The Flat Hat March 9 2021

Vol. 111, Iss. 1 ¦ Tuesday, March 9, 2021

The Flat Hat The Weekly Student Newspaper

of The College of William and Mary

“I DON’T WANT

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GRAPHIC BY CHARLES COLEMAN / THE FLAT HAT

JAMIE HOLT / FLAT HAT PHOTOS EDITOR

ANY MORE LONG CONVERSATIONS”

STUDENTS ADVOCATE FOR RENAMING CAMPUS BUILDINGS DEDICATED TO RACIST FIGURES WILL KOBOS // FLAT HAT NEWS ASSOC. EDITOR

T

hursday, Feb. 25, a group of students assembled outside the Alumni House at the College of William and Mary to advocate for the updating of memorial names across campus. The protest took place during a recess on the Board of Visitors first day of meeting, after a last-minute schedule change canceled a student panel dedicated to discussing race issues across campus.

The student protest began their chants half an hour before the Board’s Committee on Student Experience was set to meet with representatives from the Student Assembly about race-related campus issues. The meeting and protest came on the heels of the SA-mediated, campus-wide referendum on practices for renaming the College’s buildings and statues.

The referendum and the protest marked the latest points in the contention over how far the College should go in renaming buildings, campus landmarks and awards that bear the legacies of people associated with slavery and segregation. In September, the College renamed two buildings: Maury and Trinkle Halls, now known as York River Hall and Unity Hall.

Now, the renaming commission is considering doing the same action for several buildings across campus; however, some students have criticized the measures as not going far enough.

That contention has been especially pronounced when centered on prominent alumni, such as Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe, who were slaveowners. The referendum presented students with a derogatory anonymized quote from Thomas Jefferson, of which a majority of respondents expressed disapproval.

In SA’s statement that accompanied the referendum’s results, the body criticized the administration’s position of excepting the Founding Fathers from the renaming evaluation process, as laid out in the College’s renaming guidelines.

SA’s comments strike a contrast with the statement of College Rector John Littel last September defending the continuous representation of these names across campus.

“While it is our responsibility to contextualize these individuals and add to the history already here, it is incumbent upon all of us to recognize that there would be no William and Mary and, indeed no United States of America, without these individuals,” Littel said.

Leaders of the protest yelled out racist quotes from men whose names are affixed to campus buildings, such as Lyon Gardiner Tyler, the son of U.S. President John Tyler, who served as president of the College from 1888 to 1919. Tyler was an outspoken critic of Abraham Lincoln and defender of the Confederacy. Then the crowd began to chant “change the names” in the direction of the Alumni House.

Yannira Lopez-Perez ’22 was one of the primary speakers at the protest.

“The BOV upholds white supremacy, we have to acknowledge that,” Lopez-Perez shouted to the crowd through

a megaphone. “They don’t care about any of us. But they especially don’t care about their Black students.”

As the crowd applauded Lopez-Perez, the speakers were pushed back about 50 feet by administators at the meeting, due to a state restriction on noisemaking devices near places of work. Later, when a figure appeared in a second-floor window, the protesters directed their chants there for a time.

Protest attendee Janelle Krupicka ’24 said she was there to support the SA referendum and the initiative that it represents.

“I’m hoping that the Board of Visitors will support the referendum by the Student Assembly to rename buildings on campus according to what students want,” Krupicka said.

Krupicka added that she supported a blanket ban on any building or statue commemorating a slaveowner, singling out the College’s statue of Thomas Jefferson.

“Taking those down is something that would be important to me and to a lot of other students,” Krupicka said.

Salimata Sanfo ’22, a primary organizer of the protest, said that she thought the protest would put pressure on the Board to take action on the building renaming issue.

“It’ll show the urgency,” Sanfo said. “I don’t think you can push this back anymore. I don’t want any more long conversations. I want them to see how much students really care about this issue, and see the urgency and the passion.”

Krupicka spoke on the importance of the alumni’s reaction and the intricacies behind the process of renaming.

“I think a lot … will depend on the alumni reaction to the event and to the renaming in general,” Krupicka said.

“I’m not sure that just student activism independently will be enough to get the Board of Visitors to listen, but I’m hoping that a collective action could lead to more renaming.”

Hunter Hall, where the Board of Visitors met, was at its COVID-reduced capacity by the time of the protest, so the students outside were not admitted to watch the meeting in person. However, administrative staff distributed a flyer giving those present the phone number to dial in and listen to the session.

The atmosphere in the session of the Board of Visitors, which began inside the Alumni House just as the protest ended, was much more subdued in comparison.

The meeting consisted of representatives of the Student Assembly and various SA committees speaking to the Board and fielding questions from Board members about broader issues of campus diversity.

