1/28/22 Full Edition

NEWS | 4 U.S. Poet Laureate visits Wake Forest

FEATURES | 5

OPINION | 8 Conversation considers a higher power

SPORTS | 11

LIFE | 16

win over UNC

Old Gold&Black

VOL. 108, NO. 17

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

JAN. 28, 2022

“Covers the campus like the magnolias”

CHAVIS CONCLUDES CAREER AT WAKE The criminal justice expert will assume her new position at William & Mary on July 1, 2022 EMILY TORO News Editor Criminal justice expert, professor in the School of Law and Vice Provost Kami Chavis will conclude her 15-year career at Wake Forest University and assume her new role as the R. Hugh and Nolie Haynes Professor of Law at William & Mary on July 1, 2022.

For many, including School of Law Dean Jaine Aiken, Chavis' departure is rather “bittersweet.”

“This is a fantastic opportunity for her to continue her wonderful work," Aiken said. "She was chosen from all the faculty in the country to fill this role. That is a signal of her enormous talent."

Aiken continued: "It also confirms what a significant loss her departure is for the law school and indeed for the whole of Wake Forest University."

Chavis founded and directed the Center for Criminal Justice Policy and Reform at Wake Forest. According to a Wake Forest News press release, Chavis “taught courses related to criminal law, criminal procedure, policing and prosecutorial accountability and the law of policing. Her research focuses on a variety of criminal justice issues, such as police and prosecutorial accountability, law enforcement and technology, federal hate crimes legislation and enforcement, racial profiling and bias in jury selection."

Photo courtesy of Wake Forest University

Criminal justice expert, School of Law professor and Vice Provost Kami Chavis ends her 15-year-long career at Wake Forest and will undertake a new role at William & Mary on July 1.

Provost and colleague Rogan Kersh described some of her influential work.

“Kami is both a superb law school faculty colleague and a vital member of the senior administration," Kersh said. "As Vice Provost, she has worked on a wide range of important university

matters, including enhancing online education, coordinating the university's civic engagement efforts, leading the Slavery, Race, & Memory Project as well as supervising Wake Forest offices including Title IX, the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and the Humanities Institute.”

He continued: “Vice Provost Chavis also served as a member of the Deans' Council, helping manage a wide range of University activities related to teaching, learning, research and discovery.”

See Chavis, Page 3

Henry Luce Foundation grant aids WFU plays Wake Forest received a grant to produce two plays for the National Black Theatre Festival CHRISTA DUTTON News Editor

Wake Forest University has received a grant of $250,000 from the Henry Luce Foundation to produce two original plays for the 2024 National Black Theatre Festival.

In December of 2020, the Luce Foundation requested proposals for grants that would fit the mission of “Advancing Public Knowledge on Race, Justice, and Religion in America.” The Wake Forest School of Divinity, Wake the Arts and the North

Carolina Black Repertory (NCBR) decided to submit a joint proposal that would levy each program’s strengths.

The School of Divinity, according to Walton, can contribute faith-based experiential learning opportunities.

A host of community-oriented partnerships and programs such as book clubs, public lectures, times of worship and youth service-learning projects will surround the National Black Theatre Festival. This project will also create valuable opportunities specifically for Wake Forest students. Both School of Divinity students and stu-

dents from the College of Arts and Sciences will have the chance to intern with the NCBR. “These student interns will support the theatrical vision of this project and will learn how this kind of intersectional opportunity is essential in the work of future arts, religious and community leaders,” Walton said.

He continued: “We hope this opportunity will powerfully inform our students — both undergraduate and MDiv students — as they consider their career choices.”

The title of the project, “Finding Holy Ground: Performing Visions of

Race and Justice in America”, highlights this collaboration. The finished plays will be performed in Wait Chapel.

“Many traditions view holy ground as something which is unique or set apart,” Dean of Divinity Jonathan Lee Walton said.

He continued: “Holy ground is the intersection of difference that brings people together and inaugurates new beginnings. This is how we view this partnership between Wake Forest and the NCBR.”

See Theatre, Page 4

Old Gold & Black

A new era begins at the Old Gold &“Black This column represents the views of the Old Gold & Black Editorial Board.

Having been around for 106 years, the Old Gold & Black has undergone a lot of changes —- and covered a fair share of them, as well. This week, we are beginning what we hope will be a year-long reimagining of this newspaper.

Throughout this year, we will be constantly striving to provide more in-depth, topical and timely journalism across all media. We have added a fifth section to our newspaper, Features, to center more of Wake Forest’s amazing stories and to dive deeper into what makes them important to read, hear and see. One such story, explaining the prevalence of eating disorders at Wake Forest, has already received national recognition.

Adding on to this success, later this semester, we will be launching our investigative team, which will produce long-form stories on campus-defining issues such as racism, interpersonal violence and more. We are still accepting statements of interest for any student who would like to join us in shedding light on these important topics. Our interest meeting will be hosted in the Benson University Center on Feb 8.

We also are committed to bringing more journalism directly to you. Today, the first edition of the Old Gold & Black newsletter will launch. This free subscription service will ensure you have our picks for the top news stories of the week in your inbox every

Thursday. We also have relaunched our sports-focused Twitter for breaking news updates in the world of Wake Forest athletics, and we are working to expand our coverage of important campus issues in our podcasts, which are available on most platforms.

The easiest changes that we can make — and which we are starting to unveil this week — are to our appearance. We have transformed both our website and our print edition into more sleek and accessible formats that are pleasing to the eye.

While we could echo many corporate brands and say that we are advertising our new look, but still providing the same great journalism that we have in years past – this would be

The easiest changes that we can make — and which we are starting to unveil this week — are to our appearance. We have transformed both our webite and our print edition into ... accessible formats that are pleasing to the eye.

misleading. These measures are tools to make our coverage of the Wake Forest community even more effective.

So, while our commitment to “covering the campus like the magnolias” and providing accurate and engaging journalism has not changed, we are excited about the steps we are taking to make our content better and easier to reach.

Old Gold&Black

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY SINCE 1916

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Christa Dutton, duttcd20@wfu.edu Emily Toro, toroer20@wfu.edu

>> FEATURES

Meredith Prince, prinmc21@wfu.edu Chase Bagnall-Koger, bagncm21@wfu.edu Asst.

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>> OPINION

Sophie Guymon, guymsm20@wfu.edu Maryam Khanum, khanmg20@wfu.edu

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>> POLICIES The Old Gold & Black is published Thursdays during the school year, except during examinations, summer and holiday periods, by Triangle Printing of Durham. © 2021 WFU Media Board. All rights reserved. The views expressed in all editorials and advertisements contained within this publication As part of our commitment to reporting news fairly and accurately, we will not remove any previously published content. 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 our website are not allowed and will be deleted. For more information on our commenting policy, please see our website. We reserve the right to reject advertisements deemed inappropriate. Our full policy, and how to advertise with the OGB, can be found on our website.

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News | Old Gold & Black

Friday, January 28, 2022 | Page 3

Chavis: Vice Provost assumes new position Continued from Page 1 Her most notable legacy though, according to Kersh, is not only her impact on students in the classroom, but also upon the esteem of the university.

“As a faculty member, Vice Provost Chavis’s notable legacy is the many law students who flocked to her classes, especially those on criminal justice topics,” Kersh said. “Her national reputation as an expert — regularly appearing in national media outlets — on race, policing and other issues of social and criminal justice has meaningfully enhanced the national visibility of Wake Forest researchers.”

Aikens added: “Provost Chavis’ work to promote criminal justice reform and civil rights has created more engagement and awareness about police practices and the need for change.”

She continued: “Wake Forest and policymakers all over the country have benefited tremendously from her expertise.”

Chavis’ scholarship, according to the news release, appeared in many legal journals, with some shorter works appearing in notable news outlets such as The New York Times and USA Today.

In addition, she often submits to national and international media outlets and has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, CTV and NPR — all of which garnered Chavis the “national reputation” Kersh noted.

In addition — according to the news release — prior to working at Wake Forest, Chavis served as an assistant United States attorney in Washington, D.C. Chavis’ colleagues and students have absolute confidence in all of her future endeavors.

“We wish her well and look forward to all that we know she will go on to accomplish,” Aiken said.

Photo courtesy of William & Mary Law School

Vice Provost Chavis will begin her role as the R. Hugh and Nolie Haynes Professor of Law at William & Mary on July 1.

Contact Emily Toro at toroer20@wfu.edu

UCC conducts ‘Healthy Minds’ student survey Data collected from the survey will inform the UCC on how to improve their services AINE PIERRE Online Managing Editor

The University Counseling Center (UCC) is conducting its biannual “Healthy Minds” survey from Jan. 24 to Feb. 18.

The survey asks students questions on topics such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders, trauma experiences and perceptions of belonging at college.

The test is administered to students across the United States once every two years. Student responses are completely confidential.

“We also will use the data in aggregate to infer the needs of the student population,” Dr. Denisha Champion, Associate Director for Community Engagement at the UCC, said. “[Using the data,] we will make decisions about the types of services we need to provide or determine if our counseling center staff needs specialized training to better manage a particular concern the study

results highlighted. There are a lot of possibilities, which is why we need students to fill out the survey.”

According to Champion, 30-35% of the student body needs to fill out the survey in order for the UCC to generalize the information they collect to the entire campus. To encourage student participation, the UCC will give a $5 Starbucks gift card to those who fill out the survey by Jan. 29.

Sophomore Anabel Ford shared her views on the importance of the survey.

“I think the survey is important to understanding the habits and tendencies of Wake Forest and other collegeaged students and did a good job going in-depth with some of the questions,” Ford said.

Ford’s praise was not unqualified, however.

“I felt some questions were left openended and others didn’t give a lot of room for gray areas,” Ford said. “I’m really curious to see the results on a great-

er scale and how the university responds to the results.”

Champion provided the Old Gold & Black with an example of how the results may be used to enact “institutional change.”

“We are asking questions this year about ACES (adverse childhood experiences), which is essentially childhood trauma,” Champion said. “Once we have a sense of how many of our student population have experienced trauma, there is the possibility of using that data to advocate [for] implementing a trauma-informed campus approach.

This is where we teach everyone how to best support and create nurturing and affirming spaces for those who are currently managing the results of unresolved trauma.”

Additionally, Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Dr. José Villalba told the Old Gold & Black that results related to his office will be shared with him so he can help advocate for change.

After completing the survey, students are given the option to see a write-up of their results, including screening test scores for eating disorders, depression and anxiety. Champion emphasized that these scores are not a diagnosis.

