Guest Blogger: Kseniia Koroleva, Fulbright Scholar, “Feminist movement and the Soviet Union: Tatyana Mamonova”

September 8, 2022 By Leave a Comment

Kseniia Koroleva majored in education at Murom University. Prior to arrival to Davidson, she taught English as a foreign language in Russia. She is a Fulbright scholar and has been at Davidson since 2020. She works as a Russian teaching assistant for the Russian Studies Department and is involved in the Humanities program.  

The beginning of perestroika and glasnost’ (movements for political reforms and reconstruction) under the leadership of Mikhail Gorbachev empowered the Soviet people to express their views and opinions more freely. Subsequently, it resulted in many suppressed social and political issues coming to the surface. The surge of openness in the Soviet Union galvanized new discussions and forums around the political and social challenges of the Soviet government. To educate Davidson college students and the general public about current developments in political, social, and economic aspects of the USSR, the Dean Rusk program sponsored a two-day conference on October 10 and 11, 1989 [1]. 

A clip from the September 20, 1989, Davidsonian

The conference brought together many prominent speakers from different fields. One of them was Tatyana Mamonova. She was the first feminist and advocate for women’s rights in the Soviet Union. Tatyana’s criticism of the governmental system regarding women’s rights was seen as a threat by the Soviet ruling party. It led to Tatyana being interrogated numerous times about her Woman and Russia journal and connections with other feminist authors [2]. Eventually one morning KGB forced her to leave the Soviet Union in 1980[3]. Despite all that, Tatyana continued her feminist work.

Cover of the Woman and Russia journal

The Soviet conference held at Davidson college allowed Tatyana to share in depth about challenges that women in her native country had to face. She stressed how forcing the mothering role on women constrained them and immensely limited their participation in social and political spheres of life [4]. Tatyana’s talk made it possible for those who attended the lecture to see how the portrayal of the Soviet Union as an equal society was fundamentally wrong. 

A clip from the October 19, 1989, Davidsonian

Undoubtedly, there were more career opportunities for women during the Soviet times. However, as a result, women had to take on many more duties combined with their already excessive household and childcare responsibilities and men kept on holding their privileges [5]. Thus, the changes in the current at that time governmental system caused greater exploitation of Soviet women and created new unreasonable expectations of their performance at work and at home.  

Today we can see a rising appreciation of women’s contributions in different professional fields and many more people recognize that mothering duties should not be defined as a women’s obligation and the only possible role for their self-realization. Unfortunately, a lot of women in Russia still feel like they have to conform to the old patriarchal system and work much harder than men in order to be taken seriously in their occupations. 

Cover of Tatyana Mamonova’s book, Women’s Glasnost vs. Naglost; shown with permission of the author.

[1] “Reform or revolution in the Soviet Union today?” Davidsonian [Davidson, NC] 20 September 1989. p.3.

[2] Mamonova, Tatyana, Sarah. Matilsky, Rebecca. Park, and Catherine A. Fitzpatrick. Women and Russia: Feminist Writings from the Soviet Union. Boston: Beacon Press, 1984. p.215-216.

[3] Afkhami, Mahnaz. Women in Exile. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1994.p.158.

[4] “Soviet women still fighting for rights”. Davidsonian [Davidson, NC] 19 October 1989. p.3.

[5] Mamonova, Tatyana, Margaret. Maxwell, and Margaret Maxwell. Russian Women’s Studies: Essays on Sexism in Soviet Culture. 1st ed. Oxford: Pergamon Press, 1989. p.168.

Filed Under: Guest Blogger, Student Life, Women

A Brief History of Diplomas at Davidson College

August 29, 2022 By Leave a Comment

Hello, this is Ghadeer Muhammed ‘25, and I hail from Cairo, Egypt. This summer, I worked in the Archives, Special Collections and Community department, and I have stumbled upon a most interesting diploma collection. Allow me to offer you a peek into the Archives diploma collection, and the college history it unveils…

The Davidson College Archives has acquired 41 diplomas solely through donations. The collection houses diplomas issued from 1840 to 2008. 19 diplomas, which is about half of the diplomas in the collection, date back to the 1800s, while 20 diplomas, the other half, were issued in the 20th century. The remaining two diplomas in the collection are dated 2006 and 2008. 

40 of 41 diplomas in the collection belong to male Davidson College students, while one out of 41 diplomas belongs to a female Davidson College student. This is noteworthy and timely, as 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the official formal admission of women to Davidson College (1972) thus ending the all-male aspect of the institution.

The overwhelming majority of the diplomas in the collection are made of vellum – more accurately described as sturdy sheepskin. Before 1981, all Davidson College alumni received their diplomas made of vellum. In 1981, parchment diplomas became the default, but students could still request a diploma made from sheepskin at a $10 charge. The complete switch to parchment diplomas was not put into action by the Registrar until the beginning of the 21st century. So for 141 years, Davidson College used vellum to award all alumni their graduation diplomas. Furthermore, the language used in all Bachelor of Arts diplomas, 19th and 20th centuries, is Latin, and even the date is in Roman numerals. However, from 1870-1889 the Bachelor of Science diploma was issued in English. Today, The Davidson College Registrar issues graduation diplomas in Latin.

Each diploma is signed by the sitting College President and on some occasions, the Board of Trustees too. The earliest diploma in the collection is dated 1840 and was signed by Robert Hall Morrison, the first president of Davidson College.

