4/15/21 Full Edition

News: Face-to-Face features Isabel Wilkerson Page 6

Sports: Will Zalatoris — A story of Life: Student reminisces on Opinion: Conversation prompts change for America's gun problem true grit experiencing live music Page 11 Page 8 Page 16

Old Gold&Black

WAKE FOREST’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1916 VOL. 107, NO. 23

T H U R S DAY, A P R I L 15 , 2 0 21 “Cover s the campus like the magnolias”

wfuogb.com

Groups honor Asian Heritage Month A full slate of events has been planned to celebrate Asian Heritage Month on campus

BY BRY RICHARDS Staff Writer richbn19@wfu.edu With an increasing prevalence of anti-Asian racism and violence occurring across the country coupled with laidback COVID-19 guidelines in response to low case numbers and expanded vaccination efforts, the month of April, Asian Heritage Month, is important.

Although Asian Heritage Month begins May 1, due to the lack of school days and campus activity occurring during May, the Intercultural Center has events planned throughout April.

“Asian Heritage Month is a good platform for all of the Asian student organizations on campus to come together to collaborate and promote all of the special events that they put on during the spring,” said Wake Forest Law School student Ishani Kumbar, a member of the Asian Heritage Month Committee.

Courtesy of Student Government

Speaker of the House Ally Swartzberg was elected president, Speaker Pro-Tempore Braden Strackman was elected speaker, Senator Cate Pitterle was elected secretary and Senator Brooke Blair was elected treasurer.

SG officers-elect look forward to year of new opportunities With Dr. Susan Wente set to take office in July, SG's newlyelected officers have bold plans

BY AINE PIERRE & ESSEX THAYER News Editor and Sports Editor pierav20@wfu.edu and thayse@wfu.edu After a tumultuous year marked by COVID-19, shortages in the Counseling Center and the announcement of a new president, the student body has elected a slate of student government officers to tackle the challenges of the 2021-2022 Academic Year.

With 889 votes (60.5% of voters), Speaker of the House Ally Swartzberg was elected student body president over Senator Caroline Wright, who received 27.6% of the vote and student activist Pheng Pickett, who

received 7%. Speaker Pro-Tempore Braden Strackman defeated Senator Ethan Wearner to become the next speaker; the vote totals in that election were 915 for Strackman and 368 for Wearner, a 37-point victory.

Senators Brooke Blair and Cate Pitterle won uncontested elections for treasurer and secretary, respectively.

Turnout in the election was down more than 25 points from last year. In that election, almost 2000 students voted, compared to fewer than 1500 this year. Chair of the Elections Committee Victoria Parker suggested that this could be because the races this year were not as hotly contested as last year, and two were not contested at all.

“I think the election went as well as it could have,” Parker said.

Another possible reason for the lack of turnout is students’ sense that they did not know the candidates well enough. In

a recent Old Gold & Black poll of 200+ students, 48% of students, a plurality, indicated they did not know enough about the candidates to make an informed decision.

However, only 12% of respondents said they did not intend to vote.

The new executive officers all have close connections with one another, having previously worked alongside each other in Student Government.

Swartzberg, for her part, believes that the executive board will be a “close-knit group.”

“Literally five minutes after we were elected, someone made a group chat and we’re all texting in it,” she said.

Strackman echoed that sentiment.

I’m very excited,” the speaker-elect said.

“I know everyone on [the executive board] very well. I’ve worked with all of them before. I’m excited for what the future holds.”

See SG, Page 6

See Heritage Month, Page 4

WFU out-debates reigning champs Two Wake Forest students won first and second-place honors at the ACC Debate Tournament

BY AINE PIERRE News Editor pierav20@wfu.edu For Wake Forest’s top debaters, junior Brianna Aaron and senior Ruby Klein, you couldn’t write a better storybook ending.

In the ACC tournament held on April 10, the two Deacons took on the reigning champions from Notre Dame and defeated them to earn top honors. Because Klein will be graduating and Aaron plans to study abroad, this will be the last tournament the duo competes in.

“This tournament was a lovely culmination of my time debating at Wake Forest,” Klein said. “I feel so lucky to have gotten to end my ‘debate career’ with [Aaron], and I'm so happy we were able to bring the ACC title back to Wake Forest.”

See Debate, Page 5

OGB

“ ties need strengthening Community This column represents the views of the Old Gold & Black Editorial Board.

Wake Forest University has a moral obligation to improve its relationship with the surrounding Winston-Salem community. The education, nutrition, housing and healthcare disparities that impact certain areas of the city can be remedied through time and attention.

The passing of time will unfold naturally. Undivided attention, on the other hand, is an investment that needs to be established as soon as possible. This responsibility falls on the shoulders of each and every Wake Forest student, faculty member and administrator. The conversations that

It is our sincere hope that that all of these officials remain true to their word and work ... to achieve the ambitious goals they laid out." the Old Gold & Black’s editorial staff has had with student government candidates prior to this year's election left us incredibly hopeful about the potential of expanding Wake Forest’s influence into the surrounding community.

Before endorsing candidates, we had the pleasure to sit with each nominee and hear about their platform and ask questions.

To each candidate, we posed the

question: should you be elected, how would you utilize your authority to break the barrier of the Wake Forest bubble? The next president of Wake Forest’s student body, Ally Swartzberg, was adamant about translating the ideals embodied by ‘Pro Humanitate’ into tangible changes throughout Winston-Salem. Swartzberg went on to voice her belief that all students — beyond those involved in service organizations — should have opportunities to become involved, enact change and give back to the community.

In addition to the sentiments voiced by Swartzberg, the edito-

rial staff was impressed by the ideas articulated by the other candidates. It is our sincere hope that all of these officials remain true to their word and work to the best of their abilities to achieve the ambitious goals they laid out.

To put it simply, it's time to burst the bubble. There is no excuse for complacency regarding this issue — it is our civic duty to extend a helping hand whenever we can.

After all, there's enough tragedy circulating throughout the news headlines right now. How about we start changing the narratives right here at Wake Forest?

Old Gold&Black THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF WAKE FOREST UNIVERSIT Y SINCE 1916 ALEXANDRA KARLINCHAK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF karlae18@wfu.edu

BEN CONROY

PRINT MANAGING EDITOR conrbd19@wfu.edu

>> NEWS Aine Pierre, pierav20@wfu.edu

Assts.

Julia Ochsenhirt, ochsja20@wfu.edu Cooper Sullivan, sullcg20@wfu.edu

>> OPINION

Connor Mcneely, mcnecb19@wfu.edu

>> SPORTS

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

Asst.

Jake Stuart, stuaja20@wfu.edu

>> LIFE

Micah Porter, portmj19@wfu.edu Selinna Tran, transn19@wfu.edu Asst.

Joe Cho, choyy19@wfu.edu

>> PHOTOGRAPHY

Katie Fox, foxkg19@wfu.edu

>> SOCIAL MEDIA

Anna Bloch, blocae19@wfu.edu

>> ADVISER

Phoebe Zerwick, zerwicp@wfu.edu

CHARLIE BENEDICT

BUSINESS MANAGER benecc19@wfu.edu

WILL ZIMMERMAN ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR zimmwj19@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. © 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 karlae18@wfu.edu the Monday before publication. We reserve the right to edit all letters for length and clarity. No anonymous letters will be printed.

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Page 3 | Thursday, April 15, 2021

Old Gold & Black | News

Deacon Profile: Jim Mussetter from activity where you can hear the sounds of the forest are my favorite.

Watching trees we have planted flourish in an urban environment is also rewarding. It gives me hope that the tree will survive into the next century.

BY CAROLINE WALKER Staff Writer walkct18@wfu.edu

University arborist Jim Mussetter has been caring for the trees that cover Wake Forest’s campus since 1992. Mussetter enjoys protecting the trees that form an important part of our campus and also the natural environment. His dedication and hard work are particularly important in light of the university’s celebration of Earth Month, during which Mussetter led a “Meet the Trees” event that increased participants’ understanding of trees on campus. He also helps coordinates the university's Arbor Day celebrations.

You recently led a "Meet the Trees" event for the university's celebration of Earth Month. What do you hope participants gained from this experience?

The event was focused on identifying four common native trees found in the campus landscape and forest and their benefits. We also identified trees in and around Manchester Plaza.

My hope is attendees learned the common names of some trees they pass daily and a little bit about their environmental benefits.

What made you interested in becoming an arborist?

I love trees and there is so much to learn about them. Everything about trees is interesting to me. At times, it can be an artistic outlet.

Why do you believe caring for trees is so important?

Why did you decide to come to Wake Forest?

Looking back, it seems like Wake Forest happened by chance. I tried to get an internship at Mount Vernon, I think because of the giant trees there.

It didn’t work out and time was running out to find something. An instructor contacted Preston Stockton, the director of Reynolda Gardens at the time, and that’s where I did my internship. Upon completion of the internship, there was a job opportunity on campus.

What does your day-to-day routine look like?

Photo courtesy of Wake Forest University

My day-to-day routine can vary depending on the season, weather and campus activity. It’s always different trees, locations and challenges. I may be working with the arbor team performing tree maintenance, planting, or mulching trees. I might be inspecting trees for health or maintenance issues. I could be meeting with students who are studying something

tree-related. I might be looking at a proposed building site and how it will impact trees.

What's your favorite part of the work you do?

I enjoy the time I get to walk into the forest to see if there have been any changes. The pieces of the forest away

Trees are important to the quality of our daily lives. They do so much for us and ask for so little in return.

Just a little water and pruning returns hundreds of years of atmosphere and water cleaning, to name a few. My job is to make sure their quality of life is as good as it can be in a harsh environment.

What would you want students to know about trees on campus?

The biggest trees are senior citizens, and they should be treated with love and respect. It is harder for them to recover from injury and they are doing their best to survive in less than ideal conditions.

SG GENERAL ASSEMBLY

BY JESS SCHMIDT Student Government Beat Reporter schmj19@wfu.edu

Executive Report President Miles Middleton encouraged individuals to keep voting in the Student Government elections and wished the candidates the best of luck. He also spoke about the co-sponsorship with Student Union for the Wakechella event that will be held April 17 from 3 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Treasurer Victoria Parker reported that the Student Budget Advisory Committee had been busy with the organization budget process. Chief of Staff Drew Skilton shared information about a potential appreciation event for the University Advancement Call Center staff that has worked tirelessly throughout the year to help with contact tracing calls, answering parent questions, and

other additional COVID-19 related tasks. Staff Advisor Tim Wilkinson shared a few updates about the university’s plan to use the church on University Parkway as a programming space for organizations now that the university has acquired it for the upcoming school year.

Committee Reports The Academic Committee shared that they may be planning a small staff appreciation event and that more details may come in the next week. The Campus Life Committee shared about the Discovering Education through Student Knowledge (D.E.S.K.) event that will be held Thursday, April 21 from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Poteat field. The philanthropy event seeks to provide desks to students at the Old Town Elementary School, and the event will allow desk recipients to work virtually with Wake Forest students to design and decorate

their desks in fun and colorful ways. They are also accepting donations to the Office of Civic and Community Engagement (OCEE). Cash or checks can be dropped off at the OCCE office in Benson 506. The Diversity and Inclusion Committee is continuing to work with Greek organizations to increase conversations surrounding diversity, and the Judiciary Committee is continuing its archival review process. The Physical Planning Committee is working on Earth Week, which will take place from April 19 to April 23. The Student Organizations Council is reaching out to organizations classified as frozen to assess their status and desire to be reinstated.

New Business A constituent concern was raised about a few lights being out by Salem Hall and the Physical Planning Committee is going to be addressing that issue.

POLICE BEAT COVID-19 Violations/Underage Consumption/Drug Offenses • WFUPD Officers responded to a call about a noise complaint in Taylor. Offenders were in violation of COVID-19 policy (5 guests were in one room). Offenders had consumed alcohol underage and were also still in possession. The report was filed at 1:14 a.m. on April 6.

• WSPD requested assistance at a large gathering in the rear parking area of the homes on Ewing Street. 200-300 people were reported at the location. The scene cleared before WFU units arrived. The report was filed at 5:56 p.m. on April 7.

• WSPD responded to a public disturbance in which students were partying and standing on the roof of a garage at the residence. The students fled from the home and the residents were spoken to by WSPD. The report was filed at 8:26 p.m. on April 7.

• A student in Bostwick had consumed alcohol underage downtown. ERTs and Forsyth County EMS responded, but the student refused transport. The report was filed at 1:03 a.m. on April 11.

• WSPD responded to a report of a large party on Macon Dr. WSPD responded, but no action was taken. The report was filed at 8:30 p.m. on April 11 Miscellaneous • A female student was approached by an unknown white male, then he grabbed her by the arm. The student broke free and ran to a nearby house. The report was filed at 12:20 p.m. on April 8. An email about this incident was sent to the Wake Forest community.

News | Old Gold & Black

Thursday, April 15, 2021| Page 4

Heritage Month: Students share experiences Continued from Page 1

“Usually, this brings a pretty festive time for a lot of Asian communities,” Kumbar continued, “so it’s just a good way to highlight all of those events and share them with the campus.”

Despite the heightened xenophobia that has become apparent in our society in recent months, junior Justin Cabiltes, a member of the Asian Student Interest Group (A.S.I.A.), states that he and other club members have become increasingly proactive in organizing events.

“My role in A.S.I.A. has increased after a rise of violence against Asians,” Cabiltes said. “I’ve seen myself develop from a typical, ordinary member to someone who has wanted to take on a bigger role in planning and coordinating events.”

Kumbar further highlighted the importance of these events.

“We want to emphasize what festivals are about and showcase

our culture for what it is,” Kumbar said. “We want to stray away from misconceptions or misunderstandings that people may view in regards to our cultures.”

Cabiltes agreed, saying, “I want more people to learn about the different Asian cultures, not just the main ones that people typically think about like China or Japan.

I would like for more attention to go to places such as Bangladesh, Indonesia or the Philippines. I just hope that everyone can get a little taste of Asia, especially the parts of Asia that aren’t often most talked about.”

With numerous events happening on campus, many students learn to embrace their own cultures and also navigate through various spaces with open minds to learn more about shared customs that they may not be familiar with.

Coupled with the possibility of trying out different foods, learning more about various religions, competing in trivia and gaining information about how to combat Asian-American hate, students

at Wake Forest are provided the opportunity to step out of their comfort zone and gain knowledge about other cultures.

“I just really hope people keep an open mind about what our events are about and participate because we have put a lot of work into every little event, whether it’s something small and virtual or in person,” Kumbar said. “I think the people who organize these are very passionate about their culture,

and it’s a perfect opportunity to learn firsthand from a student. It’s a friendly, interactive way, rather than just reading about it on your own.”