“The Healthy Minds Survey is not a clinician and is not designed to diagnose individuals or conditions,” Champion said. “If a student is concerned that they scored high in an area, I would encourage them to reach out to the UCC to schedule a counseling session to discuss the concern. A licensed clinician will be able to more fully assess and offer a professional opinion as to whether or not a student meets criteria for a diagnosis.”

A campus-wide email sent out by Champion contains the link to the survey. The link will also be available on the Old Gold & Black website under this story.

Contact Aine Pierre at pierav20@wfu.edu

POLICE BEAT Miscellaneous: • • • •

Unknown person(s) removed victim’s laundry from the laundry room in Taylor Residence Hall. The report was filed on Jan. 17 at 1:02 p.m.

Unknown person(s) took victim’s cell phone from a classroom on Jan. 11. The report was filed on Jan. 18 at 3:15 p.m.

Students with SPLAT-R-BALL guns went into Babcock Residence Hall and were shooting students with water beads and SPLAT-R-BALLS. The report was filed on Jan. 18 at 10:39 p.m.

Unknown person(s) contacted WFUPD Communications and made threats to personnel and the WFU community. The report was filed on Jan. 21 at 2:42 a.m.

Underage Consumption/Drug Offenses:

• • • • •

WFUPD responded to an odor of cannabis in Luter and observed two pipes with residue sitting on a desk. Officer found a round black container with cannabis shake and two Trulys in the trash can. The report was filed on Jan. 19 at 12:16 a.m.

A student in South was having difficulty breathing and was checked by Forsyth EMS. Student refused transport to the hospital. The student had also consumed alcohol.

The report was filed on Jan. 20 at 2:46 a.m.

A student was sick on the side of Wingate Road and requested Student ERT’s for evaluation. The student was allowed to return to residence hall. The report was filed on Jan. 22 at 1:27 a.m.

An underaged student in South consumed wine and hard seltzers. The report was filed on Jan. 22 at 2:44 a.m.

An intoxicated student was found intoxicated lying on the 3rd floor of Magnolia outside elevator #2. The student was transported to WFU BMC. The report was filed on Jan. 22 at 3:01 a.m.

Page 4 | Friday, January 28, 2022

Old Gold & Black | News

Theatre: Grant aids theatrical vision Continued from Page 1 For NCBR Artistic Director Jackie Alexander, “holy ground” manifests through the empathy and connection that the arts can create.

“Art is a great connector,” Alexander said. “It’s easy to hate what you don’t know, and I think the arts allow people to be introduced to people, cultures and places they have never experienced in their own life.”

He continued: “You can go to a play and fall in love with a character that represents a part of society with which you may have no contact. Once you put a name to a face — even a fictional name — you start connecting emotionally with that person.”

The work of this grant will be showcased at the National Black

Theatre Festival which began in 1989 and has occurred biannually in Winston-Salem ever since, aside from a 2021 cancellation due to COVID-19.

Showcasing 130 shows and welcoming 60,000 visitors to the city, it is the largest event for Black theatre in the world.

NCBR provided the platform for this project, as they host the National Black Theatre Festival. The Festival has long been described as the “holy ground of Black theatre”, and with Winston-Salem being the “City of Arts and Innovation”, Alexander believes there is no better home for the festival.

“Every two years in the world of Black theatre, all eyes are on Winston-Salem,” Alexander said.

“That’s where you need to be. I

don’t think it could be done anywhere else.”

For Soriano, the timing of this project could not be more perfect.

She has observed firsthand how the arts have been a crucial support system for people during the pandemic. Additionally, for her, the arts could not only foster unity, but they also catalyze change.

“The arts remind us that we can make the world the place we want it to be,” Soriano said. “It’s time for this work.”

For Alexander and the other collaborators, the ultimate hope for this project is that it will create dialogue and present new stories that represent underserved communities.

“Problems are solved when people talk to each other with the purpose

of learning and not preaching,” Alexander said. “This project is about listening to each other and finding common ground — finding holy ground.”

Founded more than 80 years ago

by Henry R. Luce, creator of Time magazine, the Luce Foundation is an organization that, according to their website, “invests in knowledge makers and ensures that their work informs public discussion.”

It supports projects at universities, media organizations, museums and policy institutes that are committed to dispersing knowledge to the public.

For more information regarding the National Black Theatre Festival and instructions on how to submit a play, please visit the organization’s website: ncblackrep.org.

U.S. Poet Laureate visits Wake Forest Joy Harjo, the 23rd U.S. Poet Laureate, performed at Wait Chapel on Jan. 26 CHRISTA DUTTON News Editor

U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo visited Wake Forest University on Jan. 25-27. She led students in a threeday interdisciplinary writing workshop and gave a public poetry performance in Wait Chapel at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 26.

Harjo was appointed as the 23rd U.S. Poet Laureate in 2019. She is a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and is the first Native American to hold the position of U.S. Poet Laureate. Additionally, she is only the second person to ever serve three terms in the role.

Harjo has written nine books of poetry and two memoirs, and she has edited several anthologies of Native American writing.

She is a highly decorated and accomplished writer as she has received several awards including the Ruth Lilly Prize from the Poetry Foundation, the 2015 Wallace Stevens Award from the Academy of American Poets and two awards from the Poetry Society of America. She is also a chancellor of the Academy of American Poets and holds a Tulsa Artist Fellowship.

Several campus partners from a wide variety of disciplines collaborated to host Harjo, including the Environment and Sustainability Program and the Department for the Study of Religions.

Dr. Lucas Johnston, Associate Professor of Religion and Environment, believes Harjo’s visit to campus will provide a learning experience that is quintessential to Wake Forest’s educational goals.

“If at Wake Forest what we are doing is educating the whole person for the greater good of society, as our motto, Pro Humanitate, suggests, then this is the confluence of all the

things that we think about when it comes to that,” Johnston said.

He continued: “Being able to learn from her, whether in the context of the writing workshop or the public lecture, offers a unique educational perspective. She’s a person from a marginalized and traditionally disenfranchised community that has become a leader in both feminist circles and Native American advocacy circles.”

Johnston believes that, from Harjo, students will be able to hear a perspective that has traditionally been overlooked or purposefully silenced.

“She provides a different perspective on our preconceived notions of the American dream,” Johnston said. “Hearing from her is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Contact Christa Dutton at duttcd20@wfu.edu

“She provides a different perspective on our preconceived notions of the American dream” - Dr. Lucas Johnston

Vanessa Christabel/Old Gold & Black

Harjo, citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is the first Native American to serve as U.S. Poet Laureate.

FEATURES

Chase Bagnall-Koger, bagncm21@wfu.edu Meredith Prince, prinmc21@wfu.edu Asst: Una Wilson, wilsui20@wfu.edu

OLD GOLD & BLACK

Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

PAGE 5 FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

DEACON PROFILE

Dr. Brittany Battle BREANNA LAWS Staff Writer

and promise of abolition and transformative justice. So, we’ll be doing that again this summer with a focus on care work and disability justice. We’re really excited about the possibility that this will be another transformative experience for our community.

Dr. Brittany Battle is a scholar-activist and an assistant professor in the Sociology Department at Wake Forest University. Her research interests include social and family policy, courts, social justice and carceral logics. She teaches courses on social justice in the social sciences, reimagining the criminal legal system and courts and criminal procedure. She is the co-founder of Triad Abolition Project, a grassroots organization based in Winston-Salem, NC, working to dismantle the carceral state.

How has this experience impacted your work and relationships here at Wake Forest?

It’s definitely been a source of relationship-building. I have a lot of students that are curious about abolition taking my courses, that reach out for conversations and that do independent research that explores abolition. My work in the community has definitely helped me be able to kind of support students who are exploring new ways to think about harm reduction, collective care and those types of questions.

And certainly, I bring the practice of abolition into my courses and the ways that we build community. In my courses, I think it’s really important for us to be all in it together in a real tangible way and think about the ways that we can support each other — particularly as we continue to navigate this global pandemic.

Can you tell me a little bit about your background and what brought you here to Wake Forest?

I am originally from New Jersey – South Jersey, at the beach. I have now been at Wake Forest for three years. I did my PhD. in Sociology at Rutgers New Brunswick, which is close to New York City.

Before that, I completed a master’s in African American Studies at Temple University in Philadelphia. I did my undergrad at University of Delaware, where I was a triple major in Sociology with a long society concentration — Women’s Studies and Black American Studies. Now, I’m here, and I love being at Wake. I love the students, and I love the opportunities. I get to teach courses that are really interesting to me, and I also do work in the community. I’m the co-founder of a grassroots organization in Winston-Salem called the Triad Abolition Project, and we do work to dismantle the carceral state. So, I’m really happy to be in Winston-Salem at Wake Forest.

Are there any additional projects you are working on currently with which students can help?

What work do you do here at the university?

Can you talk a little bit about the Triad Abolition Project and how you came to be one of the cofounders?

I teach every semester, and I usually teach the Principles of Sociology class, which is our introduction to sociology.

I also teach one of three seminars that I kind of cycle through. One is my Courts and Criminal Procedure class, where we really look at how the law is racialized and what the implications of that are. The second is a course on social justice in theory, method and practice, which I’m teaching right now. In that class, we take a look at social justice works inside and outside academia.

The third class that I teach is on abolition and transformative justice, where we take a look at some of the theories, practices and experiments that have been done, and reimagine how we pursue justice. We also ask if justice is something that we can even pursue and what that looks like both in academia and on the ground in the community.

The Triad Abolition Project was founded in June 2020. I founded it with my comrade, Dr. Bailey Pittenger, who is on the faculty at the UNCSA high school program. Dr. Pittenger is also a Wake Forest graduate — a Double Deac. She did her undergrad at Wake and also a Master’s at Wake.

We started it that summer, as the uprisings were getting started, because we really wanted to bring a strictly abolitionist perspective to the justice work and the liberation work that was being done in Winston-Salem.

Then we began a 49-day occupation of Bailey Park in downtown Winston-Salem on July 15 of 2020. There, we were demanding policy changes in relationship to the murder of John Neville in the Forsyth County Detention Center by sheriff’s deputy officers. So, that was how we got started.

Photo courtesy of Sociologists for Women in Society

What has it been like for you to watch this project grow over the last year?

TAP has been one of the most beautiful, humbling and transformative experiences of my life. The people that I’m working with, building community with, and really dreaming about a better future with are amazing. The ways people have grown and developed their skills and their ideas and perspectives around transformative justice and abolition has just been beautiful to watch. We’ve been able to, with the solidarity of comrades throughout WinstonSalem and Forsyth County, achieve some pretty important policy changes. We’ve also seen, I think, cultural shifts in the way that people think about justice.

