The Flat Hat April 5 2023

STUDENT ASSEMBLY

WAITLIST CONTRIBUTES TO RISE IN OFFCAMPUS HOUSING DEMAND

WAITLIST CONTRIBUTES TO RISE IN OFFCAMPUS HOUSING DEMAND

Students raise concerns about City of Williamsburg rental process, affordable housing

In an Oct. 12, 2022 email to students, the College of William and Mary Residence Life o ce announced that, given the closure of the Yates and Monroe residence halls, it anticipated a housing waitlist of approximately 400-500 students for the 2023-24 academic year. In Feb. 2023, the College noti ed 548 upperclassmen of their waitlist status. According to Director of Housing and Residence Life Harriet Kandell, the number of waitlisted students is currently 339.

Given the size of the waitlist for 2023-24 on-campus housing, many of the upperclassmen in this uncertain hiatus have begun looking for o -campus housing options. e increased demand for o -campus rentals has shed light on the City of Williamsburg’s position in the national housing shortage crisis.

Anika Ahammad ’25, an American Studies major, the incoming advocacy chair of William and Mary First-Generation, LowIncome Students and a Pell Grant student, shared her experience as one of the 339 students still on the housing waitlist.

“It’s been really stressful, honestly,”

Ahammad said. “I am a rstgeneration, low-income student. And when I heard the news that I’m on the waitlist, no guarantee for housing next year, it got my parents pretty upset. It’s a lot of undue stress on us, like, how will I nd o -campus housing? What resources are there? And I did email ResLife and went in person a few times to see if there was anything I could do. But the response

MOLLY PARKS // FLAT HAT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

I got wasn’t the best. It just felt like that they didn’t really have a lot of empathy for my situation.”

In an email to e Flat Hat, Kandell said that students currently on the waitlist still have the potential to receive the opportunity for on-campus housing. is past year, ResLife was able to house all

opportunity to be able to apply with her current roommate.

“I wanted to stay close to campus, I don’t have the means to a ord a car,” Ahammad said. “I also wanted to stay with my roommate who I feel like is understanding of my religious practices. I’m Muslim, I don’t know how things would

ayer, Fox win SA presidential election

Annual SA elections held for class presidents and senators

LISA COLEMAN AND PEERAWUT RUANSAWASDI FLAT HAT DATA EDITOR AND NEWS ASSOC. EDITOR

and needed help with. If you’re on campus, you don’t have to worry about paying for electricity, having wi- . But when you live o campus, there are these other things you have to consider.”

Taylor Fox ’24 is in a unique position in terms of the College’s current housing crisis. As the newly elected vice president of Student Assembly, Fox serves as an advocate for the student body on this issue. However, Fox is also currently on the College’s housing waitlist for the second time, after being waitlisted for the 2022-23 school year. She is also a rst-generation, low-income student on a full scholarship to the College as a Pell Grant recipient. Fox spoke to the issues that the increased demand from the waitlist illuminates in terms of o -campus housing, especially within the FGLI community.

ursday, March 30, the College of William and Mary student body elected Sydney ayer ’24 and Taylor Fox ’24 as the next Student Assembly president and vice president.

"We're celebrating with people who supported our campaign, and looking forward to celebrating with friends tonight and supporters," ayer told e Flat Hat soon after learning of her victory. ayer and Fox received 86.68% of the votes, while write-in challengers Max Beers ’24 and Ian Chen ’24 received 9.78%.

In the 330th SA administration, ayer serves as secretary of Sustainability and senior advisor for Internal A airs and Logistics, while Fox serves as senior advisor for Community Engagement and Outreach.

Students also voted for a class president and four senators to represent them in SA. is year, 1,186 eligible voters cast their votes in the SA presidential election, representing 17.45% of overall undergraduate student enrollment. e Independent Elections Commission (IEC) did not immediately release data on how many students were eligible to participate in the election.

waitlisted students by Aug. 1, 2022.

“Being waitlisted does not necessarily mean you won’t be able to live on campus for the 202324 academic year,” Kandell wrote. “Students continue to withdraw from housing for a variety of reasons such as study abroad opportunities and other changes to circumstances. We will continue to work with students through this challenging time, and we are committed to doing all we can to house as many of our students next year as possible.”

Ahammad originally applied for on-campus housing for multiple reasons, including the comforting

work out if I went o -campus.”

Ahammad recently secured ocampus housing for the 2023-24 school year with the help of a friend in FGLI. However, she realized several issues within the City's rental market through the process of leasing a rental property nearby campus, including the issue of complicated lease agreements.

“When it comes to having oncampus housing, there are some things you don’t have to worry about,” Ahammad said. “ is is my rst time renting, nding a place of my own. So there are all these legal details that I did not understand

“I’ve had conversations with my nancial aid o cer and they have been very helpful and like, ‘Okay, this is how much you’re going to have per month and we’re going to sit with you and budget.’ And I think a lot of outreach needs to be done about that opportunity for students, especially for FGLI students,” Fox said. She noted that having a trusted, nancial advisor resource for FGLI students to use in the search for ocampus housing would be helpful.

at’s also something that a lot of rst generation low income students don’t have is that nancial planning, that risk planning, when it comes to living o campus,” Fox said.

Last year’s election saw 23.96% of eligible voters cast their ballots, which marked the rst contested election since 2019.

SA President John Cho ’23 called ayer to congratulate her and inform her of her victory shortly after the votes were tallied.

Fox noted the signi cance of a write-in option. “We were really happy to actually see a write-in option so students can actually voice who they want to o ce,” Fox said.

In the call with e Flat Hat shortly after the results were announced, Fox discussed what she learned from the campaign.

“Something that we learned is just still listening,” Fox said. “We also had a feedback form and a support form. So, you could just hear from people that supported us [with] what they want to see on campus.”

Fox thanked the student body for its support.

Virginia Governor's o ce hosts mental health forum on campus

Wednesday, March 29, the o ce of Virginia

Governor Glenn Youngkin hosted a discussion forum at the College of William and Mary on mental health in the state’s education system in Sadler Tidewater. e event, titled “ e Pursuit of Calm: e Mental Health Landscape of the Pandemic-Endemic Era,” hosted leaders from K-12 and postsecondary schools across Virginia. Attendees included Youngkin and First Lady of Virginia Suzanne Youngkin, Secretary of Education Aimee Rogstad Guidera and Secretary of Health and Human Resources and Board of Visitors member John E. Littel P ’22.

In December, Youngkin introduced “Right Help, Right Now,” a six-pillared approach to address Virginia’s behavioral health challenges. e threeyear comprehensive plan invests more than $230 million in the state’s behavioral health system.

“Right here today, we are going to be helping him realize that plan,” College President Katherine Rowe said.

In her opening remarks, Rowe noted the importance of tackling the mental health crisis.

“Addressing mental health among children and young adults is among the most pressing challenges for educators in the U.S. and those who lead in every sector,” Rowe said.

Rowe also discussed the di culties educators face in addressing the mental health crisis.

“ e challenge of the work that we’re doing together is that it’s really pretty new,” Rowe said. “ is is not work that I was trained to do when I began my career, and I imagine that’s also true for every leader here.”

Rowe commended Youngkin and other political leaders for their dedication to mental health.

“With the governor's leadership and bipartisan support, Virginia is poised to allocate record funding for youth mental health services this year,” Rowe said.

things right.”

Littel explained that the discussion forum will help inform the Governor’s o ce and its decisionmaking for future state-wide initiatives.

America’s state rankings, which places Virginia at 48th in the nation in youth mental health. He also tied the mental health crisis to recent instances of gun violence.

e challenges that we have, which manifest themselves in statistical data, re ect the realities of loneliness and depression, suicidal thoughts, anxiety,” Youngkin said. “For very few, sadly, tragically, the response can turn to violence. Harming themselves, harming others. Nowhere has this been more apparent than the horri c murders in Charlottesville, Chesapeake, now tragically in Tennessee. I'd suggest that there's no one in this room for whom this is not personal, deeply personal.”

Youngkin detailed the six pillars to his “Right Help, Right Now” plan. However, Youngkin said he rst needs the Virginia General Assembly to pass the state budget.

“I need senators, delegates to come together, I need Republicans and Democrats to come together and deliver the budget,” Youngkin said. “And we will press forward with the most aggressive transformation of our behavioral health system in the entire nation. We believe we will provide that North Star that other states can be guided by.”

Guidera and Littel also provided opening remarks to set the tone for the day. Guidera speci cally emphasized the importance of the discussion forum in guiding future actions on mental health.

“Today is all about learning from you and catching your voices,” Guidera said. “ ese two issues of education and mental health are the Governor’s two priority issues. He knows that Virginia will not be the greatest place to live, work and raise a family if we do not get these two

“We have a number of initiatives that we’re working on for this year, but we’re also trying to develop what’s in next year’s plan,” Littel said.

Littel introduced Associate Vice President for Health and Wellness and Director of Center for Mindfulness and Authentic Excellence Kelly Crace, who discussed the new challenges facing students today.

Following Crace’s discussion, Rowe introduced Youngkin for the keynote speech. During his speech, Youngkin cited Mental Health

After his speech, Youngkin spoke with The Flat Hat about the key elements of “Right Help, Right Now,” and how its policies can improve students’ mental health.

“I believe that particularly for students, making sure we fund expansion of access is really important,” he said. “One of the more important parts of the plan is to take the telehealth part of the plan and spread it across all universities and colleges in our public schools in Virginia.”

Leaders invited from schools to discuss mental health in children, young adults, guide future actions

COURTESY PHOTO / STEPHEN SALPUKAS

Youngkin's mental health approach, "Right Help, Right Now," prompts individuals to unite, despite their individual political stance.

It's been really stressful, honestly. I am a first-generation, low-income student. And when I heard the news that I'm on the waitlist, no guarantee for housing next year, it got my parents pretty upset. It's a lot of undue stress on us, like, how will I find off-campus housing ?

- Anika Ahammad '25

College hosts largest Lemon Project Symposium to date

Friday, March 24 and Saturday, March 25, the College of William and Mary hosted the 13th annual Lemon Project Spring symposium titled “At the Root: Exploring Black Life, History, and Culture” at the School of Education and online over Zoom. The event was the largest Lemon Project symposium since its inception in 2009, with over 700 people registered to attend in-person and online.

The event featured remarks from Robert Francis Engs Lemon Project Director Jody Allen, College Provost Peggy Agouris and Judge John Charles Thomas HON ʼ18. Over two days, the symposium presented 20 panel discussions on topics such as Black church history in Virginiaʼs Historic Triangle, the Braxton descendents, Black communities displaced in Colonial Williamsburg and navigation of Black culture today.

“Acquiring knowledge about African American history is becoming more and more challenging,” Allen said. “Because of this, it is clear that establishing alternative venues to obtain this history is vital. That said, it is imperative that you share with your community what you learn this weekend.”

Agouris thanked the Lemon Project team and emphasized the importance of the projectʼs presence on the Collegeʼs campus. She also thanked the Williamsburg and Hampton Roads community members that have contributed to the project.

MOLLY PARKS // FLAT HAT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Alynn Parham M.A. Ed ’18 found her future at the podium of her eighth grade classroom with the help of her social studies teacher, Mr. Yunker.

“He noticed I had a love for history and one day, I think as a joke, he was like ‘Parham, why don’t you take the podium and why don’t you teach?’,” Parham said. “I thought, ‘You know what? I like this.’”

A fth-generation educator and product of public school education, Parham teaches social studies at Jamestown High School. Her current courses include World History II, World Geography and African American History.

“I’ve had teaching in my blood since… forever,” Parham said. “On top of that, education is a very important aspect in our family. Both of my grandparents went o to college. Both my parents, they’re professors, they have their Ph.D.s. Even my great grandparents went o to college.”

Parham noted how her grandparents’ dynamic with each of their students inspired her to see the potential that the student-teacher relationship has to positively shape students’ lives.

“I’ve been very blessed to have education as an important aspect in our family household on top of teaching,” Parham said. “Even to this day, their students still say, ‘If it wasn’t for Mr. Cain or Ms. Cain, I wouldn’t be where I was today.’ So seeing that growing up, made me want to be like them.”

At age 27, Parham has already made her mark not only at Jamestown High School, but on public education at a national level. She is the president of the local Williamsburg/James City County Education Association, the president of District P of the Virginia Education Association, and serves on the VEA Board of Directors for District P, which spans from Henrico to Hampton and includes 21 di erent locals.

Parham’s passion for educator unionization originally stemmed from her grandparents and her time spent as an undergraduate student at Virginia State University.