Robert Hall Morrison signature

One truly interesting aspect of working in the archives is witnessing the passage of time and the related parallelism of events. A fine example of this parallelism is the journey of Walter Lee Lingle back to Davidson College. The Davidson College Archives has two diplomas dated 1892 and 1893 for a certain Walter Lee Lingle. This alumnus returned to Davidson College in 1906, but this time as the eleventh president of the college. Consequently, today, the archives diploma collection holds a 1930 Bachelor of Arts diploma signed by Walter Lee Lingle as President.

1892 Walter Lee Lingle diploma signed by President John Bunyan Shearer
1930 Frontis Withers Johnston diploma signed by President Walter Lee Lingle

Lingle was the third Davidson College President who was also a Davidson College alumnus. Alumni presidents are not uncommon in Davidson College as the current president, Douglas Allan Hicks, is the eleventh alumni president in the history of the college.  

References 

Blodgett, J. 2011  Davidson College Diplomas – Davidson College Archives & Special Collections. https://davidsonarchivesandspecialcollections.org/archives/encyclopedia/diploma 

Blodgett, J. 2011 Lingle, Walter Lee – Davidson College Archives & Special Collections https://davidsonarchivesandspecialcollections.org/archives/encyclopedia/walter-lee-lingle 

Johnson, M 2022 Douglas A. Hicks selected as 19th president of Davidson College https://www.davidson.edu/news/2022/04/29/douglas-hicks-selected-19th-president-davidson-college#:~:text=Davidson%20College%20Trustees%20today%20unanimously,returns%20to%20where%20it%20began. 

Filed Under: 19th century Davidson, Alumni, Behind the Scenes, Guest Blogger

Guest Blogger: Kseniia Koroleva, Fulbright Scholar, “Life under the Soviet regime: Alexandra Tolstoy”

August 10, 2022 By Leave a Comment

Kseniia Koroleva majored in education at Murom University. Prior to her arrival at Davidson, she taught English as a foreign language in Russia. She is a Fulbright scholar and has been at Davidson since 2020. She works as a Russian teaching assistant for the Russian Studies Department and is involved in the Humanities program.  

The newly formed Soviet Union was surrounded by many contradictory views and opinions on the global arena. Due to heavy propaganda and censorship, it was next to impossible to find out about the real horrors of Bolshevism. Thus, the guest speakers specifically from the Soviet Union drew a lot of attention here in the US. Their lectures were a rare opportunity to debunk some circulating myths and rumors for those who wanted to learn more about the USSR.

The desire to learn more about the political system of the Soviet Union was also widespread among Davidson students. The lecture committee made it possible to hear from guest speakers what it was like to live under the Soviet government. One of the first speakers to cast light on the reality of the Soviet regime was Alexandra Tolstoy, the youngest daughter and the secretary of Count Leo Tolstoy.

Alexandra Tolstoy and her father, Count Leo Tolstoy

Alexandra’s lecture was held in Chambers auditorium on 22 March 1937 and was free to attend for Davidson students and the local community. The event was also advertised in the Davidsonian issue from 17 March 1937[1] and brought “one of the largest audiences ever to attend a lecture in Chambers auditorium.”[2]

A clip from a 1937 Davidsonian article advertising the upcoming lecture of Alexandra Tolstoy 

Alexandra wasn`t politically involved. Still, before she came to the US, she was watched by the Soviet government and eventually arrested. Alexandra was suspected of association with the anti-communist movement after unknowingly allowing the Tactical center of the Whites (anti-communist forces) to have meetings in her office[3]. After leaving the Soviet Union, Alexandra strongly believed it was her mission to tell the West about the suffering and devastation caused by Bolshevism. In her lectures, Alexandra stated that her father would be opposed to the policies of the new government[4]. She didn`t shy away from speaking the harsh truth about the dreadful conditions and poverty in which regular Soviet people lived. The topic of education was a focal point of her talks. Alexandra used to lead her private school and shared how in her opinion, the quality of education became worse under the Soviets no matter the increased number of schools. She emphasized that the government didn`t care about the quality of education and forced her to graduate everyone without considering students’ abilities and results. The tour through America allowed Alexandra to share more freely her criticism of the Soviet regime, but even being so far away from her homeland, she still wasn`t completely safe and some Soviet officials followed her to the US[5]. 

Even though the tour attracted Alexandra some unwanted attention, and she also faced a fair amount of skepticism[6] due to her background, she still didn`t abandon her mission and made at least some people walk back and rethink how they perceived the Soviet Union.

[1] “Countess to lecture here. Daughter of Leo Tolstoy To Speak on Russian Revolution”. Davidsonian [Davidson, NC] 17 March 1937.- p.1.

[2]“Russian tells of revolution. Countess Tolstoy, Daughter of Author, Talks on Soviet Regime”. Davidsonian [Davidson, NC] 24 March 1937.- p.1.

[3] Tolstoy, Alexandra et al. Out of the Past. New York: Columbia University Press, 1981.-p.114.

[4] “Russian tells of revolution. Countess Tolstoy, Daughter of Author, Talks on Soviet Regime,” 1.

[5] Tolstoy, Out of the Past, 352 – 353.

[6] Tolstoy, Out of the Past, 349 – 350.

Filed Under: Events, Guest Blogger, Student Life, Women

Welcome to the E.H. Little Library, Jacob!