The SA representatives discussed with the Board ideas for promoting racial inclusion and multiculturalism within the College’s curriculum. However, though it was the highlight of the events outside, the renaming issue was not explicitly discussed by the panel inside, and the Board of Visitors session was given over entirely to discussion, rather than any formal vote.

CAMPUS

William and Mary Workers Union protests faculty layoffs Non-tenure faculty face job losses from COVID-19-related budget restructuring CALLIE BOOTH FLAT HAT NEWS ASSOC. EDITOR

Friday, Feb. 26, the College of William and Mary Workers Union held a rally in the Sir Christopher Wren Building courtyard to protest the non-renewal of contracts of several non-tenure eligible faculty workers at the end of the spring 2021 semester.

The NTE faculty were notified of this decision Wednesday Dec. 9 and Friday Dec. 11. News quickly spread to students via an open letter from Professor Scott Challener, one of the affected faculty members.

Around 150 students, faculty and staff came to the physicallydistanced rally to show their support for the Workers Union.

INDEX News Opinions Variety Sports News

Attendees followed COVID-19 protocols, with members of the College Socialists, who work with the Workers Union, passing out masks with sayings such as “Protect W&M Jobs.” The Workers Union also asked supporters to bring pots and pans to make noise with, as a safer alternative to shouting.

The rally was led by Jasper Conner PhD ’24 who is a member of the W&M Workers Union.

The rally was led by Jasper Conner, a PhD candidate at the College, who is a member of the W&M Workers Union. Conner thanked the participants for their role in this cause.

"Thank you for coming out to the William and Mary Workers Union rally to protect William & Mary jobs," Conner said. "It’s kind of a dark time, it’s a tough time to be a worker on a campus.”

Inside Opinions 2 3-4 5-6 7 8

Outgoing Editor-in-Chief bids farewell

Ethan Brown '21 shares about his journey with the Flat Hat, the friends he has made and his time as Editor-in-Chief in a unforseen landmark year of unprecented times. page 3

Inside Variety

Passion and Purpose

Artist-in-Residence Steve Prince opens up about his lifetime relationship with art and his inspirations. page 5

Professor Fabian Arzuaga, an affected NTE faculty member, also spoke at the rally. He explained how approximately half of the faculty members at the College are tenured, putting the remaining half in a situation where their jobs are not secured.

“Many of these NTE faculty members have job titles such as visiting assistant professor” Arzuaga said. “This comes from days when someone was visiting from somewhere and you had a home institution to return to. The only home institution that visiting professors have today is the unemployment office.”

Arzuaga also likened modern colleges and universities to businesses trying to make a profit.

See NTE page 8

Inside Sports

Tribe falls in CAA quarters Men's basketball rode a strong start to a wire-to-wire victory over UNC-Wilmington in the first round of the 2021 CAA tournament but succumbed to a 22-4 loss. page 7

newsinsight “

News Editor Alexandra Byrne News Editor Charles Coleman News Editor Molly Parks fhnews@gmail.com

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The Flat Hat ¦ Tuesday, March 9, 2021 ¦ Page 2

THE BUZZ

I just think it s really, really reassuring to see this level of support. I ve seen so many people here who I know peripherally from classes or like, through Twitter. It s just a really affirming, really cool thing to see all these people from all these different areas come together to show their support for this faculty.

̶ Erik Wells 23

FLAT HAT NEWS BRIEF Attempted child abduction reported in Merchant s Square adjacent to College s campus Monday, Mar. 8 the Williamsburg Police Department announced the attempted abduction of a 10-year-old female in Merchant’s Square on the 400 block of W. Duke of Gloucester Street, just beyond the College of William and Mary’s campus. The suspect allegedly forcefully grabbed and pulled the child by the wrist while she was sitting in a chair.

Master Police Officer Charlie Ericsson said in a news release that the incident occured between 6:20 p.m. and 6:40 p.m. on Friday, Mar. 5. The abduction was prevented when an unidentified witness intervened and the suspect fled the scene toward Francis Street. The mother of the child reported the incident to police later that day.

The suspect was described by a witness as a male between the ages of 35 and 45 wearing a black hoodie and gray pants. He was not wearing a mask.

WMPD Chief Deb Cheesebro alerted the College community of the incident via a Mar. 8 email. Cheesebro gave some details of the incident and encouraged caution due to its proximity to campus. Cheesebro urged any students, faculty or staff who may have been in the area to notify Williamsburg Police.

No further details about the incident have been released, but the investigation into the incident is ongoing. The Police Department is offering a $1,000 reward for any information that may lead to an arrest.

Those with information regarding the identity of the suspect or who witnessed the incident can call the Williamsburg Police Department at 757-220-2331 or call the anonymous Peninsula Crime Line at 888-562-5887.

