to follow the presidential candidates than the local ones.

“I read the news from the Wall Street Journal a lot,” Cave said, “so I feel like I have a good idea of what’s going on [nationally]. But for the smaller positions in North Carolina, I’m kind of indi erent to that.”

e importance of voting

For freshman Jennifer Chavez, the election is daunting because it determines so many years to come.

“I’m nervous to have to vote for Harris or Trump, knowing that they will be in o ce for the next four years,” Chavez said. “And so many people say they don’t like either candidate.”

She continued: “A lot of young people think that their one vote won’t make a di erence. But if everyone who thinks that would actually go out and vote, it would actually make a di erence. People have to go vote.”

Fondeur said that it’s vital for young voters to exercise their constitutional right to participate in the election.

“It’s super important to vote,” Fondeur said. “Everyone always thinks their vote won’t do anything, but we get to make our own futures. Since we are a younger generation, voting is directly impacting our future.”

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Photo courtesy of AP News

Students and professors weigh in: the role of election discussions in academic settings

Should classrooms embrace or avoid the increasing political discourse on-campus?

SHAILA PRASAD & SKYLER VILLAMAR-JONES Deputy Editor & News Editor

As election day approaches on Nov. 5, and politics continue to polarize the country, political dialogue will inevitably increase on campus. But what happens when these conversations surpass the privacy of a dorm room or phone call?

e Old Gold & Black asked professors and students about whether personal politics should hold a place in Wake Forest classrooms. Regardless of the prevalence of the election in their courses, the interviewed professors agreed that they felt their own roles in the classroom were not to in uence student preferences. Meanwhile, the interviewed students were open to political discourse in class — one even encouraged it. Starting with, you guessed it, the politics and international a airs department, Professor and department chair Dr. John Dinan, who is currently teaching “POL 211: Political Parties, Voters, and Elections,” frequently discusses the upcoming election as it relates to previous voting trends.

“I focus especially on how political scientists can o er helpful perspectives and insight about elections, and in ways that might not be readily available in media accounts, whether regarding patterns of voter behavior, campaign strategies or election outcomes,” Dinan said.

Similarly, sociology Professor Hana Brown expressed that she nds the election a useful teaching tool in her class “SOC 364: Politics, Power and Protest.” At the beginning of the semester, her class explored the language used by the Donald Trump and Kamala Harris campaigns as a strategic tool to evoke emotions from voters. Coming up is a unit about how topics get politicized — including abortion, terrorism and immigration.

But at the beginning of such classes, she always emphasizes that her classroom is not a place to debate who should win the election.

“When I can talk about [politics, it is] from the standpoint of sociological research and sociological theory, regardless of my own political beliefs,” Brown said, emphasizing that she aims to give students the tools they need to analyze candidates and voters critically using principles of sociology.

Both Dinan and Brown acknowledged that di erent professors approach discussing the election in di erent ways, but Dinan also explained that he makes a conscious e ort to discuss all of the positions up for election rather than only focusing on the presidential race. North Carolina’s Forsyth County has 29 positions for election on the ballot, including congressional races, state legislative elections, judicial elections, local elections and a state constitutional amendment.

“So much attention is paid to the presidential election, and understandably so,” Dinan said. “But these state and local elections have important consequences and deserve a lot of attention, as well.”

Sophomore Daksh Goyal has found that such discussions in his classes have directly impacted his conversations outside. He appreciates how his classes provide him with insight into the election in a respectful manner.

“I’m taking an economics class related to the Federal Reserve,” Goyal said, “and the election has come up in terms of the candidates’ economic proposals and how they might impact the decision-making by the Federal Reserve.” He expressed similar sentiments regarding his environmental policy class, which explores changes to laws and executive actions that the current administration has taken.

“I think my professors have been e when it makes sense to incorporate discussions around the election into their classes,” Goyal said.

Sophomore Michael Gourlias, who is taking sociology courses, says he has not discussed the election in his classes. e only time he experienced election discourse was when his French professor brought in a guest speaker for the last 10 minutes of class to help his classmates register to vote in North Carolina. Despite the lack of conversation, Gourlias thinks the election would be relevant to his sociology classes and should not be

Greene Hall hosts politics, sociology, economics, language, psychology classes & more. Professors in various disciplines approach discussing the election in differing ways.

avoided.

“I think it’d be engaging,” Gourlias said. “[For example], in social statistics, we do a lot of work with past election surveys, but it’d be interesting to see how the trends we see would apply to this year.”

Gourlias also feels that discussions and debates about the election would bene t students by further developing their stances on various candidates and policy positions.

“I think it [would] make people think about their beliefs more and challenge [them],” Gourlias said. “But it also makes people more informed because a lot of people don’t really think about their position on lots of issues.”

Crystal Dixon, associate professor in the department of health and exercise sciences, explained that the election rarely comes up in her classes — and she doesn’t force the topic.

“When students enter my classroom, my goal is to create a safe space for students, so they can feel supported mentally and a rmed as individuals navigating the challenges and stresses of college life,” Dixon said.

However, Dixon went on to say that she isn’t averse to political dialogue in the classroom. In “HES 100: Lifestyles and Health,” she encourages her students to re ect on their mental health. If she nds that students increasingly mention the election, she would be open to threading it into her course content but without in uencing their choices.

Dixon emphasized that she wants to avoid unintentional bias in her learning environment, but still has advice for her students.

“I always encourage students when making major decisions in life — whether an election or a job o er — to explore their inner convictions and morals and allow that to guide them,” Dixon said. “I have found that to be the most e ective way to remain engaged and manage their mental health. I would advise my students to take the same approach in this upcoming election.”

Contact Shaila Prasad & Skyler Villamar-Jones at prassp21@wfu.edu & villsc22@wfu.edu

Evan Harris / Old Gold & Black

CITY & STATE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2024

James Watson, watsjc22@wfu.edu

Politics faculty-edited PS journal publishes 2024 election predictions

Forecasting the results has been

“humbling”, authors say

ANDREW BRAUN Sports Editor

With just weeks remaining until 2024’s elections, “PS: Political Science & Politics” has published its election models edited by Wake Forest University faculty.

e “Special Issue on Forecasting the 2024 US Elections” includes 12 di erent models forecasting the results of the 2024 United States presidential election, each predicting the winner of both the popular vote and electoral college. Professors Lina Benabdallah, Justin Esarey, Peter Siavelis, and Betina Cutaia Wilkinson of Wake Forest’s Department of Politics and International makeup “PS’s” editorial team.

Of the forecasts included in the pre-published article, eight anticipate former President Donald Trump securing an electoral college victory and returning to the White House.

Models in PS

Like many US election models, those published in “PS” generally forecast their results based on two major metrics: prevailing economic conditions and an incumbent candidate’s popularity. Each prediction then varies in how heavily they weigh certain factors.

Some models like East Carolina University political science professor Dr. Brad Lockerbie’s, lean on consumer nancial forecasts. Dr. Charles Tien of Hunter College and Dr. Michael S. Lewis-Beck of the University of Iowa, meanwhile, consider incumbent approval rating with economic growth in their projection. Notably, the projections in the pre-published issue of “PS” minimally consider “the e ect of the

campaign on voter behavior.”

Dr. Betina Cutaia Wilkinson is an associate professor and associate chair of the Politics and International A airs Department at Wake Forest. As a public opinion scholar and co-editor of “PS: Political Science & Politics,” she evaluates the research and methods of election forecasts submitted to the journal.

“For us, our main role is to maintain the status [and] rigor of the journal in terms of its ability to publish [research] that has strong theoretical or empirical contributions,” Wilkinson said.

She explains that it's important for political scientists to constantly scrutinize not only the results of these forecasts but also the methods that deliver them. ere’s never a way to be certain, but forecasters are always readapting and considering new metrics in making predictions.

“We have had, as political scientists, to be very careful to really do our due diligence in terms of really guring out ‘What are the appropriate measures to put into these forecasting models?’” Wilkinson said.

Modeling in 2024

Wilkinson highlights one nuanced metric found in this election cycle’s special edition: the strength of local political parties. Now a component in Philippe Mongrain and others’ prediction in State-Level Forecasts for the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election, the measure has been incorporated since former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s narrow defeat in key swing states in the 2016 presidential election.

“ erefore, forecasting models have to focus on the states much more to be able to accurately predict what will happen,” Wilkinson said.

e upset sent political scientists back to the drawing board but ultimately provided clarity in their model-making. After Clinton was predicted to win the race based on nationwide numbers, projections like Mongrain’s have readapted to forecast future elections using state-by-state metrics to better predict electoral college counts.

e sophistication of models like Mongrain’s are especially valuable in this election cycle where several swing states are identi ed to make or break the election for either candidate. is “PS” Special Issue identi es Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as these key battleground states.

But painting a picture with such ne detail can also in uence the outcome of an election. “Horse race” coverage of any election, Wilkinson says, can both mobilize reactive voters wanting to decide a tight race — or even dissuade voters whose candidate is polling ahead from turning out to vote.

e path to 270

For any shot at the magic number — 270 electoral votes — among swing states, Harris has to win Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan. Any other battleground states — including Nevada, Arizona and Georgia — are just icing on the cake at that point. She gets to 270 — though not by much.

Trump’s job is slightly easier. He can a ord to lose both Wisconsin and Michigan, win Pennsylvania and comfortably walk through the 270 door. at calculus changes if Georgia goes blue again this cycle, but for this example let's assume the state polling is right and Trump is leading there — if only marginally. e map just described is clearly the campaign's current east coast strategy; ipping Pennsylvania red and crucially, keeping North Carolina red.

e Tar Heel state throws a wrench into all of these hypotheticals.

If North Carolina ips, Harris can lose Pennsylvania while only needing to win one other swing state to win the presidency. Or she can lose both Wisconsin and Michigan, win Pennsylvania AND win both Nevada and Arizona and clinch 270 that way. Point is, she can run the board with North Carolina under her belt. Trump will have to play catchup in every other swing state if that happens.

Forecasted results

When the special issue's models are averaged, a repeat result of the 21st century emerges. Vice President Harris earns 50.3% of the popular vote, although her forecasted 246 electoral votes aren’t enough to win her the White House compared to Trump’s 292. e state-level models, meanwhile, project Trump to take 312 electoral votes in a sweep of all seven swing states. e combined projection is not unreasonable. A Trump electoral college victory despite a marginal mandate for Harris would re ect a recent trend in presidential elections where the winning candidate fails to secure the popular vote — the third such occurrence since the turn of the century.

