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Old Gold&Black

WAKE FOREST’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1916 T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 17 , 2 0 2 0

VOL. 107, NO. 4

“Cover s the campus like the magnolias”

COVID-19 TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES TREND

Total cases as of 9/15

Total cases since 9/2

103

70

120 100

100

80

78

60

56

40

41 23

20 0

103

6

9

8/19

8/22

30

15 8/25

8/28

8/31

9/3

9/6

9/9

9/12

9/15

Source: https://ourwayforward.wfu.edu/covid-19-dashboard/ Graphic by Renting Cai/Old Gold & Black

Over the past few days, COVID-19 figures on campus saw an uptick with a seven-day rolling average of 7.42 new cases registered between Sept. 5 and Sept. 11, the latest period with the most accurate data available.

Positive COVID-19 cases quickly rise past 100

Wake Forest registered 49 new COVID-19 cases since Sept. 8, a 90.7% increase over past figures

BY JESSICA MARK Staff Writer markjf19@wfu.edu One week ago on Sept. 8, the reported number of positive COVID-19 cases on campus according to the university dashboard was 54. As of Sept. 16, that number has increased to 103, a 90.7% increase in one week. Positive cases are being confirmed at greater numbers and in shorter time frames than at any other time since the beginning of this semester.

A campus health update on Sept. 15 stated, “in recent days, there has been an increase of known, confirmed positive cases in our campus community.”

The update goes on to state that many of the increased cases are asymptomatic, with symptomatic cases being mild and lasting for approximately three days.

Vice President for Campus Life Penny Rue discussed with the Old Gold & Black the recent increase of COVID-19 cases among the university community.

“We are finding that most positive cases arise from small groups of friends gathering, taking off masks, and eating together,” Rue said. “Infectious disease experts predicted this level of increase given our environment. We can continue to keep the virus from transmitting more rapidly by frequent hand washing, strong mask compliance and limiting ourselves to small gatherings.”

It’s critical to consider that the increased number of positive cases follows the launch of Wake Forest’s random testing program.

This program, which started during the week of Aug. 31, tests approximately 500 random students weekly with PCR testing.

Wake Forest believes that, as more routine testing is conducted, “... it is likely we will continue to see these numbers increase.”

Among the objectives of the surveillance testing program is the ability to effectively address the prevalence of the virus within the Wake Forest community. The Sept.

wfuogb.com

Finding support in the time of COVID-19 The pandemic brings new mental health challenges to Wake Forest’s campus

BY ALEXANDRA KARLINCHAK Asst. Opinion Editor karlae18@wfu.edu After only one month back on campus, a large portion of the student body is struggling with mental health in ways they never have before. People feel isolated due to online classes and limited human contact, and the University Counseling Center’s (UCC) lack of staffing and funding, as reported by the Old Gold & Black this summer, has not been helping students deal with the hardships presented by the tumult of the past year.

So where does one go when they feel isolated, overwhelmed, overworked and out of touch? While many students automatically think that the UCC is the only place to turn, Wake Forest is home to a number of offices that offer one-on-one healing and support.

See Wellbeing , Page 6

Tigers trounce Deacs 37-13 in opener Clemson beat out Wake Forest in an eerily empty Truist Stadium on Saturday

15 update from the university, which is posted above the dashboard, reported that the positivity rate of the virus “among the asymptomatic student population with no known exposure” identified through random testing is 0.25%. Wake Forest has not reported the total number of positive test results compared to the total number of tests performed. Last week, the university reported an overall 2% positivity rate in the FAQ section below the dashboard. That positivity rate estimate was removed from the FAQ section shortly after it appeared.

Wake Forest is collaborating with BioReference Laboratories to conduct its surveillance testing. On its random testing FAQ page, the university states, “BioReference Laboratories, a nationally recognized lab that specializes in mobile testing, will use a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test utilizing anterior nares (nasal swab) collection. The swab is taken from the front of the nostril and has been described as the least invasive of the different types of nasal swabs.”

There are reasons Clemson’s quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, will probably be drafted number one overall in the 2021 NFL draft. There are reasons Clemson’s running back, Travis Etienne, was named the ACC Player of the Year last year. And the year before that. There are reasons Clemson came into, and left the weekend ranked the best team in the country.

Those reasons were apparent last Saturday night.

And while 37-13 may not seem encouraging, going up against Clemson so early in the season could be a gem in disguise for Head Coach Dave Clawson and the Demon Deacons if they can use the experience to pin-point and patch-up areas where they came up short.

See COVID-19, Page 5

See Clemson, Page 12

BY WILL ZIMMERMAN Sports Editor zimmwj19@wfu.edu

OGB

This column represents the views of the Old Gold & Black Editorial Board.

Continuing our call for transparency As we enter the fourth week of classes, the university continues to evade students’ calls to increase their transparency surrounding COVID-19 cases on campus. We believe this has led to a rise in complacency amongst students and as a result, a rise in confirmed positive cases.

The university proudly displays our “Yellow: New Normal Campus Operations” status via signage across campus and on the online dashboard. Yes, the university is currently managing cases, but if they continue to rise at the current rate, our campus may transition to Orange sooner than we think. Rather than celebrate our current status, which has arguably encouraged a false sense of security, the university should thoughtfully highlight the threat of Orange as a realistic possibility so students can better evaluate the significance of their actions.

In the world of COVID-19, actions have direct and immediate ramifications. This week, University Police documented, as part of a weekly report exclusively sent to the Old Gold & Black, that there were two large off-campus parties this weekend, one which had approximately 150 to 200 people. The idea that students would and did gather in such large numbers points to a flaw in the university’s messaging and execution of its policies. Students need to be made aware of these events, the conduct process they will endure and the consequences they will receive in order to make clear how dangerous and insensitive these gatherings can be.

Despite numerous pieces our staff has written regarding the need for the university to update the dashboard, only one major release of changes has been made. Those changes, to separately identify cases from the most recent two weeks and compare them to cases since Aug. 17 and

isolate cases for staff and students, have raised eyebrows and given students a more realistic picture of the current situation. However, more action is needed.

The university retroactively updates the dashboard based on the day the student or faculty member took their test rather than the day the university receives word of their positive result. This method creates unnecessary delays and does not allow students to see the increase in cases in real time. It only seems logical to update the dashboard based on when new positive cases are detected. Further, the university has been extremely unclear in outlining a positivity rate (read more on page 1). This number should be presented to students alongside the total number of tests administered, including those not given by the university.

Arguably as important and still missing from the dashboard is the number of available

rooms in the Best Western, the university’s designated quarantine hotel. This would clearly be one of the university’s metrics in deciding whether or not to keep campus open. This is also a way for students to gauge the capacity of the university to handle new cases, which will be critical if cases continue to rise exponentially. This is not the time for bureaucracy to take its course. The efficient delivery of this information is essential in guaranteeing the health and safety of students.

As the university has promised that the dashboard will be updated with further testing data and the number of hospitalizations, it seems we are all waiting like a captive audience.

So, rather than announcing that updates are “coming soon,” they could simply make these changes and notify the community after they have been swiftly executed.

Old Gold&Black

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF WAKE FOREST UNIVERSIT Y SINCE 1916 OLIVIA FIELD

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF fielor17@wfu.edu

CHARLIE BENEDICT

BUSINESS MANAGER

benecc19@wfu.edu

EMILY BEAUCHAMP

ELIZABETH MALINE

PRINT MANAGING EDITOR

ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR

beauea17@wfu.edu

>> NEWS

Rafael Lima, limara17@wfu.edu

>> SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Maggie Burns, burnme17@wfu.edu

>> OPINION

Jack Portman, portjt17@wfu.edu Assistants: Ryan King, kingrm17@wfu.edu Alexandra Karlinchak, karlae18@wfu.edu

>> SPORTS

Ben Conroy, conrbd19@wfu.edu Will Zimmerman, zimmwj19@wfu.edu

>> LIFE

Catherine Regen, regecl17@wfu.edu Assistant: Andy Killebrew, killae17@wfu.edu Micah Porter, portmj19@wfu.edu

>> PHOTOGRAPHY

Katie Fox, foxkg19@wfu.edu

>> DIGITAL MEDIA

Renting Cai, cair17@wfu.edu

>> SOCIAL MEDIA

Anna Bloch, blocae19@wfu.edu

>> ADVISER

Ivan Weiss, weissij@wfu.edu

malied17@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 fielor17@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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News | Old Gold & Black

Thursday, September 17, 2020 | Page 3

Deacon Profile: Timothy Heath

BY CAROLINE WALKER Staff Writer walkct18@wfu.edu

Timothy Heath is the marching band director of the Spirit of the Old Gold & Black (SOTOGAB). After the band's successful performance during College GameDay, Heath is looking forward to a great season.

Why did you decide to be the marching band director at Wake Forest?

Being from North Carolina originally, I knew about Wake Forest; I knew about the prestigiousness of the university and also the fact that it was an ACC school. And then also it was a potential opportunity for my family to return to North Carolina, because we were living in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, at the time and I was teaching at Sanford University in Birmingham.

Then I got a call to interview and a call to come on campus, and the campus is absolutely beautiful. Winston-Salem is a great city to live in. Now that we've been here, we're really glad that we're here, because it's been great for our family. The university has been a great place to work, and working with our students has just been a fantastic experience.

What has been your favorite part of leading SOTOGAB so far?

Honestly, I think the biggest thing that — well, I brag on our students for a lot of different things — but the thing that always comes to mind when someone mentions SOTOGAB is the passion they have for what they do, not only in the stands, but at rehearsals, at a game or even if we're just doing an appearance.

The passion that our students have is definitely something I haven't seen at my other institutions where I've worked or been a part of in any way. And I definitely think that is probably my favorite part so far.

That's great. So, how did you prepare for the season opener?

In a lot of ways, it was no different than any other game. Because at the time when we first started working together, we were thinking that the first game was going to be [Appalachian] State, so we were just practicing and putting everything in place.

Photo courtesy of Timothy Heath

When we found out that there was a switch and then when I personally knew that GameDay was coming, which was before the announcement, it made me think back to, “okay, what are some of the most important things that we need to prepare for early,” so that, without a doubt, we are absolutely ready to go.

And for me, it's one of the things that we do best, and that is our school songs and just our overall excitement and just making sure we had everything ready to go and in place.

To be more specific, we did have a threeday mini preseason camp. We were able to spend more time on our stands music and our pregame music. So, we were able to really concentrate on that and then also just our overall uniformity.

What was it like to perform during game day?

It was really fun. I am going to try to speak more from a student perspective with what they've told me, and everyone was very excited. I think the first time

they started to get messages saying we saw you on TV, I think it really increased the energy, because it was a long morning.

The students were out there from roughly 8:15 a.m. until a little after 12 p.m. But I never heard a complaint. I never heard any, like, “I wish we hadn't done this.” None of that. It was all, “Dr. Heath, this is great.

This is so exciting. We're so excited to be here. Thank you for making this happen.”

Which obviously, I didn't make it happen, but they were just very excited that they were chosen to be a part of the experience and be part of the background.

From the performance side, they did exactly what we always practice for. They 100% brought their A-game, and they very much displayed that passion and energy.

tubas, our baritones, our euphoniums, our trombones [and] our mellophones are stored. From that standpoint, we've had to be very aware of how many students are in rooms at a time.

Also, the mask is something that our students have taken very seriously. They are always wearing their mask at any point, unless they're playing their instrument. And even if they're playing their instrument, as soon as they're finished, the rule is [that] it comes right back above their nose.

For example, at the end of the fight song, when the music cuts off, you'll hear the drums kind of do a little cadence and the whole band goes, “Go Deacs!,” even then the horn comes down [and the] mask comes up before they shout, “Go Deacs!”

I think the biggest change for us, honestly, is not necessarily with the logistics or the protocols, but it's taken some adjusting with the band in more of a social environment. The band is a very close-knit family. That’s one of the great things about the culture of a marching band program.

You can just see where it's like they just want that normalcy that they had previously, but they know they can't have that and they've adapted to it really well. They’re remaining incredibly positive. I think that they're leading and they're being an example to the university and to other band programs.

What are you most looking forward to?

It has: it's made us think about small details at a much larger level than what we normally would.

For example, we have an instrument room where our large instruments: our

I look forward to lots of wins from the football team. We're excited. I think we had a fantastic season last year, and that energy that we came out of that previous season is going to continue into this fall.

I think the students are excited to have the opportunity to be together and to be able to support our football team. The most exciting part is that it's looking like we're going to be able to keep doing this as long as everyone continues to follow the safety protocols. Just being able to finish the season together I think right now is what's really exciting me the most.

Editor's note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and AP style.

the COVID-19 policies of the university and is working on adding features to the COVID-19 dashboard that have more specific details about cases. The committee also shared how they are discussing with administration the possibility of releasing information regarding the consequences of students who have gotten in trouble for not following the Code of Conduct.

They hope that the release of this information will persuade students to follow policies more carefully, but the university has not given its approval yet. Following a constituent concern, Academic Committee is planning to meet with the ZSR Library to increase and change its hours to benefit more students. They also hope to release information about the Major and Minor Fair soon.

Campus Life Committee shared that their First Year in Focus mentorship program orientation was successful, and they are looking forward to the continuation of the program.

Judiciary Committee shared a presentation that served as a refresher of the rules and etiquettes of senate behavior. They are also working to review processes and put together a pamphlet with all Code of Conduct information.

Diversity and Inclusion Committee shared that the President’s Commission Report will be moving forward into the next phase.

Public Relations Committee announced that they had posted reminders about the freshman elections packet this week and are continuing to report universityaffiliated accounts.

So, has COVID affected your practices and planning otherwise?

SG GENERAL ASSEMBLY

BY JESS SCHMIDT Student Government Beat Reporter schmja19@wfu.edu I. Executive Reports President Miles Middleton addressed the suggestion that was brought up in cabinet regarding accountability with the SneezSafe survey. He will be working with administration to see how the survey can hold students accountable. He is also bringing up the concern about the use of the LVJM Coliseum as parking for the Trump Rally held on Sept. 8.

Speaker of the House Ally Swartzberg announced that the deadline to run in the freshman election has ended and campaigning will begin starting tomorrow.

Treasurer Victoria Parker reported that SBAC has been busy hearing presentations.

Secretary Caroline Walker is excited for the upcoming Student Government Retreat on Sept. 27 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. where the freshman senators will be welcomed by the rest of student government.

Chief of Staff Drew Skilton reported that all of the interviews for senate appointments had concluded, and that he believed the appointees would be good additions to student government.