One of the things that we did last year was a workshop series in the summer, which we’ll be doing again. That was partially funded by the Humanities Institute at Wake Forest. We had community members — including faculty, staff and students — participate in bi-weekly sessions. We really just dug into the practice

Yes, I’m often looking for students who are interested in collaborating on these research projects. I have several ongoing projects right now. I’m currently running a social justice research lab as a Research with Faculty course credit. Right now, I have seven students in that social justice research lab. I pretty consistently have opportunities for students to come work on projects every semester and in the summer.

They are typically about important social justice issues and racial justice issues, both locally and nationally. If students are interested, they should definitely reach out.

In your time here at Wake Forest, as well as your time working on these projects, what do you want to be your impact and legacy on campus?

That is such a big question for me so early in my career. I hope that I’m able to just contribute to building stronger communities and stronger infrastructures for care, whether that’s at Wake Forest or in the community. Through my research on social movements — or the eviction crisis, or the child support system, or the teaching that I do — I just hope that I can contribute to folks being more connected and having more access to care and support.

Contact Breanna Laws at lawsbn21@wfu.edu

Page 6 | Friday, January 28, 2022

Old Gold & Black | Features

Mindful fashion: Think before you thrift Wake Forest students look beneath the surface of the new surge in thrifting culture UNA WILSON Asst. Features Editor

For many college students, thrifting is the pinnacle of sustainable, ethical and affordable shopping. However, as the practice has grown in popularity, concerns are rising over whether thrifting has become less inclusive to the people who shop secondhand out of necessity.

Thrifting clothes instead of buying them from popular clothing brands can have a significant impact on the environment when done mindfully.

Though participating in thrifting is no cure for general overconsumption, it is more environmentally friendly than shopping only from big-name brands that may not adequately regulate the effects of product production. Retail companies such as Shein, Zara and H&M sell trendy clothing items for very low prices, making their products extremely appealing to the consumer. In order to make their clothes so quickly and affordably, however, many of these corporations rely on cheap, unethical labor in places like China or Spain, and as a result, create immense ecological damage, according to the Fashion Transparency Index.

Mainstream clothing brands contributing to this production model, known as ‘fast fashion’, produce 10% of all of

humanity’s global carbon emissions, according to Business Insider. The fast fashion industry is also the secondlargest consumer of the world’s water supply and pollutes the oceans with microplastics, which can be damaging to global ecosystems.

Alyse Harris, sophomore, is the president of Wayward Fashion, a sustainable fashion club at Wake Forest. She enjoys thrifting for personal and environmental reasons, and wanted to share that passion with more people at Wake Forest.

“When you buy second-hand, you’re slowing down the cycle of clothing going from stores to people to landfills,” Harris said. “For me, it’s an amazing way to spend time with my friends and also find really unique clothing items that I get to give a whole second life to.”

For all its environmental and economical benefits, however, there is rising concern about the surge of affluent consumers in the thrifting market.

Oftentimes, thrift stores like Goodwill and Mega Thrift are the only affordable options for lower-income shoppers.

When shopping at thrift stores such as these, Harris says, it is important to be mindful of the community you are buying clothes from.

“I think the real danger in unethical thrifting comes from ‘thrift hauls’, where people just fill a shopping cart

“...concerns are rising over whether thrifting has become less inclusive to the people who shop secondhand out of necessity.” with clothes because they’re so cheap,” Harris said. “It brings a sense of worthlessness to the clothes, which is a harmful mindset, and it’s just disrespectful to the people shopping there out of need.”

Harris says that when she thrifts, she brings only a small backpack with her

Una Wilson/Old Gold & Black

As many Wake Forest students shop at the Goodwill on University Parkway, being respectful of the surrounding community members keeps the practice inclusive to all.

that she can carry her purchases in — usually only five or six items. She also donates the same amount of clothes that she buys back to the thrift store.

“It makes the cycle more fluid to me,” Harris said. “I give back one piece for every one that I take, so that way I’m not draining the community of its resources and I can still build my wardrobe of beautiful secondhand items.”

Since graduating from Wake Forest in 2021, Riley Phillips has continued to run Finders Keepers, the podcast and secondhand clothing business she started with her friend, Meredith Vaughn, while they were still students.

Buying clothing from thrift stores to sell for profit in her business is something Phillips always tries to do with mindful and ethical principles.

“Meredith and I hold each other accountable for being super careful about what we take from community thrift stores,” Phillips said. “We never take children’s clothes, underwear, or barely used outerwear, and we generally like to buy clothes that are damaged in some way so that I can fix them with my sewing machine.”

The Goodwill Outlet Store on Peters Creek Parkway offers clothing to purchase at a reduced price from large bins of items. Phillips frequently visits the bins to find clothing for Finders Keepers because of their policy for clothes that don’t get sold.

“Unlike other Goodwill stores, anything that isn’t bought at the bins goes straight to the landfill at the end of the day,” Phillips said. “Even though I feel better knowing that whatever I buy is technically being saved from the trash, I still only purchase a small handful of items, just so that I am not taking too much from someone who might have actually needed it.”

Both Phillips and Harris agree, while thrifting is a great way to shop sustainably, it is important to be mindful of how much you are buying, what community you are taking the clothes from and whether or not you will actually wear the item.

“These days when I go thrifting, I am working on creating my eternal closet.”

Harris said. “I keep building on my wardrobe items that are, say, made of really high quality fabric, or go with so many other pieces in my closet — those are the ones I know I’ll keep forever.”

Phillips has a similar outlook. “I like to buy items that I know will work with at least ten to fifteen outfits, so that I can extend the longevity of that clothing’s lifespan.” Phillips said. “Trying the clothes on in the store, or even bringing a tape measure with you to make sure what you’re getting fits can help minimize buying things only to throw them out in the end.”

Wayward Fashion can be found on Instagram at @waywardfashion.wf.

The Finders Keepers podcast can be accessed from all podcast listening services, and the shop is located in Design Archives in downtown Winston-Salem on Fourth Street. Their Instagram page is @finderskeeperspod.

Contact Una Wilson at wilsui20@wfu.edu

Old Gold & Black | Page 7

Features | Friday, January 28, 2022

A blind date with Dating Deacons The Dating Deacons organization sparks romance among Wake Forest students CHASE BAGNELL-KOGER Features Editor In 2019, senior Tom Middleton attended a dinner with then-Wake Forest president Nathan Hatch and his wife, Julia Hatch. After switching around the table’s place cards to sit next to the Hatches, Middleton was able to pitch them his idea for a new organization — Dating Deacons, which now offers students “blind dating that supports the blind.”

“I pitched them the idea for it and Julia Hatch was obsessed with it. Hearing that the president’s wife supported it made it go from a funny idea to ‘Oh wait, this is something I’m actually gonna do.’” Middleton said.

As the idea for the on-campus dating service began to take form, Middleton recruited a team of “matchmakers’’ to help pair students together in a way that would foster genuine connections on dates. Dating Deacons chose to partner with OneSight — a non-profit organization that provides vision care around the world — to fulfill the ‘supporting the blind’ slogan.

With the help of its social media team, Dating Deacons has rapidly grown in size over the past two years. Their Instagram page, @datingdeacons, regularly posts humorous promotional videos; a few are modeled after Superbowl commercials, while others are

memes One even reads, ‘last chance not to be lonely!’. Last fall, 16% of Wake Forest students participated in at least one Dating Deacons event.

“We’ve been trying to grow our social media so that our brand is something that people want to follow for content, not just because it’s a dating service,” Middleton said.

Since its launch at Wake Forest, Dating Deacons has expanded to a total of nine college campuses under different names that reflect the school’s brand. For example, the name of the same program at the University of North Carolina is ‘Carolina Cupid.’ Generally, Dating Deacons picks schools that have features

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons

The winners of Dating Deacon’s steak dinner giveaway

similar to Wake Forest, like a tight-knit community with many different social groups.

To participate in Dating Deacons, participants fill out an online questionnaire about their personality, interests and preferences.

However, the survey questions are unlike those seen on popular dating sites; one of them reads ‘Do you pee in the shower?’ and is immediately succeeded by a follow-up question, ‘Did you lie on the last question?’.

Based on the responses recorded on the application, an algorithm matches up students who likely would get along well with each other. Different questions are weighted differently within the algorithm to ensure the best quality matches are made.

Virginia Wooten, co-president of Dating Deacons, notes that although the algorithm is a sophisticated way to connect the couples, human ‘matchmakers’ always have the final say in who is paired with whom.

“Last year, during finals season, I went on a Dating Deacons double date with two people I had never met before,” co-president Lawson Morris said. “Turns out we had a ton of mutual friends and we stayed at the restaurant for such a long time getting to know each other. It was so fun.”

Though the word ‘dating’ is in the namesake of the organization, Wooten and Morris explain that part of what makes their club unique is that

they have redefined the concept of dating to remove the requirement of romantic attraction.

“When people think of dating, there may be a lot of pressure to make it a romantic thing, but we have made it more of a social experience,” Wooten said.

Recently, Dating Deacons has transitioned to offering only double dates through their program. Students can sign up with a friend to meet another pair of people on a date either on or off-campus. Middleton explained that this was motivated both by a desire to increase participant satisfaction and to ensure that the environment remains as safe as possible. The ‘exit survey’ from the program revealed that the average rating of an individual date last year was 7.3, while the mean rating of a double date was 9.1. Also, participants felt that having a familiar face nearby may make a blind date feel less risky and more enjoyable.

Although Dating Deacons has remained fully operational throughout the pandemic, current university policies may allow for more in-person group events — perhaps speed-dating along with the ongoing on-campus sign-up and informational tabling.

“Dating Deacons is going to long outlast me at Wake Forest, and I’m so excited to see the future of it,” Middleton said.

Contact Chase Bagnell-Koger at bagncm21@wfu.edu

Chess club welcomes beginners and competitors The newly re-founded Rook & Bishop chess club allows students to learn the game or compete MEREDITH PRINCE Features Editor

While many students have picked up a game of chess a few times in their life, for some members of Wake Forest’s Rook & Bishop Chess Club, it has become a passionate hobby as well as a competitive sport.

Rook & Bishop, which was created last year, is technically a re-foundation of a preexisting Wake Forest chess club that became inactive several years ago. When a group of friends decided to start a small group for chess-lovers, they were faced with the challenge of essentially rebuilding a “lost club.”