James Watson contributed to this story.

Contact Andrew Braun at brauar23@wfu.edu

OLD GOLD & BLACK

A model generated by the website 270toWin shows the PS journal's prediction for the 2024 electoral map, showing Trump winning the presidency.

James Watson/Old Gold & Black

Hurricane Helene: Five correctional facilities in North Carolina were evacuated — they still aren’t back

2,000 incarcerated individuals were relocated to different facilities around the state

ELLA KLEIN Features Editor

Over 2,000 inmates from ve correctional facilities in the North Carolina mountains were evacuated in response to Hurricane Helene, according to state o cials.

Prisoners were evacuated from the Craggy Correctional Facility in Asheville, the Avery-Mitchell Correctional Institution and Mountain View Correctional Institution in Spruce Pine, the Black Mountain Substance Abuse Treatment Center for Women in Black Mountain and the Western Correctional Facility for Women in Swannanoa.

According to the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction (NCDAC), these prisoners were relocated due to a loss of water and power — the exteriors of the prisons were not damaged. However, none of the relocated incarcerated individuals are back in their original correctional facility.

On Sept. 26, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Perry, Fla. Over the following two days, Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina. Battering the region with landslides and ooding, and destroying homes. More than 95 people died, according to local law enforcement.

Parts of western North Carolina are still without power and water, including Asheville and Swannanoa, where several of the correctional facilities are located.

In four days, the NCDAC moved

2,190 o enders to 18 other correctional facilities. e NCDAC reported to the Old Gold & Black that the e ort took 74 buses and 10 vans, which drove a combined e ort of 46,000 miles.

As of Oct. 7, the NCDAC reported “All o enders are safe, and NCDAC is taking all appropriate actions to ensure continued safety and security.”

“Relocation placements were based on available space, gender, custody level and the medical acuity level of o enders,” Brad Deen, communications o cer for NCDAC, said.

Keith Acree, the director of the NCDAC communications department, reported that no incarcerated people have been returned to their original correctional facilities.

“All prison facilities have power restored, but the ve evacuated facilities still do not have water service, and there’s no certain timeline for when water will be restored,” Acree said, which remains true as of Oct. 7. All facilities can be accessed via road, and no outstanding damage, in ooding or debris, was caused to any facility. However, visitation at all facilities is still inde nitely suspended.

Many Western NC roads are being limited to residents and essential personnel. It is still not advised to travel in the North Carolina Mountains. During the storm, access to the facilities was completely cut o — for several days, immediately after the storm hit, correctional sta had little respite.

In an email interview with the Old Gold & Black, Deen discussed the impact on sta members at the a ected correctional facilities.

“It was a tremendous burden for sta who were working when the storm hit to cover for those who physically could not make it to work,” Deen said. “In many cases, sta remained at the facilities because they could not physically make it to their homes. ey rested in sta -only areas.”

More than 90 members of the Prison Emergency Response Team (PERT) were sent to Western NC facilities to help relieve sta members.

During this time, state correctional ofcials asked families not to contact any of the incarcerated individuals at the affected facilities. No a ected facilities responded to the Old Gold & Black’s calls at the time, due to a lack of power and available personnel.

“Communications were a logistical challenge. Some telephone services were available (cell and landline), which is one reason we asked family and friends not to call facilities.” Deen said.

Deen reports that the prison system is experienced in handling the burden of severe weather.

“Mass transfers of o enders due to weather emergencies are not a new thing for NCDAC. During Hurricane Matthew in 2016, we temporarily transferred 7,000 o enders, mostly from facilities in the eastern part of the state,”

said Deen.

In a World Weather Attribution assessment, scientists sounded a familiar call — climate change is increasing the severity of storms, including Hurricane Helene. e mountainous western North Carolina would have su ered a less drastic impact, but according to the report, “the rainfall was about 10% heavier due to climate change.”

Contact Ella Klein at kleiek22@wfu.edu

NC ballot measure proposes redundant crackdown on voter eligiblity

Measure removes langauge present in the U.S. Constitution from state law

MALCOLM BROWN Staff Writer

North Carolina voters are some of the most sought-after in the 2024 presidential election. Both the Democrats and Republicans are massively emphasizing winning over these voters. However, amid all the noise, an unusual piece on the North Carolina ballot is turning heads. e unassuming amendment has farreaching implications for voting rights in the state of North Carolina. e ballot measure under the “REFENDA” section says as follows:

“Constitutional amendment to provide that only a citizen of the United States who is 18 years of age and otherwise possessing the quali cations for voting shall be entitled to vote at any election in this State,” the measure reads.

Voters are right to be confused. After all, this is already the law of the land. And not just a state statute. It’s a federal standard established by the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which reads as follows:

“Every person born in the United States and every person who has been nat-

uralized, 18 years of age, and possessing the quali cations set out in this Article, shall be entitled to vote at any election by the people of the State, except as herein otherwise provided.”

at’s also word-for-word what the North Carolina state constitution says now. e di erence? e new language proposed by the measure removes the word “naturalized.” Also the phrase “only” replaces the phrase “every.” e right of naturalized citizens to vote is still constitutionally protected.

Proponents of this amendment, largely Republican, want the wording to be more concrete to prevent misinterpretation in the future. According to one of the bill’s chief sponsors, North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore, the proposal is aimed at preserving election integrity and preventing potential foreign in uence in elections.

“Recent e orts to allow non-citizens to vote would undermine the public’s condence in our electoral system and leave the door open for chaos and election fraud to take hold,” Moore said. “Preventing noncitizens from voting in our elections also

helps maintain national sovereignty, as it prevents foreign in uence from a ecting the outcomes of American elections, and this amendment to our constitution would further strengthen election integrity in North Carolina.”

Noncitizens cannot vote in state or federal elections in any part of the United States.

Another Republican sponsor, House Committee Chairman Destin Hall, argued that the current constitution reading “may be a oor up rather than the ceiling of who can vote,” suggesting that future judges on courts may loosely interpret the current law for exploitative purposes.

Republicans have cited other cities such as San Francisco and Washington D.C. where noncitizens are allowed to vote in local elections, not state or federal ones. ey reference the surge of migrants crossing the border illegally in recent years and how they could in uence elections.

Votng against this measure would keep the current wording in the state constitution unchanged, with noncitizens still being excluded from voting in North Carolina. Many Democrats and other

groups in the state believe that this ballot measure is unnecessary and will, “sow confusion among immigrant voters who are legally allowed to vote”.

“ is is an insidious change to the constitution that sets a dangerous precedent for setting up barriers for eligible North Carolinians to have a say in our future,” Co-founder and Executive Director of North Carolina Asian Americans Together Chavi Khanna Koneru said in a press conference at the NC General Assembly with lawmakers in May. is potential amendment, although it appears as a matter of changing words — people like Koneru argue it will have far-reaching implications for those who can exercise their right to vote in North Carolina.

In this election, North Carolina voters will not only choose the next leader of the United States but also give their input on a potential change to the state constitution — one that could reshape the language around voter eligibility in future elections.

Contact Malcolm Brown at browmd24@wfu.edu

Prinsoners were evacuated from various facilities, including the AveryMitchell Correctional Institution.

Photo courtesy of Avery Journal

8

FEATURES

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2024

Wake Washington students navigate the Capitol as Election Day approaches

In the midst of a polarizing election, Wake Forest students in Washington, D.C. nd common ground

HOPE ZHU Staff Writer

Orrin Jones stared down at the House Gallery, watching rows of suited representatives cast their votes. Jones was caught o guard by how much this scene reminded her of the crowded Waker Forest Pit at lunchtime. No one sat still: Democrats walked over to Republicans. Republicans went to Democrats. Cards were exchanged, conversations sparked.

“It’s a lot more communication than I’ve ever heard about on the news,” Jones said. “All I ever hear is they don’t talk to each other. But they do. ey talk. ey argue. at’s how Congress works.”

Jones is a current Wake Forest sophomore interning with Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is one of 13 Wake Forest students in the Wake Washington Program.

Each year, students study and intern in the capital while taking courses from Wake Forest faculty. is

“

ough no professor made it a requirement, many students found themselves watching not only the presidential debates but the vice presidential debates with their peers.

program has always been a stepping stone for aspiring political science and international a airs students.

However, this year feels particularly charged. It’s election season, and the race is tighter than ever between two candidates with opposing visions for the country. As of Oct. 20, just two weeks before the election, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are locked in a near tie amid highly polarized supporters.

In Washington D.C., Wake Washington students have a front-row view of the nal stretch leading up to the election while working on Capitol Hill, in government a airs rms and at think tanks.

Alongside their internships, they take classes with Dr. Katy Harriger, exploring the history and operation of the U.S. national election process as it relates to the 2024 election. ey also study politics and election law with Elliot Berke, a Wake Forest alumnus and the president of the Republican National Lawyers Association, who serves as outside counsel to former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. In this environment, Jones easily feels ideas being tested. e cohort includes students from across the political spectrum — some, like Jones, intern for Democrats, while others work for Republicans like Sen. Ted Budd of North Carolina and Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

e classroom re ects this mix, too; while Harriger’s class leans bipartisan, Berke often brings in GOP voices, including David Bossie, the president of Citizens United. Bossie is known for overturning longstanding campaign nance laws and later served as

Trump’s deputy campaign manager.

“It’s really hard not to feel a certain way,” Jones, who still remembered the uproar over Bossie’s controversial comments to a Black Fox News panelist, said. ose on the opposite political side agree. Haley Summer, a junior, identi es as a Republican. is semester, she’s interning with Sen. Ted Budd.

“Most of the class leans left, with a few of us leaning right,” Summer said. “We even have a couple of independents, so we’ve got all three major parties in class. Discussions get super intricate.”

Jennifer Richwine, executive director of the Wake Washington Center, says the program’s ideological diversity is intentional. In a time of deep political divide, she wants students to break out of their cliques and learn from each other’s backgrounds.

“We want them to have tough conversations about politics and the election throughout the semester,” Richwine said. “We also want them to dive into this conversation and get to know each other beyond the classroom.”

Urged by Harriger and Berke to see beyond polarized gures, Jones now values being in class with those who disagree with her. She often nds herself walking home with them, discussing how polling, debates and news shape their o ces on Capitol Hill.