July 22, 2022 By Leave a Comment
Jacob and Avie age 1

You’re just beginning to get to know the E.H. Little Library – what’s your background and how has it contributed to your work in the library? 

My usual joke when I talk about my professional background is that I’ve managed to do things that interest me *and* stay employed, which may only be true because (a) I’m a lifelong learner and (b) have been fortunate to find a professional home in higher education. I grew up in Virginia and have a BA and MA from UVA; I taught in middle and high school in between the two. My PhD, from Texas A&M, on early modern English literature and drama, culminated with my dissertation on Shakespeare and friends. My subspecialty in the material book and book history, maybe surprisingly, led me into digital humanities and project management, which led me into liberal arts college libraries. After working on the Early Modern OCR Project, I was the Mellon Digital Scholar for the Five Colleges of Ohio, a position in which I was helping small cross-functional teams imagine and develop digital pedagogical projects. This led me into my work as Digital Scholarship Librarian and Director of the Collaborative Research Environment (CoRE) at the College of Wooster, where I was a liaison librarian, developed a program for digital media creation, and taught a digital humanities course each spring. I’m excited to weave all of these threads together in my new role!

Whitaker age 3

What about the position of Assistant Director of Digital Learning interested you?

If I’m honest, I was mostly interested in working with Davidson folks. I’d encounter a number of admirably smart and generous students, staff, and faculty in my time on the digital humanities/pedagogy/scholarship circuit, so I guessed that working with and learning from them could only be wonderful. So far I’m right. Tied up in that, too, is the opportunity to work among some impressive teams to shepherd the library toward “the library of the future.” It’s a unique opportunity to help shape a truly monumental enterprise.

Are there any projects you’re particularly passionate about introducing to Davidson?

I’m keenly interested in the intersections between “the material” and “the digital,” and collaborating with the Letterpress Lab and the Makerspace on workshops, for example, would be a great way to think with the community about those intersections. More generally, I’m excited to explore the ways in which we all are implicated in “the digital”: the overlapping frameworks for digital and information literacy, critical engagement with digital infrastructures via Davidson Domains, and digital humanities endeavors that live in and grow out of the library.

You haven’t been here long yet, but what has been your most memorable or surprising experience at Davidson thus far?

Both memorable and surprising: my new library colleagues composed and performed a song for Holly and me on our first day of work. It was a riff on “Hello, Dolly” and it was incredible.

What are three things you want Davidson’s community to know about you?

While I’m not myself musical, my Spotify history would betray a wide array of musical tastes: from “Karma Chameleon” to Kendrick Lamar, from EDM to EPMD, from Travis Tritt to A Tribe Called Quest. Although I’ve never done karaoke, I know the words to an embarrassing number of 80s and 90s pop, hip-hop, and (yes) country songs. (Oh! You asked for three things I *want* the Davidson community to know about me!)

I thrive when I’m expending creative energy. I’m a maker at heart. Often that’s expressed in my work designing workshops or building programs or just doing digital humanities. However, I also come from a family of (folk) artists and I am trying to earn the title “hobbyist woodworker,” though shop time is sparse these days, not least because…

… my two kids, Whitaker (3) and Avie (1) pretty much occupy all of my time. They’re hilarious and smart and they challenge me every day, and every second I get to spend with them and Catie, my wife, is a treasure.

Avie
Whitaker

Filed Under: Behind the Scenes, Guest Blogger, Library, Staff

Welcome to the E.H. Little Library, Holly!

June 27, 2022 By Leave a Comment
These are two of Holly White’s four pets. Shown are Buster and Basil.

1. You’re just beginning to get to know the E.H. Little Library –what’s your
background and how has it contributed to your work in the library?


I’m originally from Ohio, where I received a BA in English from Ohio University and
MLIS (Master of Library and Information Science) from Kent State University. I have
spent my career working in small academic libraries at liberal arts institutions; I love
working on smaller campuses where I can build relationships with students and
faculty and get involved in campus life. In addition to providing instruction,
reference, and collection development services in libraries, my duties have also
included being the university webmaster and college Moodle administrator. I enjoy
learning new skills and learning about new systems and software, and each of my
previous positions has allowed me to learn about something new that can help me
support library users, whether that is coding or learning theory or social media
content curation. I enjoy being a generalist and working across the curriculum and
the campus to improve learning, services, or whatever else.


2. What about the position of Instructional Designer interested you?

I chose to work in small liberal arts colleges because I enjoy having the opportunity
to do lots of different things in my job. During the pandemic, I spent a lot of time
supporting faculty who were teaching with Moodle, and I was interested in moving
more fully into the instructional design space. This position is perfect for me; it
allows me to do that without losing my connection to librarianship.

3. Are there any projects you’re particularly passionate about introducing to
Davidson?

I’m excited to start working to support OER on campus. I was thrilled to find a
position that would allow me to help faculty build courses around content that is
free, whether open textbooks or library resources. I’m also really looking forward to
working the Research, Learning, and Outreach team on instruction design

4. You haven’t been here long yet, but what has been your most memorable or
surprising experience at Davidson thus far?

Definitely being serenaded by members of the library at the end of my first day (to
the tune of Hello, Dolly). It was so fun and welcoming and a great way to start my
career at E.H. Little Library.

5. What are three things you want Davidson’s community to know about you?

I’ve lived and worked in higher education in both Ohio and Iowa, and they are two
very different states!