“Between the school of ed at VSU and my grandparents, they emphasize the extreme importance of joining the education association,” Parham said. “Whenever you walk into that classroom, you need to have that union card or badge on you for a variety of reasons — whether it’s resources, health, legal liability and so forth.”

e WJCCEA elected Parham as their local president during only her third year of teaching. She discussed how this role has helped her grow in her career and in her personal skills.

“Education union president has helped me become a better teacher because our state union provides a lot of professional development,” Parham said. “ ey have their own teaching and learning section within the state union so you can get PD for your job. It’s also helped me become a better leader, not just for the union but for myself. Like advocating for what I would need in my classroom for my students. And that is something that I will forever acknowledge and recognize that, if I had not been the union president, I don’t think that I would have been as strong a leader for myself.”

roughout her incumbency as both the local and district president, Parham has traveled to local, regional, state and national conferences to

meet and collaborate with other educators. March 10-12, Parham was one of about a dozen educators from the state to attend a leadership summit for the National Education Association in San Francisco, CA.

“I think sometimes you don’t realize there are other people just like you on the West Coast or in Hawaii or in Alaska,” Parham said. “ e networking is surreal, and I was fortunate to end up connecting with a teacher in Pennsylvania and a teacher in Florida and also be in a group chat with other local union presidents from across the country.”

Nov. 15, 2022, the WJCCEA held their Rally for Raise event, o cially kicking o a ve-month push for a 10% raise for all WJCC school employees.

“We worked with our executive team, worked with our organizing team and reached out to teachers, members, parents, community supporters, League of Women Voters, the NAACP, the Village, United Campus Workers — who we’ve been chatting with — and they came out to give so many amazing testimonies. And then in December we went to the Board of Supervisors,” Parham said.

In March, the school board announced they would put the 10% raise in the budget.

“After this ve-month long campaign, we’re now seeing the bene ts of this rally,” Parham said.

She expanded on this topic, noting that locally, educator salary is one of the most important issues for public school teachers. Parham voiced that the biggest concerns for public school teachers state-wide include student discipline and funding from the state government. Student discipline has become especially pertinent in the state after a six-year-old Richneck Elementary student shot his first grade teacher in Newport News in January, making national headlines.

“I feel like our sta has become more vocal in addressing discipline issues and our school division has become very receptive to hearing those issues,” Parham said about changes in the local school systems following the incident.

“I do feel like a veil has been lifted, especially for those who are not aware as to what goes on in an everyday classroom, especially if you are in a school where there are disciplinary issues,” Parham said. “I do want to thank Newport News, their union, they’ve been working very hard dealing with ongoing sta concerns and sta issues, I know they did a town hall with their mayor, Mayor Jones. And I’ve talked to the president and I’ve given him my condolences and unity.”

In addition to educator salary and school safety, Parham also spoke to the issue of how standardized testing impacts K-12 students. She described how giving state-required exams like the Virginia Standards of Learning assessment are one of her least favorite parts of the job, as they often lead to student test-taking anxiety.

The Citizensʼ Climate Lobby chapter on campus calls for change in creative new campaign

In Feb. 2023, Emily O’Keefe ’24 partnered with the College of William and Mary chapter of the grassroots organization Citizens’ Climate Lobby. Her goal was to begin a passive-activism campaign in support of a national carbon fee and dividend policy to combat climate change and suggested the use of signs or posters to broadcast support during everyday activities. Within the span of a month, the campaign has grown into a “collective action movement” among the College’s student body with plans to expand across the country.

“Most E ective Climate Policy, write Congress to support a #CARBONFEEANDDIVIDEND,” the

campaign’s signs say, referencing the CCL carbon price resource to write senators in Congress.

ough the national CCL organization, alongside economists and various governments worldwide, have been focused on the adoption of a carbon fee and dividend policy for many years, the College’s movement acts as the rst university-based sign campaign in the United States. e movement is a separate entity from CCL, but maintains vocal and direct support from the organization.

“Everybody has a moment when they realize that the way that the world works is not sustainable, and I think I learned that kind of late,” O’Keefe said. “But when I realized that infinite growth is impossible, and that we’re going through a crazy, terrible climate crisis, I was really scared.

It takes a lot to put yourself out there with a sign and say you stand for something. And I was thinking, well, we’re going through something that’s way bigger than all of us, just an existential threat, and I’m surprised that not more people are screaming and sitting with signs or anything.”

A carbon fee and dividend policy enforces a tax on corporate polluters based on how much carbon dioxide they emit. The tax revenue from increased carbon prices would then be distributed equally amongst American citizens via tax refunds, creating a more equitable policy solution and offsetting costs of more expensive products.

“Teaching is a very rewarding profession that you may not see at that moment, at that second, but when you do see the outcome it is overwhelm ing.”

̶ Alynn Parham M.A. Ed ʼ18

Alynn Parham M.A. Ed ʼ18, president of local teachers union speaks on career, labor rights efforts

“Teaching is building relationships”

COURTESY PHOTO / ALYNN PARHAM

Alynn Parham M.A. Ed ʼ18 speaks about her work leading a successful campaign for a 10% raise for all Williamsburg /James City County school employees.

Law School hosts inaugural Center for Criminal Justice Policy and Reform event

Exoneree Alfred Dewayne Brown, attorney Brian Stolarz discuss wrongful imprisonment, handling of cases

Monday, March 27, the Center for Criminal Justice Policy and Reform at the College of William and Mary Law School hosted an inaugural event featuring a conversation with Senior Counsel at Norton Rose Fulbright United States L.L.P. Brian Stolarz and exoneree Alfred Dewayne Brown. Stolarz served as the habeas corpus attorney for Brown, the 13th exoneree from Texas’ death row and the 154th exoneree from death row nationally. R. Hugh and Nolie Haynes professor of law and Director of the College’s Center for Criminal Justice Policy and Reform Kami Chavis moderated the conversation.

“Mr. Brown was o cially exonerated in 2015 for a crime he did not commit, after spending 12 years incarcerated, nine of which were on Texas’ death row,” Chavis said. “He maintained his innocence throughout this time, and I think this is such an important case because it really exempli es and embodies so much of what is wrong with our criminal justice system in the United States.”

Chaviz mentioned that during Brown’s time in prison, the prosecution withheld exculpatory evidence from his case, thus leading to his wrongful conviction. Stolarz previously worked in both a private practice and in the criminal defense eld before taking on Brown’s case pro bono.

“For many years, Mr. Stolarz worked to make sense of the limited evidence that was available, and it was revealed that some exculpatory evidence that corroborated Mr. Brown’s alibi was found. He could not have been at the scene of the crime when prosecutors alleged that he was,” Chavis said.

Stolarz is also the author of “Grace and Justice on Death Row: e Race against Time and Texas to Free an

CAMPUS

Innocent Man,” which tells the story of Brown and the commitment to release him from his wrongful imprisonment.

Stolarz was a rst-generation college and law student at the Columbus School of Law. After he graduated from Columbus, he became a public defender in Brooklyn, New York. Stolarz defended thousands of clients and described the many lessons he learned during his cases.

“I learned a ton of good lessons. One, I can humanize anybody if I get to know them, put myself in their shoes, and gure out who they are, and two, no one is as bad as their worst act. It was my job to humanize those people from the judge and get them the best possible deal I could, ghting for their rights,” Stolarz said.

A senior partner of Stolarz called him and requested his assistance on Brown’s case. Stolarz recalled meeting Brown after the call.

“I knew he was innocent the moment that I met him,” Stolarz said. “How? It was like a lightning bolt right to my heart. Like when you meet your life partner for the first time or hold your child or grandchild for the first time, you feel a love and a truth way deep down. When I walked out that day when I went and saw him, I felt sick. I threw up next to the rental car on the way back to the airport because this was not Brooklyn. This was Texas, death row.”

During the event, Stolarz described the Clark and Jones murder case for which Brown was wrongfully convicted of inciting. Officer Charles R. Clark, 45, and Alfredia Jones, 25, were shot at Ace Cash Express, a check-cashing store in Houston, Texas. Police sought out three suspects, who were described by a truck driver who supposedly witnessed them exit the store.

Deshawn Gillespie testified against Brown and Elijah Joubert, who is still on death row for the convicted murder of Jones. Gillespie received a 30-year prison sentence. Brown’s trial took only three

Cold War of Language: Unpacking Global China

ursday, March 30, the College of William and Mary’s Global Research Institute and the interdisciplinary research lab AidData hosted

Dr. Marina Rudyak’s lecture

“Unpacking Global China: Beijing’s View on Development, Modernization, and the World,” in James Blair Hall. at same day, the United States co-hosted the Summit for Democracy 2023, bringing together world leaders to discuss the challenges currently facing democratic systems and human rights around the globe. China was not invited to the Summit, even though Chinese President Xi Jinping argued China was the world’s “broadest, most genuine and most e ective democracy” and a protector of human rights in a speech in 2017. is highlights the discrepancies that China and the United States have in their de nitions of democracy and human rights.

“We have a Cold War of language in the international system,” assistant professor at the Institute of Chinese Studies at Heidelberg University Dr. Marina Rudyak said.

Rudyak explained the Chinese government’s use of alternative de nitions of key terms. e Chinese government recently became the largest provider of international development assistance in the world

“We’ve seen a discourse change since Xi came to power,” Rudyak said. “ is is part of an e ort to create an international discourse system that is capable

of shifting de nitions. Not in the way that terms like democracy and human rights are replaced with Chinese understandings and de nitions, but rather

Party, the Chinese government portrays itself as a consultative democracy. It argues that its “broad participation in consultation” for laws and party

days, resulting in the wrongful conviction of murder and robbery.

“Guilt was forestalled from the very beginning. His lawyer didn’t do a great job for him. ey didn’t have a public defender system. It was just lawyers who could be paid a fee to be court-appointed,” Stolarz said.

Brown had a solid alibi, which he had told his rst appointed lawyer. He was at a girlfriend’s apartment the morning of the Clark and Jones murders, which is solidi ed by the evidence of his phone call to his girlfriend’s workplace.

“The simplest alibi ever heard, but the hardest to prove,” Stolarz said. “Three days, three-day trial. He didn’t testify in his own defense, and the defense put up no witnesses, not a single piece of evidence. The only time he spoke was during the sentencing in Houston. In Texas, the same jury to find you guilty or innocent decides if you live or die.”

Brown was found guilty, sentenced to death and sent to the police unit 60 miles north of Houston in Livingston, Texas. Stolarz described Brown’s conditions in the prison cell, which had a small slivered window and tight dimensions.

Stolarz also described the many deep-rooted problems with the state’s handling of Brown’s case. One such problem was rooted in the falsification of Brown’s IQ testing results. In the U.S., an individual is required to have an IQ at or above 70 to qualify for execution. During the time of Brown’s conviction, his IQ was 69.

“You got to have a certain level of intellectual functioning. But he didn’t. So they hired the state, hired Dr. George Jankowski. He’s a doctor who analyzed Dewayne and bumped up his IQ by 4, to over the 70 line, to be eligible for execution, saying that he was nervous, anxious and depressed at the time of testing,” Stolarz said.

normalizing a plurality of de nitions for terms the West has considered universal.”

AfterlivingandworkinginChina for the German development agency Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, Rudyak co-created the Decoding China Dictionary, a guide to understanding the Chinese meanings of rede ned terms regarding international relations and development cooperation.

Rudyak compared the utilization of these words by the West with o cial Chinese discourse.

“What this event is all about is to try to understand how China looks at the world from the perspective of foreign development assistance,” AidData senior research scientist Dr. Ammar Malik said. “I think it’s critically important for us to step back and revisit this as a more foundational issue.”

Despite not holding national elections and engaging in centralized decision-making under the Chinese Communist

roots are democratic, Rudyak said. e Chinese government has been critical of the United States’s judgement and has argued in a white paper that “whether a country is democratic should be judged by its people, not dictated by a handful of outsiders,” according to a CNN analysis.

China has undergone intense criticism of its human rights record in recent years, particularly regarding the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang region and suppression of freedoms in Hong Kong. According to Rudyak, the Chinese government has downplayed and sought to justify its actions as protecting what it deems to be the paramount human rights consideration: the right to development.

“[Development] is seen as something that leads to social progress, which is the basis for improving people’s livelihood,” Rudyak said. “Development requires social stability, which is spelled out in [China’s]

Global Security Initiative. Social stability means the absence of dissent. So if you really think that’s true, then you can explain every suppression of folks, including in Hong Kong and the Xinjiang policy, as a protection of human rights.” China also thinks about aid di erently than the West, which stems from a di erent understanding of modernization. Both nations are competing for development projects in the Global South. ere is a very long history [of the idea] for China that modernization does not have to and should not equal Westernization,” Rudyak said. “[According to Xi], it has shown an alternative modernization path for developing countries and o ers a Chinese solution to humanity’s search for a better social system.”