BRIEF BY ALEXANDRA BYRNE AND CHARLES COLEMAN / THE FLAT HAT

CORRECTIONS The Flat Hat wishes to correct any fact printed incorrectly.

Corrections may be submitted in email to the editor of the section in which the incorrect information was printed. Requests for corrections will be accepted at any time.

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Claire Hogan Editor-in-Chief Lulu Dawes Managing Editor Zoe Beardsley Executive Editor Rebecca Klinger Digital Media Editor

Alexandra Byrne News Editor Charles Coleman News Editor Molly Parks News Editor Ashanti Jones Variety Editor Grace Olsen Variety Editor Lexie Hiestand Sports Editor Nathan Seidel Sports Editor Lucas Harsche Opinons Editor Alyssa Slovin Opinions Editor Nick Reeder Data Editor Callie Booth News Assoc. Editor Patrick Byrne News Assoc. Editor William Kobos News Assoc. Editor Kim Lores News Assoc. Editor Abby Paras News Assoc. Editor Philip Schueler News Assoc. Editor Madeleine Harris Variety Assoc. Editor JR Herman Variety Assoc. Editor Ellie Kurlander Variety Assoc. Editor

Mariellynn Maurer 95 turned Richmond Hall into the College s quarantine dorm

Emma Ford Operations Coordinator Isabella DiFulvio Webmaster Victor Tran Webmaster Ashley Huang Online Editor Noah Broude Online Editor Erica Smedley Social Media Editor Judith Hahn Podcast Editor Nina Raneses Copy Chief Jamie Holt Photos Editor Nick Meyer Photos Editor Georgia Thoms Chief Staff Writer Adithi Ramakrishnan Chief Variety Writer Tara Vasanth Graphics Editor Linda Li Variety Assoc. Editor Daly Martorano Variety Assoc. Editor Bushra Bablu Opinions Assoc. Editor Elaine Godwin Opinions Assoc. Editor Caitlin Noe Opinions Assoc. Editor Jake Forbes Sports Assoc. Editor Leif McCoy Data Assoc. Editor Ellie Voorhis Online Assoc. Editor Justin Sherlock Photos Assoc. Editor

As the COVID-19 pandemic pushes on, students at the College of William and Mary have spent the past year avoiding Richmond Hall, the designated quarantine dorm on campus. Director of Conference and Events Services Mariellynn Maurer ’95, however, spends nearly every day there.

Maurer runs the quarantine housing program that serves students living on campus who contract COVID-19 or are otherwise instructed to quarantine. She works in a team of four, along with Todd Cooke, Logan Zumbrun and Madelyn Phillips. Maurer and her colleagues handle all the logistics and support services for students in Richmond Hall, including meal delivery, laundry, mail pickup and cleaning.

“In standing it up, I met with a lot of people across the university, who really were key players to help inform and help us make it robust and sustainable,” Maurer said. “As the semester started, and we started to have more cases, we realized it was a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week job.

And there’s only four of us.”

Maurer and her team work in pairs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day. Often, they work beyond those hours depending on incoming positive cases, which can occur at any time. Maurer said her day can start as early as 8 a.m. To relieve the workload somewhat, a volunteer team of dispatchers help Maurer monitor incoming deliveries and transport packages and food to the correct rooms.

Most of the dispatcher volunteers are also employees of the College, primarily from Auxiliary Services.

Maurer herself has a background in event planning and coordination. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and most in-person functions were canceled, the events team realized they would need to switch roles.

“We already probably were the one other department on campus who really knew a lot about residence halls and running them and just all the things about the facility — the maintenance, what to look for, security, expectations and standards that the university has for the residence halls,” Maurer said. “And so when COVID came, and the realization after the working groups began for the Path Forward, realizing how much additional work and how much change was going to be down the road for Residence Life as they navigated move-in and trying to bring everybody back to campus in the fall and all the changes that they were going to have to handle in the residence halls. They looked to us to partner with

them to help since we were kind of their existing partner.”

Conference services had been used to working unusual and long hours. At the height of conference season in June and July, Maurer said there could be up to 80 or 90 conferences and special events happening on campus. While the team was no stranger to an intense schedule, running Richmond Hall has proven to be a marathon, with no definite end in sight.

“

We don t really know when the end is coming.

That s probably the part where the unknown wears on us.

