3/28 Edition

News: Wake ‘N Shake sets fundraising record Page 5

Opinion: Mueller Report incites reactionary letter Page 9

Sports: Wake Forest baseball gets much-needed wins Page 11

Life: How to make the most of your trip to Hilton Head Page 19

Old Gold&Black

WAKE FOREST’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1916 VOL. 105, NO. 10

T H U R S DAY, M A RC H 2 8 , 2 019 “Cover s the campus like the magnolias”

wfuogb.com

Image with racist text posted

SG presidential race produces a tie

The post included building a wall between Wake Forest and WSSU as a campaign promise

Mesfin and Jackson will compete for the position in a runoff election on Thursday, March 28

BY AMANDA WILCOX Online Managing Editor wilcaf16@wfu.edu

“He wants to build a wall between Wake and Winston-Salem State.

And he’ll make them pay for it.”

A racist Instagram story, featuring the previous statement, ignited outrage and concern on both Wake Forest’s and Winston-Salem State University’s (WSSU) campuses last Friday.

Suggesting that a wall be built between Wake Forest and WSSU, a local historically black university (HBCU), the post appeared to reference President Donald Trump’s campaign promise to build a wall on the southern border of the United States, financed by Mexico.

The image, which originally appeared on the Instagram story of a Wake Forest student, endorsed another specific student’s write-in candidacy for Student Government President. However, junior Kal Maier, the student named and pictured in the image, was not an official candidate for Student Government President, nor did he attempt to run a write-in campaign. He said that he had no knowledge or involvement in posting the image.

“I was away with my family and was not aware that this post with my name and picture was being created,” Maier said in a statement to the Old Gold & Black. “I did not help create nor did I know of the creation of the image until it had already been published on the Internet. The post was rude and offensive, and I do not support this post in any way.”

Maier is a member of Wake Forest’s Gamma Phi chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. Old Gold & Black reached out to Pi Kappa Alpha’s media team, but they did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

See Photo, Page 4

BY ELIZABETH MALINE Asst. News Editor malied17@wfu.edu This year’s Student Government election season brought issues of sexual assault, race and Student Government effectiveness to the forefront of the campus community.

Candidates had one week to campaign, which involved meeting with students and organizations, debating and creating promotional materials.

Juniors Mellie Mesfin and Walter Jackson will go head-to-head in a runoff for President. Sophomore Miles Middleton handily secured the position of Speaker of the House. Junior Andrew Wilson will be the next Treasurer, and sophomore Laura Horton will be the next Secretary.

The race for rising sophomore senators received 2,587 votes, the most of any other category. Second to that, 2,507 voted in the race for President.

See SG, Page 6

Basketball coach set to return Athletic Director announces that Danny Manning will continue his career as head basketball coach

BY CHRISTIAN ODJAKJIAN Staff Writer odjact18@wfu.edu

Photo courtesy of Joe Melancon

The Instagram story asks students to vote for junior Kal Maier.

However, Maier said he was unaware of the post and its creation.

Wake Forest Men’s Basketball Head Coach Danny Manning will be returning for his sixth season next year, Athletic Director Ron Wellman announced on Friday.

In November 2017, a source told ESPN’s Jeff Goodman that Manning’s contract extends until 2024-25. The buyout for Manning to be relieved of his duties and for a new coach to be brought in would have been at a steep price for the university. Rumors have been swirling for most of the season about Manning’s job security, and while Wellman expressed his support, the significant buyout was likely the main reason no change was made.

This presumably financially based decision has caused outcry from many Demon Deacon fans.

See Deacons, Page 11

OGB

“ improved access to counselors Students need This column represents the views of the Old Gold & Black Editorial Board.

While the Counseling Center and Student Health have some immediate resources for students in crisis situations, students should also have access to prompt non-emergency care."

Last week, Wake Forest Student Government hosted a week of activities, conversations and educational opportunities devoted to mental health. Activities during Mental Health Week, which was held in conjunction with Thrive's Signs of Stress Week, included yoga, puppies on the quad and a petting zoo on Manchester Plaza.

While the Editorial Board of Old Gold & Black applauds Student Government for getting the conversation started regarding the mental health issues that students face on campus, we believe that there are urgent next steps that the university must presently take in order to fix systemically embedded problems.

Particularly, the university should invest more resources in the Counseling Center, where wait times for a 30-minute appointment can be days or, in some cases, even weeks. While the Counseling Center and Student Health have some immediate resources for students in crisis situations, students should also have access to prompt non-emergency care.

Furthermore, as the university works to prioritize racial and socioeconomic diversity in admissions, it should also work to prioritize the

Old Gold &Black

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF WAKE FOREST UNIVERSIT Y SINCE 1916 LILLIAN JOHNSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF johnlg16@wfu.edu

REN SCHMITT PRINT MANAGING EDITOR schmwm16@wfu.edu

>> NEWS

Olivia Field, fielor17@wfu.edu Assistant: Caroline Walker, walkct18@wfu.edu Elizabeth Maline, malied17@wfu.edu

>> SPORTS

Sam Wexler, wexlsn17@wfu.edu Assistant: Rafael Lima, limara17@wfu.edu

>> OPINION

Kyle Ferrer, ferrka16@wfu.edu Assistant: Jack Portman, portjt17@wfu.edu Senior Opinion Adviser: David Ajamy, ajamdg15@wfu.edu

>> LIFE

Emily Beauchamp, beauea17@wfu.edu Assistant: Catherine Regen, regecl17@wfu.edu Andy Killebrew, killae17@wfu.edu

>> SCI & TECH

Kiley Price, prickj15@wfu.edu Jonathan Trattner, tratjd17@wfu.edu

>> DIGITAL MEDIA EDITOR Mary-Hallet Culbreth, culbmh16@ wfu.edu

>> ADVISER

Phoebe Zerwick, zerwicp@wfu.edu

>> STAFF MANAGERS

Becky Swig, swigrr15@wfu.edu Julia Haines, hainjm15@wfu.edu

wellbeing of students of color and other marginalized identities once they arrive at Wake Forest.

Specifically, the university should hire counselors from varied racial, ethnic, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds and with diversity in gender identity and sexual orientation. If students have counselors that they can relate to, it is more likely that they will have healthier mental health outcomes and more successful careers at Wake Forest. The university should also incentivize counselors to stay at Wake Forest long-term so that there is greater consistency and stability in the Counseling Center.

Wake Forest made a tremendous financial commitment to these prin-

ciples when it constructed Reynolds Gymnasium, one significant component of which is the Wake Forest Wellbeing Center. In early 2018, President Nathan Hatch made a statement regarding the Wake Forest Wellbeing Center: "We seek to educate the whole person at Wake Forest, and this new facility encourages and provides many opportunities to pursue holistic wellbeing."

In order to fully realize the goal of "holistic wellbeing," increased financial commitment to counselors and counseling services is paramount, as mental health plays an essential role in the complete wellbeing that the university hopes to ensure for its students.

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GRACIE FIRESTONE

BUSINESS MANAGER

firegk16@wfu.edu

AMANDA WILCOX ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR wilcaf16@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. Š 2014 WFU Media Board. All rights reserved. The views expressed in all editorials and advertisements contained within this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the OGB. As part of our commitment to reporting news fairly and accurately, we will not remove any previously published content. If an error in either our online or print content is brought to our attention, we will revise the originally published article with an appended correction. In order to facilitate thoughtful and appropriate debate, profane, vulgar, or inflammatory comments on our website are not allowed and will be deleted. For more information on our commenting policy, please see our website. We reserve the right to reject advertisements deemed inappropriate. Our full policy, and how to advertise with the OGB, can be found on our website.

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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 johnlg16@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, March 28, 2019 | Page 3

Deacon Profile: Zachary Bynum

BY OLIVIA FIELD News Editor fielor17w@wfu.edu

Senior Zachary Bynum spearheaded the College Advocacy Summit, which was a six-hour conference that focused on advocacy and social justice for college students. Bynum was inspired to create the summit after participating in BRANCHES, a social justice retreat run by the Pro Humanitate Institute (PHI).

Outside of his work planning BRANCHES, Bynum is also a PHI Scholar and a member of the Black Excellence Committee.

Why did you plan the College Advocacy Summit?

I planned the College Advocacy Summit because I have been involved in the planning of BRANCHES Social Justice retreat for the past two years and [have been a] member of the retreat for the past four years. Every year, students have tons of critiques and suggestions on how to improve the curriculum and operation of the retreat, so I wanted to create a conference where we center student voices as we explore different topics in social justice that a three-day retreat just simply cannot accommodate.

How did the role of activism in your life help you plan this event?

Photo courtesy of Zachary Bynum Activism that I’ve done on campus and in the Zachary Bynum, pictured above, is committed to advocating for social justice for college stugreater community has helped me develop a pasdents. On campus, he is closely involved with BRANCHES and the Pro Humanitate Institute. sion for organizing. Through organizing, I always try to channel the many lessons I’ve learned about advocating for more resources to be allocated to the she still didn’t end racism.” But what she did do was help spark the coalescence of scholars, activbuilding connections, power-mapping, being in- efforts of black women and queer people of color ist, organizers and communities into a movement in their own organizing. tentional in my work and trusting the process.

What else have you done on campus related to of people that were all dedicated to social justice.

What that says to me is that while activism is alsocial justice?

Did the event produce the results you were ways important and impactful, whether there’s one looking for?

In my first two years of being a student at Wake or one hundred people doing it, it is sustained and Forest, I was involved with campus activism here supported through communities and networks that Absolutely. I was especially pleased by the stuand there, often just being a member of student can help continue the mission and goals at hand. dents who came from off of campus and were so organizations like Students for Liberation and How do you incorporate activism into your willing to be a part of this “experiment,” given that BRANCHES. Then, I got more involved with daily life? it was the first summit of its kind. I was especially political organizing and social justice education moved by the keynote speaker, Zyanha Bryant. through organizations like Democracy NC, FreeI honestly don’t think I do, and I am starting to She’s the student activist in Charlottesville who dom School and the Anna Julia Cooper Center. accept that that is okay. Activism is tough, disheartorganized to take down the Robert E. Lee statue ening, and it can even feel unimpacftul sometimes, who was in Teen Vogue and Huffington Post literally How do you think community works within so constantly trying to hold myself to that stringent two days after the conference for organizing a racial activism? standard can be dehumanizing and disingenuine to justice walkout in her school. She discussed a lot of myself and those around me. What is more impormeaningful ways of addressing white supremacy in I like to lean on the words of one of my professors tant to me is developing my moral ethos, so that I our schools, which is an issue that is currently im- when I think about this question: “Ida B. Wells can continuously channel this in the activism and pacting Wake Forest’s campus. She also was big on documented lynching for nearly 30 years, and the work that I do.

CORRECTION The original article “MSA Hosts Memorial Service After NZ Shooting,” which ran in the March 21 issue, had misquotes from students who attended the memorial. It also incorrectly stated that the shooter's manifesto was 15,000 pages; it was 74. A corrected version has been uploaded online at wfuogb.com.

Page 4 |Thursday, March 28, 2019

Old Gold & Black | News

Photo: Students respond to racist Instagram post Continued from Page 1

The image obtained by Old Gold & Black was screenshotted from the Instagram story of freshman Joe Melancon, who also did not immediately respond to request for comment.

President Nathan Hatch stated that a team led by Dean of Students Adam Goldstein is currently investigating the source of the image. On Saturday, Hatch sent an email to the Wake Forest community condemning the post.

“While the intent of the authors may have been a parody of a national issue, it was deeply offensive and unacceptable,” he said. “The impact on the community is widespread and harmful, regardless of the original intent.”

He noted that he reached out to WSSU Chancellor Elwood Robinson to express his concern.

The email continued, “The message disparaged an institution whose values and mission we embrace and with whom we are building increased collaboration that brings our communities together.”

Several students took to Twitter to bring the image to the university’s attention, including senior Bri Reddick, who wrote, “Wake Forest students are rewarded for acts of white supremacy and build entire presidential campaigns off of it. A wall that separates us from a neighboring HBCU [Historically Black College or University] isn’t a platform point, it’s racism.” The official Wake Forest account encouraged Reddick, along with other students who tweeted at the university, to file a bias incident report.

Although Reddick said that she did not file a bias incident report herself, an unknown number of students did. The bias incident reporting system does not have any investigative oversight, but instead refers incident reports to other offices such as student conduct and human resources, according to Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Jose Villalba.

“We are currently collecting as much information as possible, as well as assessing harm in our community,” Villalba said. “Considering the reach and complexity of this particular incident, we are being as thorough as possible in collecting information and assessing harm.”

Results of the investigation of the image’s origins led by the dean of students will be shared with Hatch. There is no time frame for when outcomes regarding any bias reports filed could be made, and Villalba noted that if it becomes a student conduct case, it would be confidential.

Students at both Wake Forest and WSSU expressed anger and resentment at the image, especially as the Wake Forest community reckons with two racerelated controversies that occurred earlier this semester: the presence of racist photographs and references, particularly of blackface, in old editions of the Howler and revelations that Dean of Admissions Martha Allman and Associate Dean of Admissions Kevin Pittard, both alumni of the university, appeared in photos in front of a Confederate flag with members of Kappa Alpha Order in the 1980s.

Wake Forest School of Divinity student Richard Hughes, a graduate of HBCU Simmons College who also brought the image to the university’s attention on Twitter, said that he first saw the image in a GroupMe and was “not surprised, but disappointed” at its denigration of WSSU. He noted that 59 years ago, in February 1960, 10 white students from Wake Forest joined 11 students from WSSU to protest segregated lunch counters in downtown Winston-Salem.

“For that to have taken place, when the walls of division and separation were torn down at that time for the sake of black uplift, and then now somebody wants to do the literal antithesis of what that symbolized and build a wall between these two groups of students who at one time stood in solidarity for black uplift, that’s very problematic,” he said. “It’s more than just a joke for people who look like me, for blacks … that says a lot about what people think about our mere existence, that they want to separate themselves. What is the reasoning and the justification for being separate?