While both models herald visions for a technologically and socioeconomically modern society, the two see di erent ways of achieving this vision. While the West sees secularization, democratization and the advancement of human rights as necessary precursors to modernization, the Chinese model works towards similar aims without the same degree of political and social liberalization. Rudyak explained how the West has fallen short in global development projects in recent years, which has led developing countries to increasingly accept aid from China.

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Youngkin introduces “Right Help, Right Now”

Saturday, April 1, the Student Assembly hosted the rst Student Sustainability Forum in the Sadler Center. e forum, led by Sydney ayer ’24 and the Student Sustainability Council, promoted communication and collaboration between sustainability-focused groups at the College of William and Mary. ese groups included the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, the Environmental Humanities department and the students working in the O ce of Sustainability. At this forum, each group had the opportunity to share their perspectives on the College’s current sustainability initiatives. e rst group to present was the College’s chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby. CCL is a national organization that establishes chapters around the country to advocate for legislation promoting sustainability. The group discussed its current initiative, which focuses on raising awareness for passing a Carbon Tax and Dividend legislation. Organizations at the forum discussed the idea of a “snowball effect” to build support for sustainability initiatives. For example, Environmental Humanities, a new major at the College that combines environmental science with economics, political science, public health and the arts, hopes to build support for its program in a similar fashion. By doing so, it hopes to encourage widespread sustainability practices across campus.

“It has a lot of movement in terms of making connections between people within the humanities and the sciences,” program founder Isabel Schruer ’23 said. “So solving climate change from a way that everyone can be involved and making sure that when you’re going into solving a problem, you’re aware of all the biases present. You just go through the science lens. You can forget a lot about the impact it would have on society or how to actually influence people and the environment.”

Thayer, Student Assembly Secretary of Sustainability and now president-elect, shared her perspective on sustainability activism in the College community.

“I think the change that happens at William and Mary is very much student driven,” Thayer said. For Thayer, advocacy from the student body is extremely important, and the driving factor that will drive the College towards a more eco-friendly community. Thayer and the Office of Sustainability, the third organization to present at the meeting, emphasized how students can advocate on behalf of themselves.

plan to address behavioral health

Virginia ranks 48th in youth mental health nationally, over $230 million allocated for new resources

According to Youngkin, the state is projected to run a $3.6 billion budget surplus this year. With the additional funds, Youngkin and his administration plan on expanding programs such as “Right Help, Right Now” while also cutting taxes.

“It’s an ‘and’ moment, not an ‘or’ moment, and we can accomplish both,” Youngkin said.

Youngkin also told e Flat Hat about his administration’s recent e orts to deliver his mental health initiative.

“Our Department of Behavioral Health is the primary department that will deliver a lot of the infrastructure,

although it is across government,” he said.

“I think a key to this is the collaborative way we work together, then bringing in systems and processes to make sure that we have accountability as well.”

According to Littel, 120 individuals at the state-level are working on implementation of the plan.

“This is not government fixing everything,” Youngkin said. “It is, in fact, the state government providing a big initial push and bring together all the stakeholders.”

During the lunch break, attendees broke out into small groups for the rst roundtablesessiontodiscusstheirrolesand experiences with mental health in schools.

Rebekah Cohodas ’23, a wellness

ambassador and student in one of Crace’s classes, attended the event. In her rst roundtable, Cohodas learned from individuals with a diverse set of roles across the state.

“I talked with people who had di erent positions within mental health,” Cohodas said. “ ere was someone from K-12, someone from a two-year university and someone from a four-year university. ey were really interested in and appreciated having the student at the roundtable. Some things that people might consider to be great policies look good on paper, but then if students don’t adopt it in the way it’s intended, it doesn’t actually work. And students can be wary of seeking that help.”

According to Cohodas, she left the event feeling inspired by her fellow attendees’ work in mental health across the state.

“I thought it was really inspirational to be surrounded by people who genuinely care about the mental health of our youth,” Cohodas said. “It was very inspiring and I like seeing tangible things that we could improve in the future for mental health.”

As part of the event, Youngkin and the First Lady toured the Wellness Center, which she had visited earlier this semester with Littel.

During her speech, Suzanne Youngkin discussed the opioid epidemic and substance abuse issues as roots of

the mental health crisis. She highlighted the importance of Naloxone nasal sprays, which can save the life of an individual who has overdosed, and contextualized the role of the governor’s policy proposal in the broader landscape of attendees’ collective e orts to improve the landscape of mental health care in Virginia.

“Government doesn’t change lives, it just doesn’t,” Suzanne Youngkin said. “‘Right Help, Right Now’ is critically important. Putting government resources to work for the people that it’s intended to support is critically important. But you, you are the ones that change lives.

So this is a thank you to you for each and every thing that you do every single day.”

JOSEPH WEHMEYER / THE FLAT HAT This month, the United States co-hosted the Summit for Democracy 2023 and discussed human rights, democratic systems.

JOSEPH WEHMEYER FLAT HAT NEWS ASSOC.

Schroeder Center hosts discussions with policy experts

Ariel Cohen ʼ14, Heather Saunders discuss healthcare policy, COVID-19 implications for funding

Tuesday, March 28 and Monday, April 3, the College of William and Mary’s Schroeder Center for Health Policy held a series of talks with health policy experts in Chancellors Hall. e talks serve as part of the Center’s continued e orts to educate students about public policies related to healthcare.

e talks included Postdoctoral Fellow at the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Program on Medicaid and the Uninsured Heather Saunders and health policy reporter for CQ Roll Call Ariel Cohen ’14. Saunders discussed behavioral health coverage in state Medicaid programs, while Cohen detailed the policy implications of the expiration of the Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 which occurs on May 11, 2023.

Saunders provided an overview of KFF and her role within the organization. She then provided an overview of Medicaid, a public health insurance program for individuals and families with limited incomes and resources. Since Medicaid is a federal-state partnership program, bene ts vary by state.

“Because of the state exibility and what they can cover, there is variation by state,” Saunders said. “ ere were a lot of emerging issues around COVID and states had some exibility through emergency authorities. We’ve also seen in recent years a lot of changes in the mental health and substance use disorder space.”

Saunders discussed the status of Medicaid expansion, which was

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part of the A ordable Care Act, and makes health insurance more a ordable for people with lower incomes. According to Saunders, 39 states have adopted and implemented Medicaid, and two more states — South Dakota and North Carolina — have adopted but not yet implemented the Medicaid program. She noted that the 10 states yet to expand Medicaid are mostly concentrated in the South.

Saunders also showed data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health to highlight the growing prevalence of mental health conditions in the United States, especially among Medicaid bene ciaries. She noted the major gap in access to treatment for behavioral health services, stating that less than 50% of individuals report symptoms of mental health conditions.

“When you look at di erences by people of color or by other factors, we see major disparities, also big disparities in age,” Saunders said. “Young adults are the least likely of any age group to need treatment, to receive treatment, which has important implications for university settings like this.”

Saunders detailed ndings from KFF’s Behavioral Health Survey of state Medicaid programs, which serves as a supplement to the 22nd annual budget survey of Medicaid o cials. KFF’s survey provides state Medicaid o cials with a list of 55 behavioral health bene ts and asked them to indicate which were covered under the fee-for-service Medicaid programs for adults, as of July 1, 2022.

After discussing the supplemental survey, Saunders turned her attention back to broader themes from the budget survey, including telehealth and workforce issues. She noted that nearly half of the U.S.

population, or 158 million people, live in a mental health workforce shortage area. Today, only 36% of psychiatrists accept new Medicaid specialists — a percentage far lower than other specialties.

“A lot of that probably stems from the stigma, the longstanding stigma around behavioral health services and the disproportionate value that’s placed on physical health services over mental health services,” Saunders said.

Saunders detailed state Medicaid program initiatives to address the workforce shortage, including reimbursement increases for providers, extending the workforce through peer support specialists and addressing administrative burden.

Saunders then turned her attention to telehealth. As of 2021, all reporting states in the KFF survey covered telehealth delivery of behavioral health services. She discussed the role of the COVID-19 pandemic in increasing utilization of telehealth services.

“We know that this space just kind of exploded and there was all of a sudden this need to explore telehealth where people are kind of tinkered with it before but there were administrative barriers,” Saunders said.

Unlike many COVID-19 pandemic policies, Saunders expects telehealth expansions for behavioral health to remain in effect beyond the end of the pandemic.

Saunders ended by answering several questions from student attendees and faculty members.

College team ties for first place in annual Women’s Stock Pitch Summit

Raymond A. Mason School of Business hosts eighth annual summit, university teams compete for prize

A woman’s inability to speak in a way understood by men can hinder her longevity in a male-dominated industry like finance.

To the largely female audience, she suggested they find a middle ground and be aware of both direct and indirect communication

Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1, the Raymond A. Mason School of Business hosted its eighth annual Women’s Stock Pitch and Leadership Summit for undergraduate students. Twenty stock pitch teams from universities around the world competed for a first place cash prize of $5,000.

The Boehly Center for Finance within the Mason School of Business and the philanthropic Society of 1918 funded the summit. Smart Woman Securities, a nonprofit organization that teaches students, particularly women, about finance and investing, organized the Stock Pitch portion of the event. Each team had 10 minutes to present their stock pitch, an argument on why an investor should consider buying shares of a specific stock, and 10 minutes to answer questions from the judges.

The preliminary round of pitches began on Saturday morning. By mid-morning, the College, Utah State University, Memorial University of Newfoundland and the University of Notre Dame were selected as the four teams to present their final-round pitch later in the afternoon.

The leadership portion of the summit consisted of two panels.

Dr. Deborah Tannen, professor of linguistics at Georgetown University and author of You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation, presented the first panel. She shared her findings that men, from childhood, communicate directly, whereas women tend to communicate indirectly.

“Women in the workplace are facing what I call a double bind,” Tannen said. “A double bind is a no-win situation, you have two sets of requirements and anything you do to fulfill one actually offsets the other.”

Tannen stated that assertive women are often seen as bossy and unlikeable, while demure women are often not taken seriously.

Off-campus housing prices concern students

Dr. Sarah Stafford publishes affordable housing analyses for City

HOUSING from page 1

at’s also something that a lot of rst generation low income students don’t have is that nancial planning, that risk planning, when it comes to living o campus,” Fox said. “It’s comforting to have a person like, ‘You know what, I see this rental contract. I don’t think this is going to be the best for you with your money,’ or ‘I see this rental contract and this is concerning.’ So, having a person that would be dedicated to that, would be amazing and it would de nitely calm a lot of nerves for FGLI students because they have not done this before.”

Economics and government major Miguel Burford ’23 is currently working on an independent study about the rental market in the City and how the College’s student demand a ects the market. Burford noted the issue of leasing agreements and how they can negatively a ect student renters.

“Students have trouble navigating, getting favorable lease terms and stu like that, negotiating a favorable rent price or rate that they would be paying,” Burford said. “Because

of the way that there’s just such scarcity of these places to live around Williamsburg for students, it’s like you don’t really have a choice. Even if you go to a landlord that has a place that you want to stay in, I mean, you really can’t negotiate with them or try because they’re just going to rent to the next group of students that comes in after you.”

e scarcity of housing surrounding the College is rooted in the lopsided supply and demand in the area. ere is an overwhelming demand for low-to-mid range priced rentals in the area within walking distance of the College, and not enough supply of these properties. is has led to a steady increase in the pricing of rentals in the area.

The City’s 2021 Affordable Housing Workgroup commissioned CSX Professor of Economics and Public Policy Dr. Sarah Sta ord, chair of the College’s economics department, to publish a ordable housing analyses of the City’s housing market. When summarizing her research, Sta ord described that although there are more expensive rentals for the higher income brackets in Williamsburg,

rentals aimed at middle and low income brackets, which includes students, are more expensive in the direct area surrounding the College than they are further from the campus.

“If you’re really focused on, I would say, the student and the lower to middle income brackets, there’s an impact on… rentals within walking distance,” Stafford said. “If you go out to the Second Street ones, you can save $100 or more, a significant amount, by moving further away from campus. But it’s really inconvenient and it’s a different kind of setting — there’s lots of families there, there’s just not the same vibe. So I mean, students are clearly increasing prices around the campus, but you’re not going to nd the most expensive rentals here because you’ve got that other kind of class of rentals that’s really kind of aimed at the retirees.”