Although I’ve never lived in North Carolina, I had ancestors who did, although most
of them moved to other states by 1800. I’m planning to visit some places to do
some more intensive genealogical work. If you have recommendations, I’d love to
hear them!

I’ve spent most of my weekends so far visiting dog parks or the lake. If you ever
want to set up a doggy play date or take a kayaking trip, feel free to reach out! I
haven’t been stand-up paddleboarding yet, but it’s one of my goals for the summer.

Holly’s camping spot on her last overnight kayaking trip in the Georgian Bay of Lake Huron.

Filed Under: Behind the Scenes, Guest Blogger, Library, Staff

Guest blogger: Alexa Torchynowycz, Systems and Cataloging Librarian, “Metadata and Embroidery: Producing Sense, One Record at a Time”

April 19, 2022 By 1 Comment

At the end of my last blog post, I was stitching away as part of a project called “Unseen Labor” created by Ann Kardos at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Catalogers and metadata librarians were asked to create a needlework piece that represented their work and experiences in libraries during the pandemic. People from 20 states contributed to the project and there were even some international stitchers from Canada and the UK. In the Spring of 2022, the works were exhibited in the Science and Engineering Library at UMass. An exhibit catalog was also created where every piece is featured and the artist got to describe their work. I was lucky enough to visit the exhibit in person and see everyone’s incredible work.

The author on the left and Ann Kardos on the right at the “Unseen Labor” exhibit

Catalogers and metadata professionals often don’t get the chance to describe their work, or if they do, what they do is not well understood. When I talk about my cataloging work, I usually say that I am deconstructing an object (book, DVD, board game, etc.) into its smallest, most individualized parts. All those little bits are then stitched together (pun intended) using a metadata structure and standards. What you end up with is a digital, textual representation of the object which makes it more easily shared across the web. The better I am at reassembling the data and making it understandable to both computers and humans, the more likely people will find the item that they are looking for.

Here’s an example:

The book Painted with Thread: The Art of American Embroidery

Some of the pieces that describe this book are:

  • Salem, Massachusetts
  • Color illustrations
  • Exhibitions
  • Embroidery 

On their own, any one of those words doesn’t have a whole lot of meaning. Put together, I have an exhibition in Salem, Massachusetts on embroidery which contains color illustrations. And there you have it! Making sense where there was none before. 

This is what inspired my piece for the “Unseen Labor” exhibit. As I mentioned in my previous blog, I thought my needlework was non-existent before this project. But that wasn’t entirely true because I have been sewing for close to 20 years. I thought about what I do when I construct a garment and how it was very similar to what I do when I construct a metadata record. I start out with an idea or a picture or a sketch and I break it down into its individual pattern pieces. If you’ve ever seen a single pattern piece you know how it doesn’t look much like anything. I then stitch together (literally) my pieces using a set of skills and standards I’ve obtained and end up with a completed garment.

“A Pattern of Anonymity” (image on the right) shows the finished product representing metadata in stitches. The 1960s era pattern (image on the left) was the inspiration for the piece.

My embroidered work “A Pattern of Anonymity” is a convergence of the two: metadata and sewing. I used a 1960s era pattern packet I had as my guide when designing my piece. There is a book, a vase, and a streaming video to represent all the kinds of things that I have cataloged and how they are before the translation into metadata. The odd looking objects the original items are attached to represent the individual pieces of metadata or pattern pieces. I told you they didn’t look like much of anything. Once you start putting them together, you start to get an idea of what the final piece looks like. Is that a skirt with delicate detailing I’m seeing in the lower left corner? And once all the threads come together, ta-dah! A finished record/garment that is easily recognizable and discoverable.

I’ll end this post with a quote I came across while doing some research on stitching (yes, I had to research my project before beginning; I am a librarian after all):

That embroiderers do transform materials to produce sense – whole ranges of meanings – is invariably entirely overlooked.

            –Rozsika Parker, The Subversive Stitch: Embroidery and the Making of the Feminine

Replace “embroiderers” with “catalogers and metadata professionals” in Rozsika Parker’s sentence and you’d still have an accurate statement. I hope the extraordinary works and words in the “Unseen Labor” exhibit bring to light the kind of sense-making cataloging and metadata librarians produce in an increasingly non-sensical world.

Unseen Labor, the exhibit, runs through May 2022 at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst

Filed Under: Behind the Scenes, Guest Blogger, Library, Staff, Women Tagged With:

Guest Blogger: Jonathan Swann C’19, “Bringing college soccer to the masses: Live games on TV and international soccer at Davidson College”

March 24, 2022 By Leave a Comment

Jonathan Swann was a psychology major at Davidson, graduating in the class of 2019. At Davidson, he wrote for the Davidsonian, was a member of the Student Government Association, and was involved in College Democrats. Originally from Maryland, he currently lives in Central Florida working at a boarding school. 

This is the fourth and final post, and it focuses on college soccer, television and resulting opportunities.

In this fourth part of the four-part series telling a different aspect of the untold story when NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship was at Davidson College, I’ll be sharing several anecdotes and stories focused on the first live college soccer championship and additional high-level soccer matches at Davidson.

