3:16 issue of the Old Gold & Black

New vegan options diversify campus dining Page 5

Opinion: Chalk talk promotes campus discussion Page 8

Men’s basketball falls short in tournament Page 12

Cumberland Island offers refreshing spring break Page 18

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

VOL. 101, NO. 9

Students work to create a new Winston-Salem flag

T H U R S D AY, M A R C H 1 6 , 2 0 1 7 “Cover s the campus like the magnolias”

www.wfuogb.com

Two freshmen are hoping to redesign the flag to ignite new pride in the city

BY AMANDA WILCOX Asst. News Editor wilcaf16@wfu.edu Wake Forest’s home of Winston-Salem is a dynamic city with a rich Moravian history, but freshmen Jared Benckert and Michael Littrell believe that one aspect of its culture fails to represent the city’s heritage adequately: its flag. As a result, the two students, who live in Winston-Salem year-round, have created a Change.org petition and social media campaign to convince the Winston-Salem City Council to approve a flag redesign contest.

According to Benckert and Littrell, city flags should be simple and easily recognizable enough that they can inspire a sense of pride amongst residents. Like many other city flags, the current design resembles a “seal on a bedsheet,” and lacks simple and bold patterns, so its features are not easily seen while it is fluttering in the wind at a distance. Benckert and Littrell argue that the ineffective flag is a symptom of a wider lack of community integration and pride in the city.

Littrell commented on the city’s lack of community cohesion by questioning what Winston-Salem citizens are called.

“What do you call someone from Winston-Salem?” he asked. “I don’t know.”

They hope that a redesign contest and a resulting new flag could ameliorate city pride.

“It’s a silly, small thing,” Benckert said. “In these times you feel like you’re powerless, but this can easily be fixed.”

While they advocate for a contest open to residents of Winston-Salem, Benckert and Littrell have created their own example design, implementing themes from the current design and the history of Winston-Salem.

The current flag emphasizes the unity of Winston and Salem to create Winston-Salem, so prominent features on their design include a Moravian star to allude to the Moravian settlement of Salem and a horizontal stripe to represent the railroad that cultivated industry by connecting Winston to the rest of North Carolina. The star and stripe intersect as one to signify the unification of the two cities. In addition, Benckert and Littrell maintained the current flag’s

See Flag, Page 5

Jarrod Atchison/Old Gold & Black

Jack Manchester, Brent Mitchell, David Munoz, Rayvon Dean, Corinne Sugino and Charles Athanasopoulos are the six Wake Forest debaters that will be in attendance at the National Debate Tournament hosted by the University of Kansas.

Three debate teams off to nationals Wake Forest employees began a petition to reroute the bus back onto campus

BY NATALIE WILSON News Editor wilsnh15@wfu.edu Three teams will represent Wake Forest at the National Debate Tournament championship, hosted by the University of Kansas, from March 22-28.The 71-year-old tournament is limited to the top 78 teams in the nation.

“Only 6 schools are allowed to qualify a third team, so this was very special for us,” said Jarrod Atchison, the director of debate.

Wake Forest Debate’s top team of junior Charles Athanasopoulos and senior Corinne Sugino are currently ranked fourth in the nation behind only Harvard, Berkeley, and Georgetown. After placing as as the first and second place speakers overall out of over 300 individual competitors at the 2017 Northwestern Debate Tournament and almost winning against Harvard in a close final round, the debaters received an automatic bid to advance to the National Debate Tournament. This type of “first round at-large

bid” is only awarded to the top 16 teams in the country for that season.

Senior Jack Manchester and junior Brent Mitchell also qualified for the National Debate Tournament as the top overall seed from Wake Forest Debate’s district.

“My partner and I qualified out of the District tournament, which is a tournament where schools in our region all compete to be one of the six teams from our district who can earn a spot to the National Debate Tournament,” Manchester said. “It means quite a lot to me as this is my first National Debate Tournament (and my last), so I’m beyond excited to have a chance to bring home a national championship for Wake Forest.”

Juniors David Munoz and Rayvon Dean are the third qualifying team.

“We have three teams that have a really good chance to make a run deep into the tournament, so it should be a really fun and exciting few days for Wake Debate,” Manchester said.

“The team played a big role in our qualifying because they helped us out when we were in elimination rounds, and I’m very grateful for that” Sugino said.

Wake Forest Debate currently has 28 debaters on the team, and the members

are a close knit group. Sugino’s main goal outside of winning the tournament is to contribute to this team culture. The coaches include Atchison, a team alumnus who earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Wake Forest and met his own wife on the team, Justin Green, the head coach, who is also a Wake Forest Debate alumnus and was Atchison’s debate partner and Ken Strange, the assistant head coach. All three are faculty members in the communication department.

“Many people in Wake Debate have been a family to me when I needed one, and I hope to make other people feel the same way,” Sugino said.

In addition to academic standing, Wake Forest Debate’s prestigious and competitive policy debate program is the primary reason that Sugino, a double major in Politics and International Affairs and Religious Studies from Salt Lake City, Utah, chose to attend Wake Forest. The team, which has a history dating back to 1835, the year after the university was founded, holds two previous National Debate Tournament titles from 1997 and 2008.

See Debate, Page 4

New vegan options diversify campus dining Page 5

Opinion: Chalk talk promotes campus discussion Page 8

Men’s basketball falls short in tournament Page 12

Cumberland Island offers refreshing spring break Page 18

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

VOL. 101, NO. 9

Students work to create a new Winston-Salem flag

T H U R S D AY, M A R C H 1 6 , 2 0 1 7 “Cover s the campus like the magnolias”

www.wfuogb.com

Two freshmen are hoping to redesign the flag to ignite new pride in the city

BY AMANDA WILCOX Asst. News Editor wilcaf16@wfu.edu Wake Forest’s home of Winston-Salem is a dynamic city with a rich Moravian history, but freshmen Jared Benckert and Michael Littrell believe that one aspect of its culture fails to represent the city’s heritage adequately: its flag. As a result, the two students, who live in Winston-Salem year-round, have created a Change.org petition and social media campaign to convince the Winston-Salem City Council to approve a flag redesign contest.

According to Benckert and Littrell, city flags should be simple and easily recognizable enough that they can inspire a sense of pride amongst residents. Like many other city flags, the current design resembles a “seal on a bedsheet,” and lacks simple and bold patterns, so its features are not easily seen while it is fluttering in the wind at a distance. Benckert and Littrell argue that the ineffective flag is a symptom of a wider lack of community integration and pride in the city.

Littrell commented on the city’s lack of community cohesion by questioning what Winston-Salem citizens are called.

“What do you call someone from Winston-Salem?” he asked. “I don’t know.”

They hope that a redesign contest and a resulting new flag could ameliorate city pride.

“It’s a silly, small thing,” Benckert said. “In these times you feel like you’re powerless, but this can easily be fixed.”

While they advocate for a contest open to residents of Winston-Salem, Benckert and Littrell have created their own example design, implementing themes from the current design and the history of Winston-Salem.

The current flag emphasizes the unity of Winston and Salem to create Winston-Salem, so prominent features on their design include a Moravian star to allude to the Moravian settlement of Salem and a horizontal stripe to represent the railroad that cultivated industry by connecting Winston to the rest of North Carolina. The star and stripe intersect as one to signify the unification of the two cities. In addition, Benckert and Littrell maintained the current flag’s

See Flag, Page 5

Jarrod Atchison/Old Gold & Black

Jack Manchester, Brent Mitchell, David Munoz, Rayvon Dean, Corinne Sugino and Charles Athanasopoulos are the six Wake Forest debaters that will be in attendance at the National Debate Tournament hosted by the University of Kansas.

Three debate teams off to nationals Wake Forest employees began a petition to reroute the bus back onto campus

BY NATALIE WILSON News Editor wilsnh15@wfu.edu Three teams will represent Wake Forest at the National Debate Tournament championship, hosted by the University of Kansas, from March 22-28.The 71-year-old tournament is limited to the top 78 teams in the nation.

“Only 6 schools are allowed to qualify a third team, so this was very special for us,” said Jarrod Atchison, the director of debate.

Wake Forest Debate’s top team of junior Charles Athanasopoulos and senior Corinne Sugino are currently ranked fourth in the nation behind only Harvard, Berkeley, and Georgetown. After placing as as the first and second place speakers overall out of over 300 individual competitors at the 2017 Northwestern Debate Tournament and almost winning against Harvard in a close final round, the debaters received an automatic bid to advance to the National Debate Tournament. This type of “first round at-large

bid” is only awarded to the top 16 teams in the country for that season.

Senior Jack Manchester and junior Brent Mitchell also qualified for the National Debate Tournament as the top overall seed from Wake Forest Debate’s district.

“My partner and I qualified out of the District tournament, which is a tournament where schools in our region all compete to be one of the six teams from our district who can earn a spot to the National Debate Tournament,” Manchester said. “It means quite a lot to me as this is my first National Debate Tournament (and my last), so I’m beyond excited to have a chance to bring home a national championship for Wake Forest.”

Juniors David Munoz and Rayvon Dean are the third qualifying team.

“We have three teams that have a really good chance to make a run deep into the tournament, so it should be a really fun and exciting few days for Wake Debate,” Manchester said.

“The team played a big role in our qualifying because they helped us out when we were in elimination rounds, and I’m very grateful for that” Sugino said.

Wake Forest Debate currently has 28 debaters on the team, and the members

are a close knit group. Sugino’s main goal outside of winning the tournament is to contribute to this team culture. The coaches include Atchison, a team alumnus who earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Wake Forest and met his own wife on the team, Justin Green, the head coach, who is also a Wake Forest Debate alumnus and was Atchison’s debate partner and Ken Strange, the assistant head coach. All three are faculty members in the communication department.

“Many people in Wake Debate have been a family to me when I needed one, and I hope to make other people feel the same way,” Sugino said.

In addition to academic standing, Wake Forest Debate’s prestigious and competitive policy debate program is the primary reason that Sugino, a double major in Politics and International Affairs and Religious Studies from Salt Lake City, Utah, chose to attend Wake Forest. The team, which has a history dating back to 1835, the year after the university was founded, holds two previous National Debate Tournament titles from 1997 and 2008.

See Debate, Page 4

OGB

“ New vegan options pose both benefits and possible issues This column represents the views of the Old Gold & Black Editorial Board.

As students returned from spring break, they found that the Pit underwent several changes while they were away.

In addition to the reorganized seating arrangements throughout the dining hall and the addition of weekday morning pancakes and Wednesday berry spreads, a new vegan dining station has been created.

Stationed near the waffle-makers, where the Chobani yogurt station was previously held, the vegan station will start serving food that follows the guidelines of a vegan diet and will not contain any meat or dairy products.

For the population of students who uphold this dietary practice, this new station is a breakthrough in campus dining.

Not only will these students have access to meals that follow their dietary

We fear that this station could In this regard, the Editorial Staff of undermine a fundamental reason the Old Gold & Black, commends Wake that many ... choose certain diets: Forest and Aramark for addressing the needs of these students who have such protecting the environment." restrictions, but they will also have a designated space that they can feel comfortable and confident that their meal is not only meat- and dairy-free, but also separate from all the other option in the Pit that do contain these products.

From a nutritional standpoint, this is a huge step forward for campus dining as far as providing transparent options for students and being inclusive to a variety of dietary needs of different students on campus. In addition to accommodating vegans, the station also provides vegetarians with a new daily option.

Old Gold&Black

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF WAKE FOREST UNIVERSIT Y SINCE 1916 McKENZIE MADDOX EDITOR-IN-CHIEF maddml14@wfu.edu

BECKY SWIG PRINT MANAGING EDITOR swigrr15@wfu.edu

>> NEWS Natalie Wilson, wilsnh15@wfu.edu Erin Stephens, stepec14@wfu.edu Assistant Editor: Amanda Wilcox, wilcaf16@wfu.edu

>> SPORTS Ethan Bahar, bahaea15@wfu.edu Daniel Pachino, pachdb15@wfu.edu Assistant Editor: Tommaso Moneta, monet14@wfu.edu Lizzie Snyder, snydem15@wfu.edu

>> OPINION Henry Bonilla, bonihj15@wfu.edu David Ajamy, ajamdg15@wfu.edu

>> LIFE Julia Haines, hainjm15@wfu.edu Nicholas DeMayo, demanj14@wfu.edu

>> SOCIAL MEDIA CHAIR Heather Hartel, harthf15@wfu.edu

>> BUSINESS STAFF Brandon Palmer, palmbo14@wfu.edu Garrett Erickson, ericgj14@wfu.edu

>> PRODUCTION MANAGER Kyle Tatich, tatika14@wfu.edu

>> ADVISER Phoebe Zerwick, zerwicp@wfu.edu

strict diets. Before this station, the food options around campus for both these populations of students were not sufficient enough for neither their needs nor wants.

However, considering the relatively small population of students on campus that are vegetarian and/or vegan, and the even smaller population that are strictly vegan, we urge the university and Aramark to further investigate the potential increase in food waste in which this station runs the risk of contributing.

Although the Office of Sustainability in conjunction with Campus Dining has made numerous and admirable strides in improving ways that the

university thinks about environmentally sustainable initiatives, we fear that this station could undermine a fundamental reason that many vegetarians and vegans choose these certain diets: protecting the environment.

As this station is only meant to target a certain group on campus, we fear that it will create a stigmatization that will push other students away from these options and ultimately create a larger amount of food waste.

So although we clearly support the creation of this station and the values that it promotes, we urge Campus Dining, and the university in general, to keep a close eye on the possible counterintuitive waste problems that this station could yield and look into ways that guarantee that we are not fixing one problem but contributing to another.

FOLLOW THE OGB ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK.COM/OGB1916

BRANDON PALMER BUSINESS MANAGER palmbo14@wfu.edu

RYAN JOHNSTON ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR johnrc14@wfu.edu

>> POLICIES The Old Gold & Black is published Thursdays during the school year, except during examinations, summer and holiday periods, by Triangle Printing of Durham.

To subscribe, please send $35 to P.O. Box 7569, Winston-Salem, NC 27109. Š 2014 WFU Media Board. All rights reserved. The views expressed in all editorials and advertisements contained within this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the OGB. 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 debate, profane, vulgar, or inflammatory comments on 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.

>> SUBMISSIONS

The OGB welcomes submissions in the form of story tips, columns and letters to the editor. Letters to the editor should be fewer than 500 words, and columns should be around 500 words. Send yours via e-mail to maddml14@wfu.edu the Monday before publication. We reserve the right to edit all letters for length and clarity. No anonymous letters will be printed.