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COURTESY PHOTO / CARMEN HONKER

Sam Gruber Business Manager Matt Lowrie Standards Editor Ryan Leventhal Webmaster

Quarantine Queen ALEXANDRA BYRNE // FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR

A THOUSAND WORDS

Editor flathat.editor@gmail.com Managing flathat.managing@gmail.com Executive flathat.executive@gmail.com Magazine editor@flathatmagazine.com News fhnews@gmail.com Sports flathatsports@gmail.com Copy flathatcopy@gmail.com

COURTESY PHOTO / WM.EDU

Mariellyn Maurer 95 built the College s COVID-19 quarantine housing program from the ground up, drawing on her experiences in conference services

̶ Mariellynn Maurer 95

“We don’t really know when the end is coming,” Maurer said. “That’s probably the part where the unknown wears on us, just the same way that the unknown wears on so many people. And I think that’s really where tiredness comes from.

Having to approach each day with as much intensity and care and sensitivity as you did in the very beginning — not getting tired or lazy about anything, because that could have a lot of really negative effects. If we were to make mistakes, but also, kind of just not knowing when is all of this going to be finished? You know, when will COVID end? And when will we not need quarantine housing to support students anymore? We don’t really know the answer to that, as we don’t know the answer to so many questions.”

The long-term unknowns wear on Maurer more than the daily work. While building the quarantine program from the ground-up with very little precedent was not easy, Maurer said the team celebrates the little joys. Early on, when a student left quarantine, they would celebrate with a ‘congratulations’ banner and pom-poms.

“And you know, we were really excited for them,” Maurer said. “And they were really excited that they made it through.

And that was 14 days back then. Now it’s 10 days. But we still get really excited when somebody finishes, and they get to return.”

Students in isolation have very few interactions with the outside world.

Maurer and her team know that they may be the only people students see for weeks.

Since students are only able to open their doors to get fresh air — but not allowed to take walks or go outside — Maurer and her team will engage students in physically distant, masked conversations. Daily food drop-offs become an event.

Maurer is in constant contact with the testing and tracing team, Dining Services and the Student Health Center, as well as trainers for athletes in quarantine.

She also coordinates maintenance and housekeeping visits — after each room is vacated, it is locked down for seven days before anyone can enter to clean it.

The Richmond Hall team has also worked to facilitate less obvious services for students. At the beginning of each semester, for example, they had to coordinate with the bookstore for textbook drop-offs. As arrivals picked up, the team pre-packaged utensils, flatware and coffee kits. Students also have access to a pantry — which Maurer described as a smaller version of the student exchange — from which students can purchase additional goods and snacks with their dining dollars. Maurer said that they are also looking to partner with AMP and other organizations on campus to provide programming for students in isolation.

“Nobody wants to end up in quarantine or isolation,” Maurer said. “And nobody’s ever happy when they arrive. But our hope is that we can just keep them comfortable and supported and connected. And make that time go quickly so they can make a smooth transition back to campus.”

Ultimately, Maurer said she tries to see things from a student’s perspective and learn along the way. Her hope is to give each new arrival an easier quarantine experience than the last.

“I think oftentimes, unless you know somebody who has been through Richmond Hall, it may be very nerve wracking to think about having to come to Richmond Hall,” Maurer said. “But I would just want them to know that we are there. We always say we’re there to make what is usually an uncomfortable situation as comfortable as possible, through service. That’s really what we’re doing is just trying to tend to their needs.”

opinions

Opinions Editor Lucas Harsche Opinions Editor Alyssa Slovin fhopinions@gmail.com // @theflathat

The Flat Hat ¦ Tuesday, March 9, 2021 ¦ Page 3

STAFF COLUMN

Outgoing Editor-in-Chief bids farewell Ethan Brown

OUTGOING FLAT HAT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

On the front cover of my first issue as The Flat Hat’s 110th Editor-inChief in February 2020, our staff published a brief article about Sam Jones’s retirement. Jones, we wrote, was expected to step down from his role in June. None of us anticipated that that article — as innocuous as it seemed — would tie in with a piece we published in the previous week’s issue about an unnerving virus causing a new disease named COVID-19.

Simply put, we had no idea that within two weeks, the College of William and Mary and the entire world would be unrecognizable. Just as it has defined every waking minute of the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has defined my tenure as editor-in-chief. But reflecting on the past year, I feel extremely grateful to have managed one of the College’s strongest and most storied institutions.

As it has been for every outgoing editor-in-chief since 1911, stepping down from this role is bittersweet. Leaving The Flat Hat means leaving my home of four years. I’ve made lifelong friends, told incredible stories, and come face-to-face with every corner of our community from our dingy office in Campus Center. But it wasn’t always easy.

Like many other students at the College, I’ve struggled with anxiety, depression and disordered eating since I was in high school. I reached a low point during sophomore year when I was then training to become The Flat Hat’s managing editor. Things weren’t good; I wasn’t eating. I cancelled coffee dates and outings with friends because I felt too self-conscious. I criticized myself relentlessly. Everything felt so laborious and difficult, so much so that I came close to giving up on all my extracurricular activities — even though at times they were the only things bringing me joy on campus — because even they were starting to drain me.