Sta ord noted that many of the modern apartment facilities, which students often cannot a ord, drive up the overall rental prices in the area, while demand for housing stays at the same, inflated level.

styles to network more efficiently and have a more successful career overall.

Aside from gaining experience in the pitching process, networking was the main goal for participants at the summit, especially for those who traveled for the event. The leadership portion gave attendees the space to talk with other tables. Associate Director of Alumni

CAMPUS

Relations Abby Everard shared that over the years, event coordinators have incorporated more time between pitches for visiting students to build relationships at the College.

“We like to have kind of a more robust schedule for [participants],” Everard said. “Then they can talk to alumni, they can talk to mentors and professors and professionals who come, just so they can get more out of their experience.”

Some non-competing students from the College also attended to network with visiting industry professionals and other undergraduates. The event also served as a learning opportunity for younger students wanting to learn and compete in future years.

“I think [the summit] is really beneficial,” Kendyl George ’26 said. “Both for networking, but also developing my understanding of different areas within finance.”

Keynote Speaker and College alumna Michelle Avery ’98 gave a brief talk on the importance of upholding her own personal values in her career path. She shared a humorous story about having to wear the only heels that she packed for a work trip, which were both left-footed. She tied the story back to her key value of grit in her work.

After Avery, the audience split for a second panel in one of four rooms: Reflections of my first job: Ten things I wish I knew as a young professional, Composing Career and Life, A Profile: The Intentional Philanthropist or Leadership with a Passport.

Students vouch for climate policy on campus

Sign-movement is the first of its kind on a college campus

“If we raise the price on these polluters, then this increase in price will go through the economy, so products that require more fossil fuels will become more expensive,” O’Keefe said. “ is will incentivize people to shift to greener products and businesses to shift to greener products.”

In 2019, the Wall Street Journal released a statement from over three thousand economists, including 13 economics professors employed by the College, in support of a carbon dividend. The Climate Leadership Council called it the “largest public statement of economists in history.” The CCL website states that there are 64 carbon pricing policies currently in operation worldwide in over 25 countries. Australia and the United States are the only developed economies that do not have a nationwide carbon price. Co-president of the College’s CCL chapter Corina Chang ’25 discussed the importance of this movement in 2023.

“I want to emphasize the importance of our role as students and young people in the ght against the climate crisis,” Chang wrote in an email to e Flat Hat. “I believe as young

people we have a LOT of power, because adults in o ce are much more likely to listen to us.”

Co-founder and co-President of the College’s CCL chapter Philip Ignato ’23 re ected on the early stages of the movement on campus.

“At first I was a little bit more hesitant about incorporating it into the meetings because [O’Keefe] was just so passionate about it that she wanted it to be a big part of our club,” Ignatoff said. “And it has grown to be a big part of our club, which I’m glad about. Her vision is that it’s going to be a worldwide movement, but I feel like even if it is just on campus, it’s really getting the word out a lot more than I’ve been good at in the past.”

Ignato mentioned that O’Keefe is currently working on a website for the sign campaign in order to spread awareness of the movement and educate others about the impacts of carbon pricing. One of the most utilized visual tools O’Keefe has included in the website is the En-ROADS simulator from Climate Interactive and the MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative.

e simulator allows policymakers, educators and the general public to simulate climate policy solutions. e En-ROADS simulator states that though the earth is currently

projected to warm around 6.4 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100, a carbon fee and dividend policy would reduce this temperature to 4.7 degrees Fahrenheit.

“If the U.S. alone had a carbon price, it would not do this, but it would contribute to that and incentivize other countries to have carbon pricing and also set an example for other countries to have carbon pricing,” O’Keefe said.

O’Keefe’s passion for activism is highly influenced by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg’s climate campaigns. According to O’Keefe, the snowball effect Thunberg has showcased is something this campaign is attempting to accomplish, as well.

“I think what’s really important with a movement is that it’s easy to join in, because when I think about climate strikes, not everyone is able to strike for the climate on a consistent basis,” O’Keefe said.

“A lot of people care about the climate, so if all the people who cared about the climate were leveraged in a way that was visible and outspoken, then we would get really far.”

CAMPUS from page 2

The notepad or the iPad?

John Powers FLAT HAT OPINIONS ASSOC.

A Native Hawaiian’s complaint about the recent celebration of Prince Kuhio

in captivity for many years.

BY VIVIAN HOANG / THE FLAT HAT

Last week, I was crammed in a conference room in Chancellor’s Hall for office hours, frantically completing an economics problem set before the deadline in an hour. I was nearing the finish line, collaborating with a friend on one of the last questions, when we realized we had incorrectly drawn a graph. Oh, the beauty of indifference curves. My friend labored to find his eraser and carefully erased it in his notebook. I erased mine in a matter of seconds. “Wow,” he said. “That’s really cool. I need to get that.”

I use an iPad and Apple Pencil. Like the vast majority of other students on campus, my friend uses a notebook and pencil. It’s time for that to change. As someone who has taken notes on an iPad for four years, I cannot fully describe the positive impact that it has had on my education. Until you get one, you don’t realize how much easier your life is.

Personally, I use a combination of OneNote, a free Microsoft notes app, and Goodnotes, a similar app that goes for about $9 on the Apple App Store. But regardless of the app, using an iPad to take notes benefits any student.

First of all, it is easier to make your notes visually appealing. If a traditional student chooses to color code their notes, they have to bring a pencil case and waste time fumbling with it to find a highlighter or colored pen. Not on an iPad. With just a click, you can switch between highlighters and pens and even change the thickness of the pen. Even if you’re not into aesthetic notes, having highlighters, different colors and different thicknesses at your disposal makes it easier to draw the diagrams and conceptual models that many classes require.

Second, it is easier to correct mistakes and stay neat. OneNote and Goodnotes both have a “stroke” eraser, which is a tool that erases whole strokes instead of just the point where the eraser touches. So, on that economics graph, I was able to erase the whole y-axis with just one click instead of having to erase across its whole length. By the way, you can switch to a traditional eraser on both apps if this doesn’t interest you.

Another amazing feature is the lasso tool. Suppose you are running out of space on a page of paper but want to include some more notes on it. You would be forced to either messily jam those notes on there or continue to another page, rendering your notes confusing. Enter the lasso. You could draw a circle around the chunk of text and minimize it to create more space. I also often use the lasso to scale down the size of helpful drawings and copy and paste graphs that will be reused throughout the notes. In fact, on that fateful day in Chancellors, I was required to write two proofs for the same concept. After doing the first proof, I copied and pasted it, dragged it down and simply replaced the numbers. Literally, the lasso cut my work in half.

And the benefits of an iPad do not stop at improving your own notes. Furthermore, it reduces reliance on paper. Gone are the days when I would have to carry multiple folders around for my classes and own multiple binders. Most of my academic materials are on the cloud, available in just a click. Last semester, I took a calculus class in which we completed multiple pages of guided notes every lecture. All of the notes were readily available for me on Goodnotes whereas many of my peers kept binders and folders full of them, often disorganized.

Furthermore, iPads reduce reliance on laptops, which diminish student focus. I do not think that we usually take out laptops with the intention to surf the web, play 2048 or, as I regretfully have a few times, browse Twitter. In fact, oftentimes students retrieve them to aid them in taking notes when the traditional method does not work. For instance, a student may take out a laptop to follow along with the guided notes from the calculus class or save a diagram to their computer that would be hard to draw with just a pencil. However, once the laptop has been taken out, the temptation for distraction may be too compelling for the student to resist.

Of course, iPads won’t entirely solve the problem of distraction in the classroom, and in some instances, they may exacerbate it. However, there is a good case to be made that the benefits here outweigh the costs.

Undoubtedly, some will cling to paper, pencil and pen. Yet consider that for just $40, Paperlike sells a screen protector that replicates the feel of friction as you write

March 26, 2023, Prince Kuhio Day was celebrated at the Sadler Center Dining Hall. Prince Kuhio was born on March 26, 1871, and died on January 7, 1922, according to a discussion on his legacy by the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement. He was famous for many things, one of which was the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act signed by President William G. Harding in 1920. This act secured and protected over 200,000 acres of land for Native Hawaiian people who, at that time, were considered a dying race.

After the United States’ coup of the Hawaiian Kingdom on January 17, 1893, Native children were ritually beaten and or even forced to write, “I WILL NOT SPEAK HAWAIIAN. I WILL ONLY SPEAK ENGLISH” a hundred or more times on the chalkboard if they were caught speaking Hawaiian. They could also be forced to clean horse stables and perform other harsh chores. This abuse, along with gentrification, the lynching of Joseph Kahahawai in January 1932 and near forced Americanization of Hawaiian Natives led to the creation of the idea of the Dying Hawaiian Indian.

The cleansing of Hawaiians terrified Kuhio and his aunt, the great Queen Lili’uokalani, a women’s liberation activist, Native civil rights advocate and last reigning monarch of the Kingdom of Hawai’i before the overthrow led by Sanford B. Dole. Sanford was the cousin of James Dole, the founder of the Dole plantation. Sanford was also the first president of the Republic of Hawai’i. Despite the illegalization of Native-Hawaiian public meetings, Prince Kuhio broke the law to found the Hawaiian Civic Club, which first met in commemoration of his aunt’s death, according to a second video by the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement. The criminalization of the public gathering of Native Hawaiians was out of fear of another Hawaiian revolt against the Republic, the first of which nearly killed over three-hundred revolutionaries. In return for their freedom, the queen surrendered herself over to the U.S. insurrectionists, after which she was held

on paper. To those who worry about the harmful blue light of the screen, remember that Apple’s “True Tone” and “Night Shift” display features bring a warmer hue to the screen, easing the strain on your eyes. In all, I literally could not imagine not using an iPad for my classes. It has saved me so much time and stress. And, no, I’m not on Apple’s payroll.

In 1903, Kuhio founded the Royal Order of Kamehameha I, who celebrated King Kamehameha Day. This day, along with all other Hawaiian holidays and celebrations, was banned under the Republic of Hawai’i. The reason we celebrate Kuhio is because he, along with many other Native Hawaiians, helped to secure and defend Native traditions and cultures. Though he was a Republican, a different party at the time, he is still endeared in the hearts of Hawaiians everywhere. With that small history, we move back to the Sadler Center and their so-called celebration of Kuhio Day. In short, it was a disrespectful and horrendous mockery of both Hawaiian peoples and Kuhio. Not only was the food falsely accused of being accurate Hawaiian cuisine, but the decorations were stereotypical and ill-advised. For instance, there were symbols of pineapples nearly everywhere, which are not native to Hawai’i. Pineapples were brought over to create pineapple plantations in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Native Hawaiians were treated awfully on the plantations, onto which we were originally forced in the early nineteenth century. Because of the heinous treatment of Hawaiians on sugar and pineapple plantations, both symbols have become an oppressive one for use. Along with the martini umbrellas also given out that day, they represent to the mainland a taste of both the Orient and the Pacific, both of which were captured by the West, namely the U.S.

The dish that Sadler served as “Loco Moco” was not accurate either as it is not Hawaiian food but Local People food. While Local People food does technically refer to Hawaiians, it generally refers to all people living on the Hawaiian Islands, at least for multiple generations, especially those who speak Native-Hawaiian Creole or Hawaiian-State pidgin. There was not even any Hawaiian music nor any slides showing on the television to tell people who Kuhio was, both of which would have been the least they could have done, costing nearly no money whatsoever. All in all, the celebration by Sadler was unprofessional, racist and disrespectful to both Kanaka Maoli, or Native Hawaiians, and Kuhio. I do not wish to see this disrespectful display from the College of William and Mary ever again.

Andre Adams ’25 is a Native-Hawaiian and Black transferstudentattheCollegeofWilliamandMary, majoringinarthistory,butlookingtospecializein GermanExpressionism.Adamsisalsoanartistwhose twoworks,“Self-PortraitinBed”and“AutopsyofJesus ChristAfterCrucifixion,”wererecentlyshownatthe POCCollectiveArtgallery.EmailAndreatajadams@ wm.edu.

Sure, I may sound dramatic, but maybe you’ll understand if you buy one — don’t be afraid to let out your inner iPad kid.

JohnPowers’26isaprospectivepublicpolicymajor whohailsfromBrooklyn,NewYork.HeisaproudmemberoftheWilliamandMaryDebateSociety.Contacthim atjdpowers@wm.edu.