>> ONLINE MEDIA Web: wfuogb.com Facebook: facebook.com/ogb1916 Twitter: @wfu_ogb Instagram: @wfu_ogb Snapchat: @wfu_ogb

@WFU_OGB

@WAKEFOREST_OGB

News | Old Gold & Black

Thursday, March 16, 2017 | Page 3

Deacon Profile: Rob Oswald

BY MIA HARRIS Contributing Writer harrm213@wfu.edu

How do you feel when people use the "R Word"?

Junior, Rob Oswald, sees individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) as who they are — people. Through his involvement with Best Buddies, Oswald has created lasting friendships and memories that he says have played a significant role in his life both at home and at Wake Forest.

Best Buddies, an international non-profit organization that strives to create opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with IDD, is in it's third year as an organization on campus.

How are you involved with Best Buddies?

Currently, I’m the treasurer of the Wake Forest Chapter of Best Buddies. I first learned about the organization in 2008 — my uncle has down-syndrome and my dad wanted to find a way to get involved to help. My family started volunteering with our local chapter at home as a means of supporting him and we’ve been members ever since. Our favorite event to do together is the Best Buddies Challenge; people pledge to complete a 20, 50 or 100 mile bike ride and this event occurs in cities around the country.

My family has always participated in the D.C. challenge but a few years ago the event was moved away from the area. Best Buddies headquarters is in Miami and I’ve been wanting to participate in that challenge for the last few years so I’m hoping to get there this year.

What has been your favorite experience or memory within Best Buddies?

In the fall semester, Eunice Kennedy Shriver (EKS) day for sure!

It kick-starts the school year and brings together all of our returning members and buddies as well as introduce us to the new class of freshmen. In the spring semester, Spread the Word to End the Word Week is without a doubt my favorite. During an entire week in late March we host events on and off campus — the car smash, cool guest speakers, and the buddy walk, just to name a few. It’s an incredible week that we wouldn’t get done without the help of our members and the support from the Wake Forest community.

What continues to amaze me about this week is the number of people that come out to support the eradication of the R-word and take the pledge not to use it.

Before Best Buddies, I didn’t really think much of the word. I understood the word shouldn’t be used, but I didn’t fully grasp why until last year when I was invited to attend the Best Buddies Conference at Indiana University. While there, I heard the stories from people with mental and physical disabilities as they explained their experiences with the word. It completely enriched my understand of why the term is degrading and inappropriate. Having a disability doesn’t mean you are unintelligent or incapable. I met the most thought-provoking and inspiring people at that conference last year. You can’t help but take a stance with them. And with the knowledge that hundreds of thousands of people have taken the pledge to end the use of the word is encouraging.

How has your involvement in Best Buddies shaped your time as a student?

It’s been amazing to see how many students, faculty and staff are interested and willingly participate with our chapter and/or support our mission. We’ve only been chartered for two years now but have integrated a huge portion of the Winston-Salem community into the program. Our members have the option to pair themselves with a buddy from Carter High School and many of our events work to enhance those friendships. Letaevis, my buddy for almost a year now, and I talk a few times a week and try to hang out a couple of times a month. He plans to come to campus to participate in the Buddy Walk at the end of End the Word week so we’ll get another chance to hang out. Best Buddies provides opportunities for you to learn about members of the Winston Salem community, Wake Forest community and yourself, which I consider one of my most invaluable experiences.

Morgan Briggs / Old Gold & Black

What are your hopes for Best Buddies at Wake Forest in future years?

What is one thing you've learned from Best Buddies that you wish more students knew about people with intellectual and developmental disabilities?

My goal for Best Buddies is to make it well known on campus.

We are only in our third year as an organization here at Wake Forest, but have won back-to-back outstanding chapter awards from Best Buddies International. I would love that success to translate into us becoming a larger presence on campus. It feels like we are the best kept secret on campus and I think it is time we share that secret with everyone.

I would like everyone to know that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are just like us. Through my time in Best Buddies at Wake Forest and the years I have been involved in it with my family, I have met some of the smartest and nicest people that have IDD. If everyone knew how great these people were, there would be no need for Best Buddies, because everyone would be lining up to be their friends.

Medal of Honor recipient speaks on Veterans Legal Clinic Decorated veteranU.S.ArmyCapt.

FlorentGroberg advocates for the work done by this student-run organization

BY CAITLIN HERLIHY Staff Writer herlcr13@wfu.edu Wake Forest School of Law welcomed U.S. Army Capt. Florent “Flo” Groberg in the Worrell Professional Center on Wednesday, March 15.

His presentation, “Opportunities Earned and Leadership Learned: An American Hero’s Journey,” was co-sponsored by Bank of America in an effort to raise financial support and student engagement for the Veterans Legal Clinic.

“When a country is not providing services to veterans that it should, great law schools have to step up,” said Dean Suzanne Reynolds (JD ‘88). “We hope by the end of the day we will raise more money to expand the legal clinic at Wake Forest law school.”

The Veterans Legal Clinic provides legal assistance to North Carolina military personnel including members, reservists, veterans and non-affiliated veterans. The clinic is operated by six to eight students who handle two to three cases each semester.

“I am not a veteran, but I’m a daughter and granddaughter of a veteran and a friend of very many,” said Charley Fox (JD ‘17), a student at Wake Forest Law. “I am so eager and humbled to work with veterans. The Veteran Legal Clinic allows me to become a better attorney for veterans in the future, and a better daughter to the veteran in my life now.”

Keynote speaker Capt. Groberg received the Medal of Honor in 2015 for his heroic actions in Afghanistan. When he arrived in Afghanistan’s Konar province, he noticed a suspicious man backpedaling toward the Army patrol. Groberg grabbed the man by the chest and threw him on the ground before his bomb detonated.

The suicide bomber killed four men and injured several others, but Groberg survived with life-threatening injuries to his left leg. After 33 surgeries, Groberg has a new appreciation for life.

“We wear that uniform ready for the ultimate sacrifice,” Groberg said. “Now I live every day to the best of my ability.”

Groberg confessed his struggle with PTSD after being hospitalized. On a variety of medications, Groberg wrestled the stress of losing friends and his personal injuries.

“In the hospital I was at my lowest point,” Groberg said. “When you’re on different drugs, you begin to feel sorry for yourself.

Photo Courtesy of Pete Souza/Twitter

U.S. Army Capt. Florent Groberg, a Medal of Honor recipient, presented his work on raising financial support and engagement for the Veterans Legal Clinic.

The PTSD kicks in. I fought those demons for months until a close friend said, ‘Hey, stop being weak and remember you were given a great opportunity.”

Since then, Groberg brings a positive mindset to his community. He no longer lives for himself, but for the four men that lost their lives that day and the other veterans not receiving the care they need.

30 percent of Veterans suffer from PTSD, and 20 veterans commit suicide daily. The

Veterans Legal Clinic is working with veterans in the community to upgrade their discharge paperwork, allowing them to receive greater benefits. Through their pro bono work, this student-run organization is making an impact.

“The greatest honor in my life is wearing a uniform and calling myself an American,” Groberg said. “I’m really amazed by the Veterans Legal Clinic; these are great people volunteering and leading.”

Page 4 |Thursday, March 16, 2017

Old Gold & Black | News

Debate: Teams prepare for tournament Continued from Page 1

The program has also had final four finishes at the tournament in 1955, 1993, 1994 and 1995 and two finals appearances in 2006 and 2009. Wake Forest Debate also holds the record for most consecutive top ten rankings in the National Debate Tournament results of any team in the nation, a streak which lasted from 1988-2002.

Sugino plans to attend graduate school to study communication in order to achieve her long term goal of becoming a debate coach and a university professor. During that time, she plans to continue to be involved in debate by judging and coaching at tournaments.

Manchester will be returning to Wake Forest for two years to serve as an assistant coach while working towards a Master’s degree in communication.

“I hope debate will always be a part of my life,” Sugino said.

Jarrod Atchison/ Old Gold & Black

Sugino (left) and Athanasopoulos (right) were named the first and second place speakers at the 2017 Northwestern Debate Tournament and are currently ranked fourth overall in the nation.

“Queer Icons” series celebrates community activists Artist Gabriel García Román presented his series highlighting queer and trans people of color

BY LAUREN BARBER Staff Writer barblp0@wfu.edu On Tuesday Feb. 28 Gabriel García Román, a queer, Mexican-American artist, discussed his latest series of multi-format works that mimic Catholic religious iconography in a conversation with Derek Hicks, professor of religion and culture in the School of Divinity.

Earlier that day, Román spoke with students, staff and faculty over lunch in the LGBTQ Center and during an open reception prior to the main event in Davis Chapel.

The evening’s dialogue centered on the artist’s series “Queer Icons” which highlights

queer and trans people of color who are activists, artists and organizers in their communities.

Román represents his subjects as saints in their portraits, deriving inspiration from fresco paintings of haloed saints in churches like the one his family frequented on the north side of Chicago.

“Walking into church and seeing portraits of saints [is] burned into my memory,” he said. “I was always fascinated with both the strength and vulnerability of these figures and that’s what I tried to incorporate in ‘Queer Icons.’”

Román’s photography project began with taking portraits of friends until he decided to hone in on activists.

“These people are the modern-day saints of their communities but they are often lost in the background,” Román said. “I wanted to

Lauren Barber/ Old Gold & Black

Román (left) spoke with Divintiy school professor Derek Hicks regarding his work photographing communty activists, artists and organizers.

help the world see them but also help them see themselves in a new light.”

“In galleries and museums and all the art history courses I would take, I never saw myself or my community represented,” Román continued. “I wanted to disrupt the narrative with this project.”

Sophomore Brianna Reddick, appreciated the philosophy behind Roman’s focus on queer people of color.

“Elevating communities that are often only publicized when tragedies happen and also capturing them as aesthetically beautiful in a society that doesn’t always appreciate their beauty is so important,” Reddick said.

When a student asked Román about how he thinks about the theory of intersectionality in the context of his work, he said “it’s hard because I want to be careful not to tokenize anyone but I do feel like it’s important to focus on trans women of color right now because they’re under attack.”

“Having more positive imagery, even for our own community, would be nice to see and hopefully go a long way to humanize [them],” Román said.

The most recent portraits in his series feature poems or prose written by the subject with the intent of honoring individual voices and stories.

“I don’t like the phrase ‘giving voice to marginalized communities,’” Román said. “[The subjects] are doing that themselves and this work is a matter of honoring them in the most collaborative way possible.”

When asked how he rose to prominence Román cited his active presence on Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr.

“I think it’s awesome that social media can have that impact,” Reddick said. “It makes his work accessible to a lot of people. There’s a huge community of queer millennials of color on Tumblr and other social media outlets.”

“It began as a personal project but this body of work is a lot bigger than me now and no longer mine,” Román said. “It’s my community’s ... It’s for the 13-year-old in the South who is on the verge of suicide and needs an outlet to somehow see himself in the future. I get a lot of DMs and messages and the positive emotional reactions I get from people who view the work whether online or in galleries are really invigorating and push me forward.”

Marianne Magjuka, director of democratic engagement at the Pro Humanitate Institute, felt compelled to have Román speak at Wake Forest after discovering his work last year.

“In my work on campus, I see many students who are thinking about questions of religion, sexual orientation, race and immigration and how these things intersect so I thought [Román] would be a different type of speaker for them,” Magjuka said. “An artist who is exploring those very questions in his work.”

For Reddick, this effort did not go unnoticed. “[Supporting] this event honors communities that aren’t always thought about when planning campus events,” she said.

Although Román shared that he does not think of his work as political Magjuka disagrees fundamentally.

“I think it’s important in our current political moment that we continue to find the time and energy to appreciate art and create it ourselves,” Magjuka said. “For people who are struggling and feeling marginalized and oppressed right now there’s so much to be upset about and fighting against but I really do believe that art is important in so many ways. By bringing him [to campus], I hope that people took from it that the act of creation is important and that any type of work you can create can be political in and of itself.”

News | Old Gold & Black

Thursday, March 16, 2017| Page 5

Flag: Campaign also aims to target poverty Continued from Page 1

However, Benckert and Littrell emphasize that they do not necessarily advocate for their particular design to replace the flag.

“We think a contest is a really important aspect of this,” Littrell said. “People care about their flag if they pick it.” They plan to post submitted designs on their Twitter account, @FixThatFlagWS, so that they can be viewed by a wider community of participants.

In addition, Benckert and Littrell intend

to use their flag redesign proposal to start conversations about poverty in WinstonSalem.

Twenty-five percent of Winston-Salem residents live below the poverty line, which is well above both the North Carolinian and national rate. In addition, it is the third hungriest city in America.

“I went to the City Council and gave a speech about a flag, but if I had talked about poverty, it wouldn’t have been on the front page of the newspaper,” Benckert said.

They plan to find a food bank or other

charitable organization to promote on their social media accounts and suggest that anyone who submits a flag design also consider supporting efforts to help the hungry.

“If you hear about us, go to the pantry and donate five cans,” Benckert said. “When it comes to solving these issues of poverty it needs to come from your neighborhood.”

A wider message of their work is that if a more effective flag can bring about a greater level of community integration, then investment can in turn benefit the commu-

nity.

“If people care about their city, they will help their city,” Littrell said. Benckert added, “complaining without proposing a solution is just whining. Teddy Roosevelt said that.”

Jared Benckert and Michael Littrell/ Old Gold & Black

Photo courtesy of CRW Flags Incorporated

The proposed flag (right) has elements of the original one (left), but with new elements such as the Moravian star to remember the city’s history.

Mentor program aims to deepen community relationships Senior Maddy Eldredge began a new mentor program to target low performance at a local elementary school

BY RACHEL ADJAMI Contributing Writer adjara15@wfu.edu The Cook Literacy Model School is now partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters and Wake Forest students in hopes of ending its six-year streak as the lowest-performing elementary school in North Carolina.

As part of it’s improvement plan introduced in the fall of 2016, Cook paired with Big Brothers Big Sisters last month to begin a mentoring program. Wake Forest senior Maddy Eldredge saw this as an opportunity for Wake Forest students to form relationships with Cook students.

Cook is a Title 1 elementary school in Winston-Salem.

It receives federal funding to “ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high quality education,” regardless of their low-income status, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

To receive Title 1 funding, at least 40 percent of students must enroll in the free and reduced lunch program. Ninetynine percent of Cook students are enrolled in the program.

“I started [the program] because of the educational inequality prevalent in Winston-Salem,” Eldredge said. “Here we are at an amazing university with endless resources, but there are Title 1 public schools right down the street.”