But I kept up with The Flat Hat. Every Monday night, I’d cry in my room until 4:45 p.m., at which point I would start getting ready to trudge to the office for the beginning of our weekly production night. Swiping into Campus Center at 5 p.m., I would swallow hard, nervous that someone would call me out for my puffy eyes, or that I wouldn’t be able to make it through the first round of page edits without having to excuse myself to go cry in the bathroom.

But every week without fail, The Flat Hat made things better. Being around other people who cared about me, and who put so much effort and passion into their work, temporarily made things seem okay. Even when the work was taxing, tiresome and frustrating — which it often was — by the time we finished around 2 or 3 a.m., I always felt better than when I walked into the office. For better or worse, I put my all into The Flat Hat even on my worst days at the College, and at its core, that is what this institution is. We are a group of imperfect students trying to provide this school with honest, accurate and thought-provoking journalism — as well as a few explicit articles about gay sex — on top of classes, jobs, family commitments, mental health crises and everything else in-between.

Sometimes, we fail to meet the high standards this community justifiably sets for us. Like many other newsrooms at predominantly white institutions, The Flat Hat has a long way to go in diversifying our staff. We must improve how we cover and highlight multicultural groups and topics on campus.

Several times over the course of the past year, we have published opinion pieces that have caused pain and fostered mistrust among valued members of our student body. I’m very proud of my staff for responding to these mistakes by establishing several new initiatives at the paper designed to address these structural problems, including releasing an annual staff internal diversity report, creating a new ombudsman’s role and unveiling a formal opinions printing philosophy. These are just the first steps that The Flat Hat is taking toward creating a more equitable and accessible newsroom.

The credit for these initiatives goes to the dozens of students who’ve reached out to me about their concerns regarding The Flat Hat during my term as editor. It’s one thing to rant on Twitter — which I know many of The Flat Hat’s haters love to do — but it shows genuine commitment and generosity to reach out and talk to us about what we did wrong. I hold a special place in my heart for the many members of the College community

who came to us when we fell short and challenged us to improve our coverage. You are the reason we continue writing, filming, designing, photographing and publishing.

Looking beyond the occasional frustration and empty threats — a special shout-out to the person who threatened to burn down our office last year, which would almost be a favor given how dirty it is — I treasure this paper.

The lessons I learned here far outpace those gained from any other class, club or part-time job. With the right leadership, I know The Flat Hat will provide the same outlet for generations of student journalists to come.

I trust that no one will do a better job at carrying The Flat Hat forward than its 111th Editor-in-Chief, Claire Hogan ‘22. Claire is warm-hearted, fearless, and extremely talented but still incredibly humble. She is among the brightest people to ever grace Campus Center 25, and I am honored to call Claire a friend. With the grace and maturity that I’ve seen from her during the past two years, I know she will shape this paper for the better.

Rounding out Claire’s executive staff are Managing Editor Lulu Dawes ‘23, Executive Editor Zoe Beardsley ‘22, Digital Media Editor Rebecca Klinger ‘22 and Operations Coordinator Emma Ford ‘22.

In addition to her Instagram savvy, Lulu will bring boundless energy and enthusiasm to her new role. I’ll forever cherish Lulu’s ridiculous witticisms in the office, including the infamous “God made us co-editors because he couldn’t handle us as sisters.” Zoe brings extraordinary experience to her new role, having previously served in two section editor roles. Becca will bring endless Spotify playlists and vibrant socks to the office as she helms our online content, and Emma will bring a genuine desire to improve The Flat Hat to her new

from NPR. Nina Raneses ‘22 is taking on the intense role of copy chief. After just a few weeks, she is already slaying Oxford commas and harmonizing the

paper’s syntactical style with ease. I have full faith that she will do an amazing job.

Jamie Holt ‘22 and Nick Meyer ‘22 will lead the photos section this year.

As Jamie has already been doing for several years, they will do an excellent job encapsulating the College through the camera lens, and I am eager to see the impressive work they produce in the months to come.

Data, The Flat Hat’s newest section, will live on under Data Editor Nick Reeder ‘24. Even as a freshman, Nick is showing strong leadership and an infectious passion for data journalism. I am sure he will make sure the section continues to grow and develop over the next year.

Finally, Matt Lowrie ‘22 will serve as The Flat Hat’s inaugural standards and practices editor. In his new role, Matt will ensure our paper meets the rigorous ethical standards demanded of us as a campus institution. This vital new role will help us ensure that we are positively contributing to the community we serve. On a sappier note, beyond his stellar work at the paper, I have also had the pleasure of calling Matt my boyfriend for the past year. He had to put up with all my whining as editor-in-chief, which is deserving of a Nobel Peace Prize in and of itself, but from firsthand experience, I know no one on this campus cares as deeply and wholeheartedly about doing what is right more than him.