Events for Asian Heritage Month will continue to be held throughout the rest of April. For information regarding these upcoming events, visit The Link and search for Asian Heritage Month in the search bar.

Courtesy of Wake Forest Intercultural Center

Asian Heritage Month was moved from May to April to allow oncampus events to happen before students leave for the summer.

Downtown Library revamps programming Branch reopens operations and community events for the first time since COVID-19

BY KELSEY HARRELSON Contributing Writer harrkj17@wfu.edu

Last March, Dawn Sechrest and her daughter visited Forsyth County Central Library for the first time since its reopening in August 2017.

They stopped inside at the recently opened Moji Coffee to order one decaf coffee, one fruit smoothie and two gluten-free scones before heading to the youth section of the library. “[We] had no idea things were about to shut down,” Sechrest said.

Eight days after Sechrest and her daughter took their first trip to the library on March 17, all 10 branches of the Forsyth County Public Library shut down due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. From hosting testing sites to contact tracing, the library continued to engage with the community during its shutdown. The library began to safely reopen on June 29, but the “normal” functioning of the library system had to adjust.

One of the largest challenges for the library has been balancing the reopening process while still prioritizing safety. The challenge has affected how the leadership team has dealt with how, and when, the hours and occupancy limits of the library should change.

“You know, we look forward to when we can reopen up fully and perhaps have even more hours than we had prior to COVID,” Brian Hart, Director of Forsyth County Public Library system, said. “But we have to be very intentional and slow and methodical about it because we don’t want to appear to be encouraging people to do things that would not keep them or their family safe. Or our staff safe, for that matter.”

One program that has been halted during the pandemic is the career support workshops hosted for community ex-offenders. Three Wake Forest University professors worked with library Peer Support Specialist Jose Perez in order to run the workshops. Brian Calhoun, one of the professors who ran the workshops, said the Central Library was an ideal location for the program because of its accessibility to public transportation. This accessibility meant that participation was more readily available for community members.

Participants engaged in a series of strengths-based career counseling sessions and earned a certificate of completion at the end. The workshops included topics such as resumé writing, interviewing skills and job search strategies. Prior to COVID-19, the program had seven graduates, five of whom were employed by the day of graduation.

According to Calhoun, witnessing the growth in these workshops was “empowering and really rewarding for everyone involved.”

Operationally, almost all of the library services and program methods have transitioned to virtual platforms by using tools such as Zoom, Facebook Live and Microsoft Teams. Events such as book clubs, trivia games and genealogy help are all held via Zoom as well.

Budgetarily, resources that would have gone towards print collections were instead allocated to improving the digital collection, Hart said.

A new, to-go pickup system was introduced on March 20, 2020, which allows anyone with a valid Forsyth County Public Library card to reserve books/materials online or by phone.

The to-go system is one that 20-year-old Wake Forest student Elise Burger has found to be particularly useful, even since the library has reopened. Although she feels safe with the in-person regulations, she has become “much more likely to place holds and just pick up books that she’d like to check out.” In 2020, Burger read 164 total books, and 126 following the months of March. This year she has already read 15 books — averaging one book every five days.

She reads a mixture of fiction and non-fiction books, noting that she likes the library displays for different months, such as Black History Month or Women’s History Month. “[The displays] help me find books that are relevant and important, and books that will challenge

me and make me question things I think I know,” Burger said.

Whitney Frack, mom to two girls ages five and seven, shares Elise’s sentiment. Although her children are thrilled to be back inside the library, her family still uses the pickup service. “I love the convenience of that service,” Frack said.

There may be more changes on the horizon for library operations.

An application was submitted on March 1 for a grant of $64,016 that would provide RFID technology for three branches of the library, including the downtown Malloy/Jordan East Winston Heritage branch. According to the grant application, this technology would be used for self-checkout kiosks and to enhance security measures.

Beyond operations and budgets, there is more in store for the community as things begin to shift away from an exclusively virtual world.

It is this virtual world, which has resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic that has caused a newfound appreciation for outdoor programs, which are high on the priority list for library staff.

In addition to resuming programs that existed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, future programs are likely to take place outside, according to Hart. Yoga and taichi, which previously occurred inside, will be more likely to move outdoors. Weather permitting, there may also be drive-in movie screenings added to the program list.

Page 5 | Thursday, April 15, 2021

Old Gold & Black | News

Debate: Deacs take top honors at tournament Continued from Page 1 En route to the championship, Wake Forest defeated Duke, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh and the University of Miami.

“We were very energized,” Aaron said.

The ACC tournament, which only recently reappeared in 2015 after a decades-long hiatus, was won frequently

by Wake Forest students in the 1960s, according to Debate Director Dr. R. Jarrod Achison.

The national championship caps a year of firsts for the debate team, as they have had to compete over Zoom.

“Debating over Zoom creates a totally different environment. You lose the ability to connect with judges and the power of a physical audience,” Klein said. “Online debate also makes

a lot of the more restorative elements of debate tournaments harder, whether that’s decompressing after debates with teammates and competitors, or simply taking a break from staring at a screen.”

According to Aaron, debating over Zoom involved securing spaces in Greene Hall where she can practice and, ultimately, debate, since interruption by roommates in dorm rooms or passersby in public would be disastrous for a competitor in a debate tournament.

Aaron said that another consequence of debating online is the resulting lack of connection with teammates.

“There isn’t as much room for us to be personal or connected with each other,” Aaron said. “For example, a lot of our freshmen teammates, I haven’t really seen in person.”

Despite all the complications, the pair is just happy to be doing what they love.

“I’m absolutely grateful that we’ve had the opportunity to continue debate,” Klein said. “Even if it means doing it over Zoom. We’ve been able to stay safe and compete against teams across the country without leaving our campus, which makes it all worthwhile for me.”

Achison had nothing but high praise for the pair.

“This is a dominant performance that reflects the hard work of [Klein] and [Aaron] along with the Wake Forest Debate coaches,” Achison said. “Debating over Zoom is incredibly difficult, but Ruby and Brianna managed to go undefeated against the best competition the ACC has to offer.”

Photo Courtesy of R. Jarrod Atchison

The Deacs defeated four schools en route to the championship.

Outdoor Pursuits makes comeback as cases fall Outdoor Pursuits has begun offering off-campus trips as COVID-19 cases have decreased

BY SOPHIE GUYMON Contributing Writer guymsm20@wfu.edu

Outdoor Pursuits (OP) has been aiming to offer a valuable opportunity for students to experience the natural beauty of the greater Winston-Salem area for many years.

Now, thanks to the indelible mark that COVID-19 made on Wake Forest students, OP’s mission is more important than ever.

The program is inclusive of students of various skill and experience levels and has successfully brought the student body closer together while also providing opportunities for student employment. Currently, Outdoor Pursuits is headed by program administrators Peter Berry and Meghan Belanger and has a total roster of 28 employees.

However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, OP has been largely limited to hosting on-campus events this academic year. In the fall semester, all OP events were campusbased — either held on campus or at locations within reasonable hiking or biking distance. No trips that required vehicles were allowed.

Only as recently as four weeks ago was OP able to start hosting offcampus trips again.

The university felt confident in this decision, along with their transition back to Yellow operating status, due to reduced COVID-19 cases and increasing vaccine availability both on and off-campus.

These trips have included slacklining, hikes, yoga sessions, paddle boarding, and a campfire night.

Popular destinations include Hanging Rock and Pilot Mountain State Parks. All trips have kept COVID-19 safety in mind by limiting the number of students able to attend and regulating mask use and

social distancing, both within and outside of vehicles.

Freshman Jayne Flynn attended a yoga retreat at Pilot Mountain on April 1. The trip was led by sophomore Ahrianna Keefe as well as two other OP trip leaders. Senior Meredith Vaughn led the yoga session.

“We took two big OP cars up to Pilot Mountain — there [were] about 10 or 12 [of us] and we had to space out [due to] COVID,” Flynn said. “We drove to the top and set up our mats for yoga on the dirt. It was really cold and windy — about 40 degrees — and we only

saw the sunset for the last 10 minutes. Meredith did a really good job, and overall, it was a really fun trip.”

OP offered students like Keefe and Vaughn valuable work experience, building their athletic, leadership and interpersonal skillsets.

OP also helped Vaughn work towards her yoga certification.

Freshman Ted Bossong had a similar experience on a hike to Pilot Mountain that he described as a “casual, short day trip, but still a lot of fun.” He said the OP leaders demonstrated flexibility and pre-

paredness in the midst of stormy weather conditions, and although the trip was cut short, the students in attendance had positive experiences.

OP trips will continue through the remainder of the academic year, with students able to look forward to warmer weather and improved hiking conditions. Upcoming trips include a First-Year Wilderness Weekend, a mountain biking trip and a lake day. Administrators Berry and Belanger are optimistic for a return to normalcy and a more extensive roster of trips in the fall.

Photo Courtesy of Visit North Carolina

Recent Outdoor Pursuits trips include slacklining, hiking, yoga, paddleboarding, campfire nights and mountain biking, alongside “Wilderness Weekends,” which are offered specifically for freshmen.

Old Gold & Black | News

Page 6 | Thursday, April 15, 2021

SG: New officers promise change is coming Continued from Page 1 For Swartzberg, her first priorities involve tapping into the student voice, which is especially important considering that President-designate Dr. Susan Wente will be taking office in July.

“Running for president was so much about loving Wake Forest, but also acknowledging that it isn’t perfect,” Swartzberg said.

“Before August hits us, we need to be working together to talk about what we want to ask for … so we can say, ‘hey, we’ve done the work, and this is what needs to happen.’”

Another of Swartzberg’s priorities include focusing on increasing the efficiency of the Counseling Center and Title IX Center on campus.

“I was on the Counseling Center Director Hiring Committee, so that’s something I’ll probably focus on because that’s more of an immediate shift,” Swartzberg said.

Swartzberg also wants Wake Forest to develop a vaccination plan that does not include the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after it was pulled by the FDA and CDC earlier this week.

Swartzberg also took time to comment on the recent murder of Daunte Wright by police in Minneapolis, which has sparked renewed conversations about racial equity and police brutality.

“I really hesitated to put anything out on my social media this week related to the killing because I didn’t want it to seem like it was a campaign thing, because it’s certainly not,” Swartzberg said. “One

of the first things I intend to do, just as a person on campus, is to make sure our students of color feel supported.”

Pitterle, the only underclassman on the executive board, has bold ambitions for her term as secretary.

“I want to start expanding how Student Government interacts with the student body,” Pitterle said. “I want people to know how we serve the student body and what we can do, especially with a new presidential administration led by Wente.”

And Blair, for her part, wants to focus on helping students navigate the transition back to normal. “[My first priority is] helping students get back to normal in the transition process for next year [and] helping organizations with their meetings and finances.”

Senator elections were also held this week, the winners of those elections are listed below in order of votes received.

Class of 2024: Emma Sabin, Gabi Overcast-Hawks, Caroline Dixon, Jackson Buttler, Khalil Gueye, Abby Lecrone, Sydnie Cockerham, Arman Bozkurt, Tim Erday, Aarya Deshmukh, Michaela Fay, Jack Lewis, Melissa Carver and Michael Burstein.

Class of 2023: Jess Schmidt, Isaiah Little, Sarah Dalton, Pilar Agudelo, Tonia Christou, Drew Skilton, Ava Liberty, Gaby de la Vega, Robbie Graf, Di Wang and Marion Teshome.

Class of 2022: Rory Britt, Gavy Zenoz, Vivian Bolen and Will Harnice.

The incoming Class of 2025 will elect its senators next fall.

Face-to-Face features author Isabel Wilkerson The award-winning author of “The Warmth of Other Suns” spoke with students over Zoom

BY CHRISTA DUTTON Staff Writer duttcd20@wfu.edu On April 14, Wake Forest’s Faceto-Face Speaker Forum hosted a virtual event with highly acclaimed author Isabel Wilkerson.

Wilkerson is a Pulitzer Prize and National Humanities Medal winner and the author of New York Times bestsellers “The Warmth of Other Suns” and “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents”.

Wilkerson’s achievements made her a woman of firsts. After winning the Pulitzer Prize for her narrative writing while serving as the Chicago Bureau Chief of The New York Times in 1994, she became the first black woman in the history of American journalism to win a Pulitzer Prize, and the first African American to win a Pulitzer for individual reporting. Additionally, in 2016, Wilkerson was awarded the National Humanities Medal by former President Barack Obama for “championing the stories of an unsung history.”

Wilkerson was chosen to be a part of this program not only because of her impressive accomplishments, but also because of her books, which highlight social justice issues.

“The Warmth of Other Suns” tells the often-overlooked story of the migration of Black citizens from the South to northern and western cities in hopes of a better life. In “Caste”, Wilkerson argues that America has been shaped by a hidden caste and human hierarchy system.

Program coordinator Avery Fields believes attendees of this event, and other speaker forums like it, will have much to gain from the insight of the speakers.

“The Face to Face Speaker Forum series will bring world-class names

to Winston Salem, catalyze unifying conversation in the community and provide opportunities for people of all walks of life to engage in intellectual experiences,” Fields said. It will develop intentional points of engagement for students, and net

proceeds for the program will fund scholarships.”

The next keynote event will be on May 4 and will feature YoYo Ma, world-renowned cellist and winner of multiple Grammy Awards.

Photo Courtesy of ABC News

Isabel Wilkerson has won many awards for her writing, including the National Humanities Medal (award ceremony pictured above), which she received from then-President Barack Obama.

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Assistant Editors: Julia Ochsenhirt, ochsja20@wfu.edu Cooper Sullivan, sullcg20@wfu.edu

Research Spotlight: Dr. Jennifer Burg AWake Forest computer science professor has algorithmized musical composition

BY SEAN JONES Contributing Writer jonesd19@wfu.edu Dr. Jennifer Burg, a computer science professor at Wake Forest, is using algorithms to predict patterns in music, illustrating important intercepts between the arts and sciences Listening to counterpoint music is reminiscent of overhearing a conversation.

Counterpoint is a musical technique that involves the playing of two melodies over one another, each of them dependent on the other and dedicated to following the other’s pace and rhythm (similar to a good conversation). If counterpoint music is a conversation, then Burg is the linguist.

Before you can analyze a conversation, though, you must be able to understand its language. Burg uses computer programs and algorithms as her translator’s tools, which serve as perfect means for measuring counterpoint music.

“The big picture is that we are doing algorithmic composition of music,” Burg said, “and we are starting with a kind of music that is already very algorithmic, and that is the counterpoint [style] of the 15th or 16th century.”

One important part of Burg’s work is being able to quantify the artistic aspects of music. When listening to a well-composed

piece of music, certain moments resonate, but can these moments be measured? Burg says yes.

Not only does Burg measure these moments in pieces of music, but she also builds algorithms that compile this information and uses them to predict (and even create) other pieces of music in the same style or genre.