Wake Forest is an island of affluence surrounded by a sea of poverty and inequality that is Winston-Salem.

According to the New York Times, the median household

income of a student from Wake Forest is $221,000, and 71 percent of students come from the top 20 percent of affluent families. Meanwhile, the median household income in Winston-Salem is only $39,882, according to the United States Census Bureau.

“Most students at Wake Forest seem to have the same type of background,” said John Clancy, a sophomore.

“They come from nice towns, schools with resources and parents or other figures to look up to.”

Clancy attended the Pine Hill School, a public elementary school in the suburbs of Boston that boasts reading and math proficiencies of over 85 percent. Cook’s reading and math proficiencies are 8 and 14 percent, respectively,

POLICE BEAT

John Idzik/Old Gold&Black

Maddy Eldredge connected Wake Forest students with elementary school children at Cook Literacy Model School.

according to reports by Niche.com Inc. Cook has goals to increase these scores in grades three to five as measured by the North Carolina End-Of-Grade Tests.

According to the school’s improvement plan, officials there hope to raise reading proficiency to 30 percent, and math proficiency to 40 percent by June 2017.

Cook’s Principal, Paula Wilkins, is hopeful that connectedness is the key to success and that the mentoring program will help the school reach its goals while improving students’ confidence levels and attitudes towards school.

Students who sign up are ensured a minimum of two hours of one-on-one time with their mentor each month, usually for 30 minutes a week or an hour every other week.

So far, about 40 Wake Forest students have signed up.

When students see their big brothers and sisters, they run up to them for hugs. During their time together, they tell stories and laugh out loud effusively. They sit at desks pensive, peering over math homework. They connect.

“The goal here is to form meaningful relationships and positive role models in these kids’ lives, because often they don’t have very many, if any at all,” Eldredge said.

Shamika Starke, the Big Brothers Big Sisters site-based program specialist for Cook, says that they are always looking for new volunteers who will be matched with students based on applications and common interests.

There are short interviews conducted to “understand what type of child you would be best matched with if accepted into the program,” Starke said.

Clancy said, “It’s a cool program because a lot of Wake Forest students seem to be trapped inside the campus bubble. It’s kind of a reality check.”

POLICE BEAT • A WSPD officer requested assistance with a DWI traffic stop on Polo Road. The report was filed on Feb. 7 at 1:10 a.m.

• Subject(s) damaged the XBOX 1 console in Kitchin. The report was filed on March 11 at 8: 20 p.m.

• Subject(s) removed a wallet and BMW key from the Miller Center. The report was filed on March 12 at 5:49 p.m.

Page 6 | Thursday, March 16, 2017

Old Gold & Black |News

Vegan station accommodates dietary restrictions New to the Pit, a vegan station offers all students meal options without any animal products

BY HEATHER HARTEL Social Media Chair harthf15@wfu.edu Entering a college-dining hall as a freshman is typically an exciting experience.

Unlimited cheeseburgers, pasta dishes, ice cream, French fries or salads become available with the swipe of an ID card.

However, such expansive options do not exist for all students — especially those who choose to stick to a diet that restricts consumption of any animal products.

Debuting the Monday after spring break, the Pit opened a new vegan station with specific recipes cooked without any meat or dairy products. These meals are available for lunch and dinner during weekdays and from 12 p.m. to 7p.m. on the weekends to provide expanded dining options to all students. The meals change between lunch and dinner and repeat themselves every two weeks to both balance variety and remain simplistic.

“Our initial reasoning was to meet a rising need of students who live a vegan

lifestyle,” said Sarah Barkley, marketing manager for Aramark. “We had a number of inquiries from students requesting vegan options and this station also satisfies our vegetarian population.”

After the first recipes were developed, Aramark and other campus dining professionals offered taste tests to a group of vegan students to ensure the meals were satisfactory. Sophomore Cameron Waters was among these students who initially sampled the recipes.

“I went to the taste test before they put it in before spring break and I thought the food was really good,” Waters said.

“The vegan station is really nice because you know first of all that the pit will have something you can eat and you can be sure its vegan so you don’t have to guess.

It’s just nice not to have to eat hummus all the time.”

However, as expected, cooking the vegan meals themselves brings respective challenges with incorporating vegan restrictions into all of the elements of a traditional meal.

“As a meat lover beyond repair, but also a former vegetarian for environmental reasons, I know that vegan food can be great, diverse and flavorful,” said senior

Heather Hartel/Old Gold&Black

Typical lunch meals feature samplings of salads, sandwiches and fruit accompanied by warm dishes often with beans, tofu or rice recipes.

Heather Hartel/Old Gold&Black

The new vegan station in the Pit rotates the meals every two weeks and meals change between lunch and dinner on the weekdays.

Ann Nguyen. “That being said, a lot of the vegan food in the Pit is average and sometimes even terrible. If it will be similar to old vegan recipes, it is often tasteless and perpetuates the idea that vegan food is bland.”

However, the new vegan dishes offered were not created without consideration for flavor. According to Barkley, a thoroughly trained culinary staff with experience creating vegan meals collaborated to make the new menu.

Other concerns for individual vegans relate to creating balanced plates with enough necessary nutrients — especially in a dining hall with limited options.

“It’s pretty early in the game to talk about shortcomings, but I am a bit concerned about access to protein,” said sophomore Maggie Powell, a vegan. “Today there wasn’t much protein offered by the food at the station, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be lots of protein tomorrow.

The vegan station is new to campus dining and it’s important to work with them and share concerns so they can make it better. But still, protein is definitely my biggest concern.”

Final issues regarding the new station relate to the common issue of food waste within the dining hall. As food waste is

already a pre-existing issue in the Pit, offering students the option to try vegan foods for the first time now deepens these concerns.

“I also wonder how much of the vegan food is being wasted as they nestled in the corner of where the yogurt bar use to be,” Nguyen said. “I’m glad it’s there because it sets a precedent, especially in a region that is so meat oriented, but I hope it gives vegans not just an option but a truly delicious one.”

Aramark representatives recognize these concerns and plan to monitor the popularity of the station to minimize waste.

While any new endeavor brings respective concerns, campus dining aimed to quiet such concerns by speaking to vegans themselves as well as dieticians and chefs in relation to the new vegan station.

“Not many college students, or people in general in the United States, are vegans so veganism isn’t something people are familiar with or accustomed to acknowledging,” Powell said. “I’ve had a lot of issues at the pit with people putting meat into food in the vegetarian station or not providing food as described on the menu online. There haven’t always options, so the vegan station is really exciting to me.

No one wants to eat salad all the time.”

WAKE IN A WEEK QWake: Coming Out at Wake Time: March 16 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Location: Benson 311 QWake is a safe and welcoming conversation space for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning students at any stage in the coming out process. The group will discuss topics such as self-discovery and self-acceptance.

It is facilitated by Kayla Lisenby of the LGBTQ Center.

Film and Discussion: Persepolis Time: March 18 from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Location: Aperture Cinema Persepolis tells the story of Marjane Satrapi’s formative years during the Iranian Revolution and Iran-Iraq War. The film will be followed by a discussion moderated by Joshua Canzona, a PhD Candidate in Islam and Christianinty at Georgetown University.

Bike Tune-Ups Time: March 20 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Location: Lawn outside ZSR Library The Office of Sustainability has joined Outdoor Pursuits, Ken’s Bike Shop, and the Cycling Club to host a free bicycle tune-up station. Bike mechanics from Ken’s Bike Shop will be available to pump tires, make minor adjustments, and advise on larger issues.

Book Talk & Signing: The Lost Book of the Grail Time: March 16 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Location: ZSR 625 New York Times bestselling author Charlie Lovett will give a presentation and book signing about his latest novel and attendees will view actual medieval manuscripts.

Wake ‘n’ Shake Time: March 18 from 12 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Location: Sutton Center Wake Forest’s largest philanthropy event is the 12th annual 12-hour dance marathon benefiting the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital.

Let’s Talk Trump: A Dialogue Series Time: March 20 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Location: Farrell A48 This is the beginning of a dialogue series about education, immigration, healthcare, economics, and law in order in the context of the Trump administration.

10th Annual Lenten Preaching Series with First Baptist Church Time: March 3 - April 14 from 12 p.m. to 12: 45 p.m.

Location: First Baptist Church, Highland Avenue Wake Forest School of Divinity joins First Baptist Church for a Lent Friday preaching series. Communion will be served and preachers will include School of Divinity faculty.

Jewish Bible Study Time: March 20 from 12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Location: Reynolda 17a Read and discuss the Hebrew Bible in English alongside your peers. No experience is necessary and participants of all backgrounds are welcome. Feel free to use one of the Hillel bibles or bring your own.

Sustainable Cooking Class Time: March 21 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Location: Campus Kitchen Come to Campus Kitchen in Kitchin to learn how to create a delicious meal while simultaneously reducing food waste. The event is first-come first-served and registration is required.

Thursday, March 16, 2017 | Page 7

Old Gold & Black | News

SAFAR thrives with founder’s leadership from afar Rose O’Brien, a junior studying abroad in Copenhagen, continues to lead the Student Association for the Advancement of Refugees that she founded in the Fall of 2016

BY JESS JORDAN Contributing Writer jordji13@wfu.edu On a warm day in June last summer, Rose O’Brien marveled at children twirling freely through the streets of Trieste. The coastal Italian city came to life as more than 2,000 people came out to celebrate its refugees by trying new foods, drawing Henna tattoos and dancing to ethnic music. This festival not only brought together people from different backgrounds, but it also sparked a fire in O’Brien’s heart.

Every day after the festival, the fire only grew larger.

O’Brien knew she must bring a refugee celebration to her home in Winston-Salem. So, thousands of miles from her friends and family, the Wake Forest junior began planning an event to bring together her college community with local refugees.

What began as an attempt to celebrate all refugees turned into the founding of the Student Association for the Advancement of Refugees, or SAFAR, a student-run organization that aims to support and connect the Wake Forest community to local refugees.

The group, led by O’Brien and an eight-member executive board, now has 40 volunteers. It not only plans events for refugees, such as cooking nights and Olympic field days for children, but also channels Wake students into teaching English-language sessions through the World Relief Organization.

“My goal for SAFAR is to become a Wake Forest centrally located organization and also a city-wide movement to welcome refugees and make them feel more comfortable in our shared community,” O’Brien said.

Through tutoring English and hosting Syrian cooking nights, she has created lasting relationships that extend beyond the classroom.

Last November, O’Brien organized a night filled with delicious kibbeh and baba ghanoush, shared by members of the Wake Forest and refugee community.

“I spend time with my students outside of class,” O’Brien said. “I go to their house for birthday parties, we go to church together and they have really welcomed me and made me a part of their lives. I feel like I am doing things for people I love, which is so encouraging.”

Throughout her three years at Wake Forest, O’Brien has consistently taken actions to make her community a safer and more inclusive place. Whether she is publishing articles on sexual assault to the Pub, or busy with the executive board of BRANCHES, a social justice action retreat, O’Brien works hard to provide support for her peers.

Senior Sydni Williams, who worked with O’Brien throughout BRANCHES, admired her dedication to others.

“She doesn’t do anything to get recognized,” Williams

MaryBeth Wallace / Old Gold & Black

O’Brien’s vision for Refugee Day came to fruition last November with around 450 guests in attendance, 11 speakers and over 70 volunteers from the community coming together to support the event. said. “She does it because she actually cares about Wake Forest, the Winston-Salem community, and the people she interacts with. She sees people as people.”

For O’Brien, it has always been about the people. As a sophomore, O’Brien’s Italian professor suggested they apply for a Richter scholarship together to study how Afghanistan refugees interpret their personal space in Trieste, Italy. O’Brien quickly accepted this proposal. Wake Forest granted her the scholarship and that summer, O’Brien found herself in a convent in Italy attempting to teach 52 men English using only what broken Italian she knew to connect with them.

She didn’t realize it at the time, but this experience would be the inspiration for SAFAR. “I was stumbling to learn this new country and felt so out of place,” O’Brien said about her initial days as a tutor. “I didn’t know what to do with myself.”

But one of the first students she met, 19-year-old Aziz, put O’Brien at ease. He returned to her class each day and shared his stories with her: his remarkable journey walking from Kabul to Trieste, the cherished wedding traditions from his culture, the important people in his life. An unbreakable friendship followed.

“We still talk almost every week on Skype,” O’Brien said.

When she returned from Trieste and began SAFAR, she started relationships with refugees in Winston-Salem.

Sophomore Alec Jessar, an executive board member of SAFAR and an ESL tutor with O’Brien, marveled at her abil-

ity to bond with others and make people feel comfortable.

“She would come into the English lessons and shake everyone’s hands,” Jessar said. “She talked to these people like she knew them for 20 years. She was the bridge between everyone there.”

O’Brien is currently studying abroad in Copenhagen, but the other members of the executive board are dedicated to running the organization smoothly in her absence. O’Brien uses Skype to check in regularly with SAFAR’s executive board and to help plan events. Going forward, they are gearing up for SAFAR’s Global Youth Day planned for April. It will be an Olympic field day at Wake Forest for refugee children from the Winston-Salem community.

“I think showing families that you accept their children, want to hold their hands, give them candy and walk with them is really a positive way to support people,” O’Brien said about the upcoming Global Youth Day. In the meantime, O’Brien regularly checks in with her students and friends from the refugee community. Whether they are sharing favorite recipes, concerns regarding recent political policies or feelings of loneliness in their new space, O’Brien always listens with patient and open ears.

She remains a steadfast beacon of support for her friends in the refugee community.

“I can’t accept when something is unnatural or when something is wrong,” O’Brien said. “If I don’t stand up as someone who has the voice, the language, and the opportunities to do so, then I will be failing my fellow community members.”

OUTSIDE THE BUBBLE President Trump stands by un- BBC dad speaks out after hu- Large sections of the Great Barrier Reef are now bleached substantiated wiretap claim morous video goes viral President Donald Trump has continued to defend his allegation that the Obama Administration wiretapped the Trump Tower during his campaign, even though Democratic and Republican leaders of the House Intelligence Committee have stated that they have seen no evidence supporting his claim. His allies in the West Wing and Trump loyalists also had no defense; Press Secretary Sean Spicer said that the issue was “beyond his pay grade” and that Trump used the word ‘wiretap’ in quotes to mean “broadly surveillance and other activities.” The president told Fox News, “Wiretap covers a lot of different things. I think you’re going to find some very interesting items coming to the forefront over the next two weeks.” Trump has asked Congress to investigate the allegation as part of an investigation into possible Russian interference in the presidential election.