Matt, I love you. I’m so proud of you.

In addition to these amazing people, I leave The Flat Hat alongside some of my dearest role managing friends, who made my experience at A SHT the paper’s this paper as meaningful as it was.

ASI YLA V LA KA AT internal logistics. It Zoe Connell ‘21, one of our outgoing E G N

BY AT H YA has been a pleasure copy chiefs, was the first friend I ever made in C B SHOT HE FL I H P D /T to know, work with Williamsburg. About halfway through our three years of living GRA HEA AYNE P and befriend each of these together, I muscled her into joining The Flat Hat on a whim during our AND wonderful people. sophomore year, and she quickly rose through the ranks to lead the copy The news section will be run by the impressive tripartite team of section for several semesters. Zoe is fiercely loyal, independent and destined Charles Coleman ‘22, Alexandra Byrne ‘23 and Molly Parks ‘24. They have for great things. I’m so happy to leave the College with her as a already demonstrated tremendous grace in managing the paper’s largest lifelong friend. section, and I cannot wait to see the nuanced breaking news, profiles and Anna Boustany ‘21 was the first person I ever hired at The Flat Hat, back investigative pieces in their future. Charles, Alexandra and Molly will also be when I was a plucky opinions editor. She had a distinguished and varied joined by the extraordinarily capable Georgia Thoms ‘23 as their new chief career at the paper, writing articles for every section before becoming our staff writer, who has already demonstrated her willingness to step up to the chief operations coordinator this past year. I’m definitely biased because plate and write exceptional work. she’s one of my best friends, but I feel confident saying that no one else at Alyssa Slovin ‘22 and Lucas Harsche ‘23 will reprise their roles as opinions this college is more capable of introducing joy into people’s lives than Anna. editors. As a former opinions editor, I know how difficult their jobs can I know she has brought it to me more times than I can count. be, but I know they will continue thriving in their positions this year. I’m I met Leslie Davis ‘21 when we were both interns together in fall 2017. incredibly impressed by their drive to seek out new and engaging Leslie’s warmth and relentless work ethic as our social media editor, news perspectives on campus. editor and data editor over the past three years have been inspiring, but Variety has fabulous new leadership in Ashanti Jones ‘23 and Grace most importantly, our weekly pasta nights — which we’ve been enjoying Olsen ‘22. Their beautiful page designs, coupled with their ability to highlight for more than a year now — have kept me sane and extremely well-fed. To unique stories and experiences at the College, will serve them well in know just how special Leslie is, I recommend everyone tune into WCWM on their new positions. They will also benefit from the excellent work of new Saturdays from 4-5 p.m. to see for yourself.

Chief Staff Writer Adithi Ramakrishnan ‘22, whose high-quality work and Carmen Honker ‘21 leaves The Flat Hat after producing the best frontgenerous, easygoing nature will contribute significantly to the section. page designs that The Flat Hat has ever seen. Her unparalleled graphic Sports will be led by the impressive pair of Nathan Seidel ‘22 and Lexie design talent, combined with her strong reporting acumen, has made her a Hiestand ‘23. In a year where sports have been severely curtailed because pleasure and a joy to work with over the past four years. I also credit her and of COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve been amazed each week with their resilience outgoing copy chief Lillian Parr ‘21 for letting me come over to their house in crafting engaging content despite all the obstacles in their way. I know to spend time with their neighborhood cat, which has arguably been the that the second Tribe Athletics resumes their normal operations, Lexie and best thing to ever happen to me in Williamsburg.

Nathan will leap into action and give us the sporty coverage we’ve all been Last but not least, I also hold a special place in my heart for former waiting for. editor-in-chief Nia Kitchin ‘20, whose steadfast support from the first Our online section will do great things under Online Editors Ashley moment I stepped into The Flat Hat’s office so long ago through my tenure Huang ‘24 and Noah Broude ‘23, who are poised to move The Flat Hat as editor has demonstrated her love and passion for this paper. further into its digital age. The paper’s strides toward improving its online It has been the honor of a lifetime to work alongside these extraordinary presence will be left in their extremely capable hands alongside Social Media people during these extraordinary times. Stabilitas et fides.

Editors Erica Smedley ‘24 and Ezzie Seigel ‘23, who have already done a Ethan Brown ‘21 is an economics and government double major fantastic job at beefing up our Facebook and Instagram pages with creative, from Manassas, VA. He served as The Flat Hat’s 110th editor-in-chief, compelling content. They are also joined by Podcast Editor Judith Hahn ‘22, and is involved with the American Bosnian Collaboration Project and the who will aid in The Flat Hat’s fledgling quest to become the next Up First International Relations Club. Email Ethan at ewbrown@email.wm.edu.