“We reached out to the school and said we wanted to start a chess club, but then the school told us that there was an existing chess club on their system,” junior Daniel Ruan, social chair of Rook & Bishop, said. “The question of who actually founded the chess club [is difficult] because it was not us, but it wasn’t active anymore. However, the school wouldn’t allow us to start that brand new club. So, we reached out to [old members] and asked if we could take over. We took over, changed the name and then we essentially restarted the club.”

Faced with the challenge of rebuilding and revitalizing the club, the executive board is working hard to spread the word of their new organization through social media and advertisements around campus.

“We are still relatively new after [restarting] the club, so we are on our way to expand,” Ruan said. “We have posters

The club is a member of the Collegiate intercollegiate level, they also enjoy feelall over campus trying to get new members to come, but it’s really sad because it Chess League, representing Wake For- ing part of the welcoming community seems like nowadays, college students are est in competitions. Competitive play- that the club provides for all members. less into chess, which is somewhat under- ers compete against teams from other Junior Mitesh Das, treasurer of Rook & standable, but we are still trying to get universities throughout the semester Bishop, has formed friendships through and even get the chance to compete in the club’s opportunities. more people to come.”

“It’s a really nice community of peoWhile the club has around 100 inter- playoffs with a hefty cash prize. Last seested members in their group chat, Ruan mester, one team of four made it to the ple,” Das said. “A lot of us met through notes that only about 20 of those mem- “championship round,” placing second the club, and I’ve made some really nice bers are actually active. With the constant in a close 8-7 match. Berguido hopes to friendships within the club. It’s a really bustle of everyday college activities, com- expand the competitions for interested welcoming community that accepts a lot of different people from all grades.” mitments and homework, it may be dif- members.

“We recently connected with UNCB If you are interested in learning chess, ficult for interested students to find the time to sit down and learn or play chess. and we’ve also connected with Duke,” playing casually or even competing in“I think chess is an interesting form of en- Berguido said. “We could host a tourna- ternationally, check out their Instagram tertainment, especially nowadays, when ment for the Triad area or North Caro- account @wfuchess. not a lot of people appreciate it,” Ruan linian chess tournaments.”

Although current members are excited said. “Once you get into it, you can see Meredith Prince at how chess can help calm you down, enter- for the opportunity to compete at the Contact prinmc21@wfu.edu tain you or give you a way to kill your free time. It’s nice to have a place for people to sit there quietly for a couple of hours and just play chess.”

Senior Alfonso Berguido, president and re-founder of Rook & Bishop, echoed Ruan’s statement that this club can simply act as a state of relaxation for interested players. While the club is trying to give beginners a community to learn and improve, it’s also open to those potentially interested in playing chess competitively.

“We’re a club that wants to have a space that’s open to anybody who is interested in chess,” Berguido said. “You don’t have to be competitive or even know anything about chess. It could be something as simple as you watch the “Queen’s Gambit” and you want to talk with someone about Photo courtesy of Flickr the show. Or it could be on the opposite Members of Wake Forest University’s Rook & Bishop Chess end, that you want to get better at chess and be competitive.” club prepare for an upcoming intercollegiate competition.

OPINION

Sophie Guymon, guysm20@wfu.edu Maryam Khanum, khanmg20@wfu.edu

OLD GOLD & BLACK

PAGE 8 FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

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

Deacs Debate

Conversation considers a higher power Students approach the question of whether there is an omnipotent being who created humanity A DISCUSSION BETWEEN MARYAM KHANUM & ROBERT YOUNT

Opinion Editor & Contributing Columnist

Maryam Khanum: Well, Robert, it looks like we’re tackling an age-old question here. The existence of God has been the subject of countless arguments, triggered numerous wars and created a number of divisions in modern society. I wonder if anyone can really say that God exists beyond doubt.

Robert Yount: You're right, Maryam; it's a question that has been a topic of fierce debate for thousands of years. When observing our world, at first, it seems that proving the existence of God cannot be fully achieved. First impressions, however, are incomplete; as we delve into our observations, we are able to come to the conclusion that the existence of God radiates through every aspect of our being.

This is evident in our curiosity about God and the observable world itself, as well as our inherent human morality.

MK: That’s a fair point, Robert. It definitely seems like the observable world had to have been shaped or designed a certain way by an omnipotent designer.

However, as Bertrand Russell points out, the burden of proof lies with the individual that asserts the claim. He argued that there could be a teapot floating in space between Earth and Mars — small enough to evade observation from any telescope or human technology — but it would nonetheless still be there because the fact is that its existence cannot be proven or disproven. The existence of many things cannot be proven or disproven, so what justifies our belief in an omniscient, omnipotent, moral higher being?

RY: I almost forgot about Russell's Teapot; it's definitely an interesting rhetoric that encourages discourse. A teapot is a minuscule and singular physical object that can be verified, hardly having an effect on Earth, Mars or even the universe itself, while God remains as something much more profound. This leads into the first part of my assertion that God exists due to our curiosity about the possibility of a higher power, along with our ideas.

This has been a continuous conversation throughout history — whether an omniscient, omnipotent and moral supreme being created the universe and everything in it. By any account, that should be an insane idea. However, when one looks at other species besides humans, there is not a single animal that believes in a higher power. Are there rituals in nature?

Absolutely. Elephants are known to bury their dead with mud and foliage. But they don't pray at these gatherings, or worship

Katie Fox/Old Gold & Black

with other animals such as birds. This pervasive idea of God is exclusive to human beings. Where could it have originated? There seems to be a Creator that the creation seeks to "know".

MK: The fact that so many people not only collectively believe in, but worship and create traditions surrounding this kind of higher being is definitely striking and may allude to the existence of God. However, human beings are prone to being wrong. At one point, we all believed the Earth was flat until it was proven to be otherwise. Is the existence of God really something that can be proven in the same way?

That leads me to my main rebuttal towards your argument: human beings have historically sought meaning and explanation. We can answer many things, but the causes and reasons behind our existence have remained a mystery to us. A higher being seems to be the best explanation for this, but we have never been able to prove it. I would argue that the inability of other species to perceive or acknowledge the existence of a higher power supports this point, as this search or this “knowing” isn’t inherent to all creations.

RY: That is a completely fair rebuttal.

Other species cannot perceive or acknowledge the existence of a higher power, we are both in agreement on that. This itself already separates humans from other species, removing the ability to fully consider us on the same level as nature — despite our deep flaws. In this case, the observable world presents us with tangible items such as thousands of languages, advanced technology such as iPhones, political ideologies, a love for one's country — or the desire to move elsewhere — the likes of which cannot be seen on the same level in the rest of nature. Humanity went to the stars, bringing animals along; our complexities raise humans above all other species to have dominion over this world.

Now, that's not to say such a dominion permits us to animal cruelty; in justifying animal cruelty, we put ourselves on a more "beastly" level.

You mentioned past ideas about our world. We knew for sure the Earth was flat, until it wasn't. We knew for sure we were the center of the universe, until we weren't. Science proved that the Earth was spherical, and that the universe isn't geocentric. Science itself is based on observation — observations such as fundamental differences between humanity and animals, and is governed by laws that seem almost too perfect to be true. How has the universe not collapsed in on itself, and how did Earth turn out to be the perfect "Goldilocks" region for people like you and me? There appears to be a being that has created those laws, and understood that you and I have something to give to this world.

This brings me to my final point about an inherent morality that we all possess, which may be a surprise to some of us.

There are a set of innate principles which are "right". As discussed before, animal cruelty cannot be justified. Why? You said before that human beings are all prone to being wrong. I can't argue with that statement. We are often too quick to define what is right and what is wrong. While there are flawed moralities and leaders who knew for sure that their genocide was "justified," we still recognize that oppression exists, and it's our job to help our neighbor who is in need. Oppression can't be wrong unless morality is objective. There must be someone behind these principles. Science is also the pursuit of truth, a truth set in place by a Creator.

MK: The anthropic principle is definitely something that seemingly points towards the existence of some kind of higher power that created life. However, it could also be argued that the Earth wasn’t created to fit us — we evolved to fit its preexisting conditions. Even upon

the earth there are places which are not habitable for us, such as the depths of the ocean in the Mariana Trench. However, there is still life there, as life has evolved and adapted to be able to exist there. This could indicate the development of life in a certain environment that occurred through evolution and not necessarily through intelligent design.

I would argue that objective morality doesn’t actually exist. There can be things that a large majority of people agree on, but they cannot necessarily be factual.

You and I can agree that genocide and oppression are morally wrong, yet there have still historically been people — and leaders — who have not shared our views.

When we advance further into the more nuanced discussions surrounding morality, these disagreements are much more frequent — debates surrounding the morality of things like abortion, the death penalty or various economic systems are extremely frequent. Hence, we can’t really be sure that a higher being created an objective morality for us to discover either.

Even if such a higher being does exist, we cannot know that our assumptions about them — that they are omnipotent, omniscient and moral — are all correct.

As physicist Bobby Henderson pointed out when he created Pastafarianism, we really have no idea what this higher power would be or could look like — for all we know, it could be a giant Flying Spaghetti Monster that wants us to wear pirate costumes on Thursdays as a way of worship.

RY: Well Maryam, I think we approached a sensitive topic that people often hesitate to discuss with proper decorum. Thank you for discussing this with me.

MK: I agree, thank you for having this thought-provoking conversation with me.

Contact Robert Yount at younrj18@wfu.edu & Maryam Khanum at khanmg20@wfu.edu

Friday, January 28, 2022 | Page 9

Opinion | Old Gold & Black

Campus Issues

“

University should prioritize student safety The university's response to the recent shooter threat shows a disregard for student welfare Aine Pierre

Online Managing Editor pierav20@wfu.edu

At approximately 2:47 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 21, Wake Forest Police received a threat of violence against the Reynolda Campus. By 3:02 a.m.

— 15 minutes after the threat was received — my phone blared with multiple text messages about the threat.

My mind instantly flashed back to the spring of 2019, when an active shooter threat to Princeton’s campus forced me and my friends — who were competing there — to hide in fear for hours. I had texted my loved ones that I loved them and waited for it — the situation or my life — to be over.

Even for those who have not experienced active shooter threats, these situations cause extreme stress. In

a 2018 survey from the American Psychological Association, 72% of 15-21-year-olds reported that school shootings were a major form of stress and anxiety. Wake Forest should respect that.

Anecdotally, many Wake Forest students reported they were afraid to attend in-person classes on Friday, while the university did not even mandate that professors implement a virtual option for their classes. All this occurred while the Polo Road gate remained completely closed and other gates operated on an ID-only basis.