Is it this sense of superiority … is it this sense that you’re ‘less than’ human? That is what statements like that symbolize.”

William Gibson, president of WSSU Student Government, also commented on the impact of the image on the relationship between Wake Forest and WSSU to WSSU sophomore Tremane

Johnson, a photographer, videographer and interviewer for the university’s newspaper, The News Argus. Johnson, as well as Tori Edwards, the editor-in-chief of The News Argus, agreed to share their reporting with the Old Gold & Black.

“We’re very disheartened … we don’t want for us to continue to have these conversations and for it not be taken seriously,” Gibson said. “I think there needs to be a class or something to really teach these students that certain things are not meant to be said … for students at Wake [Forest], a Predominantly White Institution, to continue to preach this hate rhetoric. It’s going to take a gradual process for us to all understand … why some people do the things that they do.

Maybe we will never understand that, but I’m more invested in making sure that [the] students that I’m serving, my population [and] my peers, [that] their voices are represented at different tables in different spaces.”

WSSU senior Christina Harris called on Wake Forest students and WSSU students to come together to have conversations about racism.

“In light of the situation, we need to have something like a come-to-Jesus,” she said to Johnson for The News Argus.

“We need to have some type of event together, [when] we can really sit and talk about this issue, because [of] the fact that some people at Wake [Forest] think it was a joke. That’s a problem — the fact that they think this joke was funny. So, we just need to sit and talk about diversity, inclusion and prejudice and why it’s still relevant today and what we can do to reduce it here in Winston-Salem.”

On Wake Forest’s campus, the image has renewed students’ calls on the university to enforce a zero-tolerance policy for white supremacy.

“I know people are calling for a policy against racism, but what we’ve seen is that white students have weaponized racism and used it against students of color,” Reddick said. “So, what we want is a notolerance policy for racism and then a step further for white supremacy because racism stems out of white supremacy …

This could actually do something that intentionally serves students of color.”

Villalba noted that the university administration recognizes the importance

of having a clear statement against white supremacy and that the Office of Diversity and Inclusion is currently considering how such a statement would impact existing campus policies.

“These statements, action items and next steps all become part of fulfilling the mission of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion: to facilitate the university’s mission to create a more diverse learning community — a community that can only reach its potential if we all aspire to be more inclusive and more equitable,” Villalba said.

The Wake Forest Anti-Racism Coalition, which formed this semester with a list of nine demands for university policies to combat white supremacy and anti-blackness, also said that the post demonstrates the critical need for a zerotolerance policy for white supremacy at Wake Forest.

“When a student at a Predominantly White Institution feels empowered to deploy racist ‘build a wall’ rhetoric against an HBCU, it is clear that Wake Forest is an institution that emboldens white supremacists,” the group said in a statement to the Old Gold & Black. “We believe that without the adoption and enforcement of this policy, Wake Forest will foster an environment that is complicit in white supremacy.”

The incident was covered by the Winston-Salem Journal and the Associated Press and picked up by The New York Times and the Washington Post. While all three newspapers called the Instagram post “racist,” Hatch’s message to the Wake Forest community did not.

Instead, he termed it “offensive.” Cheryl Walker, Wake Forest’s director of News and Communications, said that staff from several offices, including Campus Life, Diversity and Inclusion and Communications and External Relations, informed the wording of the president’s message based on conversations they had with students and what was said on social media.

The Anti-Racism Coalition responded to Hatch’s message by writing on Twitter, “The ‘parody of a national issue’ to which you refer is a racist dog whistle deployed to embolden white supremacy. The author of the post knew what they were doing. Call racism by its name.”

POLICE BEAT Miscellaneous

Larceny • Unknown subject(s) entered an unsecured dorm room and took phone charger between midnight and 1 a.m. in Johnson. The report was filed on March 4 at 11:55 • Grad student reported damage to her garage door in Pfafftown. She informed WSPD that damage was from a former WFU grad student. The report was filed on a.m.

• Unknown subject(s) removed unsecured mountain bike from Polo Road. The March 22 at 3:00 p.m. report was filed on March 5 at 11:01 a.m.

• Offender was observed on video removing money from the victim’s wallet that Underage Consumption/Intoxication was left unattended in the laundry room of Bostwick. The report was filed on March 8 at 2:18 p.m.

• Intoxicated student leaned over second floor railing in Magnolia. The report was • Bicycle was stolen from Polo Road between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. The report was filed on March 24 at 1:15 a.m. filed on March 22 at 10:31 p.m.

News | Old Gold & Black

Thursday, March 28, 2019 |Page 5

Wake ’N Shake raises record amount Students raised $412,669.48 for cancer research during the 12-hour dance marathon

BY CAROLINE WALKER Asst. News Editor walkct18@wfu.edu

Wake Forest’s largest philanthropy event and annual 12-hour dance marathon, Wake ’N Shake, kicked off this spring as students, alumni and faculty members united to support those affected by cancer and collect donations for the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund.

To organize this philanthropy event, the co-chairs of Wake ’N Shake, seniors Kaela Griswold, Kila Tripp and John Waskowicz, began preparations for the dance marathon last spring. The Executive Team, which consists of approximately 40 people who were selected this past fall semester, helped with further organization and logistics for the event.

Tripp explained that she decided to become so involved with Wake ’N Shake due to being a cancer survivor herself.

“I knew that I wanted to give back to the community that saved my life,” Tripp said. “As a freshman, I joined the committee and loved the spirit of Wake ’N Shake, so then I joined the Executive Team, and now I’m a co-chair.”

In addition to managing the overall organization of the event, Tripp was also one of the eight Team Champions recognized during Wake ’N Shake as strong and courageous individuals who have fought or are currently fighting personal battles against cancer.

The other Team Champions included Mimi Gallagher, Jessy Kyle, Chris Boulton, Lisl Windham, Cindy Dunham, Karly Billips and Rusty Triebert. Periodically throughout the dance marathon, Tripp and the other Champions shared their inspirational stories about overcoming both the mental and physical drain of cancer through their courage and strength during the recovery process. The Team Champions were also each assigned a team of students who would dance in honor and support of them.

As one of the student dancers experiencing Wake ’N Shake for the first time as a freshman, Meri Claire West noted the emotional impact that the Team Champions made during their speeches.

“I think it was really interesting hearing the different stories, especially how each

Photo courtesy of Wake Forest University

During Wake Forest’s largest philanthropy event, Wake ’N Shake, students danced for 12 hours in honor of the eight Team Champions and in support of all those who have battled or are currently battling cancer.

participant was assigned an individual Champion,” West said.

In addition to listening to the Team Champions speak, participants enjoyed activities, including Zumba, Body Combat, the first edition of the Faculty Talent Show, a live band performance and a rave. These events aimed at keeping the morale high throughout the 12 hours.

Member of the Executive Team and junior Megan Hopkins remarked upon how the event fosters a heightened sense of community at Wake Forest, as the participants cooperatively encourage and motivate one another to continue dancing in support of those affected by cancer.

“Wake ’N Shake is my favorite event that Wake Forest does philanthropywise,” Hopkins said. “I love seeing that although there’s no monetary incentive, everyone gets so excited to hear the Team Champions and to be here out of the goodness of their hearts.”

This year’s dance marathon was presented with the theme of “The Greatest Dance on Earth,” which included the appearance of a juggling stilt walker and t-shirts that highlighted a unique circus performer, like a unicyclist or a human

cannonball, for each Team Champion assigned to a group of student dancers.

The event lasted for a full 12 hours on Saturday from 12 p.m. to 12 a.m., and participants selected to participate for either one of the six-hour shifts in the afternoon or evening or the full 12-hour shift. In light of the long duration of the event, some participants experienced severe physical exhaustion towards the end of the night.

According to senior Sarah Hambright, chief of Wake Forest’s student-run Emergency Medical Service (EMS), three students required medical assistance. However, she was unable to provide additional information due to the nature of the topic and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. One of the participants dancing in the 12 hour shift, Cassidy Spetnagel, was able to comment on what she witnessed during this medical incident.

“When people started passing out, we were in a large crowd listening to the final speech, so we had been in the hot gym dancing and on our feet for 11 hours at that point,” Spetnagel said. “Before we knew it, we heard someone else fall, and

they had to get medical attention. We were all very concerned … [However,] the event was able to pick back up and finish with the normal closing activities.

It was definitely an unforgettable time at Wake ’N Shake.”

Even with these difficulties, “The Greatest Dance on Earth” was still able to conclude with a record-setting donation of $412,669.48, which will be give to the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund.

President Nathan Hatch commented on the importance of Wake ’N Shake, which he said exemplifies the Pro Humanitate spirit through the use of one’s talents and time to support those affected by cancer and raise money for cancer research.

“It’s great to support a good cause and to have a good time,” said Hatch. “The money you raise is deeply important for all.”

All of the money raised through Wake ’N Shake will benefit the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund, which supports the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

WAKE IN A WEEK Dean Family Speaker Series: Poet Paul Muldoon Time: Thursday, March 28 at 6 p.m.

Location: Porter B. Byrum Welcome Center Join award-winning Irish poet Paul Muldoon for the evening as part of the English Department’s Dean Family Speaker Series. Muldoon brings wisdom from his experience as a poet and professor of poetry, as well as his roles as an editor, critic, playwright, lyricist and translator.

Student Union Movie: Colette Time: Friday, March 29 at 8 p.m.

Location: Pugh Auditorium, Benson University Center Bring your friends to Pugh to watch the recently released and widely popular historical drama, Colette.

Inspiration and Praise Gospel Concert Time: Saturday, March 30 at 6 p.m.

Location: LJVMC Coliseum Listen to Grammy-Award-winning artist Tye Tribbett and Dove Award winner Deitrick Haddon perform alongside James Fortune & Fiya, Anthony Brown & Group Therapy and Ruth La’Ontra.

Call to Conversation Brunch Time: Sunday, March 31 at 11:30 a.m.

Location: ZSR Library Bond with members of the Wake Forest community over brunch and a conversation on the topic: “Finding your inner strength: Tell us about a challenge you faced and where you found the strength to persevere.”

Earth Week 2019 Kick-off Time: Saturday, March 30 at 4 p.m.

Location: Campus Gardens Celebrate Earth Week. The theme for this year is “Food For Thought,” which will focus on environmental justice, especially in regard to food access and insecurity. The first event will take place at Campus Gardens, so come to enjoy live music, fresh food, tabling by student organizations and the opportunity to try your hand at gardening. There will also be a celebration with a blessing and apple tree planting in honor of Tu B’Shevat, the Jewish New Year for Trees.

This event will be organized by the Wake Forest Office of Sustainability in partnership with both the Office of Jewish Life and Hillel and the Office of Wellbeing.

Old Gold & Black | News

Page 6 | Thursday, March 28, 2019

SG: Election results released to students

Continued from Page 1

President The election for president is not yet decided, as no candidate captured more than 50 percent of the vote. To determine a clear winner, there will be a runoff on Thursday, March 28, between Jackson and Mesfin, the two candidates who received the most votes, though Mesfin recieved slightly more votes than Jackson.

“I expected there to be a runoff, and despite the fact that voter turnout is traditionally lower for these sorts of things, I’ve seen a lot of people energized by the way that things have turned out,” said Mesfin.

Mesfin is the only one of the presidential candidates who has never been involved in Student Government in any capacity, yet she was able to gain the most support of any candidate.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t have ever entered the race if I didn’t think there was a chance I could win, she said. “Everything I’ve been running on is just what I’ve heard students saying for years, so while I’m extremely grateful, I’m not shocked that so many are supporting me.”

As for Jackson, there is still a possibility he could emerge victorious in this race.

“Election week has been tough and competitive, and I am happy that we have made it this far,” Jackson said. “I am extremely proud of my campaign team.

They’ve all put in tremendous effort and I am very grateful for that.”

There were a total of five candidates in the race for student body president this year, also including sophomore Toki Hong, who received the next highest amount of votes after Jackson, and was respectively followed by juniors Maia Kennedy and Chandler Averette.

Though Averette recieved the fewest votes, he said does not have any regrets when it comes to how he ran his campaign.

“Leading up to election day,” he said.

I felt more alive than I ever did beforehand. It was just a blast.”

Both Hong and Kennedy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Speaker of the House The race for Speaker of the House boasted a diverse group of candidates, but the race was not a close one. Ultimately, Middleton held a strong lead and secured the position capturing 61.5 percent of votes.

Middleton commended his opponents, junior Matthew David and sophomore Jack Beyrer, for running clean campaigns, and shared his reactions upon winning.

“I am excited to have this opportunity to work with the rest of the Senate and the Executive Board in order to achieve the people’s goals,” Middleton said.

Secretary In the race for secretary, Horton easily defeated freshman Alberto Bufalino, capturing 65.5 percent of the vote compared to Bufalino’s 34.5 percent.

Horton is spending this semester studying abroad and thus had to conduct her campaign remotely. She spent the previous three semesters serving as a Senator.

Treasurer Wilson ran unopposed for the position of Treasurer. Despite this, he expressed his desire to campaign given the potential of losing to a write-in candidate.

“Being Treasurer is a great deal of responsibility, and I take it very seriously,” he said. “But, it will be fun to help students acquire financial support for their organizations. I am looking forward to working with the newly elected Executive Board and am honored to serve with them.”

Class of 2020 Senators Only five candidates ran in the race for rising senior Senators, and each was elected. They include Jackson Blodgett, Meredith Happy, Jay Sherrill, Jonathan (Noah) Dill and Tyler Miller, who have all previously served as Senators.

Sherrill is eager to continue serving as a Senator and make an impact during his last year at Wake Forest.

“I’m really excited to have the opportunity to continue working with students from all over campus to voice student concerns and create a positive impact on campus,” he said.

Class of 2021 Senators Similarly, given that only nine candidates ran in this race, every candidate was

elected. Of those elected, all have previously served as Senators with the exception of Andrew Butler and Cole Gibson.

“The thing I’m most excited for, now being a member of Wake Forest’s Senate, is representing the concerns and wants of my peers,” said Butler.