Fuzzy Issue 37: Fuzzy Uncovers more of Scotland

COMIC BY ARIANNA STEWART

COMIC

Andre Adams

GRAPHIC

JAMIE HOLT / THE FLAT HAT

It's time to put the break back in spring break

Mollie Shi ett FLAT HAT OPINIONS EDITOR

This brings us to the second question: are the professors being unrealistic? For me, the answer has to be yes. If we can’t make spring break two weeks long, then it is up to the professors to ensure that their students are suitably recharged. However, making their students write papers and study for exams doesn’t recharge anyone. While this article is not designed to be an attack on professors, I do believe that they are so invested in their own schedules that they sometimes forget that students have other classes that they need to do work for, so they all give us something, and all of those somethings add up to too much.

We’re all grown-ups, so I’m not advocating for professors to hold our hands when we get back from spring break. Instead, it’s more about the types of assignments. If you need to assign something, make it due the second class after we get back from spring break. However, it would be better if written assignments such as long essays are due the weeks after you get back, since a writer’s perspective is one of the hardest to get back into. Having more minor assignments following spring break would let students gradually wade back into using their brains again so that they don’t get any stress shocks like the ones that we have been experiencing up to this point.

Confronting a Culture of Conformity

Damian Kanner-Betitti FLAT HAT OPINIONS ASSOC.

GRAPHIC BY MONICA BAGNOLI / THE FLAT HAT

To quote Sophia Petrillo from “The Golden Girls,” “Picture it.” While I’m not going to start telling a story about Sicily, I will tell a story about breaks — spring break to be exact. The purpose of this article is not for me to whine, although that will definitely be a portion of it.

During spring break a couple of weeks ago, I was doing what I was supposed to be doing: I was taking a break. I was in my room at home after getting back from a five day trip in Savannah, Ga. It was about 11:00 p.m. on the Saturday before the restart of classes, and my family was planning to leave my house at 5:00 a.m. the next day so that we could get back in time for my sister’s work shift. This is when I got a ping from my Outlook email. It was a notification from Blackboard reminding me of my 800 word precís, take-home quiz and paper that were all due the week directly following spring break.

It’s not about the difficulty of the assignments. Instead, it’s the principle of them even being assigned that I object to. By its name, spring break should actually involve a break. If I had done all of my assignments that were due the first few days I got back to the best of my ability, I would have had about three days of a break, which isn’t even enough time for me to correct my sleep schedule, much less recover from my midterms.

This brings up two questions that need to be answered: Is spring break just not long enough? Or are professors being unrealistic in their expectations?

To the first question: I wouldn’t necessarily mind having spring break be two weeks long. Anytime that I can sleep until noon is good for me. However, it brings with it two problems.

One, unlike winter break, spring break is in the middle of the semester, so if it was made two weeks long, I’d probably forget how to do school even more than I did over the course of a week. Two, it would push our already later-than-normal last day of classes and graduation dates even farther back, and I genuinely think that once May hits, we should depart Williamsburg as quickly as possible to avoid the humidity.

GUEST COLUMN

Some professors may say that that belief runs contrary to their job descriptions — students need to stay on schedule and if that involves some unfortunate deadlines, so be it. However, I would argue that they should be a little more lenient so that the overall quality of the work improves. After all, most students probably aren’t going to be doing work over spring break, so all professors are doing by insisting on these deadlines is subjecting themselves to punishment when they have to start grading those essays or assignments. If they push deadlines back a week, students will produce work of a higher caliber, which should be the goal of all professors: to make sure that their students can put forward their best work.

However, the most important argument is one that we must return to: breaks are supposed to be breaks. Allowing any professor to assign work that infringes on that rest is nothing but an act of disrespect against the students of this institution. If you are going to assign a paper over a break, or a test that is due right when students get back, you are basically deciding for them. You are saying that they don’t deserve or just can’t have a break that we all desperately need, especially given our stress culture. At the very least, we have earned a break after working so hard during the first seven weeks of the semester. Making students do work over break isn’t fair to anyone. It deprives students of their opportunity to hit the reset button or even to have the opportunity to enjoy themselves because all they are doing when they are at the beach is thinking about the paper that they need to go and start writing. It subjects professors to reading work that will inevitably be done in an even more haphazard, disorganized and lazy way than it would even be done normally because, again, any work done during spring break will be inherently subpar due to students’ motivation being at nil. Why should we continue to make ourselves part of this practice that doesn’t bring out the best in either party?

It’s time to put the break back in spring break. MollieShiflett’26isanundecidedmajorwhowill probablyendupmajoringinhistory.SheplaysontheGold Women’sClubSoccerteamfortheCollegeofWilliamand Maryandisanavidfanofmostsports,exceptgolf.Email Mollie at mrshiflett@wm.edu.

Dining hall food: Gas or Pass

from Sadler because they’re so good after a few days out of the dining hall. Try letting the fruit ripen — it gets so juicy and will be great especially when it warms up. Also putting veggies on a pizza and adding a vinaigrette can work for a caprese pizza. The cooked broccoli is also good in the soup sometimes.

Item 4: Salads and lettuce wraps. Grab a protein so that the salad has some substance and then pick a theme based on a sauce. You could go vinaigrette with tomatoes and cucumbers, southwestern with stuff from the taco section, simple caesar with chicken breast or whatever else you can think of. If you want to get more protein, just double it up and wrap it in a lettuce leaf to have a pretty good lettuce wrap. I haven’t tried this, but you could even grab a bag of chips, break it up and put it in the salad instead of croutons.

Item 5: Caf’s Mediterranean section — enough said. Go crazy with the gyro.

Author’s Note: Fitness culture has been critiqued at length; there has been extensive discourse around the manynegativeeffectsthatstemfromit.Somethingthat islessoftendiscussed,however,isthemythsthatfuelthis cultural mindset. In this piece, I wanted to explore the waysthatpeopleinteractwithandinterpretthesemyths. When students looking for a workout enter the College of William and Mary’s Student Recreation Center, they are presented with a series of choices. Some of these are straightforward. Weights or cardio? Upstairs or downstairs? Fitness classes or sports? Looming over all of these options, however, is a more personal and existential choice, one between individuality and conformity: evaluating your motivation for hitting the gym. Understanding this choice is, in my opinion, the key to forming a healthy relationship with exercise.

This conformist mindset, fueled by insecurity rather than strength, is all too common. It's a powerful motivator but is unlikely to bring the all-encompassing, lasting change that excercise is supposed to create.

Contemporary gym culture is built around a number of promises. Chief among these is the idea that the gym is a temple of self-improvement, where confidence, status and sex appeal are all attainable via exercise, assuming you work hard enough. This premise is repeated ad infinitum in books, movies, magazines and TikToks alike, but it has its obvious limitations. For one, most people can’t achieve the unrealistically high standards that are idealized. For another, achieving these standards doesn’t guarantee psychological benefits. The central problem with gym culture, however, is that the pursuit of these goals is cast as an exercise in individuality and self-expression, when in reality it represents rigid conformity to externally imposed standards.

I’d argue that this pursuit of conformity is what’s responsible for most of the negative things associated with gym culture. For instance, conformity invites a competitive mindset: if you accept the premise of “getting in better shape will make me better,” then you accept by default the premise of “someone in better shape than I am is better than me.” Essentially, by viewing exercise as a means to an externally defined end, people accept that their current selves are flawed and must be changed to match the standards which they are told to emulate. This conformist mindset, fueled by insecurity rather than strength, is all too common. It’s a powerful motivator but is unlikely to bring the all-encompassing, lasting change that exercise is supposed to create.

None of this means that going to the gym can’t be a positive experience or have positive effects. I know plenty of people who genuinely enjoy exercising. For me, going to the gym can be the difference between a good and bad day. The question is, then, how is it possible to form a healthy relationship with exercise in the face of the pressure to conform? In my view, fitness culture is sort of a paradox — only by rejecting external pressures to conform can we achieve the type of success that they promise. This is where the other side of the equation comes in — celebrating individuality is essential to combating the toxic aspects of gym culture.

I think the food here is good. YEAH, I SAID IT! Maybe I am just overly accepting of circumstance and not picky, and maybe I just don’t have a good measure of comparison because I’ve never had another university’s cafeteria food, but there is actually some good stuff here. The deal is that you’ve got to get creative! Instead of just picking whatever one station has, you have to scope out all the stations and see what you can make with everything. Here is what I intensely enjoy from the dining halls:

Item 1: Spicy sweet tofu in the vegetarian section in Sadler. Especially when over rice/quinoa with a sweet potato, it’s gas. Also, adding seeds for texture and nutrients is great and makes me feel like a bird in a good way. I get genuinely sad when there is none of that kind of tofu. It's hot and good, and all you have to do is add some salt and pepper, and you’re good to go.

Item 2: Anything in the panini press. I highly recommend using the bagels next to the ice cream machine for sandwich bread and seasoning from the vegetarian section. Also, adding greens and peppers to sandwiches helps balance them out and add volume. Again, just try different stuff from all the sections to make a great panini. Just make sure to use the paper with the panini press because I’ve ruined the panini machine before by forgetting — I’m sorry.

Item 3: The Sadler pears (when ripe) and other fruits and veggies. I take a bag and steal a bunch of pears

The deal is that you've got to get creative! Instead of just picking whatever one station has you have to scope out all the stations and see what you can make

Item 6: For dessert, mixing Sadler ice cream with cereal or a crumbled cookie from the dessert section is unreal. Also, granola with fruit and yogurt never goes wrong.

Honorable mentions: Anything in the Caf’s fridge with oat milk, certain foods from the Tribe Truck (I’m especially excited for the poke bowls!), cotton candy at 6 p.m. in Sadler, Sadromas food, the variety the “W&M Free Food Fans” GroupMe provides and those goofy hit-or-miss Swem snacks. We all hear over and over that the food here isn’t good, but that’s such a tired and boring take. There is a way to enjoy it and keep it exciting; you just have to put in a little bit of effort. I enjoy the dining experience here, and I don’t care what you say. Make the freaking lemonade from the freaking Sadler lemons. IzzyAnderson’25isaprospectiveEnglishmajor, presidentofSkateClubandanactivememberofDad JeansComedy.Shelovesskateboarding,musicandtime withpeopleshecaresabout.Thoughshedidauthorthis article,Izzy’sopinionhassincebeenchanged;shewas in a bit of denial. Contact her at icanderson@wm.edu.

So what does all this mean? For me, it means viewing the gym as a form of self-expression and agency. A healthy approach to exercise involves adaptation, trying new things and, apparently, a lot of stretching. It means holding yourself accountable while also being able to forgive yourself for missing a workout. It means that physical health is founded on mental health. Mens sana in corpore sano — sound mind, sound body. Finally, and most importantly, it means not listening to people like me who tell others how to think in the gym; true individuality is the result of independence. The College strives to uphold the pillar of flourishing, declaring on its website that it seeks to “empower those who live, learn, and work here to make choices toward a healthy and fulfilling life.” In my opinion, the most important choice you can make in your years here is to choose individuality. DamienKanner-Bitetti’25isaprospectiveEnglishmajor andAmericanStudiesminorfromArlington,Va.Inadditionto theFlatHat,heisabenchwarmeronClubBSoccer,aDJfor WCWM90.9andanexecutivememberofStudentsofHipHop Legacy.Emailhimatdskannerbitett@wm.edu.

Izzy Anderson THE FLAT HAT

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A stunning showstopper

Orchesis Modern Dance Company presents dazzling performances, artistic expressions

March 30-April 2, the College of William and Mary’s modern dance company, Orchesis, presented its annual spring concert, “An Evening of Dance.” The show consisted of eight original student-choreographed pieces, each portraying a unique and thought-provoking story.

The show opened with a piece entitled “Breaking Surface,” choreographed by Allison Foley ’25. The theme of the performance centered around moving beyond surface-level relationships in order to form deeper connections with others. In the piece, the performers represented this idea through breaking past the surface of a body of water into the depths below, as expressed through the blue and tan colored costumes that the dancers wore, along with the fluidity of their movements during the performance. The second piece, titled “Mortal Coil,” was choreographed by Grace Cogley ’25. It featured five dancers and focused on the idea of a community being created in the aftermath of

turmoil and hardship. The music that played during this specific performance included the sounds of breathing, which helped create the image of someone struggling to keep pushing forward. There was a great deal of partner work between the different dancers in the piece as well, which portrayed the importance of having people to depend on.

Next, the show changed its mood with an upbeat piece entitled “Spoken, Heard and Twisted,” choreographed by Julia Mitchell ’24. The piece explored the way that rumors are spread and can be distorted by word of mouth. It was high-energy and fast-paced. The dance included several different agile and acrobatic movements and tricks.