“With regard to the algorithmic music composition, we’re using a kind of algorithm that’s called Hidden Markov Models,” Burg said. “It’s based on the probabilities of sequences that you would find in types of music that already exist. What’s the probability that this note would follow [another] note, or what’s the likelihood that these two notes would be played simultaneously in different voices of counterpoint?”

The research allows these patterns to be mapped and analyzed so common strings between pieces of similar music can be found.

Burg, who used to be a professor of French and English, notes that the process of analyzing music is not that different from that of literary analysis. Just as pieces of literature have patterns, techniques and charms that make them unique to a genre, music has these same characteristics as well.

“It is analytical as much as it is generative,” Burg said. “When you are totally modeling the music through the computer, part of the interest is that you are analyzing styles that already exist.”

And, like a language, after learning the grammar, syntax, and vocabulary, one can then create and communicate in that lan-

guage. Burg enthusiastically explained how her studies have led her not only to understand and appreciate the art of music through the lens of computer science, but also has enabled her to create and compose music of her own.

Burg is now working on producing a musical with a professional musician and song-

writer. She is using this practice as a vehicle to teach her students about sound design and as a means by which to test her research.

“It’s like most other kinds of art,” Burg said, summing up her newfound appreciation for musical composition. The more you understand [it], the more you appreciate [it].”

Photo Courtesy of TechTalks

Burg is using her background in computer science, as well as her experience with the humanities, to create an algorithmic understanding of music.

“Vaccine passports” may be coming soon A digital record of vaccination may be necessary to patronize certain businesses

BY EMILY TORO Contributing Writer toroer20@wfu.edu

Similar to scanning a QR code to read a menu at a COVID-19-friendly restaurant, the Biden administration is working to implement some sort of a code, accessible on devices, to document proof of vaccination.

President Joe Biden predicted that these vaccine credentials, referred to as “vaccine passports,” “could be key to a return to normalcy by the end of the year,” according to CNN. Currently, vaccinated individuals carry slips of paper with their credentials, but these physical records can easily get misplaced or damaged. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention require states to uphold record systems for storing individual vaccination history.

There are over 60 systems across the country that collect this information, but states have not yet implemented

methods for consumer access, according to the Wall Street Journal.

In order to prove one’s vaccine status “you’d need cryptographically signed data that can’t easily be forged — a digital card that enables you to retrieve and store testing and vaccination information in a secure and verifiable way, via either an app or a QR code,” the Wall Street Journal reported.

Vaccine passports would allow Americans easier access to restaurants, hospitals and nursing homes. People may have the ability to skip common practices such as temperature checks, health questionnaires and COVID-19 tests, according to the Wall Street Journal.

“Vaccination certificates may ultimately obviate the need for quarantine upon arrival in certain countries, a policy which is currently impeding the return of regular international tourism worldwide,” Forbes Magazine reported.

Regardless of the proposed convenience that would result from vaccine passports, there are many objections to these records. Concerns regarding the privacy of health records are eminent and have been addressed, however.

One application, CommonPass, does not hold an individual’s health records.

“If a participating airline needs to know whether a passenger has had a negative test or inoculation, and a participating pharmacy has the information, CommonPass can communicate with both and return a simple yes or no answer, without transmitting any specific data,” Commons Project Foundation chief Paul Meyer told the New York Times.

Many technology companies and health care entities have worked alongside Vaccine Credential Initiative to agree on transparent and adaptable standards while still protecting privacy, according to the New York Times.

Despite this initiative, many companies plan to come up with “closed, proprietary systems that they hope to sell to clients,” that could access private information, the New York Times reported.

The New York Times added that the requirement to provide proof of vaccination could even “discriminate against those who can’t get the shot or refuse to, and there is lingering uncertainty about

how well inoculation prevents virus transmission.”

Although discrimination could potentially be a concern, the Biden administration recently announced that “vaccine passports’ are not a requirement for Americans at the federal level, according to Forbes.

Furthermore, a spokesperson for the Biden administration stated that “there will be no federal vaccinations database and no federal mandate requiring everyone to obtain a vaccination credential.”

Even though the federal government will not require these credentials, it is unclear whether certain businesses or even state governments will still require passports.

Biden’s chief medical adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci, during his appearance on the Politico Dispatch podcast, said, “I’m not saying that they should or that they would, but I’m saying you could foresee how an independent entity might say, ‘Well, we can’t be dealing with you unless we know you’re vaccinated,’ but it’s not going to be mandated from the federal government.”

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The Dialogue

Conversation prompts change for America's gun problem Legislative opportunities for gun control remain abundant despite broken congressional system

BY JOE CHO & CONNOR MCNEELY Assistant Life Editor & Opinion Editor choyy19@wfu.edu & mcnecb19@wfu.edu

Connor McNeely: Well, Joe, even though it might be wise to present the subject of our discussion to the reader, I don’t really think anyone needs an introduction. The majority of the American public knows about our country’s dark history of mass shootings. The question is: will we ever be able to stop them?

Joe Cho: I agree, Connor. History has shown time and time again that shootings are indeed part of our culture and need no introduction. As for that heavy question, I believe there are two components to the answer: shootings themselves will never stop, but there is an endearPhoto courtesy of Jeff Wheeler/Minneapolis Star Tribune/TNS ing hope that we, the human race, can try to lessen these Katie Wright speaks at the vigil for her son, Daunte Wright. Daunte Wright was tragedies. Change must come from a collective acknowlfatally shot at a traffic stop by a Minnesota police officer, Kim Potter, on April 11. edgment that reform must take place in order for shootings to subside, and that can come only from the effective CM: I’m not quite sure I’m there with you on “com- see and hear of others dying on the news and through fulfillment of individual moral obligations. plicates,” because I think the constituency problem social media, but what are they supposed to do about it?

Think about it like this. If one day, God forbid, your completely negates any capacity for real, legislative Well, everyone in America has learned how tremenloved one was a victim of such a violent, heinous act, you change for the people. But to your second point, empa- dously important voting is from this most recent elecwould go through great lengths to seek justice in honor thy, without a doubt, is a huge topic that needs to be tion cycle — so why not take that further? I would advise of them. If people constantly thought along these lines, addressed. people to look for candidates at the local and state level ideally, there would be countless burning feet for a ferwho don’t take PAC money, who truly dedicate their vent gun-control movement. But this is no ideal world.

JC: Of course. Shootings have a deluge of conse- time to the people they serve. Look past virtue signalChange doesn’t come easily, especially in the United quences, such as the individual tragedies of Trayvon ing. Democratic Party representatives Elaine Luria and States — right, Connor?

Martin, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and many Seth Moulton are good examples of candidates who others (especially during the heat of BLM). Recently have made these kinds of disingenuous pledges.

CM: Definitely not. In my humble opinion, one of the there was the "accidental" shooting of Daunte Wright. things that this nation has overlooked is the purity and Remember the 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse of KenoJC: I would have to aggressively emphasize that efficiency of its lawmaking system. Feel free to fight back sha who shot up pedestrians back in 2020? Remem- these social media remarks were not just immature and on this one, but to me, it seems that Congress is made up ber Columbine or Las Vegas? Maybe the Orlando, Fla. insensitive, but incredibly hateful and unacceptable. of people who are bought and paid for by corporations nightclub? There was the Sandy Hook Elementary Even after the most recent shootings in Atlanta, where and political organizations. No one is able to be truly School shooting, the Sutherland Church shooting, the a gunman massacred 10 people, eight of whom were bipartisan because their opinions and reasoning are man- El Paso shooting, the Texas Walmart shooting, the Park- of Asian descent, there was still a surge of hate crimeufactured. The NRA gave out $9.55 million during last land High School shooting, the Pittsburgh Synagogue related messages that targeted Asian-Americans. And to year’s midterm cycle — although this is down from their shooting, the San Bernardino attack — the list goes on expand upon your latter statement on voting efficacy, $54.40 million total in the 2016 election cycle (OpenSe- and on.

President Biden has proposed monumental changes on crets.org/Center for Responsive Politics). Candidates We’ve lived through most, if not all, of these inci- gun control, such as “banning assault weapons, closing have an obligation to grant the wishes of their supporters dents and it’s shocking how desensitized we’ve become. background check loopholes and stripping gun manuand in most cases, their supporters are comprised largely Within this universal desensitization lies a darker truth. facturers of their immunity from liability lawsuits (New of the upper class of the United States.

The CDC reported that suicides accounted for six out York Times), and this was made possible through the of 10 deaths by firearms in the United States in 2018. contentious 2020 election.

JC: This is certainly true. Constituency in the United This means that more people die from a silent bullet States complicates many of the major domestic issues that than the mass homicides that are audaciously advertised CM: Joe, this type of article is a great opportunity to require reforms like the controversial topic of gun control. over media platforms. inspire others to have similar conversations about gun This often leads to gridlock on congressional floors and, control. We have tried to dedicate this space to wellin turn, we can’t seem to move forward with urgency and CM: If you were to peek behind the curtains of social reasoned, evidenced arguments. Thanks for having this poise to combat the combative. In my honest opinion, it media and private messaging, you would find a lot of conversation with me. seems that one side is quick to jump to resolution with- immature and insensitive jokes. I hate to be cliché, but out a proper, detailed course of action, while the other change starts at the individual level. It’s incredibly easy JC: Agreed. Hard conversations with the ones around side is concentrated on the economics of a resolution, to joke about these tragedies, because they seem as if us often end up making the most difference. Thank which conveys their lack of empathy for the situation. they could never truly happen to us, personally. People you, Connor.

Opinion| Old Gold & Black

Thursday, April 15, 2021 | Page 9

“ Matt Gaetz is microcosm of politicians' misconduct Political Promiscuity

Florida Congressman is accused of sexual misconduct with a 17-year-old girl

Jack Bradley

Contributing Columnist bradjc20@wfu.edu

You have to be a certain kind of stupid to engage in illicit activity over Venmo. You have to be a certain kind of disgusting to brag about sexual experiences to colleagues. And you are most definitely scum if you behave in any of the ways that Matt Gaetz allegedly has.

United States Congressman and Florida Representative Matt Gaetz has been accused of paying for the travel of, and having sex with, a 17-year-old girl. There are records of him paying Joel Greenberg, Gaetz’s friend accused of sex trafficking, to the tune of $300,000 for various sexual escapades.

Gaetz has once again proven that American politicians are just as incapable of advancing good policies as they are at following existing ones. It goes without

They are master manipulators and will use every tool at their disposal to protect themselves and their reputations."

saying that using your political position to take advantage of the vulnerable is vile and unacceptable. It is just as unacceptable to see numerous news organizations — and Gaetz himself — refer to the 17-year-old as a woman rather than a child so as to minimize the damage inflicted upon her and the horribleness of the situation.

I wasn’t surprised to learn that Gaetz is a longtime ally of Donald Trump, a man who has had many sexual assault allegations levied against him. However, this allyship seems to have been in vain, as Gaetz could not even secure a preemptive pardon from Trump.

Sad! Despite Trump’s departure from the presidency, it seems that “locker room talk” is alive and well in these circles, as scandals like these continue to appear.

Gaetz has taken to Twitter to defend himself, claiming that the charges brought against him are part of a conspiracy to bring him and his family down. It’s simultaneously laughable and con-

cerning to watch him desperately cling to ridiculous, unproven defenses as everything crumbles around him.

Perhaps the peak of his desperation was shown during an interview conducted by Tucker Carlson on Fox News. In the middle of the interview, Gaetz compared his situation to one of Carlson’s, seemingly trying to absolve himself of wrongdoing by implying that false allegations are widespread. The comparison astonished Carlson who later claimed that the interview “was one of the weirdest” that he’s ever conducted. That’s one way to put it.

I wish I could say that Gaetz’s behavior is shocking, but it’s not.

Time and time again, supposedly virtuous, upstanding men are accused of — and often found guilty of — committing atrocities. And every time this happens, these individuals lay blame to everyone but themselves, turning to victim-shaming, claims of ignorance or whatever other fabrication they can think of.

Make no mistake — these people know what they’re doing. They are master manipulators and will use every tool at their disposal to protect themselves and their reputations.

But this situation begs the question: why have so many lawmakers and politicians been accused of sexual misconduct?

The behavior of Matt Gaetz is emblematic of a larger issue within our political system. Until we stop giving powerful men the benefit of the doubt, abuse of power will continue in all areas of society. Every time we prioritize someone’s reputation over the wellbeing of those harmed, we further systems of oppression and inequality.

Matt Gaetz’s situation also showcases how normalized “locker room talk” is. He allegedly showed a woman’s nude pictures to fellow Congress members. Let me repeat that. This man was passing around nudes in Congress. The fact that he had — and still has — such a strong influence over our nation’s legislation is embarrassing and abhorrent.

If nothing else, let Matt Gaetz be an example of why we need to critically examine power structures within the American political system. His behavior is not new or shocking, and we all need to work together to call out similar abusers in all levels of society.

game. If MLB replay officials are so hesitant to overturn clear replay calls that make their colleagues look bad, then there’s no point in having replay at all.

In a sport like baseball where umpires are so over-unionized that they cannot be criticized or punished for their performance, replay was supposed to be the perfect compromise.

Umpires would no longer be hounded by controversial calls because calls would either be vindicated by review or overturned. This solution would take pressure off of specific umpires by providing a second set of seemingly infallible eyes.

And yet everyone hates the system.

It slows down the game, breaks with tradition, puts umpires in the uncomfortable position of seeing the egregious mistakes of their coworkers and evidently can’t even fix the most obvious of bad calls.

So, just get rid of it. This is what the MLB has to do. This isn’t because it will noticeably improve the quality of the game (although not having to sit through long reviews would cer-

tainly be a good thing), but because it will force more conversation about the role and ability of the game’s umpires.

When the inevitable, unreviewable controversial calls happen, umpires will be ripped to shreds. Managers and players will be fined for criticizing them as unions go on power trips, but the naked, unabashed, terrible performances by certain umpires will be available for everyone to see. Maybe then the league and unions will turn on the worst of the worst and send them packing. Maybe then we will have concrete progress toward the actual sensors and robotic umpires that are so clearly needed.

Replay was supposed to modernize the game and restore integrity into the playing landscape. But instead, we’ve just witnessed incredible cowardice and malfeasance by replay officials. Baseball isn’t supposed to be like this — the sport can’t take any more backward calls like these. If replay isn’t going to get rid of the worst calls, then just get rid of replay.

MLB must “get rid of replay review system Sports

The path to the restoration of baseball's integrity begins with the solution of the replay problem Charlie Benedict Business Manager benecc19@wfu.edu

There’s no other way to put it – MLB umpire Lance Barrett missed the game-deciding call at Home plate in the April 11 contest between the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies. Alec Bohm, tagging up from third in the top of the ninth on a shallow fly by Didi Gregorious, was unquestionably tagged out at the plate.