Gabe Mansour received 227 votes, the most of all candidates running. Next year will be his third year serving as a Senator for the Class of 2021.

“I continue to be beyond appreciative for the class of 2021’s support and trust, and I hope my efforts in student government continue to strengthen the Wake Forest community both academically and culturally,” he said.

Class of 2022 Senators Of the 21 candidates that ran in this race, only 15 were elected. Every person elected has previously served as a Senator, with the exception of Brooke Blair.

Maya Dalton was also re-elected and shared what she hopes to achieve next year.

“I have a lot of projects I’ve been working on, including Sexual Assault and Misconduct Prevention on campus following the passing of a resolution I worked on this semester,” Dalton said.

Additionally, several Senators that served this year were not re-elected to serve again next year, including Mustafa (Mitch) Topaloglu, Yijin (Natalie) He and Morgan Milhollen.

Michelle Williams speaks on mental health Williams, a former Destiny’s Child member, spoke at Wait Chapel as a part of Mental Health Week.

BY CAROLINE WALKER Asst. News Editor walkct18@wfu.edu In honor of Mental Health Week, Michelle Williams delivered a keynote speech emphasizing the issue of mental illness and the importance of addressing mental health to the audience gathered in Wait Chapel on Thursday, March 21, at 6 p.m.

Student Government President Danny Reeves introduced Williams’ keynote speech as a vital step toward breaking down the barriers that often silence and suppress mental illness.

He commented on the value that this keynote speech contributed to the overarching goal of Mental Health Week “to deconstruct the stigma around mental health.”

Williams was able to impart wisdom to the audience from her experience not only in the music industry as a former singer in Destiny’s Child, Broadway actress, entrepreneur, designer and television host, but also as an ambassador for the Office on Women’s Health, where she works to promote mental health awareness.

Her speech included a transparent discussion of her personal experience dealing with depression and taking time off from her career in order to recover and strengthen her mental health.

“Beauty is when you are vulnerable and your defenses are down,” Williams said.

She began by reflecting on her childhood, as she was raised in Rockford, Ill. and influenced by her father’s role as a pastor. Here, she learned church hymnals like “Walk with Me Lord,” which she would later perform for her audition to sing with the music group, Destiny’s Child.

During this time of her life, she said that both her religious background and family culture led her to believe that mental health issues do not need to be addressed. Rather, she said she was told that her struggles would magically vanish if she prayed and “rolled around on the altar.”

Despite leaving her hometown and proceeding to sign record deals and excel in the music industry, Williams experienced symptoms of depression. She explained that she initially dispelled these as “growing pains,” especially due to the cultural stigmatization of mental illness, as well as the lack of support and conversations surrounding mental health.

She commented on her experience of challenging the societal pressures to hide

her struggles behind a façade of professional success, as well as her journey of confronting the reality of her mental illness and working toward recovery.

Williams also noted that the stigma that “only people down in the dumps” suffer from mental illness is inaccurate because she and other highly functioning stars could still be silently suffering from mental illness behind misleading appearances of happiness, wealth or success.

She eventually began to recognize the underlying problem of depression and the importance of recovering from mental illnesses. With that realization, she decided to resign from her role on “Once on This Island” in November due to an emotional breakdown.

“Plans can always be cancelled when it comes to your mental health and your peace,” Williams said. “Don’t wait to get to a place where you’re forced to sit out.”

Williams encouraged the individuals in the audience to prioritize their mental health above other obligations and to seek out professional help upon experiencing symptoms of mental illness.

Also, she applauded the mental health professionals in the audience and commended the work that mental health professionals perform.

Although the societal stigma surrounding mental health sometimes hinders one from seeking help, Williams

talked about how her transition from rejecting the problem to acknowledging it made a positive impact in the ability to seek treatment and improve her wellbeing.

“Healing must take place in the heart first before you do anything,” Williams said.

During a subsequent Q&A session, she welcomed individuals in the audience to share their personal stories and ask her for any advice on mental health issues.

Dana Hindi, a freshman who attended the event, spoke on the value of Williams’ contribution to this conversation about mental health.

“Hearing Michelle Williams speak was beautiful,” Hindi said. “Not only was it a mental health conversation but it was also an entertaining experience…

When she opened up her talk for questions, I was not disappointed. She was very genuine and down-to-earth…it was very memorable.”

Williams finished her appearance with one final statement on how each human individual also has the capacity for resilience and the power to combat mental illness.

“For any of you [who is] dealing with a mental health issue and the severity of it, I refuse to believe that you are supposed to live that way forever,” Williams said. “Everybody has the power to say it stops here. Go and get free.”

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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Ph.D. student presents research on ribosomes Wake Forest Ph.D. candidate studying ribosome profiling in adenovirus cells

BY STEPHANIE BILODEAU Staff Writer bilosm13@wfu.edu

Jason Gagliano, a current Ph.D. candidate at Wake Forest, described his research to approximately 25 students and faculty in Winston on March 25. Gagliano has a background in biophysics and has previously conducted research with the Wake Forest Department of Physics.

He also has a master’s degree in Science Education from the State University of New York College at Brockport and is currently the coordinator of the analytical lab at Forsyth Technical Community College.

Gagliano’s talk, “Ribosome profiling of late adenovirus-infected cells reveals ribosome stacking on the 5’ untranslated region of messenger RNA translated by shunting” outlined work that he has done on adenoviruses with Jim Curran in the biology department and David Ornelles in the Wake Forest School of Medicine.

Adenoviruses are common viruses that can cause symptoms like sore throat, pneumonia and pink eye in humans and can be more serious in people with weakened immune systems.

An adenovirus replicates by entering the host’s cells and then “hijacking” the cellular machinery to create its own DNA and proteins and eventually build more of itself. Gagliano focused on the last of the three stages of viral infection, where the adenovirus uses the host cell to translate its own genetic code and make viral proteins.

Translation involves a piece of cellular machinery called a ribosome, which uses messenger RNA (mRNA), containing code copied from DNA, as instructions for assembling a protein.

Adenovirus is able to create preferential translation of its own mRNA, meaning the viral mRNA is translated far more than the mRNA of the host cell, resulting in more viral proteins and less host proteins.

In fact, by the late phase of adenovirus infection, there are 500 times more ribosomes associated with mRNA from the virus than with mRNA from the host.

Gagliano investigated how this preferential translation happens and the role of ribosome shunting in this process. Shunting is when a ribosome physically skips over the untranslated 5’ end of a mRNA strand, which is a region that normally helps to regulate translation. By shunting over this untranslated region, the adenovirus promotes more efficient translation of its own proteins, and Gagliano wanted to understand how this works. His research has led to a new model for understanding shunting, as well as a new fully annotated adenovirus reference genome and transcriptome, which Gagliano is currently working to finish.

“From my own background, I thought the new reference genome was cool,” said graduate student Ellen Weinheimer.

Weinheimer works on genomics in the Pease lab, and she explained that finding and developing a good reference like the one Gagliano created can be difficult.

When asked whether his work on ribosome shunting could actually help treat adenovirus infections, Gagliano pointed out that using the transcriptome (all the mRNA expressed from an organism’s genes) to

find new drugs is a growing field.

“I do think that maybe the translation system could be used," he said.

"Generally they work on replication, but I think translation could also be a target.”

Regardless of future medical applications for Gagliano’s work, research into adenovirus and its mechanisms of replication is already important today for both scientific knowledge and human health. Gagliano hopes that the new reference he created will make work like this easier for future investigators in the community.

Photo courtesy of Public Domain Files

A picture of adenovirus under a transmission electron micrograph reveals its structure.

Environmental major to be proposed A new Environmental and Sustainability major could go into effect in 2020

take ENV 201, Global Environmental quired. Bachelor of the Arts electives Issues. This course will be required for include a certain number of credit both the B.A. and the B.S., and the hours in the humanities, social sciences proposal includes at least one course in and natural sciences as well.

Earth Systems (currently cross-listed as While it is important to understand

BY CAMERON MUNLEY an ENV and BIO course, but which the science of environmental processes, Contributing Writer will become ENV 220). Meanwhile, it is also important to know the history munlcn17@wfu.edu the B.S. track would require Physics of environmental movements and the and Chemistry of the Environment, social, political and their economic imIn the spring of 2020, a new environ- PHY/CHM 120, among other courses. plications. As such, the program will mental and sustainability major could The B.S. would also require most of be highly interdisciplinary, not only potentially be released. The proposed the elective courses to be through de- for the students taking the classes from major must go through an official ad- partments such as biology, physics and different departments, but also for the ministrative process in order to go into chemistry. However, some humanities Wake Forest faculty. Johnston has also effect. and social sciences would also be re- indicated that there are many benefits The proposal includes both Bachelor of the Arts and Bachelor of Science tracks within the major. Students might choose to pursue one or the other, somewhat similarly to the way in which other majors on campus work currently.

Lucas Johnston, professor of Religion and current director of the environmental program, thinks that this new major has the potential to give students a broad-based liberal arts education.

“It is a genuinely interdisciplinary program,” Johnston said.

The major differences between the Photo courtesy of MaxPixel two tracks are the classes that would be required. Currently, all Environmen- The Environmental and Sustainability major will be an interdistal Studies and Science minors have to ciplinary major with courses ranging from science to history.

from getting an Environmental and Sustainability degree for faculty, employers and the students themselves, which falls in line with Wake Forest’s motto of Pro Humanitate and engaged learning that can be applied to the broader community.

“It trains students to really engage with ethical reasoning and gives the knowledge to support the greater good,” Johnston said.

In the fall semester of 2019, the proposal has to go through the Committee of Academic Planning. If it gets approved there, then the Wake Forest faculty has to vote on the creation of the major in the spring.

If voted on by the faculty, an announcement will be made stating that the Environmental and Sustainability major can go into effect. If the proposal does pass, then the first class that could declare this major is the class of 2021. As such, it may be feasible for current freshman and sophomores to graduate from Wake Forest with this major as a degree.

Wake Forest currently offers both Environmental Studies and Environmental Science minors for students already interested in getting started on this curriculum.

OPINION OLD GOLD & BLACK

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“ with images that arbitrate history We must reconcile Histories

Photography’s historical conceptions of race must reconciled with progressive stances

Jack Portman

Staff Columnist porttjt17@wfu.edu The role of visual imagery in promulgating social conceptions of race has for centuries encoded racialized connotations in depictions of the body.

The construction of whiteness and blackness in the U.S. was largely abetted by the differential portrayals of black and white bodies by white people through print media, art, science and minstrelsy. Outrageously pseudoscientific illustrations of white and black bodies, such as that published in Nott and Gliddon’s Types of Mankind, reflect the role of scientific racism in perpetuating white superiority and biological determinism, whereas illustrated cartoons and blackface performances pervert black bodies and engendered stereotypes.

Louis Agassiz, 19th-century naturalist and zoologist, wrote extensively on polygenism, a biased conceptualization of racial difference, which

The imagery produced to corroborate racist conceptions of blackness bares a legacy of propagandized white anxiety and pseudoscientific falsity.” reified white supremacy. To advance his pseudoscientific practice Agassiz, then a Harvard biologist, produced a series of photographs to provide “evidence of the otherness of the black body.” The photographs depict two subjects whom Acassiz encountered while touring a plantation in Columbia, S.C., Renty and his daughter Delia, both enslaved Africans, were forcibly stripped and posed for the photographs. Harvard presently holds the rights to the images, and a book published by the Harvard University Press, From Site to Sight: Anthropology, Photography, and the Power of Imagery, displays Renty’s photograph on the cover.

On March 20, a descendent of Renty and Delia, Tamara Lanier, filed a lawsuit against Harvard accusing the university of “wrongful seizure, possession and expropriation” of her relatives’ photographs. The lawsuit contends that Renty and Delia were photographed “without consent, dignity or compensation,” and that resultantly the university cannot rightly own the photographs. The imagery produced to corroborate racist conceptions of blackness bares a legacy of propagandized white

anxiety and pseudoscientific falsity. Nonetheless, Lanier’s lawsuit poses a question of ownership and property in a contemporary context. The lawsuit contends that the university’s ownership of the non-consensually obtained images reflects its role in “perpetuating the systematic subversion of black property rights that began during slavery and continued for a century thereafter.”

Harvard has recently grappled with its deep historical associations with slavery, as has Wake Forest. Notably, Harvard Law School was established with funds bequeathed by Isaac Royall Jr., a Massachusetts slave owner. Slaves tended to numerous Harvard presidents, and many of the university’s students were the sons of prominent plantation slave-owners throughout its first 150 years.

Given that Harvard benefited explicitly from the institution of slavery, and that the images it commissioned of Renty and Delia were invasive, degrading, objectifying and overtly racist, it would seem that returning the images to the subjects’ family is necessary if the university is to fully reconcile with its historical associations to slavery.

The monetization of the illegally obtained image, which more rightfully belongs to Renty and Delia’s family, indicates that Harvard continues to directly benefit from the institution of slavery.

Just as the display of illegally confiscated cultural materials in European and American museums

perpetuates colonial narratives and prevents pertinent communities from engaging with important cultural heritage, Harvard’s refusal to return the images similarly reflects its advantaged hegemonic position and infringes on Lanier’s capacity to shape and protect how her relatives are portrayed.

The decision to monetize and distribute degrading and illegally procured images of “Papa Renty” and Delia should be left to their relatives rather than the institution whose historical associations with scientific racism saw to their creation.

In addition to any rights to the images, as well as reparations for damages, Lanier requests that the university recognize its role in objectifying Renty and Delia, and that it acknowledge its complicity in “perpetuating and justifying the institution of slavery.”

