The Flat Hat May 3 2023

Student Assembly survey highlights comments on Vision 2026, data initiatives

During the April 6 virtual town hall for the steering committee of the Computing, Data Science and Applied Science Initiative, secretary of Data and Analytics for Student Assembly and Omnibus Project Director John Willis ’23 presented findings from the Omnibus Survey. The survey recorded student comments on the creation of a new “academic unit” for computer science, data science and applied science.

The Student Assembly Department of Data and Analytics conducted the survey between March 3 and April 2. The Flat Hat received a copy of the report that the Department of Data and Analytics gave to the steering committee, as well as the survey data.

A total of 1446 undergraduate and graduate students responded to the survey. The class of 2026 had the highest number of responses.

The report summarizes data from the Omnibus Survey that pertains to students’ perspectives and knowledge of Vision 2026 and the academic steering committee. Vision 2026 is the College’s strategic plan spanning 2021-2026, with three central goals: to expand the College’s reach, educate for impact and evolve to excel.

The findings of the report, combined with analysis from The Flat Hat, show that overall student knowledge of Vision 2026 and the steering committee is low, but most students report being at least somewhat receptive to the idea that data and statistical analysis are “core” to their liberal arts education at the College.

“The survey says that students are in support of the values of the committee, but they just don’t necessarily have a full grasp and they have some questions about how it will affect other aspects of campus, especially how it will affect tuition and how it will affect other class offerings and data science class offerings,” Willis said in his presentation to the committee.

The report also highlights the 10 most prominent student questions for the steering committee. Students submitted their top three questions for the steering committee in the Omnibus Survey, and the Department of Data and Analytics utilized machine learning

and natural language processing methods to distill their responses. Committee co-chair and Dean of the faculty of Arts and Sciences Suzanne Raitt addressed the above questions in an email to The Flat Hat.

According to Raitt, the creation of an academic unit for computer, data and applied sciences will not make it more difficult for students outside of the school to take computing classes. She noted that the school will be available to all students enrolled in Arts and Sciences. The plan is also not slated to impact current major requirements or what majors the College offers.

“Academic unit” is a broad term that encompasses potential administrative structures for the proposed computing, data science and applied science program. The goal of the committee is to evaluate different administrative structures such as departments, programs, schools or other designations for the new unit. A unit’s status affects faculty hiring, status and finances.

“We do not want to block students from entering these programs,” Anthony Stefandis, professor of computer science and director of data science, said. “We’ll do our best to make sure that we cater to all the needs of our student communities.”

Further, the physical location of the data science, applied science and computer science departments will be in ISC IV once the new facility is open.

“So, in that sense, yes, those units will be in a separate building,” Raitt said. “This doesn’t mean much about the administrative structure, though. Government and economics share a building, for example, but that doesn’t make them a separate school.”

In addressing the administrative status of the new “academic entity,” Raitt said the committee is yet to determine whether the entity would promote the units to department status or create a separate school. Raitt said there is no plan to merge the three departments into one department.

According to Raitt, the committee has not yet determined the funding levels for the new unit, but assured students that the

College does not plan on cutting funding from other departments.

“We value all the disciplines we offer in A and S and are eager to support all of them in every way possible,” Raitt said.

Raitt referred to the Commonwealth of Virginia’s “Tech Talent Investment Program” in her email as a source of funding for the initiative. The goal of the initiative is to increase the number of graduates in “computer science and closely related fields,” according to the TTIP. The initiative is a $2 billion dollar investment by the state, donors and corporate partners.

During an Arts and Sciences faculty meeting in April 2021, a motion to elevate the data science program to department status failed in a Zoom poll. 146 faculty members voted, with 38% of those responding voting in favor, 45% against and 17% abstaining. The proposal behind the motion notes the limits of program status:

“Programs at William & Mary are critically limited in four ways: (1) they are typically not provided with any annual operational funding; (2) they typically do not have dedicated administrative support; (3) they rely on joint faculty appointments; and (4) they cannot award tenure, or house tenure-eligible positions,” the proposal reads.

The proposal for the Department of Data Science from 2021 references the TTIP as a source of funding.

“The Commonwealth of Virginia has established ‘Tech Talent’ and ‘High-Demand Degree’ initiatives,” the proposal states. “As a result, the proposed department will be financially independent, does not burden our standard A&S operating budget, and is funded by money specifically ear-marked for Data Science in the context of tech talent.”

Funding from TTIP is available through 2038, but it is unclear how budgeting could change over the next 15 years.

“Dean Donoghue Velleca indicated that the funds provided by the Commonwealth were not for short-term use but were base budget additions that would continue for the next twenty years,” the minutes of the 2021 meeting state.

Tuesday, April 25 and Wednesday, April 26, the Student Accessibility and Disability Alliance at the College of William and Mary organized an advocacy campaign titled “F*ck the Stairs.” The campaign challenged able-bodied students to spend two days using accessible means of travel to better understand the experience of mobility impaired individuals, promoting accessibility awareness on campus.

Last fall, Student Assembly

Undersecretary of Disability Initiatives

Allison Stovall ’25, Heather Christensen ’23 and Cameron Lynch ’23 co-founded SADA. The organization received official recognition from the College in March 2023.

“There were three of us that ended up founding it,” Stovall said. “We got together in October last year and we got approved by the university in March. This has been a very short timeframe that we’ve done a lot of this.”

The “F*ck the Stairs” movement advocates for only using wheelchair accessible ramps, elevators, elevations and bathrooms for traveling around campus.

“F*ck the Stairs is all about showing

everybody what it’s like to have to take inaccessible entrances on campus,” SADA Advocacy Chair Grayson Bunting ’26 said. “We’re making able-bodied students take only accessible entrances on campus today and tomorrow.”

In preparation for the campaign, SADA began posting on social media to publicize the event several weeks in advance.

SADA members drew chalk reminders on concrete in front of inaccessible entries and ramps to guide individuals participating in the campaign.

“We chalked, we got some yard signs that we put around, and the main way we’ve been advertising is through social media,” Bunting said. “I think we’ve gotten some traction, which is nice. And a lot of it was just planning and talking about it and figuring out the best way to bring light to this issue.”

Last week marked the first campaign

No! Donʼt get married that early!

Agavni Mehrabi ‘26 asks you to enjoy your youth and not get married too early.

for “F*ck the Stairs” at the College, but the movement is part of a nationwide effort that started in 2018 at the University of Washington in Seattle. Butler University in Indianapolis also has its own reiteration of the event.

“We could think about making it a longer thing next year, but as for now, it’s just me, those two days, and after this, we’re probably going to do more advocacy campaigns as well,” Bunting said.

According to Stovall, the lack of functioning elevators and ramps with steep inclines around the College’s campus poses challenges to many students. Currently, buildings such as the Sir Christopher Wren Building are not wheelchair accessible. Because of this, Stovall said she is unable to participate in the tradition of taking a class in the Wren building.

“Basically anything in the Wren, I can’t take, because even the ramp is too steep,

and then you go in there and there’s no elevator, so unless you’re on the first floor of the Wren, you’re still stuck,” Stovall said.

Recent campus construction creates additional obstacles for individuals traveling around campus. Navigating to Boswell Hall, for example, requires climbing a steep hill, going up steps and traveling on gravel that forces mobility impaired students to carve out more time for their commute to class.

The inconvenience of having to allot extra time in the day to get around these areas is one of the biggest takeaways SADA wants students to learn from the two-day challenge.

“Our main goal was to just kind of get people to realize what it’s like to navigate campus when you’re physically disabled,” Stovall said. “Obviously being disabled is not entirely about the physical side of things and about navigating campus, but it is a huge part for a lot of us.”

To show its support, the College’s administration distributed a facultywide message regarding potential tardiness due to the campaign. By having able-bodied individuals experience a small glimpse of what it means to be physically disabled, Stovall hopes it begins to raise awareness on campus.

Office of Diversity and Inclusion rewards Inclusive Excellence

Thursday, April 27, the College of William and Maryʼs Office of Diversity and Inclusion held an awards reception for Inclusive Excellence award recipients.College President Katherine Rowe and Provost Peggy Agouris attended the reception at the Sir Christopher Wren building.

“In April, the Office of Diversity & Inclusion pauses to recognize and celebrate W&M community members who have been nominated to receive the Inclusive Excellence Champions Award for their leadership and innovation towards D&I initiatives,” the Office of Diversity and Inclusion said in a written statement.

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion recognizes multiple dimensions of Inclusive Excellence, including Recruitment and Retention, Campus Climate, Education and Scholarship, Infrastructure and Accountability and Community and Partnership. A total of 80 Inclusive Excellence Champions were awarded for one of the five dimensions.

“We appreciate your participation in a diversityrelated program or project that furthers our commitment to inclusive excellence,” the Office of Diversity and Inclusion said. “These efforts and actions will make William and Mary a stronger institution.”

Dean of Faculty of Arts and Sciences Suzanne Raitt reflects on experiences, priorities at the College

MOLLY PARKS // FLAT HAT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Nestled in the front of Ewell Hall is a room lined with built-in bookshelves, a welcoming conference table, a warm replace and Virginia Woolf artwork. is is the o ce of the College of William and Mary dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. On April 19, Provost Peggy Agouris announced in an email that Suzanne Raitt was to ll the role of the permanent dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, e ective April 25. is was a natural transition for Raitt, who has been in tune with the pulse of the faculty and students of the College while working as the acting dean in the Ewell o ce overlooking the heart of old campus since January.

Raitt started at the College in 2000, taking on many different leadership roles including vice dean for Arts, Humanities and Interdisciplinary Studies, chair of the English department, president of Faculty Assembly and faculty representative on the Board of Visitors. Raitt has been an advocate for the need of faculty members across her almost two and a half decades in the City of Williamsburg.

“I think we need to always be thinking about how to deliver the education that students want and deserve in the best possible way,” Raitt said. “One of the reasons I really love working at William and Mary is that our culture is a culture that takes teaching extremely seriously and puts it at the top of the list in terms of our priorities when we hire people, perhaps equal with research, but it’s a big priority. We look for people who have real skill, not just in the classroom, but in mentoring.”

Growing up in Oxford, England as the eldest daughter of four educators, Raitt had wanted to go into higher education from a young age.

“ ere was barely a person in my immediate family who was not an educator. I had four parents because I had two step-parents, and they were all academics of one kind or another at Oxford University,” Raitt said.

She noted that literary studies came naturally to her, helping narrow her educational path to focus on English. Raitt graduated from Jesus College at the University of Cambridge in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in English. She then moved to the United States for the rst time to receive her master’s degree in English from Yale University in 1985 before returning to Jesus College for her Ph.D. in English, awarded in May 1989.

THE F LAT H AT

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Org #101 P.O.

e English department has been Raitt’s home at the College since she arrived as a tenured professor in 2000. Raitt has studied leading literary women like Virginia Woolf and May Sinclair for her entire career and was the director of the Women’s Studies Program at the College from 2004 to 2008. Raitt wrote her Ph.D. dissertation on Virginia Woolf and Woolf’s lover Vita Sackville-West.

“ e course I’ve taught most regularly recently is Lesbian Fictions,” Raitt said. “I teach that in preference to Virginia Woolf …

not because Virginia Woolf isn’t popular but because there is such a demand on this campus for courses on LGBTQ topics and for safe spaces where people can explore those experiences.”

As dean of the faculty of Arts and Sciences, it is part of Raitt’s job to stay in tune with the demand for certain courses and sections. Along this vein, Raitt says it is her goal to hire more faculty and a more diverse faculty to meet these student demands, working with Arts and Sciences Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Wanjiru Mbure to do so. Raitt also said that the Dean’s O ce will undertake a strategic visioning process for Arts and Sciences in the fall.

“I want the process to be faculty-led, but I’m assuming that one of the top priorities is going to be working on increasing the diversity of the faculty in every aspect,” Raitt said. “And we’re lucky that we have great partnership from the president’s o ce and the provost’s o ce and the chief diversity o cer in achieving that goal.” roughout her time at the College, Raitt has shown a commitment to increasing diversity, equity and inclusion among faculty. In 2015, she worked with the chief diversity o cer and provost of the College to give the rst presentation on diversity at a meeting of the College’s board of visitors. Furthermore, as president of the Faculty Assembly, Raitt passed a resolution in 2013 that asked the state to provide bene ts for same-sex partners of College employees while also reaching out to other universities across Virginia to do the same. Raitt also successfully campaigned to change the Faculty Assembly’s by-laws to allow for non-tenured faculty representation.

In addition to increasing and diversifying Arts and Sciences faculty, Raitt’s goals as dean include making processes of registration and petitioning within the College more e cient. Furthermore, one of the dean’s most important initiatives currently revolves around restructuring Arts and Sciences to bene t student education and faculty research, particularly sparked by the conversation of a potential school for computing, data and applied science.

“To me, that conversation needs to be folded into a much broader conversation about the future of Arts and Sciences and revisioning it– building the strategic plan such that we can showcase all of our units and not just a few of them and give all of our units the support they need and not just a few of them,” Raitt said.

Raitt proves just how passionate she is about supporting the faculty and students at the College with the sheer determination of her commute.