Classes, however, were not adjusted to reflect the gravity of the situation, which was an error.

While a full cancellation of classes would have been unwarranted and set a dangerous precedent, allowing students to attend classes while still sheltering-in-place would have granted peace of mind to many, who, like me, have past negative experiences around gun violence.

The university [should] give its students a little bit of grace ... fear is not ... conducive to... learning ... but safety certainly is."

This is not even the first time this has happened during the 20212022 academic year. In September, when a gunman killed a student at Mount Tabor High School and was at large in the community for most of the day, classes were held entirely in-person with no mandated virtual option. Fortunately, I was able to convince the professor whose class I had that day to include a virtual option, but not all students were that lucky. Students had to walk across campus to their classes with the looming threat of a gunman and had no rationale about the university's decision to not go on lockdown nor the police’s understanding — or lack thereof — of the shooter’s whereabouts.

This has been a trend at Wake Forest for the past 21 years, as multiple alumni reported that in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, they were punished — or threatened with punishment — for missing class. The historical pattern is that, time and time again, Wake Forest has shown that it has no respect for the safety concerns of its students. This is especially inexcusable in 2022, when virtual learning is possible — and has just been utilized in the aftermath of a snowstorm.

I appreciate the investigation of the Wake Forest Police and the speed at which they were able to deem the threat illegitimate. However, I would call on the university to give its students a little bit of grace if they feel unsafe in the aftermath of an active shooter threat. Mandating that professors give students the ability to Zoom in to class the day after such an event is not too much to ask. After all, fear is not at all conducive to the learning environment, but safety certainly is.

Residence Life and Housing

Fire alarm issue needs “ to be resolved Hope Zhu zhuq21@wfu.edu

On Jan. 12 at 2 a.m, many students — most still wearing their pajamas, shorts and slippers — congregated outside of Luter Hall, shivering in 32-degree weather.

Luter has had 11 fire alarms in the first two weeks of the semester. While this number may not be exact, the fire alarm rang so many times that I could barely keep track of it. The most disturbing incident was at 2 a.m. — a time when most students are in deep sleep.

On Jan. 18, Wake Alert sent out an email informing students that all classes would be held virtually due to the snowstorm's freezing weather. The fire alarm rang four times in that single day — perhaps in protest of this development.

Besides the fact that it was still frigid outside, most students were in the middle of their classes during the Jan.18 alarm. My roommate told me that half of the students in her class disappeared from the screen during a group discussion. I was forced to turn off my camera to avoid the whole class seeing the chaotic crowd seen in my Zoom background.

Strangely, students were never told who this mysterious arsonist was, despite the fact that the fire alarm rang eleven times — even the RAs were confused.

One of them told me that she didn't

know many details about the recent fire alarms in Luter, while another said that the Office of Residence Life and Housing (RLH) would not tell them who caused the fire alarm, but they were given the reasons.

So, what is the reason? On Jan. 19, after the fire alarm rang roughly eight times, RLH finally sent an email explaining that “the alarms [were] functioning properly.” While I don’t have much knowledge about the behind-the-scenes of these three-times-a-day “fire emergencies,” that statement is not convincing in the slightest.

Meanwhile, RLH has also acknowledged that the “sensors can't distinguish smoke from steam, hair spray, etc.” Furthermore, the email clarified that “community directors meet with residents individually who may unknowingly be the cause of repeat alarms.”

I appreciate RLH’s detailed follow-up about the fire alarm issue. However, if anyone was warned because they used hair spray casually in their dorm, this is quite an unusual lesson to learn from setting off the fire alarm. It is true that the fire alarm — like any other implement we use to guard against potential danger — should be set at minimum sensitivity, but detecting the tiniest signal of hazard is different from detecting the wrong thing. Fires cannot become a "boy-whocried-wolf" issue.

Furthermore, the large crowd caused by the fire alarm was certainly not conducive for mitigating the spread of COVID-19, which has been escalating because of the Omicron variant. The university’s COVID-19 policy includes con-

ing its job, [students] have a right to know who is responsible for violating university safety codes." cerns about social distancing and gathering. Situations where students are driven away from their dorms at 2 a.m. with their pajamas on provide few options for social distancing.

Fire alarms should not become a mystery or a joke. Students do not receive a credible explanation for each fire alarm.

Instead, they chase the shadow of the truth, arriving at conclusions such as “it must be the Bostwick people because Johnson’s fire alarm didn’t ring a single time last semester.” The fire alarm is a

serious matter — it would be better for everyone if students received an explanation each time the fire alarm rang. If the fire alarm is actually doing its job, we have the right to know who is responsible for violating university safety codes.

My intention is not to criticize RLH. I understand that a newly-renovated dorm would have more sensitive alarms and that Luter is not the only residence hall subject to this fire emergency routine.

However, RLH should be more informative and timely the next time the fire alarm goes off.

From the Jan. 20 update from RLH to this writing, the fire alarm hasn't rung again — I am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that the alarm can leave us in peace for the rest of the semester.

Photo courtesy of Wake Forest

The Winston-Salem Fire Department is frequently called at all times of day and night to respond to on-campus fire alarms.

Page 10 | Friday January 28, 2022

Old Gold & Black |Opinion

Veganism

Animal liberation has never been more important The poor treatment of animals is based on arbitrary standards of human superiority Ethan Wearner

Contributing Columnist wearep19@wfu.edu

As it is understood today, “Pro Humanitate” focuses on the human experience: human cultivation and flourishing. This interpretation implies that the welfare of human beings ought to be prioritized over that of non-human animals. On the other hand, Humanitate, if taken to mean merely “kindness” or “humaneness,” stands in stark contrast to the ethical foundations of the former definition. How can we claim to be kind and humane while excluding non-human animals? The motto of the university is one that makes an arbitrary ethical distinction between the welfare of human beings and non-human animals.

By definition, the word “humanity” restricts “collective cultivation” efforts to human animals — denying those privileges to non-human animals. At the root of our motto is a sharp distinction between the two species of animals — humans and non-humans.

Western tradition has long thought little of non-human animals and maintained an arbitrary hierarchy in which all humans reign supreme. The basis of this hierarchy is a belief in the “sanctity of human life.” The belief that all human life is precious has been left unchallenged for millennia. Such beliefs are enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (e.g. “all human beings are born free and equal”), among other foundational documents.

While this makes for a decent general principle of human ethics, it excludes the rights of non-human animals. The idea that human life deserves special consideration can also be seen in the following example: Perhaps a person fancies a delicious plate of “infant liver” and places a reservation at a local steak house in hopes of obtaining this delicacy. If this person were to request that the chef prepare such a dish, there would be outrage and disgust at the mere idea that an infant should be mutilated just to satiate this person's taste buds. They reconsider the options on the menu and decide to order a veal. With a sigh of relief, this person's waitress kindly accepts the order — despite the fact an animal would need to be mutilated just to satiate their budding appetite.

Compare the outrage over infant liver to our treatment of cows, pigs and chickens — whom we consume by the millions daily without the slightest moral qualm. Why is it that abusing the weakest and most vulnerable in human society is considered “unforgivable” but the systemic abuse, torture

and exploitation of billions of helpless non-human animals are actively encouraged? Humans are not unique in their desire to avoid pain and suffering — we should at least recognize this fundamental equality of interests.

Many people would probably say that we have the right to do as we choose with animals — that humans are superior to them in every way. Humans do possess advanced cognitive abilities and other unique features, but it would be foolish to deny that many animals possess similar capabilities.

Peter Singer’s "Speciesism and Moral Status" provides a good example of this. Research has clearly shown that most animals fear social isolation and can follow simple — or even complex — directions, are self-sufficient, have some capacity for speech and have a vested interest in their survival. Some animals, such as the gorilla Koko, have IQs well over 25 — animal psychologist Francine Patterson found that Koko may have an IQ as high as 75 or 90. How can we possibly conclude that all human animals possess superior abilities over all non-human animals, when many animals have been found to have IQs north of 70, well within human range?

This seems to have profound ethical consequences. The idea that inherent moral worth requires capacities for sophisticated rational thought or ethical agency would exclude many humans while including many animals. Reason as a basis of human uniqueness falls flat on its face when confronted with this evidence. I am not claiming that humans possess no unique qualities that separate them from other animals — all animals possess some uniqueness. I am suggesting that it would be foolish to condone animal exploitation on religious, normative or biological premises when the evidence suggests that animals are more deserving of freedoms than we once realized.

Animal liberation is an ethical framework that rejects the use of products made by or from animals where at all possible. It is worth noting that vegetarians refrain from using products from animals (e.g. meat) but will use products made by animals (e.g. eggs), while vegans reject this distinction — the dairy industry is just as cruel to animals as the meat industry, if not more so. Female cows are regularly impregnated using artificial insemination to produce milk and many are separated from their calf upon birth, causing immense psychological trauma. Most of these cows are killed prematurely and used for veal. Chickens experience a similar fate. The vast majority spend their lives in cages so small that they cannot stretch their wings. Even socalled “free-range” sheds can contain up to “nine birds per square meter —

"We have a duty to shift our ethical standards away form the speciesist distinctions that continue to divide humans and non-humans." [equivalent to] 14 adults living in a one-room [apartment]”. Because they cannot lay eggs, over 45 million male chicks are killed each year. Even if vegetarians feel comfortable consuming products made by animals, propping up these industries is just as harmful to animal welfare as supporting the meat industry. One cannot denounce animal cruelty without rejecting the use of products made by and from animals.

Even in an ideal world where animals could be treated humanely while still meeting market demands, our justification for killing them remains the same — animals are commodities we can exploit or kill as we please. Moreover, killing an animal deprives it of future positive experiences, so slaughter can never be truly humane.

Imagine if we began breeding children only to kill them when we no longer had use for them. No amount of coddling in the manger could justify such exploitation.

The case for veganism goes beyond ethics. Per Worldbank, animal agriculture is responsible for “18% of all

greenhouse gas emissions” — more than all transportation emissions combined. Similarly, around “75% of all agricultural land” is employed for the rearing of animals, leading to disastrous environmental consequences. If that wasn’t bad enough, “70% of the world’s freshwater consumption is attributed to livestock production”. The more land and water we use to maintain animal agriculture, the less land and resources are left for the millions around the world on the brink of starvation. Worst of all is that over 70 billion animals — almost ten times the size of the human population — are farmed for consumption every year. If humans were killed at such a rate, our species would be extinct in just eleven hours, per The Vegan Society. Put simply, if the world went vegan, we could save “eight million human lives by 2050, reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture by two-thirds, improve healthcare-related savings and avoid climate damages of $1.5 trillion”, per The University of Oxford.