The role of photography in shaping historical conceptions of race in America is well documented. As the nation continues to grapple with the vestiges of racism in its universities and elsewhere, acknowledging the historical value of such imagery must be achieved in conjuncture with a proper handling of the familial rights to ownership, distribution and monetization. Engaging in such a repossession of cultural history and familial legacy must be undertaken if a full acknowledgment of historical connections to slavery can truly be achieved.

organizing our character in an IPO-ish way. We market the self as product, idiosyncratic and atomized, yet promising a holistic brand. The Whitmanian notion of a divine self perversely realizes itself, through capitalist abstraction, in the complexity of human branding. Paradoxically, we eschew powerfully disparate multitudes that collect into a cogent articulation of the self. There is no internal uncertainty, no irreconcilable ideas, only our unique brand, our voice of all collected voices. Even shortcomings are subsumed as a sort of anti-heroic piece, contributing to the brand’s thematic conceit. To wit, Hess says “A ‘lifestyle brand,’ after all, is just a regular brand that appeals to people’s ‘personal brands’ — which, in turn, are increasingly organized around courting relationships with lifestyle brands.”

Hess’s article goes on to say that, even in the age of personal brands, corporations still rule, that in our individual mimicry we still serve the overarching brand. We are the factota composing a larger mission statement, proselytizing aspects of corporate brands through our persuasive personal prism. By forfeiting our natural share of entropy, allowing it to be externally shaped by corporate harmony, we

may find vague aesthetic peace. But by definition, assimilated aspects of distinction distill suffering into calibration.

Deflection is a human pastime — pseudo-mystical cranks gaslight us into their manipulative schemes, and unctuous profiteers sermonize cheap transcendence all the time. If tent-revivalism still persuades people, it at least no longer holds the lion’s share. We have evolved into a subtler, proto-dystopian conception of the self. We no longer think through proffered identities, or even wear them; we exist in them.

The brand as an approximate identity capitalizes on our insecurity and ambiguity, distilling our subjectivity into its template of complexity. It appears as psychological deliverance, but is merely our psychological governor. Socratic and Machiavellian conceptions of the self epitomizes the modern schism between branded self and worked-through identity. Socrates says, “be as you wish to appear,” but Machiavelli, precursor to the brand says, “appear as you wish to be.”

There is nothing wrong with self-refinement driven by aspiration; it is when we relax in our entanglement that the snake oil becomes a balm and artifice takes the place of authenticity.

Self-branding“abstracts the self into a set of values Personal Systems

Corporate brands have trickled into personal evaluations that outsource the self

Kyle Ferrer

Staff Columnist ferrka16@wfu.edu

In a recent New York Times article entitled “What Happens When People and Companies Are Both Just Brands?” Amanda Hess points out that “brand, in fact, is such a ubiquitous organizing principle for so many things — companies, products, people — that is has been forced to spawn an expansive glossary of subcategories and varieties.” The fait accompli liberty Hess’s early statement takes is that it assumes (recognizes) there is no un-branded territory left. We are now defined and determined by our brand. No matter the resistance, society interprets the self in a capitalist constellation, a set of abstracted characteristics that no longer make up a genuine self but a brand. We have been monetized, if not always concretely, then psychologically, into a product-value advertisement.

The Whitmanian notion of a divine self perversely realizes itself, through capitalist abstraction, in the complexity of human branding.”

Brand consumerism began as a utilitarian endeavor. Consumerist culture in the 1920s, Hess says, “produced a glut of products that couldn’t be differentiated from one another on sight,” so companies branded themselves to ensure quality.

What proceeded was companies morphing simple quality assurance into a robust, idea-based brand. Companies and their products anthropomorphized themselves into complex beings, moving away from basic product management into ideological selling-points. As Naomi Klein says in her 1999 book No Logo, “Nike isn’t a running-shoe company, it is about the idea of transcendence through sports.” Nike went from shoes to sport to religious experience, selling a Pandora’s box of qualities and experiences to be unleashed upon purchase.

The practical issue that stems from corporate humanization is that “our focus shifts away from things like labor practices and supply chains and onto issues of narrative and identity.” Conversely, we begin to conceptualize ourselves as companies,

Opinion | Old Gold & Black

Thursday, March 28, 2019 | Page 9

“ obfuscates Mueller's probe The Barr letter Reality Politics

Despite no immediate legal trouble, the Mueller report does not get Trump out of the woods

Amanda Wilcox Staff Columnist wilcaf16@wfu.edu

This week, one person deserves unequivocal thanks from all of us, no matter whether our politics align left, right or center: Special Counsel Robert Mueller. For nearly two years, as he doggedly investigated Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, he endured a nearly constant salvo of character assassinations from the president and his unholy trinity of Congressional sycophants, Fox News propagandists and far-right Internet lackeys.

The idea that a team of public servants could discharge a mission with honor and duty was beyond Trump’s comprehension, but Mueller drilled straight down to the bedrock of facts without slant or agenda. It was indisputably an exhausting and thankless task.

Last Friday was finally “Mueller time” — the Special Counsel and his team submitted their report to the U.S. Department of Justice.

According to a brief summary of the report written for the U.S. Congress by Attorney General William Barr, the investigation “did not establish” that anyone from the Trump campaign team conspired or coordinated with Russian operatives to interfere in the election.

While it did not expressly conclude that the president committed crimes related to obstruction of justice, neither did it “exonerate”

Barr's letter is too easily interpreted as clearing the president and his operatives of all general corruption and malfeasance not quite meeting the legal standard of collusion." him. Naturally, Trump immediately took to Twitter with alternative facts: “Total and complete EXONERATION!” The weekend’s absence of a smoking gun was certainly demoralizing for those of us who despise this wretched presidency; however, Trump’s emboldened yes-men who have claimed Mueller’s results as a “win” for the right need to step back. First of all, he still faces investigations in the Southern District of New York for campaign finance violations. More significantly, over the course of the Mueller investigation, six individuals who were closest to the president were criminally charged: his former campaign chairman, former deputy campaign chairman, former personal lawyer and “fixer," former national security adviser, former campaign foreign policy adviser and Roger Stone, a friend and strategist. That, in itself, is nothing short of extraordinary and certainly not deserving of a victory lap by Trump.

Until the full report is released to all of us, if it ever is, it will be impossible for either Congress or the public to differentiate between spin and substance in the aforementioned high-level summary by Barr. What we now know about the scope of Mueller’s conclusions is obfuscated through the lens of Barr’s letter, which should not be taken at face value, given the fact that the attorney general, a Trump appointee, wrote a memo last year calling Mueller’s investigation into obstruction of justice “irresponsible” and “fatally misconceived.” After noting that Mueller’s report does not offer any legal recommendations regarding obstruction of justice, Barr declared that it is “[left]

to the Attorney General to decide whether the conduct described in the report constitutes a crime.” Together with his deputy, Rod Rosenstein, he then concluded that the president did not obstruct justice when he fired FBI Director James Comey.

There are two paramount components of a special counsel investigation: the story must be told in a manner that is both true and full, and if faith in our most sacred institutions is to survive, the public must have confidence that justice was done. It is impossible for us to reach that determination if all the evidence we see is in a slanted letter from Trump’s attorney general. What evidence did Mueller find on obstruction of justice that made him unable to reach a legally sound conclusion? If Mueller was not able to make a decision after 22 months of investigation, how could Barr do so only 48 hours after the report was submitted?

Why was Barr so quick to dismiss the fact that the president himself said he had fired FBI Director James Comey because of the Russia investigation?

Barr’s letter is too easily interpreted as clearing the president and his operatives of all general corruption and malfeasance not quite meeting the legal standard of collusion. This is not the case. The letter does not say whether Mueller found a “preponderance of evidence” of crimes (the criminal standard, “beyond a reasonable doubt,” is much higher). Neither does it say why there were more than 100 contacts between the Trump associates and Russian operatives and why so many people denied those contacts.

“Lawfare,” a national security blog published in cooperation with the Brookings Institution, delineated the many possible ways in which Barr’s letter could be consistent with very serious wrongdoing by the Trump administration.

“It would be consistent with, for example, a report that finds lots of ‘evidence of collusion’ that for one reason or another falls short of criminal conduct,” a team of “Lawfare” writers concluded. “It would be consistent with a report that describes conduct that falls short of the criminal standard by the barest of technicalities. It would be consistent with a report that finds that individuals associated with the president’s campaign were aware of the Russian efforts to interfere in the election, welcomed such assistance, and did not in any way warn the American public about it — but who did not take the requisite step of entering into any criminal agreement to assist the effort either.” The upshot is that for a two-year investigation involving 2,800 subpoenas, a four-page in-house summary is woefully inadequate at preserving transparency and accountability. (The other harsh truth is that the Russians didn’t need any assistance from the Trump campaign to finagle the election.)

But thanks to the president’s partisan hacks in Congress, the report may remain buried alongside Trump’s tax returns. Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) blocked a non-binding resolution put forth by Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to release it publicly (one and the same as the resolution passed resoundingly and bipartisanly by the House of Representatives). Notwithstanding Mueller’s honor and patriotism, the special counsel will not save us from the problems that allowed the Trump presidency to come to pass in the first place. Trump is a cancer to our beloved country, and no special counsel report could save us from the party sycophants that embraced him, the dark money that financed him or the far-right radicalization he awakened. That’s on us.

“ Martha Allman is not the problem Letter to the Editor

When I saw the picture from the 1982 yearbook of the Kappa Alpha Order in front of a Confederate flag, I was shocked. But the shock was not because of the prominent display of the flag that symbolizes the legacy of white supremacy and racism. It was because the Martha Allman whom I have worked with for many years and whom I continue to admire and respect was in front of it. The Martha Allman I know is not a racist. She has lived her adult life working to provide the opportunity for an education to countless students from diverse social and economic backgrounds. She was at the forefront of the decision to become SAT optional because she believed the test acted as a profoundly unfair barrier to equal educational opportunity. She raised two daughters, both of whom I have taught, who are deeply committed to social justice. She belongs to one of the few racially integrated churches in the city — a church that preaches and practices the social gospel. She does not deserve to become the sacrificial lamb for Wake Forest’s long and troubled past with institutionalized racism.

The reason I wasn’t shocked by the display of the flag was because I experienced that shock more than three decades ago when I came to Wake Forest in 1985. The KAs were still publicly flying the flag as part of their “tradition” and “Southern Pride,” despite complaints from

For me, [Allman] is the face of how to grow up, move beyond one's narrow upbringing, develop empathy for others and devote your life to making your corner of the world a better and fairer place." faculty, students and the newly created office of minority affairs. A faculty member in the English department had a sign bolted to his door with a rebel waving the flag, which he used to intentionally provoke the only African-American English professor at the time. A few years later a student publication funded by outside money routinely attacked and ridiculed endowed chair Professor Maya Angelou. In my classrooms, I came to realize that many of my white students who had grown up in the South (which was most of them at that time) had learned a substantially different version of the Civil War than I had growing up in Pennsylvania. “The Civil War wasn’t about slavery; it was about the constitutional principles of state’s rights and limited government.” “Slavery would have died out eventually because it wasn’t an economically sound practice.” “Most southerners didn’t own slaves.” I was stunned the first time I heard these things, but once I came to expect it, I turned it into a lesson about political socialization and how we come to hold the political views we do.

When we are young, we tend to believe what

our parents and teachers tell us is true. Many people never move beyond that, but many more do and through further education and experience, come to have quite different understandings of themselves, others and the world they live in. For this reason, I take Martha Allman at her word that she experienced a similar growth and transformation.

If the price to be paid for being in that picture is a public shaming in Wait Chapel, a much larger stage will need to be built to hold all the people associated with Wake Forest who in their adult lives used their power and influence to perpetuate racist practices and make the campus climate hostile to students of color, or in other cases, failed to use their power and influence to stop it. The professor who taunted his colleague.

The others who stood by and let him do it. The faceless adults with money to fund a mean-spirited, anti-intellectual rag that took pleasure in harassing a gifted poet who we were fortunate to have on our campus. The fraternity advisers who didn’t point out to their members the inappropriateness of their symbols and traditions.

The powerful alumni who, behind the scenes, mobilize every time there is any perceived threat that the university might try to rein in or punish very bad behavior on the part of some fraternities. The ones who harassed our former Muslim chaplain on a regular basis. The ones who

inundated the university with criticism when it decided to go SAT-optional, claiming we were lowering our standards or making far more explicit racist comments. It would be a very crowded stage indeed.

Let me be clear that I stand with the students in their demands that the university reckon with its past and atone for its sins. I cannot, however, agree that Martha Allman must be the face of all that has been done wrong. For me, she is the face of how to grow up, move beyond one’s narrow upbringing, develop empathy for others and devote your life to making your corner of the world a better and fairer place. If there is no statute of limitations on being a thoughtless young person, I am not sure what those of us who are in the education profession are doing. I teach every day because I believe in the transformative power of knowledge. I support a culturally diverse curriculum because I believe our students arrive on campus with far too narrow a view of the world. The demands of the student activists include curriculum change as well as other educational efforts to reckon with the past. If people can’t change, if the errors of their youth can never be forgiven, then what possible value would any of these efforts have?

Katy Harriger Professor of Politics and International Affairs

Opinion | Old Gold & Black

Thursday, March 28, 2019 | Page 10

“ Dream belongs to everyone The American The American Dream

Current political rhetoric offends those who benefit from the American Dream Sara Ahmed

Contributing Writer ahmess17@wfu.edu

I grew up in a family in which each day I was reminded of the “American Dream” and heard stories of the “grit" and the “drive” and “sacrifice” my parents had to have and give in order to be successful. My parents came from India and immigrated here in the late '90s.

I am forever grateful for the life my parents

Most of all, I am grateful for [my parent's] incredible bravery to move to a new country, assimilate to a new culture, learn a new language and create a life full of opportunity for their family." have created for me and for the risks they took to come to this country. I am grateful that despite the immense costs, my parents did whatever they thought would be best for their children. Most of all, I am grateful for their incredible bravery to move to a new country, assimilate to a new culture, learn a new language and create a life full of opportunity for their family. Because of their belief in the American Dream, I have been exposed to wonderful opportunities. Every opportunity I have had in my life is because of their hope and faith in the “land of opportunity."

We do belong here. Opportunities are not a privilege for the rich or the white. That’s the

beauty of America, opportunity is a right this land offers. My family has worked hard to earn that right. Despite their faith, skin color or race, my parents have been able to succeed in this nation because of opportunity and privilege that the U.S. offers.