Replay review clearly, unquestionably, distinctly, unambiguously — whatever synonym you want to use — shows that Alec Bohm never touched home plate. Given the limits of physics as understood by man, there’s no feasible way Bohm could

Replay was supposed to modernize the game and restore integrity into the playing landscape."

have grazed the plate. And yet, after a lengthy review, the replay official “could not definitively determine that the runner failed to touch home plate prior to the tag.”

It was an absolutely comical copout and call, and everyone at the park and those watching the broadcast knew it. Braves Manager Brian Snitker went on a tirade. Braves fans bombarded the field with trash.

Baseball players, fans and reporters from across the country scorned the obvious miscarriage of justice.

If this game had occurred in the pre-replay era, it would have been used as obvious fuel for the pro-replay argument (see Armando Galarraga and Jim Joyce). And yet it happened after. The botched call at the plate was supposed to be why replay exists — when the clearly wrong call is made at a pivotal time in the

Opinion | Old Gold & Black

Thursday, April 15, 2021 | Page 10

“ decision refocuses America on peace Biden’s Afghanistan Foreign Policy

The removal of United States soldiers from Afghanistan ends 20 year war on terror Connor McNeely Opinion Editor mcnecb19@wfu.edu

President Joe Biden has continued to make waves in the early days of his term — yesterday he announced the removal of American forces from Afghanistan, thereby ending America’s 20-year war.

In his statement from the White House Treaty Room, Biden remarked that “We were attacked. We went to war with clear goals. We achieved those objectives. Bin Laden is dead and al Qaeda is degraded in Afghanistan and it’s time to end the forever war.”

I’ll be honest, throughout the beginning of his presidency, I did not have much faith in President Biden’s ability to inspire and ensure beneficial change for our country. To me, his victory in the election appeared marginal because our unending plague of partisan gridlock seemed too much for any president to overcome. Though he achieved many behind the scenes victories as vice president (the Tax Relief Acts of 2010 and

Yet, even if the government in Kabul Real power is found in collapses, or if the Afghani refugee crisis compassion and empathy, significantly worsens, I still believe that not in the destruction of we will have made the right decision by lives. ” 2012) and as a Senator (advocated for intervention in Yugoslavia and sanctions against Apartheid South Africa as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee), there have been no eyepopping accomplishments that would win him public recognition.

However, President Biden’s decisive choice to finally pull our military from Afghanistan has proved my inhibitions wrong. This is undoubtedly the right decision.

It may surprise you to hear an opinion about this issue that isn’t accompanied by doubts. In truth, I know that this decision will bring grave consequences.

Many experts have compared the situation to the Vietnam War, predicting that an event similar to the Fall of Saigon will occur if the United States government removes its 2,500 soldiers from Afghanistan. For most United States generals and military officials, that notion isn’t at all inconceivable, considering that the Taliban has continued to threaten multiple provincial capitals and has briefly captured the capital cities of the Farah and Ghazni Provinces, respectively (Council on Foreign Relations).

pulling our soldiers out of the country.

The end of our country’s era of intimidation and deadly force is long overdue, and I cannot explain to you how grateful I am to have a President that understands that truth. We already have a generation that is learning firsthand the flawed legacy of our government — brutality in the name of security. Just as the citizens of our country restlessly ask how many more innocent people must die for effective gun legislation, we must also ask ourselves how many soldiers and innocent Afghani people must die before we end this disgusting display of American “power.”

Real power is found in compassion and empathy, not in the destruction of lives.

Most people can’t even remember why our government intervened in Afghanistan in the first place. Underneath, the real reason is that we wanted to help the people of Afghanistan in the first place, to give them a legitimate government and a fair chance at life. The elimination of terrorists is a just cause, but the no-holds-barred approach of our military has only inspired others to take up the Al-Qaeda’s mantle.

Those who do not have wealth, security, or freedom in these dark corners of

the world have often never seen Americans in anything other than body armor and with a gun at their side. President Biden recognizes that this reality needs to change. It isn’t as if the removal of our military presence will hamper humanitarian efforts to Afghanistan.

Dissenters will likely emphasize concerns about American security because we won’t have ground forces to personally deal with terrorist plots. To them, I would offer up the wisdom and opinion of former U.S. Army Col. Chris Kolenda who served four tours in Afghanistan and worked as a senior advisor to top U.S. generals.

“Our information networks in Afghanistan itself, as well as our detection and strike capabilities, really are the best insurance against a terrorist attack against the United States. It’s far better than keeping a small force presence in the country,” Kolenda said in an interview with Vox. This decision is not a retreat. Though the Taliban will celebrate their “victory” over the world’s greatest superpower, our country must not allow itself to be provoked. President Biden will not let us stoop to the level of murderers. At last, we have a leader who knows true strength. If our nation is truly dedicated to the preservation of peace, we must recognize our failures and turn from them.

disrespected by big tech corporations up to this point. In realizing a feasible alternative that honestly works just as well as Google, I have been personally encouraged that the internet will be able to be reshaped in a manner which is not as invasive to individual privacy as it previously has been.

I expressed this sentiment to a close friend over the past weekend. I said how I was changing over to DuckDuckGo because I felt that it protected my data and overall user privacy much more than Google had in the past. The response I received was one which took me aback: “Why does my privacy matter? I don’t care if they see what I’m looking at.”

This answer truly stopped me in my tracks. In my mind, privacy has always been a “well, duh” concept that I have accepted to be a common value among all people. It is moments like these for which I am always appreciative of because they push my mindset out of its usual system of thought and force me to justify notions that I previously believed did not need justification.

Upon thinking about the topic, I came to a relatively simple conclusion which I feel illustrates my sentiment towards user data security: privacy equals freedom. My primary reason for

thinking so is not because I am searching for dastardly things that must be hidden from the government and large corporations. It is because, as a democratic republic, we must be a citizenry which insists on individual autonomy and respect for privacy on a personal level. DuckDuckGo allows for that value to become a more mainstream concept, one that has begun to take hold as more people educate themselves on the nature of big technology firms such as Google.

Now, if you do not care about privacy, this is not necessarily an effort to convert you to the views I have mentioned. You are absolutely entitled to your opinion. What I would encourage is for the reader to seek to experience a similar moment to the one I had over the weekend and consider whether or not they view their individual privacy as important or not.

What do you think? Internet privacy is a complex topic which surely requires more space than is allotted in a single segment. However, I believe that whether or not you value privacy, it is critical that we at least take the time to consider what it is that comprises our beliefs so that we can maintain ourselves as free citizens of our nation.

“ engines provide constitutional freedoms Alternative search Internet Privacy

DuckDuckGo ventures beyond cuteness and opens new avenue of privacy for Cap Cap McLiney

Assistant Opinion Editor mcnecb19@wfu.edu I switched my search engine away from Google. Honestly, the decision was not anything calculated to begin with. I accidentally clicked up in the top left corner of my Safari search bar and realized that a list of alternative search engines had popped up in a drop down menu. I recognized the usual engines that people seem to jockey like horses in a race. Google, Yahoo and Bing were at the top, as I would expect. What caught my attention was an alternative browser of which I had not heard before: DuckDuckGo. I will confess, the original reason for which I clicked on the browser was because I thought the name was exceptionally cute. However, since doing so, I have done more research and have decided to stick with the service for reasons besides its degree of cuteness.

What caught my attention was an alternative browser of which I had not heard before: DuckDuckGo.” What differentiates DuckDuckGo from its dominant competitor, Google, is one thing: user privacy. It is a private search engine which makes money from ads like Google. However, they are not individually curated results on an individual basis.

Instead they take an approach that utilizes general advertisements that show ads based on the content searched, not the person searching it. This may seem like a trivial detail.

However, DuckDuckGo’s respect for individual privacy and their refusal to retain individual search information has major ramifications that should not go unnoticed.

Upon discovering DuckDuckGo, I was very encouraged, as it appropriately addresses the disrespect with which individual privacy has been treated — either knowingly or unknowingly — from the monopolistic proliferation of Google. If you have seen the Netflix production “The Social Dilemma”, you will be familiar with the way in which personal privacy online has been

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OLD GOLD & BLACK

Will Zalatoris: A story of true grit Wake Forest alum comes one shot away from winning the biggest tournament in golf

at that young age, Fawcett knew that Zalatoris was special.

"He's been striking it at a top-30 level since he was 17 years old," Fawcett said.

Later that summer, Zalatoris won the U.S. Junior Amateur. The following year, despite aspirations of playing at Stanford, Zalatoris elected to attend Wake Forest after being offered the Arnold Palmer Scholarship. At Wake Forest, Zalatoris was a two-time AllAmerican. In 2017, Zalatoris was featured on a stacked Walker Cup team alongside Collin Morikawa, Scottie Scheffler and Cameron Champ.

Zalatoris' first Masters appearance came during his first year on the PGA Tour, one with all kinds of competition. This past week, little was expected of Zalatoris, but within hours of him starting his first round on Thursday, he changed that perception. After being one over par through 11 holes, Zalatoris flipped the switch, notching two birdies and an eagle in the next four holes. He finished the round two under par and tied for fourth.

In the second round, after a one-over front-nine, Zalatoris shot five-under on the back. His performance vaulted him into a tie for second, one stroke behind Justin Rose. After a one-under third round, Zalatoris once again found himself tied for second, this time four shots back of the leader, Matsuyama.

Now in the final round, Zalatoris initially capitalized on a rough start for Matsuyama, narrowing the lead to as little as a single stroke. But soon, Mat-

suyama hit his stride and extended the gap. After a bogey by Matsuyama on the 18th hole, he beat Zalatoris by only one shot.

Despite missing out on the win, a

BY ESSEX THAYER second-place finish was a big step in Sports Editor Zalatoris' career. The finish netted him thayse20@wfu.edu a $1.2 million prize, and surely earned him much more in the endorsements In this year's Masters Tournament, he will receive after becoming a known Hideki Matsuyama pulled out the win entity on the PGA Tour. With the finand pulled on the green jacket. Still, ish, Zalatoris will also be returning to many eyes at Wake Forest and beyond Augusta National Golf Club in 2022. were trained on a wiry, blonde-haired For Zalatoris, playing in The Masgolfer likened to Adam Sandler's caddy ters was the adventure of a lifetime. in "Happy Gilmore". Will Zalatoris, in "[It was an] absolute dream," Zahis first Masters appearance, stunned latoris said. "To [play at The Masters many by finishing in second place, one and almost win] ... I've been dreaming shot behind Matsuyama. about it for 20 years."

Zalatoris was born in San Francisco, To some, the finish was surprising, Calif., where his father was a member but not to players on the PGA Tour. of the vaunted California Golf Club.

"I'm not very surprised; I know some His family then moved to Texas, where of y'all are," Scottie Scheffler said. "I've he would play at the Bent Tree Counbeen saying for years ... he's one of the try Club and strike a friendship with best ball strikers I've ever seen. Any one of the biggest names in golf today, week in which he can just get a few Jordan Spieth. Zalatoris quickly fell in putts to fall, you're going to see him up love with the game. there on the leaderboard."

"There was a group of kids who "It's great to see," said Webb Simpplayed together every day. It was our son, who, like Zalatoris, is a Wake hangout," Zalatoris said. "Pretty Forest graduate. "He's been playing quickly, I quit all other sports. I knew phenomenal golf. I've heard he's been I wanted to be a pro." a great player for a long time. [It's] not After that revelation, Zalatoris a big surprise to me." quickly became immersed in the game.

Zalatoris has come a long way to finHe began working with Scott Fawcett, ish second in The Masters. Only two one of the premier statisticians on the years ago, he was ranked No. 1514 in PGA Tour. Fawcett caddied for Zathe world and had no status on any latoris in the Texas State Amateur, tour. For months, Zalatoris questioned which he won at the age of 17. Even whether he had a future in the game of golf. After a time of reflection, he decided to give the game one last shot.

Zalatoris began entering Monday qualifiers on the Korn Ferry Tour, a series of developmental events for the PGA Tour.

After working through the qualifiers, Zalatoris soon began to thrive on the Korn Ferry Tour. In his first full event, Zalatoris finished tied for fourth. In his second event, Zalatoris once again finished in the top-10.

Then, COVID-19 struck. While the stoppage in play may have killed the momentum for many other players, Zalatoris just kept on working.

During the break, he played five days a week with another big name in the world of sports, Tony Romo.

When the Korn Ferry Tour returned from the pandemic break, Zalatoris caught fire once again. Since the return in June, and through September, he finished in the Top-10 eight times and secured his first win at the TPC Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics Colorado Championship.

In a normal year, 50 players graduate Zalatoris, a former Demon Deacon, walks off the 4th tee during The third round of the Masters in Augusta, Georgia on April 10. from the Korn Ferry Tour to the PGA

Tour, but because of the pandemic, it was decided that there would not be any graduates for the 2020 year. Luckily for Zalatoris, because of his prolific play on the tour following the pandemic induced stoppage, he was in the top-five of the rankings for the year.

The ranking allowed Zalatoris to play in the U.S. Open at Winged Foot. In his first major appearance, Zalatoris put his name on the map, finishing tied for sixth. The finish gave him temporary status on the PGA Tour and an invitation to the 2021 Masters.

His temporary status on the PGA Tour also gave Zalatoris an unlimited number of invites to individual events. Because of his performance in the U.S. Open, Zalatoris was immediately given opportunities to continue playing. In his first PGA Tour event following the U.S. Open, Zalatoris finished tied for eighth at the Corales Championship.

Following that finish in the Dominican Republic, Zalatoris never left the PGA Tour. In 12 starts leading up to The Masters, Zalatoris only missed the cut once. Notably, he finished tied for fifth at the Shriners Open and tied for seventh at the Farmers Insurance Open. Zalatoris' finishes on the PGA Tour have earned him 647 points, which would place him No. 32 in the FedEx Cup rankings. However, because of his temporary status, Zalatoris is not eligible. To be inserted into the rankings and become eligible for the season championship, Zalatoris must first win a tour event.

But now, after his finish at The Masters, glory for Zalatoris does not seem that far off. After grinding his way onto the PGA Tour, Zalatoris has played well and has come as close to the mountain top as he can get. He is close, oh, so close.

Zalatoris is already a part of the next generation of great golfers to come from Wake Forest — along with names like Arnold Palmer, Webb Simpson and Bill Haas. But now, Zalatoris may also be a part of the next generation of great golfers in the entire world.

As a kid, Zalatoris once played at Augusta. When crossing the bridge at the 12th hole, his dad told him, "Look back and enjoy [this view] because it's a view that you don't really get." Every day at that bridge this past week, Zalatoris did look back, remembering that treasured moment. Back when his father told him to enjoy the view, there was no way of knowing he would be at Augusta again as a pro. Now, there is no doubt that he will be looking back at that view for many years to come.