GUEST COLUMN

The WORD on Reparations Part 4: Community Chardé Reid

FLAT HAT GUEST WRITER

Community. As an anthropology doctoral student who studies African diaspora history and culture, I am amazed by how humans find ways to build community — even in the most difficult circumstances. My dissertation project centers around a small Ndognolese community — roughly between 20 and 35 people — who were twice kidnapped and, by a twist of fate, arrived on the shores of the Virginia Colony in 1619.

In the grimmest of circumstances, they found ways to build community and provide for each other as their descendants’ oral histories, archival sources and archaeology continue to illustrate.

Seventy-six years later and six miles down the metaphorical road from where one of Virginia’s first Africans lived (Angela), construction of the original Sir Christopher Wren Building finally finished. A portion of the labor force that constructed and maintained the building were enslaved Africans. Enslaved labor also built the Brafferton (1723), the President’s House (1732), an observatory and various other buildings. The College of William and Mary both owned and leased enslaved Africans. In fact, “a small army of slaves maintained the College of William and Mary” prior to the Civil War. Some of these enslaved individuals and families lived in the town of Williamsburg. Some likely worshiped at the nearby Historic First Baptist Church of Williamsburg.

They founded a community.

White enslavers did all they could to disrupt this community.

The Lemon Project has yet to find evidence revealing the

location of an enslaved burial ground on campus. Additionally, it is unlikely we will ever know details about the daily lives of many of the enslaved Africans who worked and lived on campus, since many of the College’s pre-Civil War documents have been lost, destroyed or stolen over the last 328 years.

Similarly, due to racist recording practices, it’s extremely difficult to recover the names of those enslaved by the College in surviving early-campus documents. Instead, we get glimpses into the lives of the formerly enslaved when they briefly show up in campus records as “paid hire a Negro Wench two years” or “paid Mr. Allen hire of a Negro.” To date, the Lemon Project and other scholars have only recovered the names of 60 enslaved people which include Price, Winkfield, Daniell, Dick, Pompey, Adam, Nedd, Lucy, Kate, Nanny, Effy and Lemon.

The College also owned Nottoway Quarter, a working tobacco plantation purchased in 1718. Here, enslaved people worked 2,119 acres of tobacco. Their labor paid for white students’ scholarships. When the College was nearly destitute following the Revolutionary War, it and the Board of Visitors decided to take an active role in the sale of human persons. The sales of humans who formerly supported the College campus took place between 1777 and 1812.

Black Virginians’ state property tax payments have supported the College since 1906, but the student body remained segregated until 1956 when Hulon Willis enrolled in the education master’s program. The first Black undergraduate, Oscar Houser Blayton, was not permitted to enroll until 1963.

Karen Ely, Lynn Briley and Janet Brown — the first African American students to live on campus — did not move into the basement of Jefferson Hall until 1967. They moved into an

institution that had actively supported slavery and segregation without any community to support them. As Alton Coston III noted previously, Black undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff still encounter an implicit form of anti-Black racism on-campus. Like those who came before, some of us seek comfort, friendship and fellowship with members of the Black community on campus and the larger Williamsburg community, because campus sometimes feels as if it’s not for us.

Black community members at the College and our allies continue to hold it accountable for its lack of meaningful progress toward ending structural racism and other inequities in its community. Much of this intellectual labor remains unpaid.

Some of us are growing weary as we hold our own departments and the university accountable. We still await meaningful reconciliation. The Lemon Project and the Memorial to the Enslaved are beginning steps in the right direction. But the College still has so much more work to do to reckon with its history and complicity in anti-Black racism on campus and within the larger community.

Chardé Reid is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Anthropology. Her doctoral research investigates the relationship between archaeology, heritage, memory, and contemporary African American identities and communities in Tidewater Virginia. She is the Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Association Senator, a member of Student Assembly’s Reparations Committee, a member of the Lemon Project Society, and a member of the Historic First Baptist Church of Williamsburg’s Nassau Street Steering Committee. Email Chardé at lcreid01@email.wm.edu.

To view citations, visit flathatnews.com.

The Flat Hat

Page 4

Tuesday, March 9, 2021

STAFF COLUMN

STAFF COLUMN

Swem candy cane facade: gross affront to senses Christian Borio

Why doesn’t College honor actual notable alumni with statues, building names?

THE FLAT HAT

Two years ago, I wrote an opinions piece titled “Repainted wall at Caf: gross affront to senses,” where I described my distaste for the objectively disgusting shade of purple that was imposed upon the now-defunct cereal section at La Cafeteria Commons. For those of you who remember the good ole days of Caf — when the glorious cereal section was in full operation and the finicky McDonalds ice cream machine was an exciting roulette game of chance — you may remember the shocking change to the back wall. It was as if Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder not Johnny Depp) strode in and vomited a gallon’s worth of candy-coated lavender spew across the surface.