Without that, there is no American Dream.

Saying “Make America Great Again” is insulting. It’s insulting to the immigrants who have worked hard in this country to attain the American Dream. We do belong here because we make America great.

Being the child of immigrants will inevitably result in some sort of identity crisis.

Whether that is during the awkward years in middle school or during the years as a university student, the Asian disillusionment crisis is real for many people. It manifests in several ways.

Trying to look “white” by wearing your hair or makeup differently, pronouncing your

name differently for an American audience (even though we have learned an entirely new language for them) or even making up a totally new name.

I like to call this an in-between America.

So, who is an in-between American?

Someone who doesn’t know how to pronounce her own name.

Someone whose traditions and patriotism are constantly called into question, especially right before a flight.

Someone who is asked, “so how long have you lived here?”

Someone who is told, “your English is surprisingly good!”

Someone who is told, “you are so beautiful for being an Indian!”

Someone who can’t seem to find anyone who looks like them on T.V. A citizen who is told to go back to where she came from.

over the years, parties have grown so strong with the use of delegates and national conventions that they’re more like teams and their candidates are like star players. The idea of a political faction (something George Washington was vehemently against) is a unified institution with a common opinion on a number of relevant ideas and issues. The whole purpose of straight-ticket voters is to push their party into victory. In 2008, a burnt-out Democratic Party found their identity in Obama. Now, in 2020, a divided Republican Party is forced to look toward Trump for its identity.

Pre-2020 Policy: What many Republicans do not realize is that the ball is in their court. They have a chance to prove to the nation what they can do for our economy. There have already been many positives from our current administration, including the decimation of ISIS and containment of their last surviving forces, peace negotiations between North and South Korea (organized by Trump), the lowest unemployment rate among blacks in the history of the country and the lowest unemployment rate among women in over 70 years. Republicans

need to stand behind these triumphs. Building the wall is also imperative. A clearly rational solution (to most right wingers) for a border crisis, the wall would also represent promises kept

by Trump. In Trump’s threatened declaration of a national emergency in order to build a wall, sixteen states have decided to sue him. Those 16 states all went blue in the previous election.

The wall is clearly a partisan issue that the Republicans must win the public over with if they want a chance at obtaining the same voters that they did last time.

The past election was unique. However, it wasn’t special. A perfectly qualified candidate won an election with a perfectly legal campaign on the majority of the perfectly rational Electoral College. Trump has served the right well.

Some would say he has even served the country well. However, there is division deep down in the Republican Party and if they want a shot at beating the Democrats, they need to eradicate that division. They already have the edge on the Democrats, but keeping it is a different story.

At the end of they day, victory is the goal. Let’s see if Trump can prevail.

“ capitalize on current success in 2020 Republicans must Politics

ForTrump to secure re-elec tion, he must unify his party and campaign on his success John Manos

Staff Columnist manojd18@wfu.edu

Previously, I wrote an article analyzing what I felt the Democrats needed to master in order to have a chance at taking the White House in 2020. Now I’m shifting to the Republican side.

How does it look for the right wing? Is Trump the problem or the solution? Are we going to see another H.W. Bush-like, one-term president?

The Grand Old Party (GOP) is an interesting case. Here we have a president that goes against most Republican standards: seasoned politician, large state-based constituency, a resume filled with conservative leaning policies, a mass of patronage and merit and a classical persona.

Trump isn’t any of that. When Nixon spoke to the “silent majority,” he meant that he was speaking to the “quiet” ones — those who got up every day and went to work, weren’t in the streets protesting, raised their families as their number one priority and were just normal Americans.

Trump speaks to a more angry constituency, one that wasn't happy with the past eight years. He has an interestingly aggressive rhetoric and could be the answer or the antithesis to ensuing Republican victory. Let’s go over what boxes the party needs to check, especially relating to President Trump, in order to have a chance in 2020.

Campaign: Whether you love him or hate him, Trump is a phenomenal campaigner. In the previous election, Trump targeted a large constituency based on economic class, drive, profession, core values, region and anger from the Obama administration. Clinton targeted a constituency based on race, gender, and appeal to Obama.

Simply put, Trump had a wider range of persuasion. Even so, Clinton did win the popular vote. In this upcoming election, Trump needs to use his endorsements wisely. He must support people that are, in turn, going to support him

Over the years, parties have grown so strong with the use of delegates and national conventions that they're more like teams and their candidates are like star players." in his campaign. Signatures like not taking a salary (now donating it), a business mentality, and paying for an entire campaign independently are going to help Trump. However, internal division will not.

Unify: Lindsey Graham (R-SC) was a massive opponent of Trump during the last election.

As a leader among Republicans who opposed Trump, Graham was an outspoken tool of division. Recently, however, he has changed his angle. Especially since the Kavanaugh hearings, Graham has been rock-solid in the pro-Trump, Republican regime. Seeing the upcoming fiasco in 2020, Graham has decided to put the interests of the Republican party over his own. In a federal democracy like America, candidates do not win (per se). Parties do. The purpose of a federal democracy is, ironically, for candidates to win their power instead of parties. However,

Photo courtesy of MCTCampus

SPORTS

T H U R S D AY, M A R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 9

PAG E 11

Online at: www.wfuogb.com Twitter: @sports_ogb Editor: Samantha Wexler, wexlsn17@wfu.edu Asst. Editor:: Rafael Lima, limara17@wfu.edu

OLD GOLD & BLACK

Deacons: Manning to return for sixth season Continued from Page 1 "Following the season, Danny and I ... were in agreement that this past season did not approach the expectations either of us has for Wake Forest basketball,” said Wellman in the news release. “I expect that Danny will take the steps needed to show improvement on the court next season while continuing to lead our student-athletes to represent Wake Forest positively in the classroom and in the community."

Through five seasons at the helm, Manning has led Wake Forest to a 65-93 record, 24-66 in the ACC. Under Manning, the best ACC finish for the Deacs has been 10th. This season’s 11-20 record was a mirror image of the preceding one.

The 2018-19 season also featured home losses to Houston Baptist and GardnerWebb as well as nine losses by 20 or more points.

However, Manning has admirably handled his criticism and has expressed the optimism he has for the 2019-20 season.

“With our returning players, our transfers who will become eligible next season and our incoming recruiting class, I believe that this team will have the ability, desire and chemistry to take a step forward next season” said Manning.

The only player who is without a doubt not returning next year is graduate trans-

fer Ikenna Smart. Wake Forest’s other grad transfer, Torry Johnson, is expected to be granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA. Andrien White and Miles Lester, who transferred from UNC-Charlotte and Rice respectively, will be eligible next year.

Freshman Jaylen Hoard is likely the only Deac who will consider leaving early for the NBA Draft. Online mock drafts predict Hoard to be selected anywhere from the beginning of the second round to not being picked at all, so his status for next season is currently unknown.

The possibility of other players pursuing a professional career or transferring to another school also exists.

The Deacs have signed four recruits for next season. Incoming freshman Ismael Massoud and Charles Coleman are given three-star ratings by ESPN, while Jahcobi Neath and Ody Oguama aren’t ranked on the site.

The No. 2 player in the 2019 class, Cole Anthony, is still uncommitted, and Wake Forest is in his top five. Most recruiting experts are predicting that Anthony will end up choosing North Carolina or Oregon, but he has a relationship with Manning through USA Basketball, and Mucius and Massoud are his former teammates. If Anthony decided to come to Wake Forest, expectations and excitement for next season would skyrocket.

While fans may not be thrilled with the

decision to retain Manning, a few student athletes on the basketball team expressed their joy that their coach was returning via social media.

“Happy to have you back, coach! We got some work to do so let’s get started,” freshman Isaiah Mucius tweeted.

Junior Brandon Childress wrote

“Coach, it is all Gods plan. I prayed on it!”

The 2019-20 basketball season is a long way away, and it is very uncertain what the roster will look like. The one thing that is certain at the moment, however, is that Danny Manning will be continue to lead the way as head coach.

Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletic Communications

Danny Manning was a legendary collegiate player at the University of Kansas, but has struggled so far to win as a collegiate head coach.

Wake Baseball showing offensive potential The 20th-ranked baseball team to start the season, the recent offensive upswing may be a sign of things to come

BY JOSEPH RAFSHOON Staff Writer rafsjm17@wfu.edu Wake Forest baseball exhibited why Wake Forest fans were so hopeful at the start of the season. The Deacons went 3-1 in the last week, showcasing their balanced but lethal offense and their locked-down sophomore pitching.

Even with being blown out by that team down in Durham, the Deacon fans had much to cheer about.

Last week started off strong for the Deacons as they routed the Charlotte 49ers by a score of 14-6. The turning point was a three-run home run in the first by the freshman catcher Brendan Tinsman. The Deacons extended their lead to 11-0 through three innings, which buried any Charlotte hopes for a comeback. With the rout, Head Coach Tom Walter gave some bench players needed at bats.

With it came freshman Michael Wien's first collegiate hit.

Walter reiterated the importance of Tinsmans home run after the game.

“Tinsman homers, and [we] get a four spot in the first, it was huge. [It’s a] big difference in momentum” said Walter.

Next on tap for the Deacs was Duke. The first game was a massive hiccup for the Deacs, as they were crushed 16-2. A combination of Duke pitchers shut down the Deacon hitters, allowing only two runs on three hits. After a rough first game, the Deacons needed to bounce back against their rival, and sure enough, they did. The first game was a back-

and-forth thriller as Duke led three times, but the Deacons crawled back to tie the game each time. A key moment happened in the seventh when sophomore pitcher Antonio Menendez got out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam to preserve the 8-8 tie. Next inning, sophomore Bobby Seymour crushed a homerun to give the Deacs the go-ahead run.

The Deacs ended up with 18 hits and a key 9-8 victory.

The rubber match of the series was nail biter. The rivals exchanged runs, and the Blue Devils came back from a 4-2 deficit to send it into extras. In a tight game, you can always count on the hot bat to deliver, and that's exactly what junior Patrick Frick did. The ACC player of the week was on a tear last week, and he capped it off with a goahead RBI single in the 12th inning to give the Deacs a 5-4 win.

The story of the Duke series was the outstanding bullpen work. In the last two games, the pen shut down the Blue Devils, allowing the Deacon offense to climb back from early game deficits. The bullpen gave up zero runs through the last two games, led by sophomore pitchers Antonio Menendez and William Fleming. The duo was electric, combining for 8.6 innings of no run ball on 10 strikeouts.

The Deacs looked like the team Wake Forest fans have been waiting for. The offensive onslaught against Duke illustrated the balance of the Deacon offense.

“That’s what you need. [We] need it from all places in the lineup,” Walter said about the Deacon Lineup hitting from top to bottom. “I like the way we are swinging the bat; I like the way we are stacking quality at bats together. We hadn’t really had that all year, so let’s hope that continues.”

With some huge ACC opponents coming up, including 11th ranked Louisville, the Deacons are going to need to stay focused. It starts with the bullpen. Last week illustrated that the bullpen can shut down lineups for consecutive

innings. Close games are on deck for the Deacons, and the bullpen will be heavily leaned on in key situations.

The Deacons will need a shutdown bullpen, like they had against the Blue Devils, to keep games manageable in the late innings.

The Deacons travel to Louisville to take on the Cardinals this week. The Cardinals will be hungry against the Deacons after a series loss at home to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The 11th-ranked Cardinals will be a major test for the Deacons. This series is crucial if the Deacons have any hopes at salvaging a regional NCAA tournament berth.

Two wins may not be enough to stay in the regional picture, but it will keep Deacon hopes alive. The series starts Friday at 6 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletic Communications

The offensive power at the plate has been a main reason for the teams recent success.

Page 12 | Thursday, March 28, 2019

Old Gold & Black | Sports

Lakers miss playoffs for sixth straight year Even with the addition of LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers were still not able to make it into the NBA Playoffs

BY RENTNG CAI Staff Writer cair17@wfu.edu

As LeBron James fell down and stepped on the baseline in the last 20 seconds of the game, the chance of the Lakers making the playoffs officially slipped away.

The Lakers were at home against the Brooklyn Nets on March 22, losing 106-111. It is the sixth straight season that the Lakers have missed the playoffs. Before that, they had only missed the playoffs five times in 65 years.

The loss also ended a playoff run for James. The last time the 34-year-old forward missed the playoffs was the 2004-05 season, when the Lakers’ head coach Luke Walton just finished his second NBA season as a Laker.

It was a close game against the Nets for the Lakers until the Nets’ 3-point shooters stepped out and took over the game in the last minutes. Former Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell made a 3-pointer with defense on his face and then DeMarre Carroll as well as Spencer Dinwiddie came off the bench to hit the 3-pointers.

Despite the fact that James answered with a clutch three-pointer and the Lakers closed the game into three points, James slipped in the following possession and stepped out of bound with 20 seconds remaining. Eventually, the Lakers lost for the fifth game in a row.

Lakers’ center JaVale McGee played an outstanding game despite the loss, scoring career high in both points and rebounds with 33 points and 20 boards. James had an all-around performance with 25 points, nine rebounds and 14 assists, but he had a rough shooting night with eight shots made out of 25 attempts.

For the Nets, every player contributed as Nets’ guard Russell led the team with 13 assists. The 3-point contest champion Joe Harris continued his 3-point performance with six made out of eight attempts, and he scored 26 points in total. Dinwiddie and Ed Davis were active off the bench, scoring 33 points and 18 rebounds combined.

Throughout the season, injuries and trade rumors were two big obstacles for the Lakers. Back in January, James suffered a groin injury and missed almost 20 games. Before the injury, the Lakers were at the fourth spot in the Western Conference, and they were out of the playoff spots when James returned.

The young core of the Lakers was injured consistently as well. Second-year point guard Lonzo Ball was out for the season due to ankle injury, and the Lakers’ defense dropped almost 20 spots without him. A second-year guard also, Josh Hart suffered a back injury and knee injuries and under-performed.