Page 12| Thursday, April 15, 2021

Old Gold & Black | Sports

Coaching turnover begins in college basketball In the weeks following the end of the NCAA Tournament, teams have begun to make changes

BY NICK BRIGGS Contributing Writer brigna18@wfu.edu

Each offseason, college basketball fans usually find themselves sitting in one of two boats, either hoping their coach returns for another successful season or begging that a new coach takes the reins and gets their team into next season’s NCAA March Madness Tournament. This past season, we here at Wake Forest found ourselves in the latter boat, excited for the debut of former East Tennessee State Head Coach Steve Forbes. Almost a year later — which Wake Forest’s men’s team

has not performed a complete 180 — there has certainly been a culture change that has been brought along in part by individuals such as recent student transfer and 6’6” wing player Damari Monsanto.

While revamping the culture of an organization such as Wake Forest’s men’s basketball team (which has not had a winning season since 2016-17) is a daunting task, one may argue that it is a much more difficult task to maintain a winning culture.

The elephant in the room when discussing head coaching changes this offseason must be the departure of UNC-Chapel Hill men’s basketball head coach Roy Williams. Coach Williams has decided to retire and end his 33-year run as the Tar Heels’ head coach. Throughout his career at

Photo Courtesy of Bleacher Report

Following Head Coach Roy Williams’ retirement, UNC-Chapel Hill chose to stay in-house, replacing the storied coach with assistant Hubert Davis.

North Carolina, Williams led the Tar Heels to NCAA championship wins in 2005, 2009 and 2017. Williams entered the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007, and over the course of his 48-year career accumulated 903 wins. Of course, replacing a legendary basketball coach such as Roy Williams is a tall task for anybody. However, North Carolina has decided to stay inhouse and hired assistant coach Hubert Davis as their replacement.

Davis played for the Tar Heels as a shooting guard from 1988-92 before being drafted in the first round by the New York Knicks. Davis would go on to play in the NBA until 2004 before returning to UNC as an assistant coach in 2012. One other important piece of history: with the promotion, Davis becomes the first Black coach in the history of North Carolina’s program.

UNC was not the only school to undergo a coaching change this offseason, however. Also in the ACC, Boston College parted ways with former head coach Jim Christian in favor of former College of Charleston head coach and current Clemson University assistant coach Earl Grant.

Moreover, East Tennessee State, Steve Forbes’ previous team, moved on from Jason Shay after just one season.

There was reportedly some speculation that Shay wrote his exit ticket after supporting his players while kneeling in support of the BLM movement. Regardless, after Shay’s resignation, East Tennessee State decided to bring in former Tennessee assistant coach Desmond Oliver.

Let’s go rapid fire here. Other coaching changes include: Eastern Illinois replaced tenured coach Jay Spoonhour with former Evansville coach Marty Simmons, Fordham replaced Jeff Neubauer (who has served as head coach for Fordham since 2015) with former Villanova coaching assistant Kyle Neptune and George Mason replaced Dave Paulsen with former Pistons shooting guard Kim English. In addition, Hofstra replaced Joe Mihalich with former alum Speedy Claxton.

At the University of Louisville, coach Rick Pitino’s son, Richard Pitino, is out in Minnesota as they welcome Ben Johnson as their new head coach.

Also, even after several noteworthy appearances in the NCAA tournament, Loyola Chicago was unable to keep the band together. Porter Moser is out and 29-year-old Drew Valentine is in. Also of note, former Knicks head coach Mike Woodson is making his collegiate coaching debut with Indiana, as Archie Miller is gone after spending four seasons with the team.

While there certainly are more changes to note, these are some of the larger coaching shifts in men’s college basketball that will most certainly change the landscape brought on next season. Will Indiana be able to recruit more notable players with the introduction of Mike Woodson? Will East Tennessee State be able to overcome controversy by essentially forcing their coach to resign? And will the Tar Heels have a flawless transition as they face life without Roy Williams for the first time in more than three decades?

Trey Mancini returns to baseball after recovery Mancini missed the 2020 season following his treatment for stage three colon cancer

BY DYLAN TYNES Staff Writer tynedw19@wfu.edu

Last Saturday afternoon, Trey Mancini stood at the plate at Camden Yards in Baltimore. It was the bottom half of the first inning, and Mancini’s Orioles needed a spark to respond to the Red Sox scoring two runs in the top of the first. Mancini settled into the right-hand batter’s box and looked for pitcher Garrett Richards to throw him something he could hit.

He did not have to wait long. Richards dealt him a fastball low and inside at 95 MPH. Mancini kept his hands inside the pitch and drove the ball over the right-center wall. The solo home run got the Orioles on the board, and a follow-up blast by Anthony Santander tied the game at two runs apiece.

Even though his team eventually lost 6-4 in 10 innings, Mancini had to feel a weight lifted from his shoulders af-

ter the home run, his first of the 2021 season. The outfielder struggled a bit in the season’s first week, going 5-28, good for a meager .179 batting average up until Saturday’s game. Mancini, though, had a better reason than most struggling players to start the season slowly — he missed the entire 2020 season to undergo treatment for stage three colon cancer.

After a February 2020 visit to the hospital uncovered a malignant tumor, Mancini underwent an operation at Johns Hopkins University Hospital to remove the tumor on March 12 of last year, the day Major League Baseball suspended spring training operations due to the emerging coronavirus pandemic. Analysis of the tumor yielded essentially the worst possible result: stage three colon cancer. Mancini would need chemotherapy for at least three months, and he would be unable to return to baseball in 2020, even if the season was going to take place.

So Mancini began the devastating routine of chemotherapy at Johns Hopkins. Every two weeks he would drive from his home in Washington, D.C. to Baltimore and receive the treatment.

The next week would involve crushing sickness and fatigue. Just as he would feel better, he would drive back up to Baltimore, and the cycle would begin anew. But even as distractions from the harsh reality of chemotherapy became incredibly scarce during the long months of COVID-19 restrictions, Mancini was able to focus on things besides his sickness. He set Opening Day 2021 as his goal for a return to baseball, even though he was losing weight and falling out of practice with his swing. He stayed connected to his supporters along the way, reading and watching their messages of solidarity while providing updates to social media. He drew support from the Orioles fanbase, the baseball community as a whole and even Maryland governor Larry Hogan, a cancer survivor who called Mancini early in his fight to offer support.

The baseball world never stopped believing in Mancini, so he never stopped fighting to prove them right.

Even after an allergic reaction to one of his chemotherapy drugs added an additional three months of chemotherapy to his schedule, Mancini

continued to fight and helped raise more than $80,000 for the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, an organization with which he plans to partner with in the future. He finished chemotherapy treatments in September and was able to return to a workout schedule in November before arriving at the Orioles’ Spring Training site in February to an emotional welcome.

Mancini started on the first day of Spring Training this year, tipping his cap to a standing ovation upon his name being called. He passed every test he faced in the spring — his speed, strength and dexterity all seemed to be as good as ever, and the 29-year-old outfielder hit for a .325 average. The only challenge left for Mancini is the day-in, day-out grind of a 162-game MLB schedule, and he is determined to pass that as well.

Even though his first week back was not his best, Mancini’s home run on Saturday (along with another on Sunday) proved he can still compete at the highest level, and his impressive 2019 season in which he hit .291 for a struggling Orioles team indicates his ceiling is among the highest in the league.

Thursday, April 15, 2021 | Page 13

Sports | Old Gold & Black

Deacon Spotlight: Hannah Maxwell

BY DELANEY MCSWEENEY Staff Writer mcswdj19@wfu.edu

Hannah Maxwell is a freshman forward from Forty Fort, Pa. In Spring 2020, Maxwell decided to graduate from high school early in order to train with the field hockey team at Wake Forest. However, she was unable to get in the true “grey shirt” experience due to the COVID-19 pandemic hitting the nation.

Delaney McSweeney: The first time you arrived at Wake Forest was when you grey-shirted last spring, right before COVID-19 broke out across the nation.

Since you came a semester early, how did the lockdown affect the training that you were expecting to get by graduating from high school early?

Hannah Maxwell: Obviously, one of the main reasons that I chose to grey shirt was to get acclimated to both athletics and academics here at Wake before jumping straight into the season in the fall. However, as you mentioned, COVID sadly cut that time short — though I do not regret my decision one bit. Within just a few short weeks here, I was able to get a feel for school and what life as a student-athlete is like here at Wake. Once we got sent home, we constantly had Zoom meetings and even leadership council meetings which I was able to be a part of. So, even though I was not able to be here at Wake, I was able to gain a ton of experience off the field which I think ultimately helped me to grow.

DM: To follow up on that, how have you grown and improved as a field hockey player since coming to Wake Forest last January?

HM: I have definitely seen improvements in my skills and game awareness, but I would have to say that I have grown the most just as a person. I’ve been able to make so many connections with my teammates, and I am constantly trying to learn how to better myself as a leader, both on and off the field.

DM: Looking back at your younger years, what got you into playing field hockey, and who most inspired you to begin playing and continue into college?

HM: I first started playing field hockey when I was about seven years old, and I instantly fell in love with the game. No one really inspired me to play hockey, however, the area I come from is a hotbed for field hockey. As my field hockey career progressed, I realized my potential to play at the next level in both college and for the U.S. National Team.

Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics

Maxwell has scored four goals this season, two against Boston College, one against Duke and one in Wake Forest’s most recent game against the University of Virginia.

HM: I don’t have anything in particular that I do, but I always try to be the hype woman. Before games, you can usually find me dancing in the locker room or sending motivational quotes in our team’s group message. I try to get the team focused and ready to compete.

DM: What made you decide to come to Wake Forest, as I am sure that you had many other options on the table?

HM: I looked at many other schools, but the family culture and Coach Averill kept bringing me back to Wake Forest. When I first visited Wake Forest, I came unexpectedly and stopped by Coach Averill’s office with my family to see if she was available to speak with us. She took time out of her busy day to talk to a recruit she didn’t even know existed, and we ended up chatting for two hours. I’ll never forget that day because 1) it was my first visit at a big school and 2) Coach Averill’s willingness to find time to speak with us went a long way. After my visits to other universities, I kept coming back to Wake Forest and that moment with Coach Averill. I respected her honesty and determination, and knew she was who I wanted to play for. I knew that I wanted to play D-1 field hockey at a smaller school, and Wake felt like the perfect fit for me.

DM: Given the pandemic and its circumstances, how has your season been? To my understanding, the spring season is usually more laid back — has this year been different?

DM: Coming into your freshman year, would you have expected to ever be an ACC Offensive Player of the Week, not to mention that you earned the award twice? How has this changed your outlook on your athletic career moving forward?

HM: As you mentioned, our regular season is usually played in the fall with our spring season being a time to get in better shape and work on tactical skills.

However, with COVID-19 we had to make some adjustments. The ACC was the only conference that allowed field hockey to compete against other teams in the fall, which was incredible because we got a ton of experience playing against the best of the best. Personally, the fall season became a time for me to learn what playing at the Division 1 level was like. At first, it was difficult, but many teaching moments came from these games which ultimately helped me this spring.

HM: To be honest with you, I hold myself to pretty high standards, but winning this award never really crossed my mind. I really have just been focusing on our team culture and trying to win games this season.

Wake hockey is having so much fun this spring on the field, and to come away with awards like Offensive Player of the Week after coming off big wins is just something that adds to the fun of it. None of these accolades would be possible without my teammates and their endless support. Personal awards are always nice to win, but nothing will compare to winning championships with my teammates for this university.

DM: Do you have any pre-game rituals that help to prepare you for a match?

DM: How has it been stepping into into a leadership role during your freshman season?

HM: Being a leader comes with many responsibilities.

I have attended various leadership meetings within the team and among other student-athletes at Wake.

This has been an ongoing learning process for me, and with the help of these meetings and having great teammates, it has made it a much smoother process. I hope that my teammates look to me as a leader and know that I would sacrifice anything for the good of this team.

DM: What parts of your game do you plan on improving as you move forward into your coming seasons with the team?

HM: I’m very excited to see what the future holds for me as a Demon Deacon. I’m constantly trying to learn new skills and shots while fine-tuning the basics.

Something I hope to improve for the coming seasons is my footwork, as this is an important part of my position on the frontline. Also, I hope to avoid getting carded/penalty minutes because my team needs me on the field, not off the field. I blame my aggressiveness on playing with an all-boys soccer team since the age of six. I felt like I always had to prove to myself and others that I was able to be as physically strong as they were. That mentality has stayed with me on the field hockey pitch.

DM: As you move forward in your career as an athlete, is there anything you plan to do to put yourself in a position of leadership? What are some goals that you have for the end of this season and subsequent seasons moving forward?

HM: One thing that I am currently doing to better my leadership skills is taking a military leadership class with other athletes here at Wake. We learn about almost every topic you can think about. We have some of the most brilliant leaders come in to talk to us so that we can learn from the struggles that they went through as leaders. We have one more regular-season game left against Louisville this upcoming Saturday. I hope the team can come away with a big win and give ourselves a chance at a bid to the NCAA Tournament so that we can go dancing! Our first goal is to be ACC champions. Then, win an ACC tournament championship. Finally, bring back the National Championship trophy to Wake Forest.

Old Gold & Black | Sports

Page 14| Thursday, April 15, 2021

Baseball looks for spark following winless week Wake Forest was outscored 21-42 on the week and dropped to 5-12 against ACC opponents.

BY JAKE STUART Assistant Sports Editor stuaja20@wfu.edu

4/7: Wake Forest 4, Liberty 8 In a mid-week out-of-conference matchup, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons fell to the Liberty Flames in Lynchburg Va, 8-4.

Following a 5-3 stretch that included a win against No.5 Louisville —along with wins against three straight out-ofconference opponents— Wake Forest set the tone against Liberty early. In the first inning, junior Bobby Seymour launched a ground-rule double that scored freshman Lucas Costello. The double was one of six off the bats of Wake Forest — Seymour’s two-hit performance moved him even closer to the 200-hit mark. The St. John, Ind. native is just nine hits away from becoming the 28th Demon Deacon to reach the milestone.

The Flames answered back in a hurry with five runs of their own across the first two innings. Triples from Will Wagner and Gray Betts contributed to the dominant 5-1 start from Liberty. His team came into the game atop the Atlantic Sun Conference with a 17-8 record.

In the third inning, senior Chris Lanzilli singled to left-field to cut the deficit to 5-2. Through his three full seasons in Winston-Salem, the outfielder hit .314 with 31 home runs and 112 RBIs. This week showed more of the same, as he picked up five hits and two RBIs. Liberty extended their lead in the fourth and six innings with a double and sacrifice fly off the bats of Wagner and Locklear that scored a total of three runs. The Flames had eight hits in the game, two fewer than the Demon Deacons, but produced twice as many runs.