For 19 years, Raitt has been commuting to the City weekly from her home in Washington, D.C. She has two kids, Ellen and Jonathan, with her husband Peter Lurie, who is the president and executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

DATA

Results from recent student survey presented at town hall

Students

DATA from page 1 MORE AT FLATHATNEWS.COM

During the April town hall, Willis told the committee that students’ top question about the initiative regarded the allocation of funds for the new unit to meet student and departmental demand. Committee member and Sidney P. Chockley professor of computer science Evgenia Smirni echoed Raitt’s emphasis on state funding.

“ ere are funds that exist within the state of Virginia that provide for high demands of degrees, and also for degrees in computer science,” Smirni said. “We have been fortunate enough to receive a signi cant amount of money just for the growth of speci c areas. With this initiative, we would like to be able to take advantage of things like that that the state of

Virginia makes available to all of its universities.”

Raitt also noted the increase in student and industry demand for computing studies.

“Student demand for CSCI courses is high, presumably both for academic interest and because they feel a CSCI degree will position them well in the job market,” Raitt said. “Faculty are eager to increase their external grant funding, work with graduate students and pursue excellent research.”

e process of developing a new academic unit began in spring 2022 when Provost Peggy Agouris named an ad hoc design team to consider plans for a new academic school or unit for data science, computer science and applied science. In December 2022, the chairs of computer science and applied science, and the director of data science presented a draft

proposal outlining a new computing school.

Agouris dissolved the design team in October 2022, and in 2023, formally named a steering committee composed of faculty members across departments in Arts and Sciences to ne-tune the details of the new “academic unit” after receiving feedback from students, faculty and stakeholders.

According to its webpage, the committee’s goal is to produce a report that outlines di erent models for the new unit, their respective nancial and operational details and considerations for undergraduate and graduate education.

We find that the healthiest approach is itʼs okay for those goa ls to be a preference, but your true work is based on engagement and thing s that matter for you and doing so in a healthy way.

̶ Associate Vice President for Health and Wellness, Director of Center for Mindfulness and Authentic Excellence Kelly Crace

“Our culture is a culture that takes teaching extremely seriously”

Raitt commutes to work weekly at the College of William and Mary from her family home in Washington, D.C., as she has done for the past 19 years.

ABIGAIL CONNELLY / FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR

College hosts guest speaker to discuss eating disorders in South Asian communities

Fatema Jivanjee-Shakir, Licensed Master Social Worker, discusses importance of food in South Asian cultures

Content Warning: This article discusses eating disorders. Tuesday, April 25, e HEAL eating disorder recovery and advocacy group and the South Asian Student Association at the College of William and Mary hosted Fatema Jivanjee-Shakir, a Licensed Master Social Worker. Jivanjee-Shakir presented a lecture titled “Eating Disorders in South Asian Communities” and focused on the role of food and body image in South Asian culture, speci cally in regard to impacts on eating disorders.

Jivanjee-Shakir is a licensed New Yorkbased eating disorder therapist. She works with BIPOC clients struggling with eating disorders or body image issues, especially those of South Asian and Muslim backgrounds. Jivanjee-Shakir emphasized her use of the Health at Every Size perspective, a set of principles that values diversity and the overarching impacts of experiences and trauma on the body.

e Association for Size Diversity and Health describes the Health at Every Size practice as an inclusive approach to health.

“Health exists on a continuum that varies with time and circumstance for each individual,” the Association’s web page reads. “Health should be conceived as a resource or capacity available to all regardless of health condition or ability level, and not as an outcome or objective of living.”

Jivanjee-Shakir was born and raised in the United States but acknowledged her personal heritage from Gujarat, India.

“ ere are a lot of di erent countries that make up South Asia, a lot of di erent states, territories, and what that also means is that there are also unique cultural practices, languages, etcetera associated with those communities,” Jivanjee-Shakir said. “So, what I present today is not allinclusive of everything that someone might experience or be exposed to. All of our experiences are impacted by multiple intersecting identities.”

Jivanjee-Shakir’s lecture focused on India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Afghanistan. She first introduced statistics on food scarcity in South Asian communities.

ere are about 299 million undernourished people within all the South Asian communities,” Jivanjee-Shakir said. “South Asia makes up 40% of the world’s hungry population and there have been at least 30 undocumented famines in South Asian history.”

She emphasized food scarcity’s role in intergenerational trauma.

ough an individual may not be experiencing food scarcity within their own family, epigenetic research nds passage of trauma through generational lines, thus prompting the brain to view food and other resources as scarce.

“Broadly speaking, [food scarcity] means the belief that a resource is limited, whether that belief is objective or subjective,” JivanjeeShakir said. “And when we believe that a resource is limited, we often tend to hyperfocus on wanting to have access to that resource or making it last.”

Jivanjee-Shakir also spoke about the role of food in South Asian culture, speci cally in reference to food as an identity marker for things such as socioeconomic status, religion and lineage. She added that

CAMPUS EVENTS

people treat food as a love language in South Asian cultures.

“Some of you may be familiar with love languages — it’s often talked about as things like acts of service and words of a rmation,” Jivanjee-Shakir said. “In South Asian culture, food is a way we tend to show love.”

Due to common food behaviors taught to children, JivanjeeShakir emphasized the impact of politeness through restriction on young children and its role in the development of disordered eating habits.

Asian culture also relates to colorism, speci cally through skin whiteness and removal or lightening of darker body hair.

“We often discuss how colonization impacted the drive for thinness, but it’s also impacted the drive for whiteness and lightness,” she said.

Jivanjee-Shakir recommended that skin pigmentation alteration should only be done under the supervision of a dermatologist who can ensure that the application of the product is safe.

“Oftentimes, whether people are avoiding foods or eating foods, it can be seen as being rooted in diet culture, that it’s about calories, fats and carbs, but there is a lot of folklore around ‘What are foods that will lighten your skin versus darken your skin?’’ Jivanjee-Shakir said.

ough there is no scienti c basis for associating certain foods with skin lightening, many individuals associate and market them as such, promoting colorism through false advertisement.

Jivanjee-Shakir also spoke about religion’s role in the potential promotion of disordered eating. Though the presentation is not meant to speak on all religions, she recognized that in the majority of South Asian religious cultures, the predominant suggestion is for practicing individuals to dress moderately.

“If you live in a country where your religion is not the dominant religion, it can feel really alienating and lonely to dress in a certain way, to go out into the world and wear your religious clothing when other people around you aren’t wearing it,” Jivanjee-Shakir said. “This can lead to more desire to control your body.

“From a very young age, many of us are taught to say ‘no’ when something is being o ered,” Jivanjee-Shakir said. “If you go to someone’s house and they say, ‘Hey, would you like a snack? Would you like something to drink?,’ you’re taught from a young age that you should say no, even if it’s what you want.”

Jivanjee-Shakir addressed the impact of con icting messages, which often lead to purging habits through forced regurgitation, excessive exercise or the use of laxatives. In South Asia, the emphasis on outside appearances and body image lead to increased rates of eating disorders, particularly bulimia nervosa. Jivanjee-Shakir partly attributes the higher prevalence of eating disorders to the spread of con icting messages regarding food and body weight in both the society at large and one’s own home.

“We’re often getting these very con icting messages, even within our own culture and often from the same people,” Jivanjee-Shakir said. “ ese con icting messages encourage us to eat past the point of fullness, but also telling us, don’t eat too much or you’re going to gain weight, and then you’re going to be undesirable to a future spouse and their family.”

According to Jivanjee-Shakir, the role of desirability in South

Additionally, Jivanjee-Shakir acknowledged the struggle of individuals with eating disorder habits who practice a religion that incorporates fasting. She encouraged those individuals who cannot engage in fasting practices to turn to further resources from religious scholars on the wellness of the body and the soul.

“If it’s something that someone is wanting to explain, I think there’s a lot of different blogs and YouTube videos that I’ve found from religious scholars,” Jivanjee-Shakir said. “There’s one video where one of the Islamic leaders is talking about how the goal in the religion is the protection of the body and the soul, and so if you are fasting and it’s hindering your ability to do that right, that’s an exception.”

Jackson Kubin ’25 re ected on his experience at the lecture.

“My grandparents are refugees from Eastern Europe and the speaker’s point about intergenerational trauma related to food scarcity really resonated with me, and the two-sided expectation to be slim and also eat well was familiar,” Kubin said. “However, the convergence of colorism, colonialism and religious influences in South Asia was something that made sense to me, but I had never heard it articulated so well.”

Jivanjee-Shakir concluded the lecture by sharing resources to counseling accounts on Instagram that focus primarily on South Asian clientele, as well as offering a link to her own account and website.

Out of the Darkness Walk promotes mental health awareness on campus

Alpha Tau Omega suicide prevention event draws students, faculty, administration, local leaders

Content warning: this article contains references to suicide and self-harm.

Friday, April 21, the College of William and Mary’s chapter of Alpha Tau Omega and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention hosted the “Out of the Darkness Walk for Suicide Prevention,” an annual tradition started in 2016.

The walk started at the McLeod Tyler Wellness Center at around 9 a.m. The crowd then proceeded to the Sunken Garden, passing by the Earl Gregg Swem Library and the Commons Dining Hall before heading back to the Wellness Center at around 10 a.m.

College President Katherine Rowe attended the event alongside Presidential Liaison for Strategic Cultural Partnerships and professor of Hispanic Studies Ann Marie Stock.

State Sen. Monty Mason ’89, D-Williamsburg, also attended the start of the event.

Rowe shared her personal experience of a friend who struggled with mental health issues.

“So the story is about a professor here named Paula Blank, professor of English,” Rowe said, recounting her friendship with the professor. “She was one of my best friends in graduate school, and she came here. It was her first job — it was her life job, at William and Mary. My first encounter with William and Mary was when she invited me about 20 years ago. And she died by suicide about a year and a half before I got here.”

Rowe cited her friendship with

Blank as a reason for her consideration for the presidency of the College.

“And when the headhunter called me to say, ‘Would you consider exploring the presidency of William and Mary?,’ I thought, ‘Oh, that’s Paula’s school. She loved that place. I need to listen and explore more,’ and William and Mary is my school, in part, because it was Paula’s school for so long,” Rowe said. Rowe commended the AFSP and ATO for their initiative in organizing the event this year, noting that the College is the leading campus for AFSP fundraising efforts.

“I want to thank the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention for being our partner in this really important annual gathering fellowship,” Rowe said.

“I’m so grateful to Alpha Tau Omega for making this your passion, your commitment, your service. You are living and you are helping us live our values. You are helping us name and normalize and know the resources for preventing, for stopping suicide, and that is what we’re about.”

ATO member Griffin Amos ’24, who helped organize the event,

thanked the College community for support.

“Last year, we raised just over $18,000,” Amos said. “I heard today we just got over $22,000. Once you start the

One of Amos’s best friends in high school died by suicide in 2019.

Ronald North, Jr., a representative from AFSP, echoed Amos’ sentiment, emphasizing the importance of normalizing conversations around mental health.

Associate Vice President for Health and Wellness and Director of the Center for Mindfulness and Authentic Excellence

Kelly Crace highlighted the importance of events like this that promote wellness.

approach is it’s okay for those goals to be a preference, but your true work is based on engagement and things that matter for you and doing so in a healthy way,” Crace said. “Engagement is what matters, not the experiences that come from them. So in this time today, I want you to be mindful of the expectations you might be demanding of yourself, and I want you to switch it a little bit. Let them be a preference.”

walk, I want to encourage all of you guys to talk to someone or just re ect, like, by yourself, on how mental health has a ected your life. e main goal of events like this one, is to turn this campus into a safer place to talk about it.”

Amos also recounted a personal experience of being close to someone who struggled with mental health issues.

“But if you’re here today, that means at some level, all of you have someone that you have had, you currently have, and you will have that when that phone rings at 3:00 in the morning, this is the first person you think about and the first person you worry about,” Crace said. “We all have that in our lives. And the complexity, the incredible complexity of suicidality, is something that we’re still trying to understand at a deeper level.”

Crace emphasized the importance of students considering goals as personal preferences, as opposed to necessities. “We find that the healthiest

Board of Visitors member and Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources John E. Littel P ’22, who hosted a mental health summit as part of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Office at the College on April 4, highlighted the significance of student leadership.

“Events like this will help end the stigma about seeking mental health help and remind people they are not alone,” Littel said in an email to The Flat Hat. “Student leadership and engagement in wellness remains a distinctive of W&M and the partnership with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention makes a huge difference.”

Participant Brandon CarranzaLopez ’26 voiced appreciation for the event.

“I think in general the support for mental health awareness, specifically like suicide awareness, is really important,” Carranza-Lopez said. “I think having people that care about a movement like this will make campus a safe place to discuss mental health and all like the people that struggle with it.”

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COURTESY PHOTO / FATEMA JIVANJEE-SHAKIR

Jivanjee-Shakir discusses how food serves as an identity-marker for socioeconomic status, religion and lineage in South Asian cultures, as well as its place as a love language.

ABIGAIL CONNELLY FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR

PEERAWUT RUANGSAWASDI / THE FLAT HAT

Attendees walked from the McLeod Tyler Wellness Center around campus to spread awareness of the campaign.

Socrates Cafés:

overcoming barriers through philosophical discussion

Christopher Phillips ʼ81 speaks about the importance of holding insightful conversations around the world

ursday, March 30, the College of William and Mary hosted Christopher Phillips ’81 at the Alan B. Miller Entrepreneurship Center. Phillips led a discussion and provided insight from his career hosting democratic dialogues across the globe. He is a best-selling author and has experience as a U.S. State Department, Bureau of Education and Cultural A airs speaker.