Third-year forward Brandon Ingram was dealing with a worse injury. Throughout the year, he was dealing with a deep-vein thrombosis in his arm. Previously, he was out for two games due to a sore right shoulder, and now he is expected to miss the remainder of the season.

Besides injuries, the young core of Lakers was involved in trade rumors for Pelicans’ forward Antho-

ny Davis. Kyle Kuzma, the second-year forward of the Lakers, once revealed that he was stressed out in the last few days before the trade deadline ended, and his concerns affected his performance on court a lot.

The good news for the Lakers is that veteran forward James can finally rest his body for a fairly long time during the offseason. In the past years, James has reached the playoffs for the past nine years, playing about 20 extra games a year. As he is getting older, he will need more time to take care of his body and get ready for next season.

Gary Coronado /Los Angeles Times/TNS

LeBron James and his young Los Angeles Lakers team were too devastated by injury to make the playoffs.

Wake Forest tennis trouncing the ACC so far Both the men's and women's tennis team at Wake Forest have been beating ACC teams left and right to open the year

BY SAMANTHA WEXLER Sports Editor wexlsn17@wfu.edu

The men's and women's tennis teams started hot and have stayed hot so far this year as they both take the ACC by storm. While the men swept both the team and individual title at NCAAs last year and came into the year as the top dog, the women's team has more quietly made its mark on the ACC. The women’s team is 17th-ranked in the nation and completed a weekend sweep of Notre Dame and Louisville to enter the next week of ACC play. The team is 17-3 overall and 7-1 in ACC play. On March 22, the Deacons were at Notre Dame for the first of two road matches over the weekend. Junior Chandler Carter and senior Emma Davis got the momentum started for the Deacons, winning on the top court.

Redshirt junior MC Meredith and sophomore Eliza Omirou quickly followed suit, winning 6-4 in the second spot. Wake Forest took a 3-0 lead as freshman Peyton Pesavento won on court six and Davis followed with a victory on court one. Carter clinched the match with a three-set decision. Omirou put the fifth point up for Wake Forest on court two, winning the final two sets after dropping the first.

The team then faced the Louisville Cardinals in Louisville and completed the weekend sweep with a 6-1 win. No. 28 duo Chandler Carter and Davis won for the Deacons early, garnering the doubles

point. Louisville took the court three decision, making it the responsibility of Eliza Omirou and MC Meredith to grab the win, which they did. Louisville evened the match to 1-1 at the fourth spot in singles, but that was their only point of the match.

Carter’s victory pushed the Deacons to a 2-1 lead.

Davis followed on court one making the tally 3-1.

Senior Anna Ulyashchenko clinched the match for the Deacons, winning in the second spot. Omirou and Pesavento both won and the Deacons cruised to the 6-1 ACC road win.

Not to be outdone, the second-ranked men’s team took down No. 14 Notre Dame, just like the women at Notre Dame, before beating Boston College Sunday. After the weekend, the Deacons are sitting at 21-3 and remain undefeated in the ACC at 7-0.

Against Notre Dame, Wake Forest quickly took the doubles point with victories from junior Borna Gojo and redshirt junior Alan Gadjiev in the first doubles spot and freshman Siddhant Banthia and redshirt senior Julian Zlobinsky in the third doubles spots.

Petros Chrysochos took the win at the second singles spot, while Banthia won on Court 5, and Efstathiou clinched the victory with a win at No. 6 singles.

Gojo then got the victory at the top singles spot, and sophomore Rrezart Cungu won at No. 4 singles.

The Demon Deacon men's tennis team got yet another ACC win at Boston College on March 24, picking up another 6-1 decision. Wake Forest took the doubles point victories at the No. 1 spot from senior Petros Chrysochos and sophomore Bar Botzer and No. 3 spot from freshman Melios Efstathiou and Gadjiev.

Cungu quickly pushed the lead with a 2-0 win at

No. 3, followed by win on Court 4 by Efstathiou.

Chrysochos clinched the match for the Deacs, winning in the top spot. Banthia and Gadjiev brought the Deacons lead up to 6-0 with wins at the fifth and sixth positions. Boston College picked up its lone point at No. 2 singles to close out the match, but it was too late for the Eagles to come back.

The men's team returned home and beat No. 11 North Carolina on March 27, while the women go back on the road to play Florida State on March 29 and Miami on March 31.

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images/TNS

The women's tennis team is ranked at the top of the ACC this year at 7-1 in ACC play right now.

Sports | Old Gold & Black

Thursday, March 28, 2019 | Page 13

Spotlight: Borna Gojo

BY SAMANTHA WEXLER Sports Editor wexlsn17@wfu.edu

The top-rated U18 singles player in Croatia prior to arriving at Wake Forest, Borna Gojo came to Winston-Salem as a mid-year enrollee to jump-start his tennis career. Prior to Wake Forest, he won a pair of futures titles in doubles, was ranked as high as No. 143 in the ITF junior rankings and was ranked as high as No. 827 in singles and No. 674 in doubles in the ITA rankings. As a sophomore, Gojo really began to hit his stride. To cap off the year, he advanced to the finals of the NCAA Singles Championship, falling to teammate Petros Chrysochos in the finals. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Championships as well as a NCAA Singles All-American. He also earned countless awards for the regular season, finishing the year as a First Team All-ACC selection. He finished the year 20-3 in singles, playing primarily at the No. 1 spot, finishing the season ranked No. 6 nationally in the singles rankings.

His biggest win of his career came in the NCAA Singles Championship semifinal, where he defeated No. 2 Nuno Borges. Gojo was also a force in the doubles spot, finishing 17-7 in doubles competition, including a perfect 7-0 mark in the No. 1 spot. He finished the year No. 14 in the doubles rankings with partner Skander Mansouri.

Samantha Wexler: Overall, how has the spring gone for you and for the team?

Borna Gojo: This

team always looks to win everything. Obviously, at the National Indoors, we lost the final. So, I’m not really happy with what we did on the first part, especially me.

I was injured and couldn’t play my best at the indoors. Right now, I am healthy and r e a d y, and we a r e playing

good tennis now.

I am just looking forward to all the tournaments coming like the ACCs and NCAAs. We are just going one by one and I think we are playing better and better.

SW: The team hails from all over the country and the world. What are some of the things that you do to bond this diverse team together?

BG: We just like each other.

The diversity gets us going. We have, obviously, Czech people, Indian people and people from Israel, Russia, Croatia and Cyprus.

There’s so many people from different countries that I think it has actually helped us to be close to each other.

SW: There has been a very high standard of play under this coaching staff. What in particular do they bring to the program to continue to compete in the ACC? BG: They work 24/7 for this. It is not like they just come and tell us, “OK, you are going to go out and do this and that, and we are going to win.” No, it starts with recruiting and going to trips in mid-season. So, whenever someone is ready or thinking about going to college, the coaches work on getting good players.

Then again, on the court, they just [allow us] to spend as much time as we want. I am the first one who can tell you that I try to practice as much as I want, and they never ever said no. I think that’s the recipe to be great.

Personal Profile Hometown: Split, Croatia Class: Junior Accolades: - ACC Player of the Week for this past week - 2018 NCAA Singles Finalist, playing in the final against teammate Petros Chrysochos - 2018 NCAA Championships Most Outstanding Player - Two-time NCAA Singles All-American - 2017 ITA Carolina Region Player to Watch

SW: What are some of the goals that this team has coming down the stretch, and what goals did you set out for yourself?

BG: [The goal] is always to win everything. After last year, I don’t think there’s much doubt among players and coaches on what we can do. As I said, I hope we win the rest of the season and the ACCs and NCAAs.

Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletic Communications

Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletic Communications

Deac Notes Patrick Frick batted .589 last week, winning ACC Player of the Week honor

Wake Forest Women’s Golf had recordsetting victory in Dominican Republic

Wake Forest junior Patrick Frick was selected as the ACC Player of the Week. He is the fourth Deacon selected for that honor, and no other program has had more than two selections this year. Frick batted .589 (9-for-16) last week with a home run, double, six RBIs, two walks and two stolen bases.

He hit the game-tying and winning balls in both games over Duke over the weekend.

Wake Forest had a pair of school records during Saturday’s victory, including the best single round in program history. Senior Jennifer Kupcho reached her eighth collegiate victory, while finishing the tournament 14-under. This was the ninth time that Kupcho finished 10-under par or better. Kupcho’s eight wins are just two away from tying the school record of 10 wins held by Stephanie Neill (1992-95).

Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletic Communications

Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletic Communications

Page 14 | Thursday, March 28, 2019

Old Gold & Black | Sports

The state of Australian rugby Ever wonder what the sports scene looks like in Australia?

Rugby’s hot and here’s why

BY JP MELINSON Contributing Writer melijp17@wfu.edu

Australia is finding it increasingly difficult to balance the three major winter sports in the country: rugby league, rugby union and Australian rules football. Australia has a rich history in rugby union, and the Australian national team won the Rugby World Cup in 1991 and 1999. Since the tournament’s institution in 1987, Australia’s two wins places it second in all-time tournament championships, second only to New Zealand’s three and tied with South Africa. The Wallabies enjoyed a great deal of success during the 1990s and have traditionally been thought of as one of the sport’s major powers, along with South Africa, New Zealand, England, Ireland, France and Wales.

Sheck and Daly Cherry-Evans are all household names. The nine Network broadcasts rugby league primetime matchups on Friday evenings throughout the country, as well as the yearly State of Origin series. The NRL draws much greater media coverage than domestic Australian rugby union or Super Rugby, the competition in which teams from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina and Japan play.

Rugby league is not, however, the only sport during the southern winter that garners media attention. Important to this idea is a phenomenon known as the Barassi Line, an imaginary line that runs through the country from the border of Queensland and the Northern Territory to the Pacific border of New South Wales and Victoria.

Northeast of the Barassi Line lies the majority of New South Wales and Queensland as well as the Australian Capital Territory, in which Canberra is located. The rest of Australia falls on the other side, in the land of Aussie rules football. On the northeastern side of the line, rugby league’s popularity is par-

amount during the winter, with hotbeds in Sydney and Brisbane. Eight of the 16 teams in the NRL are located in Sydney alone. The only teams located outside New South Wales or Queensland are the Warriors, Storm and Raiders, located in Auckland (New Zealand), Melbourne and Canberra respectively. Only the Storm are located in Aussie rules territory.

While the northeast portion of Australia is fixated on the NRL season, the rest of the country looks forward to the Australian Football League (AFL), the world’s premier Australian rules football competition.

With incredible popularity in cities like Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide, the AFL draws the attention of many during the southern winter. Melbourne’s situation in the AFL is not unlike Sydney’s in the NRL, with nine of the 18 clubs competing in and around Melbourne, with one other joining those nine to round out the full Victorian contingent.

Rugby league’s representation — and consequently, its following — in these areas of the country pales in comparison to that of the AFL. The reverse is

true for New South Wales and Queensland.

The result of this is that there is not much room left for what some believe to be the more antiquated code of the game.

When the blazing speed of NRL fullbacks crashing through the defensive line on a long kick return or the acrobatics and athleticism of an AFL forward leaping over an opponent to catch a mark are on display, why would a potential viewer opt for the more methodical, slower option of rugby union? This has diminished Australia’s power in the political arena of rugby union, and it has never been more apparent then in recent weeks.

Rumors have spread that the Sunwolves, Japan’s Super Rugby team, may be thrown out of the competition for being forced to pay an admittedly asinine “participation fee” asked of no other club in the competition.

South African rugby officials have been calling for this move for a while, and while Australia has voiced strong opposition to it, it looks like once again Australian rugby union faces a crisis in which it must reconcile with the fact that the nation’s desires have shifted toward other codes of football.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons

James O’Connor is one of the athletes of the Australian Rugby Union.

It could be said, however, that Australia’s true passion when it comes to rugby falls within the other major code of the sport: rugby league. Australia’s National Rugby League (NRL), which began the 2019 season earlier this month, is widely regarded as the sport’s premier league, and the competition enjoys widespread coverage both within Australia and New Zealand, as well as on a global scale. Players like Jason courtesy of Wikipedia Commons Taumalolo, Cameron Smith, The various regions of Australia correlate to areas where certain types Photo of rugby are more Kalyn Ponga, Roger Tuivasa- popular than others. The Barassi line divides the country into what type of rugby is watched.

Thursday, March 28, 2019 |Page 15

Old Gold & Black | Sports

Cubs offseason paves path to uncertain future After winning a title in 2016, the Chicago Cubs have stumbled on multiple fronts in consecutive seasons

BY REN SCHMITT Print Managing Editor schmwm16@wfu.edu

When the Cubs stormed back from a 3-1 deficit in the 2016 World Series to snap a 108-year championship drought, it seemed as though a dynasty was in the making. Now, after falling short of the World Series in 2017 and losing the 2018 Wild Card game, the future of the Chicago Cubs is marred by shades of uncertainty.

Making matters worse, the Cubs did nothing to dispel the dark cloud hanging over the organization during the offseason either, signing no big-name free agents. The rest of the NL Central (barring the Pirates) made significant improvements in the past few months, which further amplified the scrutiny surrounding Chicago’s lack of movement in the offseason.

The Cardinals, who just missed the postseason in 2018, added relief pitcher Andrew Miller, and traded to acquire star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, whom they later extended on a team-friendly contract. The reigning NL Central champion Brewers most notably signed the top free agent catcher, Yasmani Grandal, to a one-year, $18.25 million deal.

Even the Reds, who many believed would sit this year out again amid their rebuild, are positioned to steal some wins from the division’s top contenders, acquiring dynamic outfielder Yasiel Puig, veteran outfielder Matt Kemp, starting pitcher Alex Wood and starting pitcher Sonny Gray.

With an aging rotation that boasts names that would well and despised when things are going poorly. The sound much better in a 2015 context than they do in charm of his zany personality and down-to-earth rapthe present — Jon Lester, Cole Hamels, Yu Darvish port with players has begun to wear off, as he has — the precariousness of the Cubs’ status atop the NL failed to meet Chicago’s high expectations in the last Central pointed to a serious need for some key acqui- two seasons. sitions, even if that did not mean giving $300 million 2019 will be a pivotal season for Chicago’s North to Bryce Harper or Manny Machado.