II. Committee Reports Academic Committee had various announcements after their meetings with the Office of the Dean of the College this past week. They reported that the university is working to improve signage that shares more details regarding

Old Gold & Black | News

Page 4 | Thursday, September 17, 2020

In memoriam: Brian Colson Campus will shine less brightly without Colson, a shuttle driver known for small kindnesses

BY ELIZABETH MALINE Online Managing Editor malied17@wfu.edu Brian Colson, a beloved member of the Parking & Transportation Services staff, passed away shortly after midnight on Wednesday morning. According to WXII News, police responded to a call that there was a car on fire near Second and Broad Streets, and found Colson, 64, deceased in the car when they arrived. Police said that Colson hit a utility pole and then a parked car while making a left turn on his way out of work, the car catching fire upon impact.

The cause of death is still being investigated.

“I just talked to the last driver that spoke with him last night and they talked just before Brian left around 12, 12:15 [a.m.] last night,” Transportation Services Manager Jason Campbell said. “He seemed to be in good spirits.”

Colson joined Wake Forest’s parking and transportation staff in 2017 and worked as

an on-call shuttle driver from 7:00 p.m to 1:00 a.m.

“Affectionately, that became known as Brian’s taxi cab,” Campbell said.

Campbell said that Colson had a group of “regulars” and would be waiting outside their normal pick up spots, even before they would call him, to drive them.

“I’ve met a lot of students as a result of Brian, you know, doing what he did and people calling in to say ‘I really appreciate this guy. He waited an extra five minutes for me to come out of the library when he didn’t have to’, or ‘he took me down this dark street to my house at 11:30 p.m. when he could have just let me off at the corner and made me walk,’ just things like that.”

Campbell acknowledged that Colson’s job was a tough one, but that he continuously maintained a positive attitude.

“You don’t know what kind of mood the passenger is going to be in when you pick them up at 10:30 at night. They could have had a really long day, they could be frustrated with something going on in their residence hall, they could have internal things going on,” he said.

“But the thing that I would say about

Brian Colson is that as soon as you got in the van, you got a smile from Brian, a ‘how are you’ and ‘where can I take you?’”

Campbell emphasized that Colson was highly respected and affectionately viewed among his fellow drivers as well as the whole transportation department.

“Brian was a great example of how everyone can have a positive impact on those we served everyday. He found joy in his interaction with staff and students,” Vice President of Hospitality and Auxiliary Services John Wise said. “This is truly a sad loss for our campus family.”

Colson was a husband, father, grandfather and had recently become a greatgrandfather. But for Campbell, he was part of a 25-member family in the transportation department as well.

“On behalf of our department, we have really lost a giant in the world of transportation.”

Not only was Colson’s death a loss for the transportation department, but the rest of the university community will feel his absence as well.

“He was a welcoming, compassionate driver who always asked me how my day

was going or how school was going,” senior Caitlyn Margol said. “There was one time where it was pouring rain and I was in Scales finishing an art project really late at night. Instead of picking me up where the normal spot is that’s really far away, he came right up to the sidewalk so I didn’t have to walk in the rain.”

A simple ride home in Colson’s shuttle could brighten someone’s day, especially recently given that the pandemic has severely limited social interactions on campus. It was a time when one could engage in intimate discussion.

“Right now, everything in the world just seems to be dehumanized and there’s no interaction. But when you’re in a van or in a small bus and you only have one or two people in there, sometimes you strike up conversations you know. Where are you from? Are you going home this weekend? You know, things like that,” Campbell said. “I’m really thankful that since 2017 we had Brian in this division because he’s done a fantastic job.”

Campus will be a little less lively tonight without Colson riding around, picking up students ready to head home after a late night studying.

University engages in census process The deadline to be registered for the decennial census is quickly approaching this month

who studies the census and is currently teaching a Special Topics in Sociology (SOC 390) class on the 2020 Census.

Normally, residents are instructed to fill out the census for the location they inhabBY AINE PIERRE ited on April 1, Census Day. However, Staff Writer COVID-19 and the shutdown of most pierav20@wfu.edu major universities in March because of the virus have complicated the count.

Sept. 30 marks the last day that a resiAccording to the U.S. Census Bureau, dent of the United States can fill out the however, “if someone such as a college form to be counted in the 2020 Census. student is just living with you temporarThe census, a decennial count of U.S res- ily due to the COVID-19 situation, they idents dating back to 1790, determines a should be counted where they ordinarily state’s representation in the U.S. House of would be living on April 1, 2020.”

Representatives, as well as access to funds According to the university’s acting from federal programs like Medicaid, etc. director of news and communications, “If there is an undercount, which we’re Cheryl Walker, the university submitted Aine Pierre/Old Gold & Black concerned there might be, then it will re- “directory-level information” about more Census information signs can be found at locations on and offsult in a shortage of funds in communi- than 4,100 students who were living on campus, such as this one located on Polo Road near Deacon Place. ties that need them. If, in Winston-Salem, campus prior to being sent home due to there’s an undercount of college students, COVID-19 concerns. Per university pol- the majority of the year, Wahl argues that “The Census Bureau has staff in place it means that our county and our city is icy, off-campus students have to register they have the most to gain by being count- and tools that they can use to identify going to receive less money from the fed- temselves individually to be counted on ed as residents here. First-year students, individuals that show up as a duplicate eral government than they’re entitled to the census. however, should be counted as residents and correct for that,” Wahl said. “[Stureceive,” said professor Ana Maria Wahl, Since students live in Winston-Salem for of their home town and county since they dents] shouldn’t worry about being double counted, but they should worry about not were not yet on campus.

“It strikes students as somewhat prob- being counted at all.”

Wahl also encourages students to fill out lematic that they would count as a resident THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CENSUS of a county when they might be registered the census to ensure that their records are to vote elsewhere ... and the logic of the available to their descendants for generacensus is this: that these students are sup- tional research. Census records are vital in ported by services provided in this county services that research genealogy.

“I like to think of the census as a record for these four years ... this summer has The results of the census of our footprints at this moment in histomade more clear than ever the importance The census is only of mental health services, and those ser- ry. You should be able to go back through decide how much money completed every 10 vices depend on monies [from the Census census records from 100 years ago and find Winston-Salem receives the footprint of a great-grandparent or a years. apportionment],” Wahl said. in federal funding.

Due to the complications of COVID-19 great-great-grandparent,” Wahl said. “I and the general expectation of human er- know I’ve done so with my family history.”

The full record of the 2020 Census will ror, Wahl says that the Census Bureau is Filling out the census be released 70 years from this December, well prepared for duplicate counts.

This now will continue means that if a student’s parents included in 2090. The deadline to be counted this building on your family them as part of their household, a student year for students who have not yet been should still apply to be counted here in recorded by their home or university houshistory.

Olivia Field/Old Gold & Black ing is Wednesday, Sept. 30.

Winston-Salem.

$$$

News | Old Gold & Black

Thursday, September 17, 2020 |Page 5

COVID-19: random testing ensues Continued from Page 1 Kayla Sirlin, a sophomore who has already participated in the random testing program, described the test as not terribly invasive.

“It was just barely at the tip of [my] nose ... It didn’t feel invasive at all,” Sirlin said.

Sirlin also conveyed that it took approximately a week for her to schedule

her test after receiving an email confirming that she had been selected for random testing, a process that might further delay the reflection of live and accurate COVID-19 figures on the dashboard.

The connection between rising case numbers and the color status on campus remains to be determined. Student Health stated in its Sept. 15 update that the color status “... is not determined solely by the number of positive cases

but several factors that help explain the prevalence and nature of COVID-19 spread at Wake Forest.”

Rue discussed the circumstances that might cause the Wake Forest campus to shift to the Orange color status.

“From the experience at other campuses, the reasons schools have gone into a more restricted status arise from superspreader events where asymptomatic individuals spread the virus —

knowingly or unknowingly — to such a large number of contacts that it becomes impossible to perform contact tracing in a timely manner,” Rue said. “Additionally, running out of space to quarantine exposed students creates a need to become more restrictive. Again, frequent, hand washing, strong mask compliance — inside and outside — and limiting ourselves to small gatherings will help us to stay in the yellow zone.”

Classics embraces anti-racist curriculum The Classics department plans to introduce a more actively anti-racist curriculum

BY RAFAEL LIMA News Editor limara17@wfu.edu

scheduled for Sept. 22 at 3:30 p.m. by reaching out to the Classics department Administrative Assistant Julie Pechanek to be added to their listserv.

The Classics department has also brought in a series of guest scholar speakers such as Dr. Shelly Hailey, one of the leading scholars in Black feminist and critical race approaches to Classics, and Dr. Sinclair Bell, a classical archeologist and art historian, to broaden students perspective on race representations in the Classics. And the early results have been encouraging “I really do think that looking at the study of Classics through different perspectives is very important especially when considering the various ways in which it has historically been rooted in racist and white supremacist ideals.

Changing the way we see Greek/Roman Classics and the way society sees Greek/ Roman Classics is very important to form a more inclusive and comfortable environment in our classrooms,” said senior and Classical Studies major Will Lewis. “ I don’t believe I would have the knowledge to take such a strong stance

towards the necessity of further inclusion in the discipline and the elimination of its white supremacist roots, if not for the extraordinary educational effort put forth by our Wake Forest Classics faculty.”

Now, the plan in the Classics department is to move the Classics Beyond Whiteness from a short-term exposé of some of the racial issues within the field of Classics to a more permanent feature of its curriculum.

“One of our plans is that when the next opportunity for course revisions [appear] we are going to propose that Classics Beyond Whiteness, as a oneand-a-half credit course, becomes a requirement for majors and minors,” said professor Mary Pendergraft, chair of the Classics department. “We would also like to hire scholars coming from different backgrounds and who have expertise in these kinds of issues.”

Both requests will be subject to approval by Dean of the College Michele Gillespie later in the academic year.

For Gellar-Goad, instituting a requirement class focused on acknowl-

edging and deconstructing some of the white idealizations and troublesome white supremacy ties in the field of Classics would be a first step in making the study of Classics more inclusive and welcoming to students of color. “[Making Classics more inclusive] is an area where there’s plenty of activism going on in the field right now, trying to bring Classics to more people, not because it’s some sort of savior or exceptionally special. It’s not. But, because we think that some of the benefits that Classics has are ones that everyone should be able to share in,” Gellar-Goad said. “It’s an uphill battle in our field, but one that we feel that we are well-positioned to fight and that we have good allies both at Wake Forest and across the country.”

Much like the Eos moniker, which in ancient Greek mythology referred to the goddess of dawn, represents the ambitious goal of the Eos Africana project in reshaping the understanding of Classics, a new dawn on the study of Classics lies on the horizon for Wake Forest students.

When professor T.H.M. Gellar-Goad from the Classics department first introduced his “Classics Beyond Whiteness” initiative last fall, the idea was to have a year-long multidisciplinary programming that could shed light onto the role that Classics plays in race relations and some of its current social implications.

The initial half-semester course originally opened for 15 students, but quickly was filled beyond capacity with 26 students registered. The interest among students exceeded expectations and the opportunity for deeper discussions about changing a historically white field of study soon followed.

Fast-forwarding to this summer’s massive public outcry against police brutality and long-established forms of systemic racism in the U.S., Gellar-Goad, professor Caitlin Hines and other Classics department faculty saw in the national scenario a renewed call for changes in their own discipline as well.

“After what happened this summer in Minnesota and Wisconsin with the murder and shooting of Black civilians by police and the response of anti-racist protests, we decided that we would extended Classics Beyond Whiteness into this year and beyond,” Gellard-Goad said. “If you look at our department profile, all of the faculty members of the Classics department are white and the field of Classics is overwhelmingly white. That is because of longstanding structural inequities and white supremacist affiliations of the field and is something that we are a part of a larger movement within the [Classics] field to fix that in a variety of ways.”

Classics Beyond Whiteness returned this semester with a two-session reading group on Eos Africana Reads for Black Lives focused on the Africana reception of ancient Greek and Roman Classics. The reading sessions, which were also in support of the national Scholars Strike for racial justice on Sept. 8 and 9, were part of a worldwide initiative by the Eos scholar society, offering a new way to engage with Greek and Roman cultures through the lens of Africana while giving prominence to the experience Photo courtesy of the Wake Forest Classics department of Black people in the field Classics.

Interested students can still partici- Pictured is a portrait of Helen Maria Chesnutt, a Black classicist from North Carolina, by Leo Rucker (left) pate in the second group reading session and commissioned by the Classics deparment in February as part of its Classics Beyond Whiteness initiative.

Old Gold & Black | News

Page 6 | Thursday, September 17, 2020

Wellbeing: Chaplain aids students Continued from Page 1

This three-part news series will explore a handful of traditional and non-traditional campus organizations and educate readers on the resources that exist and are underused, as well as the programs that might not be as developed as they should be. The Chaplain’s Office, The Office of Wellbeing and the University Counseling Center are all tangible resources that the school provides.

The goal is to bring awareness to the different organizations that specialize in spirituality, wellness and mental health so that, pandemic or not, students have a list of potential offices to visit through life’s inevitable ebbing and flowing.

In terms of the current struggles that people are facing, University Chaplain Reverend Tim Auman understands how difficult these times are on students, faculty and staff.

“Relationships flourish in an environment of intimacy,” Auman said. “The thing we need most in this life, now more than ever, is deep connection. We both want and fear vulnerability, but you can’t truly have that with Zoom or Google Meet. People, for the most part, are struggling.”

The Office of the Chaplain is rooted in the fundamental belief that there is a spiritual dimension to existence. This spirituality is inclusive to everyone, regardless of the religion (or lack thereof) that one practices.

The Chaplain’s office offers pastoral care and mindfulness-based coaching to anyone, regardless of affiliation.

Religion, by its very definition, is an organized set of beliefs and practices, usually shared by a community or group. Spirituality, on the other hand, is a far more individualized practice and focuses on developing a sense of inner peace.

While around 30% of Wake Forest’s student body does not identify with any given faith, no one is excluded from the help and care that the Chaplain’s office provides.

Through their collaboration with The Office of Wellbeing, the UCC and Student Health Services, the Office of the Chaplain is also able to refer students to clinically trained therapists and/or psychiatrists.

When asked what sort of support the Chaplain’s office is able to offer students, Aumam had a list of examples at the ready.

“Sometimes people just need a conversation partner. And that can look very religious sometimes. Other times, it can have more of a spiritual component. Even if you want to talk about the existential questions — the really fun ones — like, ‘What is this life?’ or ‘What am I called to do through this short, amazing experience of being human?’, part of our work is to give space to honor and support these questions,” he said.

Auman believes that to enter a place of knowing, that is, self-awareness and true presence, one must seek silence. When that happens, one becomes more resilient and fearless.

“How wonderful would it be to go through the world 10% less afraid,” Auman asked, a lightness in his voice.

Wonderful might just be the understatement of the century. The way to arrive at this sense of inner stillness and courage?

Mindfulness.