The call for animal liberation has increasingly gained international attention. We have a duty to shift our ethical standards away from the speciesist distinctions that continue to divide human and non-human animals. A moral revolution is required for those animals who cannot make the case for their own liberation. Carl Sagan once quipped that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Can we not say that extraordinary suffering also requires extraordinary justification? When reflecting on the cruel treatment of animals, we do not have ordinary justification for the ways that we treat them. The more defenseless and domitable the animal, the more we feel that we have a right to abuse them. Vegans, such as myself, are not responsible for presenting an affirmative case here. Those who consume and exploit animals must present evidence that what they are doing is justified. Veganism should be the de facto position — not the other way around.

Animal liberation has never been more important.

Photo courtesy of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Farm animals live in terrible conditions and are subjected to cruel and inhumane treatment leading up to slaughter.

SPORTS

Christina Denovio, denoca20@wfu.edu Essex Thayer, thayse20@wfu.edu

Follow us on Twitter @wfuogbsports OLD GOLD & BLACK

PAGE 11 FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

Photo Courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics

MBB celebrates 'signature' win over UNC To celebrate the 22-point 'Big 4' victory, Wake Forest students stormed the court CHRISTIAN ODJAKJIAN Staff Writer

Wake Forest Men’s Basketball is back.

Not that the Demon Deacons (16-4, 5-3) have not been proving that all season long, but Saturday night’s 98-76 home blowout of North Carolina forced college basketball fans on a national level to recognize that the team in Winston-Salem can play.

“Tonight was a signature win for this program,” said Wake Forest Head Coach Steve Forbes. “I am very proud of the guys.”

The victory led to a court storming and a thoroughly-rolled quad.

Several players shined for Wake Forest in the 22-point win over the in-state rival, including do-it-all forward Jake LaRavia.

The junior transfer scored a career-high 31 points in the win, chipping in 10 rebounds, four assists and three steals. LaRavia made his presence felt early with 18 points in the first half. Not a single Tar Heel could stop him from getting to his spots down low. He finished shooting 9-13 from the field and 12-15 from the charity stripe.

“The game plan was for me to play the way I play and attack hard,” LaRavia said.

“My coaches have been telling me to be more aggressive.”

LaRavia secured ACC Player of the Week honors for his performance in this contest, in conjunction with the road tilt against Georgia Tech a few days prior.

Redshirt sophomore guard Damari Monsanto also starred in the game, displaying

his shooting prowess on an electric 9-0 run.

The ETSU transfer oozes confidence, and in just his second game back from his offseason Achilles surgery, he sparked the Joel into being as loud as it has been all season.

Monsanto knocked down a three-pointer on back-to-back-to-back possessions for the Deacons, stretching the lead to 19 points midway through the second half. Monsanto finished with 13 points and five rebounds. Wake Forest's lead was stretched to 19 after his run, and never shrunk to less than 14 for the remainder of the game.

Senior guard Alondes “Man Man” Williams continued to play like the ACC Player of the Year candidate that he is, scoring 23 points on 9-15 shooting from the floor, including 3-5 from behind the three-point

line. He filled up the stat sheet by grabbing six rebounds and dishing six assists.

Senior guard Daivien Williamson, on his 22nd birthday, scored an efficient 19 points on just nine shots and knocked down three of five attempts from long range.

“Williamson, Williams and LaRavia were the best players on the floor, and it wasn’t even close,” said North Carolina Head Coach Hubert Davis. “I mean, we didn’t have anybody that could guard LaRavia, he controlled the entire game. He punched us in the mouth at the beginning of the game. Alondes and Daivian could get into the paint at any time that they wanted to.”

See Basketball, Page 12

Page 12 | Friday, January 28, 2022

Old Gold & Black | Sports

Basketball: Students rush court following win Continued from Page 11 Coming off an 85-57 loss at Miami, North Carolina was expected to bounce back on defense. But, Wake Forest was getting everything they wanted offensively, shooting 54% from the field and connecting on 24 of 32 free throws.

In 12 North Carolina wins, opponents have scored an average of 63.8 points a game. But in their six losses, opponents are averaging 90.2.

On the other end of the floor, Wake Forest was able to limit North Carolina’s best player, forward Armando Bacot, to just 12 points. Brady Manek, a former teammate of Williams at Oklahoma, led the Tar Heels in scoring with 22 points. Guard RJ Davis scored 18 points, but his backcourt mate Caleb Love couldn’t get anything going, shooting 3-15 from the field.

The Demon Deacons were stout on the defensive end, holding North Carolina to 33% shooting, earning Forbes’ praise.

Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics

Junior transfer forward Jake LaRavia poses during his postgame interview. He led Wake Forest in scoring with a career-high 31 points.

Photo courtesy Wake Forest Athletics

Senior transfer guard Alondes Williams celebrates on the court following the win. He leads the ACC in average points-per-game.

“I thought we did a really good job defending for 40 minutes,” Forbes said.

Court stormings are usually saved for highly ranked teams, but the Wake Forest student section made an exception for a blowout win over a blue-blood program and rival. It was quite the scene on the court; pure joy, dancing and even some backflips.

“Getting onto the court and being a part of that atmosphere was almost surreal,” sophomore Jack Szczepanski said.

“It reminded me a lot of when we beat NC State in football,” sophomore Sebastian Guerra said. “Having basically two of the

biggest sports in college athletics become competitive at Wake [Forest] is great.”

Forbes, his staff and the players made their way to the quad post game to interact with students and get in on the toilet-paper -throwing fun.

It was a special night for Wake Forest men’s basketball, and year two under Forbes has proven to be a significant jump forward from year’s previous campaign.

As said by ESPN’s Seth Greenberg, “Wake Forest is for real.”

Contact Christian Odjakjian at odjact18@wfu.edu

Women’s basketball drops two ACC games ESSEX THAYER Sports Editor

In an attempt to put their three-game losing streak to an end, the Wake Forest women’s basketball team lost two-straight ACC matchups against Clemson and No. 3 Louisville. The losses extend the team’s losing skid to five games and puts the Deacons in severe danger of not returning to the NCAA Tournament.

In their 44-66 defeat against the Tigers on Jan. 20, the Demon Deacons were once again led by sophomore guard Jewel Spear, who scored 16 points in the game. Despite the number of points, Spear had an off night in terms of shooting. She went 6-of22 from the field and 2-of-11 from behind the three-point line. The victory over the Demon Deacons was Clemson’s first ACC win of the season.

Three days later against the Cardinals, Spear shot at a better clip, especially from behind the three-point line, going 5-for-11.

The performance gave her a game-high 22 points.

In the first quarter against Clemson, the Wake Forest defense shined, forcing the Tigers to miss their first eight shots of the game. On the offensive side of the ball, freshman guard Elise Williams led the team with seven points, allowing the Deacons to go into the second quarter with a 13-6 lead.

In the second quarter, though, the wheels fell off the wagon for the Wake Forest offense. While they only allowed eight points

on defense, the Demon Deacons shot 1-of15 from the field, scoring two points in the entire quarter. Despite the poor shooting performance, a 27-15 rebounding advantage allowed Wake Forest to lead by one point at the half.

After a low-scoring first half, both teams began to open up the scoring totals in the third quarter. Spear led the Deacons with seven points, half of the team’s point total for the quarter. Clemson, though, pulled away during the frame, doubling Wake Forest’s 14 points with 28.

From there, already boasting a 13-point lead, Clemson pulled away even further, shooting 60% from the field. This prolific shooting in the fourth quarter allowed the Tigers to secure the 66-44 victory.

After the game, Wake Forest Head Coach Jen Hoover spoke on the need for consistency.

“I thought we had good energy at the beginning of the game and did a good job defensively in the first two quarters, but we did not finish the way we needed to in this one,” Hoover said. “We need to continue to work on being consistent for 40 minutes.”

Against Louisville, the Demon Deacons came out prepared to play in the first quarter in response to their previous loss. The team, led by Spear with eight points, shot 50% from the field and the three-point line, allowing them to lead the No. 3 Cardinals by one point after the quarter.

In the second quarter, Wake Forest continued their solid scoring, extending their

lead to 25-21. But that’s when things went wrong for the Deacons. After leading by four, Louisville embarked on a 19-0 run for the remainder of the first half, giving them a 44-26 advantage.

To begin the third quarter, Louisville resumed their streak, scoring 13 more points without a Wake Forest response. The streak marked a 32-0 run for the Cardinals that spanned two quarters.

In response, down by 30, Wake Forest responded with a 9-2 mini-run, along with a 23-9 fourth quarter run. For the Demon Deacons, the deficit was far too large to overcome, giving Louisville the 72-60 win.

“I am proud of the focus and fight we started and finished the game with, but to

come on the road and beat a deep, talented top-5 program, we have to sustain it for 40 minutes,” Hoover said after the game, once again emphasizing consistency. “We responded in the fourth quarter, getting stops and scores. We will continue to work hard and get better as we prepare for a tough, gritty Miami team on Thursday.”

The five-game losing streak now projects Wake Forest well outside of the NCAA Tournament and into the No. 11 spot in the ACC. The Demon Deacons will look to end the skid at home against Miami on Thursday.

Contact Essex Thayer at thayse20@wfu.edu

Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics

Sophomore guard Jewel Spear scans the court for passing options.

She led the Demon Deacons in both losses with 16 and 22 points.

Sports | Old Gold & Black CHRISTINA DENOVIO Sports Editor

A junior from Parker, Colo., Mckenzie Maier is playing her third season on the women’s basketball team. During her senior year at Chaparral High School, she guided her team to a Sweet-16 appearance and led the team in scoring for three consecutive seasons. Maier is a four-time All-Conference honoree and a four-time selection for the Colorado Show All-Star game.

Maier comes from a family of Demon Deacons. Her brother, father and uncle have all graduated from Wake Forest. The guard has always had aspirations to play for the basketball team here, and she has shown gratitude for everything the school has given her, especially for her relationships with her coaches and teammates.

Christina DeNovio: When did you start playing basketball?

Mckenzie Maier: I started playing when I was four or five years-old, but I didn’t really start getting into it and liking it until I was probably in seventh or eighth grade. And I’ve just it loved ever since — it kind of became what I’ve always done and what I wanted to do.

CD: What is it like to be a part of a family that has such a strong legacy at Wake Forest? Did that influence your decision to come here?

MM: In my family, everything we do is Wake Forestrelated. My dog is named Deacon, for Christ’s sake.