Wake Forest climbed back in the eighth inning with a double from sophomore Adam Cecere that scored two runs. The former high school quarterback and three-sport star will be the first baseman of the future for the Demon Deacons and has looked promising as of late.

In the loss, Costello, Seymour and Lanzilli all produced multi-hit games, they accounted for half of the Demon Deacons extra-base hits.

On the mound, senior Cole McNamee got the start for the Demon Deacons for the first time since his freshman season. McNamee has seen action as both a pitcher and designated hitter.

The versatile senior had a tough outing as he went 1.1 innings and allowed four runs on four hits. Junior Brennan Oxford and freshman Crawford Wade both allowed two runs apiece, but Teddy McGraw, Camden Minacci, and Hunter Furtado combined to pitch four scoreless innings.

Wake Forest coach Tom Walter was not thrilled with the performance, particularly from the pitching staff: “Obviously a disappointing loss, we just weren’t good enough on the mound today. We had seven situational at-bats and only executed on one of them. We were just never able to grab momentum without any good innings on the mound.”

4/9: Wake Forest 4, Virginia Tech 8 In the first ACC home game in 20 days for Wake Forest, the Demon Deacons fell against No.13 Virginia Tech, 8-4.

Wake Forest fell into an early deficit following an error from Michael Turconi in the second inning that led to three runs.

Errors have plagued the Demon Deacons all season long, and cost the team again against the Hokies.

Lanzilli singled in the third inning to bring home Michael Turconi and the score to 3-1. Another Wake Forest error in the sixth inning—this time by Lanzilli— provided Virginia Tech with two more runs. The Demon Deacons had three errors in the game and have been hurt by their 0.961 fielding percentage (12th in the ACC).

Wake Forest rallied in the sixth inning amidst weather concerns in the WinstonSalem area. The Demon Deacons loaded the bases with no outs and Turconi at the plate. The junior sacrificed his body and was hit by a pitch to bring in the second run. Freshman Brock Wilken singled and Seymour hit a sacrifice fly and the score was brought to 5-4. The third baseman has been on a tear as of late, currently on a ten-game hitting streak. Moreover, Wilken is ranked third in the ACC in home runs and in the top-ten for runs batted in. Momentum was all in the favor of the Demon Deacons before lightening caused a delay of play.

Despite two runners on base when the action returned over an hour later, Wake Forest was unable to score a run. Virginia Tech extended their lead as they added a pair of runs in the seventh and eighth innings, Gavin Cross hit a home run to right-center, and Dayne Leonard hit into a fielder’s choice that pushed the score to 8-4.

In the loss, six Wake Forest players finished with a hit, including a pair from Wilken and Lanzilli.

Junior Ryan Cusick pitched well, with nine strikeouts and just one earned run allowed through 5.1 innings of work.

The highly touted prospect has thrown at least nine strikeouts in five of his six starts while going at least 5.1 innings in all of his appearances. He also threw for his 150th career strikeout against the Hokies and set a new career-high for seasonal strikeouts following the game.

Oxford and freshman Reed Mascolo combined for four strikeouts in 1.2 scoreless innings of relief. Mascolo —whose older brother Chase played baseball at Wake Forest and graduated in 2020— has only allowed three earned runs through seven appearances with a 1.88 seasonal ERA. Coach Walter was still in search of a complete performance following the game: “I know I sound like a broken record, but it’s just another disappointing loss. Not enough clutch at-bats. We had our guys up, bases loaded in a 5-3 game with Seymour, Lanzilli, and Muntz against a pitcher that should be a good matchup, and we were only able to come away with one run.”

4/10: Wake Forest 4, Virginia Tech 16 In game two against ACC opponent No. 13 Virginia Tech, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons could not sustain offensive production and slow down the bats of the Hokies.

In the first inning, freshman Brock Wilken doubled to right-center field to

bring home junior Michael Turconi and begin the scoring. From there on, it was all Virginia Tech.

The Hokies scored 12 unanswered runs across three innings to bury the Demon Deacons. The surge was headlined by a total of five home runs that resulted in eight RBIs, including two off the bat of Kevin Madden. Five Virginia Tech players finished with multi-hit games as the team tallied 15 total hits.

In the seventh inning, the Wake Forest bats finally struck pay dirt off a two-run home run from junior Brendan Tinsman.

The catcher hit his first home run of the season, and has a hit in each of his five games back in action following injury and COVID-19 protocol. He has provided depth at the catcher position and muchneeded rest for Shane Muntz, who has started behind the plate for nearly the entirety of the season.

Three batters later, Costello singled to left-field and brought home another Wake Forest run. The consistent leadoff hitter now has a hit in 12 straight games for the Demon Deacons, and has played a key role down the stretch in many contests.

In the eighth inning, Madden once again hit a home run for Virginia Tech, this time a grand slam.

On the mound, senior William Fleming had a tough day, allowing eight runs across five innings despite pitching three scoreless innings to open the game. McNamee and Wade allowed six runs in the 2.1 innings that followed. Freshman duo Seth Keener and Reese Robinson pitched 1.2 scoreless innings of relief to close the game for the Demon Deacons.

Wake Forest was held to just four hits and committed three costly fielding errors.

The Demon Deacons are last in the ACC with a .232 batting average on the season, but hit .257 during the 5-3 stretch prior to this week.

On the loss, Coach Walter commented: “Not a good performance in any facet, really. When you get down six or seven runs in our league it’s hard to justify throwing your better bullpen guys when you need them tomorrow. We need to play better.”

4/11: Wake Forest 9, Virginia Tech 10 In a slugfest, Wake Forest narrowly fell to No. 13 Virginia Tech, despite a late-inning surge from the Demon Deacons.

In the first inning, Virginia Tech scored two runs off a home run from Nick Biddison and a groundout from TJ Rumfield.

Costello answered with a solo home run to right-field to open the scoring for Wake Forest, his fourth of the season. The Mi-

ami, Fla. native has found success in just his first season with the Demon Deacons, posting a .289 average and pacing the team with 26 hits. Costello and Wilken aim to be a dynamic part of theWake Forest lineup for years to come.

In the second inning, McNamee singled to bring home Lanzilli and make the score 2-1. The hit was key for Mcnamee, who had not had a base hit in his three prior starts.

Virginia Tech responded in the fourth inning with a three-run home run from Tanner Schobel.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Shane Muntz hit his sixth home run of the season, a solo shot to left field that cut the deficit to 5-3.

The Hokies extended their lead as they added three runs in the fifth inning off a single and sacrifice fly.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Seymour launched a home run to center- field that brought home Wilken. The home run was a 490-foot rocket that left the Couch in a hurry, and made the score 8-5. Seymour was not yet done, however.

Following a sixth-inning home run from Virginia Tech that scored two, Wake Forest scored another run off a Turconi single to left-field. In his next at-bat in the seventh inning, Seymour crushed another ball out of the stadium to make the score 10-7.

The Demon Deacons continued the rally in the ninth inning after a two-run home run from Wilken. He is on pace to set the freshman home run record, and his 10 home runs are the most to start a Demon Deacon career since Carlos Lopez in 2009. Despite the late-game rally, Wake Forest was unable to find one more run and tie the game.

Wake Forest hit five home runs in the game, and the long ball has continued to be a factor, just as it had all season. The Demon Deacons lead the ACC in home runs per game, with 37 across 25 games (1.48 per game).

On the tough game and series, Coach Walter remarked: “We had it where we wanted it there in the ninth inning with the right guys up, somebody needs to come through there and put some pressure on them. Virginia Tech is a good fastball hitting team and we gave up 90% of our hits over the weekend on fastballs. As we saw from Virginia Tech in the series, th e difference was that their pitchers pitched backwards and ours didn’t.”

After the 0-4 week, the Demon Deacons will hit the road for eight straight games, including ACC series against Duke and Clemson. The mid-week series will feature Appalachian State and Davidson as Wake Forest looks to get back on track.

Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics

Senior first baseman Bobby Seymour hit two home runs in one game, including a 490ft bomb, for the third time in his career on April 11.

Page 15| Thursday, April 15, 2021

Old Gold & Black | Sports

NWSL kicks off second ever Challenge Cup The Challenge Cup is separate from the regular season, which will begin May 15

BY JULIA JUNKER Contributing Writer junkjl19@wfu.edu On April 9, the National Women’s Soccer League kicked off its second rendition of the Challenge Cup. This is separate from the 24-match regular season, which will begin May 15.

The Challenge Cup was originally established last year amidst the pandemic in place of a regular season. The players took part in the first “bubble” in sports (yes, even before the NBA) when they stayed at a singular location in Utah for the duration of the tournament.

The 2020 version featured a World Cupstyle of play with group stages, quarterfinals and semifinals leading up to the championship. This structure was meant to accommodate the odd number of teams (nine), though that didn’t end up mattering much after the Orlando Pride had to drop out due to a COVID-19 outbreak.

This year’s iteration of the Cup brings some major differences. Primarily, there is no bubble this year, and stadiums are permitting spectators at a limited capacity.

In terms of format, with the addition of the Racing Louisville FC expansion team, the 2021 Challenge Cup is able to split the 10 teams equally into West and East divisions. After playing all of the other teams in their respective divisions, the top two squads will play in the championship match, which is set to take place on May 8.

Aside from the fact that these clubs haven’t played a real game since last October, there was one particular issue that plagued the NWSL during the opening weekend: many players were absent due to international team engagements. This meant your usual headliners like Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan were not available. Instead, both were in Sweden for a friendly match on Saturday with the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT). Although there are plenty of talented players throughout the league that shouldn’t be discounted, the absence of these national team stars was surely noticeable.

Such was true in the first match on Friday between the reigning Challenge Cup champions Houston Dash, and the Chicago Red Stars. Televised on the CBS Sports Network, this was a rematch of last year’s championship in which Houston beat Chicago 2-0. That game featured a late goal from Championship Game MVP Shea Groom last Friday that sealed the deal.

The Dash were undoubtedly looking toward Groom to produce some of that same magic, especially with three of their star players out due to international obligations. The Red Stars, who were also missing three players, turned to striker Kealia Watt to come up big against her former team (Watt was traded to Chicago in 2020).

However, as most first games of the season go, the play was sloppy and disorganized from both teams, resulting in a 0-0 draw.

The second game was about as different as it could get from the first. The Portland Thorns faced the newly relocated Kansas City FC (formerly the Utah Royals) at their home stadium in a late evening match. The Thorns ended up winning 2-1 with goals by Rocky Rodriguez and Tyler Lussi, but that was not where the buzz came from.

These two clubs have a history of physicality between them, and Friday night was no different. Between dirty fouls and physical fights, four red cards were handed out within five minutes: one toward Kansas City, two toward Thorns players, and one to Portland head coach Mark Parsons. This series of events led to the widespread use of #NWSLAfterDark across Twitter, with fans, journalists and even official organizations joining in on the fun.

Saturday afternoon saw a matchup between powerhouse North Carolina Courage and the Washington Spirit. In the 10

total games between the two, the Courage have come out on top nine times. At their home stadium in Cary, N.C. they were able to pull out a win once more, outscoring the Spirit 3-2 in a hard-fought victory with goals from Kristen Hamilton, Jessica McDonald and Merritt Mathias. This game was not all bad for the Spirit, though, as their number two draft pick, Trinity Rodman, became the youngest player to score in the NWSL at the age of 18.

The last game of the weekend took place at Louisville’s home stadium. For their inaugural match on Saturday evening, Louisville took on the Orlando Pride, who had to sit out of last year’s Cup. With 5,300 in attendance, CeCe Kizer scored the first goal in franchise history in the 12th minute, assisted by No. 1 draft pick Emily Fox. This match, too, ended in a draw, though two goals from each side made for an interesting event. Each of the four scores were the first career NWSL goals for each respective player (Kizer and Brooke Hendrix for Louisville, Taylor Kornieck and Abi Kim for Orlando).

Considering a number of players were away on international duty, the opening weekend of the NWSL Challenge Cup was as exciting as one could hope. With 16 more matches to go before the championship, this tournament promises to be riveting until the very end.

PSG defeats Bayern Munich in Champions League Despite losing in the second leg, PSG narrowly advanced to the semifinal on tie-breaker

BY CHARLES HORN Staff Writer horncs18@wfu.edu

The fatigued stars of defending Champions League winners Bayern Munich sunk to the pitch in the cavernous Parc des Princes stadium as Paris Saint Germain inched one step closer to their Sisyphean goal of capturing European soccer’s top prize with a narrow victory via the away goals tiebreaker in a two-legged affair that ended 3-3.

Bayern were left ruing the absence of their star striker Robert Lewandowski and the dynamic winger Serge Gnabry, who missed the fixture with a knee in-

Photo courtesy of defector.com

PSG forward Kylian Mbappe raises his arms in victory after the win.

jury and a positive COVID-19 test, respectively. The duo was instrumental in delivering the coveted title to Bayern last season.

Last year’s final was a tactical encounter, devoid of much of the attacking brilliance that had been eagerly anticipated by the millions of viewers of the biggest game on the club soccer calendar. This year’s quarterfinal delivered all the awaited action and more, with shots aplenty and drama until the final whistle.

In the first leg, the April Munich snow did little to cool the sizzling spectacle that unfolded in the Allianz arena, as Bayern Munich and Paris Saint Germain met in a quarterfinal rematch of last year’s Champions League final.

PSG’s star duo — consisting of the two most expensive players in history in Neymar and Kylian Mbappe — provided continuous entertainment, weaving between the Bayern defense and combining artfully.

Bayern clearly missed the clinical finishing ability of Lewandowski, recording 31 shots and 12 on target, but only putting two past the heroic Kaylor Navas. The Costa Rican goalkeeper solidified a porous PSG defense, allowing the free-flowing attacking lineup to take full advantage of Bayern’s high defensive line.

Mbappe continued his dominant run in the Champions League this season.

He scored twice, including the winner and pivotal third away goal in the 68th minute to win the first leg 3-2.

In the second leg, Bayern knew they had to score twice to keep their title defense alive, but an injury to Leon Gore-

tzka further limited their attacking abilities. The first 25 minutes were a largely tepid affair, with PSG clearly the more dangerous of the two sides.

The defining battle of the first half was that between Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and Neymar. Neymar danced and dominated throughout the first half, consistently breaking through to either set up Mbappe or to shoot himself. But time and time again, Neuer denied the dynamic Brazilian, with both post and crossbar filling in when his outstanding reflexes could not.