Side ball club, and with cornerstone players like third Perhaps the worst element of the Cubs’ offseason, baseman Kris Bryant, first baseman Anthony Rizzo however, stems from off-the-field news surrounding and infielder Javier Baez, squandering an opportunity their once highly-touted shortstop Addison Russell. to right the ship would be borderline criminal.

Russell received a 40-game suspension from Major League Baseball in September following allegations of domestic abuse from his former wife, Melisa Reidy.

In late November, the Cubs tendered Russell a contract, and he will likely return to the club in May once his suspension concludes. The decision drew ire from fans throughout the baseball world, as many believed that the organization should have dropped Russell immediately following the MLB investigation.

Unfortunately, president Theo Epstein and the rest of Chicago’s front office faced similar criticism in the past. At the 2016 trade deadline, the Cubs traded for closer Aroldis Chapman in an effort to solidify their bullpen ahead of a postseason run. Though the trade eventually paid off from a baseball perspective, Chapman is still seen as a sort-of black mark on the Cubs’ 2016 title, as he missed the beginning of the 2016 season due to a domestic violence suspension of his own.

Needless to say, Cubs manager Joe Maddon will have his hands full managing an anxious fanbase and a restless clubhouse in 2019. Maddon did not receive an extension heading into this season, and his future with Chicago will be on the line this year.

Known for his personal eccentricities and unconBrian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/TNS ventional managerial approach, Maddon is the type Addison Russell’s suspension threw a wrench into of manager who is beloved when things are going some of the Cubs’ roster planning for the year.

NCAA Tournament opening weekend recap March Madness proved to be just that, but mostly only in the lower seeds as the top seeds all advanced

BY DAN PACHINO Senior Writer pachdb15@wfu.edu

With the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament in the books, it is time to look back on what has happened so far, as well as look ahead at what is to come in the final two weekends of NCAA basketball in 2019. In all honesty, the first weekend, while fun and entertaining, was largely uneventful, as the bracket went almost entirely chalk. Heading into the Sweet 16 there are only two non-one through four seeds remaining — No. 5 Auburn and No. 12 Oregon. There were a few upsets here and there in the opening round, such as No. 12 Murray State over No. 5 Marquette, No. 13 UC Irvine over No. 4 Kansas State and No. 11 Ohio State over No. 6 Iowa State, but aside from that, the bracket has gone as expected. With nearly all of the top teams still alive, though, that means this upcoming weekend should be very exciting. That being said, let’s take a look a number of last weekend’s most exciting games and some of the intriguing games in the weekend to come.

In the first half of its opening game on Friday, Virginia looked primed to repeat its disaster of a performance from a year ago when they became the first No.1-seed in NCAA history to fall to a No.16-seed. They came out very flat on Friday and trailed No. 16 Gardner-Webb 36-30 at the half. They came alive in the second half, however, and stymied the Bulldogs’ offense, holding them to just 20 second-half points, going on to win 71-

56. Their second-round matchup with Oklahoma was hardly ever close, and the Cavaliers won by 63-51 after being in control all afternoon.

Top-seeded Duke’s second-round matchup with No. 9 UCF was incredibly close and probably the game of the tournament up to this point. There were plenty of storylines heading into this matchup, none bigger than former Duke star and assistant coach Johnny Dawkins being UCF’s coach and one of the Knights’ best players being his son, Aubrey Dawkins. The younger Dawkins grew up around the Duke program while his father coached at Duke under Mike Krzyzewski, yet Coach K never recruited him, and he instead followed his father to UCF. Another big story leading into the game was the potential matchup between Duke star Zion Williamson and UCF’s giant in the paint, the 7’6” Tacko Fall. Many hoped to see Williamson go after Fall and try to put him on one of his famous “poster” dunks, and the game’s biggest moment involved the two.

UCF put up a tremendous fight all game. They led most of the first half, yet went into the locker room trailing the Blue Devils by eight. With about seven minutes remaining, Duke led by seven and had the ball.

After forcing ill-advised shots and turnovers, UCF was able to claw its way back into the game and led Duke by four with two minutes left. In a year when Duke has dominated the headlines all season, they were on the brink of an early round exit no one anticipated. After a failed alley-oop by UCF that would have put them up six, however, the Devils turned it into instant offense with a quick Cam Reddish 3-pointer that cut the lead to one. Trailing by three with 30 second remaining, Duke went to its star, Williamson, who drove and got a massive and-one bucket on a lay in over Fall, which fouled Fall out of the game. Williamson missed the potentially game-tying free throw, but R.J. Barrett got

the offensive rebound — largely because Fall was out of the game — and laid it back in to take the lead 77-76 lead with 11 seconds left. On the final possession, UCF guard B.J. Taylor drove and missed a contested floater, but Dawkins got the rebound and somehow missed the put-back after his shot bounced on the rim four times and time expired. Duke fans were able to exhale after escaping what appeared to be certain defeat and will move on to face Virginia Tech this weekend.

After this mostly uneventful opening weekend, the matchups this coming weekend should be excellent, with almost exclusively top seeds remaining. The most intriguing matchups in the weekend ahead include Duke’s contest with ACC foe Virginia Tech, Gonzaga against a red-hot Florida State, Virginia against a potential-Cinderella team in Oregon and North Carolina against Auburn.

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images/TNS

Zion Williamson and the Duke Blue Devils barely escaped a scare from UCF to advance.

LIFE

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PAG E 16

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Us creates new, nontraditional nightmares Director Jordan Peele masterfully combines a perplexing plot with thoughtful music choices to create an exhillerating atmosphere.

BY KYLE FERRER Opinion Editor ferrka16@wfu.edu After a deluge of repellent trailers convinced me cinema had gone dormant in 2019, the film I went to see began, and I was soon smiling as the smithereens cleared to reveal Jordan Peele’s Us, a film of sprawling imaginative scope, shot through with nervy suspense and political poignancy. It is rare that a filmmaker succeeds consecutively, bar none. If Friedkin can stumble after The French Connection and The Exorcist, and Bogdanovich can genre-dabble himself out of relevance after a masterpiece like The Last Picture Show, it would have been no surprise if Jordan Peele’s next film failed to execute on the highest level. The critical praise and cultural suffusion achieved by Peele’s first film, Get Out, could have led clamoring studios to interfere in his second. Just as lucrative (usually artistically limiting) contracts can dilute vision, moneyed liberty can also turn a film into turgid nonsense. But Peele seems to be deaf to the rhyme of history, skipping the famous sophomore slump and establishing himself as one of the great auteurs of our time.

Peele’s overt strategy is a simple one: to not be overt.

To wit, here he is at the 2019 Oscars, shewing what should be the mission statement for his entire industry: “I want to make movies that contribute to the conversation and are fun to watch. That’s it.” This goal could have meant serviceable political films under a cheap, campy veneer, but, instead of taking the shortcut, Peele has produced two dense works of art. His films, through their peerless creative conceits, are genuinely engrossing and complex, using their political undercurrents to bolster their novelty. In Us, as in Get Out, the political moves within the conceptual slipstream, inside the film itself instead of in its sights. Work like Peele’s, which

blends entertainment with political energy, brings horror films out of their autopiloted, slasher-trash complacency and back into the world of serious art.

Us centers on Adelaide Wilson, who we first meet in 1986 as a little girl (Madison Curry) visiting the boardwalk, wearing a “Thriller” t-shirt and clutching a candy apple. As in most horror films, someone must wander off; Adelaide leaves her drunk, juvenile father at the Whac-A-Mole station and ends up on the beach, where she discovers a house of mirrors containing more than just reflections. Cut to present day, where Adelaide (Lupita Nyong’o) is an adult, with a husband, Gabe (Winston Duke), and two children, Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph) and Jason (Evan Wilson). The family is taking a trip to their vacation home. Friends with the Tylers (Tim Heidecker and Elizabeth Moss, playing a version of the grown-apart boozers from Revolutionary Road), who have twins of their own (Cali and Noelle Sheldon), the Wilson’s live a comfortable, upper-middle class life, yet Adelaide’s past burbles disconcertingly in the background. When Gabe needles her to go to the beach (and boardwalk) of her childhood, she demurs.

And while the film’s build is relatively quick, the premise is so creatively complex that the unraveling is more germane to the project than any specific climax would be. The family is soon confronted, after an unsettling end to their day at the beach, by their bestial facsimiles (each actor in a very different role), who break into the Wilson’s home and attempt to hunt them.

But just as most great sports movies don’t really care about sports, Us doesn’t really care about creating nightmares, at least the traditional sort. The film merely inhabits a universe of extremity as a means for creative experiment, and the lack of churned-out, plucked-from-the-shelves jump-scares or other such inanities purposely allows the film to confound and entertain simultaneously. Formally, Us wants for nothing,

Photo courtesy of imdb.com

and perhaps the most memorable quality of the film is its music and sound. Michael Abbel’s score, christened by the original song “Anthem,” which plays like audio pirated from a human sacrifice, alternates between deep, gothic throngs and screeching strings. But dashed among the orchestral interludes are occasional popular tunes, ranging from Janelle Monáe to the Beach Boys to Mobb Deep (at one point, “Good Vibrations,” is juxtaposed with N.W.A.’s “F*ck tha Police”).

The integration of pop music within a more classicist score (as well as actors’ comedic commentaries) speaks to a lack of overly-serious moralizing, rendering any exact, political schemata inadequate. What the doppelgängers precisely represent is a complicated question, if not an irrelevant one. Samuel Johnson’s implication that “he who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man,” seems apt, since the doppelgangers general contempt for civilization stems from its arbitrary set of limitations, otherwise known as manners. But their revolutionary gesture to replace manners with instinct as a sort of new-world precept could also be pointing to an oft-ignored slice of our humanity — passion. This broader interpretation surfaces less from a political upshot than a universally modern sensibility: the notion of self-suppression that results in the dampened and deeply miserable modern psyche, divorced from its most natural inclinations in favor of “reasonable” things.

But, sociologically, the doppelgänger’s debasement could be a rejection of Rousseau’s idyllic state of nature to show the socially imposed reality of oppression that foists primordial concerns onto those deemed lesser. The doppelgänger’s bestiality then becomes a partially defensive reaction against the violence historically done unto civilization’s unworthy aspirants, mutating their historical oppression into justified rancor.

Oppressed communities, although tethered loosely to society, are forced to live peripheral lives dominated by survivalist instinct, which inevitably engenders contempt. The Wilson’s found a way through the system and have prospered, but what have they dispensed of or capitulated to?

Most of the facsimiles are also pre-verbal (all except Adelaide’s), which conjures Franz Fanon’s claim that “to speak means … above all to assume a culture, to support to weight of a civilization.” The inverse of Fanon’s assumption is linguistic privation, an oppressed or marginalized people’s inability to articulate within a social context. Even if language itself remains similar, perceived idiolects or subjective interpretations amount to civic exclusion. So, perhaps Us also seeks to expose the thin, linguistic layers (not unbridgeable cultural rifts) that exist between peoples.

Us raises these questions and more, and the inexhaustibility of the film speaks to its potential longevity as art. The socio-political density of Peele’s film surfaces as we like it, much like Greek auteur Yorgos Lanthimos’s scalpel-sharp satire can issue torrents of subjective philosophy. Neither filmmaker is here to tell you what their work means, yet the spread of intersubjective possibilities makes for progressive and challenging art. Like the great directors of the ‘70s, whose polemics lived in the totality of their art and whose cultural critiques also coincided with much of popular film taste, Jordan Peele makes entertainment that tingles with ideas. Us contributes not only to “the conversation” but to cogitation, to the aesthetical viewer who craves a healthy dose of perplexity.

Thursday, March 28, 2019 | Page 17

Life | Old Gold & Black

Advice Column | Touching Tips

Writer reveals how to write advice columns There are only three things a person needs to write a serialized advice column

BY PETER SCHLACHTE Staff Writer schlpj15@wfu.edu Allie S. asks, “How do I write a serialized advice column that no one will follow?”

Dear Allie, Admittedly, I take some offense with this question. You, Allie, may insinuate that no one follows my advice column, but I’ll have you know that I am Wake Forest’s and, dare I say, Winston-Salem’s single most-read advice columnist. This is no small feat considering my main rivals — a twelve-year-old named Sage who publishes some frankly inspirational stuff on her Tumblr page, and Jimmy, the freshman English major who wrote for the Wake Forest Review because he thought it was all about book reviews — have been trying to sabotage me for months.

Regardless of your slanderous question, you have touched on something that has been gnawing at my heart with the same fervor that the support dogs on campus gnaw at their owner’s leashes. Allie, I am a fraud.

In order to create Winston-Salem’s most popular advice column, I have been lying for months. The FBI has not been chasing me, nor have they been tearing me apart from my two children. I don’t even have two children; I actually have three of them.

I haven’t been married and divorced twentyseven times, only once. My name isn’t even Peter Schlachte.

Yes, I’ve been writing Touching Tips under an alias. My actual name is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, multi-millionaire action star and former WWE ringside phenomenon.

I’ve won the Royal Rumble; I’ve saved the planet in 17 different movies; I’ve even successfully convinced people to call me “The Rock” and still made it sound cool, but something in my life has always felt lacking.

I, Dwayne Douglas Johnson, the most suc-

Screenshot courtesy of Emily Beauchamp/Old Gold & Black

Going back to the beginning, writer subtly references his first article.

cessful person to ever be cut from the Canadian Football League, have always wanted to be a writer.

Spending this last academic school year writing an advice column for a university that I entirely forgot existed after mercilessly pummeling them in football in the 1990s has been more than a dream come true; it has been the greatest year of my life.

Using my prodigious acting skills, I have seamlessly blended in with campus life, posing as an everyday student, calling my parents to warn them that I might fail accounting, dancing to Mo Bamba while sucking on a Juul in Chi Psi’s basement, even securing my spot as the fourth person in a Polo suite by spreading rumors about my friend Jimmy so that we could kick him out of next year’s housing group.