My dad graduated from Wake Forest in ’89, and then my brother graduated last year. My uncle also graduated from here. I have grandparents who live in Greensboro, so when I got the opportunity to come to Wake Forest and be on the team, it was a no-brainer because Wake Forest combines ACC basketball with top-30 academics. It’s the best of both worlds. I’ve been lucky because my family’s always been around.

I’ve always wanted to come back to Winston — I lived here when I was in fourth and fifth grade. Then, we moved back to Colorado, but I’ve always wanted to come back. I loved going to Wake Forest games as a kid and doing the basketball camps. Coming to Wake Forest has been a family thing through and through, so when our coach gave me the opportunity to come here, it was a really easy choice.

CD: How was the transition from high school to college basketball?

MM: It was definitely harder than I expected it to be. I would say Colorado basketball isn’t exactly at the same level as the ACC and east coast. It was definitely a big jump and tough transition. I feel like I’ve had to learn a lot and adjust to the schedule, the conditioning and the pace that we play at. Even the amount of shots you have to take in the day or the work you have to do in the gym is increased. I’ve definitely learned a lot, and I’m glad that I made t h a t transition, but it was probably harder than I anticipated.

Especially going from being one of the top players at my high school or in my league at home and then coming to the ACC, where everybody is good — and everybody on my team is a bucket. Despite the difficulty, I am definitely glad to finally have a challenge and embrace that every day in order to compete with girls at that level every single day. Basket-

Friday, January 28, 2022 | Page 13

Mckenzie Maier Deacon Spotlight

ball is what I love to do, so I wouldn’t have it any other way.

CD: What’s your favorite part of being on the team?

MM: First and foremost, my teammates are the best part of being on the team. We’re like sisters. We see each other every single day for four or five hours, maybe more. If they weren’t who they were, and we didn’t get along as well as we did, then I definitely wouldn’t enjoy it as much. But also, there’s a lot of fun to it.

We get to play in the ACC and compete every day. It’s fun to travel and go to different places. We’re in-conference right now — we’ll travel Thursday and then again Sunday, and we just got back from Louisville last night. The traveling part is fun during the season, and it’s a great experience. Also, just to play at Wake Forest is what I’ve wanted to do probably my entire life, and so to be doing what I’ve always wanted to do is pretty awesome.

CD: Can you describe your relationship with your coaches and teammates?

MM: I would say they are some of the biggest reasons why I’ve continued to enjoy being here. We’re like one huge family. We see each other every day, the coaches are supportive of us both on and off the court, which is really important. I think it would have been really Photo courtesy of Mckenzie Maier hard to not have a relationship with the coaching staff Mckenzie Maier and the rest of the women’s off the court. And that’s not who they are at all — we basketball team play Miami on Thursday. gelled together really well, they care about us and they know who we are inside and outside of basketball.

MM: In terms of basketball, I’ve always loved Allie And my teammates, like I said, we’re like sisters. I Quigley’s game. She’s a shooter, and I really like watchthink I could live with all of them in one house. We ing her play for the Chicago Sky. I’ve tried to emulate hang out with each other on the court all the time. her jump shot as much as I can. In terms of athletes in We’re hanging out in the locker room, we’re going and general, I really like what Simone Biles is doing right doing things with each other, even when it’s not re- now with her mental health and taking a stance for the quired. We’re really like best friends, and I couldn’t be importance of athletes’ mental health. I think that’s more grateful for them. When there’s hard days, you super important. Now, we’re learning more and more know that the girl next to you wants you to achieve about that with COVID-19. I think my team prioritizes your goals just as bad as you want them to achieve that as well. And then of course, Steph Curry — I could theirs. And we’re there to push each other and then watch him play all day long and shoot jump shots. The pick each other up when we’re down and then cele- way he warms up before games is always really cool to brate with each other when we’re up. me. He’ll come out and do his dribbling routine for a couple hours, and I watch him warm up before he plays.

CD: Do you have any pre-game rituals?

It’s really impressive to watch.

MM: I do the same thing every time — I go out and get shots up, or warm-up. As a team, we all eat gushers before our game, so that’s something we all do. The morning of the game, we’ll shoot around and then we’ll have a pre-game meal. Our whole team prays before every game. And I’ll probably always get shots up early in the day of with one of my assistant coaches. It’s a busy day, but it’s always a good feeling.

CD: How is the team gearing up for the upcoming home games against Miami and UNC? MM: We beat Miami earlier this year, and we’d really like to sweep them. We had a hard-fought game against Louisville this past weekend. I thought we competed really well, we had a really good first quarter. We just need to come out and get a win against Miami. It’s a really crucial win and a bounce back game for us, and we really need it. We have full confidence, and we’re glad to be playing at home again. It’s always harder to compete on the road than it is at home. I really believe we can bounce back — our spirits are back up. We’ve been working really hard in practice, so the Miami game is crucial. If we beat UNC after that, we would make a statement.

CD: Are there any athletes who you look up to (either in basketball or other sports)?

CD: Is there one team on your schedule that you’re especially excited to play?

MM: Yes and no. I think something our team does really well is that before every game, we always have a 1-0 mentality. Especially in ACC, anybody can beat anybody any night of the week. So this week, it’s 1-0 against Miamai, and then it’s going to be 1-0 against UNC. We always try to keep one foot in front of the other, looking at the next game and making that the most important game. Right now, the most important game is Miami because to get a clean sweep on them will be a really big deal. And of course, Tobacco Road — any in-state game — like UNC or Duke, is always important for us too.

CD: What are your goals for the future after your time at Wake Forest?

MM: I’m not exactly sure right now. This summer, I’m doing an internship with a consulting firm, but honestly, I want to stay in college athletics. My dream job is to be a Division I head coach — maybe be an assistant coach and then work my way up. Or, I could go into the consulting world. I know those are two really different things, but if I could be a coach — that’d be a dream.

Contact Christina DeNovio at denoca20@wfu.edu

PAGE 14 FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

LIFE OLD GOLD & BLACK

Adam Coil, coilat21@wfu.edu Josie Scratchard, scraja20@wfu.edu

SHORT STORY: THE PERILITIES OF LOVE ISABELLA MASON Staff Writer

He is deep in rural Iowa, or Ohio — one of those stupid four-letter states. It doesn’t really matter which.

There is snow coating the ground all around him, and as he leans down to put his cigarette out, the dart sizzles in the inches of white, dewy fluff.

She stopped loving him a long time ago. Last week, she left him a voicemail saying that they needed to talk, and he decided not to return the favor. “I just think this isn’t working, we need more communication,” he said. He blocked her on all platforms, disappearing into his one-bedroom apartment in his four-letter state, only exiting to stand on his patio and clutch his pack of Marlboro Red 100s in the freezing cold, his knuckles chapped and bleeding.

His apartment was barren, a poster here and there and his stupid, loveable cat cradled around his feet at all times. His cat had some weird name,

CAP McLINEY Staff Writer

The cathedrals of Salamanca, Spain have a magnetic beauty. I toured them today with the Wake Forest University Salamanca program. Tucked away on the bank of the Tormes river, the imposing belltower and baroque dome of the Cathedral of Salamanca distinguish the skyline. The distinct locally-quarried sandstone gives all the buildings a golden, treasure-like hue.

As we entered the belltower to climb to the top, we were met with a chill.

The windowless base of the tower was cold due to its thick stone walls and the January breeze. Our group's footsteps echoed up the spiral staircase and across the narrow, barrel-vaulted passageway as we climbed higher.

We finally made it to the top, and I was enchanted by what lay in front of me. The rolling Spanish countryside — with mountains in the distance — framed the red-tiled roofs of Salamanca. While the view was spectacular, it was not what made my visit to the belltower unforgettable.

There were ten bells in large, openaired windows encircling the top room. You could see the weathering of hundreds of years on their tarnished metal. Standing near them, the bells each seemed to have unique personal-

she used to be his and another girl’s, but they needed more communication too. Sean would never entertain the thought that maybe he was part of the problem. Sean would never finish these things the way they deserved to be finished; he didn’t think his exes deserved that closure.

Sean watched Rebecca’s eyes say “love” as she stared at the moon jellyfish, pupils dilated from lighting up before they both entered the science center. She loved jellyfish — loved how she could see right through them. The creatures would float in their tank, and she could stay there for hours watching them. Rebecca and jellyfish had something in common, which is that they were both brainless.

Sean watched Rebecca fall out of love as they ate lunch in the aquarium food court. He watched her sober up, watched the smile fading from her cheeks and then watched her tell him she thought he was getting fat.

What was the point? Sean had tried the whole relationship thing, and he was tired of it. “Maybe I should just grow a better beard and hibernate,” he thought to himself. He’d had enough coffee and Marlboro Reds to last him ‘til February and he thought maybe it was a good idea.

A snow-covered landscape by the railroad tracks in Cleveland, Ohio.

Sean wasn’t really sure what had happened between him and this girl.

He still loved her, of course. He’d never stopped. But he was jaded at this point. It wasn’t the first time a girl had been crazy about him, said “I love you” two weeks into dating and then decided he was scraps for the wolves.

He decided there was no use in being bitter or even talking about it with her. He loved her, but not enough to “make it work” or make any effort to figure it out. It was useless.

Sean’s mom smoked. He was a momma’s boy, so he followed in her footsteps. That was all, though — he wasn’t an alcoholic like she had become. Sean had sworn off anything other than two beers a long time ago.

One time, Sean had gone to an aquarium with Rebecca — the most recent girl who’d just left a voicemail and decided that was good enough.

Shedd Aquarium was in Chicago — they were visiting his mom for the last time in the summer.

ities. I can now understand why some bells are named in cathedrals around Europe — an instrument of their size commands respect and a name.

It amazed me that there were hundreds of words and phrases handscrawled on the stone between each bell. Many of the sections of Spanish script appeared to be drawn from the Bible, while others displayed the names of people. After asking our program director, Javier, as to the nature of these texts, he responded with the name of a family: Los Mariquelos.

Los Mariquelos were the keepers of the tower and lived as a family in the space in which we were standing, encircled by bells. It was their job to ring the bells on the hour and ensure that the clock had been wound. As soon as I learned that we were standing in the previous home of a family, the writing on the wall began to take on a new meaning.

Phrases that seemed stale at first took on a new dynamic. I imagined Los Mariquelos selflessly tending to their job. Their intense devotion must

have been essential as they performed the thankless task.

A prominent inscription on the wall roughly translates to “blessed are those who hear the voice of Heaven and wakefully guard it close to their heart.” It is clear that Los Mariquelos heard that voice and chose to guard the bells surrounding their home. But what stood out to me was the way the quote places so much importance on what they were doing. Los Mariquelos viewed their work as a sacred vocation.