“The music mirrors us talking back and forth with each other, being really surprised and using a lot of facial expressions,” Saayeh Zarei ’26, a member of the Orchesis Dance Company, said. “It feels like the dancers are acting in them.”

Zarei was also a part of the next piece in the show, “Inherited

Unrest.” Choreographed by Amanda Gill ’23, it represents the process of moving forward after experiencing a great failure. Zarei described how this piece, along with the other performances in the Orchesis show, have strong emotion behind them.

“The emotion is different in that it’s not as much theatrical as much as you’re really feeling it and getting into the nitty-gritty of the emotions that you’re feeling when experiencing failure,” Zarei said.

Gill’s piece incorporated chairs as props and strong movements from the dancers that matched the intensity of the music. A stand-out moment in the choreography was a switch leap across the stage from Brianna Howell ’25.

Following this, “Strings of Fate” was a particularly memorable piece in the show due to its intense music and red string prop that kept the dancers physically connected to each other as their movements progressed. However, the next performance, “Onto the Next…” stood out as the only piece in the

show that was choreographed by two Orchesis members, Cameron Lynch ’23 and Amy Wolgin ’23. Because the co-choreographers are seniors set to graduate this semester, the piece represented the two’s perceptions on growing up, moving on and preparing for what comes next in life.

“We wanted to make a piece that reflected the stage of life that we’re at right now,” Wolgin said, reflecting on the heavy nature of the performance.

This transition that was the subject of the piece was metaphorically shown by the dancers starting the act wearing neutral tones before changing into vibrant, colorful leotards and skirts. It was further amplified and accompanied by a drastic change in music and lighting. As the piece became happier and more upbeat, the dancers seemed less scared and alone, emblematic of the message of coming into one’s own.

“That was something we really wanted to emphasize with our dancers — feeling connected with each other, as well as to

the dance itself,” Lynch said. Orchesis President Holly Stefanick ’23 subsequently performed a selfchoreographed solo piece entitled “Nothing Gold.” Inspired by the poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by famous American writer Robert Frost, the piece represents accepting change while also reminiscing fondly on past memories. The performance also showcased Stefanick’s technical strengths as a dancer.

Finally, the show ended with a piece featuring the entire company, also choreographed by Stefanick. “The Hands of Time” represented the general hardships endured in life and the joy that can be found as a result. The infectious energy that radiated from each dancer was undeniable, creating a show that was impossible to look away from.

Overall, the show provided not only the dancers, but also audience members with an exceptional experience filled with impressive and acrobatic performances that were imbued with deep and profound significance.

Taking life one step at a time

American shoe designer Stuart Weitzman shares career, life advice with students

Friday, March 24, the Office of the Provost welcomed Stuart Weitzman, a famous American shoe designer, to the Tucker Hall auditorium. Students, faculty and Williamsburg residents alike gathered to take advantage of the abundance of advice and career insights offered by the acclaimed designer and entrepreneur. After the event, Weitzman spoke with The Flat Hat about his career and life lessons for college students.

Addressing the students in the room, Weitzman’s primary piece of advice for recent graduates was rooted in practicality; he recommended working for an existing company before starting an entirely new business endeavor. He drew from his own life and stated that, by following this guideline, he built a solid network of fabric producers and customers to drive the supply and demand of his own venture before it even started, as well as a tactful team of like-minded individuals.

“Now I will tell you, and any business person will tell you, it can take you five to ten years through several hirings to get three great people,” Weitzman said. “I got them in a team because I knew them for five years where I was. Those are tremendous advantages.”

Weitzman pointed out that experience, invaluable to starting a project, continues to be a vital asset for seeing a project through to a successful finish. He cited the important statistic that although 90% of all first-time ventures in the United States end in bankruptcy, 80% succeed when tried again a second time due to lessons learned the first time around. Not only is this a lesson for the weight of experience, but it also serves as a testament to this tactic of tenacity.

“That’s a good lesson,” Weitzman said. “Be persistent. Be determined. If you believe in something, don’t give up on it. You can make it happen if it’s really your passion, and you believe you have a great idea. And those numbers don’t lie there.”

Another key point in his discussion was the importance of imagination, which was particularly potent in Weitzman’s advertising department. His “A Little Obsessed with Shoes” series back in 2002 capitalized on quirky creativity by centering on visuals like a dalmatian doused in shoe-shaped speckles and a jack-o’lantern carved in heel framed holes. This series

earned Weitzman the Clio Award, given only to those who exemplify innovation and creative excellence in advertising and design. This kind of artistry was followed up in 2016 with another successful campaign, which modeled Gigi Hadid, Lily Aldridge and Joan Smalls after the famous Neoclassical sculpture, “The Three Graces.”

“I will say we got so much publicity from the editors because when you do something creative that is art-like inspired or some other wonderful way inspired, that particular piece of advertising becomes so much more valuable,” Weitzman said. “They love stories, and they wrote about it as such an original way to do it.”

With that in mind, Weitzman urged others to embrace out-of-the-box thinking as well. He recalled a story about a little girl in kindergarten who was once asked by her art teacher about what she was trying to draw. When the girl replied, “God,” and the teacher told her no one knew what he could possibly look like, the girl answered they would all know once she had finished her drawing.

“That’s the imagination you’re born with,” Weitzman said. “But you lose some of it. You lose it because you want to fit in. You follow norms. You get into a company, try not to. I don’t think there’s anything you can have that will separate you from your competition that’s more valuable than a great imagination.”

Another part of imagination is structuring one’s particular business angle and perspective as a response to gaps in the industry. Weitzman explained that the popularity of his product arose because he was doing something both appealing to the general public and not yet

done by others. Specifically speaking, custommade designer dresses were a fashion tradition when it came to the red carpet, but shoes were not celebrated to the same degree, so he decided to offer footwear that was meant to look just as defining as the quintessential dress.

“I thought, if I can do what the dressmakers do and make custom shoes, well, maybe I can get my shoes on these people and have them continually look to me,” Weitzman said.

As time went on, Weitzman continued his quest for conquering uncharted territory in the worlds of fashion and business alike. When he realized his original customers were getting older, Weitzman designed his patent ThighHigh boot to connect with the next generation. Although he got much of his inspiration from Julia Robert’s raunchy kneehigh boots in the movie “Pretty Woman,” it was his authentic vision to make classy shoes that do for the feet what leggings do for the body.

“It became the biggest boot in the history of the industry, and we were credited for creating it,” Weitzman said. “And I say, I don’t think I have anything I’m more proud of than creating a whole new product that was never there before and has always been there ever since.”

An extra element to the story behind the Thigh-High boot was its unexpected gains. Weitzman had originally set out to appeal to younger audiences by hiring renowned supermodel Kate Moss, but it was through the process of trying to find adequate shoes for her that he discovered the need for new styles like the Thigh-High. Another example of added earnings was how many more retailers

wanted to collaborate with Weitzman after he worked with the elite clothing company Scoop, when his original goal was merely to convince Jennifer Aniston to wear his shoes.

“You can associate yourself with someone and get a lot of mileage out of it,” Weitzman said. “And if you do it well, you can get even more mileage than you think. Don’t let it die. Think about how else you can exploit it.”

Weitzman mentioned that another key to keeping good business is maintaining a good public perception and image. Weitzman advised the audience to learn when to say “no” to a business deal that will only hurt you in the long run despite its short-term appeal. For instance, he remembered when he had to decline an agreement proffered by Dillards so as not to threaten his brand with luxury level retailers and customers.

“You want to have a wonderful perception in your life, in your career, with your kids, in your business, with your friends,” Weitzman said. “It’s a very, very key truism not just to career, but to life.”

According to Forbes magazine, Weitzman sold Stuart Weitzman LLC to Coach for $574 million in 2015. Weitzman insisted that he is at peace with the decision, and he holds neither fears nor specific wishes for the company going forward now that he is no longer in the driver’s seat.

“There’s an expression [that] you can’t dictate from the grave,” Weitzman said. “The grave I’m not in, but I’m not in the company, and I’m not going to tell them. They’re not going to listen. They’re going to do it how they know how to do it. So I don’t ensure, or worry about ensuring, that it remains the same or gets better. It’s not something that bothers me.”

Now, Weitzman often engages in philanthropic endeavors. In addition to visiting 19 schools this year including the College of William and Mary, Duke, the University of Virginia and Emory, he has also hosted multiple charity events, global education efforts and youth outreach initiatives.

“I often shy away from ‘giving back’ as the expression because there’s so much more to get out of it for yourself if you become part of the community while you’re helping,” Weitzman said. “That’s how I live my life.”

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COURTESY PHOTOS / KATERINA VIYELLA

This guy’s no yoke

If you’ve been to the Commons Dining Hall in the morning, chances are you’ve noticed a lengthy caravan of hungry students waiting for their omelets. So, what’s so good about them? Let’s meet the man behind the omelet station.

Enter Michael Holloway, known to students as Mr. Michael, a dining hall employee at Caf’s omelet bar. Lately, Holloway and his omelets have been gaining popularity among the student body.

“My schedule in itself is from 6:30 [a.m.] to 2:30 [p.m.],” he said. “And when I come in, I’ve already thought about what I’m going to do beforehand, and I try to get a jump on everything, you know, try to prepare myself for the numbers.”

The rise in popularity is so extraordinary, he said, that he stopped counting the number of orders he receives in a day.

“At one point, I used to keep track of all the numbers, and I did that for like four weeks to see what the average is going to be,” he added. “And then it started, you guys started telling each other about, ‘Oh, this omelet is good. You need to try it,’ you know? So what you did was, you stopped me from counting my plates.”

According to Holloway, before the numbers started increasing, he would usually have made approximately around 180 to 220 omelets. He described the method he used to tally his record.

“What I do is I’ll put three rows [of plates], which is six [plates] in total,” Holloway said. “And I know I am over 200 and about 240 plates, just guessing. And so what I do is, I record in my mind, ‘Okay, if all those plates are gone by [11:00 a.m.], then I know I’m going into 300, 400.”

His high score, though, was far above that specific number.

“At one point, when we all started back up and the station was moved from the grill area, I had made close to 600 omelets in a day,” he said.

Initially, he said he would agree to make multiple omelets for one person at a time. As the station became more well-known, though, he knew that he needed a different approach.

“You have guys that want two omelets, three omelets. And then I was making those omelets

for them,” Holloway said. “But then as the word got out, and the line started increasing and increasing, I had to tell them, ‘Okay, you can only get one omelet because it’s not fair to the person that’s behind you [when] it’s 50 people back, and I’m trying to get you all through there.’ So I said, ‘You can have as

care. You can taste that flavor pretty well. Starstudded stuff. I love that guy. Always gives me a little bit [of] extra toppings on everything, so I cannot complain,” Korpela said. This sentiment was echoed by Jack Sharp ’25.

“[In] consistency, he never fails,” Sharp said when describing what he likes about the

whereas cooking is an exhilarating challenge.

“Baking is a science. Cooking is an art,” he said. “When I started here years ago, I was a baker. Downstairs [of Caf] is where the bakery is. And then I come back here many years later. The same vibe is still there.”

And despite the frequent cooking Holloway undertakes everyday through his job, he continues to step into the chef role at home, as well as the Commons.

“I cook at home,” he said. “It doesn’t bother me. I have to eat. My schedule is Monday through Friday. Saturday and Sunday, I cook breakfast. On Saturday or Sunday, it alternates depending on what we’re going to do. So that’s my relaxed time.”

Outside of the culinary arts, Holloway likes to relax with his dogs and his wife Maria at home, stressing the importance of having time to unwind when working a high-volume job.

“Once you all get in the work field, you’re going to understand what it is. It’s all, ‘I need to go home. I need to kick back. I need to unwind for an hour and a half,’” he said.

In addition to his dog and wife, Holloway has three children: a daughter who went to nursing school, a son who runs a small business and another daughter who is now a teacher with the York County school division.

Other activities he enjoys include leisure cycling, working out in the gym, playing recreational sports, watching TV and reading the news. In the summer, he cleans pools, which allows him to make his own schedule.

And whenever he gets the chance, Holloway goes on vacation with his family, usually twice a year.

“When I actually stretch out is when I take trips,” he said. “Usually before the pandemic, it was twice a year — twice a year to New York, twice a year to Virginia Beach. But most of the time we’re just home. Sometimes it’s safer to be home.”

many omelets as you want [but] you have to get back in the line.’”

Some students, like Eino Korpela ’25, who “1,000% approves” of Holloway, come to Caf for an omelet from him every weekday.