Robert Kelly and his family were thrust into the spotlight after his children burst into the room while he was interviewing with BBC. The video quickly went viral. The Internet was enamored by the depiction of real-life family chaos. Kelly, a professor in Korea, and his wife, Kim Jung-A, finally broke their silence by talking to the Wall Street Journal. Kelly stated that his daughter, who was the first one to crash his interview, had been in “a hippity-hoppity mood” because of a party at school. Their mother, Kim, said that she did not realize what was going on until she saw her children on the television screen.

The family now looks back on the video with good humor, calling it a “comedy of errors.” Even comedian Trevor Noah said it was “the greatest moment in the history of television, ever.”

Warm ocean temperatures and increasing acidity levels have created inhospitable conditions for the Great Barrier Reef, so vast portions of it have undergone bleaching in recent months. Coral bleaching takes place when coral polyps expel the zooxanthellae algae that give them their vibrant colors, leaving behind a white calcium carbonate skeleton. Zooxanthellae algae provide coral polyps with nutrients, so if temperature and acidity levels do not return to normal, the polyps will die. Global bleaching is now in its third year, threatening large numbers of oceanic species, particularly those that are endemic to the reef. In addition, Australia could lose large amounts of ecotourism revenue. Global ocean temperatures continue to rise, and with the election of Donald Trump, United States membership in the Paris Climate Accords may not continue into the future.

OPINION OLD GOLD & BLACK

T H U R S D AY, M a r c h 1 6 , 2 0 17

PAG E 8

Online

at : w w w. w f u o g b . c o m

e d i t O r : Henr y Bonilla, bonihj15@wfu.edu a s s t . e d i t O r : D av i d A j a my, a j a m d g 15 @ w f u . e d u

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

“ encouraged voicing of opinions Chalk Talk has Johnny B. Goode| Chalk Talk

Chalkings on campus sidewalks have served as important catalysts to political discourse John Lewis

Guest Columnist lewijm16@wfu.edu

It is obvious that tensions within our country have heightened since the beginning of the 2016 presidential campaign season, and since the election of the 45th president on Nov. 8, 2017, the number of discussions about the future of our nation have only risen.

In recent days, an open discourse on the status of our country and President Donald Trump have appeared on campus along highly-trafficked walkways and patios.

Wake Forest has most certainly had its share of political discussion in its history, but this newly found conversation seems to have proposed a new and possibly bi-

It is through educated discussion that individuals ... learn how to best express their opinions and ideas on the pressing matters.” partisan approach to achieving an indirect debate.

Something known as “Chalk Talk” has surfaced along the grounds of the Lower Quad, with comments ranging very widely in respect to the political spectrum. Examples of these comments range from “We Support OUR President” to “Love Trumps Hate” and “#BLM.” Other comments included “Pray for Our Country,” “Look for the Good Under Every Label,” and “Stay Open-minded.” Many comments written took to a religious or spiritual standpoint, stating “John 3:16,” “Pray for Our President,” “Jesus Died for You,” and “God is Colorblind.”

While most writings seemed to propose new ideas, numerous comments were made on pre-existing statements. Sometimes, these comments would include either crossing off the previously written statement or stemming off in an effort to reciprocate

with an opposing idea. One statement wrote “Black Lives, Blue Lives, All Lives Matter.” Within the next day, “Blue” and “All” were crossed out with a reply stating, “Well, our judicial system does not seem to understand this right now. So, we are going to focus on Black Lives. #BLM.” Within the next 24 hours, another comment was made stating, “Do NOT Write Your Voice Over Mine.”

This method of responding has led to some controversy within the student body and faculty as to whether it is considerate or respectful of other beliefs.

When speaking to other students, I found that the writings left different impressions on each. While some individuals found the chalk discussion to be thoughtprovoking and worthy of attention, others thought the political conversation to be vilifying and ineffective.

However, through the assorted opinions, it was a common idea that the recent chalk talk exhibited more of the ‘unheard voices.’

It seemed that while usually one political perspective is displayed, this most recent decorative debate revealed a more pro-

jected idea of the disparate opinions on campus. The opinions of students printed in colorful and ornate fonts littered the concrete on which thousands of students walk every day, encompassing our school in a plethora of ideas and beliefs.

After the election, President Nathan O. Hatch stated in an email sent to the entire Wake Forest community, “We are a community that profoundly values intellectual discourse and diverse viewpoints. Even more important, we are people who profoundly value one another.”

Wake Forest serves as a representative for the extensive opinions found among our nation as students from around the world assemble into a 340-acre campus.

It is through educated discussion that individuals are allowed to not only grow in experience and civility but also learn how to best express their opinions and ideas on the pressing matters that affect the world’s populace today and in the future.

Discourse serves as a vital role in a healthy society (especially a college campus), and it seems that no matter any possible limitation, students are willing to ‘take to the sidewalk’ to proclaim their voices.

“ views have influential power Athletes’ political Iron Will| Professional athletes

Politically-outspoken professional athletes have a profound influence over fans William Desvallées Guest Columnist desvw15@wfu.edu

From the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin in 2012 to the inauguration of President Donald Trump this year, American professional athletes have made significant efforts in recent years to make their voices heard. However, the influence of athletes in response to current events reflecting the issues of our time is perhaps underestimated, especially in a society that idolizes professional sports.

Michael Brown, an 18-year-old black man, was fatally shot by a white police officer named Darren Wilson on Aug. 9, 2014. Days later, Wilson was acquitted, which led to significant unrest in Ferguson, Missouri. Five players of the NFL’s Saint Louis Rams roster came out to their field walking together with their hands in the air in order to salute the

Athletes have the power to influence the stance held by the average American viewer ... [who] idolizes [them].” protesters of Ferguson in the aftermath of Brown’s killing, which they perceived as another murder of an innocent young black American.

This year, the NFL regular season was characterized by similar actions on the behalf of a wider group of its players.

In the first game of the San Francisco 49ers’ regular season, quarterback Colin Kaepernick decided to take a knee during the presentation of the National Anthem.

Kaepernick’s actions on this day led many NFL players from other teams to follow in his footsteps and stand up for an issue perceived to be still very prevalent in American society. In doing so, the players’ message coming live from the field in which they play every week, was viewed on television screens and media sources around the country.

The NFL estimated in 2014 that the average NFL game gets approximately 17.6 million viewers and counted 205 million different Americans to watch at least one NFL game, proving the extent to which professional sports are an

intrinsic part of American society today.

By displaying powerful messages on the field they play on, athletes have the power to influence the stance held by the average American viewer that loves the sport and idolizes its athletes.

Today, athletes are taking current political matters into their own hands off the field. Due to the unpopularity of Trump’s political agenda, six members of the 2016 New England Patriots Super Bowl winning team have decided to not go to the White House visit. It is a yearly tradition for Super bowl winning teams to visit the president at the White House. This year players are deliberately choosing to not attend this ceremonial event in order to convey a fundamental disapproval of Trump’s administration.

Stephen Curry, the super-star point guard and NBA champion of the Golden State Warriors, signed a contract to exclusively market products for the American sports brand Under Armour through 2024. According to Morgan Stanley research, Stephen Curry is worth an estimated $14 billion to the brand.

His value as a player can also be perceived by the economic asset he represents for one of America’s largest sports companies.

Earlier this month, Kevin Plank, CEO of Under Armour, referred to Donald Trump as a “real asset” to the U.S.

Sarcastically, Curry responded by saying he agreed with Plank’s statement “if you remove the ‘et’ from asset.” The decorated point guard followed his response to Plank’s comments by confronting the company head on regarding their stance on the current president.

Currently, Curry’s response to Under Armour’s stance on the election has led to backlash against the company that since has distanced itself from endorsing Trump to the extent that they did. The company has struggled financially in the past fiscal year with a stock price that dropped from $83.69 in February 2016, to $21.81 this past Friday, March 10.

Curry exemplifies the extent to which professional athletes can use the value they earn from performing in the sports world to influence those at the top.

Unprecedented leadership through Trump’s newly established administration, along with current events illustrating the most serious social issues of our time, has led athletes to utilize their power in order to voice their frustrations with a current system perceived by many to be unjust.

By using the basketball, the football field or even their estimated value to an organization they belong to, athletes have been able to voice off opinions and influence the political ideals of a multifaceted citizenry.

Opinion | Old Gold & Black

Thursday, March 16, 2017 | Page 9

“ to be taken on gerrymandering Action needs Tried and Drew| Voting

Gerrymandering topples the idea of a fair vote and is problematic to democracy Drew Finley

Staff Columnist finlag15@wfu.edu

As a political issue, gerrymandering is the equivalent of your Uncle Rick wearing a bathrobe in a roomful of Brooks Brothers suits.

Or at least that’s how Scott Sexton of the Winston-Salem Journal characterized it in a column published two weeks ago.

The article did an excellent job of explaining what gerrymandering is and contextualizing the practice here in North Carolina, but it is frustrating that the piece went to such great lengths to inform its audience that gerrymandering and redistricting reform are issues that must be labeled (in Sextons own words) as “unsexy.”

In its simplest form, gerrymandering is when legislative and congressional districts are redrawn to favor one political party over the other.

Under the U.S. Constitution, redistricting (which is simply the redrawing of these districts) occurs after each decade’s Census in order to adjust the districts and make them roughly equal in terms of population.

In North Carolina, that task is assigned

Gerrymandering basically silences voters and candidates who are affiliated with whichever party is at a disadvantage in the district.” to whichever party controls the state legislature. As one can imagine, the consequence of this stipulation is often decidedly problematic.

When the party in power finishes drawing the maps, gerrymandered districts that heavily favor them over the other party essentially become the norm.

This development is worrisome for two reasons: first and foremost, gerrymandering basically silences voters and candidates who are affiliated with whichever party is at a disadvantage in the district.

When districts are so skewed that they practically guarantee that one party will win over the other in a particular district, voters rightly feel like their vote for the minority party doesn’t mean anything.

It doesn’t matter how many people vote, since the majority party can be virtually certain that their candidate will win.

But the more insidious effect of gerrymandering is that it severely reduces competition in our elections.

Closely tied to the issue of silencing voters, when political parties have effectively no way to elect their candidate in a district where they are at a disadvantage, a twoparty system quickly gives way to a oneparty system where elections are anything but competitive.

Enter the North Carolina General As-

sembly. There is really no state in the U.S. where gerrymandering is more pervasive than North Carolina.

Over the years, both the Democrats and the Republicans have used gerrymandering to snatch up as many sears as they can in the state legislature, hindering competition and dealing a tremendous blow to the health of our democracy.

Reform is sometimes thought to be impossible, since the very people who must initiate it prefer the districts exactly as they are — with them in charge.

But fortunately all is not lost.

As with any issue in a democracy, if enough people are unsatisfied with a particular law or policy, they can mobilize, form coalitions and lobby for change.

That is exactly what happened in Raleigh at the North Carolina General Assembly two weeks ago.

Groups as diverse as the ACLU, AARP and the John Locke Foundation all came together that Wednesday to protest gerrymandering, and they called for a simple remedy: nonpartisan, independent redistricting commissions that would redraw the districts in a fair way that is not skewed towards one party.

While these commissions might seem like a pipedream, it is surprising to note that some 21 states already have them in place.

North Carolina legislators would be wise to do the same.

As Sen. Jeff Jackson noted in a statement addressing the topic, a nonpartisan commission is an absolute necessity if we want to make our elections fair, democratic, and

logical. Under the current system, he asserted, less than 10 percent of incumbents stand any real chance of losing a general election, “despite the fact that we’re a roughly 50/50 state.”

To reform, we obviously must change that.

I had the privilege of speaking with Jackson over the summer, and I asked him why redistricting reform is so hard to achieve.

He first told me — as we have just noted — that the people in power are the ones who ultimately must change the system, but they are the ones who like the system just the way it is.

But more importantly, Jackson also informed me that people outside the legislature often don’t know how direct of an impact redistricting has on them as individual citizens.

More than just the big congressional races, redistricting determines who represents us in our state, in our cities and on our school boards.

So while it might be easy for us to label gerrymandering as “unsexy” given its somewhat wonky nature, nothing is likely to change if we frame the issue as a quixotic battle.

Gerrymandering is a sexy issue. In many ways, it’s the sexiest issue in a democracy, since it directly determines who represents us in the halls of power and how much control we have over who our representatives are.

Perhaps Uncle Rick should trade in his bathrobe for a Sunday suit. Our democracy would be all the better for it.

“ to stop feeding into sensationalism The media needs Wil(cox) Be Right| President Trump

Focusing on important issues is mandatory for the credibility of news sources Amanda Wilcox Staff Columnist wilcaf16@wfu.edu

When President John F. Kennedy dispatched his then-Secretary of State Dean Acheson to show the CIA surveillance photos of the Cuban missiles to French President Charles de Gaulle, de Gaulle replied that he didn’t need to see the photos of the weapons of mass destruction. “The word of the President of the United States is good enough for me.”

Not any more.

President Donald Trump’s administration has been defined by a frightening combination of general mayhem, suspicious evidence of foreign involvement and aversion to the truth that subverts the dignity of his office. As the word of the President of the United States can no longer be fully trusted as it once was, it’s up to the press to provide the American people — and everyone around the world watching in disbelief — with truth.

However, to do so they must weather the White House’s constant stream of fake

The media is incapable of ignoring him when he makes such incendiary claims ... [and] he has faced no consequences. ” news and keep a laser-like focus on the most important stories.

Whenever the media coverage or Congressional pressure gets too tough, or whenever yet another member of his administration is discovered neck-deep in league with Russia, the president’s modus operandi is to devolve into a firestorm of angry tweets and absurd accusations. The same familiar notes are hit: the overture of cynicism, cadenza of conspiracy and symphony of self-congratulations, accompanied by an avoidance of blame. His behavior appears to be off-the-cuff, but in reality, Trump knows what he is doing.

With a simple tweet, he can send the press stampeding in any direction he chooses.

Unfortunately, we are falling for his politics of distraction.

When Jeff Sessions, the attorney general and chief law enforcement officer of the U.S., made a false statement to Congress while under oath about his conversations with Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador, journalists’ attention to Sessions’ alleged perjury was disproportionately ephemeral. The pandemonium that followed Trump’s pre-dawn tweetstorm accusing the Obama Administration of wiretapping his campaign dominated the news

cycle almost immediately and stories about Sessions were stopped in their tracks. From Trump’s perspective, this course of events proceeded perfectly. The media is incapable of ignoring him when he makes such incendiary claims, and up until now, he has faced no consequences for his Twitter incontinence. In addition, his diversionary tactics allowed his administration and allies to fend off questions about Sessions by claiming that the “real story” was alleged wiretapping by President Obama.