“Mindfulness impacts your physiological wellbeing, your emotional wellbeing, your relationships, your scholarship, your creativity, and your cardiovascular health,” Auman said.

The Office of the Chaplain (through the work of Auman himself) is responsible for implementing the MindfulWake campaign and, in doing so, created a space in which

Wake Forest students, faculty, staff and administrators are taught the basics of mindful living. Lessons such as how to embrace life as it is in the moment, how to set aside ruminations about the past and anxieties about the future and how to cultivate positive states of mind such as gratitude, joy and compassion.

The main way in which students become introduced to mindfulness through the Chaplain’s office is through KORU Mindfulness — a four-week, skills-based mindfulness program that Auman teaches.

Junior Maya Mehta participated in the KORU Mindfulness program the fall of her sophomore year.

“KORU was a great way to learn about the basic skeleton of what mindfulness is and Reverend Tim taught us how to be more mindful in everyday situations, from

doing walking meditations to eating slowly and mindfully,” Mehta said. “I looked forward to these classes because they served as a break from schoolwork while simultaneously emphasizing how to be present and adopt a more positive mindset.”

Auman hopes to make experiences like Mehta’s universal.

“My hope is that at some point, hopefully, every Wake Forest staff person, every student and faculty member will go through that basic KORU course and learn that basic tools so that they come out of those four weeks more curious,” Auman said.

If you are interested in talking with Rev. Auman about your current life situation, want to join KORU Mindfulness or are interested in learning more about mindfulness itself, call the Office of the Chaplain at 336.758.5210.

Christa Dutton/Old Gold & Black

The Wellbeing Office, Chaplain’s Office and the University Counseling Center are specialized in providing mental health services.

Best Buddies fosters friendship, community Campus club faces new challenges in operating under COVID-19 regulations

BY CHRISTA DUTTON Contributing Writer duttcd20@wfu.edu “Joy, genuine joy.” That’s how senior McKinley Mueller describes Wake Forest’s Best Buddies, which she co-leads.

Best Buddies is an international organization that aims to foster friendships, integrated employment, leadership development and inclusive living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs). Best Buddies is the world’s largest organization dedicated to this type of work, and the organization has a place here on campus and within the Winston-Salem community.

The mission of the Best Buddies club at Wake Forest is to foster intentional, genuine friendships between Wake Forest students who do not have IDDs with individuals, or “buddies” as they are called, living in Winston-Salem who do.

The club accomplishes this by partnering with host sites throughout the city.

The largest host site with whom the university partners is Carter High School, a school specifically for students with

IDDs. The chapter also partners with Moji Coffee, a coffee shop that employs people with IDDs and the Down Syndrome Association of Greater WinstonSalem.

“What’s different about Best Buddies than other non-profits is that it’s focused on not only creating a great community but also creating integrated employment and building leadership development, and even helping people with inclusive living … it helps people with IDDs for the rest of their lives,” said senior Alexa Reilly, co-leader of Best Buddies.

The mission of creating real friendships is even more important during the COVID-19 pandemic, as it is easy for everyone to feel isolated. Large group events may be on hold for now, but the joyous friendships and authentic community that Best Buddies creates is certainly not.

The Best Buddies club is feeling optimistic about this semester, even if most events will have to be on Zoom. Virtual events like trivia nights, show and tell and Pictionary parties are already being planned. The club is also planning on getting more involved with their host sites. Best Buddies is encouraging its members to attend and volunteer at various events at Moji Coffee. The coffee shop will be having a voter registration

fair for people with disabilities to provide support with the voting process. All club members are encouraged to attend.

In addition to volunteer and service activities, Best Buddies will also be using this socially-distant semester to do virtual educational programming. There will be Zoom meetings on the topics of intersectionality, linguistics and a session about the importance of not using derogatory terms like the R-slur.

However, the club is not only a source of help for those with IDDs, all members benefit from their experience.

“My buddy helped me lighten up … she makes me laugh like no one else and sometimes I need that,” Reilly said.

Mueller says that it brings so much joy and peace to the students who are involved because while other clubs are joined just for resumé-building or leadership positions, Best Buddies focuses solely on building genuine friendships and having human-to-human interactions. She also says that being around a buddy teaches you so much about joy and shows you how inconsequential the things we stress about are.

When asked about the heart of the Best Buddies club, Reilly said that she loves Best Buddies because it allows her to go outside the Wake Forest bubble and meet people that she would not

have had the opportunity to meet otherwise. “No other club has as big of an impact on your life as this one does,” she affirms.

Best Buddies is open to anyone who wants to be a part of its mission. To get involved, simply email Mueller or Reilly, whose emails are printed on the Best Buddies posters around campus. Even though the club will look differently this semester, there are still friendships that need to be made, perhaps now more than ever.

“It’s not an option to not have Best Buddies this year. It’s not an option to give up on our friends,” Meuller said.

Photo courtesy of McKinley Mueller

Best Buddies focuses on advocacy and interpersonal relations.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

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Socialization may slow cognitive decline Wake Forest reseachers are exploring the effects of socialization on brain health

BY LAUREN BERRYMAN Staff Writer berrlt17@wfu.edu Sparking up a conversation with friends and family also sparks connections in the brain. And these connections are proving to impact brain function, especially in aging adults.

As more Americans are living longer, more people are faced with cognitive impairment. This mental decline affects one’s ability to remember, learn and live independently. With no cure, it can potentially progress into dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, over five million Americans are currently living with the disease, and the number is expected to grow. However, social engagement is proving to be an effective palliative care option for the elderly with memory loss.

Christina Soriano, an associate professor of dance of Wake Forest, and Dr. Christina Hugenschmidt, an assistant professor in Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine at Wake Forest School of Medicine, have teamed up to conduct research on the impact that dance and socialization have on brain function in older adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI).

“If you look at an Alzheimer’s patient’s brain, the whole brain is smaller … there’s atrophy throughout it,” Hugenschmidt said.

The goal of their research is to spar connections in participants’ brains through stimulation, which may improve the secondary symptoms of dementia, like effects on mood, balance and behavior. They also are looking for ways to improve the participants’ overall quality of life.

They orchestrate improvisational dance classes using the IMPROVment Method for the elderly. They are designed to encourage movement and social engagement among the participants and their caregivers.

Because of the varying degrees of memory loss in individuals, the IMPROVment Method is key because it encourages random, unchoreographed movements. Without the pressure of having to remember certain moves, dance and creativity are made more accessible to this elderly population.

“Movement belongs to everybody,” Soriano said. “There are artists everywhere.”

Soriano encourages the participants to take risks during the classes because even trying is succeeding.

“There was one day when a group of high schoolers shadowed our dance class, and they were so reluctant to participate,” said junior Amanda Black, who assists with the research. “Meanwhile, we have these 80-year-olds who are so excited to do the dances.”

This open and inclusive environment creates a shared experience among the participants, which boosts their confidence and overall quality of life.

As social beings, interactions with other people are important for health and wellbeing.

Oftentimes, older adults become increasingly isolated and withdraw from social situations. Adults with MCI may isolate themselves even more out of fear of the potentially awkward consequences of losing their train of thought midconversation. “[The participants] build relationships with one another and have something to look forward to,” said senior Kamryn King, who assists with the research.

“This is a big deal to the older adults who are sometimes embarrassed or discouraged by their struggles.”

With this confidence boost, the adults are more willing to engage each other and stay mentally active, which is proving to decrease depression, a secondary symptom of dementia.

While this study has not yet concluded, the researchers expect that the groups with socialization will have better improved cognitive abilities compared to the control group, according to King.

However, with social distancing guidelines in place and retirement homes restricting visitors amid the pandemic, socialization is declining for the elderly population, who especially need the interaction.

“Social isolation has health effects equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a

day,” Hugenschmidt said, referencing a study in Perspectives on Psychological Science.

According to Medical News Today, loneliness is found to negatively affect mental and physical health. It can lead to depression, anxiety, high blood pressure and a weakened immune system.

“I’m devastated [by the effects of the pandemic],” Soriano said. “You become a community, and it’s really hard to not be with them.”

With this study on hold for now, research team members are still calling the participants to touch base. However, King says it is likely that the current research group will have to start the intervention over because of this unforeseen break between the classes.

Regardless of the temporary hold, the research appears promising. Brain scans show the development of connections within brain pathways after the IMPROVment intervention. When pairing socialization with the physical activity of dance, it is expected to make these connections even stronger.

This research has been effective in bridging the gap between art and science. The impact that socialization and dance may have on slowing the progression of memory loss creates a sense of hope for people diagnosed with this incurable disease.

“New connections between separate parts of the brain are being established in the participants, which is pretty meaningful in the neuroscience world,” King said.

COVID-19 lays bare climate change Experts warn that reduced emissions during COVID-19 are not a 'silver lining'

BY ELLIE BRUGGEN Contributing Writer brugej16@wfu.edu Air and water pollution, as well as other environmental harm, have been greatly reduced since the COVID-19 pandemic began, but most experts warn against thinking of this as a ‘silver lining.’

“As we inch from a 'war-time' response to 'building back better,' we need to take on board the environmental signals and what they mean for our future and wellbeing,” said United Nations (UN) Environmental Chief Inger Anderson in a UN article. “COVID-19 is by no means a ‘silver lining’ for the environment.”

With domestic and international mobility severely reduced over the past several months, carbon emissions have been cut drastically. However, these improvements in global environmental condi-

tions are temporary, and have come at a high human cost.

“With over 231,000 deaths and climbing, and billions impacted, this is by no means a positive situation,” said Brian Cohen, the Program Coordinator for the Office of Sustainability. “That doesn't mean that we can't learn from this experience.”

Many individuals, corporations and governments are already learning from the way that the pandemic has completely altered our previous realities. Many conferences, for example, may be virtual as opposed to in person even after the pandemic given that they are feasible and save time and resources.

“The impressive reductions in pollution that we're seeing around the world go to show just how quickly our actions can make a difference if we're willing to take big, bold steps,” Cohen said. “We can survive without airplanes and automobiles; the question is how much are we willing to sacrifice?”

Despite these positive hopes for progress, some corporations are failing to meet certain environmental regulations,

claiming that the pandemic’s economic tolls are preventing them from doing so.

There are sometimes reasonable responses during crises such as the Environmental Protection Agency giving leeway to companies during these unprecedented times.

“There will be a few cases that are fraudulent,” said Stan Meiburg, director of the graduate program in sustainability and former Acting Deputy Administrator of EPA. “The real question is whether the agency (EPA) will go after those or not.”

The election this November has an incredible impact on the trajectory of both EPA and environmental action in the United States. Meiburg stated that the aftermath of the pandemic will be a return to ‘business as usual’ if President Donald Trump is reelected, whereas we will see a lot more conscious effort to include renewable energy if a Democrat is elected.

Many experts are hopeful that the pandemic will be a wake up call and give rise to action, even if for selfish reasons.

“I think the issue is much bigger than just climate change — it is the general

lack of concern and care for animal health and environmental health, and the recognition that all of this is connected to our human health,” said virologist and professor of Biology Pat Lord.

Given the interconnectedness of global systems, plant and animal health and human health are all intimately related. By adequately protecting our environments, we can more adequately protect ourselves.

“I would say that climate change has the potential to disrupt things on a similar scale [as COVID-19] and do we really want to go there?” Meiburg said.

In the past few months, lifestyles across the globe have been drastically altered, forever in some cases. There are positive perspectives and negative perspectives, but regardless, decisions will continue to be made that have impacts on both human and environmental health for years to come.

“What I think is more enduring is not what we’ve learned from this, but what habits we adopt,” Meiburg said.

“It’ll change the way we think.”

OPINION

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a t : w w w. w f u o g b . c o m E D IT O R : J a c k P o r t m a n , p o r t j t 17 @ w f u . e d u A S S I S TA N T E D I T O R S : R y a n K i n g , k i n g r m 17 @ w f u . e d u Alexandra Karlinchak, karlae18@wfu.edu

OLD GOLD & BLACK

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

“ offer superior socialization Quad dorms Living on campus

Though larger, north campus dorms lack opportunity for socialization and convenience

Ansley McNeel

Guest Columnist mcnear19@wfu.edu Each year during registration, many students decide between living in the newest upperclassmen dorms, Magnolia and Dogwood residence halls, and the quad dorms, Kitchin, Davis, Taylor, and Poteat residence halls. On one hand, it is quite appealing to commit to Magnolia or Dogwood, as they have much larger room dimensions and even share large living rooms in their suite space. On the other hand, quad living offers the perk of being more central to campus, closer to classes and less isolated from general social life. With all of this in mind, I argue that the better-quality living spaces offered by Dogwood and Magnolia

Media Ethics

Media

...the [living spaces] offered by Dogwood and Magnolia are simply not worth the limited social life and lack of convenience...” are simply not worth the limited social life and lack of convenience that they entail.

To begin with, quad living provides a closer platform for interconnectivity within each hall and suite. Because each room faces each other in the small shared hallway space, it is easy for suitemates to find more time in the day to check in with each other. For example, two doubles that face into each other can leave their room doors open and allow all four suitemates to stay connected at all times. In order to have a social interaction, all one must do is simply shout out the other suitemate’s name.

In Magnolia and Dogwood, however, the room configurations do not usually allow for two rooms to really look into each other’s spaces at all times. Instead, one must leave the comfort of one’s own bed and ask to enter someone else’s room in order to be social. This might not seem like an important issue, but it does automatically limit the degree to which a person can be social

“ gains from

The personal issues of star athletes should be empathized with and not exploited

Ben Wilcox

Staff Columnist wilcbr19@wfu.edu

On the morning of April 23, 2020, 31-year-old Jace Prescott committed suicide. His brother, and Dallas Cowboys quarterback, Dak Prescott, recently opened up about his own struggles with depression and anxiety following the death of his brother.

Coward television host Skip Bayless decided to spin Prescott’s interview into a point about how it was a personal weakness and it made Bayless question if Prescott would be the right person to be a team leader. Of course, every other sports personality berated Bayless for such a senseless hot take and trying to make the death of Jace Prescott and Dak’s reaction a black mark on the Cowboys Pro Bowl Quarterback’s resumé. Of course, the irony should be pointed out that Bayless is calling out another person’s manhood

with others they live with. Though, socializing in these spaces should also be limited in accordance with social distancing guidelines.

Next, the larger spaces of Magnolia and Dogwood allow for the residents to become complacent in their spaces. When you have a space to watch TV, hang out in larger groups in the suite common space, and generally have more living room, there is less of a reason to be adventurous and leave your own living space. This means that residents of Magnolia and Dogwood are probably not as familiar with their neighbors as the residents of quad dorms.

The physical layout of the quad dorms is particularly important for socialization as well. In the quad dorms, we have the “breezeways” as opposed to indoor hallways. We also do not have elevators. This means that right when a resident leaves their suite space, they are in public and can see people who are already out and about.