In modern American culture, it is hard to wrap our heads around the idea that someone could give their entire life to something as basic as ringing a bell. While the nature of modern work has certainly become more complicated, we are still all confronted with the problem of monotony.

I think that ringing a bell every hour would get old fast, but Los Mariquelos found a way to view their work in a positive way and alleviate a portion of the boredom. As this second semester starts, it is easy to view one's work at school as monotonous, stale or grueling. However, by looking at the humble example of Los Mariquelos, we can be reminded of the importance of finding value in the simple and working to view our daily tasks in a positive way.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons

Photo courtesy of Flickr

Contact Isabella Mason at masoif20@wfu.edu

La Catedral de Asunción de la Virgen stands beautiful and grand in Contact Cap McLiney at Salamanca, where visitors are welcome to view its architecture. mclicp19@wfu.edu

Life | Old Gold & Black

Friday, January 28, 2022 | Page 15

Snapchat complicates social life The popular social media app, Snapchat, is stressful and unnecessary in most cases ABBY KOMINSKE Contributing Writer

Snapchat is overrated. I’m sorry — it just needs to be said.

Some people have problems with TikToks or Instagram. I have a problem with Snapchat. Maybe this is just my problem, but the only media I consume regularly on Snapchat are the stories — and occasionally, I stalk the Snap Map as well. I will only open snaps from people about once a week when I am bored.

For context, the only notifications I get are text messages, emails and phone calls — those are hard enough to answer as it is.

People are always trying to snap me questions or plans, and I completely miss it because the message was sent on Tuesday and I did not get around to opening it until Saturday. I'll admit that half of the time it’s my own fault. I will start talking

to someone and then just forget to open their next message after a while. And, yes, that’s a result of the notification situation I previously mentioned — but there’s a reason we have iMessage. Texts are efficient. I have to respond to texts in a timely manner because of good etiquette.

And before I go on, I need to address the actual concept of Snapchat. I like seeing content on Snapchat, don’t get me wrong, but I have never understood the logic behind constantly sending the same picture of yourself to people.

I want to see videos and images that would be weird to send via text. Send me your friend’s Christmas tree made out of traffic cones or a clip of a "Love Island" episode that’s too funny to pass up. Unfortunately, the spam of unoriginal pictures from streaks and other Snapchat content always stops me from seeing the good stuff.

On that note, streaks are a huge pet peeve of mine — I can’t express it enough.

Like anyone in middle school, I was caught up in the frenzy of worrying about streak numbers. I genuinely cared about how many streaks I had with people and how large my snap score was. But really, what was I thinking? I’m glad that I have come to my senses. I could live the rest of my life content without seeing another fire emoji used in that context ever again. I’ll stand by my opinion unless someone can convince me that they somehow enhance any part of my life. Maybe I’m biased because of my other previously mentioned preconceived notions, but the whole concept is just so repetitive.

However, I will admit to you that because I never respond to or open snaps, there is also a healthy amount of shame regarding my “best friends” list. When I

"Guys" conveys the feeling of friendship The 1975 capture the exuberance of friendship in formative track SOFIA BAZANT Staff Writer There is no song that encapsulates the essence of friendship better than “Guys”

by The 1975. The song comes from the band’s 2020 album, "Notes On a Conditional Form". With lyrics like, “Yeah, the moment that we started a band / Was the best thing that ever happened,” lead singer Matty Healy expresses gratitude towards the band and the amazing times they have spent together over the years.

I feel that the song has come to hold a special place in my heart. I closely associate “Guys” with some of my best friends and memories.

It was the anthem of my 2020 summer.

That season was filled with memories of cruising down empty backroads with my hand out the car window and my curls blowing in the warm, summer air.

These memories come to mind when I listen to "Guys". It sounds like the same rush of pure joy I felt hugging my best friend after spending over two months in quarantine. It feels like dancing in my bedroom mirror while getting ready to celebrate my — socially distanced — high school graduation ceremony.

The song continues to create a nostalgic feeling, and it often makes me think of how lucky I am to have the friends that I do.

"Guys" also serves as a personal reminder to be grateful for the amazing people that surround me. “You guys are the best thing that ever happened to me” is a lyric that really resonates with me. In that time period when I was listening to this song on loop, I was constantly longing to see my friends in person once again.

In the song, Healy sings, “They were the golden times / They were the best of my life” which I think once again emphasizes the value of time spent with the people I love most. I look back on the summer of 2020 as “the golden age” because I could finally reunite with my best friends after so much time apart.

“Guys” is a call to my future, the memories I have yet to make and the good times

still to come. While I rarely hear the song out in public, at the beginning of last semester I heard it playing in Camino while getting coffee. I considered it a sign that a great semester lay ahead — and it did.

I have a tendency to play this song at the beginning of so-called new chapters in my life.

I listen to "Guys" on airplanes as I romanticize my life while looking out at the clouds — or when I’m out driving as the sun sets. “Guys” is a song that has become the soundtrack for different people in my life, as if our memories could flash by like album covers.

I will always play “Guys” as a mood booster, and it will never fail to motivate

me. At the end of the song, Healy says “I wish we could do it again,” which makes me think about past moments I would like to relive, but also about living in the present. I want to spend every second I can with my friends in college as well as at home because I know that I’m still currently living some of my "golden days". I know that one day, I will remember these moments fondly and wish that I could do it all over again, just as I have done now while reflecting on the abundance of memories associated with "Guys".

Hailing from Wilmslow of the United Kingdom, The 1975 makes feel-good alternative indie music that just about anyone can enjoy.

do actually take the time to browse, that aspect makes Snapchat ten times worse.

After all, if I respond to you even once, you’re most likely on the list.

That being said, I still haven’t been able to force myself to delete the app — even with all my complaints — so I’ll constantly be between seeing and missing life updates and plans. I know I could turn on my Snapchat notifications and solve this issue once and for all, but I already have a subpar track record with my social media behavior, so I’m in a lose-lose situation either way. Now that you’ve read my opinion, is Snapchat one of my fatal flaws, or am I right to claim that Snapchat is completely overrated? No matter what conclusion you come to, please just text me your answer. That would be great.

Contact Abby Kominske at komiak21@wfu.edu

THE HOT LIST TOP TEN "TWILIGHT" QUOTES

1.

"This is the skin of a killer, Bella."

2.

"You better hold on tight, spider monkey."

3.

"Aren't people from Arizona supposed to be, you know, tan?"

4.

"Stop trying to take your clothes off."

5.

"You really nicknamed my daughter after the Loch Ness Monster?"

6.

"I'm designed to kill. I've killed people before."

7.

"Is she even Italian?"

8.

"Floridians. That's what's in Jacksonville."

9.

"Where the hell have you been, loca?"

10.

"We're the same temperature now."

Page 16 | Friday, January 28, 2022 STUDENT EULOGIZES FAMED BUDDHIST SELINNA TRAN Print Managing Editor

Thich Nhat Hanh passed away on Jan. 22 at the age of 95 in the peaceful Tu Hieu Temple in Hue, Vietnam, his home and final resting place.

Born in Vietnam, Thich Nhat Hanh was a prominent religious leader whose teachings were built on peaceful activism and mindfulness. The news of his passing was met with an overwhelming outpour of support and sadness from his community of students and those who looked up to him. Despite this, Thich Nhat Hanh would have wanted his students not to mourn or feel pain from his passing, but instead, celebrate the transience of life and accept that this was just another experience in which his soul could partake.

As anthropologist Michael Oman-Regan tweeted, “I believe that if we were to ask Thich Nhat Hanh about his death he might respond with a very big smile. And he might say: Don’t you see Thay’s new form? The flower, cloud, rain, sea, wind, tree, the sangha. All are Thay’s continuation. You are all Thay’s continuation.” Thay is the proper Vietnamese term to refer to a monk from the perspective of their disciple.

Ordained as a monk at the age of 16, Thich Nhat Hanh believed and taught on the concept of engaged Buddhism — a branch of Buddhism applicable to the demands and complexities of modern life and society. He has touched the lives of countless people in the Western world by bringing the philosophies of Buddhism to what he considered the “corporate” lifestyle of the West.

He accomplished this through his establishment of the Plum Village, a monastery and a community that encapsulates and encourages the teachings of mindfulness. In the Buddhist religion and philosophy, the concept of a bodhisattva — an enlightened force or being of peace and healing for the world — was truly embodied by Thich Nhat Hanh.

In the early parts of his life, Thich Nhat Hanh worked to mediate peace during the tribulations of the Vietnam War. Monks and religious figures in Vietnam were faced with the tribulating question as to whether they would meditate or participate in the violent war that surrounded them. There wasn’t a clear option. Thich Nhat Hanh, at the time, decided that he did not have to choose. He enacted the practice of engaged Buddhism into the real world and continued to practice his beliefs and mindfulness during a time that was filled with suffering.

Eventually, he came to America and lectured on these principles at universities like Columbia and Princeton. Those that met Thich Nhat Hanh and spent time with him spoke to his gentle and kind nature — along with his immense intelligence regarding the philosophies of life and living.

Thich Nhat Hanh coordinated with activists, too. Civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. called Thich Nhat Hanh “an apostle of peace and non-violence” as he nominated the “gentle Buddhist monk from Vietnam” for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Buddhism, beyond being a popular religion in East Asia, holds traditions that are intrinsic

Old Gold & Black | Life

THICH NHAT HANH The Father of Mindfulness

Photo courtesy of the Plum Village

“He will be remembered ... for his heart. Thich Nhat Hanh will be remembered in all of us when we enact peace and mindfulness.” to Vietnamese culture and has been a part of my life growing up. I have studied and learned the words of Thich Nhat Hanh among other influential Vietnamese Buddhist monks. He has shaped a part of my identity and beliefs.

Originally published in 1987, Thich Nhat Hanh’s novel, “Old Path White Clouds”, was a detailed presentation of Guatama Buddha’s life and teachings. I recall reading this at an early age and developing a connection to the lessons of Buddhism that Thich Nhat Hanh put forth.

Although he has passed, Thich Nhat Hanh will be remembered as an activist, a pioneer for social justice, an ecologist, a teacher, a disciple and so much more. He will be remembered through the lessons that he has left behind — in his words, novels, lessons, poems and other works. He will be remembered for his contributions, but most importantly, for his heart.

Thich Nhat Hanh will be remembered in all of us when we enact peace and mindfulness.

Contact Selinna Tran at transn19@wfu.edu