Trump is a seasoned practitioner of diversionary politics and has long embraced conspiracy theories, so his early-morning tweets are just another episode in a soap opera of circumstances that cast him in an unfavorable light. For example, after struggling during the first GOP primary debate, he attacked moderator Megyn Kelly by attributing her tough questions to her menstrual cycle.

After the release of the 2005 Access Hollywood video, which contained sexually aggressive audio of Trump, he brought President Bill Clinton’s former assault accusers to the second presidential debate.

After settling the lawsuit against Trump University out of court for $25 million, he blasted the cast of “Hamilton.” And repeatedly, whenever critics point out that he lost the popular vote, Trump blames a fictitious five million illegal voters.

Going forward, the press must exercise more discipline. In order for it to be an effective watchdog over this administration, which has already shown evidence of corruption and frightening ties to one of the

country’s most imposing adversaries, the press must resist the temptation to give in to the president’s game of cat and mouse.

When the country’s chief law enforcement officer, who is supposed to be the standard-bearer of truth and justice, subverts the law, his oath of honesty and the integrity of his office, journalists must doggedly pursue that story. They must unambiguously declare his fact-free claims to be fiction and turn their attention back to the serious issues.

The president has been rewarded for his behavior in the past, and basic psychology indicates that he will continue this pattern unless his audience changes its response.

Rambling press conferences, declarations of McCarthyism and undisciplined attacks against accusers will be Trump’s damage control strategy for the next four years. We can expect that. However, the press maintains full control over its response.

As an inexperienced politician, Trump is playing Connect Four, not chess. If journalists avoid taking the bait and instead subject the White House to sustained pressure, his strategy will crumble. Diverting coverage away from the deeply-rooted problems of Trump’s administration and towards his ridiculous rants legitimizes his accusations far beyond what they deserve.

If the press maintains a relentless, evenkeeled focus on the topics that matter, in due time Trump will drive his young presidency off the guardrails, proving his own volatility and dysfunction more effectively than anyone else could.

SPORTS OLD GOLD & BLACK

T H U R S D AY, M a r c h 1 6 , 2 0 17

PAG E 11

O n l i n e at : w w w. w f u o g b . c o m t w i t t e r : @sports_ogb

editOrs: asst.

E t h a n B a h a r, b a h a e a 1 5 @ w f u . e d u Daniel Pachino, pachdb15@wfu.edu e d i t O r s : To m m a s o M o n e t a a n d L i z z i e S n y d e r

“We’re good again”: Deacs dance in March Wake Forest reaches NCAA Tournament in Coach Manning’s third season

BY KYLE TATICH Staff Writer tatika14@wfu.edu “We have aspirations of being a championship team.” These were the words of coach Danny Manning on April 8, 2014 when the Demon Deacon community came together on Hearn Plaza to welcome the man they believed would lead them back to competitive play in the ACC once again. Nearly three years later, the Demon Deacons accomplished something they hadn’t achieved since 2010 — receive an invitation to go dancing in the month of March.

Supplementing the celebration that came with the announcement of an NCAA Tournament bid on Sunday, March 12, were sentiments of relief felt by the Demon Deacon faithful that suffered through the post-season drought that was the Jeff Bzdelik era.

The Demon Deacons saw hope in Manning from the day he was hired, given his success as a player at both the collegiate and professional levels. Arguably one of the best college basketball players of all time, Manning led the University of Kansas to the 1988 National Championship and was a No. 1 NBA draft pick later that year.

There was no doubt that Manning had been a successful player, but many analysts considered his hiring in 2014 as an “unconventional move” largely because of his lack of head coaching experience, having only two years under his belt at the University of Tulsa.

But his promise of being able to recruit and develop players, combined with his proven ability to improve Tulsa’s program in just two seasons, indicated that Manning was the man for the job when it came to revamping the university’s basketball program that boasts the success of historically great teams and players such as Tim Duncan and Chris Paul.

From the notorious moment students rolled the quad in response to Bzdelik’s firing to the moment on Tuesday night, when the Demon Deacon faithful watched Wake Forest play with the iconic NCAA patch on its jerseys, the journey to national relevance had finally reached its destination.

In 2014-2015 — Manning’s first season — the Deacs finished 13-19 with one of the youngest rosters in the ACC. Despite winning just five games in conference play, Wake Forest proved it was moving in a positive direction, losing to the No. 2 Virginia Cavaliers by just one point on the road in Charlottesville. A loss of such a small margin to one the nation’s best teams was certainly celebrated as a step in the right direction for the program — considered a moral victory to seemingly all that follow Wake Forest basketball.

Following this so-called “moral victory” in Charlottesville, Manning’s postgame interview conceivably set the tone for the program moving forward. “We lost,” Manning repeatedly told reporters as question after question unsuccessfully sought a response of admitted moral victory.

Manning wouldn’t have it in Charlottesville after nearly knocking off the second best team in the country, and on future occasions, similar moral victories were never celebrated.

To reestablish a winning culture at Wake Forest, Manning’s Demon Deacons needed to learn what it meant to win big games.

Over the past three seasons Wake Forest competed with some of the best teams in the country, taking many of them down to the last possession of the game.

In the 2015 Maui Invitational, Manning earned his first victory over a ranked opponent as then-freshman Bryant Crawford drove to the basket in the game’s final seconds to defeat No. 13 Indiana.

The upset victory over the Hoosiers in Maui gave hope that the Deacs had rediscovered its winning ways, but a disappointing record of just two conference victories in 2015-2016 put these hopes to the side once again.

The 2016-2017 season was highly anticipated, despite it having many question marks after losing two leaders in Devin Thomas and Codi Miller-McIntyre.

How would Crawford build off his impressive freshman season?

Would John Collins develop into the offensive threat that many considered Thomas to be in previous seasons?

How would Austin Arians, a graduate transfer from Milwaukee, fit in with the program?

Would Keyshawn Woods be as good as advertised from beyond the arc?

Could Wake Forest expect Dinos Mitoglou to recover from what many considered to be a sophomore slump?

And finally, how would incoming freshman Brandon Childress handle the pressures of playing on the same court as his father, the great Randolph Childress, once did?

These were just a few of the many questions that Wake Forest faced when the season began in November and seemingly all of them were answered as the season progressed.

Crawford was the team’s second leading scorer and the league’s second highest assist leader that made plays to help the Deacs win nine games in ACC play, especially in the regular season finale at Virginia Tech when the sophomore scored 26 points and dished out five assists.

Collins became dominant in the ACC this season, receiving first team accolades, in addition to the recognition as the league’s Most Improved Player.

Collins led the team with 19.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game and is now

Betsy Mann, Old Gold & Black

Sophomore John Collins led the Deacons in scoring at 19.2 ppg and rebounding at 9.8 rpg this season and was named the ACC’s Most Improved Player. considered by many to have a chance to be a first round draft pick in this year’s NBA Draft.

Arians proved to be an excellent shooter, knocking down a combined seven three-pointers in the ACC Tournament over two games.

And Mitoglou seemingly bounced back from a disappointing sophomore season, showing tremendous growth in the paint and on the defensive side of the ball.

Brandon Childress proved to be an excellent addition to the Wake Forest rotation, bringing a fearless presence to the lineup every time he stepped onto the court. With his freshman season behind him, it should be exciting to see how Childress progresses and develops in preparation for his sophomore year.

Overall, a majority of the questions surrounding the Wake Forest basketball program just five months ago proved to yield positive answers.

Wake Forest finished the season with a record of 19-14 (9-9 in ACC play), giving the Deacs its best record since 20092010 under coach Dino Gaudio.

Among the most impressive feats for this season include the team’s consistency in defeating most every inferior opponent it faced and fighting to win four of its final five games to earn an invitation to the NCAA Tournament.

Two of those final games featured the marquee victory over No. 8 Louisville at the Joel and the road defeat of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg to cap the end of the regular season and seemingly assure Wake Forest of its Tournament chances.

Wake Forest made giant steps forward in 2016-2017 as it seemingly established a winning culture under Coach Manning.

From this point forward the Wake Forest faithful should join Manning in refusing to acknowledge moral victories, expecting the Deacs to have a chance to come out victorious each time they step out on the court, no matter the competition.

One day before he died, the great Skip Prosser said, “We are going to be good again.” The Deacs returned to the Big Dance in 2017. Coach Prosser was right.

And yes, we are good again.

Page 12 | Thursday, March 16, 2017

Old Gold & Black | Sports

Deacs fall short in First Four to Kansas State Men’s basketball fell 95-88 in a heartbreaker to Kansas State on Tuesday night in Dayton, OH

BY ETHAN PERELLIS Staff Writer pereeh13@wfu.edu DAYTON, Ohio – On a frigid Tuesday night, the Wake Forest men’s basketball team season ended in a tough battle to the Kansas State Wildcats. The game was part of the First Four, the traditional first games of the NCAA Tournament. It was the Deacs’ first March Madness appearance since 2010 and 23rd appearance all-time.

The game began with Kansas State aggressively attacking the paint, which allowed them to slow down the game to their preferred pace.

Throughout the first half, the Wildcats played an active 2-3 zone defense that extended into a full court press, causing uncharacteristic turnovers from the Wake Forest guards. Mitchell Wilbekin hit a three-pointer to spark a mini-run and tie the game at 13 with 11:50 left in the half.

The game continued at an uncomfortably slow tempo for the Deacs as both teams entered the bonus at the 9:28 mark. D.J. Johnson and Wesley Iwundu of Kansas State dominated the interior and drew constant fouls. Kansas State was able to score on 62.5 percent of their field goals and outscored the Deacs 24-6 in the paint at the end of the first half.

Even with Wake Forest’s turnover problem and Kansas State’s high field goal percentage, the Demon Deacons were able to keep

the game close by hitting free throws. The team as a whole shot a fantastic 17-18 (94.4 percent) from the line in the first period.

Wake Forest was lucky to only be down 4036 going into halftime.

The second half started with a wild sequence and an increased pace. Kansas State made baskets on seven of the first eight possessions. Wake Forest countered by emphasizing on getting the ball to star forward John Collins, who had 18 of his 26 points in the last 20 minutes. Austin Arians and Brandon Childress hit a pair of three-pointers to keep the Deacs within three points at the 13:13 mark. After Arians made another three-pointer and a pair of free throws from Childress, Wake Forest was down 67-66 with 8:08 left.

Over the next few plays, Collins would have a pair of great finishes from Crawford lob passes. However, the Deacs continued having trouble stopping the Wildcats from scoring. Iwundu, who finished with teamhigh 24, hit a pair of shots, while sophomore guard Kamau Stokes hit a threepointer. Stokes in particular would halt the Deacs momentum throughout the contest with big baskets. The Wildcats extended their lead to 79-70 with just four minutes in the game.

After a timeout, the Deacs were determined to make one final push. Arians hit another three-pointer and Crawford drove through the lane to make a tough layup.

The Deacs were only down five, but Stokes hit another contested three-pointer. Crawford answered back with four consecutive points, including a fast break layup to keep the game within reach.

The game then swung back in favor of the Wildcats. After Wilbekin missed a long

Rick Osentoski/USA TODAY Sports

Head Coach Danny Manning led the Demon Deacons to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011, but Wake Forest lost 95-88 in the First Four play-in game.

three-point attempt, Crawford was called for a questionable flagrant foul for tripping Stokes. The referees checked the monitor and concluded that the trip was intentional, but Crawford after the game said that he was only going for the ball. Stokes hit two free throws and Kansas State got the ball back as a result of the flagrant foul. Johnson would score in the paint and Wildcats were up 88-79 with 1:20 left. The lead was insurmountable and the Deacs would fall 95-88 to Kansas State.

Crawford finished with 20 points and 10 assists, a program record for assists in the NCAA Tournament. Arians matched his career high of 17 points with a 4-5 effort from three-point land.

Stokes had 22 points, 19 of which game in the second half. Johnson had 18 points and six rebounds.

The Deacs ended the year 19-14, their best

record since the 2009-2010 season. Clearly disappointed, heas coach Danny Manning said after the game his team needs to get better at staying in front of the ball on defense.

The Wildcats averaged just under 72 points per game going into Tuesday and were able to score 95 points on 66 percent shooting.

The next few weeks will focus on the NBA decisions of Crawford and Collins. Crawford had an underrated season but has the size for an NBA point guard. Collins is likely to turn pro as he is a projected lottery pick, but told the Old Gold & Black’s Ethan Bahar in a postgame press conference “that is not something I’d like to comment on right now.”

Overall, the best season in seven years ends on a disappointing note. The experience should help the returning players be prepared for the future as the Deacs will look to factor into the March conversation for years to come.

Buy or sell the hype on these tournament teams This list explores which teams are hot and which are not entering the 2017 NCAA Basketball Tournament

BY CHARLIE ENGEL Contributing Writer engece15@wfu.edu Overhyped Maryland, 6 seed: The Terrapins have not enjoyed the consistency usually seen in teams under Mark Turgeon.

This is an over seeded team that will struggle in matchups without huge contributions from All-Big Ten 1st team Melo Trimble, as was evident during their tumultuous conference play.

Baylor, 3 seed: A struggling team in recent weeks, with a recent elimination from the Big 12 tournament quarterfinals by Kansas State, the Golden Bears are on upset alert with their matchup in the round of 32, with a likely matchup against a well-balanced Southern Methodist University group out of the American Athletic Conference. If Baylor forward Johnathan Motley cannot replicate his impressive numbers from regular season play, this defensively talented team might lose to an underappreciated SMU team.

South Carolina, 7 seed: Look for Marquette to win this first-round matchup against the over seeded South Carolina. While South Carolina is regarded as one of the better defensive teams in the nation, expect Marquette’s offensive firepower to be the difference-maker. Led by the deadly three-point shooting of freshman Markus Howard, who’s shooting a scorching 55 percent from behind the arc, the Gamecocks (ranked 159th in the nation in offensive efficiency per KenPom) will likely be unable to keep up with the high-scoring Golden Eagles.

UCLA, 3 seed: Lonzo Ball, Bryce Alford, TJ Leaf and company have arguably the most potent offense in the

nation; if winning the tournament was solely based on offensive capability, there would be overwhelming support for the Bruins. Their defense leaves a lot to be desired, however, ranking 83rd in the nation in defensive efficiency per KenPom, which could give them trouble in the loaded Southern region of the bracket. Many see this Pac 12 team as a good choice to make it to the Final Four from the South, but their defense could derail those hopes when playing teams like North Carolina, Kentucky and Wichita State, where defensive stops will be needed to win.