The lack of elevators also means that residents pass each other when they enter and exit the dorm, thus adding another layer of social bonding and contact within the dorm spaces. This extra degree of social living also includes visibility of people who are study-

ing outside at the shared courtyard tables, as the breezeways provide that extra aspect of communal living. It is very rare, especially in quarantine when being outside is so important, to see empty benches and tables in the quad courtyards. People are always mixing and mingling in these public spaces.

In terms of convenience, quad living also reigns. Residents of the quad area are only a stone’s throw away from being out by Wait Chapel, a major gathering space. Quad residents also literally live right on top of eating spaces such as Zicks and Subway. This convenience factor is essential in stressful academic weeks, when every minute saved is another minute for productivity. Even for classes themselves, quad residents can wake up five minutes before a class begins and still be there a minute early. Residents of Magnolia and Dogwood, however, have a long walk through the general parking lot, the entire quad itself, and then the Manchester Plaza to get to class. This time makes a world of difference for a 9:00 a.m.

With all of the social and convenience benefits in mind, the smaller living space and older amenities offered by quad living are inconsequential compared to the social isolation of Magnolia and Dogwood.

the suffering of athletes

Any player’s mental issue stories feel like a blip on a radar that gets lost in the 24hour news cycle.” and ability to lead a locker room despite Dak’s overall 41-27 record while playing in the NFL when compared to a sports personality who has never competed at any level comparable to the players he critiques. However, this recent incident is just another example of the ignorance of athletes’ struggles with mental illness.

The “hot take-ification” of athlete’s lives has very evidently run off its track. Everyone is trying to zig or zag one way or another to create a sensationalist opinion that’ll get them a fifteen-second clip trending on Twitter. I honestly believe that Bayless was being intentionally obtuse to get trending, and frankly, it worked because this is the first time I’ve thought about him and his show for a long time. So many people also used Bayless’ comments as a springboard for a performative “shameon-him” segment without addressing the real issue at hand. Surprisingly, the most nuanced and mature reflection on this whole situation came from First Take with Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman. The show has found its

niche by being intentionally loud, obnoxious, quotable, in-on-its-own-joke, but most importantly, fun. Smith and Kellerman were brave enough to talk about their own struggles with losing a family member. Smith gave one of the most poignant and nuanced understandings of grief I’ve seen. He talked about losing his brother, and albeit not falling into depression, but succumbing and becoming numb to the overwhelming power of grief. He and Kellerman thoroughly explored the topic and by the end of the segment, both were near tears. Despite being some of the most beautiful and thought-out television I have ever seen, none of these clips gained any national traction and if I were to ask you about Smith’s comments from last week you’d probably think it had to do with clowning the Knicks or Cowboys.

When my grandmother died in 2016, I thought it was something that I could accept and process fairly quickly. However, I didn’t anticipate that I couldn’t listen to some songs or watch some movies the same way ever again. It’s something that I still carry with me to this day. Like Smith said on First Take, what’s so hard to process “is that the person who loved you most and loved you so unconditionally, is gone.” I be-

lieve that most, if not everyone, has felt some sort of loss like this, as death is very common in life, so twisting the death of a depressed man into a take for views is wholly unjustifiable. Athletes are expected to be better than us, everything that they do has such a brighter spotlight on them.

This sort of false idolization is an unfair expectation to place on anyone, let alone challenging a grieving brother’s manhood.

Everything about these players’ lives is over-examined, and it wasn’t even a month ago that the hosts on First Take were calling out Dak Prescott for some little statement he made, just because the Cowboys haul in views. And on top of all this, any player’s mental issue stories feel like a blip on a radar that gets lost in the 24-hour news cycle.

Kevin Love opened up about his own struggles and the media loved it until they were done with it. Sports media is an ever-entertaining machine, it’s what I turn on when eating breakfast, but the yellow journalism within the industry has gone too far. It was refreshing to see a show like First Take be nuanced and mature, and hopefully, it’s something that we see more of in the foreseeable future.

Opinion | Old Gold & Black

Thursday, September 17, 2020 | Page 9

Wildfires "require quick global action Environment

Climate change requires immediate structural action if warming is to be staved

Connor McNeely Staff Columnist mcnecb19@wfu.edu

The Earth is in danger. This headline has circulated so many times in this century that the sentence has lost its meaning. Although history has shown constant patterns of natural fires, the inevitable march of our global population has created a far more erratic and dangerous modality. Across the recent decade, the amount of global wildfires has increased statistically — with extremely significant environments being threatened and millions of acres of property being destroyed. But this is just the beginning of the future devastation that is headed our way.

Wildfires in the United States have always raged in large amounts. Naturally the climate in the Western United States has always been tremendously dry, just as there have always been a high number of fires. But natural fires have changed as we have progressed further and further into forests and have altered even the air above us.

It is inarguable that the progress of industrialization and residential de-

Effective action will only be taken when the citizens of the nation ... are captivated." velopment into the wild has provoked devastating consequences. However, what many scientists and advocates against the concerning reports suggest about comparing modern statistics to those of the early 20th century is starkly wrong.

The information capturing systems of almost 100 years ago double and triple counted the acreage affected by the fires, while in 1983 the advent of computer modeling and sophisticated counting methods were able to accurately number and measure the total amount of land impacted by the wildfires.And there are many more signs that are glaringly obvious. The rising temperatures in the Western U.S., specifically California, are one to two degrees higher than the average across many groups of decades in the 20th century. The climate variable fuel aridity is another indication of the artificial cause behind the devastation of the forest fires. Society has gradually repressed natural fires in order to protect development — thus increasing the growth of dry brush and plant life that should have been burned. For decades authorities have unknowingly created a time bomb that will ravage countless lives and invaluable amounts of land.Many people know about the current strug-

gles of people and wildlife in vulner- breathing in the air near the fires. It able ecosystems, yet the issues feel far will only be a matter of time before the off and their effects delayed. The sky issues that people in the Amazon and even turned orange and red in parts the Western United States are dealing of California and the images only oc- with have reached where we live. Alcupied national attention for a couple though the global pandemic has caused of days. It is clear that effective action a major reduction in carbon emissions, will only be taken when the citizens of these deadly fires promise to provide the nation — and the world — are cap- even more of an increase to carbon tivated. But far more alarming is the dioxide levels in the atmosphere. And spread of fire in the Amazon. just like always, it’s up to us to stop it.

The rainforests which have been That call to arms may seem as dilapicalled the ‘air conditioners’ of the plan- dated as ever, but the time is coming et are being decimated mainly by man- soon where it will be too late to hear it. made fires.

Just as citizens in the United States have foolishly caused unimaginable harm to their own environments, the people of Brazil and other independent actors continue to damage the Amazon rainforests in the name of profit.

Over 8,000 fires have been reported in just the first week of September.

This is an event that impacts the entire Earth, but focuses more on those who live in Brazil, and in the Amazon rainforest.

The territory of the indigenous people is being interfered with. Their agricultural property and resources to sustain life are being taken away from them and damaged by the harmful fires. Pollutants enter the air when fires are started to clear the area that remains after deforestation — another behemoth of a problem in the Amazon.

Photo Courtesy of Robert Gauthier/LA Times/TNS Specifically the pollutants include the harmful particulate matter, which Rapidly expanding wildfires are can cause harmful diseases to anyone raging across much of the West.

Sobriety in“college poses new challenges Campus Life

Sobriety on the collegiate campus requires embracing new experiences and people

Isabella Mason

Guest Columnist masoif20@wfu.edu

When you tell people you’re sober, especially as a college freshman, you’ve got to know your audience. If it’s a parent you’re speaking to, there’s no need for an explanation — it’s a consistent pat on the back. If it’s a peer, things look a little different.

“No thanks, I don’t drink,” you casually say, and the words linger in the air until someone either glazes over them with a swift change of subject, or until someone asks the question: “Wait, why not?”

There are a number of reasons I don’t drink or engage in substance use. I won’t get into my personal reasons, because I hope this article can be read from a number of perspectives. It could be because you’re religious, you don’t like to lose your

It didn’t take me long to realize that it’s not quite so black and white." inhibition, you’re in recovery from a substance use disorder, or any number of different things.

The truth is, when someone asks the question of why you’re not drinking, you can say anything, and people tend not to pry.

There’s a lot of weird energy surrounding sobriety and abstinence from substances, and oftentimes people are scared to investigate further into your decision to abstain.

This might be part of the problem with sobriety on a college campus — it’s rarely seen as normal. It’s almost never the ‘default’ of a college student on a weekend’s evening. I’ll gladly clarify at this point, though, that there’s no point in shaming people for drinking or using. I recognize that I do not walk a moral high ground, because sobriety is a very personal and individual decision. Whether you drink or not, we’re all on equal footing, because we are making highly personal decisions

that (hopefully) follow our values. I know not everyone agrees with this, though, which can result in a feeling of left-outness. It is really easy to feel like, if you’re not at a party, you’re not having fun. Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) is real.

When I first arrived at Wake Forest, I was stuck in between a rock and a hard place trying to decide if I wanted to surround myself with sober people or people who like to party. It didn’t take me long to realize that it’s not quite so black and white. There’s a great community of sober folx on campus — the Collegiate Recovery Community, for example, which exists to support people in pursuit of recovery from substance use and other addictions. There are also many great groups of people who do not engage in abstinence from substances. Even so, there are many groups of people who spend some Friday nights sober and some not-so-sober, potentially engaging in harm reduction (note: if you engage in substance use and do not know what harm reduction is, I highly suggest you look into it).

There’s no shortage of different and interesting people at Wake Forest, despite the smaller-than-average

campus population, and the overwhelming feeling of homogeneity.

But when it comes to a spectrum of sobriety on campus, you may be surprised where some people fall.

People who are sober still like to have fun, and may even show up at parties (socially-distanced parties of under 10 people while indoors, that is). People who drink or use still like to ‘chill,’ and may even spend a Friday or Saturday night in rather than out.

Quite frankly, there’s no point in determining whether or not someone is worthy of your time based on their interest in alcohol or other drugs if they do not violate your personal boundaries. Especially as a freshman, it has been made extremely clear to me that we are all trying to feel as okay and as included as possible.

Whether or not you brought a drink with you, we’re all in the same boat, so keep compassion in your back pocket as often as possible.

If you suspect that you or a friend may have a problem with substance abuse, please consult the Office of Wellbeing at 336-758-3089 or thrive@wfu.edu. Resources are available to help you.

Page 10 | Thursday, September 17, 2020

Racial Justice Personal Development

Podcast

“ promotes

Open discussions facilitate dialogues and appreciation of differing perspectives Mariama Jallow Guest Columnist jallm18@wfu.edu

I am from The Gambia, a small country on the coast of West Africa.

However, I grew up in Saudi Arabia, where I attended an International school in an environment where everyone was different. There was no apparent majority or minority population, so I never lived in an environment that was divided. In no way did this disconnect me from racism and microaggressions outside of the bubble at my school. However, I became desensitized to microaggression to the point where it was normalized.

As someone who grew up being Black but outside of the United States, I was able to realize that racism and anti-Blackness is a global phenomenon.

I faced microaggressions constantly.

At Wake Forest, I’ve grown from being with more Black colleagues. Wake Forest opened my eyes: It doesn’t

Old Gold & Black | Opinion

discussions of race for a while, all of these questions,

The World Through Our Eyes. This podcast was not meant for me to just talk about being a Black and African woman, but to spark conversations with people both similar to, and very different from, myself.

I knew that these conversations would be difficult to have but that proved the mere importance of them.

The realization and uncomfortableness of these conversations allowed me to understand that this country and world had and still has a builtin notion and false conception that Black people somehow need to be oppressed.

The podcast has allowed me to invite people into difficult discussions and to speak truthfully — rather than beating around the bush — on real issues that affect us all.

This podcast proves the importance and necessity of journalism because all journalists around the world have the job of telling the truth to the people. Journalism reflects a free society.

Many journalists stay clear from “telling the people what they want” and instead tell people what they need to hear. As an aspiring journalist, I’ve learned that you cannot please every-

one and it is the responsibility of a journalist to uphold the facts and to represent the underrepresented.

Don’t be afraid to tell people your truth, and likewise be open to hearing different perspectives from your own. I do not think many people are afraid of learning or being told that their preconceived notions and stereotypes are wrong.

However, not everyone will take that initiative — to be told that what society has embedded into their schema is inaccurate. Most of us are surrounded by a world of fake news and social media, both of which have immense power and negative effects on society.

Expressing the transformation that I have made from freshman year to now and allowing other people to discuss the world in which they grew up has shown me the need for more voices to be heard. I wanted to hear Black voices talking about Black issues, so I found another podcast hosted by Wake Forest students called Black Girls Becoming by Edna Ulysse and Nicole Mitchell which everyone should go listen to.

Listen to a podcast and follow up on the news, even if it's just a couple of minutes every day. Go and learn something new, or debunk false information that you thought was true.

Many of these universities have gone completely online or, like Wake Forest, have placed strict rules on gatherings. But that has not stopped the students of comfortable financial standings from finding ways to make college seem closer to normal. For example, I know students at Lehigh University with strictly remote classes. A large number of students were quick to rent out off-campus homes to live and party - or to simply escape months of living with their families - for the semester.

Wake Forest has a very similar situation of off-campus living, although a large reason for that was the lack of space to place students who didn't go abroad and to fit more COVID-19 - friendly singles on campus. (As a disclaimer, I secured an off-campus apartment this year after the cancellation of abroad programs, so I am not just generalizing, but speaking from personal experience and observation.) Many may not recognize that the opportunity to have a separate space to advance in your studies and socialize with friends during a pandemic and national economic crisis is quite a privilege.

Besides socializing in apartments and homes in college towns, children of wealth such as those at Wake Forest have options: options to go

out to dinner, to bars, to shop and to live lavishly on top of paying tuition for a primarily internet-based education.

There is nothing inherently wrong with this if these students are following guidelines of mask wearing, social distancing, quarantining, but if they are completely disregarding all rules, it seems that the privilege results in a detriment to society.

Students have off-campus gatherings in the households they can afford and are stretching the number of people going to businesses in Winston-Salem.

With this opportunity to have fun and not stay quarantined in their respective hometowns comes the possibility of even further spread of the virus. So, while wealth and the capacity to spend and live a life that resembled the past may be helping the very few to cope with the dullness and uncertainty of this pandemic, life is very much the opposite for much of the U.S. and beyond.

Students and people outside of universities with economic advantages must reflect on the access they have to a more real-seeming life right now and actively ensure that they are still working to stop the spread and to make it easier on those without that ability.