“I believe that the philosophical enterprise must be imbued with open societies,” Phillips said. “I think open hearts and minds for individuals are completely connected to those of the society at large.”

Phillips has sought to spread the value of receptive communication through the development of Socrates Cafés, a forum in which a facilitator invites discussion of complex moral and philosophical questions amongst a group. He rst conceptualized the Socrates Café during the impeachment trials of President Bill Clinton. He believes individuals can play a role in overcoming broader con ict through improved conversation.

“ e Socrates Café, I started on a weekly basis in Montclair [New Jersey]. A bedroom community in New York City still meets after 27 years. Every Tuesday night, it’s still me and a little cozy co eehouse,” Phillips said.

Since then, Phillips has vastly expanded his outreach, hosting Socrates Cafés in states where freedom of speech is restricted. Currently, 15 Socrates Cafés operate throughout Saudi Arabia, but participation is not without its challenges. He explained that one Saudi Arabian woman, living in the eastern province region of Katif, stopped attending Socrates Café meetings because she had gotten in trouble with her family.

“[Saudi Arabian women] discussed at a Socrates café whether a woman should be able to choose to have a child or not. I mean, these are unheard of questions. ey’re not just subtly subversive. ey’re overtly subversive.

But this is what they want to talk about and they’re taking ownership,” Phillips said.

According to Phillips, many Saudi Arabian students have started their own covert Socrates Cafés, while ensuring that their teachers are unaware of their activities.

“I’m also fascinated about what this portends for Saudi society. My publisher distributes books throughout the Middle East, but clearly, without articulating it overtly, they want more open selves in societies. is is what this kind of hunger, insatiable desire for questioning leads to,” Phillips said.

He noted he has received some pushback because of his travels to foster the development of Socrates Cafés in Saudi Arabia. Nevertheless, he believes that his travels there were valuable, with inquiry leading to societies with a greater degree of freedom. According to Phillips, participating in Socrates Cafés leads to greater civic engagement and di erent groups recognizing their commonalities. One of his favorite Socrates Café gatherings took place at the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, Japan.

“We talk about ‘ikigai,’ what makes life worth living,” Phillips said. “And that was the only time I ever had a discussion where the person who posed the question then said, ‘We don’t have ikigai in Japan. Life isn’t worth living.’ Well, so much for that dialogue. And I said, ‘Well, why?’ And again, the response was unforgettable. She goes, ‘we don’t have ikigai because somebody stole my bike.”

Phillips continued the story, sharing that the woman assumed that a young person must be responsible for the theft. e conversation amongst the group of women soon devolved into remarks about how young people lacked consideration for others. Soon after, a group of 11-year-olds walked by, wondering what led to the bombing Hiroshima and how such a horri c event could be prevented in the future. ey discussed their plans for daily

acts of kindness, which they would share through a chain letter.

“ ey felt that that was the way – their way – that they could sort of counteract any trends that would lead towards this type of shut-down, breakdowns of communication and demonization that could lead to what happened, that fanaticism there was” Phillips said. “And so the women on hand were just in thrall, that these young people had such caring concern and were so conscientious, and they changed their views of young people.”

Phillips believes that people must be willing to hold conversations even with those who have vastly di erent perspectives.

“It’s not really about winning the argument. It’s more about listening to each other, knowing that we all have stories,” said Sophie Kim ’24, an attendee of the event.

To Phillips, individuals must maintain values of democracy and freedom since these concepts face strain everywhere, including in the United States.

“I think you just have to be forever vigilant, because if you don’t use your First Amendment rights, you can lose them really quickly. And human history shows that even demagogues can use the democratic mechanism to shut down open societies,” said Phillips.

Abby Varricchio ’23, an event organizer, agrees that collective ideas must incorporate the active involvement of everyday citizens.

“I don’t think norms can truly become norms unless they are adopted by everyday people,” Varricchio said. “Democratic dialogue or civil discourse cannot continue to be seen as this untouchable idea that is almost presented as being in shining lights. People every day — on a variety of issues ranging from political to small things, like student club decisions — engage in working across di erences and in polite discourse.” rough forums such as the Socrates Café, Phillips believes that fruitful conversation can lead to greater openness — both politically and on an interpersonal level.

Lemon Project hosts panel discussing Gullah Geechee culture

Panelists speak on preserving, celebrating cultural heritage of historic Black coastal community

Thursday, April 27th, the Lemon Project at the College of William and Mary hosted panelists in a lecture titled “Deeply Rooted: Preserving and Celebrating Gullah Geechee Heritage” to discuss the cultural heritage and preservation of the Gullah Geechee inhabitants of the Carolina Lowcountry and Georgia’s Coastal Empire.

The lecture took place as part of the Lemon’s Legacies Porch Talks Spring 2023 circuit and focused on the theme of the 13th Annual Lemon Project Spring Symposium: “At the Root: Exploring Black Life, History, and Culture.”

Panelists include Gullah Geechee consultant of Port Royal and St. Helena Island, South Carolina, Reginald Tendaji Bailey, assistant professor of English in Gullah Geechee Literature and Cultures at Georgia Southern University, Dr. Joyce White and assistant professor of Communication at the College of Coastal Georgia, Kyle R. Fox, Ph.D.

“The Gullah Geechee people are the descendants of Africans who were enslaved on the rice, indigo and Sea Island cotton plantations of the lower Atlantic coast,” Bailey said. “That area has been designated as the Gullah Geechee Corridor. It is the only National Heritage Area dedicated to a group of people. Throughout this area are a number of different communities and organizations that are supporting preservation and education about Gullah Geechee culture.”

Bailey is a Gullah Geechee native from Port Royal and St. Helena Island, South Carolina in Beaufort County. Bailey described the Gullah Geechee community in St. Helena, referencing the strength of their communication.

“St. Helena Island in particular has a stronghold on Gullah Geechee culture,” Bailey said.“ We’ve been able to maintain our property and maintain our land, which has really given us an opportunity to maintain our culture in a really significant way.”

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Bailey noted that many institutions are

lending their support with research and offer financial resources to help facilitate educational programs, symposiums and festivals to maintain the Gullah Geechee culture. Through this support, communities are able to address issues regarding cultural preservation, but also climate change and the impact of sea level rise on low-lying Barrier Island areas.

together and sort of bridge what is often seen as very siloed spaces, to bridge those and really talk about the issues facing the Gullah Geechee communities and how the University can be part of solutions.”

Though Fox does not identify as Gullah Geechee, he has invested significant interest in the space and culture. Fox’s involvement

would come together to bring awareness to the Gullah Geechee culture.

“I’m trying to not only establish an academic and institutional relationship with the community, but a community within that space,” Fox said.

Bailey highlighted a recent study which estimated that within Gullah Geechee Heritage tourism, there is an annual surplus of roughly $3134 billion dollars allocated to give to Gullah Geechee communities. However, no existing infrastructure is in place to support the receival of these funds and to delegate funds to appropriate parties.

“What I’ve liked so far working with the Morehouse Mellon Public History project is that there’s a great effort in trying to develop exhibits within communities and having communities at the center of telling their stories and making sure their communities are benefiting from being the storytellers of their own stories,” Bailey said.

Through acknowledging the importance of history, White highlighted the need to study and preserve generational legacies.

“I was at an event the other day with some community members of Gullah Geechee and they said, ‘Every Black folk in America is Gullah Geechee. So, just claim your heritage,’” White said. “And if that’s the case, then that means all of us have a responsibility and a duty to maintain and preserve a culture that has really, to be honest, shaped the American landscape.”

White described Georgia Southern University Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Carl L. Reiber, Ph.D.’s efforts to establish a Gullah Geechee heritage cultural center, which will officially open on Friday, June 16th.

“The other thing I will say is not only is this happening on a departmental and a college level, but also on a community level,” White said. “Our director of the Gullah Geechee center, Maxine Bryant calls it ‘communi-versity,’ where the community and the University come

at the College of Coastal Georgia allows him to commit his time to the Gullah Geechee community through education.

“We are committed to this community and an initiative to highlight the Gullah Geechee community in our region,” Fox said.

Fox proposed a Gullah Geechee initiative to the administration at the College of Coastal Georgia that is composed of academic, cultural and performative elements. Rather than hiring faculty specifically for a position in the initiative, interested individuals on campus

In earlier historical periods, the terms “Gullah” and “Geechee” were considered derogatory. In the modern age, a shift in perception of the terms has allowed individuals to embrace Gullah Geechee culture and identities and feel proud of their heritage.

“That’s where we’re headed, to a place where all of us can be on this bus together, proud and holding our banner and preserving this culture in our own ways,” Bailey said.

The three panelists introduced their current projects, promoted upcoming events and shared personal work.

CEO, Secretary of Phi Beta Kappa gives talk titled “Liberal Arts and Democracy: The Essential Link”

Civil rights attorney Frederick Lawrence speaks about place of traditional liberal arts education in contemporary United States

Tuesday, April 18, the College of William and Mary’s Democracy Initiative hosted Phi Beta Kappa Secretary, CEO alumni Frederick Lawrence in Sadler Chesapeake BC. Lawrence spoke for an hour then answered questions from students and the academic community.

“I came to the talk because [professor Peter McHenry] recommended it,” Lara Nayar ’24 said. “I’m de nitely interested in civil law and I wanted to come see what this respected scholar had to say about it.”

In Lawrence’s talk, titled “Liberal Arts and Democracy: The Essential Link,” he began with the story of PBK’s founding in a bar on December 5, 1776. That night, the now-honors fraternity came up with their mission statement, “Love of learning is the guide of life,” in which the members

then committed themselves to a lifelong pursuit of education.

PBK is an elite academic honor society for college seniors that requires a 3.9 GPA and has a 10% acceptance rate.

e Alpha of the Virginia chapter of PBK at the College hand-picks each member and holds an initiation each semester.

e society values freedom of thought and recognizes academic excellence.

Lawrences connected PBK’s early notions to the nation’s beginning, ve months prior on July 4, 1776 when the founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence and established a democracy that required “consent of the governed.” However, after clarifying that consent must always be continuous and informed, Lawrence questioned the practicality of this notion within modern American society.

He argued that an educated population is necessary for informed

consent, but in 1776, only 3% of the population attended higher education. Lawrence noted that today, less than one-third of the population attends higher education.

“Through the beginning of the 19th-century, America began to build an educated population, in part because that is an essential lament of the consent of the governed,” he said. “So, I would claim that education is essential for multiple aspects of a functioning democracy.”

In the information age, Lawrence believes education is necessary to distinguish fact from ction and to prevent a “rationally-closed mind” that cannot imagine other possibilities.

“We have access to raw information that was not imaginable even a decade or two ago,” Lawrence said. “ e trick is how do you turn raw information into knowledge? at is what the purpose of

education is.”

Lawrence argued that a civic education is required for all in a fullyfunctioning democracy, and while he talked primarily about at the collegelevel, he asserted it must begin in elementary school. Lawrence explained that it is the responsibility of teachers to foster the instinctual moral intuition and open-mindness that children possess.

In higher education, he said, providing a civic education is the rst of two core principles a professor must hold. e second principle is honesty in what is being taught. He also stated that a civic education means providing context to the laws and how they apply to our society rather than only memorizing them. Lawrence noted that debating and academic freedom of speech are also important as they give students the necessary tools to assess, analyze, question and freely think about their

government for informed consent. Lawrence stated that a liberal arts institution, like the College, is what the American tradition of civic education is all about. is distinctly American tradition of liberal education is not only necessary for democracies, but it’s essential for fostering a sustained engagement for free individuals committed to our shared values of justice, liberty, dignity and equality,” Lawrence said. Additionally, he said students with a liberal arts education are more likely to reject authoritarianism and maintain democracy, even in a turbulent social climate. Threats to the homefront, including the COVID-19 virus and racial tensions, can lead to a rise in authoritarian ideas for stability.

COURTSEY IMAGE / THE LEMON PROJECT

Panelists share recent and upcoming events they have organized to celebrate Gullah Geechee culture and their work to create cultural heritage centers.

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Youngkin’s rollback on felon’s voting rights is a step backward

Last month, Gov. Glenn Youngkin, R-V.A., reversed an existing practice in the commonwealth of Virginia that automatically restored voting rights to those who finished felony sentences. Virginia’s state constitution dictates that felons’ voting rights must be restored solely through the governor’s approval.

determined by the partisan composition of government. It does nothing to walk away from the racist history of the voting rights restoration process either, all while cheapening the value of rights. Indeed, the disenfranchisement system in Virginia dates back to its 1902 constitution, which, as Matt Ford, a writer for The Atlantic describes, aimed to “destroy black political power.”

Virginians should also be worried about the efficiency of this process, especially considering the slowdown in Youngkin’s restoration numbers. As NPR reported, Governor Youngkin’s team has been remarkably silent on how he will evaluate each application and did not respond to questions of how many more people’s rights will or may be restored.

Clearly, Youngkin’s actions are unnecessary, unjust and inefficient. So much for a “new day” in Virginia.

ment merits disenfranchisement. For example, Alabama deprives the right to vote from people who have committed crimes considered to be of “moral turpitude.”