Underhyped Rhode Island, 11 seed: Rhode Island has one of the more underrated inside/outside combinations in E.C. Matthews and Hassan Martin, not dissimilar to the lack of hype given to Wake Forest stud John Collins and Bryant Crawford. Martin had seven blocks in the Atlantic 10 tournament finals game against Virginia Commonwealth, and the Rams look to have a solid balance between offense and defense, with the KenPom rankings placing URI at 32nd in the nation in defensive efficiency.

Middle Tennessee, 12 seed: A popular upset pick against the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the 5 v 12 matchup, the Blue Raiders are a team with high Sweet 16 potential. This Middle Tennessee crew was responsible for the burning of many brackets last year with their victory in the 15 v 2 match-up against a highly favored Michigan State team. Their returning talent points to a similar bracket-busting trend, with the retention of their two top scorers from last year, Giddy Potts and Reggie Upshaw, and the addition of a transfer from Arkansas, Jacorey Williams, who is now the top-scorer on this year’s team. The bottom-line is that this may be an even more talented team than last year’s dangerous bunch.

Wichita State, 10 seed: There was shock for a Shocker team that has put together a 15-game win-streak only to receive a 10 seed from the tournament committee. A

regular season record of 30-4, the Shockers are ranked

by KenPom as the overall 8th best in the nation, and there are plenty reasons to believe that this team could make for some drama by having the depth and talent on the offensive and defensive end to knock off Archie Miller’s dangerous Dayton Fliers, which would then create the likely matchup against the Kentucky Wildcats — a rematch of the 2014 Sweet Sixteen game that would generate a lot of excitement.

Iowa State, 5 seed: Recently, there hasn’t been a hotter team in the nation than the Cyclones under second year coach Steve Prohm. Winning nine of their last 10 games — including a victory over Kansas on February second (who they could possibly meet again in the Sweet Sixteen) — the boys from Ames look to make some major noise. Look for the Cyclones to have a realistic shot in the Elite Eight of beating a talented Oregon team that just lost their unique shot-blocking, perimeter scoring presence, Chris Boucher for the year with a torn ACL.

Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times/TNS

UCLA’s star Lonzo Ball has been one of the NCAA’s best players and helped his team earn a No. 3 seed.

Thursday, March 16, 2017 | Page 17

Life | Old Gold & Black

Movie Review | Get Out

Jordan Peele directs a new thriller that also satirically comments on subtle racism

BY MADISON ZEHMER Staff Writer zehmml16@wfu.edu Jordan Peele’s new satirical thriller Get Out begins as a young black man walks alone in an affluent white suburb late at night. By opening the film with a scene that evokes the fear and horror of police brutality that black Americans are all too familiar with, Peele quickly establishes a sense of discomfort that drives the entire film.

As Peele effectively blends genres, invokes horror classics and pop culture and stirs up tension, he creates a film that is both impressively original and familiar — in both entertaining and disturbing ways. Get Out demonstrates that genre films can provide astute cultural commentary while simultaneously entertaining audiences.

When Rose, a white woman, asks her black boyfriend Chris to go to her parent’s home for the weekend, Chris is hesitant. “Do they know I’m black?” He asks. She tells him no — assuring him it’s nothing to worry about — and they head to her parent’s house. However, as the

film plays out, we see her unwillingness to acknowledge Chris’ race is a dangerous form of racism in and of itself. The microaggressions Chris endures from the beginning of the film, such as Rose’s dad saying he would vote for President Barack Obama for a third term if he could and a party guest commenting on the size of Chris’ muscles, serve to perpetuate a sense of unease and tension that is present in every scene. Even though Get Out doesn’t become a typical “horror” film until the last third of the movie, the film utilizes shifts of tone, facial expressions, cinematography and the soundtrack to effectively evoke fear from the seemingly smallest occurrences.

Daniel Kaluuya is excellent as he plays Chris with insight and subtlety. Although the dialogue is sharp and the cinematography and pacing effectively create tension and atmosphere, Get Out would not work without Kaluuya’s ability to evoke fear and empathy from the audience. Allison Williams is also quite good as Rose, a character who demonstrates the common passivity of white moderates and liberals that only serves to perpetuate racism as it suppresses all difficult discussions of race.

The genuinely shocking twist powerfully remarks on the commodification of black bodies in the current cultural climate and in liberal spaces. Some of the most terrify-

Photo courtesy of IMDB

Daniel Kaluuya stars as Chris in the new film by comedian, Jordan Peele.

ing images in the film, such as a shot of a police car with sirens flashing that occurs at the end of the film, purposefully allude to the very real horrors of racism and police brutality that black people face daily.

By exaggerating microaggressions and other forms of racism propagated by the liberal elite to the levels of horror (though I am not trying to say what black people face in the U.S. and worldwide is not horrific), Peele turns the film back on the audience in an attempt to provoke reflection and discourse. The film ultimately asks viewers to examine the racism in their own lives, particularly the more subtle forms of racism that are often perpetuated by the seemingly well-intentioned white “liberal elite.” Get Out is an intense and intelligent satirical film that entertains and disturbs in equal measures.

Humor Column | Oldest Student

Some age less gracefully than others Sometimes, Work Forest makes students feel like they’re turning 91 before they’re even 21

BY RAVEN MCCORCKLE Staff Writer mcorc16@wfu.edu

I can safely say that I am the oldest student at Wake Forest. Of course, I’m just a freshman, but I can promise you this is the truth.

My actual age of 18 is definitely not in tune with my body age of 80.

I visit student health all the time for joint pain. Sometimes, my knees just lock up and my hips crack and pop in and out of their sockets. The student health doctors, as usual, are puzzled by this medical bamboozlement. I have searched on webmd.com and I’m totally sure I have arthritis.

I think I’m going to invest in Life Alert. If any of you young whippersnappers has an extra cane or walker, please feel free to page me, send me a letter or write about it in the classifieds. Don’t dilly dally — I’m not getting any younger here.

Before spring break started, I woke up one morning with something hard between my teeth. I thought it was a rock or something. Confused, I went to brush my teeth. When the hard thing still wouldn’t come out, I went to my handy dandy floss sticks. I fished out the hard thing, and yowza, it was a piece of my tooth. Riddle me this: whose teeth just fall out or chip off in the middle of the night?

Anyway, I had to make a dentist appointment to fix the hole in my tooth.

I think that, by next year, I’ll be having to take my teeth out at night and put them in a cup of aspirin. I guess I need to start clipping Sea-Bond coupons.

I’ve gotten a lot of headaches recently — I thought it was because of Work Forest constantly trying to smother me with Mother so Dear’s heavy workload. Nevertheless, my worried mother made me an eye appointment to see what all the fuss was about. Turns out, I need glasses due to something called accommodative insufficiency. I think it’s safe to say I’ll be completely losing my eyesight in the next four years.

I’ve resorted to eating yogurt, oatmeal and applesauce to fit my new lifestyle.

Does anyone know if the Pit offers a senior citizen discount? Asking for a friend.

I’m also starting up a bingo club if anyone wants to join me … What were we talking about again?

HOT

LIST

the

Get Out shocks, entertains audiences

Top Ten Ways to Pick a Winning Bracket One in 9.2 quintillion actually know what they’re doing

1. Whose mascot is most likely to win in a fight 2. Reverse alphabetical order 3. Most vowels on the roster 4. Wait until after the final championship game to fill it out 5. Closest proximity of home stadium to a Bojangles 6. Most melodious fight songs 7. Easiest to spell in morse code 8. Which colors best match your eyes 9. Most hyperlinks on team’s Wikipedia page 10. Copy your smartest friend Courtesy of Julia Haines

Drink of the Week

Blue Devil Tears To celebrate when Duke finally finds their karma • Dark blue Powerade • A chip off of Grayson Allen’s shoulder • Harry Giles’ sweat • Water from UNC’s Old Well

Silvia Flores/Fresno Bee/TNS

For college students, getting older is all fun and bingo games.

Serve in an upside down Duke hat

Thursday, March 16, 2017 | Page 15

Sports | Old Gold & Black

NBA Recap: Teams making final playoff pushes The Warriors and Cavs are barely holding on to their top seeds in the final month

BY DANIEL PACHINO Sports Editor pachdb15@wfu.edu With less than a month to go in the regular season, things are starting to really heat up as teams attempt to make their final push towards the playoffs. In this recap, I take a look at the teams vying for the top seeds in each conference, as well as the teams battling for the final spots in the West and East.

In the West, three teams are clearly a cut above the rest. The Golden State Warriors, the San Antonio Spurs and the Houston Rockets areby far the three best teams in the West with the best chances to reach the Finals. The Warriors, however, are without their star player, Kevin Durant, and are playing their worst basketball of the season. Over the past ten games, Golden State is just 5-5 with losses to lowly teams like the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves. On Tuesday, March 14, the Warriors were only able to defeat the Joel Embiid-less 76ers by two points at home.

Golden State is holding on to its No. 1 seed in the West with dear life and at this point it seems like only a matter of time that they surrender it to the Spurs. The Dubs are counting the days until Durant returns

to the team from his knee injury because without him the Warriors are a merely just a great shooting team with very little depth.

The Spurs, on the other hand, are playing some of their best basketball of the season and are 9-1 over their past 10 games. Small forward Kawhi Leonard has been unstoppable over the past month and is making his case to be the league MVP every night.

LaMarcus Aldridge had a scare with a heart condition, but luckily it was nothing major and has since been cleared to return to action. If they keep playing the way they are, the Spurs will easily take the first seed in the West from Golden State.

The Houston Rockets are led by MVP front-runner James Harden. The Rockets are red hot and making their push towards the playoffs. Mike D’Antoni’s team is the best three-point shooting team in the league, and since adding Lou Williams, Coach D’Antoni has said he wants the team to attempt 50 three-pointers a game for the rest of the season. On Monday, March 13, led by Harden’s 38 point, 10 rebound and 11 assist triple-double, the Rockets came back from down double digits to the Cleveland Cavaliers to win by five.

The eighth seed in the West likely will come down to the wire. The Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers, Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves are all within three-and-a-half games of each other and will battle it out for the final spot in the Western Conference till the end of the regular season.

In the East, the Cavaliers are not playing their basketball and are seeing their hold

David Santiago/Miami Herald/TNS

Dion Waiters is in the midst of the best season of his career and is doing everything within his power to earn his Miami Heat team a playoff spot. on the No. 1 seed slip from their grasp.

They now are only ahead of the Celtics by two-and-a-half games and three ahead of the Wizards. The injury to Kevin Love has been a brutal loss for the Cavs, but they just picked up Larry Sanders, who has not played in the league in the past three seasons and are hoping he can contribute productive minutes off the bench.

The Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards are both playing some of their best basketball of the season and are making the final push for the East’s top seeds coming into the playoffs. The underrated Wizards’ addition of Bojan Bogdanovic at

the trade deadline has added depth to the thin Washington rotation and given them a great scorer off the bench.

In the battle for the last two spots in the East, four teams currently sit within a game of each other. The Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks hold the last two spots, while the Chicago Bulls and surging Miami Heat are a half-game out of the eighth seed.

It will be very interesting to watch as the NBA regular season comes down the stretch. It is undoubtable that the league’s best teams, the Warriors and Cavaliers, cannot wait for their injured stars to return to their lineups.

NHL Recap: Kane and Chicago reclaim first place The Dallas Stars were the darlings of 2016, but are almost eliminated from contention in this year’s playoffs

BY JONATHAN BELL Staff Writer belljh15@wfu.edu Patrick Kane scored his 31st goal of the season on Tuesday night as the Blackhawks reclaimed first place from the Minnesota Wild with a 4-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. With a goal and two assists, Kane took over the NHL scoring lead. Kane is no stranger to the top spot as he led the league in scoring in 2016 by 17 points with a total of 106.

In beating the first place Canadiens, Chicago sits in first place in the Central Division for the first time in 2017. However, as Chicago surges, the Wild have been slumping and are only 4-6 in their last ten compared to the Hawks league best mark of 8-2.

With only 13 and 14 games left in the season for Chicago and Minnesota respectively and only one point separating the two teams, the battle for the No. 1 spot should come down to the wire.

In a reversal of roles, the Edmonton Oilers demolished the Dallas Stars 7-1, claiming their second victory over Dallas already this season after beating Dallas only once all of last year.

Last season Dallas was the new young team making a splash in the league, finishing with the best record in the Western Conference and the second best in the league overall.

They had two of the top 10— point getters in the league in Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin, won a playoff series and looked poised to build on that momentum going into this year.

Yet, this year the fortunes of the two teams have com-

Dirk Shadd/Tampa Bay Times/TNS

Allowing this game winning goal to Mike Zibanejad and the New York Rangers was a blow to the Tampa Bay Lightning who currently are fighting for the final playoff spot in the East. pletely flipped. Dallas, in a shock to the entire hockey community, has been nothing short of terrible this season.

They are 13 points out of the wild card race in the West and are all but mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. Given that there have been no significant injuries on the team and Benn and Seguin continue to produce, it is a mystery why the Stars have fallen off last years pace so hard.

Edmonton, on the other hand, finished dead last in the West and was only one point ahead of Toronto coming in at 29th place overall in 2016 but has had an incredibly strong 2017. Led by wunderkind Connor McDavid and his 79 points (second in the NHL), the Oilers currently stand at 81 points, good enough for the first wild card spot in the West.

The dichotomy between the fortunes of the two teams is an interesting storyline to watch as the playoffs continue to get ever closer.

Once considered out of the playoff hunt, the Lightning beat the Senators in overtime to claim their fourth straight victory.

Tampa Bay has rapidly made up ground in the Eastern Conference playoff race and the surging squad has now risen all the way to tied with the Islanders (who also won in overtime on Tuesday) for the final playoff spot in the East.

Victor Hedman scored the winning goal in overtime for his 14th of the year. With Steven Stamkos still sidelined — his third major injury in four years — the future of the franchise remains in doubt as they continue to fight hard for their third eastern conference finals appearance in the last three seasons.

Page 10 | Thursday, March 16, 2017

Old Gold & Black | Opinion

Small class sizes“promote a positive learning community With All Due Resbeck-t| Why Wake Forest

Building relationships with professors outside of the classroom change the learning experience Becky Swig

Staff Columnist swigrr15@wfu.edu “Why Wake Forest?” I have been asked this question recently as many juniors from my high school have visited campus deciding if Wake Forest is a school they want to apply to. Being from California, I hear this question regularly. My usual answer is that I have family friends who live in WinstonSalem who introduced me to Wake Forest.