“We hear many opinions, but they’re from one angle. It’s on me and the other students to do our re-

search and understand more,” Jones said. Summer, on the other hand, is surprised by how frequently they nd common ground. ough no professor made it a requirement, many students found themselves watching not only the presidential debates but the vice presidential debates with their peers. eir consensus, though ideologically divided, was that JD Vance performed well. ey likewise enjoyed visits from former Speaker Kevin McCarthy brought through Berke’s connections, engaging with stories of his humble beginnings.

Summer thinks the bond comes from living together in the city.

“[At] the end of the day, we’re all friends,” Summer said. “In a typical class of 30 people, it’s harder to connect. Here, I feel comfortable sharing my beliefs. I can speak up without worrying about what everyone else thinks. Wake Washington gives me that con dence.”

Still, no one can predict what will happen on election day. However, Summer and Jones have noticed shifts in their surroundings. ey see more protests in the streets, and Jones nds Uber drivers in Washing litical system.

“ ere’s really no time to be divided, to have animosity towards each other just because you believe in certain things,” Jones said.

Contact Hope Zhu at zhuq22@wfu.edu

Photo courtesy of Elliot Berke

OLD GOLD & BLACK

Ella Klein, kleiek22@wfu.edu

Wake Washington students heard former Speaker Kevin McCarthy about the state of politics today and what they can expect heading into November.

Deb Marke directs Deacs Decide

TAYLOR RILEY Contributing Writer

In fourth grade Deb Marke’s parents, who immigrated from Sierra Leone, got their American citizenship. Since then, she watched them vote in every local, state and federal election — instilling in her an early respect for the civic process.

Marke was hired as the assistant director of advocacy and social justice at the O ce of Civic & Community Engagement in the fall semester of 2019. She immediately jumped into Deacs Decide, a nonpartisan campus-wide initiative to promote voting.

“It’s really important that everyone has the ability, resources, tools and information to be able to go and make the most informed decision for themselves,” Marke said. “ at’s what the role of Deacs Decide is, helping people think critically about what it means for them to feel like they have the autonomy to participate in this process.”

is isn’t Marke’s rst time serving the Winston-Salem community — she has worn many hats. As a Wake Forest undergraduate student working in the Women’s Center, as an AmeriCorps Vista Member working locally and now as the leader of Deacs

Decide, their work in ensuring social justice for all is abundant.

However, Marke didn’t always plan on this career path. Despite exposure to civic duty from their parents, while in undergraduate school at Wake Forest, they majored in health and exercise science, planning on becoming a doctor. e Women’s Center, which opened during their time here, shifted her career trajectory toward their love of social justice.

“I was the rst student worker in the Women’s Center,” Marke said. “I got to engage so deeply and learn about di erent structures and systems and institutions.”

After graduating, Marke served for a year with AmeriCorps before taking a job as a program coordinator in the Women’s Center at the University of Cincinnati, where she focused on what it meant to be a leader.

“Anybody can be a leader, anyone can create change,” Marke said, re ecting on her time in Cincinnati.“You don’t need a particular title; you can lead without a position.”

Exploring the relationship between activism and leadership encouraged their pursuit of higher education. Marke is

currently working towards a Master’s in social work at UNC Chapel Hill. When she’s not busy balancing this and her job, she’s spending time with their partner and ve cats: Ramona, Luca, Chester, Bae and Max.

is background in activism and social justice also equipped them for their role in Deacs Decide. Since taking on the role of leader, she has structurally shifted the organizationtoencouragestudentleadership roles and peer-to-peer mobilization. Marke believes it’s vital to learn how to vote at a young age.

ere’s a lot of research supporting the fact that voting in your rst election makes you much more likely to be a lifelong voter. Marke’s goal for Deacs Decide is to guide students to engage with local, state, federal and global communities.

“I have always grown up with a really strong understanding of being engaged politically and feeling like voting is a tool,” Marke said. “It is not something that everyone has access to and it really is a privilege to be able to do that.”

Contact Taylor Riley at riletc24@wfu.edu

Where wellness and technology intersect

Wake Forest football player Walker Ferguson’s new wellness app ‘Ascend’ is

VIRGINIA NOONE Opinion Editor

When Walker Ferguson met Hampton Tanner the summer before their freshman year, the two Wake Forest football players immediately hit it o . Beyond having similar home lives and interests, they both knew they wanted to create something together that helped others — they just weren’t sure what it was going to be yet.

ree years later, their new wellness app “Ascend” is prepared to launch this October with a full launch expected by the end of 2024. e app uses AI-driven solutions to create personalized programs that can help users with stress relief, better sleep, meditation and more.

Meditation and mindfulness became centered in Ferguson’s life once he turned to

of being a full-time student while also being a collegiate athlete. His schedule was packed so rigidly, and the weeks would go by so quickly that it felt impossible to slow life down and process anything.

“I was de nitely not always grateful for everything around me before Hampton came into my life and helped me get on the path of my spiritual journey,” Ferguson said. “I’ve been able to cultivate a sense of gratitude, and my mindset has completely changed… that’s the whole reason we started this app. It was never about making a pro t; we want to help as many people as possible.”

Tannerwantstoemphasizetheimportance of breaking down barriers surrounding mental health ––– especially when it comes to meditating.

“At the core of our mission is a deep commitment to improving people’s lives,”

Tanner said. “Our main goal and priority is to uproot the stigma around meditation and make meditation a powerful tool for positive transformation in every endeavor of life.”

e app’s developers are Colin Graydon and Gordon Grandbouche, who met Tanner at Georgetown University after he had transferred from Wake Forest after freshman year. Tanner originally met Graydon in a lower-level Spanish class, where they were the oldest students. He soon learned Graydon was involved with Georgetown’s Computer Science Club, and began to share his and Ferguson’s idea for the app. When Graydon connected them with Grandbouche, the planning for the app began.

Users can prompt the AI with whatever they’re personally struggling with, and

the app will respond with a program that can help your current state of mind while tackling long-term goals. For instance, the app can create a sleep story that is tailored with a variety of choices of calming voices, landscapes and other features that can help users drift to sleep.

“It’s given me a way to stay calm amidst the chaos, stay grounded and level-headed and be the best version of myself in all aspects of my life,” Tanner said. “Wellness has helped me approach and overcome challenges with a calm and clear mindset, which is exactly what I want to o er to others through Ascend.”

roughout the summer, all four of them would connect, meeting nightly online to brainstorm ideas for the app. ey all eventually met in person for the rst time

at a Mets game in New York City this past summer.

Although the app was the friends’ brainchild, it came to fruition through the help of many others along the way — namely Cathy Pace, the former CEO of Allegacy Credit Union, and Mike Buckovich, Stan Parker and Steve Lineberger from Winston Starts.

“Honestly, my goal is to get just 1% better every day and be more grateful for everything in my life,” Ferguson said. “Just being able to pause and relax for a few moments is priceless […]. I know this app can help people do that.

e pair is excited to see what the future holds for their app and themselves.

Contact Virginia Noone at noonvc21@wfu.edu

Photo courtesy of Wake Forest University

Photo courtesy of Wake Forest University

ENVIRONMENT

Mia Springer, spriml21@wfu.edu

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2024

Addison Schmidt, schmac21@wfu.edu PAGE 10

Weathering the vote: The state’s election response to Hurricane Helene

MALCOLM BROWN Staff Writer

On Oct. 7, e North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) convened to hold a remote meeting to address the emergency measures required for conducting voting in the a ected counties in western North Carolina. is comes in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene’s impact on the western part of the state.

“[We] are working to ensure voters a ected by the storm can still cast their ballot in the 2024 general election,” NCSBE said in a press release on Monday, Sept. 30.

As of Oct. 5, a total of 115 people have been con rmed dead as a result of the hurricane in North Carolina with searches still ongoing for hundreds of missing people in the western part of the Tarheel State. With an election a month away, these unforeseen circumstances caught the attention of the NCSBE.

As the state’s agency that is responsible for overseeing the elections process, the board adopted a resolution that grants the 13 counties most a ected by the hurricane (Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga and Yancey) with the following modi cations.

County boards are authorized to modify their early voting plans and election day precinct voting sites by bipartisan majority vote.

Voters are able to request and receive an absentee ballot in person at their county board of elections o ce until the day before the election, Nov. 4. Completed absentee ballots can be dropped o at Election Day polling places by 7:30 p.m. or delivered by a relative or legal guardian to another county board or the State Board of Elections by 7:30 p.m. County boards have the authority to appoint election ofcials registered in other North Carolina counties, appoint emergency Election Day assistants and reassign poll workers for su cient expertise at each voting site. ey can also schedule Multi-Partisan Assistance Teams to help with absentee voting at disaster shelters and other relief locations. ere is ongoing coordination between the NCSBE and the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management,

Despite the impacts of Hurricane Helene, many continue to make voting a priority, as the polls for in-person, early voting in Black Mountain, NC remained busy on Oct. 17.

to provide election-related aid to disaster counties, including temporary voting facilities, generators, temporary restrooms and other needs.

NCSBE stated that they have contacted a ected election o cials in the state to ensure that they can assess the damages to voting facilities as well as the potential e ects to absentee or in-person voting.

“When disasters strike elections, we use this mantra: ‘We do not stop an election; we gure out how to proceed,” Karen Brinson Bell, the executive director of the NCSBE, said.

e NCSBE devised an information hub, NCSBE.gov/ Helene, that will be updated regularly based on county board o ce closures, tips for voters a ected by the storm and basic voting information. ey will also provide infor-

mation on their social media.

Absentee voting began in the Tarheel state for everyone on Sept. 24, with in-person early voting beginning on Oct. 17. However, absentee voting has encountered a hurdle as the U.S. Post O ce has reported that some counties have suspended mail delivery at dozens of post o ces in Western North Carolina. e NCSBE has stated guidelines for residents of western North Carolina who requested an absentee ballot, explaining that residents do not have to vote that way, instead, they can vote in person during early voting or on Election Day.

Additionally, if the voter still chooses to vote absentee and is in a di erent location than where they registered originally, they can request an absentee ballot and have it sent to their temporary address. If they already requested an absentee ballot the voter should contact their county board of elections to have the original ballot spoiled and have a new one sent to their temporary location.