In 1993, because of the success of the 1992 NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship at Davidson College, fans for the first time watched the semifinal and championship games in their entirety on live TV![1] The NCAA, CBS, and Davidson came up with a plan to televise the game.[2] CBS owned the rights to the championship as part of its billion-dollar men’s basketball contract with the NCAA but showed the game as edited highlights weeks after the event.[3] CBS did not air the soccer championship live because of the conflict with National Football League games.[4]

Figure 1. Picture from the 1993 NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship Program

Terry Holland, Davidson’s Athletic Director, served as a coordinator between all parties to negotiate for the rights to show the championship[5]. The games were broadcast nationally by Prime Network affiliates after Davidson purchased the rights to show the soccer championship live with a reach of 42 million homes.[6] The move to broadcast the games live was a significant step for college soccer and contributed to the sport’s rising popularity in the 1990s.[7]

Figure 2. Flyer for the 1994 championship

In addition, Davidson hosted College Soccer Weekly, a competition between top college soccer teams![8] College Soccer Weekly started in the fall of 1994 because of the success of the championship at Davidson.[9] College Soccer Weekly was a 10-game, made for TV series with each game featuring a southeastern team versus a nationally ranked team from another area.[10] Each game was televised locally and nationally.[11] At that time, college soccer was a rare occurrence on national television, and hosting a primetime match at weekly at Davidson further boosted the visibility of soccer.[12]

Figure 3. Terry Holland (left) with Davidson Men’s Soccer Head Coach Charlie Slagle (right)

Despite the championship leaving Davidson, Davidson would host many other nationally televised games in the 1990s![13] Davidson hosted the US men’s national soccer team in April 1994, when the U.S. beat Moldova.[14]  The women’s national team beat Finland in April 1995 and the women’s team returned to Davidson in March 1996 for a 2-0 win against Germany.[15] The U-23 men’s national team faced Ireland in June 1996 at Davidson (unfortunately losing 0-1). [16] Overall, Davidson played host to many top soccer games in the 1990s, none of which would be possible without the unprecedented success of the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship at Davidson!

[1] Bob Daniels, The (Charlottesville, Va) Daily Progress.; “Soccer Makes the Screen,” NCAA Game Program for 1993 DI Men’s Soccer Championship, December 1993, pp. 8-10.; Brad Johnson, “Davidson Gets High Marks as Host,” Charlotte Observer, December 5, 1992.

[2] Bob Daniels, The (Charlottesville, Va) Daily Progress.; “Soccer Makes the Screen,” NCAA Game Program for 1993 DI Men’s Soccer Championship, December 1993, pp. 8-10.;

[3] Bob Daniels, The (Charlottesville, Va) Daily Progress.; “Soccer Makes the Screen,” NCAA Game Program for 1993 DI Men’s Soccer Championship, December 1993, pp. 8-10.;

[4] Bob Daniels, The (Charlottesville, Va) Daily Progress.; “Soccer Makes the Screen,” NCAA Game Program for 1993 DI Men’s Soccer Championship, December 1993, pp. 8-10.;

[5] Bob Daniels, The (Charlottesville, Va) Daily Progress.; “Soccer Makes the Screen,” NCAA Game Program for 1993 DI Men’s Soccer Championship, December 1993, pp. 8-10.;

[6] Bob Daniels, The (Charlottesville, Va) Daily Progress.; “Soccer Makes the Screen,” NCAA Game Program for 1993 DI Men’s Soccer Championship, December 1993, pp. 8-10.;

[7] “Final 4’s Popularity on the Rise.” By Jon DeNunzio. December 8, 1995. Washington Post.

[8] Scott Fowler, “Weekly Soccer Series Set to Begin at Davidson,” Charlotte Observer, August 31, 1994; Pat Millen. In-person interview with the author. November 2018. Bob Daniels, The (Charlottesville, Va) Daily Progress.; “Soccer Makes the Screen,” NCAA Game Program for 1993 DI Men’s Soccer Championship, December 1993, pp. 8-10.;

[9] Scott Fowler, “Weekly Soccer Series Set to Begin at Davidson,” Charlotte Observer, August 31, 1994; Pat Millen. In-person interview with the author. November 2018.

[10] Scott Fowler, “Weekly Soccer Series Set to Begin at Davidson,” Charlotte Observer, August 31, 1994; Pat Millen. In-person interview with the author. November 2018.

[11] Scott Fowler, “Weekly Soccer Series Set to Begin at Davidson,” Charlotte Observer, August 31, 1994

[12] Jerry Langdon, “Prime’s TV Games to Move around in ’95,” USA Today, November 1, 1994; Pat Millen. In-person interview with the author. November 2018.

[13] “USMNT Results: 1990-1994.” Society for American Soccer History, February 1, 2020. https://www.ussoccerhistory.org/usnt-results/usmnt-results/usmnt-results-1990-1994/. Brad Johnson, “Hamm Stands as One of the World’s Brightest Players,” Charlotte Observer, April 29, 1995. Brad Johnson, “Davidson to Play Host to U.S. U-23 Soccer Team ,” Charlotte Observer, April 25, 1996.

[14] “USMNT Results: 1990-1994.” Society for American Soccer History, February 1, 2020. https://www.ussoccerhistory.org/usnt-results/usmnt-results/usmnt-results-1990-1994/. Brad Johnson, “Hamm Stands as One of the World’s Brightest Players,” Charlotte Observer, April 29, 1995.