But, just seconds after a second Neymar effort that bounced harmlessly off the post, Bayern found the back of the net. A David Alaba shot forced a diving Kaylor Navas save that looped upwards before falling and meeting the head of former PSG player Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, who forced the ball into the PSG net. The goal, just minutes before half, brought Bayern within one goal of winning the tie, setting up a second half full of intrigue and drama.

Neymar’s brilliance continued after the break as he floated around the pitch and popped wherever the ball happened to land. His expertly placed through ball was denied by the marauding Neuer with a trademark charging clearance from outside his box. Just moments later, Angel Di Maria squared it to Neymar who was just inches away from scoring, continuing a dominant but frustrating evening for the PSG star who ran the show but failed to find the back of the net.

For a moment, it looked like Mbappe had won the tie after Neymar’s through

ball set the young Frenchman through on goal before powering the ball past Neuer. But, Mbappe had strayed just inches offside, and the assistant’s raised flag denied PSG victorious gratification.

Bayern ratcheted up the offensive pressure but failed to register a single shot between the 60th and 80th minutes.

Sane nearly put the Bavarians ahead after turning the substitute Mitchel Bakker inside out and putting a rolling pass across the face of the goal that demanded a scoring touch that never came. Sane’s decision making in the final third was frustrating to Bayern fans, as he continually misplayed the final pass, including on a late ball that should’ve found the rushing Jamal Musiala, but instead rolled into Navas’ gloves.

Without Lewandowski, Bayern turned to Spanish defensive-midfielder Javi Martinez to play center forward in the hope of a late header, but it was ultimately not enough, and the defending champions were felled by the team they had dispatched in last season’s final.

PSG awaits Manchester City, who advanced over Borussia Portmond with an aggregate score of 4-2. On the other side of the bracket, Chelsea dispatched Porto 2-1 while Real Madrid moved on with a 3-1 aggregate over Liverpool.

With the defending champions dispatched, PSG inherits the position of second-favorites behind their semifinal opponent Manchester City, making their Qatari ownership and supporters’ longstanding dream of European glory ever the more possible.

LIFE

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Student reminisces experiencing live music The pandemic has changed most every aspect of our lives, but with the introduction of vaccines, a little normalcy may be found through live music and concerts

BY TAYLOR SCHUTT Contributing Writer schutl20@wfu.edu

It’s a cool summer evening in the year 2019.

You’re at an outdoor venue wearing your favorite music tee, surrounded by friends and packed tightly next to strangers. The floor beneath you feels sticky with soda and beer and a few empty cans are scattered by your feet. You paid good money to be stuck behind crowds of people all clamoring to be close to the front stage. People are chatting loudly all around you while background music plays from the giant monitors. You see hundreds more behind you gathered to enjoy the same artist, all consumed with the same level of energy and joy.

Then, a sudden hush of silence sweeps through the crowd as the lights dim and everyone lowers their voices. Sounds of cheering gradually pick up as people recognize what is about to happen. It’s time for the show to begin. You turn to your friend and flash a giddy smile. A single guitar begins playing a familiar riff as the crowd goes wild. Bright lights appear over the musicians’ silhouettes.

The frontman shouts, “Hello Winston-Salem!

How are we doin’ tonight?” Everyone continues to scream as the band begins to blast their set to hundreds of people. You feel happy. You feel nostalgic. You feel normal.

Fast forward about a year when live music came to a screeching halt in March of 2020.

As the COVID-19 virus spread like wildfire across the world, face-to-face interactions like dining, parties, shopping and, of course, concerts, ceased for months. The world was quiet, isolated and filled with hopelessness for almost an entire year. No large gatherings. No maskless interactions. No traveling. No seeing family or friend Until recently. Depending on the location, some public spaces and in-person experiences are beginning to open up. The world once recognized as normal has turned into a parallel reality filled with COVID-19-adaptations.

However, concerts seem to be last on the list of activities that can be made “COVIDfriendly.” After all, most concerts involve hundreds of people crammed together yelling, jumping, singing and breathing a lot of shared air.

Now that the vaccine is being distributed to millions of people, the world has hope for “going back to normal.” Although masks and social distancing are still required, restaurants, stores, parks, stadiums and other public spaces are increasing their capacities seemingly by the day.

Well, what about concerts? How are mass gatherings of individuals crowded together whilst sharing sweat and air going to return?

Photo courtesy ofTaylor Schutt

Nothing compares to the electric atmosphere of a live concert and the energy exuded by the masses of audience members cheering and singing along.

So far, there is a lot of hope. Artists began returning to the performance scene by live streaming mini-concerts on social media platforms to provide fans with a hint of normalcy. Yet, many have complained about virtual school and virtual meetings saying “it is just not the same as the real thing.” Similarly, virtual concerts make me miss live music — and the experiences that come with it even more.

As someone who regularly attends concerts with my family, it made me sad to watch my favorite band, The Killers, perform their new song on Instagram Live. My family and I were supposed to see their show in Ireland in June of 2020 but it was postponed, just like thousands of other live performances. My family and I attempted to feel the nostalgia of concerts by rewatching YouTube videos of live music, but once again ended up feeling discouraged and pessimistic.

As public spaces began to open, small artists took advantage of the improvement by booking gigs at restaurants and bars both inside and outside while still following COVID-19 guidelines. Unfortunately, while the artists play their sets, viewers must remain seated and are prohibited from dancing.

Now, what kind of live music is that? One of my favorite things about attending concerts is jumping around, dancing and getting as close to the stage as possible. Once again, close but no cigar in an attempt to make live music “normal.”

Artists have even tried “cruise-in” concerts that allow fans to drive their cars to a drivein theater or even a speedway to attend a show. For example, in North Carolina, the Orange County Speedway and the Eden Drive-In Theater have both held small concerts. However, this setup still limits capacity and dilutes the true concert experience. Does

this mean there is no hope for a return to a normal concert life?

In the short term, it’s complicated. Now that the vaccine is being rolled out to millions of people all over the world, artists and venues have been rescheduling previously canceled shows. But there’s still a catch. Both indoor and outdoor spaces have limited capacities, and they vary upon location.

In the U.S., laws vary from state to state, making it difficult for small artists to schedule tours. Even more difficult is the process of booking tours for big artists across several countries that all have different restrictions.

Not to mention making sure people willingly receive the vaccine. Some experts — such as Dr. Anthony Fauci — say concerts will return in Fall 2021.

Others say not until 2022 will we have a true return to normalcy because the live music business truly must “go big or go home.”

For instance, concerts held at a decreased capacity lessen revenue for both performers and venues, causing many to await the allowance of full capacity.

There is no definitive answer as to when all live music will be back in full swing. Some music festivals and solo performers have rescheduled their performances, but like everything else amidst the pandemic, we have to take it one day at a time.

The best possible outcome is for some concerts to “test the waters” in late spring and early summer with a limited capacity of vaccinated individuals. If those events are successful in keeping people safe, then the live music business and the lawmakers can reevaluate the situation and plan for the future. Until then, encourage yourself and others to be safe, get vaccinated, listen to and watch some recordings of live music and hope for the best.

Page 17 | Thursdsay, April 15, 2021

Old Gold & Black | Life

Humor Column | Battered Ankles

Scooters cause havoc on campus Memories associated with happiness are quickly overpowered by ankle pain

BY SELINNA TRAN Life Editor transn19@wfu.edu

On a crisp fall day, the only activity that could satiate my roaring childhood boredom was propelling myself on a minuscule metal vehicle that occupied the garages of most families in the neighborhood: a scooter.

The joys of riding a scooter are simply unmatched. The feeling of the wind blowing in my hair as I propel myself forward on the scooter makes me forget the world around me. There was a tiny trail that only the coolest kids in the neighborhood knew about where we were able to ride freely — unencumbered by any motor vehicles that may have attempted to intrude upon our journeys of endless exuberance.

Think back to the days of your childhood, the memories that you can’t quite place but those replete with feelings you

can easily recognize. This sense of nostalgia makes me long for simpler days when my biggest struggle was figuring out how I would be able to finish my homework, have scooter time and make it back in time for the crossover episode of “Hannah Montana”, “Wizards of Waverly Place” and “Suite Life on Deck”.

However, this feeling is quickly stomped to the curb and replaced by the searing sensations of pain in my memory. The irreverent feeling of being hit in the ankle by a scooter scars any positive premonitions or memories of my scootering days.

If you’re like me, when you are riding a scooter and you happen to pause for a second to catch your breath, your first instinct is to hold on to the handlebars and swing the scooter bed a little bit.

What a foolish thought.

Because of my cluelessness, there are many negative memories that jump to the forefront of my brain when I recall scootering. The intense and sharp pain plagues my thoughts and sends horrific flashbacks of my skin being attacked by the devilish metal device.

How can an object designed to bring upon joy cause so much pain? I suppose my experiences being on a scooter truly opened me up to the harsh and cruel reality of the world. Nothing is as painless and fun as it seems.

Everything will eventually find a way to hurt you.

This is not to be negative or anything. I still consider my days of riding a scooter to be fond, but I will never be able to go back to the state of childlike wonder that I possessed in the moments prior to pain and hurt.

Being hit in the ankle is not something that one can easily recover from — the pain stays with you. Some days, while I am studying for my next computer science exam or even just hanging with friends, I get flashbacks to the moments of pain.

They are haunting.

I hope to — one day — get over the traumatic feeling and be able to allow myself to freely feel the wind in my hair once again on top of a scooter. I do not know if that day will be soon, as every day is another uphill battle to overcome the memories of pain.

Books | “Things Fall Apart”

Novel touches on African colonialism

Achebe delves into the complex layers of both sides of history regarding colonialism

BY ELISABETH KUGURU Contributing Writer kuguea19@wfu.edu

As colonialism and all of its implications have recently come up in current discourse, I think it is important to educate ourselves on how adversely countries like Nigeria were affected by the practice. The topic of colonialism can be a tough one to fully understand, given the level of complexity that came along with the reverberating effects it had on different communities.

As a Kenyan American, I have seen how devastatingly exhausting another country’s resources can be, especially on the least affluent. For this reason, I love reading books that help me understand the African culture that was lost postcolonialism.

Being able to comprehend the deeprooted effects of colonialism is almost impossible, but Chinua Achebe’s novel “Things Fall Apart” bravely delves into the intense complexity with the compelling fictional story of the stubborn Nigerian, Okonkwo.

Achebe wrote the novel condemning neither the Nigerian culture nor the European culture, which makes it vastly different from other books detailing the divide brought on by colonialism.

Achebe’s talent in creating a compel-

with Okonkwo as we see his struggle between the Igbo’s respectable perception of him and his pride.

Achebe weaves a story of the rich Igbo culture and how it was destroyed by European colonialism. Although the British did bring new, helpful technological and medical advancements, they also brought their laws, religion and ways of thinking.

From both sides, it is easier to consider the concept of colonialism as black and white — the British seeing the Nigerians as savages, and the Nigerians seeing the British as oppressors.

However, Achebe compels us to set our embedded preconceptions aside and see the humanity in both parties. He exposes the intricacies — revealing that the situation is not as black and white as it seems.

Achebe has deepened my understanding of colonialism as I see it in Nigeria, and even in my home country of Kenya.

Through the use of his believable characters and mesmerizing storytelling, Achebe achieves his goal to not only narrate a world beyond our everyday understanding but show us that if we take the time to look closely we can see the complex nature of humanity in all corners of the world. This novel has helped to take the first step toward understanding colonialism.

If you are interested in exploring the concepts of colonialism, consider checkPhoto courtesy of goodreads ing out “Things Fall Apart”, or any of Achebe captures the complexi- Achebe’s other works like “No Longer at ties of the effects of colonialism. Ease” and “Devta Ka Baan”.

ling story helps to humanize the situation and prepares readers of all different backgrounds to empathize and understand.

Achebe prompts his readers to see the human nature in the Igbo people throughout the novel as we follow their daily lives. He also forces us to come to terms with Okonkwo’s decisions.

Even though he brutally beats his wife, kills a boy that calls him father and stubbornly refuses to change his ways, we can still find ourselves sympathizing

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LOCALE OF THE WEEK By: Selinnna Tran

Photo courtesy of angelinasteas.com ANGELINA’S TEAS If you are a tea lover like I am, then I highly reccomend that you visit this adorable tea shop in Winston-Salem.

Angelina’s Teas features a wide variety of teas ranging in type and country of origin. They also have teaware and other trinkets available for purchase.

The tea shop features a row of books for customers to peruse and enjoy while they purchase tea (or drink a hot cup of tea freshly brewed). The space is inviting and perfect for studying. Try it out and bring a friend!

Page 18 | Thursdsay, April 15, 2021

Old Gold & Black | Life

Music Review | Jungle

Welcoming back disco with Jungle’s latest single Disco fever is felt all around with the catchy can’t-help-but-dance beats of “Keep Moving”

BY ELLY HONAKER Staff Writer honaer18@wfu.edu Jungle’s new single “Keep Moving” feels like it comes right from Chic’s 1979 album, “Risqué”. A seamless connection between two lead singers creates a similar force. Their chants usher listeners to the dance floor like a call to conversation. This power of movement encapsulates itself in the inflections of two disparate entities calling out as one. Strings swipe in and out of the song, making shrill peaks of sonic excitement.

This is clearly an unabashed celebration of disco, but that is by no means a new concept in modern music. We’ve seen a reemergence of disco in the pop sphere by other artists. In fact, I often claim that what makes a new song great is its utilization of a classic disco backbeat. By backbeat I mean a particular loop of bass and drums that is inescapably groovy, often accompa-

nied by a punchy guitar lick. That hypnotic sound plays over and over again making the desire to dance unstoppable. I note a similar type of beat in songs like Maroon Five’s “Makes Me Wonder”, Bruno Mars’ “Treasure”, Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now”, and Coldplay’s “Adventure of a Lifetime”.

Beware — once you recognize it, it begins to underweave many of the catchiest songs you know.

Photo courtesy of Spotify

The single has groovy dance beats and emulates classic disco vibes.

However, where Jungle diverges from the mere implementation of a musical motif into their material is through a retirement, their music is their refinement of purpose for their disco inspiration. Their heavy disco influence evolves past the kitsch of merely injecting the signature punchy backbeat into a pop song. Rather, it expresses an ethos — an approach to their music. Like a continuation of the thesis of disco. It is an expression of strife and struggle by release as heard through a tension of strings set behind a toe-tapping beat and infectious chants. To harken back to the discotheque is to acknowledge the context around the music Jungle is making.

The song epitomizes a continued conversation surrounding the much maligned genre of disco, and this appreciation and expression serves to reinforce its relevance.

I find Jungle most similar to the band Chic in this regard, as the group is attempting to be as Chic was — a suave, sophisticated refinement of a genre mired in frivolity. Their sound and look share a kinship that is undeniable. I hope that their goal is also the same: to illustrate disco’s transcendent power to bring people together through music.