Wake Forest fosters a close-knit community because professors take the time to get to know and care about their students...”

Or that when I toured after my junior year, I instantly knew that I wanted to come here — the beautiful campus, rigorous academics, school spirit and a liberal arts education are factors I took into consideration. I’ve given versions of the same answer dozens of times, almost as if I was an official representative of the university with a memorized script.

However, after attending office hours with my marketing professor, Kenny Herbst, my answer changed. He also asked what drew me to Wake Forest during our session and I gave him my typical answer.

As we were discussing things outside of marketing, such as what drew me to Wake Forest, where I’m from and questions about my family, I was pleasantly surprised by the level of interest he had in me as a student.

What was supposed to be a short meeting about an assignment ended up being a long and interesting discussion about San Francisco, life at Wake Forest, interests outside of the classroom and more. For the majority of the time, we discussed topics outside of the assignment.

Professor Herbst takes a genuine interest in each of his students and that ideal is expressed in each and every class. He is always boasting about how excited he is to have us in class, how passionate he is about what he does and this attitude reflects on all of us and the learning environment. That type of enthusiasm and passion is rare, but somewhat more common here at Wake Forest.

After office hours I was immediately impressed with Professor Herbst. Not only did he care about how I was performing in his class, he took the time to get to know me outside of our marketing class.

Now when I answer the question “Why Wake Forest?” I will add that Wake Forest fosters a close-knit community because professors take the time to get to know and care about their students due to small class sizes.

The fact that I’ve had professors, in addition to Professor Herbst, actually take the effort to get to know me and the other students is actually an astounding feature of Wake Forest. Especially because many of my high school friends have said some of their professors do not know their names or anything about them.

So “Why Wake Forest?” Because you’ll have a unique classroom experience you can’t get anywhere else.

twitter accounts were ordered to no longer tweet about climate change. This lets him push whatever agenda he wants, but it also allows him to retain support even when he is blatantly betraying his own supporters by telling them that all the bad things they heard are lies.

Trump has even repeatedly attacked the judicial system for doing its job. He fired Sally Yates for defending the constitution, instead of blindly following the ruler. He announces that the judicial system is seeking to allow the U.S. to be attacked due to political affiliations, when even conservative judges are opposing him.

His own Supreme Court pick even privately expressed concern with his behavior towards the courts, yet he is unwilling to oppose him publicly because he, like anyone else who ever disagrees with the ruler, is punished in whatever way he can be.

If you are a business, he will try to tear you down for not doing business with his daughter, despite their right in a free market to make their own business decisions and his claim that he has no connections to his businesses. If you can be degraded, you will be degraded, just like the journalists who oppose him are. He’ll even mock your disabilities. If you can be fired, he’ll fire you, just like he did Sally Yates. It is becoming increasingly evident that he may have picked up a few behaviors from his interactions with his good buddy Vladimir Putin.

He seems to be doing everything he can to gain as much power as possible and create a system in which he is untouchable. Right now, only the courts have any power or willingness to oppose him, but soon the highest court will be under his control.

Trump is attempting to unite America under hatred for the press, for Muslims, for anyone he thinks it is convenient to make the enemy. To become a dictator, you need fear, you need an enemy and you need control.

Having an egotistical and power hungry billionaire who blatantly acts in his own selfinterest and is ranked as one of the least charitable billionaires in the world is a very dangerous thing in an environment in which there is single party rule in all three branches of government.

Why he ran for president is still a mystery, but it’s starting to look like he only did it so he could have even more power. Whatever the reason, it wasn’t because he cares about the American people. He has made it very clear that he doesn’t care about this country.

As it stands, Trump is not more powerful than his resistance, and so he is not a dictator, but it is essential that we never stop resisting.

We cannot let his behavior become normal, or he could grab hold of what he needs to become the dictator he aspires to be.

“ behavior is indicative of a dictator President Trump’s Littrell-y the Best| President Trump

President Trump’s deliberate hostility towards the media is a dictatorial tactic for power Michael Littrell Guest Columnist littmp16@wfu.edu

Donald J. Trump ran a campaign centered around the American people. He said he wanted to make America great again and return power to the people, but his extravagant behavior and his elite appointments make it very clear that he lied through his teeth. He told America that his interest was in “draining the swamp,” but all he did was appoint his extremely wealthy associates who did him favors.

While that behavior isn’t new, it’s not returning power to the people. He has shown that his priority is in securing power for himself, his family and his friends, not the people.

But perhaps the most troubling behavior of his are his attempts at convincing the American people that the free press is fake and corrupt, even going so far as to ban certain news

He seems to be doing everything he can to gain as much power as possible and create a system in which he is untouchable.” organizations not favored by him from even attending press briefings. During the campaign, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said himself that barring certain news organizations from attending briefings is not something they would do, as that is what turns a democracy into a dictatorship. Anything that offers opposition to him is “fake news” or “alternative facts,” which, by the way, already has an Orwellian Newspeak word: blackwhite.

Blackwhite, or “alternative facts,” is based on the principle that the people should disregard anything they know as true and agree with the party in power even when they say what is known to be false. It is believing that black is white, even if you knew as a fact previously that black is, in fact, black. As a general rule, if your leader is exhibiting behaviors that there is a Newspeak word for, you should be concerned.

This behavior seeks to accomplish two things: it allows him to manipulate control of the media by promoting only news outlets he agrees with and tearing down objective news outlets for presenting facts. It’s why the Park Service

Word on the Quad | March Madness

Who do you think is going to win the NCAA men’s basketball championship?

“Kansas State.”

Walter Jackson (‘20)

“UNC Chapel Hill.”

Joseph Ford (‘18)

“Duke.”

Madeline Leonard (‘19)

“Wake Forest.”

Riani Carr (‘20)

Page 18 | Thursday, March 16, 2017

Old Gold & Black | Life

Health Column | Marathon Training

New long-distance runner shares survival tips There are several ways to avoid the many difficulties of running half marathons

BY CAITLIN HERLIHY Senior Writer herlcr13@wfu.edu

Experienced distance runners don’t disclose the unbearable ankle pain at mile 11 or the stiffness in your knees as you crawl to the finish line. They don’t describe the sticky energy gel distributed during the race and they never mention the negativity that somehow seeps into your mind, despite genuine attempts to “smile through the pain.” They don’t tell you these things because, well, they don’t matter.

The discomforts of distance running don’t matter when you cross the finish line at the end of a long, tiresome race. Awash in pride, there’s no room for complaints or misgivings. As a newbie in the distance running community, I didn’t know what to expect from my first run.

Last weekend I ran my first half marathon in Asheville, North Carolina. The 13.1-mile race looped through the magnificent Biltmore property, even leading us to its opulent doorstep at mile number seven. We raced up steep hills, alongside water, through the Biltmore gardens and over rocky terrain. It was strenuous, frustrating and wonderful at the same time.

As I ran, I compiled a list of suggestions for fellow first-timers preparing for upcoming races.

1. Find a friend Ask around to see if your friends are interested in signing up for the race, too.

From training to the celebratory postrace meal, running with a friend will make the whole process more enjoyable.

Even though you may not run at the same pace, it’s nice to know you have a teammate in the race cheering you on.

2. Weather the weather Race-day conditions are unpredictable, so it’s important to be prepared for any weather. Wear layers to shed as you warm up. I was surprised to see throwaway gear littering the course and wish I had made a trip to Goodwill prior to the race. Some runners wore old pajamas and sweatshirts for the first mile before disrobing and leaving the cheap clothing in the dust.

3. Locate the Pacers Pacers volunteer to run at a specific speed so others know if they’re on track to meet their goal time. Not only are they a helpful resource, but they are also a constant source of encouragement. Linger right in front of the pacers so you don’t accidentally slip behind your goal time.

Lindsey Wasson/The Seattle Times/TNS

When running a half marathon,it is a good idea for racers to follow a pace runner to make sure they keep tempo with their initial goal time.

4. Stop. Drink. Go. Volunteers are stationed throughout the race course to distribute water, sports drinks, energy gel and snacks.

It’s important to stop at these stations to refuel. Fearful of a dreaded “water

belly” or falling behind the pack, I made the rookie mistake of just quickly sipping from the cup before dumping the rest. Stopping in order to finish the entire cup of water or sports drink is crucial so that your body can get the chance to replenish electrolytes and rehydrate.

Health Column | Pure Barre

Students enjoy popular fitness class in Reynolda Village Despite the high price tag, many take Pure Barre classes to get and stay fit, and avoid packing on winter pounds

BY KATHLEEN BURNS Contributing Writer burnkc15@wfu.edu Little daunts college students more than the prospect of gaining the dreaded “freshman 15.”

And let’s be real, the potential for weight gain doesn’t end once that first year of college comes to a close. Frankly, gaining a little weight as you reach your 20s is normal — and actually probably a good thing — as you develop into an actual adult, but I digress.

Lucky for us, we have several options to help us keep active nearby. Arguably the most popular, at least among the female population on campus, is Pure Barre, located in Reynolda Village.

While it is pretty accessible locationwise, one look at your bill after signing up for your first class will have you convincing yourself that maybe the treadmill in Wake Forest’s gym isn’t really that bad.

Despite the arguably outrageous price tag attached to any sort of class package at Pure Barre — $25 for one class or $229 for one month unlimited — it still seems to reel in college students left and right. So, what is it that has students coming back class after class?

As someone passionate about health and well-being, I was intrigued by the immense popularity of this seemingly standard workout class, so I decided to see what all the hype was about and purchased the new-client one-month package.

Here’s what I found: Pure Barre isn’t just a standard workout class. It is an environment in which you can form a community of empowered women (and some men), all passionate about transforming their bodies.

From the first day of class, the employees had a clear desire to make me feel comfortable and welcome. First they asked me my name, then they walked me into the admittedly intimidating studio and explained exactly what equipment I would need and how to use it.

This was especially appreciated as I had no idea how the mysterious double looped tube was going to help me exercise. The in-

structors make a clear effort to remember each clients’ name, and use them throughout the class. This made it a much more personal and connected experience.

The workouts are extremely effective.

When I first saw a video of a Pure Barre class, I never thought the minimal movements they have you do would ever cause any extreme results.

Turns out moving up an inch and down an inch can make your muscles shake like you’ll never believe. After one month I felt stronger than I had in a long time, and that feeling was addictive.

I wanted to improve. I’m not going to lie; while Pure Barre is an extremely welcoming environment, it is also incredibly intimidating. The regulars know exactly what they are doing and they’re good at it.

You can spot these women because they’re the ones dressed head to toe in Pure Barre attire with perfectly pointed toes and biceps practically bouncing off their arms.

While this was unsettling at first, after a few classes I found them inspiring. These women discovered a passion in building strength and balance using, for the most part, solely their own bodies. They had all been in my place at one point but over

Photo courtesy of Pure Barre

Pure Barre classes provide a new alternative for students to exercise.

time had built this intriguing confidence.

I wanted in.

When my month of unlimited classes ended, I couldn’t help but be disappointed. I didn’t want my Pure Barre experience to be over, but at the same time I couldn’t get myself to hand over another chunk of change to continue coming back.

Regardless, the attraction of Pure Barre is clear to me. It is a welcoming, yet challenging, community that actually makes goals attainable. For several people, these aspects are definitely worth the expense.

Life | Old Gold & Black

Thursday March 16, 2017 | Page 19

Travel Column | Cumberland Island, Georgia

Outdoor adventures abound off Georgia coast Several students visited Georgia to kayak 13 miles to Cumberland Island over spring break, where they camped and explored

BY HEATHER HARTEL Social Media Chair harthf15@wfu.edu

Waves crashing to shore. Seashells hidden under the sand. Tide changing as the lazy Tuesday passes on.

This quintessential day spent on a private beach on Cumberland Island surrounded by an intimate group of friends seems like a spring break fantasy. However, for a group of 11 Wake Forest students united under their love for kayaking and camping, it was a breathtaking reality.

Outdoor Pursuits arranged a week-long trip to the island off the coast of Georgia, where students kayaked 13 miles in a day and spent the week camping, hiking and exploring the island’s rich atmosphere and history.

For travelers less inclined to a long kayak, there’s a ferry that departs daily from the mainland in St. Mary’s, GA; this is the more common form of transportation to and from the island. The ferry drops guests by Plum Orchard, a 20,000 square foot mansion historically owned by the Carnegie family.

Free tours of the mansion run every hour from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays through Mondays and offer visitors an expansive tour of each room of the home, including the ever-fascinating servants quarters and preserved items of clothing from the family’s individual wardrobes.

While there is an option to learn about the history of the island and the few buildings that populate it, chances

Heather Hartel/Old Gold & Black

The island, while most popular for hosting previous Carnegie family mansion Plum Orchard, also offers travellers the chance to experience the beautiful environment. are visitors to Cumberland Island came to experience its natural beauty. There are a total of 50 miles of hiking trails around the island, which offer all from tight, shadowy, tree-covered trails to open beach side ones.

One of the most memorable parts that accompany the hiking and camping on the island is the array of wildlife that populates the relatively small expanse of land. I will personally never forget witnessing a manatee cheerfully squealing at us as our group kayaked past.

The morning we woke up after arriving, three wild horses graced our campsite, calmly eating the Spanish moss falling from the trees. Although majestic and beautiful, we later learned that the horses on the island live, on average, 30 years less because of the spread of parasitic diseases within the species. While hiking, we also saw armadillos jumping around, possums swarming any fallen food at night, various birds of prey and raccoons.

A short hike east from various points on the island would bring visitors to a wide-open beach opening up to the Atlantic Ocean. It is likely that the group would be the only visitors to the beach that day, so miles of open sand and water become private for the day. Whether sitting and relaxing, exploring the hiking trails along the water or beachcombing for sand dollars the beachfront is inevitably quiet and peaceful.

Travelers who choose to spend only the day on the island would most likely miss out on all that the land has to offer. There is simply no way to take in the vast expanse of beach, the hiking trails, the wildlife, the mansion or the beautiful sunsets that end each day. As Cumberland Island is surrounded by water on all sides, the sunrises and sunsets are unmatched on a clear day, greeting or ending each day with flurries of pink, yellow and orange filling the horizon.