North Carolina State Law requires voters to present an acceptable form of photo ID when voting in person and include a photocopy of their photo ID with their mail-in ballot. Due to Hurricane Helene, the board has advised voters in the 25 a ected counties under a disaster declaration that they can ll out a Photo ID Exception Form. is form will allow them to explain why they may not be able to show a photo ID to vote in person or by mail, using the “natural disaster” exception.

Governor Roy Cooper of North Carolina stated in a press release on Tuesday, Oct. 1 that approximately 370,000 customers still remain without power, noting how this number has drastically decreased from the peak of 1 million.

e NCSBE has implemented additional measures to address these concerns and ensure voting o ces are accessible. ey are providing emergency kits, known as “election o ces in a box,” to counties without power. is will enable workers to continue preparing for the election by registering voters and processing absentee ballot requests.

As North Carolina continues to recover from the devastation left by Hurricane Helene, the resilience of both its people and institutions is being put to the test. While the challenges ahead are immense, the determination to protect the democratic process is clear.

Photo courtesy of Stephanie Scarbrough/ AP News

OLD GOLD & BLACK

Photo courtesy of Chris Carlson/ AP News

How to stay up to date on the environmental record of candidates

A guide to learning about candidates’ environmental agenda before voting

BEZA ZELALEM Staff Writer

e time to vote for the 2024 presidential, state and local elections has arrived. With this it’s important to understand where current political candidates stand on pressing environmental issues and what they plan to do regarding climate action.

Depending on your background knowledge of climate topics, you may not know where to begin your research. Dr. Julie Velásquez Runk, director of the Wake Forest Environmental Program, professor of environment and sustainability studies and Weigl Fellow of Environment and Sustainability Studies helped break down where to look for each candidate's climate agenda and proposed climate policies to help you make informed choices when voting.

Olivia Delgado is a junior and president of dEaCOfriendly, a student-driven organization promoting sustainable culture and action. Delgado also gave insight on how she stays up to date with climate news, and speci cally how it impacts this election.

What’s the best way to nd out where political candidates, on the local and national level, stand on environmental issues?

e Sierra Club, a historic grassroots environmental organization released their 2024 election endorsements to showcase which candidates are endorsed by various environmental groups.

How it works is that sta members evaluate the environmental and public health records of candidates and their experience of advocating for pressing climate issues. Dr. Ve lásquez Runk recom

mends this source to see which candidates are endorsed by the Sierra Club on the national level.

“To view North Carolina’s speci c endorsements you can search for [North Carolina] and enter your address,” Dr. Velásquez Runk said.

Delgado recommends the NC League of Conservation Voters’ (NCLCV) legislative scorecard as a source to stay updated on local candidates' environmental policies. Each year, the NCLCV releases a scorecard — the primary tool for tracking the environmental voting scores of North Carolina state legislators.

e goal of the scorecard is to hold elected o cials accountable by examining how they’ve voted on issues that a ect air, water and land — essentially verifying their claims of action.

For staying up to date more generally, Delgado recommends listening to “Spotify’s ‘NPR Summaries’ to receive quick but thorough updates on presidential debates, for example, in case you missed important climate news in real-time.”

What are important questions to ask when researching candidates' climate agenda?

According to Dr. Velásquez Runk, some potential questions to research are: “whether and how candidates support alternative energy, whether they take big oil and gas money, how they address carbon taxes, whether and how they address climate justice, whether they address consumption and how they voted on the In ation Reduction Act.”

Additionally, she recommends researching candidates' natural disaster response — particularly inlene's devastating af-

“

is election will have many implications for the environment, climate change and clean energy... e way our system works is that if you want to see change you need someone who prioritizes climate action in their agenda."

termath — and whether they properly “addressed the relationship between climate change and hurricane intensity.”

Delgado advises spending less time on the candidate's speci c campaign websites because it comes across as an advertisement and instead recommends looking at what they’ve done in the past.

“When applying for a job, you don’t get hired just for what you will do for the company. Employers look at your resume and track record. What have you shown you can do and accomplish in the past?” Delgado said.

She believes we should implement this approach when researching local and presidential candidates.

What implications will this election have for the environment, climate change and clean energy?

Dr. Velásquez Runk emphasized that we are in the midst of a period of profound human-caused changes to the environment.

“ is election will have many implications for the environment, climate change and clean energy,” Dr. Velásquez Runk said. “Our politicians need to take action to foster positive environmental action, strengthen environmental justice and invest in climate resilience and mitigate change.”

Staying informed on candidates’ past climate policy, proposed policy and personal views allows you to truly engage in the democratic process and hold politicians accountable for environmental and climate action.

Overall importance of staying informed on environmental policy

When asked for any last thoughts, Delgado expressed that she felt the biggest problem with environmental issues today wasn’t the lack of awareness on environmental issues, but rather the lack of implementation and action in the government due to many policy barriers.

To Delgado, the only way to combat this is by electing people who prioritize implementation in their agenda.

“ e future of our economy, businesses and land use all have an environmental component,” Delgado said. “ e way our system works is that if you want to see change, you need someone on the inside who prioritizes climate action in their agenda.”

Delgado continued: “Environmentalism isn’t just about science, it plays into our economy, social justice initiatives and more. It’s important not just for environmental change, but all change.”

Contact Beza Zelalem at zelam22@wfu.edu

OPINION

OLD GOLD & BLACK

PAGE 12

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2024

Virginia Noone, noonvc21@wfu.edu

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

Trump vs. Harris: entertainment or politics?

ORRIN JONES Contributing Writer

Picture this: two presidential candidates ghting for the world’s most powerful position agree to debate. e point? To showcase their policies on immigration, the economy, healthcare — you know, the stu that matters.

You’d expect an intense showdown packed with substance, and maybe a step up from the last debate circus between Trump and Biden. We’ve got Kamala Harris, a sharp, younger and far more traditional candidate taking Biden’s place. en you have Donald Trump — a tough, out-of-pocket and the polar opposite of any president we have seen this century. But just as quickly as the stakes are set, expectations vanish.

Suddenly, we’re in a bizarre argument about immigrants eating pets in Ohio, bragging about owning a gun and, my personal favorite, executing babies after they’re born. Yes, this is what politics has come to in 2024: a mix of surreal entertainment and governance where it’s increasingly hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. And having been in D.C. for nearly a month, I’ve had a front-row seat to the madness. It’s hilarious, frustrating and mind-boggling.

I have the honor of being a part of the Wake Washington program, living with 11 other incredibly intelligent and politically diverse people. Everyone’s job circulates politics, making our conversations about our work climate. We watched the debate together, and I can con dently say: there were way more laughs than there needed to be. We even had a bingo card of all the possible outcomes of this debate: Trump questioning Harris’ race, Harris laughing, a mention of the “coconut tree” joke, talking over each other — the list goes on. is debate isn’t the only time where we felt like politics is no longer serious; it’s as if politics are taking inspiration from SNL skits rather than the other way around. I work on Capitol Hill, so a large chunk of my day is full of political talk. Although the election is

surprisingly not the hottest topic spoken about, a common ground that both Democrats and Republicans have expressed is how this election is a laughing stock. How did we get to this point? Who are the characters that play a role in this, and how do they contribute?

Let’s talk about Trump. e man doesn’t just do politics, he performs it. e real secret to Trump’s success? His ability to turn political rallies, interviews, and even debates into must-watch television. He’s still the same brash, unpredictable gure who made reality TV gold, and he brings that same energy to the political stage. In this debate, he leaned into his populist persona with all the air of a seasoned entertainer. One moment, he’s railing against “political correctness” and liberal elites, and the next, he’s making absurd claims about — yes — immigrants eating cats in Ohio.

What makes Trump’s performance fascinating is that it works for his base. ey don’t see his wild tangents and ery rhetoric as ga es — they see them as part of his charm, proof that he’s the only one willing to say what’s really on their minds. He’s the anti-politician, the guy who’s going to take on the “swamp” and restore America to its former glory. It’s a vision rooted in nostalgia, in a time when American identity felt more straightforward — at least for some.

For all his detractors who nd him chaotic and divisive, his supporters view him as a folk hero, ghting against the forces they believe are tearing the country apart. To them, the mix of entertainment and politics isn’t a bug — it’s a feature they try to mimic. Former Senior Advisor David Bossie’s talk to our Wake Washington cohort highlighted the blurred line between entertainment and politics in the Trump era. He proudly discussed creating “pro-Trump documentaries,” a form of political messaging designed more for entertainment and rallying the base than balanced discourse.

His recounting of Trump’s political strategy — “never answer the questions he’s asked, that’s how he crushes them” — emphasized how entertainment tactics, like de ection and spectacle, became central to Trump’s political success. e jaw-dropping moments, like Bossie’s infamous racist comment to a Black Fox News reporter being out of his “cotton picking mind,” show just how much shock value, rather than policy, de ned their approach.

Trump has turned politics into a form of entertainment, where policies take a backseat to personality and spectacle. His debates feel less like forums for discussing ideas and more like performances designed to keep people talking. It’s politics as reality TV, where the goal isn’t to persuade with facts but to keep the audience engaged — no matter how wild the content gets.

Harris, meanwhile, represents the polar opposite. She’s here to discuss the actual issues, to move the country forward. Her vision is one of progress, inclusivity, and justice. But in a world where politics has become so intertwined with entertainment, can someone like Harris cut through the noise? Can substance win out over spectacle?

Harris skillfully balances politics and entertainment, using humor and personal anecdotes to connect with the public while maintaining her role as a serious politician. Her “coconut tree” joke at a Florida fundraiser, symbolizing resilience, is one example where she entertained audiences while conveying a political message. Despite these entertaining moments, Harris remains rooted in traditional politics. She rose through the ranks as a prosecutor, California’s attorney general, and a U.S. senator, emphasizing law and order.

As vice president, she engages in standard diplomatic duties and bipartisan e orts, balancing media-savvy moments with serious policy work. Harris’s ability to entertain while staying grounded in institutional politics re ects the evolving nature of modern leadership — where a politician needs both relatability and credibility to thrive. But it’s a fair question to ask oneself: is that enough?

We saw Hillary Clinton win the popular vote through a traditional campaign, but Trump ultimately won. He was more memorable because of how outlandish he was. Harris has her endorsements from celebrities like Taylor Swift, but she has not relied on media spectacle or entertainment tactics. She has focused on governance, engagement in the standard duties of her o ce, and her strong legal background. What makes her stand out is that she can balance her narrative with serious policy positions, which ultimately connects her with a range of voters.

is race isn’t just a battle between two candidates. It was a sample of the larger struggle happening in America right now: do we want our politics to be serious, issue-driven, and focused on the future? Or do we want it to be entertaining, loud, and full of chaos? For all of us working in D.C., watching this unfold was equal parts hilarious and infuriating. Sure, Trump’s antics are good for a laugh, but there’s something deeply unsettling about watching the highest o ce in the land turned into a sideshow.

