Name: Mason Davenport
Hometown: Richmond, Va.
Year: Freshman
Major: Undecided
Inspirational isn’t a strong enough word to describe him. Neither is vibrant. Wise, outgoing and brave – his exceptional qualities and natural charisma (don’t forget, witty sense of humor!) made interviewing him an honor. As the newest Opinion Editor for the Old Gold & Black, he is transformative through his participation in PREPARE – the Policy Group on Rape Education, Prevention and Response (which is hosting Tie A Yellow Ribbon Week this week, February 9th – 13th!)
Meet my idol on campus and this week’s Campus Cutie, Mason Davenport.
HC (Her Campus): Congrats on being the new Opinion Editor for the Old Gold & Black! How did you get involved in writing opinion pieces?
MD (Mason Davenport): I’ve always had an opinion on pretty much anything. During Orientation, I was pretty disturbed by some things that I saw during the domestic abuse/sexual assault counseling portion. I saw some things I found appalling. There was also an aura of immaturity, at least on my hall, where I saw a lot of sexism. And I wrote a piece on that – a letter to the editor – which was directed more towards the freshman class, because that was the only area I had experience with. I originally wanted to publish it anonymously because there’s a lot of personal things [I included in it]. After working with Molly, the former editor-in-chief, and Adeolu, who was the Opinion Editor at the time, I edited it down and published it with my name on it. From there, Addie just got me into writing about different topics. It just kind of fell into place and I found my groove there; I found a family – is that cheesy? There’s a lot of freshman jitters and everybody’s trying to find their friend group and what not, and I was a little frustrated with the high school-esque nature of that. [The staff of the Old Gold & Black] became a group [that was] a little bit more mature – they were older people that I felt accepted by and a part of.
HC: What do you expect your role will be as Opinion Editor?
MD: I just printed out all of the opinion articles for this week and I am going to go through them and mark them up. I also write; the last [article] I wrote was on Lily Pulitzer. My job is basically to pull the section together and make sure it’s in place for production. I edit, and the senior staff edits as well. Hopefully by the time it all goes through, it’s ready by Wednesday night for publication!
HC: Some of your pieces delve into the high socio-economic class of many Wake students. What is your goal in analyzing the culture at Wake?
MD: I do occasionally talk about campus culture at Wake Forest, but the reason why I get kind of frustrated is that I have written a half dozen pieces on anything from national politics to foreign affairs to education policy, but no one seems to get riled up about those things! So the ones that everyone pays attention to are the ones where I talk about campus culture. In regards to campus culture, my main thing is breaking down stereotypes and bringing a different view point into the dialogue. There are some people on the far left and some on the far right, and then there are some that are disinterested or apolitical. My goal is to moderate both sides. My goal is to break down stereotypes. I’m gay and I make no qualms about that, and most people wouldn’t guess that by talking to me. The big thing for me is viewing people as people and not imposing a world view or an idea on them. I think that goes toward sorority and fraternity members that sometimes get a bad rep unnecessarily from non-Greek members. I learned that from [my experience] here and with our OGB staff.
HC: How would you describe your writing style/voice?
MD: I write in my style and my voice. I wouldn’t call it snarky at times, but you can definitely hear my 65-year-old witticisms. Beyond that, I try to [write] in a simplistic fashion [with] short sentences people can follow and a logical progression to what’s being presented. The main thing about opinion pieces is that you don’t want to “alienate the audience out of the gate.” Some opinion pieces are fire branding and you are just doing it to get a reaction. For most articles, especially with ones where the audience might disagree on the topic, you have to write in a way that makes them willing to listen, which can be hard at times.
HC: How do you come up with article topics?
MD: I typically pick [topics] from the news. I did one on an education policy that President Obama presented before the State of the Union address, and before that I did an article on race. I try to pick something that’s in the news, such as topics in foreign policy, which a lot of people don’t know about it, so I have to explain some of that more in depth.
HC: What do you do if you are stuck in a “writer’s block”?