The podcast has allowed research inquiries and conversations me to invite people into dif- I’ve had with my peers and myself ficult discussions, and to have inspired me to start my podcast speak truthfully..." matter how much money one has, or what positions one is in — being Black comes first, always. I came to this conclusion through having conversations and by being Black at a predominately white institution. In the wake of Black Lives Matter gaining attention in national media and news outlets, and not being able to go back home due to COVID-19, I consumed the news daily. All of this opened my eyes to the discrimination and bigotry that Black people have faced and continue to endure since the beginning and continuation of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.

Since the murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Sandra Bland and more recently Jacob Blake, I started to teach and inform myself about American and world history that I didn't learn about in high school.

Taking History 105 here during the fall of my sophomore year broadened my understanding of what it meant to be Black in America and in the world at large today. Although I had been thinking of starting a podcast

“ Pandemic exacerbates wealth differentials COVID-19

Wealthy Americans face significantly fewer obstacles throughout pandemic Kate Federer

Staff Columnist fedekm18@wfu.edu We are all sick of discussing the COVID-19 pandemic still going on right now. However, since this is written for a school with a student body of which 71% of students are in the top 20% of national incomes, I feel this is the perfect opportunity to discuss the privilege that should be recognized through this time. There are obvious indicators that there is a clear divide between wealth and lifestyle in the United States, but now the virus has put perspective on a lower, more visual scale outside of the statistics. This summer, I worked for the same country club that I have worked for during the last few years. Other than lifeguards wearing masks, limiting numbers permitted into the swimming area and taking down names at the signin, it seemed like nothing was different about this particular summer. A fellow lifeguard looked around one

The opportunity to ... socialize with friends during a pandemic ... is quite a privilege." day and commented “Isn’t it crazy that the rich people can escape it all?

They have all of this space outside and activities to do. It is just unreal to me.” It did seem unreal. While the members were doing things within the state’s COVID-19 guidelines and obeying our own rules, it was still like their money granted them a loophole in a time of international struggle. If they were exposed to the virus this summer either from the club or from their activities outside of it, they have health insurance to cover medical implications and most have jobs that allowed them to work remotely. The risk of getting sick was miniscule compared to the reward of getting the most entertainment for their money. On the tennis courts, at the restaurant and at the grill by the lake, the world crashing in on itself wasn’t an imminent concern. In fact, the world of privileged higher education is like a larger scale of the country club.

Wake Forest and similar schools are perfect examples of the bubble of privilege around the virus, espe cially in regards to fun and entertainment.

SPORTS

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PAG E 11

Online at: www.wfuogb.com Twitter: @sports_ogb Editors: Ben Conroy, conrbd19@wfu.edu Will Zimmerman, zimmwj19@wfu.edu

OLD GOLD & BLACK

College GameDay comes to town For the first time ever, College Gameday made its way to Wake Forest on Saturday

BY BEN CONROY Sports Editor conrbd19@wfu.edu Reynolda campus was abuzz last Saturday as the College Gameday crew set up shop in Winston-Salem to preview, among other games, the Wake Forest versus No. 1 Clemson contest that was set to occur later that night. It was a bit surreal to turn on the television Saturday morning and see the familiar face of American sports legend Lee Corso discussing the potential outcome of a Wake Forest game with an empty Truist Field in the background. Of course, College Gameday protocols had to be altered drastically due to the ongoing pandemic. There were, for example, no rabid fans cheering raucously in the background holding homemade signs as a panel of college football experts discussed the slate of games for that day. The members of the show were all socially distanced, of course, and the silent backdrop gave the show a sense of unprecedented serenity.

Former Demon Deacon and NBA superstar Chris Paul made an appearance on the show as College Gameday’s weekly

“guest picker,” which is typically a famous alum from the host school who comes on briefly to aid the show’s hosts in making predictions regarding the games for that day. This time around, Paul had to clock in over Zoom, voicing his opinions from a remote location due to the pandemic.

I feel obligated to add that it’s an absolute travesty that no fans or students were able to attend the broadcast on Saturday.

Typically, College Gameday is a fastpaced program whose intensity is derived from the passion of devoted fans eager for the chance to represent their schools and communities. The cast of the show usuPhoto courtesy of Wake Forest Athletic Communications ally feeds off the manic, unbridled energy Wake Forest welcomed the College Gameday entourage to brought forth by the deafening shouts campus on Saturday, pictured here with our beloved mascot. that rise from the mob of spectators; this time around, the show seemed to be miss- one, as the Deacs fell to the Tigers in a at the opposing Clemson Tigers. When ing some of the pageantry that’s made it contest that was never particularly close. game time rolled around, many attended Regardless of the game’s outcome or the outdoor viewing parties in hopes of shara staple in the Saturday college football experience. With all that’s going on, how- irregularities of the show itself, the past ing some sense of unity while viewing the ever, this was completely inevitable, and weekend’s College Gameday experience contest. I myself watched the game from certainly a necessity. The state of affairs made me proud to be a Demon Deacon. my dorm room, in the company of close on Wake Forest’s campus and across the Though we weren’t granted the oppor- friends, feeling that familiar sense of pride country is incredibly delicate and mov- tunity to witness the show in all its wild welling up in my chest as the Deacs took ing forward with the standard production and brazen glory, the effort was certainly the field. Despite all the adversity and unprocess would have been exceptionally present on the behalf of the Wake Forest certainty that continues to loom, for a few student body. Students flocked in droves hours on Saturday the students of Wake unwise.

To no one’s surprise, Lee Corso picked to Benson University Center to claim the Forest were able to escape the warped Clemson to win the game, donning a gau- complimentary Gameday shirts distrib- version of reality we find ourselves expedy, mascot-style Clemson Tiger headpiece uted by the university in the days prior riencing and focus on simply being colin perhaps the show’s most well-known to the game. Some students hung signs lege students, unified by the presence of segment. Corso’s choice proved a prudent from their balconies, boasting playful jabs football once again.

MBB: ACC coaches exploring expanded tourney ACC coaches hope to include all 346 D-1 teams in this year's postseason

BY SAM WEXLER Senior Writer wexlsn17@wfu.edu

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of hearing the teams for March Madness every year. The teams somehow seem to leak a few hours before and many fan bases are left outraged at their exclusion from the tournament. Think about what it would be like without this selection process. Every team would just automatically make the tournament. It would be like the Virginia vs. UMBC game all over again but with way more of them. The tournament would consist of literal madness but it honestly sounds awesome. This proposal is what the ACC Basketball coaches put forward on Wednesday, Sept. 9 for the upcoming season.

The idea of playing a tournament with over 340 teams as opposed to 68 is definitely a novel concept. However, it is a unique year, to say the least, and no tournament went on in 2020. The idea, which is being spearheaded by Duke

coach Mike Krzyzewski, is an attempt to level the playing field. This season will be strange and it is likely that teams will have differing numbers of regular season games due to a variety of factors surrounding COVID-19. As a result, the ‘Selection Sunday’ release of 68 teams would undoubtedly be blatantly unfair to some teams while unjustly favoring others.

"This is not a regular season," Krzyzewski said in a statement. "It is clearly an irregular season that will require something different. Our sport needs to be agile and creative."

In addition to wanting an expanded tournament, sources have told ESPN that many ACC coaches do not want to play non-conference games in an effort to control the COVID-19 protocols further. The coaches all voted on Wednesday before relaying the message broadly. Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes gave his statement on Twitter: "I am so proud to stand UNITED with every coach in the ACC in the belief that every Division I college basketball program should be allowed to participate in the NCAA Tournament this year!" Forbes tweeted. "This is what's best for our student-athletes, fans and the sport of college basketball. It will in-

centivize everyone that loves and cares about our great sport during these unprecedented times, and it will provide a safe environment for all to participate in. LET'S GET THIS DONE!" In theory, I love the idea, I really do.

But in practice, I just don’t see how this works. There would be 346 Division I schools eligible for this year. The NBA only had 22 teams in the bubble and it has still been quite a feat to pull off.

We are talking about 324 more schools somehow managing to follow protocols with around 25 people per team, give or take. Upwards of 8,000 people would then have to be tested and quarantined, with more and more leaving after each game. I love the idea of ‘celebrating’ basketball and giving everyone the opportunity to play in the tournament this year. I’m just not so sure on how it works.

As of right now, the NCAA has been insistent that the end goal is to have a traditional 68-team tournament on the normal March-April timeline in 2021.

However, NCAA president Mark Emmert said in August that an NCAA tournament in a bubble environment with fewer than 68 teams could occur.

"Starting with 64 teams is tough.

Thirty-two, okay, maybe that's a man-

ageable number. Sixteen, certainly manageable. But you've got to figure out those logistics," Emmert said in an interview on the NCAA's website from last month, "There's doubtlessly ways to make that work.”

Basketball season is a long ways away both literally and mentally. The beginning of the NCAA basketball season still has not even been approved, but will be voted on Sept. 16. According to Dana O’Neil of The Athletic, the start date for men’s and women’s college basketball is expected to be Nov. 25.

Whatever way, shape or form this basketball season and NCAA tournament take, I have no doubt it will be great.

The men’s tournament in particular makes up the majority of the NCAA’s annual revenue, last year reaching over $1.1 billion. Normally, a lot of that money is returned to each school every year, and universities will be desperate for their 2021 tournament payout to keep their programs afloat and thriving.

It seems like the impossible is happening with college football kicking off this weekend so hey, maybe we will see a 346-team tournament after all. In this day and age, it's truly worth exploring every option to ensure a safe continuation of every possible sports season.

Page 12 | Thursday, September 17, 2020

Old Gold & Black | Sports

Clemson: Deacs fall to tigers in home opener Continued from Page 1 Although not quite reflected in his stat-line, Hartman played well against Clemson’s rock-solid defense. Hartman went 11-21 for 182 yards before coming out in the second half, handing the ball off to backups Kern and Griffis — the former went 6-for-11 and the latter 2-for-6 (one of such passes being Wake Forest’s only touchdown on the day, caught by Taylor Morin).

Overall, Hartman’s play was reassuring to those who worried about a dropoff following Newman’s transfer during the off-season. Clawson had expressed a noticeable difference in his quarterback’s stature and demeanor coming into this season, and such was reflected in his play despite the consistently heavy pressure provided by Clemson’s front-seven.

“He protected the football and managed the team well,” Clawson said. “He had a decent night, and if all the balls he threw (that should have been caught) were caught, he would have had a great night.”

The head coach was also impressed with the way some of his younger players competed. Defensive-back A.J. William’s (redshirt freshmen) had a careerhigh 11 stops and recorded his first collegiate interception in the fourth quarter. The pick put Wake Forest in prime field position to score their first touchdown against Clemson since October of 2017.

“That was his best game,” Clawson said of Williams. “He proved he can play a lot of snaps, and not just on special teams.”

Other young defensive-backs such as Peyton Woulard and Zion Keith also stepped up in big ways, providing depth at a position that was once mired with uncertainty. “Every time we get guys like Keith or a Woulard or Williams [out on the field and playing big minutes], that’s a plus-one.” Clawsonsaid.

Many eyes were trained on the Deac’s defensive line, particularly the 2019 allACC selection Carlos ‘Boogie’ Basham, a redshirt senior. Basham’s presence was felt from early on — during Clemson’s very first drive of the game, Basham sacked Lawrence on third down, forc-

Will Zimmerman / Old Gold & Black

In front of an empty stadium, minus several strategically placed cardboard cutouts, the Demon Deacons took on the number one ranked team in the country: the Clemson Tigers. ing the Tigers first three-and-out of the night (they only had two more over the course of the game). The sack gave Basham a CFB record (dating back to 2019) of 19 consecutive games with a tackle for a loss.

Also notable were the Deacs' kickoff and punt coverage units. For the punter and redshirt freshmen, Ivan Mora, the night was a busy one. It was the first appearance for Mora, who picked up right where Dom Maggio left off. Mora’s longest punt was a 59-yarder that landed inside Clemson’s 10-yard-line.

On other fronts, such as in the secondary, the Deacs struggled throughout the majority of the game. Due to contact tracing and injuries, the Deacons were short-handed coming into the game and unable to dress a total of six players in the position group. As a result, many guys without a lot of experience were tasked with defending against what is likely the most lethal quarterback-running back duo in college football.

As Clawson put it, “If you don’t get lined up and communicate against Clemson, good luck.”

Last season, Lawrence led the Tigers to the National Championship, flexing his NFL-caliber arm and expert field vision en route. Improvements to both were on display as he picked apart the Deacs’ secondary, racking up over 350 yards passing. In addition to the touchdown pass he threw to J.C. Chalk, Lawrence used his feet to find the endzone twice — in both instances, faking out Wake Forest’s goal-line defense with the readoption, before trotting into the endzone untouched. It was the kind of calm, cool and collected start expected from Lawrence, whose odds are among the best to win the Heisman Trophy this season.

Etienne had a very impressive showing in his own right, averaging six yards on 17 carries. The running-back’s elusiveness and athleticism were on display as he weaved his way through Wake Forest’s defensive line and into the secondary on numerous occasions.

The Deacs will also need more out of their receiving corps if they hope to compete against strong ACC opponents in coming weeks. While receiver Donovan Greene proved he can help in filling the gap left by Sage Surratt’s departure, collectively the group had too many balls fall through their fingers.

If some of those balls had been caught, and some calls had been made by the officials early in the first half, the story Saturday night may have been a bit different. But, at the end of the day, the Deacs have to be encouraged by their performance against the nation’s top team.

They say the best way to get better is to play the best, and Wake Forest certainly played the best in Clemson. “We’ve got to learn from it,” said Hartman in a post-game press conference over Zoom.

What was learned, Deac nation hopes, will be apparent this Saturday night at 8 p.m. when the team travels to Raleigh to take on the NC State Wolfpack.

Will Zimmerman / Old Gold & Black

(Left) Redshirt sophomore, Sam Hartman, takes a snap from shotgun during the first quarter of Saturday's game at Truist Field. Hartman left the game after taking a hit to the head but is expected to start next Saturday. (Right) The Demon Deacon mascot makes the long walk back to campus after the game.

Page 13 | Thursday, September 17, 2020

Old Gold & Black | Sports

NFL Week one: Browns stumble, Chiefs roll Week one of the new NFL season was a healthy mix of blowouts and upsets

BY MICHAEL BURSTEIN Contributing Writer bursma20@wfu.edu It had been 221 days since Super Bowl LIV concluded when the new NFL season finally kicked off on Sept. 10. The reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs hosted the Houston Texans to start what will surely be one of the most uncertain seasons the NFL has ever experienced.

What at first appeared to be a normal offseason quickly changed with big trades and signings, COVID-19, and most notably, the rise in discussions surrounding racial injustice seen across the country. Many NFL players quickly became some of the faces of a nationwide movement. The movement seemed to unite the NFL community with players of all races speaking out and standing with their teams.