“All the vegetables are pretty fresh. And Mr. Michael adds a little bit of tender loving

omelets. “He loves his work, and I can have a conversation with him very often — he’s a really nice dude.”

However, while Holloway is now best known for his omelets, he first began at the College of William and Mary as a baker over thirty years ago. Indeed, to him, baking is his real passion,

Looking forward, he intends to catch up on his travel plans.

“This year is starting to go again. I finally got the nerve to go again,” he said.

A longtime beloved member of the College’s dining staff, Holloway has just one thing to say to students at the College.

“Just keep coming,” he said.

A slice of rice with LASU’s “History of Arroz” event

LASU presents history, tastes of rice in cultural Latin American dishes

Thursday, March 23, the College of William and Mary’s Latin American Student Union held a cultural event titled the “History of Arroz.” Showcasing the importance and variation of rice in Latin American cooking, the event was an opportunity for both LASU members and the broader campus community to experience a piece of Latin American culture through its cuisine.

The event consisted of a 20-minute presentation covering the respective histories of four culturally significant rice dishes and a taste test that all attendees were invited to participate in. The presentation

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briefly went over the history of rice and its role as a food staple in human civilization, tracking the geographic journey of rice cultivation from China to Iberia, after which Spanish and Portuguese colonists brought it to modern-day Latin America. The presenters connected this background to the contents and cultural relevance of each dish. They discussed aspects of the dishes like the techniques used to prepare them in their respective countries of origin, what special events the dishes are typically made for and for what meal each dish is typically eaten. Each dish was emblematic of a different region of Latin America, and each had different norms associated with its consumption, showing just how adaptable the ingredient rice can be.

“Rice is just very versatile,” Ronaldo Lopez-Mendez ’25, LASU’s sports chair, said. “You can use it as a main dish or a side dish; there’s thirty-three Latin American countries, each and every one of them has a different way of cooking it.”

The centerpiece of the event was the sharing and consumption of the rice dishes themselves. The event organizers provided the following rice meals: Mexican Arroz Rojo,

a rich, creamy rice dish; Puerto Rican Arroz con Gandules, rice mixed with pork belly and eponymous Pigeon Peas, typically served on special occasions; Salvadoran Casamiento, a breakfast rice and bean combo whose name directly translates to “marriage” in Spanish and Peruvian Arroz Chaufa, a rice dish with eggs, chicken and soy sauce that was pioneered by Chinese immigrants in Peru.

The event organically displayed Latin American culture while simultaneously reflecting the sheer level of cultural and culinary diversity that is present in Latin America.

“Because we were able to spearhead making these dishes, being in the kitchen, and then showing people how to make it, we were able to be more authentic with the way that it is cooked, the way that ingredients are cooked, and just the ability to incorporate what our mothers, what our grandmas, and what our parents have taught us,” LASU president Jasmin Martinez ’23 said.

The College’s LASU was initially founded in 2012. Originally focusing more on political activism, LASU went inactive temporarily before being reignited in 2016 with a focus geared more towards cultural and social activities.

LASU participates in a range of events and activities besides the more educational ones such as the “History of Arroz” event, including hosting mixers to organizing intramural sports teams. To many members of the club, such as Julia Beverley ’26 these events succeed in providing a strong sense of togetherness.

“You create such a tight-knit community through sports,” Beverley said. “… of course you have to get to know everybody, so I’m very glad that I got into LASU through sports.”

According to its executive board, LASU works to provide its members with a sense of community at a predominantly white institution. In addition to providing a space where members can feel free to express their cultural identities, the organization is also

designed to mitigate the stressful transition to college for many Latin American students.

“When it came to LASU, it felt like a warm hug,” Martinez said. “That was a warm embrace that allowed me to meet people who were similar to me, whose cultures are similar to mine, who could talk about certain things that maybe nobody else could and gave me an opportunity to be my authentic self.”

In order to tighten its mission of fostering a strong community, the executive board of LASU launched an initiative specifically devoted to diversity, equity and inclusion during the fall 2022 semester. Initially including just one Diversity, Equity and Inclusion chair on the executive board, the LASU leadership eventually decided to institute an entire DEI committee to fulfill the organization’s need in accounting for and being mindful of its members’ myriad of identities.

By showcasing different rice dishes from distinct Latin American cultures, the “History of Arroz” event exemplifies LASU’s desire to increase inclusivity. In addition to allowing for cultural expression by LASU members, the culinary diversity of the dishes presented also served as a reminder of the heterogeneous nature of Latin America and its varying cultures and communities. LASU thus sees its value at the College through the opportunities it gives its members to explore and celebrate their culture while also allowing the broader community to learn about Latin America. Interactive and participatory events like “History of Arroz” are geared towards exactly that aim.

“Community is such a big aspect of LASU, of Latinx culture, in my personal family, in my community and my motherland,” Martinez said. “The opportunity to be able to take a piece of ourselves and show it to someone else is what we strive to do and what we hope that others are able to feel when they come into this space.”

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Introducing the egg-celent, omelette-making Mr. Michael Holloway PEERAWUT RUANGSAWASDI // FLAT HAT NEWS ASSOC.

WOMENʼS LACROSSE

Team dedicates matchup to supporting Crohnʼs and Colitis Foundation Tribe Lacrosse edges out Delaware in 13-12 home thriller

Saturday, April 1, William and Mary Women’s Lacrosse (65, 2-1 CAA) narrowly escaped Delaware (5-6, 1-2 CAA) 13-12 in overtime at Martin Family Stadium in Williamsburg, VA.

The game was dedicated to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, an organization that raises awareness and support for Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, a cause near and dear to many people in the William and Mary community, including Caroline Donovan, a senior defender and two-year team captain.

“During August of 2020, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease after enduring unexplained pain and symptoms everyday for three years,” Donovan said. “The diagnosis and following treatment gave me an opportunity to lead a normal life and regain some comfort and happiness in my daily life. Having Crohn’s Disease while playing Division I athletics has presented numerous challenges, and it’s nearly pushed me to my breaking point, but being able to compete with the people I love and play the sport I love makes all the hard days worth it.”

The team often dedicates its home games to raise money and awareness for specific issues or organizations. According to Donovan, Crohn’s Disease is underrepresented, so the focus of the recent game is beneficial in drawing attention and showing support.

“By dedicating our game to something like the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, our team is able to play outside of ourselves and take the pressure off of the game itself. The cause is bigger than us, and therefore we play bigger than ourselves. You can feel the love and energy on the field. The game was an amazing opportunity for our team to bring the community together in support of a great cause,” said Donovan.

The game itself was a thriller, with commanding attacks and tough defense from both the Tribe and the visiting Blue Hens. Sophomore midfielder Justyce Barber started off the scoring for the home team. The teams then traded goals until freshman midfielder Morgan Gore scored Delaware’s third goal with 3:22 remaining in the first period, giving Delaware a 3-2 lead as the second period began.

MENʼS TENNIS

Barber again opened the period with an unassisted goal, tying the score at 3-3. Delaware went on a quick run in response, tacking on three goals in the span of a minute and a half. Barber and sophomore midfielder Miranda Bate responded for the Tribe, each scoring a goal that cut the lead to 6-5 Delaware scored one more goal, giving the Blue Hens a two goal lead going into the half.

The Blue Hens opened the second half strong, with sophomore midfielder Keira Grant and junior midfielder Lizzie Yurchak expanding Delaware’s lead. Senior midfielder Sarah Cipolla responded, scoring two goals back to back and holding the Tribe deficit to two as the final period began.

Sophomore midfielder Serena Jacobs scored for the Tribe just 46 seconds into the fourth quarter. Delaware held its lead with another goal from Yurchak, followed by a goal from junior attack Riley Gillin that expanded its lead to three. With just 3:55 left in regulation, the Tribe went on a 4-0 run that allowed the home team to take the lead. Barber scored two, Bate tacked on another, and freshman midfielder Maresa Moyer added one to give the Tribe their first lead of the game since the opening period, 1211. Delaware’s junior attack Danielle Livornese answered about a minute later with another goal, tying the score and sending the game to overtime.

As the overtime period began, Barber found success again, scoring the game winning goal with 2:03 remaining. The Tribe’s defense was able to hold Delaware scoreless for the rest of the game, concluding the thrilling matchup with a Tribe win, 13-12.

“The game was all about heart, hustle and grit. I am so impressed by our team’s ability to stay calm under pressure and to battle back. Today was a 38 person win, from the sideline to the field,” Donovan said.

Barber dominated for the Tribe, scoring a career high six goals, one of which was the game winner in overtime. Cipolla and Bate both had a pair of goals. Moyer, Jacobs and senior attack London Simonides each tallying one.

For Delaware, Livornese scored four goals tying her seasonhigh, with Gillin and Yurchak scoring two goals each.

Delaware took 28 shots compared to the Tribe’s 29 and edged out the Tribe in draw controls 20-10. The teams were even in

ground balls, with 23 each, and William and Mary had just 16 turnovers, compared to Delaware’s 22.

In such a tight game, leadership on and off the field is essential for success. As a senior on the team, Donovan is proud and inspired by the efforts of her team.

“This team pushes me to be a better player, person, and leader. We inspire each other every day,” Donovan said.

In Donovan’s experience with Crohn’s Disease, working together is the best way to make a difference. Supporting each other and coming together to help important causes is a fundamental part of the Tribe lacrosse program.

“I am so proud of every single member of our team, and I know that they have my back on the field and in my personal life, especially as I continue to battle Crohn’s Disease,” Donovan said. “Our team is making history this year and setting new goals every week. We’re excited to continue climbing.”

William and Mary will face Towson in an inter-conference matchup on Saturday, April 8 at Martin Family Stadium in Williamsburg, Virginia.

William and Mary cruises past Navy in Senior Day win, 6-1

Brailovsky continues impressive singles record, improves to 19-11

ETHAN QIN FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR

Sunday, April 2, William and Mary Men’s Tennis (8-9, 3-1 CAA) handily defeated Navy (14-18, 3-0 Patriot) 6-1 at McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Following its 4-2 win against Elon on Saturday, April 1, the Tribe was poised to carry momentum into its matchup against Navy.

William and Mary took an early lead, winning the doubles point behind victories at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles matches. Playing together for the first time at the No. 3 spot, freshman Albert Hansen and sophomore Sean Joseph dominated in their match against Navy’s No. 3 line 6-0, not dropping a single match.

OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD

At the No. 2 doubles spot, graduate student Joseph Brailovsky and sophomore Alexander Karman won their matchup against Navy freshmen Matthew McNair and Nathan Nguyen 6-2, clinching the doubles point for the Tribe. The duo of Brailovsky and Karman improved to 4-2 at the No. 2 doubles spot for the season.

Brailovsky carried momentum from his doubles win into his matchup against Navy junior Nicholas Nguyen at the No. 2 singles spot. Brailovsky comfortably won 6-1, 6-2 to clinch the Tribe’s second point on the day. This marks Brailovsky’s third consecutive win at the No. 2 singles spot, improving his teamleading singles record to 19-11.

Hansen increased William and Mary’s

lead to 3-0 with a victory at the No. 6 singles line. Dropping only two games in the match, Hansen won his bout 6-1, 6-1. This marks Hansen’s eighth win of the season and second in dual-match play.

Graduate student Daniel Pellerito officially clinched the Tribe victory 4-0 with a resounding straight sets win at the No. 5 singles spot. Winning his sets 6-0, 6-2, Pellerito notched his 11th win of the season and second on the fifth line.

Karman tacked on another point for William and Mary at the No. 4 singles spot to drive the lead to 5-0, defeating McNair in a straight sets victory, winning 6-0, 6-4. This win improved his record at line four to 3-0 and secured him his 11th win of the season.

Senior George Davis claimed the Tribe’s final point of the matchup in a comeback three set win against Nguyen. After losing the first set, 7-5, Davis won the second, 6-4, forcing a third set. Davis claimed the point in the third set super breaker, 10-1. This marked Davis’ eighth win of the season and seventh at the No. 1 singles spot.

In a fitting win for the Tribe on Senior Day, William and Mary celebrated its strong victory against Navy and honored Davis, Brailovsky, Pellerito and Silva for their accomplishments on and off the court.

William and Mary will host Richmond in its next matchup Wednesday, April 5 at McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Track and Field impress at 57th annual Colonial Relays

Womenʼs team places first with record-breaking sprint performances

Thursday, March 30 - Saturday, April 1, William and Mary hosted and competed in the 57th annual Colonial Relays at the Dan Stimson Throwing Area and Zable Stadium’s Cary Field in Williamsburg, Virginia.