Who gets to determine morality? And why do we accept that other rights are not restricted by morality, but voting is?

Considering these questions, this morality framework is not as rocksolid as one might think. After all, if society does think morality should play a role in determining enfranchisement, then it would make more sense to disenfranchise the most violent, immoral ex-felons, not all of them like Virginia does. You would be hard-pressed to find someone who would equate a felony white-collar crime with felony rape or manslaughter, yet this is precisely what the disenfranchisement process does.

Youngkin’s recent course of action

is inconsistent with the policies of his Republican and Democratic predecessors, with the laws of respective states, with his campaign promises and with the principle of democracy. He could have brought us into a “new day” in Virginia as promised. Instead, he has chosen to pull us back into another era. In the 2023 General Assembly elections this November, voters should remember his actions.

John Powers ’26 is a prospective Public Policy major who hails from Brooklyn, NY. He is a proud member of the College’s debate society. Contact him at jdpowers@ wm.edu.

The discussion over this issue is nothing new. In 2013, Gov. Bob McDonnell, R-V.A., took a step forward by eliminating a waiting period requirement to apply for a voting rights restoration with certain stipulations. In 2016, Gov. Terry McAuliffe, D-V.A., followed by using his clemency powers to restore the voting rights of over 200,000 citizens. However, the Virginia Supreme Court struck down this executive order, finding it was overly broad and did not consider the unique circumstances of each individual person.

Once again, we saw a shift away from strict disenfranchisement under Gov. Ralph Northam, D-V.A., who signed an executive action, which reformed the eligibility criteria for voting rights restoration in 2021. In effect, the voting rights of 69,000 citizens were restored. For some time, it appeared Youngkin would not depart from this path. As The New York Times reported, he restored the voting rights of 3,500 citizens during the first four months of his tenure. Yet in the subsequent five months, that number had declined to just 800. Then came his quiet reversal.

In rolling back the voting rights of former felons, Youngkin made Virginia the sole state to disenfranchise any person convicted of any felony. He defended his action by arguing that individual application reviews are mandated by the 2016 state court ruling mentioned above. His answer masked the fact that he has walked away from the ethos of his 2021 campaign and the principles of democracy.

A major part of Youngkin’s political appeal was his promise of a “new day” in Virginia and a clear break from the same old politicians. He even ran multiple ads of him and others walking through a crowd of zombie-like politicians, proclaiming that “the future belongs to us, not them.” Regardless of your personal political views, many would agree with the sentiment that we must progress and that ineffective politicians should not stand in our way. His message was one of hope and efficiency.

However, Youngkin’s recent move is a stark departure from that message. While the sharply divided 2016 court ruling focused on the en masse nature of McAuliffe’s executive order, it does not deem restoring the voting rights of all former felons signature-by-signature unconstitutional. In other words, the court decision does not necessarily force the governor to walk us back this far as he implies. He could follow loose eligibility criteria like Northam and restore rights caseby-case. Instead, Youngkin chooses to not universally restore rights.

This shift does little to change the perception that rights are to be

At their core, restrictions on former felons raise important questions about morality and our democracy. Why should a citizen who committed a felony and paid their debts back to society be punished with a revocation of a fundamental right? Isn’t a judicial sentence supposed to be the avenue to punish an individual?

Youngkin and those who agree with him may state that disenfranchisement serves an important public safety purpose. However, they ignore the studies showing that participation in civic life reduces recidivism. Others may argue that some crimes are so severe that punish -

Beyond Alabama, it seems that there is widespread consensus that enfranchisement expansion should only be afforded to non-violent past-incarcerated individuals. For instance, Gov. Kim Reynolds, R-I.A., signed an executive order in 2020 that restored the voting rights of most ex-felons, excluding those who committed homicide or sexual abuse. Additionally, McDonnell’s actions, mentioned above, were limited to only non-violent ex-felons. Though restricting voting rights from the most immoral individuals in society may seem acceptable at first, it begs many questions. Must a voter be a moral person? What constitutes the most immoral behavior? Why does the legal definition of a felony serve as the model for this?

youth

disbelief regarding Brown’s engagement. To deny that she has grown up is, perhaps, to continue denying that I, myself, have grown up too. But honestly, what does it mean to “grow up?”

It is undeniable that being a teenager in the 21st century is different from being one in the 15th century. In fact, according to a BBC article, the term did not even exist before the Industrial Revolution. A boy as young as 15 was expected to take on the role as “man of the family,” and a girl of the same age was supposed to take care of said family. These folks could have rightfully been called grown up. Meanwhile, in the modern day, it’s become such a trend to return home after college that insurance companies allow people to stay under their parent’s health insurance coverage until they turn 26. Whether we’re grown up until then is up for debate.

In my eyes, the difference lies in experience. Back in the day, you would have collected twice the number of stories by the time you arrived at whatever age you’re at right now. If you don’t believe me, just read Tom Sawyer. Now, most of youth is spent in the confines of a desk chair. With the expansion of compulsory K-12 education, we’ve sacrificed street smarts for book smarts.

grateful for your youth. Savor it. Rejoice in the fact that your family’s survival no longer hinges on whether you managed to successfully hunt that venison. Be grateful for the fact that you no longer have to be married off to your best friend’s cousin’s neighbor for discount cattle. Be glad that all that is asked of you at the moment is to use college to grow into who you want to be.

I concede — Brown might not be your average 19-year-old. Yes, she might have had to “grow up” somewhat faster due to her acting career. But consider all the wealth this has allowed her to accumulate. She has all the more luxury to take life one step at a time. I doubt her livelihood is resting on a dowry.

I understand the two have been together for three years, too. The way I see it, however, is that a couple more years would not be the end of the world if they truly intend to have a marriage that lasts. Do the math: a three-year relationship followed by a 50-year marriage lasts the same as a ten-year relationship followed by a 43-year marriage.

For those who haven’t heard, Millie Bobby Brown announced that she got engaged two weeks ago. For those who have heard, I’m sure it still requires effort to digest the last sentence. I’m sure of that because, in terms of reactions, I’ve already heard several variations of the same sentiment: “Wasn’t she a child just a year ago?”

There’s a lot to break down in that sentence. Firstly, it assumes she isn’t still a child. She’s 19 years old. That’s technically teenage digits. That’s also the same age as much of the class of ’26. That’s … my age.

I cannot speak for all college freshmen everywhere, but I can confidently say that I, for one, am not an adult. This piece may be published for all the internet to see, but I will gladly air out my dirty laundry if it means

I get to make my point better. So, on the topic of laundry, consider the following: I hadn’t washed a single piece of clothing before moving to college. Even after stepping onto campus, I still don't know how to do my taxes. In fact, I have never even earned a taxable paycheck. Most importantly, my sleeping companion remains a stuffed platypus. Even if none of this were true, I still would not be an adult. Why? Because I don’t feel like one. Call it a complex if you want. Tell me that the only reason I don’t feel like an adult is because I don’t want to be one — because I don’t want to get old. You could even extend that hypothesis to explain my

Technological progress has also delayed the process of maturation. Just one example: independence has become more of a lifestyle choice rather than a technical requirement of college life, especially since cell phones have made communication with the parental units just a hop, skip and tap away. It used to be a hassle - with pay phones a few decades ago and letter writing some years before that. You no longer have to fend for yourself or learn things as they’re hurled at you because you can simply shoot a text to ask how long to leave things in the microwave.

All that is to say, just because someone is 19 does not mean they are “grown up.” Now, being 19 does not mean you have to be green around the ears either, but it has become a lot more common to spend more time feeling your way about the world. And don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean to say that it’s a bad thing. By trading in a lot of what would traditionally be considered “grown up” problems, modern youths have taken on a variety of academic and extracurricular pursuits that their ancestors would only have dreamed of.

This is the part when I finally say it: be

Furthermore, if she truly loves her man, and if he truly loves her, marriage can certainly wait. If the worry is that he will fall in love with some model from Milan in the meantime, I fail to see how it doesn’t pay to be patient. I don’t know about Millie Bobby Brown, but I would rather be cheated on before I tie the knot, when breaking up doesn’t take millions in the form a divorce.

But of course, Brown will probably not read this article. I am not so prideful as to believe that it will ever cross her eyes, me being me and her being her. She will probably have her wedding before the manifestation of that kind of miracle. To those of you who are reading this article, at least, let it be known that I highly encourage you all to think twice about cashing in your youth before your time is ripe. Smell those roses. Take your time with it.

AgavniMehrabi’26isplanning todoublemajoringovernmentand finance. Outside of The Flat Hat, AgavniisamemberofWCWM90.9 andArcheryClub.EmailAgavniat almehrabi@wm.edu

No! Don’t get married that young! A note on

STAFF COLUMN

STAFF COLUMN

In rolling back the voting rights of former felons, Youngkin made Virginia the sole state to disenfranchise any person convicted of any felony.

He could have brought us into “a new day” in Virginia as promised. Instead he has chosen to pull us back into another era.

GRAPHIC BY CATHERINE STORKE / THE FLAT HAT

COURTESY PHOTO / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Protect Jewish students: The case for IHRA

Williamsburg Woes: What I miss about the College

For four years, we called the College of William and Mary home. For four years, we cheered, “One tribe, one family.” However, as my time in Williamsburg comes to an end, Jewish students are threatened with rising antisemitism across college campuses. Our presence at the College is becoming precarious. Now more than ever, it is imperative to protect Jewish students and hold antisemites accountable.

Much of this antisemitism is routinely veiled as criticism of Israel. Jewish on Campus’s 2021 Antisemitism Report recorded over 500 antisemitic incidents on college campuses. Over half of these reports were related to Israel. An Anti-Defamation League survey found that 10% of students felt unwelcome in a campus organization because of actual or perceived support for Israel as a Jew. This is more than the 6% of students who felt unwelcome because they are Jewish.

Often the connection between antisemitism and anti-Zionism, the opposition of Jewish self-determination in their native homeland, is far from subtle. At Northwestern University, a student’s op-ed about Jewish pride was printed onto a large poster board and used as a backdrop for the slogan “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” painted in blood red. The slogan itself is antisemitic, calling for the removal of Jews from Israel and the dismantling of Jewish self-determination. Furthermore, the choice of poster material is especially suspect; claims that antisemitism and anti-Zionism are not linked fall through when Jewish pride is used as a tool for anti-Zionism.

In another instance at the University of Chicago, Students for Justice in Palestine called for the dismissal of an Israeli visiting professor and the boycott of his class. Targeting an individual because of his nationality and military experience is blatant discrimination. This past January, students at the University of Michigan called for an “intifada” as the “only one solution” to the Arab-Israeli conflict. An intifada specifically refers to armed Palestinian uprisings against Israel. During a period known as the Second Intifada, over 1,000 Israelis were murdered and thousands more injured in Palestinian terror attacks ranging from suicide bombings to shootings. These students were promoting the violent uprooting and murder of Jews in Israel.

These incidents represent a continuation in antisemitism, one of the world’s oldest expressions of hatred spanning back over a thousand years. It is a unique form of hatred, being neither racial nor religious, and thus requires its own enforcement mechanism. While the College’s discrimination policy is intended to protect students and faculty from discrimination “with regard to race, creed, gender, religion, national origin, or political belief,” such a policy is inadequate without a clearly defined, working definition of antisemitism. Given the lack of effective university policy, Jewish students and allies at the College must unite and work with College administration to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism.

The IHRA definition addresses antisemitism that appears as antiZionism, making it the most extensive definition available. Manifestations of antisemitism as the “targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity” are accounted for in the IHRA definition.

Claims that the IHRA definition restricts freedom of expression should raise red flags. The IHRA definition makes it clear that legitimate criticism of Israel, such that is similar to criticisms leveled against any other country, is not antisemitism.

The work of Natan Sharansky, Israeli politician and former Soviet dissident, further clarifies this distinction. According to Sharansky, legitimate criticism of Israel is that which does not demonize Israel, does not delegitimize Israel and does not apply double standards to Israel. When criticisms do not pass this three-D test of demonization, double standards and delegitimization, it is antisemitism. IHRA’s examples of antisemitism related to Israel are consistent with the three-D test.

Another option growing in popularity is the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism, but it is an insufficient definition. While the JDA does condemn the application of “symbols, images and negative stereotypes of classical antisemitism” to Israel, it does not deem the boycotts of Israel and Israelis, double standards or the opposition of Zionism as antisemitic.

The JDA is not thorough enough nor complete enough to protect Jews from antisemitism, especially when disguised as anti-Zionism. The JDA does not consider anti-Zionism to be antisemitic, which is a major failure for a definition that purports to fight antisemitism.

The IHRA definition is the most widely agreed upon definition of antisemitism — over 30 countries have adopted it. The European Centre for Law and Justice labeled the IHRA definition as “the most comprehensive, pragmatic, and effective modern definition of antisemitism available to combat the phenomenon.”

Just an hour away, University of Richmond Jewish students have witnessed vandalism and other displays of antisemitism. According to a 2022 report by StopAntisemitism, only 28% of Jewish college students surveyed said their campus administration takes antisemitism and the protection of Jewish students seriously.

Allow students of the College to be part of this 28% who can trust their administration. There is only one way to protect Jewish students: having an effective mechanism to identify and respond to antisemitism. Let us join the ranks of 30 other universities which protect their Jewish students by adopting the IHRA definition of antisemitism.