In June, in response to the NFL players’ “Stronger Together” video, the NFL issued a statement saying, “We, the National Football League, admit we were

wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest. We, the National Football League, believe Black lives matter.” This statement came with a promise from the league to commit $250 million over the next 10 years to help fight systemic racism.

In August, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in an interview after being asked about Colin Kaepernick kneeling four years ago, “... I wish we had listened earlier, Kap, to what you were kneeling about and trying to bring attention to.”

As the season kicked off last week, issues surrounding racial injustice in the country were still on everyone’s minds.

Ahead of the Chiefs versus Texans matchup, all players stood in solidarity with one another and locked arms in a ‘moment of unity.’ On Sunday, many teams locked arms, knelt, raised fists, or remained in the locker room for the playing of the National Anthem and the unofficially known Black National Anthem, “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing.”

In Atlanta, home to longtime Congressional Representative John Lewis who passed away recently, it was stated by AP sportswriter Jimmy Golen that Falcons players “watched the opening kickoff sail through the end zone for a touchback, dropped to one knee, and remained there

for about 10 seconds before trotting off the field to resume the game.”

Fans all around the world were ready for the kickoff of the football season, and a strange one it was. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the NFL gave all teams the option as to whether or not they would allow fans in the stadium. The Chiefs allowed their stadium to be filled to 22% capacity and the Jacksonville Jaguars allowed their stadium to be filled to 25% capacity. The remaining teams played games in empty stadiums.

The Chiefs began their season with a 34-20 win over the Texans. Sunday saw a few upsets, including the Washington Football Team defeating divisional rival Philadelphia Eagles 27-17 and the Chicago Bears stunning the Detroit Lions with a 27-23 win. 2019 NFL MVP Lamar Jackson helped lead the Ravens to a 38-6 win over the Cleveland Browns. During Tom Brady’s debut as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer, he faced off against Drew Brees and the Saints. In the battle between two future hall-of-fame quarterbacks, Brees and the Saints came out on top, 34-23.

Brees finished with 160 passing yards and two touchdowns while Brady finished with two passing touchdowns, 239 passing yards and two interceptions.

Monday featured two games whose scores can be found in the next column.

FINAL

SCORES

New York Jets 17, Buffalo Bills 27 Green Bay Packers 43, Minnesota Vikings 34 Indianapolis Colts 20, Jacksonville Jaguars 27 Las Vegas Raiders 34, Carolina Panthers 30 Seattle Seahawks 38, Atlanta Falcons 25 Miami Dolphins 11, New England Patriots 21 Los Angeles Chargers 16, Cincinnati Bengals 13 Arizona Cardinals 24, San Francisco 49ers 20 Dallas Cowboys 17, Los Angeles Rams 20 Pittsburgh Steelers 26, New York Giants 16 Tennessee Titans 16, Denver Broncos 14 Olivia Field/Old Gold & Black

Soccer: Men's, Women's teams look strong so far A tough loss and a solid win kicked off the 2020-2021 WFU soccer seasons

BY CHARLES HORN Staff Writer horncs18@wfu.edu Under the floodlights of Spry stadium, uncharacteristically quiet with fans relegated to the narrow sidewalk between the usually packed grassy-hill and Polo Road, the 2020-2021 Wake Forest soccer seasons began this past week. With rosters replete with fresh faces, and coming off a lengthy offseason, Wake Forest Men’s and Women’s soccer kicked off their seasons with games against Duke and Pittsburgh, respectively.

Women’s soccer was first up, opening their season with a dramatic 4-3 overtime loss to Duke that proved the teams potential but also highlighted areas where improvement is necessary. Wake Forest’s youthful side was evident, as five freshmen made their first start for the Demon Deacons; and the team struggled early, conceding in the seventh minute. Senior and veteran Ryanne Brown brought the match level in the 38th minute, scoring a critical goal to even the playing field going into halftime. Shortly after the restart, however, Duke scored to retake the lead.

Two quickfire goals from Freshman Carrie McIntire and redshirt unior Sofia Rossi in the 60th and 61st minutes took the Deacs in front 3-2, a lead they held until an 88th minute equalizer by Duke junior Marykate McGuire sent the game

into overtime. McGuire stuck again in the 96th minute, burying a shot from outside the box to end the game.

McGuire was her team’s top scorer last season and looks ready to take the next step in 2020. In last Thursday’s game, she recorded 10 of the Blue Devil’s 23 shots and assisted on the team's second goal. Although a non-conference match, Thursday’s match provided ample optimism for a team looking to improve upon last year's campaign in which they only recorded one win in ACC play. Their first conference game will take place on the 17th at UNC before the team travels to Duke for a rematch on the 20th.

The Wake Forest Men’s Soccer team began their season with an exhibition match against Pittsburgh last Sunday, winning 3-2 in a match that was overshadowed by an injury to Redshirt Senior defender and captain, Michael DeShields.

Following a heavy collision with redshirt freshman goalkeeper Cole McNally and Pitt forward Edward Kizza just minutes into the second half, DeShields was taken off the pitch in a stretcher and transported to Wake Forest Baptist Hospital.

While being tended to by local EMS and Wake Forest Athletics trainers, the entire men’s team gathered in a circle at midfield before processing over to give their well wishes to their leader, both on and off the pitch. DeShields gave a thumbs up as he was stretchered off, a welcome sign for the star defender who was recently named to the ACC preseason watchlist. Thankfully, DeShields was discharged from the hospital Tuesday and is expected to make a full recovery.

Photo courtesy of @WakeWSoccer/Twitter

The Wake Forest Women's soccer team suffered a heartbreaking loss at home to Duke University last week, falling 4-3 in overtime.

Sunday’s match brought Pitt head coach Jay Vidovich back to Spry stadium, where he had great success over a twentyone-year stint that included Wake Forest’s only NCAA soccer championship.

Current Wake Forest head coach, Bobby Muuss, first came to Wake Forest as an assistant for Vidovich. He held the role from 2001-2007, left to coach for several years in Denver, and then returned to serve as head coach following Vidovich’s departure in 2014. With nine combined ACC Coach of the Year awards, Muuss and Vidovich remain two of the most successful coaches in ACC history.

With the departures of senior starters Alistair Johnson, Joey Dezart and Bruno Lapa leaving sizeable holes in Wake Forest’s offensive and defensive setups, along with the absence of star attackers Aristotle Zarris and Justin McMaster due to ACL injuries, Sunday’s exhibition allowed new talent to shine and role players to step up. All three of Wake Forest’s goals were scored by freshmen; Garrison Tubbs and

Chase Oliver each found the back of the net in the first half, putting the Deacs ahead by two going into halftime.

Oliver was the standout performer, winning the free kick that led to Tubbs’ goal before finishing from a tight angle with minutes left in the first half. It was Oliver’s second goal, which proved to be the game-winner, that was the most dramatic. After two Pitt corners were turned in — courtesy of Alexander Dexter and Kizza — to tie the game at two, a superb volleyed effort in the 81st minute restored Wake’s lead. Oliver’s celebrations were equally impressive, marking his first goal with a Black Panther salute in tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman and an Aubameyang-esque backflip to punctuate his late winner.

Wake Forest Men’s Soccer will open ACC play Friday, Sept. 18th at Clemson. The game should be an exciting one to watch, as the Tigers were ranked just ahead of the Deacs in the ACC preseason coaches’ poll.

Page 14 | Thursday, September 17, 2020

Old Gold & Black | Sports

Former Deac Jack Harrison scores in EPL It wasn’t a bad weekend for Harrison, who scored Leed’s first goal in the EPL since 2004

BY CHARLES HORN Staff Writer horncs18@wfu.edu It’s Aug. 30, 2015, and Jack Harrison weaves through Florida International University defenders before powering a low shot past a helpless keeper, sealing a comeback win for the Demon Deacons. Five years later, Harrison powers past two defenders in similar fashion, before expertly placing the ball in the bottom corner. The difference? He’d just done it against the recently crowned Premier League champions, Liverpool.

Flicking the ball past Trent Alexander-Arnold, reigning Professional Football Association’s Young Player of the Year, before nutmegging England international Joe Gomez and placing the ball past Brazil starter Allison would be impressive enough. The fact that it was for Leeds United’s first Premier League goal since 2004, however, makes the feat all the more spectacular.

Harrison’s goal and performance shot him into the Premier League starlight, but for the Deacon faithful that regularly cram into Spry Stadium or cheer from Alumni Hill, the goal was more of the same from the player who mesmerized thousands during his one year at Wake Forest.

Born in Stoke-on-Trent, England, on Nov. 20, 1996, Jack Harrison’s path to the Premier League has been anything but conventional. It began as many English talents do, playing a year in Liverpool’s academy before gaining a coveted spot in the legendary academy of Manchester United, where legends such as David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Bobby Charlton and Paul Scholes began their illustrious careers. Seven years into his United academy career, at the ripe-old-age of 14, Harrison and his mother made the decision that would define the rest of his career.

Harrison moved to the United States, enrolling at the Massachusetts boarding school Berkshire on a scholarship where he quickly acclimatized to American soccer and captured the Gatorade Boys National Soccer Player of the Year in his senior year after earning the Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year the previous season.

In his only year at Wake Forest, Harrison started all 22 games in a 17-3-2 season that ended with a 2-1 loss in the Elite Eight to the eventual champions, Stanford. Scoring eight goals and recording 11 assists, Harrison set the single season Wake Forest freshman points record with 27 and captured both the ACC Freshman and Offensive Player of the year awards. Harrison ended the season being named a NSCAA First Team All-American and a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy, college soccer’s Heisman.

Following the loss to Stanford, Harrison declared for the draft and became

Wake Forest’s second ever first-overall pick after Tim Duncan was selected no. 1 in the 1997 NBA Draft. After initially being drafted by the Chicago Fire, Harrison was traded to New York City FC before the 2016 season. During his two years in the MLS, Harrison started 50 matches and played alongside legends of the game such as Frank Lampard, David Villa and Andrea Pirlo.

Harrison’s performances caught the eye of NYCFC’s owners, the Dubai financed City Football Group, whose prized asset is Manchester City. City acquired Harrison in the 2018 January transfer window, loaning him out to a second division English soccer team, Middlesbrough F.C. After struggling for opportunities at Middlesbrough, registering just 53 league minutes, Harrison was loaned out to another team in the same division, Leeds United, for what would become the first of three successive loan spells. Playing for the eccentric yet widely respected Marcelo Bielsa, Harrison was frequently deployed on the left-side of a midfield that brought Leeds painstakingly close to Premier League promotion at the end of 2019.

City again loaned Harrison to Leeds for the 2019-20 season, where Harrison became an integral part of Bielsa’s high pressing system, playing in 91.6% of Leeds’s league minutes. En route, the club captured the Championship title and secured an automatic promotion to the Premier League next season.

So, on Saturday, Sep. 12, Harrison took the field as the first Deacon to ever play in the Premier League against a most formidable opponent in 2020 Premier League champions, Liverpool. As Harrison expertly cushioned a long ball before embarking on his fateful run, the bricks of Spry replaced by the towering canopies of Anfield, the player born in England and trained in America cemented his rise to the top.

Photo Courtesy of GoDeacs.com

Harrison racked up numerous accolades in one season as a Deac.

Wake Club Swimming ready to dive into 2020 They won’t complain about a lack of competition, the team is just happy to be back in the pool

BY AINE PIERRE Staff Writer pierav20@wfu.edu Despite limitations presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, Wake Forest’s Club Swimming Team is determined to make a splash this school year.

Captained by senior Samantha Horowitz, the team decided that they would hold practices as soon as they found out the pool was open.

“We considered health and safety first and foremost in making sure that people could practice but also maintain social distance from one another and be as safe as possible,” Horowitz said.

In order to make sure that the team follows guidelines, Horowitz and other team members will be in close-contact with Dana Lopez, the university’s director of club sports. What Horowitz tells the teams in terms of when and how they can practice is contingent on changing regulations from the university and the state of North Carolina.

To that end, practices will look different than usual during the pandemic.

Swimmers will use every other lane and will start at opposing ends of the

pool. For example, a swimmer in lane one would start at the near side of the pool and the next swimmer over in lane three would start at the far end. The lanes are four-to-five feet wide, according to Horowitz, meaning there would be 16 or 20 feet of distance between swimmers starting on the same side.

“It’s one person per lane, rather than three-to-four, like we normally have, and now everyone needs to sign up for practice. So what was once kind of a drop-in system, everyone [now] has to sign up and be registered so we know exactly who’s coming, every time,” Horowitz said.

The swim team will keep such records of who attends practices in case contact tracing needs to be implemented.

When there are enough people at a given practice, the team will organize some intrasquad meets.

“The college club swimming overarching organization has suspended all meets or events for the semester ... so if anything we’re going to ... split up 10 people on one team and 10 people on another [and] have meets within our own organization,” Horowitz said.

Though the team does not hold tryouts and cannot gauge participation that way, Horowitz said that there has been an increased interest in club swimming this year as compared to past years, which she attributes to the closure of the gym during the first few weeks of this semester.

“I think people are looking for ways to work out just because the gym isn’t yet open. [Editor’s Note: This interview was conducted before the gym was opened.]

Because it’s so hot outside, walking and running ... can be really strenuous,” Horowitz said.

In terms of special events, the team is planning to hold a few dry land practices to allow for larger group practices and workouts.

“We’re going to cut back on our pool time and try to get outside: maybe do some walks through Reynolda Village and Reynolda Gardens, run, do some workouts outside on Poteat Field...

make sure we have a variety of workshops for everyone,” Horowitz said.

Seniors, though disappointed that their final season as members of the club swim team has been altered due to the virus, are grateful to still be able to swim with their friends.

Horowitz encourages those interested in participating in club swimming to reach out to her.

“Club swim has always been a really cohesive group of students who like swimming and are looking for that social outlet, so we’re going to continue practices and ways for people to exercise and also meet new people,” Horowitz said.

Photo Courtesey of wfu.edu

With new regulations in place to ensure the safety of all involved, the club team is thrilled to be back in the water.

Thursday, September 17, 2020 | Page 15

Old Gold & Black | Sports

An unusual post-season awaits MLB MLB hopes the magic of October baseball can return, albeit within a bubble

BY COOPER SULLIVAN Contributing Writer sullcg20@wfu.edu With the normal 162-game season abbreviated to 60, Commissioner Rob Manfred announced in late July that under the revised post-season format, half the teams in each league would qualify for the playoffs. However, while the field has been expanded to include four more teams than normal years, some teams favored early in the season are struggling to stay afloat and contend.

Last year’s World Series Champions, the Washington Nationals, currently hold the 13th spot in the National League, sitting five games behind No. 8 seed, Miami.

Since losing eight of their last 10 games, the once World-Series favorite New York Yankees, after some struggles earlier this month, now sit in the No. 5 seed and three games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the American League East.

In a shortened season, injuries to superstars have proved especially problematic for both the Nationals and Yankees.