At the same time, Harris’s steadiness o ers hope for a future where politics returns to being about policy and progress rather than personality and theatrics. So, what kind of country do we want to be? Are we here for the show or the solutions? is isn’t just a question for voters — it’s a question for the very soul of American democracy. In 2024, we’re not just choosing a president. We’re deciding what kind of politics we want — and whether we want it to be entertainment or something far more important.

Photo courtesy of Orrin Jones

Photo courtesy of Orrin Jones

One vote, two votes, red votes, blue votes

MATTIE STILLMAN Staff Writer

I grew up in a family of Democrats in Charlotte, N.C., a blue city in a major swing state. It is dicult to remember a time when politics did not play a signi cant role in my worldview. is November, I and many others on this campus get to express their own voice and make a decision about the future of our country. But in a politically divided state and country, it is hard to tune out the noise.

One vote, two votes, red votes, blue votes

My rst memory surrounding the presidential election was a mock election in the second grade. It was 2012 and President Barack Obama was running for re-election against former Governor Mitt Romney. In prior weeks, I heard my parents talk about how they were voting for Obama. So without a second thought, I lled in the bubble on my fake ballot next to Obama and Joe Biden.

All around Eastover Elementary, I kept hearing my 8-year-old classmates say, “My mom says we are Democrats” or “My dad says we’re Republicans.” at day I went home and asked my parents what we were.

“Well your mom and I are Democrats. And when you grow up you will get to choose a political party, too,” my dad explained.

I just thought that if my parents were Democrats, I would be a Democrat, too.

Four years later, it was the fall of 2016 and I was in sixth grade. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was running against “ e Apprentice” star Donald Trump. Conversations around this election felt different than they did four years prior. e world and Alexander Graham Middle School felt tense. A wall suddenly appeared between me and some of my classmates.

At the time, my primary source of political information was, still, my parents — and I am sure I was not the only 12-year-old guilty of this., But it was still enough to drive a wedge between elementary school friendships.

Everything was either blue or red, good or bad. at was that.

Sixteen and voteless

In 2020, during my sophomore year of high school, it felt as though the country only became more divided. Trump was running for re-election against Biden, and the COVID-19 pandemic had everyone locked up in their homes and six feet apart. e physical distance led to more political dissonance as the pandemic became a highly controversial topic of debate amongst blue and red politicians.

At 16-years-old, this presidential election felt personal. While my parents and my upbringing in uenced my political views, I was not a little kid blindly following in their footsteps. I did my research on the two candidates’ policies, I watched the news and I re ected on the well-being of the country over the last four years under President Trump. With all this information I felt powerless. It didn’t matter who I thought was the right candidate to lead our country. I simply had to trust others to exercise their civic duty and choose to protect autonomy. I jumped for joy with my brother when Biden was announced as the 46th president of the United States of America.

We are not going back

Fast forward another four years, and here we are. Biden has stepped down from the presidential election, and Vice President Kamala Harris is the new nominee for the Democrats.

On Aug. 6, I was sitting down in the living room with my family to watch the live stream of the Harris rally in Philadelphia. While the purpose of this rally

was to formally introduce Harris’s running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, it seemed like a party! Rally-goers were given LED wristbands, and a DJ played house music to excite the crowd.

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro came out swinging with inspiring speeches. e crowd roared as Shapiro showed his love for Philadelphia, the most populous city in the crucial swing state. Supporters were red up and ready to see the Democratic candidates.

Finally, Harris and Walz emerged from behind the blue curtains and the room erupted into applause and cheers. Without even being in Philadelphia, I could still feel the excited energy in the room. e presidential nominee who symbolized the future for women in America lled the screen.

My mom and I’s eyes welled up with happy and hopeful tears as the crowd chanted, “We are not going back.”

It’s hard to nd common ground in this election

While I am nowhere near perfect, I strive to be a kind and open-minded person who is inclusive and empathetic. However, when I hear that someone is voting for a convicted felon and a man who believes in stripping women of the right to make decisions about their own bodies, I feel repulsed.

Trump wants to close the Department of Education, ban books, and prevent schools from teaching critical race theory. e orange bu oon wants to target immigrants and deport contributing members of society that do not have citizenship. His administration does not support the Equality Act that protects LGBTQ+ from institutional discrimination. Trump does not support a woman’s right to make decisions about her own

body and believes rearms are more important than protecting children. Trump supports policies that do not represent those of a strong leader of a democracy who wants to help all Americans. ese policies re ect those of a dictator.

Trump said it himself when asked by Fox News host Sean Hannity if he was going to be a “dictator.” He responded by saying, “No, no, no, other than day one. We’re closing the border, and we’re drilling, drilling, drilling.”

While I do agree with most of the policies of the Harris campaign, I also see that Harris is a competent, strong and compassionate leader. Out of the two candidates, she is going to be the one to unify Americans and nd common ground.

I think actress and activist Kerry Washington said it best in her interview with MSNBC when she emphasized that despite her love for Harris, she didn’t feel voters had to agree to vote for her.

“ is is not about loving that person because it’s not about hero worship. It’s not about one person coming in and solving all the problems. I always say you have to vote based on the love you have for yourself, not the love you have for a candidate. Because what’s at stake right now are your own rights and liberties,” she said.

So no, you don’t need to love Harris to see that she is the candidate who will not leave America in a aming mess. She shows empathy towards Americans and wants to protect the freedoms of every person in this country. With Trump, we will move back into a dark age, but with Harris, we will move into a bright and successful future.

We are not going back.

Contact Mattie Stillman at stilmk23@wfu.edu

Photo courtesy of AP Photo/Matt Rourke

Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota governor Tim Walz, make their debut at a Harris rally in Philadelphia, P.A. on Aug. 6.

Josh Stein is the obvious choice for governor

We must decide if we want a governor who is focused on solving real problems or one who prioritizes stoking culture wars.

CALEB PEMBELE Contributing Writer

is November, North Carolinians will make a choice: move forward into the future with someone who cares about all North Carolinians or get dragged back into the past with someone who is obsessed with ghting culture wars. e North Carolina gubernatorial race between the Democratic nominee, Attorney General Josh Stein, and the Republican nominee, Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson, is the highest pro le gubernatorial race in the country this cycle, so it’s important we understand the stakes.

For those of you who have no idea who Robinson is, strap in because this man is quite the character. Robinson’s greatest hits include calling queer people “ lth,” claiming that abortion exists because women aren’t responsible enough to keep their skirts down and calling himself a “black Nazi” on racial porn sites. Unfortunately, these quotes only scratch the surface of all of the horri c things Robinson has said about our fellow North Carolinians. Fortunately, we, as young voters, have a great alternative option: someone committed to public service and dedicated to strengthening our state.

As attorney general, Stein cleared the largest backlog of untested sexual assault kits in the country, allowing the evidence from these kits to be used in investigations and putting perpetrators behind bars. He led a bipartisan group of attorneys general nationwide to sue drug companies that fueled the opioid crisis, winning a settlement worth over $50 billion. Nearly $1.5 billion was given to North Carolina to “fund addiction prevention, treatment, recovery and harm reduction programs.” Furthermore, Stein has aggressively prosecuted businesses found to be price-gouging during states of emergency and taking advantage of people’s desperation. Stein’s record as attorney general has been stellar, safeguarding our rights and making sure North Carolina lives up to its promise of opportunity and justice, something he will continue to do as governor.

Stein also understands that when we support our public school teachers, they can better support their students. Stein has proposed a “Ready. Set. Save!” back-to-school plan, which would reinstate a sales tax-free holiday weekend in August, lowering costs for both teachers and families. In addition, it would provide teachers with a stipend to cover out-of-pock-

et expenses on school supplies, as well as universal school meals for all public school students. Furthermore, Stein supports a “Working Families Tax Cut,” a cut which will save individuals on average $500 per year, and $1,500 for families with three or more children. Teachers across North Carolina are working miracles despite the lack of support they get from our Republican-controlled General Assembly, and if Stein becomes governor, he will ensure educators get the support they deserve. All of these policies are a part

of Stein’s plan to build a North Carolina that is safer, stronger and more prosperous for everyone.

Abortion is another key issue in this election, and again, the di erence between Robinson and Stein couldn’t be clearer. In September, Robinson was caught on audio saying that he wants abortion to be illegal at zero weeks, without exceptions for rape, incest or even the life of the mother. Later in the audio, he says, “ ere’s no reason why an abortion should happen ever,” a statement that I believe should disqualify him for governorship.

A woman’s ability to make her own healthcare decisions is a fundamental right and a decision that is made between a woman and her doctor, not politicians. As attorney general, Stein has led briefs in support of abortion rights and medication abortion. He supports the protections granted by Roe v. Wade, and as governor, he will protect access to contraception, IVF and abortion, and will veto any further attempts to criminalize women’s reproductive freedom.

North Carolina is at a crossroads, and we have an opportunity to choose the path we will follow for the next four years and beyond. Robinson is an extremist whose policies will turn this state into “ e Handmaid’s Tale,” and whose temperament is not t to be the standard-bearer of North Carolina. In contrast, Stein has spent his whole life making the lives of his constituents better and working across the aisle to do so.

Whether it's his work ending the biggest sexual assault backlog kit in the nation or holding drug companies accountable for their role in the opioid crisis, Stein will work for you. Wake Forest students, we must decide if we want a governor who is focused on solving real problems or one who prioritizes stoking culture wars. e path forward is clear: Josh Stein is the obvious choice to lead us into a brighter future.

Stein has been campaigning around North Carolina in hopes of defeating Robinson for his seat. Robinson has faced controversy in recent months.

Photo courtesy of Axios Contact

As the election draws nearer, the race between Stein and Robinson heats up. The two have faced different barriers in their campaigns and are vying to become the next governor.

Photo courtesy of Josh Stein (X)

SPORTS

Sean Kennedy, kennsm21@wfu.edu

Andrew Braun, brauar23@wfu.edu

Demon Deacons defense delivers in road win

Wake Forest survived a game-winning drive to defeat University of Connecticut

ANDREW BRAUN Sports Editor

Once again, Wake Forest Football’s fate hung in the balance of a single score.