We must take action now. Push for the IHRA working definition of antisemitism to be adopted on campus.

RachelZaslavsky‘23isaCAMERAonCampusFellow,andsheis activeinHillel,ChabadandTribeforIsrael.Rachellovestocook andmaintainsthatpeoplewholikepineappleonpizzaarethesilent majority.Contactheratrczaslavsky@wm.edu.

It might just be my highly specific For You page on TikTok, but I have recently been bombarded with videos of study abroad students listing everything they miss about the United States while overseas. These videos dramatically recount the things they just can’t wait to do or get when they get back on American soil. And so, as a student currently abroad, I’ve decided to chime in on what I personally miss most about the good old United States, and, more specifically, the City of Williamsburg.

First up is Mexican food. This seems to be what is topping everyone’s list, and it’s warranted. No matter how inauthentic you think American Mexican restaurants are, they are worlds above anything I have found in Europe. My program is in England, and although they have restaurants that serve “burritos” here, Brits’ fear of flavor and spice destroy all aspects of what should be a perfectly delicious meal. I’m not sure how you can have all of the ingredients and miss the mark so egregiously, but all I want is a cheesy chicken quesadilla and rice. Or even some subtle seasoning. Please. Even Sadler tacos sound good at this point; don’t take them for granted. And Williamsburg has so many other Mexican places to go to too! I’m jealous.

Next is water bottle filters — or just a water fountain. While sometimes a water fountain will miraculously appear, they are not very common here. You don’t know how lucky you are to have water fall straight into your water bottle from a personalized machine until you’re stuck awkwardly jamming your water bottle under the sink. I do not want to have to fill my water sideways until it spills out anymore. I want the nice water fountains to count how many plastic water bottles I’ve saved. I will never complain about room temperature water or the filter being stuck on red ever again. Just kidding, I definitely will. But Europeans need to drink more water. Seriously.

This one might be a hot take, but I miss lecture classes.

While I am very grateful for my study abroad program’s ability to provide me one-on-one contact with my teachers, sometimes I just want to sit back and listen to what someone else has to say. I miss taking notes on lectures. They’re interesting. They take little to no critical thought, unless a professor is really going off the wheels. I’m sure when I get back I won’t have the same sentiment. But right now, a girl can dream about simultaneously listening to the evolution of primates while watching the person in front of her make a tragic mistake in 2048.

I also have to talk about dining dollars. Do you know how many times I’ve just wanted a sweet treat throughout the day but was crushed by the lack of a Swemromas, Student Exchange or even a dining hall? It’s absolutely devastating to realize that in order to eat a midday snack or sip a midday drink, I need to spend my own money. I know dining dollars are, in some way, “real money.” But are they really? And unfortunately, unlike other places in Europe, England’s exchange rate is pretty unfavorable for American currency. Cost of living crisis, anyone?

And, of course, I have to state the obvious: I miss my friends. Eyeroll! I actually despise my friends and want to stay abroad longer so that I don’t have to see them. If they were expelled from campus, I would like that. In all seriousness, it’s so comforting to pass Sadler Terrace and be greeted by familiar faces or to stop and talk to five different people in Swem as a form of procrastination. Instead, the British walk head to the ground, almost sprinting by to get where they’re going — don’t even get me started on sidewalk etiquette. Plus, all the libraries here are silent, so if I do see someone I know, I just have to wave and continue on my way, or else I’ll get some serious side eye. To be fair, I do like a silent study space. Just not silence everywhere!

With all of this being said, I will be sad to leave my study abroad program. I’ll sorely miss the friends I’ve made, the culture I’ve grown accustomed to and of course, the Tesco Meal Deal. Plus, I’ve learned things abroad that I would have no access to at the College of William and Mary. But boy, oh boy, does the ‘Burg have some things going for it that I definitely took for granted and can’t wait to return to. So, as the spring semester winds to a close, make sure you appreciate what the city has to offer before the summer, especially since I don’t have the chance to.

LaurenMeyer’24isananthropologymajorandaHistory minorfromRichmond,VA.Inadditiontowritingopinions forTheFlatHat,LaurenisamemberofClubSwimmingand ClubFieldHockey.HerfavoritebeverageisaStrawberry KiwiCapriSun.Contactheratlemeyer@wm.edu.

Americans deserve better sports franchises

Last week, the Oakland Athletics announced that it had formally begun the process of relocating to Las Vegas and will end their history in California. This announcement makes them the third team in the last ten years to leave Oakland for greener pastures and the fifth major American sports team to move in the same time period. To some, this is a worrying trend — if established teams like the Athletics can relocate with impunity, then no team is safe. Comparatively speaking, however, this is by far the most stable era for American sports franchises with far fewer teams having moved in recent years than in past decades. For this reason (among others), I’m not personally worried about a surge in relocations. I do think, however, that the Athletics’ move to Las Vegas is symptomatic of deeper issues in American sports culture.

The primary reason for the Athletics’ departure is not up for debate: the team’s owner, John Fisher, has neglected both the on-field and off-field aspects of the franchise, trading the team’s best players, letting their stadium decay and generally cutting costs wherever possible. This has led to the Athletics’ current situation: 17 games under .500 and playing in a possum-infested stadium. The team’s fanbase is, understandably, fed up to the point of boycotting games and staging widespread protests in the stands. But their complaints have largely fallen on deaf ears — Fisher has remained dedicated to squeezing every last dollar out of the team. This cycle of underinvestment, decay and betrayal has thus been decades in the making and is

now reaching its peak with the proposed move to Las Vegas.

This begs the question: why is this cycle allowed to happen? Why can the actions of one man lead to the death of such a cherished cultural establishment?

To me, the answer lies in the structure of American sports teams and leagues. These entities operate the same as any

property of a single person has had disastrous effects on countless teams in the past, has created the Athletics’ current problems, and will continue to cause harm in the future.

other business (often with far fewer regulations and much greater power)

and are thus seen as opportunities for investment by their billionaire owners. Attitudes like Fisher’s are far from exceptional among this group.

While he may have taken cost-cutting further than anyone else, the practice is widespread, and it affects more than just player spending. Just look at the Pittsburgh Pirates’ stadium employees, who recently announced their intention to strike over low wages.

Underinvestment also affects fans, who deserve a competitive team and a positive pillar of their community. Unfortunately, this isn’t a guarantee — in Oakland or anywhere else — due to the American model of sports leagues being not only susceptible to owner abuse, but also designed to facilitate it. The idea that a community’s team can be private

So if the structure of American professional sports is flawed, where can we look for answers? In my opinion, the phrase itself holds the answers — look at non-American or non-professional sports. Fans of European teams hold much greater sway over their team’s decisions financially and politically as much as culturally. Supporters’ groups and community trusts allow for tangible fan power, with owners traditionally taking more of a custodial role. Another alternative example is right here on campus: college sports teams in the U.S. are held accountable by their fan bases through things like alumni funding. A third, more radical solution practiced especially in Germany is complete or partial fan ownership; in this method, the public buys shares and elects a board to make decisions. Obviously, these solutions aren’t perfect and would be hard to introduce to professional teams. However, one thing is clear: the structure of American sports leaves fans vulnerable and must be changed for the good of communities across the country.

Friday, April 21, Andrews Hall was alight with laughter, music, chatter and general elation as the queer community at the College of William and Mary gathered in celebration of its annual Queer Prom. As a part of a larger week-long program, the event was hosted collaboratively by two of the College’s prominent LGBTQ+ student organizations: Rainbow Coalition and Lambda Alliance.

Before the Queer Prom took place, this year’s Pride Week featured Sunday Night Trivia on April 16, a morning hike and a Swem Special Collections Research Center open house on April 17, more oral histories on top of a film screening on April 18, a Puppy Pride Party and Queer Sex Education workshop on April 19 and a paint night on April 20. Pride Week subsequently culminated in a Pride Fest followed by a drag showcase on Saturday. Each activity had its unique attributes to cater to a variety of student interests, with Queer Prom offering students a space to express themselves freely.

One such avenue of self-expression came from fashion, as described by Queer People of Color member TJ Manfuso ’26.

“I just wanted to show off, if I’m being honest,” Manfuso said. “And also, I love seeing the various levels of formality that people have taken into account. You see some people in skater dresses and some people in a vest.”

Certainly, a glance around the room revealed a diverse array of wardrobe choices, with each added dress, suit coat and skirt shining just as stylishly as the next. Rainbow Coalition Co-President Vincent SheaBerry ’23 connected the flexibility of the dress code to the prom’s larger intended purpose of fostering a community dedicated to inclusion and acceptance.

“We really want to try and make a space where new students on campus especially can start to develop that community in a queer space and also just really embody self-expression in whatever way they like,” SheaBerry said. “Traditionally, we say it’s semi-formal but wear whatever makes you feel most comfortable. So giving that space to students to just dance and be themselves without fear of judgment is something that we really strive for.”

This sense of community was evident to any passersby, with the Andrews floor being filled with twirling dancers and merry minglers as well as a large circle of students seated together on one side of the foyer. In light of this convivial atmosphere, attendee Alex Mekailian ’24 shared his exciting experience with encountering fresh faces.

“I think that it’s had a positive impact so far,” Mekailian said. “I’ve gotten to meet a good couple of people that I never met before. So it just feels good to bond with other queer people.”

Pride Committee member Cassie Szumigala ’23 emphasized the importance of creating this joyous and festive sense of community, especially following the isolating outbreak of COVID-19.

“I feel like pre-COVID and after COVID, there’s been a big change in how much community means to people because of everything being virtual and distanced and not being able to hang out with people,” Szumigala said. “I feel like community has such a stronger meaning

Queer Joy is Magical

The Pride Committee presents Queer Prom

and more value to people now that we are able to do stuff again.”

During quarantine, events hosted by Rainbow Coalition and Lambda Alliance like queer gallery showcases and friendship speed dating were held virtually through a program called Gather Town, which maximized its interactive properties by combining video game elements and Zoom link pop-ups. While most gatherings are held in person now, Lambda Alliance President Kell Hoofnagle ’24 pointed out that Pride Week proves the ongoing legacy of the pandemic.

“I think it’s only been as big as it’s been for the last three years,” Hoofnagle said in reference to Pride Week. “I think before that, it was only a one day event. … Pride Fest was the thing we’ve been doing for a couple more than three years, but it used to be just Pride Fest, and now I think Vincent really helped expand it to what it is now.”

According to SheaBerry, Queer Prom as of 2023 has officially existed for six years, and before the COVID-19 pandemic, it was routinely scheduled for the same day as Pride Fest. However, a weeklong program with only two in-person events was adopted in light of social distancing measures, which laid the general framework for the fun-filled festivities that continue to flourish to this day.

“When I was put in charge of planning these things, I asked if people wanted to continue that format, and they said yes,” SheaBerry said. “So it’s been a full week with seven plus events ever since.”

Preparations for this year’s Pride Week started as far back as October 2022, and unfortunately, a few obstacles had arisen by the time it premiered in April. One challenge was raising enough money through internal fundraising and external donations, as Queer Prom was not funded by the College’s Student Assembly in the way that Pride Fest and the drag showcase were. Another hurdle was booking the necessary spaces, but SheaBerry expressed a grateful satisfaction with regards to the final location of the event.

“We feel very happy getting the Andrews Hall space so that we could do the dance in a way that was in the middle of campus,” SheaBerry said. “So regardless of if you walk, bike or drive to campus, anyone could come to that space and celebrate. It was hard, but we are very proud of how it came out.”

SheaBerry spearheaded the planning and orchestration of this year’s Queer Prom, as well as Pride Week as a whole, and he has been an integral part of the process since he transferred to the College in 2021. Next year’s Pride programming will be headed by Hoofnagle, who helped administer and aid with the project for the last two years.

“It’s the culmination of hundreds of hours of work so that it can run as smoothly as possible for these people to get the festivities they deserve on campus,” SheaBerry said. “I’m sad to be stepping away from running the Pride Committee, but I am a little bit happy to have a little bit of that time back and know that Pride is in good hands for years to come.”

Hoofnagle has already taken the time to start planning out how the budgeting will go. In light of this endeavor, they have suggested that perhaps next year’s Queer Prom theme might relate to rocks, especially

since it was a frontrunner on this year’s Google form, just after this year’s final theme: “Queer Joy is Magical.” They connected the theme to the reason why they continue to devote themselves to this task.

“I think it’s important because people deserve to know that other people who are like them are gathering in community and that is a joyful thing and a thing to be celebrated,” Hoofnagle said. “You are not alone. We are here with you.”

Queer Prom would not have been possible without Pride Committee, which included members of Rainbow Coalition, members of Lambda Alliance and even some non-members looking to lend a hand. The committee was further divided into sub-committees focusing on event planning and logistics, finance and marketing and communications, all with the collective goal of creating the best event possible. Szumigala was a member of the first of these three groups, and she shared the motivation behind her participation as a desire to get involved.

“I wanted to get more involved on campus my second semester, and after all of my club exec positions had kind of run their course, I wanted to still be involved on campus,” Szumigala said. “And as a queer person myself, I felt like this was something that merged those two interests really well.”