[15] USMNT Results: 1990-1994.” Society for American Soccer History, February 1, 2020. https://www.ussoccerhistory.org/usnt-results/usmnt-results/usmnt-results-1990-1994/. Brad Johnson, “Hamm Stands as One of the World’s Brightest Players,” Charlotte Observer, April 29, 1995.

[16] Brad Johnson, “Davidson to Play Host to U.S. U-23 Soccer Team ,” Charlotte Observer, April 25, 1996.

Filed Under: Athletics, Behind the Scenes, Events, Guest Blogger, Student Life Tagged With:

Guest Blogger: Jonathan Swann C’19, “Years Before Online Ticketing: A Window in the Ticketing Process for the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship at Davidson”

March 18, 2022 By Leave a Comment

Jonathan Swann was a psychology major at Davidson, graduating in the class of 2019. At Davidson, he wrote for the Davidsonian, was a member of the Student Government Association, and was involved in College Democrats. Originally from Maryland, he currently lives in Central Florida working at a boarding school.

This is the third part in a four part series and will focus on ticketing for the event.

In this third part of the four-part series sharing aspects of the untold story when Davidson hosted the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship, I’ll be sharing several anecdotes and stories focused on the ticketing for the championship.

Figure 1. Tickets from the 1992 semifinal games and the final

Over twenty thousand fans attended the 1994 championship at Davidson.[1] With that many fans, the Davidson Athletic Ticket Office were faced with a difficult logistical task.

Figure 3. Ticket from the 1993 championship
Figure 2. Ticket from the 1994 championship

For example, Becky Ervin, the ticket office manager during the 1992 championship, recalled that one of the most challenging parts of the job was making sure all the tickets were not duplicated with temporary bleachers constructed and thousands of people on the waiting list.[1] She mentioned that the days of the championship were actually fairly easy as people showed up with their tickets and adhered to policies about what they could and could not bring into the stadium, except for one fan who said their ticket flew out the window![2]

John Beyer, a 1992 Davidson graduate, worked as an intern in the ticket office.[3] Back then, ticketing was not automated like it is now, and Beyer recalls having an enormous schematic of the stadium with every seat. [4] The tickets were in boxes in envelopes.[5] Davidson didn’t have assigned seating in the stadium, so the ticket office had to adjust and come up with assigned seating by marking the seats and coloring the seats based on sections.[6] Beyer remembers whenever someone ordered tickets, the ticket office would roll out the schematic and X out the tickets.[7]

Figure 4. Stadium schematic with the ticket sections for the 1993 championship

According to the Davidson Campus Chronicle, Debbie Hogg of the admissions office showed up at the ticket window holding a sign that said, “will work for one ticket.”[1] She unfortunately did not receive a ticket.[2] According to a Charlotte Observer article from the day after the 1992 championship, the game programs for the entire Final Four were sold out before halftime of the first semifinal![1]

Figure 5. Box Office Report for the 1993 Final

Dick Cooke, who was the Davidson Baseball Coach from 1991 to 2018 and is now a Senior Athletic Director at Davidson, highlighted in our interview that the smaller venue of Richardson Stadium created a sense of urgency in buying tickets.[1] He compared Davidson hosting the soccer championship to the College World Series (CWS) that is hosted every year in Omaha in that putting the championship in a smaller venue creates a high demand for tickets.[2] The championship broke attendance records every year and the NCAA moved the championship after three years to Richmond which owned a larger stadium.[3]

Figure 6. VIP Ticket Assignments from the 1993 Championship. Handwritten!

[1] Liz Clarke, “Richmond to Reap Benefit of Davidson’s Success,” Charlotte Observer, December 9, 1994. Will Cobb, “Davidson Bids Farewell to Final Four in High Fashion,” The Davidsonian, January 23, 1995, p. 16.

[2] Becky Ervin interview. Phone interview with the author. June 2019.

[3] Becky Ervin interview. Phone interview with the author. June 2019.

[4] John Beyer. Phone interview with the author. May 2019.

[5] John Beyer. Phone interview with the author. May 2019.

[6] John Beyer. Phone interview with the author. May 2019. 1993 NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship Tournament Manual. 1993 College Cup Ticket Manifest

[7] John Beyer. Phone interview with the author. May 2019. 1993 NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship Tournament Manual. 1993 College Cup Ticket Manifest

[8] John Beyer. Phone interview with the author. May 2019.

[9] “Sweet Season Will Conclude on Home Turf,” Davidson College Campus Chronicle, December 1992.

[10] “Sweet Season Will Conclude on Home Turf,” Davidson College Campus Chronicle, December 1992.

[11] Brad Johnson, “Davidson Gets High Marks as Host,” Charlotte Observer, December 5, 1992.

[12] Dick Cooke. In-person interview with the author. May 2019.

[13] Ibid.

[14] Liz Clarke, “Richmond to Reap Benefit of Davidson’s Success,” Charlotte Observer, December 9, 1994.

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Guest Blogger: Jonathan Swann C’19, ” Do these ticket booths look similar to you? Preparing the physical grounds for the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship at Davidson”

March 9, 2022 By Leave a Comment

Jonathan Swann was a psychology major at Davidson, graduating in the class of 2019. At Davidson, he wrote for the Davidsonian, was a member of the Student Government Association, and was involved in College Democrats. Originally from Maryland, he currently lives in Central Florida working at a boarding school.  