Disco was hated in its day for being an avenue in which minorities could be heard.

Alice Echols describes in her book “Hot Stuff” an industry controlled by gay men in which their liberation could be celebrated.

And for the past few years, Black women have dominated the charts with music about their own sexual liberation, as well as rekindling the conversation about Black masculinity. Echols reclaimed the idea that “Disco Sucks” by recontextualizing why it was so disregarded in its time. Jungle is facilitating a similar recontextualization, one that takes its sonic cues from the disco dance floor and puts it into the pandemic-riddled and glaringly unequal world of 2021.

Their latest song repeats over and over again, “Keep Moving” — chant made of the same stuff as “Aint No Stoppin’ Us Now” by McFadden and Whitehead. Both serve as an acknowledgement of the difficult world we find ourselves in today, yet provide that much needed form of release.

Through the incorporation of so many disco elements, Jungle is rekindling what disco originally set out to do — create an escape from the exceedingly cruel world.

Satire | Suez Canal

Suez Canal debacle affects campus morale In leaked letter, President Hatch addresses concerns regarding the Suez Canal

BY COOPER SULLIVAN Asst. News Editor sullcg20@wfu.edu

Dear Suez Canal Community, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to each and every one of you hardworking, indestructible, floating vessels.

As these past few weeks have shown us, you are the overlooked and undervalued organ of this body we call Earth — the kidney, if you will. I do not know how you do it — how you manage to float literal mountains of cargo on water using only tons upon tons of sheet metal. My mere mortal mind cannot even begin to comprehend how you accomplish this sorcery.

Obviously, I am writing this without any selfish ulterior motives. It has come to the university’s attention that we are not doing enough — or even anything in most cases — to help comfort our students when tragedy strikes their identities and communities. Because Wake Forest is a proud, private, predominantly white institution with our demographics (including mostly blonde Betas from Connecticut and future white-collar prisoners), the Wake

Forest community is aching alongside the world’s greedy rich shipping tycoons as they grieve over their slight flattenings of profits.

To alleviate any pains our students may be feeling at this horrible time, all students whose grandfathers went here will have exclusive access to the UCC for the foreseeable future as well as the opportunity to spearhead the inaugural Committee of Concerned Students Urging Kids to End Run-aground Ships in an effort to spread desperately needed American ‘Pro Humanitate’ in the Middle East.

Besides these drastic and hefty accommodations we have made for the greater Wake Forest community, I am curious — how long until this whole snafu is fixed? Not only because I would like to spend as little money, energy and time on helping our students but because it has come to my attention that many of the shipping containers on the “Ever Given” ship are full of vague motivational yard signs I have ordered. I need these in Winston-Salem immediately and would like a call back about the ETA of these precious gems as soon as you read this. Or we can schedule a sitdown meeting at the firepits on Manchester in front of prospective students touring so it seems like I do more and can get more twerps’ money.

With gratitude, Nathan O. Hatch

Photo courtesy ofTwitter

Commissioned digger demonstrates his genuine promise to try and remedy the situation that is plaguing our campus.

Mr. Hatch,

Dear Mail Room Community,

I thank you for your concern, but I question what you think your actions will do to benefit anyone. For starters, you just addressed this to “The Big Boat in the River (you’ll know the one when you get there),” and then expected this singular envelope to circumvent all the shipping problems the world is currently experiencing and be handdelivered to the very root of these problems. Secondly, I am looking over the shipping inventory of the “Ever Given” and it looks like you actually ordered 100 shipping containers worth of yard signs. Why?

I appreciate you for getting back to me so promptly. This is a very important issue and I am glad we have a top-30 post office to work with. But what’s with all the sass? I thought you could deliver mail through rain, shine and snow. Is a little traffic jam is slowing ya down? Ever get on Silas Creek Parkway at 8 a.m.? I still make it to campus on time. I hope you can get in contact with Mr. Ever Given ASAP or else there will literally be nothing for students to steal. Except, maybe these catalytic converters. What the hell is a catalytic converter?

With GrAdItUdE, Mail Room Manager

With gratitude, Nathan O. Hatch

Life | Old Gold & Black

Thursday, April 15, 2021 | Page 19

Travel | Disney World

Preparing a venture to the Magic Kingdom &B k lac

If I really think about it, it isn’t at all strange that I’m eagerly awaiting a trip to Disney World. Though I’ve thoroughly decried the negative effects of capitalism in many articles, there’s only so much that I can refuse to participate in. And yes, Disney World is that cutoff. Understand this: Disney World is arguably the pinnacle of pleasure that a middle-class consumer can reach. If I’m going to live in a late-stage capitalist society, I must undertake its rite of passage.

Come to think of it, there isn’t another place that embodies the word cutoff more than Disney World — at least beside Disneyland — to an admittedly lesser extent. Both parks represent dozens and dozens of fantasy worlds brought to life. There is no corporate experiment that has embedded itself deeper within American culture than these two places.

Remember, this is the nexus of one of the world’s most powerful monopolies (need I remind you that Disney has successfully monopolized entertainment itself). That is a commanding achievement. Sure, politicians might be able to

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BY CONNOR MCNEELY Opinion Editor mcnecb19@wfu.edu

write laws and more or less decide the fate of millions of people, but doesn’t Disney’s sizable grasp on the attention and minds of multiple generations somewhat rival that power?

In fact, it’s almost a farce to mention to someone that you haven’t been to Disney World. When I add that I’ve been to Disneyland, it doesn’t even matter to them. I have to go to Disney World. My incredulity at that truth, combined with some healthy and natural skepticism, has led me to be a bit antsy and impatient about the trip that is four and a half weeks away. I’ve been eyeing all things Disney, including their new inclusion development. Apparently, they’re adding “gender-inclusive hairstyles, jewelry, nail styles and costume choices,” according to Experiences and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro.

I’ll admit, it’s good to see such progress.

Kids need an introduction to what the world should look like, not outdated standards that aren’t accepting of how people have changed. If I may, however, I’d like to take this student-newspaper spotlight to remind the ultra-dystopian entertainment monopoly juggernaut, Disney Inc., that they filmed a portion of their recent live-action adaptation Mulan in the Xinjiang Province, outside the Uyghur concentration camps. A super-company worth hundreds of billions of dollars and the authoritative voice of American entertainment willfully ignored — thereby

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Tips and tricks to keep in mind before attending the world’s premiere theme park

Photo courtesy of IMDB

Cinderella’s castle offers a welcoming gateway into the magic kingdom of Disney World, a park that invites all guests to live their childhood fantasies.

enabling — the torture and suffering of thousands of innocent people. Now that isn’t very progressive, is it?

But fine, Disney, I’ll still go to your damned theme park. I can still have my criticisms about Disney, but nothing will ever come of them. Everything I do and every purchase I make enables the United States government, which refuses to do anything to oppose the Chinese government’s human rights violations.

So, why not go to Disney World and make memories with my friends? It’ll only cost around $700 after all.

This is the beginning of my summer “plans” — a new word that has replaced the “vacation” which I so often happily anticipated as a kid. When you grow up,

what once concerned fun becomes focused on making something of yourself.

I’m holding out hope that you can still combine the two.

In many ways, Disney World is the start of my “plan” to be happy. To tell you the truth, I didn’t really want to shell out hundreds of dollars for an experience I would have enjoyed more as a child. The reason I made the decision to go is because of the alternative: There’s a danger in declining to go to Disney World. It’s the danger of being a contrarian, the danger of spending your life refusing to investigate what makes other people happy, the danger of staying where you are and doing what you’ve always done.

Character Commentary | The “Madagascar” Penguins

Analyzing the personalities of the “Madagascar” penguins They’re cute, feathered and determined to to pull off the ultimate heist

fugitives among a circus to avoid their pursuers. They’ve even stopped an international terrorist. Who are they? Spies?

Assassins? Gods? No, my friend. They are the penguins of Madagascar.

Unquestionably, the best part of the “Madagascar” movies is these penguins, who have been able to pull off countless impossible feats using the classic heist casting technique: everyone has a specific role that they play to perfection, resulting in an unstoppable unit. The penguins are so endearing that they earned their own spin-off movie and TV show, and while I have not had a chance to watch the latter,

I can confidently say that their movie is the best part of the entire “Madagascar” franchise. While watching the movie, I became curious regarding how much effort the creators put into the characterization of each penguin, so I decided to

BY EMILY BEBENEK analyze each penguin’s name, personality, Contributing Writer and role in the group to see how these bebeek20@wfu.edu elements complement each other.

We have to start with Skipper, comThey’ve hijacked a freighter ship, then mander of the squad, deliverer of incredsteered it to and from Antarctica. They’ve ibly funny one-liners, and one of the repaired a crashed airplane by scavengcraziest in the group. “Skipper” is a term ing for parts in an African nature reserve. that refers to the master or captain of a They’ve hidden themselves and other ship, a name that certainly fits the penguins’ bold leader. While he undergoes some minor character development in their spin-off movie, for the most part, Skipper is completely confident in himself and his crazy plans, and rightly so.

They somehow always seem to work out for the best.

Next, we have Kowalski, the voice of logic and brains of the group. He is the tallest and lankiest of the penguins, which could be a reference to the stereotypical body type of Hollywood nerds (looking at you, Spencer Reid). Kowalski is actually a slang term used to describe someone who works hard in the background but lets someone else (the leader) take the Photo courtesy of IMDB credit and the glory. This certainly deSkipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private make up the quartet that push scribes the relationship between Kowalski the plot line of Madagascar forward with their absurdly conniving schemes. and Skipper. His name doesn’t really have

any other special meaning except for the slight implication that he might be Jewish, as Kowalski was apparently a common name among Jewish immigrants.

Rico is the third member of the team, and definitely the craziest. For the most part, he is unable to communicate in anything except through his own language of grunts and noises. Rico plays the role of gadget master, and he stores each by eating and regurgitating them when the need arises. Disgusting, but effective.

Rico’s name has a variety of meanings across different languages: “home-ruler,” “strong ruler,” “glory” or even “cute.”

These seem to fit, as the penguin is strong and shows little fear.

Finally, the cutest and most adorably innocent penguin: Private. The beginning of the penguins’ spin-off movie shows how the other three penguins rescued Private’s egg from leopard seals and subsequently adopted him as their little brother. Private’s personality is incredibly naïve and optimistic, and he seems to be on the least equal footing with the other penguins due to his childlike nature. Private is aptly named, as a private is a soldier of the lowest military rank, serving under a higher commander (Skipper).

“Kowalski, analysis!” My analysis? The penguins of Madagascar are hilarious to watch and the perfect anti-heroes to make you laugh.

Page 20 | Thursday, April 15, 2021

Old Gold & Black | Life

LIFE:

[Student Gov]

LIFE TAKES ON ELECTION SEASON Let’s be honest, y’all. Is there a better section of the newspaper to tackle the upcoming election, to bring to you only the best of the best? No. The answer is simply, no. Life, as a team, has found the best candidate for the election. Forget all those no-names you see campaigning on campus and trying to win your vote. The only person that truly cares about the well-being of this campus and the students is Rich Richard Richardson III. We have secured an exclusive interview with this man, who was a highly coveted subject. He promises satisfaction for every single student, guaranteed. Please, read for yourself to understand why we are endorsing Rich Richard Richardson III.

Interviewer: Interviewer: Regarding the COVID-19 policies and Nice to meet you Mr. Rich Richard Richardson III. I am extremely excited to the current difficulties we have seen this past semester — do you have any comsit down with you today and speaments on the situation or any policies that you would have liked to see enacted Rich Richard Richardson III: As am I. I mean, my time is pretty differently? Maybe more communication valuable, so for me to sit here and spend between the administration and the stuit with you should indicate how much dents?

I care about the people of this university. My main goal is for the people. Am Rich Richard Richardson III: Nah for sure, that makes sense. I mean, I talking to the people right now? Will they get to see this? Hey people. What if I am being honest with you, the whole up. It’s your boy — Rich Richard Rich- wearing masks thing is kinda dope. I feel ardson III. I am currently campaigning like Bucky Barnes. You know who that to be your next Student Body President. is, right? He is the Winter Soldier. For the most part, I think my fellow students would agree with me that masks are Interviewer: Fantastic! Thank you for that stellar freaking dope. introduction. My first question for you is regarding your main platform for cam- Interviewer: Would you not agree that there is a dipaigning. vide between the populations of Greek life and the rest of the student body in Rich Richard Richardson III: Well, If I’m going to be honest — regards to social events — specifically can I be? Can I be frank? Thank you, maskless ones? We are asking this based thank you for allowing me the honor to on recent trends of concern. be frank. I just want to say that what I care about is what the student cares Rich Richard Richardson III: If I am going to be honest with you about. Right? I mean, at the end of the day — the students are what makes up here, I did not know there is such a large the school. Without the students, where population of Greek people present on would we be? Think about that, sit on campus. I mean, as I said in the start, I that, let that marinate a little bit and get am a man of the people and if anybody feels underrepresented, I am here for back to me if you have any questions. them. Greek people rule!

Interviewer: Well, I do agree, and while that was Interviewer: Well, never mind. Any closing remarks really inspirational I do need to add that or comments? we have a few more questions to ask you if you don’t mind.

Rich Richard Richardson III: Nah. Thanks, dawg.

Rich Richard Richardson III: Yeah, don’t even trip dawg, I am here all day. I got no plans. I am here all day, Interviewer: Well, folks. It is clear to see why Rich I got literally no plans. Nobody to see, and nothing to do. You know the vibes, Richard Richardson III is the ideal choice right, haha, don’t you? Wait, don’t write to be the next Student Body President to that down, do not mark down that I represent our top-30 university. He exhave no plans. I mean like, I do not have emplifies all of the best qualities that we plans in a cool way. Anyways, what was wish to produce. Simply unbeatable. We hope this interview has helped you dethe question? cide who to cast your vote on.

Note: This page is purely satirical and is no way an endorsement for the Student Government elections.

(Not that Rich Richard Richardson III exists anyhow, right?)

Here we have an image of THE Rich Richard Richardson III, a man of true swag and drip. If you look at this photo and choose to not endorse this man, just know that do not trust your judgement.

ENDORSEMENTS & TESTIMONIALS “I think he really... I think when you look at him you see every single person on campus. That is all I have to say about that.” - Connor McNeely “Yeah, yeah. Vote for him. Who is Rich Richard Richardson?” - Christina DeNovio “I think he is swag.” - Alexandra Karlinchak “Is he an engineering major? If so, he has my vote.” - Will Nave “I know Rich is ready to drain the swamp. We can no longer let bureaucracy run Wake Forest.” - Ben Conroy “Have you seen the rest of the candidates?” - Will Zimmerman Celebrity Endorsement: The Ghost of Bernie Madoff