But in a game where Wake Forest’s offense did “just enough,” the Demon Deacons’ defense proved capable of winning the day. Despite struggles at critical moments on o ense, Wake Forest snuck out of their nal non-conference game with a win.

e Demon Deacons’ staunch run defense held the Huskies almost all day. Connecticut, which had been averaging over 200 yards per game, pieced together just 45 rush yards all game, and failed to nd the endzone in the rst half.

While Wake Forest was set on stopping the run, the Huskies adjusted to make progress through the air. Connecticut quarterback Nick Evers passed for 264 yards and two impressive second-half touchdowns, the latter of which would make it a one-score game inside three minutes to play. Demon Deacons’ defense eventually delivered with a critical fourth down stop, ending Connecticut’s attempted game-winning drive and sealing the win for Wake Forest.

“We did what we wanted to do against

the run game [and] obviously the pass defense, that’s still a work in progress,” Head Coach Dave Clawson said after the game. e defense’s accomplish ments dually underscored Wake Forest’s lack of of fensive production.

Demon Deacons failed to convert on several red zone visits and set up Con necticut’s near gamewinning drive with a gainless, 25-second drive. And while Demond Clai borne punched in the Demon Deacons’ two touchdowns of the day, the star running back notched just 60 yards on season-high 24 carries.

Wake Forest quarter back Hank Bachmeier, meanwhile, threw for 21-of-36, 274 yards, plus a pick just before the half. It was Bachmeier’s fourth straight game throwing an interception after starting the season o free of any turnovers through the air.

Wake Forest takes down UNC Wilmington

Wake Forest turned on the attack in the second half, scoring four goals and defeating the UNCW Seahawks

TEE JOHNSON Staff Writer

Wake Forest Men's Soccer (6-3-5, 2-1-2 ACC) had a successful non-conference nale, defeating University of North Carolina Wilmington (3-6-4, 2-3-0 CAA) by a score of 4-1 on Oct. 15.

Despite a slow start, this was a great win for Wake Forest. e Demon Deacons scored the most goals and won by their largest margin this season.

Head Coach Bobby Muus was pleased with the performance, referring to the match as "a great win on the road” and “a complete team win.”

However it seems the Demon Deacons continue to be plagued by slow starts, failing to score in the rst half for the 12th time this season, and ultimately faced a 1-0 de cit at half time.

e Seahawks converted a 10th minute corner kick, marking the rst goal that Wake Forest had conceded since a match against Syracuse in September. e goal was the only shot on target in the match for the Seahawks. e Demon Deacons responded well to the goal, generating eight shots to UNCW’s one in the remainder of the rst half. Despite having chances, Wake Forest could not convert, and thus were be-

hind at the halftime interval.

Coach Muuss was thrilled with how his team came out of the halftime break.

“After going down early, the guys kept playing and stuck together and were able to come out in the second half to nd the tying goal and took over from there,” Muuss said.

Wake Forest found an equalizing goal just two minutes into the second half, when junior Basit Umar converted

his chance from inside the box into the top left corner.

e oodgates opened, and the Demon Deacons would add two more in minutes 63 and 65. e go-ahead goal came from freshman Daniel Krueger, who guided his header into the back of the net. is was the rst goal of Krueger’s collegiate career.

e third goal came from Dylan Borso, who nished o a clever Wake

Wake Forest. e Demon Deacons con tinue to defend well and create a lot of chances. Fortunately, the chances were taken more clinically than in games past. is kind of clinical nishing is imperative if Wake Forest wants to make a run in the ACC or NCAA tournament.

“Now all focus is trying to get healthy and recharged for a great and highly ranked Virginia Tech team,” Muuss said, regarding his team’s next game.

Virginia Tech put together a 6-0 thumping of Winthrop last Tuesday, so the Hokies come to Winston-Salem in good form on Saturday, Oct. 19. is will be a good test for Wake Forest, a team that hopes to climb up the ACC standings in the coming weeks. Kicko is set for 7 p.m.

Wake Forest Men’s Soccer celebrates their 4-1 win over UNCW last week

Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics

Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics

2024-25 Wake Forest Demon Deacons Men’s Basketball season preview

Steve Forbes, Demon Deacons are prepared for their highly-anticipated season

ANDREW BRAUN & SEAN KENNEDY Sports Editors

Steve Forbes says he’s his own biggest critic.

“I put more pressure on myself than anybody in this room, anybody in this community,” Forbes said in his rst appearance before the media ahead of this Wake Forest Men’s Basketball season.

at may be true. But with his team slated to nish third in the ACC standings, bringing back an NBA prospect and earning votes in the preseason AP Men’s College Basketball Poll, Forbes and Wake Forest men’s basketball face new expectations.

Now, with a restocked roster and returning stars, Wake Forest is ready to build on last season’s success and compete for their rst NCAA Tournament appearance of the Steve Forbes era.

Forbes crowns his Big ree

For Wake Forest, picking up from last season starts with Hunter Sallis, Efton Reid III and Cameron Hildreth.

“ at’s the heartbeat of the team,” Forbes said, entering his fth year as Wake Forest Men’s Basketball’s head coach. “It’s their team.”

Sallis heads up the trio as a preseason All-ACC selectee who Forbes calls one of the “best returning players in college basketball.” Before declaring for the NBA Draft last April, Sallis earned First Team All-ACC honors, was named AP ACC Newcomer of the Year and led his team in scoring.

Reid, meanwhile, is an anchor in the paint. After emerging early on last season as a defensive di erence-

maker, the 7-foot center fell just two rebounds shy of averaging a dou ble-double. And with 1,000 ca reer points as a Demon Deacon, Hildreth completes the trium virate as this squad’s most dynamic scorer.

Forbes’ feat gives Wake Forest an undeniable advantage in this current landscape of college basketball where players pass through programs via the transfer portal. But bringing back elite talent isn’t just better than any portal pickup – it also speaks volumes about players’ commitment to the program.

“To have that core group – especially in this day and age – is a powerful thing.”

Forbes: “ e portal giveth, the portal taketh away”

Yes, Sallis, Reid and Hildreth are massive pieces of the puzzle. But after losing starters Andrew Carr and Kevin “Boopie” Miller to the transfer portal, Steve “ tal Whisperer” Forbes went to work recruiting some of the best talent

college basketball had to ofe two left big holes for Forbes to ll, but ones that would ultimately be improved.

“I wanted to get longer and more athletic and faster,” Forbes said. “ is is the fastest team I’ve coached — maybe ever — as a head coach.”

It’s hard to name any one crown jewel of this year’s round of recruiting, but start with Omae former 5-star forward from Iowa State stands at 6-foot-8 and 225 pounds, was a McDonald’s All-American and can lock down any poghting hard to reach the rim. He is the unquestionable epitome of what Forbes says he set out to nd.

Forward Tre’Von Spillers also adds another dynamic weapon to the o ense. Behind his 12-point, 9-rebound average with Appalachian State last season, Spillers led the school to a program-record 27 wins and a National Invitation Tournament game appearance at the Joel.

Former Alabama guard Davin Cosby Jr., meanwhile, brings experience from a NCAA Final Four squad to a team tired of teetering on the bubble. While Cosby su ered a season-ending injury ahead

Isabella Parolini / Old Gold & Black

Evan Harris & Isabella Parolini / Old Gold & Black

of last year’s SEC Tournament, he joins returning guard Parker Friedrichsen as another pure three-point talent that extends Wake Forest’s range.

Louisville transfer Ty-Laur Johnson and four-star freshman recruit Juke Harris add another dimension of speed and disruption to an already elite guard group.

Gaming the schedule

ere is no question that Wake Forest can win at home, and win well- holding the best record at home in the ACC the past few years.

However, even when Forbes can land landmark wins at home- such as a 98-76 win against eventual national runner-up North Carolina in the 2021-22 seasonWake Forest’s tournament resume never improved, as the Tar Heels lied barely outside the top 30 in NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings come Selection Sunday. is left Wake Forest without another crucial “Quad 1” win, the most valued type of victory in the eyes of the NCAA Tournament selection committee.

e discrepancies in NET ratings have a ected this year’s non-conference scheduling with opponents. Wake Forest scheduled a “neutral-and-neutral” series with Michigan, a departure from the “home-andhome” formula used in years past. e Demon Deacons will face the Wolverines in nearby Greensboro, providing a bene t to both teams in terms of NET rankings.

“Analytically, it’s a better game when you look at the NET rankings,” Forbes told the Winston-Salem Journal. “With it being at a neutral site, it allows for more of an opportunity to get a Quad 1 or Quad 2 win out of it.”

e past few years, Wake Forest has scheduled high quality opponents to visit the Joel, however come time to evaluate their resume, the wins that were harder earlier on in the season didn’t look as impressive.

“In the last couple of years, we’ve played Rutgers and Georgia in a home-and-home series, and we’ve gotten Quad 3 wins out of it,” Forbes told the Winston-Salem Journal. “ ose were really hard wins for us, but only showed up as Quad 3 wins- which is why I like the analytics of the [Michigan] game.”

In addition, Wake Forest has games scheduled with other non-conference high-major opponents that hope to turn into Quad 1 opportunities come Selection Sunday. e Demon Deacons resume the “Skip Prosser Challenge” at Xavier in Cincinnati, Ohio, commemorating the late Wake Forest Head Coach.

Winning at e Joel

Wake Forest’s record at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum has been impeccable under Forbes. e Demon Deacons have racked up the second-most wins in college basketball at home (47) since 2021, only one game behind Houston (48).

But one thing has consistently bothered Forbes’ squad throughout his tenure at Wake Forest: the discrepancy of performances at home and away.

“We’re a really good home team, but you have to win both on the road and at home,” Forbes said at this year’s ACC Tipo . “For us to get to where we want to be, we have to win more on the road.”

Fortunately for Wake Forest, the Demon Deacons will host two of their biggest rivals — No. 9 North Carolina and No. 7 Duke — at the Joel in back-toback games. After the Demon Deacons didn’t see North Carolina on their own court last season, the Demon Deacons can consider it a major scheduling advantage.

“Winston-Salem shows love, and we show love back,” Reid said at ACC Tipo earlier this month. “ ey get us hyped up, and we show more emotion.”