Each week during the month of March, Swann will offer a post analyzing different aspects of Davidson College’s hosting of the 1992-1994 Men’s Soccer Championship and the ways in which “Distinctly Davidson” impacted the event.  This post is the second in the series, and it focuses on how Davidson prepared the outdoor environment for the 1992-1994 NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship.

Figure 1. Physical Plant putting up a goalpost for the soccer championship.
  Figure 2. Shot on goal during the championship

There was a great deal of hard work involved in enhancing and maintaining the campus grounds to accommodate the four soccer teams on the field and thousands of fans off the field for the championship.[1] First, Physical Plant widened Richardson Stadium so it could hold a regulation soccer field.[2] In addition, Physical Plant employees carefully fertilized and watered the natural grass to meet the stringent NCAA standards for a championship soccer field.[3] To deal with the crowds, Physical Plant erected ground control barriers and temporary fences so people couldn’t watch the games outside the bleachers without buying tickets.[4] 

Figure 3. Bird’s eye view of the 1994 championship with “The Third Time’s the Charm” banner. You can see the ground barriers around the field and the lights.

Back then, Johnston Gym was no longer the basketball arena (Baker Sports Complex opened in 1989) but had yet to be converted into the Union we know today. [5] Johnston Gym was next to the stadium, so the Gym was seen as a logical choice to set up locker rooms.[6] However, the Gym was winterized (the lights were dimmed and the heat was turned off) so Physical Plant renovated the Gym for the championship.[7]

Figure 4. Picture taken from Johnston Gym of the Championship. You can notice the smaller track around the field.

In addition, the Carpentry Department at Physical Plant built several ticket booths.[8] According to Physical Plant, one of those ticket booths is now the security booth for Lake Campus.[9] When I visited Lake Campus before I left Davidson after graduation, I did notice a strong resemblance to the current ticket booths outside Richardson Stadium! Finally, I reached out to Gary Andrews, the head track and field coach at Davidson from 1986 to 2014, because I heard that widening the field impacted the track and field team.[10]  Physical Plant tore up the first three lanes of the track, significantly affecting practices for the track and field team.[11] Andrews enjoyed the championship and watched the games but admitted to me that the torn up track was difficult for the track and field team, especially for recruiting.[12] Despite being promised a new track in a year by the athletic department, the team would not have a renovated and full-sized track until 1999.[13]

Hosting a NCAA championship was a significant undertaking with many logistical challenges. Despite it all, Davidson hosted a nearly flawless championship with rave reviews from coaches, fans, students, staff, and administrators.[14]

[1] Tom Sorensen , “Selling Soccer-Slagle’s Goal Has All Signs Leading to Davidson,” Charlotte Observer, August 31, 1992. Scott Applegate. In-Person Interview with the author. June 2019. Kevin Andersen & et al. In-person interview with the author. June 2019. Liz Clarke, “Davidson Basks in Soccer Glory,” Charlotte Observer, December 1, 1992.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Irwin Brawley. In-person interview with the author. May 2019.

[4] Irwin Brawley. In-person interview with the author. May 2019.                                                                                        

[5] “Baker Sports Complex,” Davidson College, https://www.davidson.edu/about/campus-spaces/athletic-facilities/baker-sports-complex. Kevin Andersen & et al. In-person interview with the author. June 2019.

[6] Kevin Andersen & et al. In-person interview with the author. June 2019.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Kevin Andersen & et al. In-person interview with the author. June 2019.

[9] Kevin Andersen & et al. In-person interview with the author. June 2019. [1] Gary Andrews. In-Person Interview with the author. June 2019. Pat Millen. In-person interview with the author. Fall 2018.

[10] Gary Andrews. In-Person Interview with the author. June 2019. Pat Millen. In-person interview with the author. Fall 2018.

[11] Gary Andrews. In-Person Interview with the author. June 2019.

[12] Gary Andrews. In-Person Interview with the author. June 2019.

[13] “Irwin Belk Track.” Davidson College Athletics. https://davidsonwildcats.com/facilities/irwin-belk-track/32.

[14] Mike Digiovanna, “Soccer Capital: Davidson College Would Like to Become Permanent Final Four Site” (Los Angeles Times, December 3, 1993), https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-12-03-sp-63567-story.html.

 

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Guest Blogger: Jonathan Swann C’19, “The life and legacy of Charlie Slagle”

March 3, 2022 By Leave a Comment

Jonathan Swann was a psychology major at Davidson, graduating in the class of 2019. At Davidson, he wrote for the Davidsonian, was a member of the Student Government Association, and was involved in College Democrats. Originally from Maryland, he currently lives in Central Florida working at a boarding school. 

Each week during the month of March, Swann will offer a post analyzing different aspects of Davidson College’s hosting of the 1992-1994 Men’s Soccer Championship and the ways in which “Distinctly Davidson” impacted the event. 

In this first part of the four-part series chronicling the untold story of the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship at Davidson College, I’ll be focusing on the legacy of Davidson grad Charlie Slagle, who was the brainchild for the championship at Davidson. He passed away unexpectedly in July 2019 at the age of 67.[1]

Ironically, Charlie Slagle’s first sport was football, not soccer.[2] Slagle played one year of football at Davidson before switching to soccer and playing goalkeeper for the Wildcats.[3] After that, Slagle never left the soccer community.