MD: In terms of not getting the words on the page, I either try to make a larger implication to what’s being written or just go more in depth. Once I pick a topic, I don’t have an issue writing 800 words about it, especially when you are talking about big topics like race, privilege, economics, and foreign policy. In terms of topics, I will look at CNN and see what’s trending that day, or if I can’t talk about a current event then I will talk about a policy event.
HC: You are also involved in the organization PREPARE. Can you tell me more about that?
MD: PREPARE is a sexual assault prevention group. It’s an advocacy for the victims and education of sexual assault issues. I got involved [in PREPARE] with the article that I wrote during Orientation. I am very public about this: I am a rape victim myself and, in terms of PREPARE, I saw myself as being in a group that is not typically represented. This group includes male victims, and even more so, those in the LGBTQ+ community where the instances of rape and sexual assault are much higher. [In the LGBTQ+ community], you not only have a sex culture, but you also have a sex culture that is underground and “hush-hush.” So not only do you have the pariah of being a victim but you also have the pariah of being gay or closeted. I see myself initially [as a part of PREPARE] in order to bring what I have to the table – my experiences – so that other people wouldn’t have those same experiences and could learn from my experiences. I consider myself a feminist. It became something I wanted to get involved in personally, morally, and ethically.
HC: What are the goals you want to accomplish through PREPARE?
MD: This isn’t a means to an end, but in terms of affecting change, I would like to see sexual assault being taken more seriously on campus, especially when there is alcohol involved. I don’t think fraternities do a good enough job of putting enough pressure on their members to avoid [engaging in sexual assault]. It’s always the obligation of the woman to not be raped. Why can’t we just have men not rape people? That’s often the thing that’s said in class. It’s not just a Greek culture piece. I want there to be more reporting on campus and more criminal action taken. Although criminal action is not something for every rape victim, it’s something that I think should happen. And not just for rape, but for sexual assault or sexual harassment.
HC: When you aren’t studying or writing, what do you like to do in your free time?
MD: I try to stay busy! The OGB is like a full time job. We sometimes work until 4am on Wednesdays, so that takes up a lot of time. Along with PREPARE, I also sing. I like hanging out with friends or watching a movie. Last Friday we played Cards Against Humanity and Hearts for six hours! I love going to Scales to see a lot of the music concerts that they offer. These events are free to the Wake Forest student body and not enough people take advantage of it. I like going hiking; I’m a Boy Scout Eagle Scout. I really like football too! Redskins all the way! It’s a terrible time – we literally win nothing.
HC: If you could be any character, fictional or nonfictional, who would you be?
MD: I know this is going to sound cheesy, but I would not want to be anybody other than myself. In terms of who I would like to meet that is fictional: Albus Dumbledore or Gandalf. I’m a Harry Potter fan for the books and a The Lord of the Rings fan for the movies. In terms of meeting a political figure, I’ve always wanted to meet Malala, and I have a fangirl thing for Condoleezza Rice. I think she does some great work. I almost got the opportunity to meet her, but instead I had the chance to meet then Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates. I can’t complain, right? Historical: Abraham Lincoln – best president ever and incredible personality in a historical and political sense as well as in a social reading of history.
HC: If you were to write an autobiography about your life, what would you title it?
MD: Overcome and Deliver. I think I’ve had a lot of things thrown at me that I’ve had to wrestle with and move on from. I think I’ve succeeded, or pretend to think I’ve succeeded at Wake Forest, so far.
HC: What song is the soundtrack to your life?
MD: “Let it Go”!
HC: What motto or quote do you live your life by?
MD: I have so many quotes! I’m a huge fan of Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty or give me death.” Also Ben Franklin’s, “Those who sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither.” A variation on Winston Churchill is another good one: “I might be drunk but tomorrow I will be sober, and you will still be an ass.” And, “#YOLO.” I don’t have just one to live by. I do my own thing. I am an individual first. Doing my own thing is my motto.