This three-day meet marks the Tribe’s second outdoor event of the season. Building on strong performances in last week’s Dan Stimson Memorial Invitational, the Tribe finished sixth in the men’s overall team rankings and first in the women’s overall team rankings.

William and Mary was one of 59 programs competing at the Colonial Relays, 51 of which sent both men’s and women’s teams.

The meet commenced with the men’s hammer throw on Thursday afternoon, which saw freshman Jason Nwosu set a new personal PR in the event. Nwosu’s 50.41m (1655) performance enters him into the Tribe’s all-time performers list.

As other events continued on day two of the meet, William and Mary looked to capitalize on momentum from Nwosu’s stellar performance.

Junior Jackson Cooley headlined

the Tribe’s second day performances, capturing second place and setting a new William and Mary record in the 100m dash. Setting a new PR for the second week in the row, Cooley’s 10.53 second performance topped his 10.65 time from last weekend’s Dan Stimson Memorial Invitational and William and Mary’s program record of 10.58 set in 2016.

Junior Chris Arias also shined in day two of the meet, claiming first place in the javelin with a 64.15m performance.

Arias’ next closest competitor finished at 56.50m.

In the team rankings, William and Mary remained sixth with 26 points following the second day of the meet.

Columbia led the competition with 55 points, trailed by Wagner and Brown, with 42 and 41 points, respectively.

On the women’s side of the second day, the Tribe impressed with multiple record-breaking performances.

Senior Amaya Johnson set the William and Mary program record in the 100m dash with a time of 11.96, earning her seventh place. Other Tribe sprinters also impressed in the 100m dash event, with impressive 12.04 and 12.06 finishes from sophomores Melissa Cunningham and Anna Kessler, respectively. These

performances place Cunningham and Kessler in the top five William and Mary all-time records in the event.

Freshman Catherine Garrison also made Tribe history in the 3000m steeplechase event, setting a new freshman record for the event. Garrison finished first with a 10:28.51 performance and bested the previous freshman-best mark of 10:31.47, set in 2008.

In the 400m dash, junior Lizzy Gregory became the first Tribe athlete to win the event at the Colonial Relays in the meet’s 57 year history. Gregory’s time of 55.09 was the program’s third fastest finish. She now owns three of the top five William and Mary finishes in the event.

Freshman Sofia Istnick shined in the distance events, capturing first place in the 5000m invitational with a time of 16:28.59. This performance was a PR that notched her into 13th on the Tribe’s all-time performer’s list.

In the field events, junior Liv Cantby took first in the javelin invitational with a 44.26m performance.

Sophomore Sophie Fernandez and junior Olesya Sitkowski finished one and two in the pole vault invitational at 3.85m and 3.75m. Fernandez’s performance matched the fourth

best record in program history. Senior Keeley Suzenski also impressed with a solid showing in the hammer throw, taking second place with a best throw of 56.65m.

At the end of day two, William and Mary sat in first of overall team rankings with 97.50 points, followed by Bucknell and Brown with 52.50 and 50 points, respectively.

In the third and final day of the meet, Nwosu continued his impressive performance, claiming third in the shot put invitational with 15.51m and fourth in the discus invitational with 45.59m.

The squad of senior Daniel Layton, sophomores Cole Harris and J.P. Mintz and junior Ethan Buenviaje set the ninth fastest 4x200 relay time in William and Mary history with a 1:31.56. Furthermore, the quartet of senior Jacob Jones, freshman Luke Henkel and seniors T.J. Corliss and Evan Goodell placed third in the 4x1500 relay with a 15:59.67 performance.

The Tribe wrapped up the three day meet finishing in sixth place out of 38 teams in the men’s overall team rankings with 48 points. Columbia placed first with 107 points, Bucknell was second with 81 points and Brown

followed in third with 76 points.

On the women’s side of the final day, the Tribe’s sprinters once again impressed with outstanding performances.

In the 4x100 relay event, Johnson, Gregory, Kessler and Cunningham set an all-time William and Mary record while also capturing the Tribe’s first ever win in the event at the Colonial Relays with a time of 46.18. The 4x400 relay group of Johnson, Gregory, senior Carly Swierbut and sophomore Emily Ervin also set a new all-time William and Mary record with a 3:38.53 – the third consecutive year the Tribe finished first in the event at the Colonial Relays.

On the backs of many other incredible performances, the Tribe finished first place in the women’s overall team rankings with 136.50 points. Thirty three teams scored points in the meet, with William and Mary comfortably finishing first for the first time since 2009. Brown finished in second with 91 points, followed by Hampton in third with 87 points.

Both the men’s and women’s teams will look to continue their impressive showings at the Duke Invitational on Sunday, April 7 at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS

Sophomore Justyce Barber scored a career-high six goals, including the game winner in overtime, to help the Tribe win 13-12 against Delaware on April 1.

ETHAN QIN FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR

sports

Tribe sweeps St. John’s in weekend series at home in Plumeri Park

Green and Gold combine for 22 runs in three games, outscore Red Storm by 11

Friday, March 31 to Sunday, April 2, William and Mary Baseball (18-11, 5-4 CAA) swept St. John’s (16-10, 0-0 Big East) in a nonconference weekend series at Plumeri Park in Williamsburg, Virginia.

On Friday night, the Tribe fought back to win on a walk-off defensive error by St. John’s. After the Red Storm took an early 3-0 lead in the third from back-to-back home runs, the Tribe spent the remainder of the game clawing back to equalize.

In the bottom half of the third, junior catcher Nate Goranson sparked the Tribe’s offense with a solo home run, his second of the year.

Tasked with keeping their team in the game, the Tribe’s bullpen held the Red Storm scoreless for the last six innings. Senior pitcher Tom Mayer and graduate student pitcher Rojo Prarie each gave the Tribe three shutout innings, only letting up a combined five hits while striking out five.

In the sixth, the Tribe continued to chip away at the St. John’s lead. Graduate student first baseman Cole Ragone singled and drove in freshman second baseman Corey Adams. With a third of the game left, William and Mary had closed the gap to one run. In the seventh, senior outfielder Joe Delossantos tied the game with a groundout, knotting the game at 3-3. The score remained tied until the bottom half of the ninth, when the Tribe immediately applied pressure in the batter’s box. Goranson began the inning with a single, then immediately moved to second after a successful sac-bunt from freshman infielder Noah Zertuche. After sophomore outfielder Lucas Carmichael grounded out, senior third baseman Ben Williamson was intentionally walked then stole second, leaving runners on second and third for Delossantos. Delossantos was able to put the ball in play, and thanks to an untimely error by the Red Storm shortstop, Goranson scored the winning run and the Tribe walked away victors of game one.

first at-bat of the day. By the end of the second inning, the Tribe had already jumped out to a 5-2 lead, which only continued to grow in the middle innings of the game.

Ragone hit his second home run of the day in the fourth, increasing his season total to five. In the fifth, Adams drove in a run with a single to right center. Williamson tagged on an RBI double in the sixth, which preceded a Delossantos tworun triple and RBI singles from Goranson and sophomore shortstop Luca Danos.

Sunday, and on the mound, sophomore pitcher Nate Knowles led the charge. Knowles, who is 3-2 on the year, shined for the Tribe, going four scoreless innings while only allowing one hit. Knowles fanned five Red Storm batters and walked none in his no-decision appearance.

St. John’s junior starter Tyler Roche nearly matched Knowles, throwing three solid innings while letting up only one run after a Delossantos RBI double in the third.

In the fifth and sixth innings, the Red Storm notched one run, erasing the Tribe lead and making the score 2-1 going into the bottom of the sixth.

The Tribe wasted no time getting that run back, and after a sacrifice fly from Adams, the Tribe evened the score at 2-2. The Red Storm, looking to avoid getting swept on the road, tried to get its offense back into the game. Despite St. John’s efforts, William and Mary’s bullpen prevented a late charge.

Sophomore reliever Carter Lovasz shut the door for the Tribe, entering the game in the seventh and throwing three no-hit innings while striking out two and walking none. Lovasz, who earned the win for Sunday’s game, improved his record to 2-1 on the season, carrying an impressive 2.36 ERA in 26.2 innings of work.

In the bottom of the eighth, Goranson was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Freshman Tank Yaghoubi then singled and advanced to second, giving the Tribe runners on second and third with just one out. Adams, who had driven in a run earlier in the game, brought in Goranson on a groundout to short, retaking the lead for the Tribe at 3-2.

The Tribe entered this series fresh off a win against No. 14 Campbell earlier in the week and looked to continue its recent hot streak. In its last five games, the Tribe finished 4-1 and boosted that record at home against the Red Storm.

Saturday’s game was a complete slug-fest for the Tribe.

In the first two innings alone, the Tribe plated five runs off of four hits. Williamson, Delossantos and Ragone all hit home runs, while Carmichael added on with a double in his

After six innings, the Tribe led St. John’s 15-3 and was able to hold off the Red Storm offense for the remainder of the game. After recording the final out in the top of the ninth, the Tribe went up 2-0 in the series with a resounding 15-6 win.

The Tribe brought the brooms for a sweep on

Lovasz went out for a hitless inning in the ninth, and with a final Johnnie strike out, the Tribe capped off the sweep of St. John’s with a huge win in a tightly-contested game.

William and Mary, now 9-2 in its last 11 games, looks to keep the momentum rolling on April 4 against Maryland at Bob “Turtle” Smith Field in College Park, Maryland.

Green and Gold top No. 15 Campbell in nail-biter at home, win 3-2

Knowles shines in biggest start of year, holds Camels scoreless for 3 innings

Tuesday, March 28, William and Mary (15-11, 5-4 CAA) beat No. 15 Campbell (194, 6-0 Big South) 3-2 at Plumeri Park in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Campbell entered Tuesday’s matchup against the Tribe with the third-best offense in the nation. But the Tribe came prepared, neutralizing Campbell’s powerhouse offense with a stellar pitching staff that ultimately resulted in a William and Mary win.

Sophomore pitcher Nate Knowles started for the Tribe, shutting out Campbell by allowing no hits and racking up three strikeouts. Graduate student pitcher Zach Tsakounis took the mound for the Tribe in the fourth inning, when Campbell managed to get on the board, posting two runs. Yet Tsakounis stayed strong, striking out three throughout the course of the next three innings and allowing no more runs after the fourth. Sophomore pitcher Carter Lovasz

Who’s doing the best on the mound and at the plate?

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came in for the close in the seventh inning, when he shut down any last-ditch effort from Campbell. Lovasz allowed one infield hit in the eighth inning and hit one batter in the ninth, but both baserunners were stranded as Lovasz closed both innings with emphatic strikeouts.

While strong pitching was the pinnacle of Tuesday’s game for the Tribe, William and Mary scored three runs in the third inning. The Tribe’s offensive advance started with a lead-off infield single from sophomore infielder Luca Danos, who then stole second, putting him in scoring position. Sophomore outfielder Lucas Carmichael singled to left-center, scoring Danos and putting the Tribe on the board. A walk from senior infielder Ben Williamson, followed by a fielder’s choice and then a stolen base from senior outfielder Joe Delossantos put runners at second and third with senior catcher Max Winters at the plate. Winters came through with a clutch two RBI single, extending William and Mary’s lead to 3-0.

Although the Tribe could only plate three

runners in the inning, those runs proved to be enough to hold off Campbell. The top of the fifth inning was Campbell’s closest opportunity to close the gap, as junior infielder Trenton Harris led-off the team with a solo home run. Back-to-back walks from redshirt senior Jarrod Belbin and redshirt senior infielder Drake Pierson allowed a base hit from redshirt senior outfielder Tyler Halstead to score their second run of the inning. Tsakounis stopped Campbell’s momentum and got the Tribe out of the inning leaving two runners on base at the end of the fifth, with William and Mary still on top 3-2.

The final out of the ninth inning came from a three-pitch strike out by Lovasz. Knowles received credit for the win and Lovasz received credit for the save. This victory marks William and Mary’s first victory over a top-15 team since 2016.

The Tribe hopes to carry this momentum as they take on St. John’s for a three day series starting Friday, March 31 at 6 p.m. at Plumeri Park in Williamsburg, VA.

COURTESY IMAGE / TRIBE ATHLETICS Knowles, who has been a key piece to the Tribeʼs 14th lowest team ERA in the country, delivers a pitch during the Tribeʼs March 4 loss to Fairfield.

SAMUEL LI / THE FLAT HAT Freshman infielder Corey Adams looks for a pitch to hit during the Tribeʼs March 25 win at home against Monmouth.