Washington’s star right fielder Juan Soto missed the first eight games after testing positive for COVID-19. Worse yet, reigning World Series MVP, pitcher Stephen Strasburg, was placed on the 60-day injured list in mid-August with carpal tunnel neuritis after appearing in only two games.

New York has been without their best two hitters for much of the season.

Giancarlo Stanton (hamstring) and Aaron Judge (calf ) have only appeared in 14 and 18 games, respectively, to date. Stanton returned to play on Tuesday and Judge returned Wednesday, but the timetable for starting pitcher James Paxton (left flexor strain) is cloudier, per MLB.com.

Are empty ballparks to blame for either team’s mediocre season? The top-seeded Oakland Athletics and Rays are used to smaller crowd sizes and a lack of noise. The Rays have been dwelling among the bottom three teams in terms of total attendance over the last five seasons, and the A’s have been among the bottom five for four of their previous five seasons. Now, both teams sit atop their respective divisions.

Regardless of their familiarity, teams will continue to play without fans in the stands for the rest of the 2020 season. The MLB’s plan to host their postseason within a bubble format was officially approved on Tuesday.

The MLB Players’ Association negotiated on behalf of the players’ desire to continue to play at team’s home ball-parks to no avail. The bubble plan was approved, allowing executives who were wary of COVID-19 outbreaks disrupting playoff games as they have with regular-season games on many occasions already, to exhale. Considering that neither the NHL nor the NBA has reported a single positive test within their bubbles, implementing such a format for MLB playoffs will likely prove to be a wise-decision.

The plan was given approval by the Players’ Association on Tuesday. The two sides

were able to come to an agreement in large part because of their mutual interst in the millions of dollars worth of television revenue that hangs in the balance of playoff baseball.

Within their respective bubbles, the American and National League will be represented by eight seeds. The first through third seeds will be awarded to the division winners based on win-percentages, while seeds four through six will be each division’s runner-up, also based on win percentage. The final two seeds will be given to the best remaining teams as wildcards.

The first round of the playoffs will look different from years past. Seed No. 1 will play seed No. 8, seed No. 2 will play seed

No. 7, and so on and so forth (as in traditional NBA or NHL playoffs) in best-ofthree series. The higher-seeded team will host all games in the series.

The winning teams will be reseeded after the first round and then travel to California (where AL teams will play at either San Diego’s Petco Park or at Dodger Stadium in Loa Angeles) or Texas (where NL teams will play at either Houston’s Minute Maid Park or Arlington’s Globe Life Field) for their divisional series.

The AL Championship Series will then take place in San Diego while the NLCS will be held in Arlington. The two teams which win their league’s championship series will then meet in the World Series, set for Oct. 20-28 in Arlington.

Mike Stobe/Getty Images/TNS

After sweeping the Orioles, the Bronx Bombers are looking to keep rolling into post-season baseball in October.

The poor man’s guide to fantasy football free agents Head over to your freeagency page and grab these guys while you still can

owned in less than 50% of leagues on ESPN’s fantasy football service, thus demonstrating their potential as a “sleeper,” or a productive player that flies under the radar.

on high point potential weeks should be how Cousins is treated in fantasy.

Jalen Reagor, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

BY NICO PANOS Contributing Writer panonc19@wfu.edu

Nyheim Hines, RB, Indianapolis Colts

Kirk Cousins, QB, Minnesota Vikings

So you say your running back went down in week one, or you drafted Baker and are now deeply regretting such a decision. As any good fantasy football team owner, you are currently trying to scour the internet searching for answers that will lead you to the pinnacle of fan accomplishment, being crowned a fantasy football champion.

With many search bars filled with questions such as “Do the Indianapolis Colts have a running back committee?” or “Is picking a quarterback in the first three rounds a smart decision?” owners may feel like they might be missing something that will effectively destroy the competition. While many leagues at this point have had their draft and are now excited to see how their players do during the first week of football, there are still many players who have gone unnoticed or even discarded by the general public in favor of more well-known talents in the NFL. These specifically chosen players (one for QB, RB and WR) are

Ok, so we have been down this path before. Some weeks Kirk Cousins looks like a legitimate top-10 quarterback in the league, while on other Sundays, it seems as if he regresses into a rookie quarterback that just cannot connect with his receivers. Last season, Cousins posted 244.42 fantasy points (average of 16.3 points per game) which put him squarely in the middle of the pack for fantasy quarterback production; obviously, this was nothing spectacular, but it was at least good enough to make him a backup in an eight-team league. This year only 21.4% of fantasy team owners are holding onto the Vikings quarterback, which I personally find insane considering that Cousins is seen as a decent quarterback by the general population. Though Cousins may have his off weeks, in general he will at least produce some decent output with two-plus touchdowns and 275-plus passing yards on any given week. While he’s maybe not your number one option at quarterback, a bench role with an occasional starting spot

As many have asked before, what is the deal with the Colts’ running back situation? Is the former Wisconsin Badger standout Jonathan Taylor going to take over for last year’s starter, Marlon Mack, or will coach Frank Reich decide to disperse the carries equally? Either way, the only question the Colts have an answer for is, “which running back will be getting the most amount of passes thrown their way this year;” obviously, the answer is Nyheim Hines, a third-year running back who has already been targeted in the passing game 50-plus times in his past twp seasons in an even more limited role. Especially in PPR leagues, Hines could develop into one of the premier fantasy Flex options (similar to Patriots RB James White) for the upcoming year. Since he is only owned in 34.2% of leagues, he’s likely available in your league. I recommend at least picking up Hines for your bench right now, because if Mack or Taylor get hurt, his value will increase astronomically and he’ll become the number one waiver option, thus making it harder to get him.

Now, welcome to the rotating cast of which Eagle receiver will get points this week. As a wide receiver core, they have been plagued by either injuries or inept play, especially the famous drops that nearly killed the Eagles’ postseason chances last year. To address the issue, the Eagles spent their first-round pick on the prospect from TCU, Jalen Reagor, a wide receiver with blistering speed who should help open up the offense down the field. In terms of fantasy, obviously one could worry that there won’t be enough targets to go around, especially with the other Eagles’ receivers like Alshon Jeffery and Desean Jackson looking to take up more of the targets. However, as said before, these receivers have a long history of dealing with nagging injuries. At their age (Jeffery aged 30, Jackson aged 33), they don’t have the same levels of production they did during their prime, making their status as fantasy options questionable at best.

For this reason, picking up Reagor for the bench (only owned in 28.5% of leagues) could be a smart option; on those weeks when either Jackson and/ or Jeffrey are hurt, Reagor will be one of QB Carson Wentz’s top targets in the screen game or downfield shots.

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Disney+ drops live-action Mulan The streaming service disappointed fans across the planet when they announced the price of watching the film would be an additional $30 to subscribers

BY ERIC OMOROGIEVA Staff Writer omorei17@wfu.edu

Since 2014, Disney has prioritized remaking many of their classic animated films for release in live action. The most recent of these, Mulan, arrives surrounded by major controversy and release difficulties due to the ongoing pandemic. Disney decided that instead of a theatrical run, they’d utilize their Disney+ streaming service to release the film, charging an extra $30 on top of their $7 subscription price. The film itself, a remake of the 1998 worldwide classic, originally gained popularity for its vibrant story, its music and the use of China as its setting and culture. However, this remake seemingly forgot everything that made the original so special, opting for a surface level introduction to Chinese culture, removed music and Mushu, a fan favorite character, as well as cliché executions on topics like gender roles. Mulan is directed by Niki Caro and stars a dominantly Photo courtesy of imdb.com Asian cast with Yifei Liu taking on the titular role with support from Tzi Ma, Donnie Yen and Gong Yifei Liu as Mulan stands poised for attack with a bow and arrow in a scene viewers might recognize from the original animated film. The live action remake was filmed in Xinjiang province.

Li, among others.

When directing a film of another country’s culture, it's integral to respectfully showcase the cul- and establish some sort of quick recognition, she be memorable, even the character played by Chinese ture’s unique qualities and history. However, Mu- reads the words in English, saying, “Loyal, Brave, legend Jet Li. Closing the casket of Mulan’s failure were the outlan decides to Americanize that culture in a way True.” Decisions like this come across as a slap side controversies that only riled up fans, with many in the face to not only the audience but also the that leaves viewers with little knowledge to take in. Although it is an English language film that Chinese and Asian cast who have to act in an en- deciding to lead social media initiatives to boycott the takes place in imperial China, the movie didn’t tire movie that takes place in their own country film. In August 2019, the film’s star Yifei Liu decided even attempt to allow viewers to understand in their second language. Among the film’s other to come out in full support of Hong Kong police in something as simple as Chinese characters. For cultural slip ups were its simplification of impe- the massive protests at the time saying, "I also supexample, several times in the film, Mulan shows rial China to only the topics of bringing honor port Hong Kong police. You can beat me up now… off the characters on her sword, “忠 (zhōng), 勇 to your family, gender roles and Chi. The narra- What a shame for Hong Kong." Adding to the mess (yŏng), and 真 (zhēn).” Instead of reading off tive barely scratches the surface of Chinese his- was the continued reveal of the film and Disney’s cothe characters so that viewers could hear Chinese tory, which would have been a rewarding lesson operation with Xinjiang province in China and their police, who have been widely showcased in the mefor viewers.

The story itself follows a similar skeleton of the dia for the ongoing detainment of Muslim minorities original, but with noticeable differences. Mulan, for “reeducation camps” that some fear is actually a a brave and adventurous young woman, is often form of concentration camps and genocidal acts on shamed for her inability to accept her role as a the basis of noncompliance with the Chinese Comfemale house provider. When it is announced in munist Party’s values. Not only did Mulan film in her village that there is an ongoing war and ev- Xinjiang, but the movie’s credits thanked the region its authorities for the opportunity to film in a ery family must provide a male member for the and place where mass atrocities were occuring aswell. This Emperor’s army, she breaks her family’s trust by misstep continued to upset even more fans, as well as escaping under the disguise of a male in order lawmakers who demand answers from Disney about to prevent her disabled and elderly father from this decision. going himself. On the other side, the enemy Disney’s 2020 Mulan is yet another addition to Rourans invade the current dynasty with the help the complicated entertainment relationship that U.S. of a witch who is able to use magic to transform companies have had with China in the past year. The into people and animals. Mulan has to go through NBA has struck controversy over comments made by training hiding her identity while making friends Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey and she has to lie to, and eventually heads into battle. LeBron James, South Park’s China dedicated episode Mulan’s story comes off as dull especially in drew criticisms from the country and now Disney relation to the original. Major comedic charac- strikes another blow to the altering dynamic between ters like Mushu are missing, there is no bright- the two nations. The film not being up to standard ness in dialogue and no singing from the cast. doesn’t help, and exterior circumstances draw up Of course, these missing pieces don’t mean the questions of how U.S. companies might have to shift movie automatically failed, but they were never their depictions of and relations with China. Mulan is supplemented with anything interesting or wor- not worth the $30 price point on its own, but might Photo courtesy of imdb.com thy of notice. These characters added much to the be with a family or friends. Otherwise Disney+ users Unlike the animated original, the live action mood of the film, more than the new characters will be able to view the film without the extra paydoes not have singing from the cast, or Mushu. in this film who did not give much of a reason to ment in December.

Thursday, September 17, 2020 | Page 17

Life | Old Gold & Black

Album Review | LOOK!

Shimmertrap delivers stellar new album A collab betwen lo-fi and disco, Shimmertap produces fresh new beats in LOOK!

BY ELLY HONAKER Staff Writer honaer18@wfu.edu Shimmertraps has evolved beyond their early lo-fi tendencies with their latest album, LOOK!, which flew under the radar during its summer release, but warrants much more buzz.

Their prior album, Ozius, came out in 2017 and appears now as a blueprint of the depth of their sound. Where Ozius was all fuzzy sounds and shoegazy ramblings, LOOK! has morphed into a highly complex conglomerate of recent music trends. I can only liken their sound to vaporwave artists like St. Pepsi (Skylar Spence), or layered lo-fi like Goth Babe; somehow they manage to operate between these two worlds. Their direction pivoted much more into disco, though there is still a quiet, made-in-the-basement sincerity lingering from their first release.

It altogether feels serious musically.

Each song has some weight, making their previous endeavours and fellow contemporary releases seem flimsy.

The basslines are funky and you can expect that each song will build a tension and release that makes dancing along simply inescapable. Interest-

ingly, there is some element of them arriving here before their time.

A few songs stand out for their especially three-dimensional-feeling grooviness. Coming after the title track, “Jules Quesnel,” feels as if you are entering a french discotheque in the year 3000. It begins with a small interlude; it’s like water is rushing over the track and slowly drifting back to sea, a french woman speaks passionately in the background. You wonder where this is going, and then the drums pick up and it’s as if you’re thrown to the ocean — sound enveloping your ears as if you’ve just hit water headfirst. It is familiar enough to be highly listenable, yet futuristic enough to feel as if you’ve never heard anything like it. Another standout is “Beta Club.” It begins unassumingly, a simple drum beat and guitar riff start the first four measures, but then a strange staccato synthesizer pecks at the song; lifting it up and down in it’s goofy way. Initially it feels childish, but before you can flick to the next song, the totality of sound comes in and immediately exalts what once appeared kitschy. To build that level of depth around such a dorky element is truly a commendable feat. One that hints to vaporwave influences which chop and screw miniscule, often strange sounding, components of sampled work and turn them into the basis for a song.

THE HOT LIST Top 10 things to say on a date

By Micah Porter

1.

“You want anything?”

Photo courtesy of spotify.com

The cover art for the new Shimmertap album has an abstract design.

I can find no other band right now that is on the pulse of music the way Shimmertrap is — it seems they can synthesize polarities in the state of music today. Combining barebones lo-fi with ironically overproduced vaporwave created a sound for LOOK! unlike any other release of the summer. It is much more allusive than bedroom pop, but halts before it comes to making the entirety of their sound from sampled works. This creates something that feels highly original and invigorating. Shimmertrap makes serious music that alludes to the goofy and innocent iterations of their influences, it is this applied consciousness that makes them great.

3.

5.

7.

field, outside of Farrell Hall, and on the soccer field have proven to be hotspots for students to maintain safe studying.

In this time of uncertainty, spending time outdoors may also prove to be beneficial in improving immune strength. A study published in 2010 demonstrated that spending time in the outdoors can aid in boosting white blood cell count, which plays a crucial role for immune health. By exposing the body to the natural elements, it becomes more equipped to recognize pathogens and harmful intruders with the help of antibodies.

While studying outdoors is dependent upon natural lighting, it can actually play a critical role in improving vision. Dim indoor lighting can make it difficult to focus on an image; pair dim lighting with the blue-light from computers and phones, and the result can be detrimental by causing the eye to change shape.