“Moneyball”

Coming out of this o season, Forbes has also been upfront and honest about Wake Forest’s posturing and strategy in the new landscape of college basketball that factors in name, image, and likeness (NIL). He says the school has had to learn to play “moneyball.”

Forbes also credited booster collectives like Roll the Quad with getting his program where it stands today.

Mike Muse serves as Director of Player Relations and Community Service of the Wake Forest Men’s Basketball program, but Forbes says the decisions on

NIL come through him.

“Who else would it be?” said Forbes at ACC Tipo Forbes added that Wake Forest has had to be realistic and honest with itself if it wants to thrive in the new age of NIL. at means letting some players walk away if they want to.

“We have a number, and that’s our number,” said Forbes.

At the end of the day, he maintains that je and Wake Forest sit in the driver seat in making arrangements with players and building up the roster.

“It’s not a negotiation.”

Expectations

Recent winning records, the rarity of retaining stars and excellent recruiting may have all put Wake Forest back on the map of college basketball. It’s hard to ignore that more national outlets are covering Wake Forest, but the attention comes before any games have actually been played.

Forbes says he’s well aware of the increased media attention, but maintains that aspirations of a postseason run aren’t anything new.

Forbes has found himself on the wrong side of NCAA Tournament selection multiple times during his tenure at Wake Forest, something he hopes to x this upcoming season.

“We’ve been on the [tournament] bubble at least two times,” Forbes told members of the media. “It stinks. We gotta get o the bubble.”

Hildreth says the only thing left to do now is actually win games. Speaking as a cemented leader of this team, he says there’s a responsibility to live up to the acclaim ahead of the season.

“It’s nice to be talked about,” Hildreth said. “I think we nally deserve some respect. It counts on us and what we do with it — whether we really take the opportunity that we have — and I think we’re going to be able to.”

Contact Andrew Braun & Sean Kennedy at brauar23@wfu.edu & kennsm21@wfu.edu

Evan Harris / Old Gold & Black

ARTS & CULTURE

18

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2024

Streamers turn to politics as election looms

Both presidential candidates have made streaming services part of their campaigns

ADAM COIL

Arts & Culture Editor

In the 2020 presidential election, Millennial and Gen Z voters favored President Joe Biden over former President Donald Trump by around 20%. According to a wide range of polls conducted in early October, this partisan margin has mostly remained the same for the upcoming race. However, these numbers are slightly misleading — young voter demographics are changing, but these changes are canceling each other out. In particular, as young women voters increasingly turn toward the Democratic party, young men proportionally gravitate toward Donald Trump.

Both the Trump and Harris campaigns seem to be aware of the precarity of young — particularly young male — voters, and both have been targeting them aggressively in the hopes of seizing as favorable of margins as possible in that demographic. is is not surprising. What is somewhat surprising, and de nitely interesting, is how they’ve gone about pandering to the youth. More than ever before, we are seeing streaming services like Twitch play a huge role in galvanizing potential support among young men.

On Aug. 5, 2024, Trump went where no presidential candidate has ever gone before: Kick, a streaming service that has much more relaxed rules and guidelines than its larger rival, Twitch. He went on Kick to sit down with Adin Ross, a 23-year-old content creator whose audience is overwhelmingly made up of young men. Ross, who produces content concerning video games, gambling and hip-hop, was banned from Twitch in 2023 for hate speech.

As the two men sat down in Mar-a-Lago, Ross began by saying, “ e reason why I really wanted to make this stream happen is because there are a lot of people who are rst-time voters watching today, and I want to make it very clear to everybody that you’re a human being, you’re a great human being.” After that, Ross gave Trump the oor to do all the campaigning he needed.

“Right now you don’t have the American Dream… We have a country that’s not being respected, a country that’s being laughed at,” Ross said. e stream lasted almost an hour and a half and racked

up over 500,000 live viewers at various points. It ended with Ross gifting Trump a custom-wrapped Tesla Cybertruck and a gold Rolex.

In a similar vein, Trump collaborated with the Nelk Boys, a group of Canadian content creators who focus on pranks and partying, with video titles like “Aggressively Vaping in People’s Faces,” “5 Ways to Compliment Boobs” and “Picking Up Girls in the Middle East.” Both Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, joined Nelk on their podcast, FULL SEND PODCAST. One of the top comments on Vance’s appearance was from @mh23hm, who wrote, “ is guy is chill AF ... good move to do this podcast because the media and social media puppets are going all in on slandering him right now. Should do more podcasts…” is new approach is not exclusive to the Trump-Vance campaign, as Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz have also attempted youth outreach in unorthodox ways. Harris now has an active account on Twitch, @KamalaHarris, and she collaborated with World of Warcraft streamer @preheat to stream Walz’s Arizona rally alongside WoW gameplay. According to the New York Times, “ is was the rst time the Harris campaign has livestreamed gameplay from its Twitch account, which was created in August, and roughly 5,000 viewers were tuned in.” e results were underwhelming compared to Trump’s massive collaboration with Ross.

However, things were di erent when Harris joined the second most popular podcast on Spotify, "Call Her Daddy," on Oct. 6. e podcast has an audience of around ve million, most of which are women, that represent a wide spectrum of political beliefs. Harris talked with host Alex Cooper about topics ranging from abortion, to Harris’s children, to making the country safer for women. Albeit for very di erent reasons, both Harris and Cooper received criticism for this collaboration. Harris was criticized for wasting precious campaign time, whereas Cooper faced backlash from some of the conservative side of her audience, who felt alienated by the appearance of the Vice President. Nonetheless, Harris’s goal was to reach out and speak directly to young women who might not be tuning in to more mainstream political events, or to dedicate more time

to those who are. e hope seems to be that, by focusing exclusively on women’s issues, Harris can run up the margins on young women voters come November. I have no idea who is going to come out on top in this new campaign battleground, let alone who is going to win the election, but I do think this is a fundamental shift in how nominees approach their campaigns — one that I only see growing from here. ere have even been rumblings about both Harris and Trump making an appearance on the “Joe Rogan Podcast,” the most popular podcast on Spotify, despite his overt criticism of both over the years. Just as the television broadcast of the Nixon-Kennedy debate in 1960 changed the way we see our candidates, I believe watching them on entertainment-focused livestreams will also evolve our relationship with them and with politicians in general. It means moving away from pandering to voting blocks like “Independents living in Southeast North Carolina” to voting blocks like rst-person-shooter gamers and FashionTok. What remains to be seen is whether or not these new demographics are more or less precise. Do your entertainment networks truly betray your politics?

Adam Coil/Old Gold & Black

Adam Coil/Old Gold & Black

Bourn’s talk aids the preservation effort of Cherokee language

The linguist's interactive presentation traces grammatical developments within the Cherokee language

EMMA LEONARD Contributing Writer

e Cherokee language, native to western North Carolina, is in danger of having no rst-language speakers — with approximately 2,000 rst-language speakers existing today. A variety of factors contribute to the language’s decline, including pressure by the government to speak English and to stray away from the native language in order to gain more of an advantage in the English-speaking economy.

Dr. Je rey Bourns is an a liate research scientist in linguistics at Northeastern University. He was the former project linguist for the Digital Archive of Indigenous Language Persistence (DAILP), which works to record indigenous peoples’ knowledge to serve future generations. After receiving his PhD from Harvard and extensively studying the writing systems of ancient Indo-European languages, Bourns was planning to continue his research in that same eld. However, after working with the DAILP project and learning more about the Cherokee language, he has committed his research to the language.

“I found what interested me and spoke to my training and followed it,” Bourn said.

His work centers on the linguistic history of the Cherokee language and its early texts, including the Cherokee Syllabary. On Oct. 8, 2024, he presented

some of his research on the syllabary to a group of professors and students, where he explained how he traced the use of a super high accent to locate the origins of adjectives in Cherokee.

In his talk, Bourns walks the audience through many examples to distinguish the purpose of accents and how it changes the meaning of works in Cherokee. He draws examples from the Cherokee Spelling Book, which was published in 1819 and stands as one of the earliest sources of recorded Cherokee language.

“ at book is especially precious since it predates the syllabary by a few years. It’s important to show respect for the original texts and not just to look at the secondary ndings of other linguists,” Bourns said.

Cherokee is unique from English in that a single word in Cherokee can be the equivalent of an entire sentence in English. It also presents changing tones within words, which languages like Mandarin have but English does not. While these all seem foreign to English

and other European language speakers, it is intuitive for Cherokee speakers.

“ e syllabary is meant for Cherokee speakers. It is a skeleton of the word, and speakers can esh out the intonations and accents,” Bourns said.

Although Cherokee and English seem to be completely di erent languages, some linguists hypothesize that Cherokee has been in uenced by English speakers over time, especially in the development of adjectives. Adjectives do not exist in ancestral languages or other Iroquian languages, suggesting that speakers of Cherokee began to develop adjectives when the group broke o from the ancient group of Iroquoian-language speakers and interacted with English speakers.

In studying the origins of the Cherokee language and sharing knowledge with other linguists and non-linguists alike, Bourns is aiding the revitalization e ort of a dying language. In a show of great community strength, Cherokee communities in North Carolina have developed learning materials for immersion schools to teach new generations how to speak, read and write Cherokee. Research like Bourn’s allows for knowledge to be recorded and used to maintain the e orts to pass it on to the next generations in immersion schools and for scholars of language outside the Cherokee community.

Contact Emma Leonard at leonee23@wfu.edu

Sawako Nakayasu reveals the practice behind the poetry

The international poet and translator performs for the Dillon Johnston Writers Reading series

ADAM COIL Arts & Culture Editor

Sawako Nakayasu is a poet and translator who has garnered international acclaim for her impressive command of English, Japanese and French and her distinct approach to translation. When she came to Wake Forest last week on Oct. 8 for a student writing workshop and a poetry performance in Hanes Art Gallery, she carried with her the questions that she takes everywhere in life: How does one translate a work of performance art? What does it mean to be faithful to an “original” text? How does one translate a poet’s unique idiolect? Is every translation doomed to be less valuable than its original? In what ways does translation (and micro-translation) unwittingly play a role in some of our most basic daily activities?