At the time of his death, Slagle had been working for the Richmond Kickers, the United Soccer League team.[4] From Davidson to the Richmond Kickers, Slagle left an indelible mark on soccer in the United States.[5]

Five years after Slagle finished his playing career at Davidson, he returned to coach men’s soccer (in addition to baseball, golf, and women’s basketball!), leading the Wildcats to three Southern Conference titles and two conference tournament titles, including the remarkable 1992 underdog run to the NCAA Men’s Soccer Semifinals.[6]

Article in the Charlotte Observer from August 1992 on Slagle’s vision for the championship. From the Davidson College Archives

Slagle’s marketing prowess and relentless soccer evangelism proved highly consequential as he brought the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship to Davidson and then to Cary, North Carolina, which remains the championship’s primary hosting site.[7] Slagle realized that with the right formula, the NCAA Men’s soccer championship could thrive.[8] That formula included strong community support, a more intimate stadium meant for soccer, and passionate administrative staff who were familiar with the NCAA and the logistics of hosting a championship.[9]

Charlie Slagle gives his speech at the banquet in Baker Sports Complex during the championship. Picture from NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship Photo Album held by the Davidson College Athletic Ticket Office

To me, Slagle epitomized how Davidson College graduates can develop disciplined and creative minds for lives of leadership and service.[10] Throughout his life and soccer career, Slagle fervently believed soccer could bring people together, led teams and organizations with empathy and devotion, and took on countless responsibilities to help events run smoothly.[11] I hope that these blog posts on the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship and my soon-to-be published article will shine a light on the vision Slagle had for the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship at Davidson.[12] Slagle told me when we chatted on the phone in April 2019 that he believed the underdog run in 1992 has outshone the unprecedented success of hosting.[13] The untold story of the hosting at Davidson should highlight one part of the remarkable legacy of Charlie Slagle.

Picture of Slagle with his family from a feature in Davidson Campus Chronicle from 1992. From the Davidson College Archives.
Charlie Slagle honored at Davidson College in fall of 2017 celebrating the 25th anniversary of the 1992 team.
Picture from the Davidson College website.

[1] Giglio , Joe. “The Triangle Soccer Community Mourns the Passing of Charlie Slagle.” News and Observer , July 3, 2019. https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/article232271397.html.

[2] Giglio , Joe. “The Triangle Soccer Community Mourns the Passing of Charlie Slagle.” News and Observer , July 3, 2019. https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/article232271397.html. Fox , John. “Fast Talking CV Grad Gets Kick at N.C School.” Press and Sun Bulletin. November 12, 1992.

[3] Giglio , Joe. “The Triangle Soccer Community Mourns the Passing of Charlie Slagle.” News and Observer , July 3, 2019. https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/article232271397.html. Fox , John. “Fast Talking CV Grad Gets Kick at N.C School.” Press and Sun Bulletin. November 12, 1992.

[4] Scott, David. “A Force of Nature:’ Former Davidson College Men’s Soccer Coach Charlie Slagle Dies.” Charlotte Observer , July 3, 2019. https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/college/article232225097.html.

[5]  Giglio , Joe. “The Triangle Soccer Community Mourns the Passing of Charlie Slagle.” News and Observer , July 3, 2019. https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/article232271397.html. Fox , John. “Fast Talking CV Grad Gets Kick at N.C School.” Press and Sun Bulletin. November 12, 1992.

[6] Giglio , Joe. “The Triangle Soccer Community Mourns the Passing of Charlie Slagle.” News and Observer , July 3, 2019.

[7] Lynn Berling-Manuel. Phone interview with the author. July 2019. Trevor Gorman. Phone interview with the author. May 2019; Pat Millen. In-person interview with the author. November 2018. “DI Men’s Soccer Championship History” (NCAA, December 15, 2019), https://www.ncaa.com/history/soccer-men/d1.

[8] Charlie Slagle. Phone Interview with author. April 2019. Sorensen, Tom. “Selling Soccer-Slagle’s Goal Has All Signs Leading to Davidson.” Charlotte Observer, August 31, 1992.

[9] Peter Brewington, “Big Switch for Final Four: Amenities Gained, Atmosphere Lost at Ericsson,” USA Today, December 10, 1999; David Woods, “This Stage Is Just Too Large for College Soccer’s Top Act,” Indianapolis Star, December 13, 1999.; Jerry Lindquist, “Division 1 Soccer Tournament Leaves Sponsor Seeing Red,” Richmond Times-Dispatch, December 24, 1999; Alex Yannis, “Attendance Is Low for Division I Final,” The New York Times, December 14, 1999. [9]  Giglio , Joe. “The Triangle Soccer Community Mourns the Passing of Charlie Slagle.” News and Observer , July 3, 2019. https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/article232271397.html.

[10] Davidson College Statement of Purpose.  https://www.davidson.edu/about/statement-purpose

[11] Giglio , Joe. “The Triangle Soccer Community Mourns the Passing of Charlie Slagle.” News and Observer , July 3, 2019. https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/article232271397.html. Fox , John. “Fast Talking CV Grad Gets Kick at N.C School.” Press and Sun Bulletin. November 12, 1992.

Lynn Berling-Manuel. Phone interview with the author. July 2019.

[12] Pat Millen. In-person interview with the author. November 2018. Charlie Slagle, Phone Interview with the author, April 2019.

[13] Charlie Slagle. Interview with the author. July 2019.

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