On the marketing and communications side of Queer Prom setup, word of the dance was spread through a myriad of mediums. Physical posters were pinned across campus walls, brick paths were chalked, and information was shared with different campus institutions such as Student Assembly and the Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies Department. The subcommittee also utilized online mediums by distributing details through GroupMe, listservs and Instagram accounts. Queer Prom attendee Lauren Cook ’26 stressed that this kind of visibility serves a wider purpose at the College.

“I think the more times Pride happens, the more William and Mary is going to realize that it’s important to their students, and maybe they’ll change what they do for the College as a whole when they see how their students are reflecting that,” Cook said.

Altogether, SheaBerry defined success for Queer Prom as being able to bring a smile to the face of another student here on campus. He weighed in on the importance of delivering on this goal, especially in the greater environment surrounding the College.

“Finding a safe queer space is hard, especially in Williamsburg, Virginia,” SheaBerry said. “So even just having one student come and enjoy Queer Prom means it’s a success in my book.”

Szumigala, who tended to the check-in desk for the duration of the event, observed that her post gave her the unique opportunity to catch sight of how everyone was making the most of the night.

“[Success is] being able to observe everyone around me,” Szumigala said. “Everyone is talking to somebody — they’re involved in some way, they’re dancing, they’re picking up pride flags, like anything like that. So I would definitely describe it as a success in that way.”

Since officially joining the College’s Publications Council, now known as the Media Council, in 2012, The BotetourtSquathasbeenabletoreceiveofficialfundingfor its paper issues. The entirety of their budget goes towards publishing their papers in a presentable and high quality.

Newly printed issues of The Botetourt Squat are located around campus in places like the first floor of the Integrated Science Center and in Sadler’s Aromas, allowingstudentsthechancetograbacopyforthemselves.

pages have been relatively inactive for some time, its Instagram page remains active, with frequent posts of its most recent publications. A link to each social media account can be found on the newspaper’s main website, where all of its articles and publications can be found.

Walking through the College of William and Mary’s Sadler Center, an unassuming prospective student picks up a newspaper, anticipating obtaining the latest news on the College. Hoping to understand what the construction around campus suggests for the College’s future, the prospective student is instead met with satire stacked upon satire. Mockery lined the pages, and ridicule embedded within each and every paragraph. This prospective student picked up The Botetourt Squat, the College’s satirical newspaper.

The Botetourt Squat was founded in 2011 by freshmen of the College, with the name deriving from their meeting point: the Botetourt Complex. Printed monthly and digitally updated biweekly, the newspaper publishes satirical articles about an assortment of topics that are bizarre and outlandish yet still typically relate to the student life at the College. Articles such as “Maze of Fences to be Placed Around Swem for Student Enrichment,”

“The Fog is Coming” and “The Fog is Already Here” highlight the publication’s relevance to the student body. Written under comedic pseudonyms, the articles often have fictional figures to help further the author’s storyline; furthermore, the jokes have little parameters aside from bigotry and hate, which the organization strongly stands against.

“There’s very much a principle about not punching down,” Botetourt Squat member John Riegner ’23 said. “So you can make fun of someone who’s on an equal level to you or an authority over you … but you’re not going to make fun of someone who’s less privileged, less influential,

and you’re not going to attack someone random.”

With staff members taking inspiration from or writing about anything remotely funny, pitching ideas at The Botetourt Squat has no set practice. Oftentimes, individuals unaffiliated with the newspaper write an article on their own and send it in to be published. However, the articles must be thoroughly vetted before publication.

“If someone submits an article … clearly not ill intentioned but could come off wrong, then we’re not going to publish that. We might say, ‘Hey, we know this isn’t what you meant, but we can publish it if you want to revise it to get rid of that potentially objectionable stuff,’” Riegner said.

With no standard custom to pitching ideas, the club’s primary communication channel, Discord, is typically used to send in article ideas, pitch potential headlines and communicate generally. Oftentimes headlines are thrown out in the Discord for other staff writers to create an article; when members suggest an article, others will suggest ways to enhance it. For school-wide events, such as Day for Admitted Students, the editor-in-chief typically uses the Discord to encourage members to write on the occasion, taking advantage of the topical opportunity.

Beyond communicating through Discord, the club meets in-person weekly. Meetings range from informative writing workshops on satire and graphics to brainstorm sessions for article ideas. The first half of the semester is heavier with introductions and workshops while the latter end is calmer with many fun brainstorming and bonding opportunities.

“I was in ISC, and there was just a pile there, and I was like ‘Oh, what’s this?” Naomi Teferra ’26, a student who enjoys reading The Botetourt Squat, said. “My friend who was a sophomore told me. Then I was like, ‘Oh that’s cute,’ so I picked it up and started reading it.”

The satirical newspaper, because of its widespread distribution, often has many people reading it for the first time when they stumble across it. And many of these readers, such as Maya Banerji ’26, turn from first-time readers to long-time supporters.

“I remember I thought it was really funny the first time I read it, and I still think it’s funny when I read it,” Banerji said.

In addition to its printed copies, The Botetourt Squat also has a digital presence across Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. While its TikTok and YouTube

The website houses useful contact information and instructions on how to contribute to the newspaper, regardless of whether a student wants to join the organization as a member or just submit a one-off article to be published. The club is open to reviewing all article submissions and to new members. Moreover, members can be as active as they desire, whether that means just writingwithoutattendingmeetingsorattendingallevents.

“People can come to our meetings whenever … If people want to write but can’t come to the meetings, that’s also perfectly accepted. People can join however they want and be as active as they want,” Reigner said.

The Botetourt Squat has allowed journalists and comedians alike at the College to write about a plethora of content related to both current events and long-standing issues.Withnosetstyleguidelines,individualscanexplore new writing styles and publish their work anonymously for others to enjoy. Ultimately, The Botetourt Squat allows both its members and readers to share a laugh over inside jokes about the quirks of the College.

AGAVNI MEHRABI // FLAT HAT VARIETY EDITOR

Sharps and Flats: A sublime Spotify summer symphony

Musical

recommendations for the summer season from a Sharps and Flats columnist

There’s nothing any student at the College of William and Mary loves more after an arduous semester than summer. The smell of Coppertone sunscreen, a menagerie of tan lines, the drive-in movies, post-beach dinners with sunkissed skin and salty hair and of course, pumping your latest summer mixtape (coincidentally the name of a great album by THE DRIVER ERA) through the stereo of your car. In my book, there’s nothing quite like it.

I was born in mid-July in some of the brightest sunshine and in the depths of an infamously intense Southwestern Virginia heat wave, making me a summer girl from the very beginning. The season has always been something to look forward to, regardless of whether it’s getting out of school for the year, wearing tank tops and shorts or having a socially acceptable reason to wear shoes as infrequently as possible. However, I’ve always found one of the most characteristic things about this season to be its potential for a serious kicker of a soundtrack — we’re talking a “Mamma Mia,” “Perks of Being a Wallflower” tunnel scene, “Teen Beach Movie”-level of iconic summer playlist.

Once the weather starts to warm up, and the mornings grow ever-more bright, I inevitably nd myself counting the days until the end of the school year, yearning for my summer freedoms. And this countdown always begins when I decide to make my newest summer playlist.

Especially now that we’re getting to the final days of the semester at the College, the musical architect in me is in full swing. I listen to little bits of everything, and I’d like to recommend to students of the College some of my grooviest, most beloved summer tracks that absolutely scream sunshine in a song. I can tell you for certain that these songs will definitely get their mileage in my Honda’s stereo this summer.

I’d like to start off strong with some always dependable classics — many of which I shamelessly took from the “Guardians of the

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Galaxy” Volumes 1 and 2 playlists. “Southern Nights” by Glen Campbell and “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” by Looking Glass are two such songs. Both tunes have mellow, down-to-earth vibes and tell vivid, complex stories in their lyrics. Every time I listen to these songs, I conjure images of sitting on a screened-in porch at night, listening to the crickets and cicadas and watching the moon rise (especially with “Southern Nights,” which, as you can probably tell from the title, talks about this exact kind of thing).

I’d also put “Peaceful, Easy Feeling” by the Eagles into this same category. If you’re looking for a more energetic classic summer song, I’d send you the way of the Beach Boys, Fleetwood Mac or Steely Dan, with the songs “Good Vibrations,” “Think About Me” and “Reelin’ In the Years,” respectively. In this same vein of music is the recently minted band Daisy Jones and The Six, born out of the Amazon Prime adaptation of the Taylor Jenkins Reid novel. Featuring Riley Keogh (Daisy Jones) and Sam Claflin (Billy Dunne) as lead singers, Daisy Jones and The Six is pumping out music reminiscent of bands I’ve already mentioned. If you’re thinking you might like their music, I highly recommend “Let Me Down Easy” and “Aurora,” two of their most iconic and “summery” tracks.

If you’re looking for something from the more current music scene that could still be called a “throwback,” I’d start with at least a few songs from One Direction. Recently, I’ve found myself choosing “One Thing” and “Diana” over the more well-known and familiar “What Makes You Beautiful” and “Live While We’re Young.” In my opinion, though, you really can’t go wrong with any One Direction song if you’re looking for early 2000’s throwbacks. So much of their music has that kind of pop bubbliness that absolutely screams “summer” to me and has great sing-at-the-top-of-your-lungs-in-thecar potential.

If you enjoy One Direction but want

something a little more recent, musically complex and with more mature themes and vocals, I would suggest giving Niall Horan’s “Heartbreak Weather” album a listen, particularly the title track and the song “Dear Patience.” His music has a certain honeyed, melodic and sunny quality that helps relieve my fatigue with the trite and traditional pop sounds we often hear with artists like (brace yourselves for a hot take) Harry Styles. Not to mention, Horan is releasing his third album on June 9, and I’m sure it will become integrated into my summer soundtrack; with pre-releases like “Heaven” and “Meltdown,” I’m not sure how it couldn’t be. Moving on to other, non-1D related throwback tracks, I will forever recommend listening to Michael Franti and Spearhead. You might not recognize the name, but you’ll certainly know their smash-hit “Say Hey (I Love You),” which is a constant on any and all of my summer playlists. I’d also encourage students to listen to “The Sound of Sunshine”, which is another bright, bubbly, beach volleyball-esque song that sounds like it would play in the background of a nostalgic 2000’s coming-of-age film.

If you’re not looking for an oldie, I’ll throw out some recommendations that are more fitting to the current music scene, starting with two artists that don’t receive the attention they’re due: George Ezra and Vance Joy. You might know their names from their hit songs — Ezra’s “Budapest” and Joy’s “Riptide” — but the rest of their discography often goes undeservingly ignored. George Ezra’s most recent album “Gold Rush Kid” features beautiful and mesmerizing melodies with a vibe that I can’t describe as anything other than tropical — a theme present throughout his other albums, “Wanted on Voyage” and “Staying at Tamara’s.” Two of my current favorite songs of his are “Green Green Grass” and “Blame it On Me,” both of which produce images of the bright summer sun, palm trees and long days spent by the ocean. Also, Ezra’s smooth bass never fails

to disappoint.

Joy, on the other hand, goes in a more folk and pop-like crossover direction with songs like “Catalonia” and “Clarity.” In either case, you’ve got a very recognizable voice singing upbeat, enjoyable melodies with entertaining lyrics. If you want something with a little less energy and more down-to-earth vibes, you should listen to Surfaces, particularly, the songs “24/7/365” and “Palm Trees.” I’d also send you to Declan McKenna’s “Brazil,” which is currently enjoying immense popularity for its unique vocals, melodies and potential as a summer anthem. Last, if you’re looking for something to blast while you’re driving on the interstate at night, windows down, I’d recommend Lorde’s “Buzzcut Season” and “Green Light,” both of which have a certain euphoric sound that rings of summer freedom and adventures.

And to close out your summer playlist, a few members of the broader College community wanted to offer their recommendations for summer tunes as well.

Emma Allen ’26 is loving the songs “sun keeps on shining” by almost monday, “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift and “I’d Love it if We Made It” by The 1975. Sarah Gresham ’25 says she’ll be listening to two of her favorite artists, Harry Styles and Lizzo, especially their songs “Watermelon Sugar” and “About Damn Time” respectively. Georgi Butch ’26 recommended “Seattle Party” by Chastity Belt, “Australia” by The Shins and “Young Folks” by Peter, Bjorn and John.

In all, aligning your summer to the right music can make it something truly special. A summer playlist is more than just a collection of songs with upbeat rhythms and bright melodies — it’s an ode to the feelings and memories we come to cherish as each summer passes by. So, as you wrap up finals and move onto whatever this next summer may bring, I only hope you’ll turn your stereo up that extra notch and “Play That Funky Music” (by Wild Cherry).

Contemporary, hip-hop, ballet, all that jazz

Entertaining the College, Pointe Blank Dance Company performs its captivating showcase to spectators, illuminates wide array of unique dances

Saturday, April 22, the College of William and Mary’s Pointe Blank Dance Company held its semesterly showcase, “Don’t Stop the Music,” in Commonwealth Auditorium. Pointe Blank members specialize in a wide array of music including, but not limited to, contemporary, lyrical, tap, hip-hop, jazz and ballet.

Molly Grottkau ’23, a dancer and choreographer for the dance company, shared the underlying theme of the showcase.

“The overall theme in the end was ‘Don’t Stop the Music,’ so I think it was really just about dancing and expressing yourself, more than anything,” Grottkau explained.