Nakayasu began her writer’s workshop in Benson Center by outlining her own philosophy and approach to translating, describing herself (somewhat jokingly) as an emancipated-ultra-idio-translator. In plain terms, this means that Nakayasu generally sees herself as a creative agent, not necessarily trying to preserve as much of the original meaning of the text as possible, but working to expand the text or highlight speci c aspects. In “ e Task of the Translator,” Walter Benjamin writes, “It is the task of the translator to release in his own language that pure language that is under the spell of another, to liberate the language imprisoned in a work in his re-creation of that work.” Nakayasu’s project takes as one of its axioms that it is impossible to liberate all of that “pure language” and reproduce it faithfully — instead, the task of the translator is to determine what is most crucial to revive, and what is the best way of going about it.

e reading and performance in the Hanes Art Gallery began with a collection of upcoming poems by Nakayasu. She said that the recurring subject of her latest work has been the aging of her father, who is nearing the end of his life. Nakayasu used to be unable to read from this collection without tearing up, but now she is much more responsive to the humor in them. “ ese are my dying dad poems,” she said with a laugh, before beginning to read.

Next, she turned to her book “Pink Waves,” which “was completed in the presence of audience members over the course of a three-day durational performance.” Much of Nakayasu’s work is done extemporaneously, something I was able to witness rsthand in her writer’s workshop. She asked each of us in the workshop to bring in a piece of writing to share, which she then performed micro-translations on. Taking the syntax of one sentence and combining it with the vocabulary of another, or breaking apart and scrambling the words of one line to make another, Nakayasu demonstrated the professional practice of her craft. All of this work was done impromptu, as she responded to our suggestions and ideas in real-time, rattling o line after line of poetry which she could later sift through and edit to make a nished product.

is practice of receptivity and spontaneous generativity was on full display in the nal act of her performance, in which Nakayasu solicited responses from the crowd to dictate her poetry. “What stuck out to me the most was when she invited people up to talk to them and gure out what they’re interested in, and then incorporated that person’s individual ideas into one of her poems or chose

Nakayasu invited senior Lauren Carpenter to the front of the gallery, where she asked her questions to incorporate into her poems.

one that t the theme,” senior Claire Bryant said regarding Nakayasu’s performance.

Indeed, Nakayasu modi ed and expanded her poems in real time to t the vibe and responses of her audience. Bryant continued, “I also liked when she incorporated a little singing in her poetry,” as some of her poems are written to be sung aloud.

Translation matters. You are constantly translating, from the idiolects of those around you to signs on the street you are unfamiliar with. e passion inherent to disputes over translations — from texts as wide-ranging as e Bible to “ e Vegetarian” by recent Nobel prize winner Han Kang — demonstrates

just how sensitive and vital a subject translation can be. You can easily lose yourself in online forums debating the de nitive translation of Dostoyevsky’s “Crime and Punishment” or Proust’s “In Search of Lost Time.” Meanwhile, insu erable snobs will say, “Read the original, or don’t even bother.” Don’t be like them. Read beyond the limits of your own language, the borders of your own nation — just don’t forget that what you’re reading took a whole host of creative decisions, some intentional, some completely unbeknownst to the translator.

Contact Adam Coil at coilat21@wfu.edu

Margaret Bender (right) introduces Jeffrey Bourns (left) and his talk, “The Deverbal Origins of Cherokee Adjectives.”

Photo courtesy of Emma Leonard

Photo courtesy of Jane Alexander

All’s fair at the Carolina Classic Fair

LYDIA DERRIS Arts & Culture Editor

Last weekend, I went to the Carolina Classic Fair. ough a Winston-Salem native, I hadn’t been since the controversial rebrand that changed the name from the Dixie Classic in 2019. I walked in and veered left, following a cobbled path, soon nding myself in a colonial village of sorts. Clangs rang out from a blacksmith’s workshop and a man smoked a pipe as he tanned a rack of leather. It felt as though I had stumbled right into the forgotten heart of 19th-century middle America. Nestled within this relic of an itinerant America was the carnival — it reeked crudely of snake oil, and I half-expected a salesman to mosey through at any moment.

In the distance, I spotted a weathered magician. His sleeves were rolled up and crinkled at the elbows, and he wore a smile that said his mind was fried from a week of

My friends and I sat down for a caricature. I am the top left!

Finding serenity amidst the chintz of a local fair

performance. I sat at his show for a while, until he needed volunteers and called me “the one [he really wants in red].” I played along, hoping to assume the role of a worldly supernumerary for a moment. ere I realized a small-town fame among a crowd of twelve somethings. He tried to hypnotize me a bit later, but told me I wasn’t hypnotizable. I wandered toward the games and rides, feeling a strange peace amidst the ashing lights and gimmicks. A sea of red clown hair gleamed before me in the sun. e breeze carried with it fryer grease laced with powdered sugar.

I threw a baseball at a wall of glass bottles and watched the glass shatter for a small fee at a game booth. e fair seemed to personify the city — characters meandered down avenues built for everyone, occupied by two kinds of elegant servants. At a certain point, I sat down for a caricature and wondered what kind of exaggeration I warranted. I quite enjoyed watching the lady draw; her face held a slightly mischievous but contagious smile that never wavered. On my way out, I plopped into a psychic’s booth, and she read my fortune. I

thought there would be no better place than a fair to have my future relayed to me by a last-minute mystic. She told me a lot of truths. Most signi cant to me, however, was that we had the same ring on. As I walked through the uorescent arches that thanked me for coming and urged me to come back next year, I relaxed into a small smile of victory. I felt that at the beginning of that day, I was perhaps still disillusioned by everything without having done anything, but I think my carnivalesque outing reinstilled the kind of childish thrill we always cling to and never fully let go.

Contact Lydia Derris at derrlf23@wfu.edu

U.K. rap deserves more recognition

Dave and Skepta are just the tip of the iceberge that is the ever-growing UK rap industry

AMEERA MOINUDDIN Staff Writer

“She don't listen to U.K. rap, if it ain’t Dave or Cench,” Central Cee brags on “Split Decision,” a collaborative LP with fellow rapper Dave.

Released in the summer of 2023, this joint project by two of the leading names in the British rap industry boasted the hit of the summer: “Sprinter.” While the track is good in its own right, it got more mainstream attention than it deserved, becoming one of the best-known U.K. rap songs across the Atlantic Ocean in recent years. e British rap game is as diverse as the American one, yet for various reasons, it struggles to garner attention past British borders, despite pioneering o shoot genres such as Grime and Drill.

Dave, born David Omoregie — a name freshly reignited across the pond here in America because of “Sprinter” — has been the face of U.K. rap for the last four to ve years. While his ow and rap style shine on freestyles, his lyrics have struck a chord in every rap listener’s heart. His debut album “Psychodrama,” released in 2019, re ects the struggles of being a young boy and becoming a man in a climate of substance abuse and poverty, and the common struggle identi ed by U.S. and U.K. rappers alike of “making it.”

It features “Streatham,” a nod to the neighborhood of his birth in South London, where he runs through the realities of

coming from a neighborhood where drugs were a part of daily life. He raps, “I ain’t got sex it, message or text it / I don’t wanna do you and I / like I'm in Leicester skipping my lectures.” “You and I” in this line is homophonous with U-N-I, short for university, referring to his decision to pull out of law school to pursue his music career, a technical detail that shows a glimpse of his lyrical genius. Another hit on the album is “Location” alongside Nigerian Afrobeats superstar, Burna Boy. A more lighthearted song compared to the others on the album, this quickly became a summer anthem.

Dave’s establishment as a storyteller is seen shining in “Lesley,” an 11-minute track narrating the story of a woman who nds herself in an abusive relationship. e sheer depth of emotions Dave is able to convey in this reminded me of 2Pac’s “Brendas Got a Baby.” Comparison alone to one of hiphop’s greats demonstrates his capabilities.

His second studio album, “We’re All Alone in this Together,” showcases the same, if not more, of his diverse skills, but it contains tracks that are less emotionally loaded as the ones on “Psychodrama.” e singles “Verdansk” and “Clash” — both of which landed on the U.K. Top 10 Chart — are examples of rap that may not contain the most deep lyrics but possess ow so impressive that their playability is undeniable. He does show o his storyteller skills once again, though, with “Both Sides of A Smile,” which made Complex U.K. remark that he's like a “Poet Laureate but with a

street edge.”

Another name who is trailblazing in every aspect of the U.K.’s rap game is one of the founding fathers of Grime: Joseph Adenuga. Better known as Skepta, he cannot be reduced to his production on ASAP Rocky’s “Praise e Lord.” By titling his debut album “Greatest Hits,” it's as if he predicted his success — being nominated for and winning multiple BET awards and collaborating with some of the biggest names in rap, namely ASAP Rocky, Playboi Carti, Giggs and more. His best project in my eyes, though, is the 2019 album “Ignorance is Bliss,” which carries forward a common Skepta style of introspective lyrics, presenting self-betterment as more than the usual “hustle mindset” that is so prevalent in the rap world.

After a deep dive into two of my favorite artists in the UK rap game, here is a list of my ten current favorite songs (not in order).

"Verdansk - Survival Mode"

If I ever was to rap a song bar for bar, it would be without question this one.

"Marathon Continues"

Kano’s feature is the highlight here; he is a proli c actor (watch him in Net ix’s “Top Boy”) and one of the earliest rappers in the Grime game.

"Trapper Of e Year"

Peppered with Manchester United references and a beat good enough to carry the whole song — this is quintessential U.K. rap.

"Professor X"

“Close to the son like Icarus” is one of many double entendres on his discography. Dave is close to his girlfriend’s son because he plays FIFA with him, and close to the Sun like the Greek mythology gure Icarus.

"Bullet From A Gun"

“See it’s too easy/ to write a sad song about how my dad raised me/’Cause I’m looking in the mirror and my dad made me/ A real top boy, I just can’t play the victim”, Skepta breaks the common trope of rappers lamenting their father’s shortcomings, just like he stretches the boundaries of rap in general.

"Us Against the World (Remix)"

Just listening to this song proves Strandz’s status as a rising producer in the industry. "Energy"

Another new name in the industry, but certainly not one you’ll have heard the last of. Digga D has a talent that can be seen in his growing discography in the last few years.

" at's Not Me"

Another Skepta song had to be added, this one features his brother Jme as they rap about not letting the fame and glamor of the rap industry get to their heads.

"Audacity (feat. Headie One)" ere can’t be talk of U.K. rap without mentioning Stormzy.

"PTSD"

e Sade sample meant that this song was automatically added to my playlist.

Contact Ameera Moinuddin at moina23@wfu.edu

All photos by Lydia Derris / Old Gold & Black