Crossword: Wake Forest Basketball 1

2 3 4

5 6 7

8

9 10

11

Across: 1. the abbreviation for the home of the Demon Deacons 4. this player scored 20 points to defeat #8 Louisville on Senior Night 5. this player is an All-ACC selection and was the league’s most-improved player 9. this player connected on seven 3-pointers in the ACC Tournament 11. this player has been a Demon Deacon his entire life 13. this player averages 5.4 assists per game Down: 2. this “sixth” man leads the team in free throw percentage 3. this player connected on a full-court shot at the buzzer against Virginia Tech 6. this player had the Pittsburgh game played in his honor 7. this player could likely dunk on you without even jumping 8. this player will enter the College Basketball Hall of Fame in Nov. 10. this former Deacon is our “Hometown Hero” 12. the head coach of the Demon Deacons

12

13

2017 NCAA CHAMPION

1 North Carolina 16 Texas So.

8 Arkansas 9 Seton Hall

1 Kansas 16 UC Davis 8 Miami (Fla.) 9 Michigan St.

7 Michigan 10 Oklahoma St.

3 Oregon 14 Iona

6 Creighton 11 Rhode Island

2 Kentucky 15 N. Kentucky

7 Dayton 10 Wichita St.

3 UCLA 14 Kent St.

6 Cincinnati 11 Kansas St.

4 Butler 13 Winthrop

5 Minnesota 12 Middle Tenn.

South

5 Iowa St. 12 Nevada

Midwest

2 Louisville 15 Jax St.

1 Villanova 16 Mt. St. Mary’s

4 Purdue 13 Vermont

1 Gonzaga 16 S. Dak. St.

8 Wisconsin 9 Virginia Tech

6 SMU 11 USC

4 Florida 13 ETSU

8 Northwestern 9 Vanderbilt

East

5 Virginia 12 UNC-Wilm.

4 West Virginia 13 Bucknell 6 Maryland 11 Xavier

3 Baylor 14 New Mexico State

7 South Carolina 10 Marquette

West

5 Notre Dame 12 Princeton

@Sports_OGB

7 St. Mary’s 10 VCU

2 Duke 15 Troy

Graphic by Kyle Tatich/Old Gold & Black

16

3 Florida St. 14 FGCU

2 Arizona 15 North Dakota

24

Old Gold & Black | Sports Page 13 | Thursday, March 16, 2017

Page 20 | Thursday, March 16, 2017

Old Gold & Black | Life

Spot the Differences

Many students followed the Wake Forest Men’s Basketball team this season as they made their way into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010. Despite their tough loss Tuesday, many are looking forward to next year’s prospects, given our young roster and seasoned coaching staff. There are 15 differences between the two photos below, try to find them all!

Answers online @ wfuogb.com

Photo Courtesy of Wake Forest Cheer Twitter and Clipart, Graphic Design by Julia Haines/OGB

LIFE

T H U R S D AY, M A R C H 1 6 , 2 0 17

PAG E 16

Online

at : w w w. w f u o g b . c o m e d i t O r s : Nicholas DeMayo, demanj14@wfu.edu

Julia Haines, hainjm15@wfu.edu

OLD GOLD & BLACK

r o r r o H e h t n o r e d r o B

Photo courtesy of Terror Films

The Old Gold & Black interviews David Whelan, the co-writer and co-director of Savageland,

BY NICHOLAS DEMAYO Life Editor demanj14@wfu.edu

a horror documentary set on the border between Arizona and Mexico.

Paul Guildry, Simon Herbert and David Whelan wrote and directed Savageland, a faux-documentary horror film that follows the criminal trial of Francisco Salazar (played by Noe Montes). Salazar, accused of the massacre of 57 people, is a migrant worker living just north of the Mexican border in Arizona.

In his trial, Salazar falls victim to racism and tension surrounding immigration between the southern U.S. and Mexico, and is ultimately convicted for the murder of the village.

The movie follows a documentary film team as they uncover images from Salazar’s camera that could potentially prove him innocent, or worse, show that something else much more savage is terrorizing the people of Arizona.

Guildry, Herbert and Whelan, all natives of California, have witnessed first-hand the tensions over immigration policy in the U.S. They wanted to create a movie that touches on this important political debate but also disturbs its audience, asking whether it is the brutal massacre of the village that is more sinister, or rather the assumption that one illegal immigrant could be responsible for so much bloodshed.

Co-writer and co-director Whelan spoke to the Old Gold & Black about the creation and direction of the movie, his influences and the benefits of producing a movie with a small budget.

Could you share a little bit about yourself and what got you interested in creating movies?

So I went to Notre Dame for undergraduate studies, and I originally was on the pre-government/pre-law track, but ended up majoring in film studies. I took a film appreciation class freshman year to fulfill a requirement, and not only was it fun, but also exciting. So before I knew it I was majoring in film studies.

When I graduated, I didn’t want to go right into work or a graduate program. So I had the opportunity to spend a year abroad doing community service in Belfast, Northern Ireland. I ultimately spent three years working for Habitat for Humanity in Belfast. This was during the time that the country and city were divided between Protestants and Catholics.

I saw that when people crossed borders, they found that they were more similar to those on the other side than different.

When I went to California for graduate school, I met Paul and Simon when I worked on the television show Jim Rome is Burning. They shared a similar experience with borders by growing up in California, so we thought there might be a movie there.

What were your influences aesthetically?

First off, we’re all huge fans of horror films, which seems like an odd choice at first for this kind of political movie. I think there is a space in the thriller world to raise big questions about the society, just as Jordan Peele’s Get Out has recently done. So we decided to do something slightly less academic and reach a bigger audience. But we knew that to keep the audience entertained, the movie requires a rich and authentic experience. So realism was what we were going for, but on a small budget we couldn’t do giant stunts and computer-generated imaging. Photo revelation is a key device used in the movie. The still image was our way to create a believable, realistic film. So we had to sacrifice some of the gore of other horror movies and instead create a more disturbing picture. It’s kind of like the movie Jaws where they created “the shark,” but it didn’t really look believable, so that’s why they hid it for the entire movie and the result was actually something scarier.

Can you talk about the direction of the movie and some more about the budget restraints?

A benefit of going independent means you don’t have a hugely binding contract with a big producer. So we had more freedom to go where we wanted to go with the movie. They say that when you make a movie, there are three rules: never shoot without a script, nor with children and never in many places. However, we broke all three and I think we’re better off for doing it.

As you saw in the end credits, we shot in about six different states. And because we didn’t have a script, we could cast people in similar roles that they hold in real life. That way, when they were interviewed in the documentary, they didn’t give answers based on something that happens later on in the film.

Overall, it created a more realistic film, I think. But some things are more difficult on a small budget. We had to transport and carry all our own equipment and we couldn’t get catering like the big companies. But we called in a lot of favors. We found people to do the Photoshop of the images, legal sketches, architecture and newspaper clippings to make us look really good.

What was your biggest worry about the film and what do you think about its reception?

My biggest worry is that people won’t get it as a horror film or as a documentary. But almost everyone is getting it and it’s really gratifying. I love hearing back from actors who we shot with that say they saw it and they thought it was really cool.

We always envisioned this as the start of something bigger, and we think the story holds the potential for a prequel to sequel.

Maybe in the future we will consider shooting with a larger budget and a bigger production to reach a larger audience. The message we want to put out about borders and the arbitrary divisions between people is important, so to have that reach more people would be great.

Photo courtesy of Terror Films

Page 14 | Thursday, March 16, 2017

Old Gold & Black | Sports

Blue Devils dominate ACC tournament The Duke Blue Devils won four games in four days to win the ACC tournament

BY KIRBY McMULLEN Staff Writer mcmukr14@wfu.edu The 2017 ACC Tournament was the first to ever be held in the Barclays Center, the home of the Brooklyn Nets and in New York.

However, it wasn’t the first time that old Big East Conference foes Louisville and Syracuse lost in the first round, as both programs have still yet to win an ACC Tournament game after three years of being a member of the conference.

This year’s tournament was filled with intrigue, drama and most importantly, good basketball.

With one of the most competitive and deep conference play seasons we’ve ever seen, it was bound to be a good week up north in Brooklyn.

As play started on Tuesday, the bottom six seeds took the floor, consisting of Wake Forest vs. Boston College, Clemson vs. NC State and Georgia Tech vs.

Pittsburgh.

While none of these teams, besides Wake Forest and Georgia Tech, showed many signs of life this season, we were treated to some spectacular individual matchups between several NBA pros-

pects such as John Collins, Dennis Smith Jr, Michael Young and Jaron Blossomgame, as well as two electric freshmen, Boston College’s Ky Bowman and Georgia Tech’s Josh Okogie.

We came away from Tuesday with Clemson, Wake Forest and Pittsburgh all advancing to Wednesday by sizeable margins of victory.

Wednesday in Brooklyn provided the first real look into some of the teams who could actually contend for the ACC crown, including, most notably, Duke and Virginia. Wednesday’s action included Virginia Tech edging out Wake Forest to move into the quarter finals, Virginia handling Pittsburgh and Duke surviving a late Clemson rally.

However, the most intriguing moment of the day came shortly after Miami knocked off Syracuse, as Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim, who is winless in the ACC Tournament, took a shot at longtime tournament host, Greensboro, NC, by saying the tournament has no value in being there and should always be held in a large city like New York or Washington, D.C. The top four seeds finally got to hit the floor in Thursday’s quarterfinal matchups. UNC advanced after throttling Miami, Notre Dame handled Virginia’s stifling defense en route to a win, Florida State escaped an upset minded Virginia Tech team and fifth seeded Duke upset

Ethan Hyman/Raleigh News & Observer/TNS

Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski has his Blue Devil squad, which is healthier than it has been all season, looking like the team to beat headed into the NCAA tournament.

the second seeded Louisville Cardinals on their way to the semifinals.

Friday night at the Barclays Center not only saw two excellent games between Duke-UNC and Florida State-Notre Dame, but it also presented this year’s class of ACC Legends, as one former player, coach or media member for each program was recognized and honored on the court during the night’s events.

As this season’s third chapter of the storied North Carolina-Duke rivalry played out last Friday night, the Blue Devils went down early, only to ride a late rally led by Jayson Tatum and Luke Kennard on the

way to the victory that would send them to Saturday night’s championship game.

In the second game, Notre Dame handled Florida State’s athleticism by outshooting and out-running them en route to the Irish’s 77-73 victory.

Saturday night’s final was one for the ages, as Jayson Tatum and tournament MVP Luke Kennard led the way for the Devils over Notre Dame, winning by a final score of 75-69 as Duke became the first ever 5-seed to win the ACC tournament, as well as being the first team to ever win four games in four days on their way to the championship.

2017 NFL free agency winning and losing teams Certain teams have been adding talent to their rosters while others are seeing their talent deplete

BY CLAYTON WUNDERLICH Staff Writer wundcm14@wfu.edu While many Wake Forest students wait all year for the December holiday’s to provide them with new gifts and toys, NFL coaches and fans alike look forward to March.

With most of the larger contracts recently signed, here is a look at some of the winners and losers of free agency.

Winner: New England Patriots As if this team needed to improve, the Pats just had an unreal influx of talent following their Super Bowl victory.

Most notably, trading the 30th pick overall in the 2017

Richard W. Rodriguez/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/TNS

Former New Orleans Saint Brandin Cooks will suit up with the New England Patriots in 2017.

draft for former Saint’s wide receiver Brandin Cooks. Cooks is the latest in the long line of “burners” at the wide out position that can stretch a defense and open up the middle of the field for the Pat’s plethora of slot receivers. The Patriots also signed cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who is a large improvement over former corner Logan Ryan who is now being overpaid by the Titans. More trades included one with the Panthers to acquire defensive end Kony Ealy, who will step in for the departed Jabaal Sheard (Colts), and another with the Colts to bring in Dwayne Allen to replace Martellus Bennett (Packers). Perhaps the best move the Pats made in free agency is re-signing the leader of their defense, Dont’a Hightower, to a four-year, $43 million contract, of which he is worth every penny.

Loser: Green Bay Packers Significant losses include Pro Bowl guard TJ Lang (Lions), starting center JC Tretter (Browns), starting running back Eddie Lacy (Seahawks), edge rusher Julius Peppers (Panthers), edge rusher Datone Jones (Vikings) and safety Micah Hyde (Bills). They did resign edge rusher Nick Perry which was much needed and brought corner Davon House to bolster their defensive back depth. The only other addition of notes is former Super Bowl champion Martellus Bennett to a three-year $21 million contract, which looks to be an overpay for the 30 year old with a history of erratic behavior.

Winner: Jacksonville Jaguars Wins certainly do not come cheap in Jacksonville, and this free agency period proves it. The Jags signed the top cornerback on the market, AJ Bouye, to a five-year $67 million contract in hopes that his success in Houston will follow him to Florida. Pairing the talented corner with rising star Jalen Ramsey may finally make Jacksonville’s defense one to fear. The Jags also signed Pro Bowl defensive tackle Calais Campbell from Cardinals and brought in safety Barry Church to fill in for the loss of Johnathan Cyprien to the Titans. One of the most cost effective moves of free agency was their swapping of tight end Julius Thomas with the Dolphins for former Pro Bowl left tackle Branden Albert. It seems like it is said every year, but maybe 2017 is when the Jaguars finally turn it all around.

Loser: Arizona Cardinals The Cardinals signed a premier pass rusher, Chandler Jones, to a five-year $82 million contract. This may seem like a lot, but over the past three years only Von Miller and Khalil Mack have more sacks than Jones, so he may very well be worth the money. Unfortunately for Arizona, this is where the good news ends. Key losses include the before mentioned Calais Campbell (Jaguars) who was as the core of their defensive success and rising star at strong safety, Tony Jefferson (Ravens) who, while over-shadowed at times by Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu, played a large role in their coverage schemes. The Cards also lost safety DJ Swearinger (Redskins), and are unlike to resign starting linebacker Kevin Minter or edge rusher depth Alex Okafor. With Carson Palmer seemingly a year away from an AARP card and the mess they will have at wide receiver once Larry Fitzgerald retires, the rapid decline of this defense is the last thing Cardinals fan’s need.

Best of the rest Still holding out hope your team will sign a new talent?

Here are some of the best remaining free agents: Dontari Poe: Super athletic nose tackle that at 346 pounds can probably out sprint anyone reading this article.

Adrian Peterson: The greatest running back of his generation is still only 31 and should be in the hunt for a ring. Looking at you Oakland (or… Las Vegas).

Johnathan Hankins: A solid defensive tackle the Giants would be wise to re-sign if they want to stay on par with their quickly improving division.

Morris Claiborne: Formerly labeled a huge draft bust, the natural talent at corner finally put it all together for the Cowboys last year before getting injured.

Jamaal Charles: Feel like gambling on a former star at running back who’s knees are more shredded than Enron’s financial statements, this could be your guy.