The showcase was primarily in a contemporary style, with dances like “Green Light” featuring music from Lorde to the “Finale” dance featuring Rihanna’s “Don’t Stop the Music.” The showcase also included elements of ballet, jazz and tap. It was a visually compelling show, with colored lights accentuating the performances as dancers twirled, tapped and jumped in the air in different formations. The showcase’s 20 dances presented a variety of different emotions; some contained a subdued sadness while others were more intense and jubilant.

The dancers were highly skilled in portraying these different, complex emotions in synthesis with the music. In a demonstration of the many genres shown, costumes ranged from flowy, drapey white pants worn alongside ethereal music as seen in “This is Water” to casual jeans with a t-shirt during “Sittin’ On the Dock of the Bay,” which leaned into rhythm and blues.

The second-to-last dance was the Senior Dance, which was choreographed to the song “Upside

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Down” by Jack Johnson. Overall lyrical with jazz elements, the Senior Dance ended with a ballet move called a révérence which is traditionally done in ballet classes at the end to thank teachers. The révérence appeared almost curtsy-like. For these graduating seniors, the révérence was their last acknowledgement of the audience as well as their last thank you to the College for supporting them.

“The Senior Dance was more of a light-hearted piece,” Grottkau, one of the five choreographers of and dancers in the piece, said. “You could take it [with] darker tones, but we didn’t feel like that was who we are as people. We wanted to reminisce back on our childhood.”

This idyllic childhood element indeed served as a recurring theme throughout the performance. Dancers waved their arms to mimic spinning as the lyrics mentioned going round and round, and there was an emphasis on free-flowing movements. The ballet influences were not heavy-handed in the piece but rather casually inserted.

Based on the slideshow for the seniors at the beginning of the performance, it was evident that some of them had done ballet from a young age, which made the inclusion of ballet elements fitting and emotional.

The last dance was aptly titled “Don’t Stop the Music,” featuring 31 dancers and made for an energetic ending. The performers demonstrated their strong support for one another as they pointed to each other as a gesture for the audience’s attention. Performers also seemed to quickly hug one another in between solos and before taking center stage. These instances hinted at the hours of cooperation that occurred during

rehearsals and continued into the showcase. Grottkau said this kind of collaboration was necessary to get through the preparation process.

“We’re student-choreographed, and we’re fully run by our own dues,” Grottkau said. “We don’t get money from the school. Choreographing can be really tough and intense.”

Rehearsing for the showcase was a rigorous, semester-long process. There were roughly six hours of rehearsal every week, with performers having specific times based on their dances. There were also two threeand-a-half hour long dress rehearsals to prepare for the recital.

For Erin Jones ’26, a new member of Pointe Blank who performed in four dances during the showcase, the weekly rehearsals helped her seamlessly integrate into the Pointe Blank community and find a sense of belonging.

“It’s important to know that everyone’s just really welcoming and nice, and right away I felt that I was making friends and that I felt like I belonged,” Jones said. “I just loved to show up to rehearsals every week.”

With Pointe Blank welcoming all dancers of varying expertise levels, Grottkau encouraged anyone with a strong love for dance to audition.

“You need a passion for dance, and obviously…we have an audition process, but… we allow anyone to join, we don’t really base it off experience,” Grottkau said.

Audience member Tiernan Gatsby ’24 enjoyed the showcase, which was not the first she had seen from Pointe Blank.

“They dance really well together, and it makes it interesting to watch,” Gatsby said. “The nice thing about the Pointe Blank shows is that they each have a theme.”

sports

Green and Gold takes home CAA title in dominant fashion

Win marks the Tribeʼs 28th CAA title in conferenceʼs 38 year history

SYDNEY WITWER FLAT HAT SPORTS WRITER

Friday, April 21 - Sunday, April 23, William and Mary women’s tennis (15-5, 5-0 CAA) won the Colonial Athletic Association Championship at the Mackesy Tennis Center in Williamsburg, Va.

The Tribe started the tournament with a dominant performance against North Carolina Agricultural and Technical, sweeping its opponent 4-0. Key contributors to the win included graduate student Sofiya Kuzina, sophomore Emma Fernald and freshman Emma Pell, all of whom won their singles matches.

The Tribe swept the doubles matches after a strong performance from Fernald and senior Elisa Van Meeteren in their 6-0 win. The Tribe’s No. 3 doubles team of Pell and sophomore Hedda Gurholt swept their match 6-0, beating the Bulldog’s pair of freshman Nour Gueblaoui and freshman Asima Sazan.

In the No. 3 singles match, Kuzina made quick work of the Bulldog’s freshman Nuria Sanz. Kuzina dominated the first set 6-1, then finished off the match after winning the second set 6-4. This victory marks Kuzina’s first win of the postseason.

In the No. 4 match, Fernald faced freshman Isabella Romanichen. After a dominant 6-0 victory in the first set, Fernald secured her win with 6-4 victory in the second set.

Pell also contributed to the Tribe’s success with a 6-1, 6-2 victory in her match against Sazan.

The points from both the singles and doubles victories contributed to a 4-0 victory for the Tribe, which qualified the

BASEBALL

team for the semifinals against No.4 Elon (16-7) the following day. This advancement marks the Tribe’s 10th year straight advancing to the CAA semifinals.

On Saturday, William and Mary edged out Elon by a nailbiting score of 4-3.

Unlike the round before, the Tribe struggled in the doubles matches. Elon won two of the three matches and were ahead in the third when the overall match ended.

against the Elon pair this season, going back to their 6-1 loss in the previous matchup.

While the doubles matches favored Elon, the Tribe’s singles players dominated their matches. Victories from No. 1 Gurholt, No. 3 Kuzina, No. 4 Fernald and No. 6 Pell secured the semifinal victory for the Tribe.

This victory sent the Tribe to its second straight championship matchup, following its victory in their 202122 season.

On Sunday, the Tribe prepared for the chance to win backto-back CAA Championships. Its opponent, North Carolina Wilmington (13-9), dominated Drexel in a 4-0 victory in their semifinal match to qualify for the finals.

In the doubles matchups, the Tribe’s No. 1 pair of Kuzina and Stange faced UNCW’s top duo: freshman Eda Arli and graduate student Lauren Gish. The match was a close contest, but Arli and Gish pulled away with a 6-4 victory over the Tribe. The Tribe’s No. 2 pair of Fernald and Van Meeteren won 6-4 in a competitive match against UNCW’s senior Anna Daniels and senior Zoe Huffman. The third and final doubles match played by Gurholt and Pell marked another victory for the Tribe.

In the singles performances of Gurholt, Kuzina and Stange all secured wins for the Tribe. The three other singles matches went unfinished.

Elon’s No. 1 doubles pair, junior Lizette Reding and senior Sibel Tanik, won 6-2 against Tribe pair Kuzina and sophomore Ine Stange. The Tribe’s No. 2 doubles pair, Fernald and Van Meeteren, lost 5-3 to Elon’s senior Julie Ball and freshman Madison Cordisco. This loss marks the duo’s second shortcoming

This victory marks the Tribe’s 28th CAA title in the conference’s 38 year existence.

The Tribe will continue its postseason at the NCAA Championship Tournament.

Double-header sweep propels Tribe to series win against Delaware

Freshman Corey Adams comes up clutch, hits walk-off single in final game of series

Friday, April 28 - Saturday, April 29, William and Mary (27-18, 11-10 CAA) baseball hosted Delaware (21-23, 10-11 CAA) for a three game series at Plumeri Park in Williamsburg, Va. The Tribe bounced back from Friday night’s 6-3 loss with two comeback wins in a double header on Saturday, taking the series.

In Friday night’s game, Delaware started the scoring in the top of the second inning against freshman Tribe pitcher Owen Pierce. Senior infielder JJ Freeman led off the Blue Hens with a double to left field, then junior infielder Jake Dunion scored him with an RBI single up the middle. Junior catcher Tyler Leach singled to score Dunion, and sophomore outfielder Andrew Amato singled to drive in Delaware’s third run of the inning. Delaware then extended its lead in the top of the fourth inning with a two-run homerun from Amato.

William and Mary’s offense gained some momentum in the bottom of the fifth, with a double from junior catcher Nate Goranson to score senior infielder Ben Williamson. A single from freshman outfielder Tank Yaghoubi

TRACK AND FIELD

scored the Tribe’s second run and the inning concluded with Delaware still on top 5-2.

In the top of the seventh, an RBI single from Delaware’s junior infielder Joey Loynd gave the Blue Hens its sixth run. The Tribe scored one more run in the bottom of the eighth thanks to a base hit from freshman infielder Jerry Barnes III, but William and Mary was unable to bridge the deficit, and the game concluded with Delaware on top 6-3. Junior pitcher Bryce Greenly received credit with the win and Pierce recorded the loss.

A tough start to the series for the Tribe made the next two games a must-win. The teams met again on Saturday for a double header.

In the first inning, a sacrifice fly from sophomore outfielder Lucas Carmichael scored Williamson and gave the Tribe an early 1-0 lead. Both offenses went quiet until the top of the fourth inning when Delaware strung together two base hits and a double from Amato to score Freeman and tie the game. Delaware took control in the top of the fifth with an RBI single from Loynd and an RBI ground out from Dunion. The Tribe entered the bottom of the fifth down 3-1, but thanks to a massive three-run homerun from Goranson,

William and Mary regained the lead.

Sophomore pitcher Carter Lovasz came to the mound in the top of the seventh. Delaware started off hot, with a double from senior infielder Dan Covino and then a two-run homerun from Loynd to put the visiting team on top 5-4. Lovasz minimized the damage and carried the Tribe out of the inning. The Tribe offense responded again in the bottom half of the inning, as it loaded the bases and scored the game-tying run after a Goranson drew a walk. A sacrifice fly from senior catcher Max Winters scored one more for the Tribe.

Lovasz found his groove on the mound, making quick work in the top of the eighth, and bringing up the Tribe lineup at the plate. Williamson hit an RBI single, and an intentional walk of Yaghoubi loaded the bases. Goranson was hit by a pitch to bring in one more run and the Tribe ended the inning on top 8-5.

Lovasz shut down Delaware’s last scoring chance with a three up, three down inning that closed with an emphatic three pitch strikeout to give the Tribe the win and tie the series 1-1.

Graduate student pitcher Zach Tsakounis started on the mound for the Tribe in game two of the day, and Delaware jumped on the

Team notches multiple top-15 finishes at meet Tribe throwers shine at Penn Relays

Thursday, April 27 - Saturday, April 29, William and Mary’s men’s and women’s outdoor track and field teams competed in the annual Penn Relays event in Philadelphia, Pa. The Tribe competed solely in throwing events and notched multiple top-15 finishes throughout the weekend.

On Thursday, senior thrower Keeley Suzenski began the meet for the Tribe in the college hammer throw event, finishing third of 20 with a final distance of 58.68 meters. Suzenski, who competed in multiple events at the Relays, finished less than three meters short of the first place distance registered by Harvard senior thrower Cammy Garabian at a record-breaking 61.47 meters.

On Friday, both the men’s and women’s teams took part in the

MENʼS TENNIS

javelin and shot put events. In the javelin college event, seniors Kristen Herr and Zoe Metzger secured two top-20 spots for the Tribe. Metzger, who finished 11th, recorded a mark of 37.09 meters, while Herr recorded a mark of 35.60 meters to finish 15th. Although neither athletes’ throws were personal records for this season, both performances earned the Tribe valuable points towards its team total.

Suzenski also continued her impressive weekend in two more events, placing 15th in the shot put with a final distance of 13.22 meters and 12th in the discus throw college event with a final distance of 40.94 meters.

For the men’s team, freshman Jason Nwosu notched a 15th place finish in the shot put college event after his 15.45-meter throw.

On Saturday, William and Mary sent juniors Chris Arias and Liv Cantby to compete in the men’s and women’s javelin championships. Arias finished 12th in the men’s event with a final throw of 61.67 meters.

Cantby barely missed a top-10 finish at 11th place, recording an impressive 42.51-meter mark for the day.

board right away. Freeman hit an RBI single and Dunion reached on an error that scored Loynd. Junior catcher Josearmando Diaz singled to second base to score Delaware’s third and final run of the inning. In the bottom of the second inning, William and Mary started its scoring thanks to a two-RBI single from freshman infielder Corey Adams. Delaware scored one more run in the top of the third, as Diaz tripled to left field to bring the score to 4-2. Sophomore pitcher Nate Knowles came in to pitch for the Tribe in the top of the fourth. He allowed three hits and two runs, and the Blue Hens extended its lead to four.

Goranson remained hot for the Tribe, homering in the bottom of the fifth to score two and bridge the Tribe deficit back to two. In the sixth inning, both teams tacked on one more run, entering the final three innings with the Blue Hens on top 7-5. Sophomore pitcher Nick Lottchea took over on the mound in the seventh. The score held constant through the top of the ninth, putting pressure on the Tribe offense to come alive in their final chance of the game.

Tribe season ends in quarters

Monmouth shuts out Green and Gold

MAX GRILL FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR

Friday, April 28, William and Mary men’s tennis (9-11, 3-1 CAA) fell to Monmouth (18-7, 2-2) 4-0 in the quarterfinal round of the CAA championships at the Mackesy Tennis Center in Williamsburg, Va.