Navigating the chaos of this semester will take motivation and no small amount of creativity. Why not start out by taking a walk outside? You might just stumble upon your new favorite study station.

“That’s quite interesting” (yawn) “Do you like Pokemon? I like Pokemon”

“If you lose 10 lbs you’d be a 10” “Don’t be scared if my tooth falls out”

9.

“Did I mention I was in a car accident on the way over?”

“I guess I should offer you my jacket ... but then I’d be cold”

Doing work outside proves healthier It is a commonly known fact that students learn best when motivated, and a recent study in Frontiers in Psychology shows studying outside helps students gain intrinsic

BY MICAH PORTER motivation and feel more compeAsst. Life Editor tent. Psychologist Ulrich Dettweiportmj19@wfu.edu ler identified three elements for healthy studying: competence, auWith the onset of COVID-19 tonomy and relatedness, and of the ruining the academic and social three, competence takes the title plans of thousands of students as the single most necessary. The across the globe, the return to a study concluded that for students college campus has meant a re- who study outdoors, augmented turn to normalcy and routine. motivational behavior was far suWhile Wake Forest is lucky to be perior to their indoor counterparts. included in the limited number of The psychologists conducting the colleges offering a return to cam- research included that the reason pus, this good fortune has come for better performance outdoors with a plethora of restrictions at- was decreased level of cortisol, the tempting to prevent the spread of hormone that spikes during stressinfection. With these restraints, ful situations. Aside from cortisol, class sizes have been all but eradi- spending time in the outdoors has cated and study spaces have been been proven to induce a release in diminished to single person envi- the happy hormone: serotonin. ronments. While these measures Luckily, Wake Forest students may not lend themselves to so- have a number of outdoor spaces cial interaction, many students to choose from, and the introduchave taken matters into their own tion of campus tents have meant hands by taking to the one loca- a world of difference for not only tion that never fails to let down: studying in the outdoors, but eatthe outdoors. ing as well. Of these spaces, Davis

“I’ve never taken two showers in the same week before”

“How about them kidneys on ebay?”

Advice Column | Studying Outside

Studying outside may be better for immune health than remaining indoors

“I sure like chicken”

DRINK OF THE WEEK Camarena Orange

Is this a rip-off of a juice shop smootie? Maybe...

• • • • •

1 oz. Reposado Tequila ½ oz. Grand Marnier 3 oz. orange juice ½ oz. lime juice Orange peel for garnish

Shake all in cocktail shaker with ice.

Strain into a chilled martini glass, and garnish with an orange peel.

Happy Mexican Independence Day! 21+ only

Courtesy of Micah Porter

Page 18 | Thursday, September 17, 2020

Old Gold & Black | Life

Restaurant Review | Clutch Coffee

Clutch Coffee opens new W-S location A North Carolina-based coffee chain opened a new location just off University Parkway

BY CATHERINE REGEN Life Editor regecl17@wfu.edu

Winston-Salem has a new coffee shop to add to the ranks of Krankies, Camino, Bobby Boy Bakeshop and many others. Clutch Coffee Bar just opened a new location on University Parkway, two lights past Target. One wonders how a new coffee shop could afford to open in an area where the coffee market is already saturized. Not to mention the difficulty of opening a business during a global pandemic. However, the Clutch model seems poised for success in the COVID-19 era. Like the Krankies Airstream, Clutch is a drive through-style establishment, although it looks like they will have a storefront opening as well. The menu boasts a lengthy list of Clutch crafted beverages, each one unique and crafted with care. The staff is friendly, accommodating and is always willing to give a drink recommendation.

I must preface this review by acknowledging a slight bias in favor of Clutch. The Winston-Salem lo-

cation is not their first. A North Carolina-based chain, the two original locations are situated in Mooresville, NC about 30 minutes outside of Charlotte. My cousins showed me the chain over the summer, and I fell in love. Honestly, had they not opened the W-S location, I probably would have driven an hour each way to get my fix.

A first time Clutch customer might find the menu a little overwhelming.

The options are endless, and it can be difficult coming to a decision.

The signature mochas and lattes feature bold flavor profiles and creative combinations. Fair warning, all of their flavored drinks are made with Photo courtesy of @clutchcoffeebar on Instagram syrups, and are incredibly sweet. I typically don’t like sweet coffee, but Clutch Coffee Bar’s signature black, green and white logo can be seen I love a lot of their drinks. I used to from University Parkway, beckoning customers to stop by for a drink. get the Dream Bar Mocha, which has flavors of chocolate, caramel and also offer a wide variety of fruity bever- cause they would always make converhazelnut. But I’ve only tried a few ages and energy drinks made in-store. sation about where we had been and drinks on the menu, and through tri- I have always intended to try one, but where we were going. al and error, I have finally discovered never made a foray into that side of All in all, Clutch is a friendly, cremy go-to: the classic mocha with an the menu. Maybe I’ll ask for the staff’s ative, affordable option to suit your extra shot, which is made with choc- recommendation on my next visit. I coffee needs. For their W-S openolate milk instead of normal milk, could actually sing the praises of the ing this past Monday, they offered is subtle and luscious without being Clutch staff members as much as I free unlimited 16 oz. drinks all day. overly sweet. I order all of their cof- could their products. Always greeted Their hours are great if you need an fee beverages iced; they have a really with a friendly face and small talk, the early morning jolt or a late evening solid ice cube size ratio that doesn’t clutch window workers have a cus- pick-me-up. I can see Clutch Coffee melt too quickly and water down tomer service attitude akin to that of Bar becoming a new Winston-Salem Chick-Fil-A. My cousins and I used staple and I implore you to swing in your coffee.

Their menu is not strictly com- to joke they were all secretly working their direction the next time a caffeine prised of coffee drinks, though. They for the CDC during the pandemic be- craving hits.

TV Show Review | Normal People

Hulu stuns with book to screen adaptation

Sally Rooney’s novel Normal People was adapted into a TV show the premiered in April

Normal People, the BBC Three and Hulu television series of the Sally Rooney novel by the same name, is the perfect tale of first love to provide a dose of intimacy during a socially distant semester. It follows the on-again,

BY ANDY KILLEBREW off-again lovers Connell Waldron (Paul Asst. Life Editor Mescal, Emmy-nominated for his role) killae17@wfu.edu and Marianne Sheridon (Daisy EdgarJones) as they tenderly and tentatively collide through prep school, university and beyond.

We are first introduced to the two characters while they are living in County Sligo (on the coast of Ireland) and attending secondary school. They occupy vastly different roles within their social ecosystem: Connell, despite his modesty, is popular and well-liked, easily sliding between friends, sports and academics. Marianne, on the other hand, is a bit of a pariah. She is brilliant, beautiful, but exceptionally aloof, and her distance makes her an easy target for the chiding of her classmates (particularly Connell’s friends).

The two’s relationship is catalyzed and complicated by the relation of their parents: Connell’s single mother, Lorraine (Sarah Green) keeps house for MariPhoto courtesy of imdb.com anne’s family. This brings them into Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones each other’s’ orbits, but despite their embrace on the beach in a scene. burgeoning attractions for each other,

Connell is too anxious about the social implications of their romance to fully commit to Marianne. The economic statuses of their families introduces another complication into their dynamic.

As the series progresses, the plot follows them to Trinity College in Dublin, where their roles are reversed and respective class differences begin to play a more pronounced part in their interactions. Marianne finds herself at home amongst their new peers, while Connell finds himself struggling to acclimate to their new environment. During their time at Trinity, the gravity of their relationship draws them together in various ways: as friends, friends-with-benefits and occasional lovers as the two of them transition into adulthood and forge independent paths.

The show is both magnetic and melancholic; the balance between the couple’s clear chemistry (Mescal and Edgar-Jones are fantastic together) and the weight of the show’s subject matter make for an emotionally tumultuous watch. Normal People is largely about residual pain: how the wounds inflicted on people by their loved ones refuse to remain rooted in time and fester without address. Connell’s treatment of Marianne in high school is a constant source of tension for the pair, and his

own unaddressed issues and insecurities cause larger and larger tidal waves as the episodes progress. Marianne has her own demons as well; family trauma figures largely into her character development in the series.

Despite the weight of these themes, the cinematography of Normal People makes it an aesthetic delight. The camera can be claustrophobic and sensual at the same time, pushing right into the faces of Connell and Marianne during intimate scenes, allowing their expressions to account for the psychological acuity of the novel. This is frequently juxtaposed with gorgeous shots of the Irish countryside and streets of Dublin (Tourism Ireland even made a behindthe scenes film about Normal People to promote Ireland). The soundtrack soars as well, effortlessly gyrating between familiar pop ballads, established Irish artists, and lush, dreamy ditties.

With the 12 episodes clocking in at around 30 minutes a piece, Normal People is relatively low commitment, but packs enough punch to linger long past its sparse runtime. It’s an addictively watchable romantic tale of two developing lovers and has enough emotional complexity and aesthetic value to elevate it past any standard television fare.

Old Gold & Black | Life

Thursday, September 17, 2020 | Page 19

Movie Review | I’m Thinking of Ending Things

Netflix releases new Charlie Kaufman film I’m Thinking of Ending Things follows the confusing and contradictory story of an imcompatible couple

BY JACK PORTMAN Opinion Editor portjt17@wfu.edu

Charlie Kaufman’s I’m Thinking of Ending Things, which was recently released directly to Netflix, is — among many things — an eerie contemplation of a life obscured by age. The film, which has received a fair amount of ire on my Twitter feed (and perhaps on yours as well) for its heavyhanded surrealism and pretentious style, fits nicely within Kaufman’s oeuvre of screen-writing and directorial work. Adaptation (Spike Jonez), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Being John Malkovich and Synecdoche, New York, each deal with love, the human desire for connection and the complications and tribulations therein while navigating “cerebral” and unconventional narratives. I’m Thinking of Ending Things doesn’t depart from this subject matter or form. Rather, it is almost a representative gestalt of a Kaufman film, the perfect ideal of a Kaufman film that only exists in one’s imagination alongside perfect figurations of chairs and horses. But this is a real movie, nonetheless, for better or for worse.

The film is liberal in its embrace of confusing and contradictory elements, constantly appearing to vacillate between now and then, her and him and the actual and the imagined. Based on a novel by Iain Reed, the film derives its structure from an apparently benign dinner date between Lucy (Jessie Buckley) and Jake (Jesse Plemmons), a couple still in an awkwardly prefatory phase in their relationship. The relationship seems fraught from the film’s first seconds as Lucy thinks to herself, “I am thinking of ending things.” The titular “things” refer to her romance with Jake, and their ensuing (and extraordinarily drawn out) roadtrip banter on the way to Jake’s childhood home reflects the tepidity of the couple’s connection.

The pair travels out of their small town in upstate New York into a snowy rural landscape that flutters monochromatically beyond the windows of Jake’s car. The couple discusses work, poetry and childhood, however Lucy’s internal dialogue betrays to the viewer her indifference to the relationship. Their conversation occupies an awkward middle ground between clairvoyant and self-conscious, and the profound subject matter they approach seems dissonant to their anxiously formal styles of discourse.

There is a consistent interplay between Lucy’s voice, Lucy’s thoughts (frequently audible to the audience) and Jake’s voice, however none of these mediums seems sufficient to convey to each other, or to the viewer, exactly what the characters yearn to convey. Their car banter is strained, ostensibly by some inexorable and deeply rooted linguistic limitation, but persists nonetheless until the couple arrives at the barn where Jake grew up, and where his parents — or at least the idea of them — still remain. If the viewer wasn’t put off by the lengthy and elaborate car-ride dialogue, then the extensive living room and dining room conversations to follow may do them in.

Photo courtesy of imdb.com

I’m Thinking of Ending Things stars Jessie Buckley as the main character Lucy. The film also stars Hollywood favorite Toni Collette, who gives an eerie performance as Jake’s mother.

This is a largely dialogic film, and it plays out like a piece of theater. Kaufman employs fairly static settings and spaces that confine with literal walls the characters, their movements and their subjectivities. This is important for various reasons: Jake seems to harbor an obsession with theater, an interest that was apparently sparked either by performances he witnessed as a child or by performances he witnesses in the future as a school janitor. His infatuation with theater is thus manifested in how the dinner date (and the events prior to and following it) are portrayed. If these events are actually a Freudian concoction of imagination, anxiety and memory, which I believe they are, then Jake’s experience with theater literally shapes his understanding of life itself and structures his psychoanalytic relationship with the past (whether or not its fully his past that is presented is dubious).

Further, theatrical performances — and the sets on which they unfold — underscore certain philosophical and epistemological problems that appear to be at the center of I’m Thinking of Ending Things (if such a film has a center). Both Jake and Lucy struggle to communicate with one another.

They encounter barriers to full and truthful conveyances of their thoughts and experiences, and so yearn for connection and fear desertion. They want their worlds to be shared and to share in the world of another, however each character seems condemned to their own interiority and inhibited from communicating the resulting experience to their counterparts.

Theatrical performances are themselves defined by, and exist within, these aesthetic and experiential membranes. Sets are impermeable nuclei bound by curtains and walls, and the players are insulated, trapped within a cell and kept from the world and audience beyond. The task of the performer is to negotiate this barrier, to communicate some sense of the characters they embody

across the membrane. This, Kaufman seems to suggest, is the essence of life: Humans are beings withheld from the world — try as they might to share something of themselves with their peers, they will never truly, fully succeed. As our interiority becomes insurmountably vast, and our anxieties, fixations and memory blend together, we become unable to articulate who it is we are, and so face the impossibility of the serendipitous companionship we long for.

Kaufman raises various ways humans have attempted to overcome these barriers of communication. Lucy is at once a poet, a painter and a scientist — she embodies each of these identities at certain points in the film, and each of these fields are explored as a means of conveying the otherwise non-conveyable aspects of humanity. But as fruitful as each may be, none fully encapsulates the subjectivity of the human experience, forcing what seems to be a contemplative, geriatric Jake, who appears intermittently throughout the film performing custodial work in a school (is he sifting through the archives of his youth?), to formulate a synthetic and frankly absurd understanding of his life. The film may be, at least in part, a deluded memoir bringing together isolated pockets of life and presenting them in a diorama of fact, fiction, and the surreal.

The absurdity of Kaufman’s film — its longwinded conversations, its manipulation of time and space and its ambiguous narrative — has probably discomforted those viewers who desire a full awareness of, and even control over, what they are seeing. I implore viewers to suspend that compulsion and embrace the confusing aspects of I’m Thinking of Ending Things. Kaufman produces an experience so nebulous and uncompromisingly dissident that your interpretation will likely vary greatly from my own — but that’s something to be embraced, and, so it would seem, proves him right.

Page 20 | Thursday, September 17, 2020

Old Gold & Black | Life

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