Therefore, Allie, my advice to you is quite simple. To write a serialized advice column, you need only three things: a twenty-year career as a professional wrestler, a People’s Choice Award for the oddly specific category of “Favorite Premium Cable TV Actor” and, most importantly, enough clout to have a Wikipedia page with 346 citations.

Seriously, 346 citations? That’s more than most Ph.D. dissertations.

If you follow these steps, you can lead the future generation of advice columnists! It’s truly been an honor to pose as a student and to write advice for this past year. This is Dwayne, signing off.

XOXO, Dwayne “The ‘Peter Schlachte’ Rock” Johnson

Concert Review | CAAMP

The folksy band CAAMP plays with a sweet sincerty Despite their experience, CAAMP performed with an air of shyness

BY LAUREN HARTMANN Staff Writer hartla15@wfu.edu The Grey Eagle in West Asheville is inherently cool, so it’s no surprise that the taqueria-bar-concert venue combo attracts talent that matches the vibe. In the past, it’s hosted the likes of The Lumineers, The Avett Brothers, Nathaniel Ratcliff and more — all huge names now (if you’re into folksy-Americana-guitar guys — clearly, I am). Among the crowd of fans that attend these types of shows, in these types of places, it’s not hard to feel like you’re among familiar company.

With exposed rafters, cinder-block walls and a barely elevated stage, watching performers at the venue feels more like listening to your best friend’s garage band — if your best friend had a really, really good garage band — and when the band playing for you is CAAMP, with their boyish charm and sweet sincerity, that feeling is amplified ten-fold.

Full disclosure, this was my third time seeing the band, so my bias when I say they put on an incredible performance is pretty skewed — but hey, maybe I’m the expert. Self-proclaimed “Ohio boys, making beautiful noise,” Taylor Meier

(vocals, guitar), Evan Westfall (banjo) and Matt Vinson (bass) make up the trio of CAAMP. On Wednesday night, when they walked onto stage, they were met with a sold-out crowd’s hardly-ceasing cheers and started into “Vagabond” off their first, self-titled album. You would have been hard-pressed to find anyone that would disagree with their all-tooaccurate endorsement.

With a Pabst Blue Ribbon in hand and red carnations decorating the brim of his cowboy hat, Meier was a vision of the sort of beauty-in-simplicity songs that he sang for the hour and a half show.

He sang about Ohio, about love, about friends and about life; there was a Bon Iver cover and there were even songs I couldn’t name — ones off of their muchanticipated forthcoming album.

As confident as each was in their music, there was still a sort of shyness that crept into their performance — it came in the form of a sheepish and suddenly self-aware statement of, “sometimes you just gotta let the dog bark.” This followed a rambunctious rendition of “Just Wondering,” or with the humble, “thank y’all kindly” after unidentifiable “I love you’s” that came sailing to the stage from the crowd. All this (and the full-faced smiles that were ever-present on their faces) served to solidify their midwestern wholeheartedness and augment the genuineness of the night.

If I could strive to make one complaint against the boys, it would be that

I didn’t hear some of my favorites songs, “Strawberries,” or “Misty” (for those of you wondering). Though, I’m sure leaving out songs from an already packed setlist will certainly be something recurring as they continue to truly come into themselves. Suffice it to say, CAAMP is one of those bands that’ll be selling out arenas soon — until then, though, I’ll take as many tickets as I can get for $15.

CAAMP will be returning to North Carolina play at “TuckFest” in Charlotte on

THE HOT LIST Top 10 Recreational Vehicles

By Andy Killebrew Why would you want to camp outside, when mankind has spent eternity perfecting inside?

1.

3.

5.

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9. Winnebago Intent

Pleasure-Way Plateau

DRINK OF THE WEEK Is this a rip-off of a juice shop smootie? Maybe...

• Ice • Water

With all this warm weather, it’s important to stay hydrated. Use a reusable water bottle to save the environment, too!

Courtesy of T.H.R.I.V.E. Pet-friendly Lauren Hartmann/Old Gold & Black

CAAMP captivates their audience with the genuine feel of their music.

Page 18 | Thursday, March 28, 2019

Old Gold & Black | Life

Artist Review | DaBaby

Tracking the rise of rapper DaBaby Charlotte rapper DaBaby finds viral success through his sheer talent and interesting personality

BY ANDY KILLEBREW Asst. Life Editor killae17@wfu.edu

If you haven’t yet heard of Charlotte-based rapper DaBaby, it’s only a matter of time until his hardhitting, infectious bars make their way into your speaker. Though his music shares a lot of common characteristics with other modern rappers (bassheavy trap beats, boasts of criminal and sexual exploits, relatively short track length), it’s hard to find Photo courtesy of amazon.com contemporaries that share his hilarity and masterful flows.

Pictured above is Dababy’s debut record, Baby Born Jonathan Kirk, DaBaby (changed from Baby on Baby, which features Offset and Rich The Kid. Jesus) fully devoted himself to rapping in 2014 after facing numerous legal troubles throughout his In an interview with the magazine XXL, DaBalife. However, even with his growing fame, DaBaby by said that “Interscope told me to keep doing me, found himself at the center of criminal allegations don’t change nothin. I felt right at home. Now it’s regarding the shooting and death of a 19-year-old at time to make this house the biggest crib in the MF a Huntersville, N.C. Walmart. While Kirk received neighborhood.” no charges thanks to strong evidence of self defense, In other business ventures, DaBaby even went so as well as a lack of compelling evidence against him, far as to start his own entertainment company, Bilthe incident does lend some validity and menace to lion Dollar Baby Entertainment. Thus, fans of the his bars about his time in the streets. rapper can look forward to the same boisterousness Since then, DaBaby has embarked on an astro- and bravado of projects past. nomical rise to rap fame. This January, Kirk signed In his rise to widespread visibility, DaBaby is with major label Interscope Records as part of a joint checking all the boxes requisite for modern musical venture with independent label South Coast Music fame, even if gaining notoriety is the furthest thing Group. from his mind. Favorable Pitchfork review? Check.

A viral freestyle (filmed on the set of Power 106) on Twitter? Check. Interviews on Charlamagne’s The Breakfast Club and with the singular Nardwuar?

Check. Guest verses from stars such as Rich Homie Quan and Offset? Check. Walking the streets of Austin, Texas, in nothing but an adult diaper during the annual SXSW music festival just for the hell of it? Absolutely! Considering the rapid succession of these accomplishments (all but the diaper incident have been in 2019), it’s all but certain that DaBaby will continue his astronomical rise in the coming days.

It isn’t even necessary to listen to DaBaby’s discography to get a sense of his star potential — it’s all right there in his music videos. Despite his lack of any blockbuster singles, his two most popular videos on YouTube hover right around 10 million views. “Walker Texas Ranger” shows an absurd romp through the mountains with DaBaby crashing his Dodge Ram, fighting similarly dressed cowboys, bopping along to the entrancing percussion lines of the song and taking plenty of breaks to hit his blunt.

In “Suge (Yea Yea),” DaBaby impersonates the iconic Death Row executive that the song is named after while he dances around the office, studio and streets of Charlotte.

The unifying theme in all of these visuals is DaBaby’s clear exuberance in the scenes — this is a man who is enjoying every minute and advantage of his newfound prosperity. It’s a contagious joy, and perhaps this is the compelling pull of DaBaby’s music; he’s having a blast and continually invites the listener to do the same. Even if his music doesn’t ultimately find staying power, you better believe that DaBaby will have a blast along the way.

Cartoon

Cartoon by David Ajamy

In such a close election between the presidential candidates, only one obstacle lies in the way of the announcement of the winner. Who will become the next president? Only the one and only Moes Southwest Grill knows that answer so stay tuned for the results over the next few days.

Life | Old Gold & Black

Thursday, March 28, 2019 | Page 19

Travel Column | Hilton Head

Hilton Head leaves visitors refreshed Hilton Head has a variety of fun shops, quirky restaurants and scenic beaches

BY KATE TENDER Staff Writer tendke18@wfu.edu Over this past spring break, my friends and I took a 5-hour road trip down to Hilton Head, S.C. We booked an Airbnb in a condo complex that was about a 10-minute walk to the beach.

Hopefully if you ever find yourself in Hilton Head, this will help give you budget-friendly options of activities to do and places to eat.

During our trip, we went to Coligny Beach almost every day. The weather was much warmer than I expected, and there were a couple windy days, but we wanted to take advantage of all the sun we could get. The water was admittedly very cold at this time of the year, but the beach itself wasn’t too crowded most days. In the mornings, it was deserted.

I would definitely recommend checking out the sunrise; it was beautiful and there is hardly anyone else around, so you can enjoy the sound of the ocean.

In the evenings, we would play games or watch a movie for budget-friendly fun.

On the second-to-last day, we took a road trip to Savannah, Ga., since it is

only an hour away from Hilton Head.

I had been once before, but there is so much to do here. I would recommend researching ahead of time to find what shops, restaurants or places you want to go to.

We first went to River Street (a mustsee) and the Candy Street Kitchen, famous for its pralines. On this street, we also went to Savannah Bee Co. The honey was delicious, and the staff was very informative and friendly. The combo of an apple slice with honeycomb and cheese is worth tasting, even though it sounds a bit unusual. We also went to Foxy Loxy Café, which offers outdoor seating behind the shop. This was great for a midafternoon pick-me-up.

For food options in Hilton Head, we tried to cook most of our meals at the condo to save money. However, we did want to try out some of the restaurants in the area.

Giuseppi’s Pizza gave a great value for the quality of food. The pasta many of my friends got was delicious, and they took leftovers home for another meal. I got two pieces of pizza, and they were huge!

We went to Java Burrito Co. in search of caffeine. To our surprise, it was a Mexican restaurant (that looked similar to Chipotle) combined with a coffee shop. The inside was very trendy, and I got a latte, which turned out to be pretty good. My friend got a cold brew,

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OGB Life Contact Emily Beauchamp beauea17@wfu.edu

Kate Tender/Old Gold & Black

The lovely beaches of Hilton Head proved to be uncrowded during spring break and the weather remained warm the entire week as well. which was overpriced and tasted a bit off, however.

My favorite restaurant we went to was Chow Daddy’s. We were able to sit outside, and our waiter was very friendly.

This was probably the most expensive restaurant we went to, but it was definitely worth it! The seafood they offered was very fresh. I ordered a tilapia bowl, and it was delicious. Everyone was satis-

fied with their meal after we ate there.

Hilton Head Diner was a good, reasonably-priced breakfast option. The omelets looked very good, and the coffee was bottomless. I ordered granola, and it tasted good, but I only got a small cup of it. Not the most filling breakfast, so I would recommend ordering something that would give you more bang for your buck.

Page 20 | Thursday, March 28, 2019

Old Gold & Black | Life

Must watch movies of april Here are six of the must-watch movies in April, they all are highly anticipated by fans and frequent moviegoers.

Each movie has their own individual qualities that make it interesting for anyone who will watch them.

BY CATHERINE REGEN Asst. Life Editor regecl17@wfu.edu

True Story

Documentary

Horror

The Best of Enemies (April 5, 2019)

Amazing Grace (April 5, 2019)

Pet Sematary (April 5, 2019)

Based on the book about the true story of the unlikely relationship between C.P. Ellis, a Ku Klux Klan leader, and Ann Atwater, a civil rights activist, the story follows the pair during the tumultuous summer of 1971, when they decide to co-chair a community summit around the court-ordered desegregation of schools in Durham. The cast includes Taraji P. Henson and Sam Rockwell. It’s a must-see if you enjoyed Henson’s critically acclaimed performance in Hidden Figures.

Featuring the work of two late artists, musician Aretha Franklin and director Sydney Pollack, this documentary is a behind-the-scenes look at the production and performance of Franklin’s best-selling album. Shot in 1972, the four-decades-old footage is finally being made available to audiences. If you enjoy the music of Aretha Franklin, the outlandish fashion choices of the ‘70s or simply a documentary with heart, then this is the film for you.

A reboot of a film made in 1989, Pet Sematary is an adaptation of the 1983 Stephen King horror novel of the same name. The film centers around the Creed family — Dr. Louis Creed, his wife Rachel and their two young children — as they move from Boston to rural Maine. The family finds a burial ground deep in the woods near their new home. After a tragedy, Creed turns to his neighbor for help and sets off a chain of events that unleashes a terrible evil with terrifying consequences. If you’re looking for another scare after Jordan Peele’s Us, this is the film for you.

Comedy

Science Fiction

Superhero

Little (April 12, 2019)

High Life (April 12, 2019)

Avengers: Endgame (April 24, 2019)

If the premise of 13 Going on 30 was flipped, you would have Little. Ruthless tech mogul Jordan Sanders is turned into a 13-year-old girl after tormenting one too many employees. She wakes up in her penthouse as an awkward tween the day before an important presentation. The only one in on the secret is April, Sanders’ long-tormented assistant. This film is a comedic take on the price of success and growing up. The film is directed by Tina Gordon with a story

by Tracy Oliver and screenplay by both. The story is an idea by Marsai Martin, the teen actress that plays young Jordan Sanders.

A new film from A24 Studios, this one focuses on a group of criminals tricked into an ill-fated journey into the deep recesses of space in search for an alternative energy source. The criminals on board the spaceship are sexually experimented on by scientists on board. A criminal, Monte (Robert Pattinson), has a daughter against his will through artificial insemination as a result of the experimentation. The story follows the evolution of the relationship between father and daughter. If you like the films that A24 typically makes, then this is the film for you.

Likely the most highly anticipated film on this list, Avengers: Endgame will be the soft conclusion to the Avengers franchise. Fans have anxiously awaited the release to see what will become of the ill-fated heros left standing after the ending of Avengers: Infinity War. Will they defeat Thanos? Is everyone actually dead?

Will Tony Stark be rescued from space? If you want some answers, Endgame will be in theaters April 24 (though you might want to get tickets soon).