The Tribe, which lost in the semifinals last year as the No. 1 seed, looked to bounce back this year with a stronger performance that hopefully would result in the team’s fifth CAA title.

However, the Hawks from Monmouth had different plans.

After rain forced the match indoors, the two teams began the competition with the singles matches and decided to continue to doubles only if necessary. Unfortunately for the Tribe, not a single doubles match finished before the match ended.

The Hawks outmatched the Tribe in every singles matchup, winning the No. 1, No. 3, No. 4 and No. 6 matches in dominant fashion. Graduate student Andres Silva almost forced a lone third set in his matchup against senior Alexander Zuckerman, but ultimately fell in the second set 7-6 to end the match.

Friday’s loss marked the end of the 2022-2023 season for the Tribe, a team that potentially may look very different

next year. With four current graduate students and one senior on the team, William and Mary’s men’s tennis is eager to develop their young players and continue improving into the next season.

COURTESY IMAGE / TRIBE ATHLETICS

The Tribe celebrated its 28th CAA title after defeating UNC Wilmington 4-0, shutting out its opponent for the second time in the three round tournament.

Joseph Brailovsky

sports

First gentleman Bruce Jacobson’s ultimate commitment

Jacobson engages in Williamsburg community with lifelong love for ultimate

Ultimate Frisbee started out as a passion for Bruce Jacobson. Now, he uses the sport to build a community at the College of William and Mary and engage with the students.

From playing Spikeball in the Sunken Garden to practicing his golf swing in the yard of the President’s House, William and Mary’s First Gentleman Bruce Jacobson has emerged as an active face in the community.

Outside of his official roles on campus, such as serving on the board for Hillel at William and Mary and chairing the board of the WHRO public radio broadcast station, Jacobson embraces any opportunity to immerse himself with the energy of the campus.

Jacobson grew up in Fairfield, Conn. and credits his New England upbringing as a core component of his identity.

“The center of Mass for my family is Boston,” Jacobson said. “My parents, grandparents and first cousins all grew up there. Katherine grew up there, as well, and her family is still there. So, we think of New England as home.”

Growing up in a rural area in Fairfield County, Jacobson spent much of his time outdoors. During the summer, he swam and biked, and in the winter, he skated and played hockey.

“I’d get home from school and I’d say ‘Hi, Mom — Bye, Mom I’ll see you at dinner’,” Jacobson said. “We were just outdoors playing all the time.”

In high school, Jacobson began playing racket and team sports, participating in tennis, soccer, basketball and ping pong. After graduating high school in 1981, Jacobson attended the University of Pennsylvania, studying electrical engineering.

At Penn, Jacobson had hopes of playing Division I soccer or tennis. Instead, he fell in love with a different sport: Ultimate.

Ultimate, or ultimate frisbee, is a non-contact team sport played with a disc. Teams score points in this sport by passing the disc to a teammate in the opposing end zone. AJ Gator created Ultimate in 1968. The first intercollegiate game took place in 1972 between Rutgers University and Princeton University.

With Penn creating its Ultimate squad in 1977, Jacobson was in the second generation of the team. Ultimate appealed to Jacobson because

it offered something unique to his athletic and competitive identity.

“Ultimate was perfect because I could fit in and learn from people who were willing to coach me up and teach me how to play,” Jacobson said. “It was serious — we ran hard and we wanted to win. It was competitive.”

In 1984, Jacobson played in the first-ever College National Championship in Somerville, Mass. Although Pennsylvania lost in the semifinals, the team expected to be in contention the following year.

“One of our seniors made the point that we could win the tournament next year,” Jacobson said. “He said, ‘Look at the guys who just won the tournament this year from Stanford, half that team are seniors.’ We were only losing one senior and we had made it to the semis. We can beat those other teams.”

Throughout Jacobson’s senior year, Penn played over 140 games in the fall and spring seasons, winning over 120 of its matches. Just as the team manifested the previous year, Jacobson and the Penn squad went on to win the 1985 College National Championship. Jacobson reflects fondly on the achievement and regards it as a learning experience.

“When you set a goal, then do everything you think you need to do to achieve the goal and then to actually achieve the goal,” Jacobson said. “Yeah, it’s mind-blowing. It was life-changing for everybody on that team.”

College President Katherine Rowe and Jacobson met through Ultimate. Rowe, who started the women’s team at Carleton College, met Jacobson at a frisbee party held by one of Jacobson’s teammates. The pair started traveling to tournaments together and quickly fell in love while playing Ultimate.

“Katherine likes to say, ‘Ultimate is a recipe for lifelong happiness,’” Jacobson said. “And she encourages anybody and everybody to play it because it worked out well for her and me.”

After graduating from Penn, Jacobson accepted a job at Raytheon in Boston as an engineer focused on chip design. While at Raytheon, Jacobson formed a team to represent the company at a summer league called the Boston Area Corporate Ultimate League. Jacobson’s team ended up winning the league.

During his second year of participation, league officials approached Jacobson with an intriguing offer to take over directorial

WOMENʼS LACROSSE

in Williamsburg and in the Tidewater area of Virginia,” Jacobson said.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Merry Men — the College’s Ultimate men’s A team — invited Jacobson to play mini games. In the fall of 2021, Jacobson took over as coach of the team.

Although Jacobson holds the position of coach, the team’s captains largely organize practices and game strategy. As opposed to varsity sports, where a coach recruits players and directly runs the program, Ultimate is a club sport and the team runs most operations through its captains.

Langston Lee ’23, DJ Lewis ’24 and Sam Brothers ’25 serve as the captains. Although Jacobson’s role is mostly advisory, Brothers stressed the importance of Jacobson’s presence on the team.

responsibilities for the league.

“The woman who started the league wanted to start a family, so she didn’t have enough time to run the league anymore,” Jacobson said. “So she came to Katherine and I and said, ‘Hey, you guys take this over.’ And, so in the five years we spent as directors of the league, we grew it from 16 to 60 teams.”

Jacobson emphasizes that the cause of this exponential growth was not entirely their doing. According to Jacobson, there was always significant interest at the grassroots level — it just needed to be organized. However, he realized it was a complicated task to organize the league.

Jacobson served as regional coordinator for the overarching national organization, the Ultimate Players Association. In this role, he observed how Ultimate leagues organized across the country, and applied his findings to the leagues in Boston.

One of the changes Jacobson applied to his Boston league was introducing year-round competition. He believed the demand for competition in the area was strong enough to play year-round. He also renamed the league Boston Ultimate Disc Alliance (BUDA).

Following his travels to other regions, Jacobson wanted to adopt the organizational model of a non-profit. This allows the IRS to recognize the organization as tax-exempt due to its charitable programs. He and Rowe soon registered BUDA as a 501(c)(3) non-profit.

Although Jacobson and Rowe are no longer actively involved in BUDA, they wish for the organization’s continued success.

After moving away from Boston, Jacobson and Rowe remained involved in the Ultimate community through coaching. Settling in Northampton, Mass., Jacobson began coaching the Northampton High School Junior Varsity Ultimate team, marking his first experience as a coach.

In 2018, Rowe was sworn in as 28th president of the College, thus thrusting Jacobson into his current role as First Gentleman.

When Jacobson arrived in Williamsburg he maintained his independent consulting practice. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and his desire to do more community-minded endeavors led him and his partner to wind down the business.

“I think of my role now as just to support Katherine and work on community-building

“Bruce has helped the team out in a number of ways including team spirit,” Brothers said. “He has a couple of signature cheers, as well as a breathing exercise he leads which we all do before practice and games. Bruce also chimes in frequently during practice or games giving advice about what is working or tips about what isn’t.”

Jacobson cites his almost 40 years of Ultimate experience for the advice and guidance he provides to the team.

“My job is to make sure we’re in the right mindspace when we’re playing,” Jacobson said. “It’s their team, I’m not trying to impose a vision, but I can say in my experience, teams that win do these things. That’s what I bring to this.”

Jacobson hopes to coach this team for the foreseeable future. He embraces the opportunity to connect with students on campus as a way to continue his overarching goal of promoting community-building in the Williamsburg area.

“I’m psyched that five days a week I hang out with these 30 guys and get to know them as people, as well as what they’re thinking about on campus, what they’re anxious about, or what they’re fired up about — that’s important,” Jacobson said. “I’m not a faculty member, but I want a structural connection to students and this is the next best way to do it.”

Always an athlete, Jacobson now enjoys playing squash and golf, but Ultimate will always hold a special place in his heart. Although Jacobson concedes his competitive playing days are well behind him, he will never turn down a pickup game of Ultimate.

William and Mary thrash Elon in thunderous Senior Day win, 18-7

Tribe out of playoff contention despite win in last regular season game

Saturday, April 29, William and Mary (8-8, 3-4 CAA) women’s lacrosse beat Elon (4-12, 0-7 CAA) 18-7 at Martin Family Stadium in Williamsburg, Va.

In front of a 342-strong crowd, the Tribe overcame an early setback to secure its biggest victory of the season on Senior Day. Senior attacker London Simonides capped off her Tribe career with a personal best five goals along with an assist. Senior midfielder Sarah Cipolla recorded a game-high nine draw controls to raise her season total to 68. Her 177 career draw controls set a new program record as well.

Senior goaltender Claudia Hoeg made her first career start, recording one save before being subbed off for sophomore goaltender Elise Palmer.

After dropping crucial points during last week’s loss against conference rival Monmouth, the Tribe needed a win against Elon and losses from Monmouth

and Delaware to qualify for the Colonial Athletic Association Quarterfinals.

The Tribe struggled at the start of the match, falling behind 3-0 in the first quarter. Elon sophomore attacker Cierra Hopson opened the scoring inside five minutes, bagging her 34th goal of the season. Elon senior attacker Hannah McCarthy and sophomore midfielder Sammy Fisher added two more in the 10th and 14th minutes, respectively.

On the other hand, the Tribe struggled to convert scoring chances despite attempting eight shots in the first quarter, including three free position shots. Cipolla came closest, rattling an attempt off the post late in the quarter.

The Tribe responded quickly following the break, with sophomore midfielder Paige Gilbert notching her 13th goal of the season 35 seconds into the second quarter for the Tribe’s first of points of the day. Elon senior midfielder Kaley Ehnow restored the Phoenix’s three-goal lead less than a minute later, converting on her

attempt to make the score 4-1.

The Tribe offense worked hard to make up the deficit. First, sophomore midfielder Justyce Barber cut inside the 12-meter arc from behind the Elon goal before firing a shot past Phoenix freshman goaltender Caitlin Walsh. Simonides then netted two goals for the Tribe in the fifth and eighth minutes, the first of which came off an assist from sophomore midfielder Serena Jacobs. Jacobs turned provider again for the next Tribe goal, with sophomore attack Sam Van Gieson leveling the score at 5-5 with three minutes, 20 seconds left in the quarter. With four seconds left in the quarter, Gilbert scored her second of the match to give William and Mary its first lead of the game heading into halftime.

It was Elon’s turn to respond in the beginning of the second half as Fisher leveled the score just over two minutes into the third quarter. But the Tribe’s attack continued to convert chances, fueled by a strong performance on

faceoffs from sophomore midfielder Ainsley Huizenga, who recorded seven draw controls. Sophomore midfielder Miranda Bate’s first and Simonides’ third goal of the game extended the Tribe’s lead to 8-6 before Elon’s Fisher bagged a hat trick of her own to halve the deficit with 10 minutes, 44 seconds left in the quarter.

Despite both teams recording nine shots in the third quarter, the Tribe’s improved finishing ability proved to be the difference. Gilbert completed the Tribe’s second hat trick of the day with eight minutes, 51 seconds left in the quarter before Jacobs added another late goal to establish a comfortable three-goal lead heading into the final period of play.

William and Mary’s offensive dominance continued in the fourth quarter, with the Tribe converting on eight out of nine shots on goal.

Cipolla scored less than a minute into the period, followed by Barber’s unassisted finish to make the score 12-7. Barber scored her third goal of

the day with eight minutes, 42 seconds left on the clock to take her to a careerhigh 18 total for the season. Simonides grabbed her fifth and final goal less than 15 seconds later to make it 16-7.

Following a brief lull in the scoresheet, Jacobs netted a shot from a free position, marking the only successful attempt for either side. Then, with just over a minute remaining in the game, senior midfielder Sydney Sloan put one last Tribe shot past Phoenix goaltender Walsh to cap off a 10-goal unanswered streak. It marked the first goal of the season for Sloan, who missed the entirety of last season with a foot injury.

The 18-7 score marked the Tribe’s largest win of the season. William and Mary dominated both shots and draw controls, outpacing Elon 40-28 and 218, respectively. Defensively, sophomore goaltender Elise Palmer recorded eight stops, including seven in the second half, for a .615 save percentage.

RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT

Langston Lee ʼ23, DJ Lewis ʼ24 and Sam Brothers ʼ25 lead the Merry Men as team captains. Although Jacobson acts as coach of the team, he prefers to take an advisory role, offe ring valuable guidance during games and practices.

RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT Jacobson “skies” a defending player, meaning he catches a disc passed to him over the opposing teamʼs defender.

ELLIOTT LEE

FLAT HAT CHIEF SPORTS WRITER

RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT William and Mary first gentleman Bruce Jacobson serves as coach of the Merry Men - the menʼs Ultimate frisbee A team.