Well ladies and gentlemen, imagine my surprise when, upon returning from my year abroad at St Andrews, I found an unassuming, un-hideous hue adorning that wall. No ugly asymmetrical rainbow carpets, just a plain and modest wall with normal chairs and normal tables — although the random black-and-white prints of European streets, where only the London double-decker buses or Parisian Citroens have any color, still remain. Whoever says that The Flat Hat doesn’t create change need only walk to the back of Caf — and thank yours truly.

So now I’m back in the ’burg, frolicking through the brick fields and enjoying myself, reveling in my singlehanded defeat of the purple menace. Utter bliss. That is, until I decided to be studious and go work at Earl Gregg Swem Library. What I found before the door horrified my sensibilities beyond belief.

Utter bliss. That is, until I decided to be studious and go work at Earl Gregg Swem Library. What I found before the door horrified my sensibilities beyond belief.

The bizarre candy cane paint job on the Swem facade is a disgusting rejection of good taste that brings discredit to our school. This revolting vanity project has proven that the agents of destruction and ugliness stop at nothing to achieve world domination. The paint job features a large blockletter banner reading “TOP U.S. COLLEGE LIBRARY” and the columns are plastered with “#6 Best College Library in the U.S.,” “2019 Princeton Review” and, very uninspiringly, “Based on Student Feedback.” It’s gaudy. It’s repulsive.

Stepping into Swem makes me feel like I’m somehow implicated in this poor design choice, as if I was personally privy to the decision making, a co-conspirator. I half expect a platoon of oompa-loompas to come out of the stacks and drown me in a river of chocolate (the Willy Wonka metaphor strikes again).

Bad design is inherently combative to the senses. It’s a way of waging war on those who possess any semblance of taste.

While the ignoramuses of the world may not notice poor taste, those of us who retain the use of our eyes find it tough to stay sane amidst such perils and pitfalls.

However, there is light at the end of the tunnel. For the interests of clarity and journalistic integrity, I decided to reach out to the library and get some additional information.

My email sent at 12:31 a.m. was promptly answered a few hours later by a lovely staff member; she informed me that the facade was covered in a temporary vinyl wrap to celebrate the library’s placement on the 2019 Princeton Review list.

More importantly, she said that the vinyl wrap is soon to be removed, and the pandemic delayed the scheduled demolition as library employees began working from home. She also told me that my email prompted her to get the removal process back into motion.

Justice prevails. The Flat Hat once again spurs on change with top-notch journalism and intrepid muck-raking. And considering that we’ve fallen to the #8 Best Library in the 2021 Princeton Review, I suspect that the vinyl wrap might not be repeated.

My initial cynicism had led me to believe that the Swem facelift was spearheaded by some silly bureaucrat working in the admissions office. My imagination ran wild, telling me that a boardroom full of professional bounty hunters, gunning for that sweet unlimited student debt money, had devised this vainglorious plot as a way to lure in more dollars. This led me to hate the project more than it deserved.

Instead, the Swem facade paint job seems to be a goodnatured idea that arose from the library staff. Misplaced pride of the genuine sort is, I suppose, a much better alternative to self-interested vanity. Still, I will be glad to see the Swem facade returned to its former glory — bring back our dull brick and muted concrete, I say. Bring back what makes this school exceptionally great.

If you find anything else on this campus that merits an article-length tirade, feel free to email me at the address below.

Christian is a junior in the St Andrews Joint Degree Programme, majoring in English and minoring in economics.

He is from Savannah, Georgia. Christian has worked as a copyeditor for The Flat Hat, Flat Hat Magazine and The Saint (in St Andrews); he is also involved with the Botetourt Squat. Christian is spending his last semester at William and Mary with his brothers in the Alpha Tau Omega house, a steep upgrade from his freshman-year GGV hovel. Though he’s whiter than Casper the ghost, Christian is a BrazilianAmerican dual citizen who proudly and semi-ironically calls himself a latino. Email Christian at cmborio@email.wm.edu.

Lucas Harsche

FLAT HAT OPINIONS EDITOR

Last month, the Working Group on Principles of Naming and Renaming submitted its final report to the College of William and Mary President Katherine Rowe and the Board of Visitors. Likewise, a statistically significant portion of the student community voiced disapproval of the current manner in which we commemorate notable alumni who held oppressive views on race, gender or sexuality. Maybe you are a member of the Board of Visitors, who must seriously consider how the choice they make now concerning this report will affect the College for decades to come. Or maybe you are a student who feels strongly about this issue one way or the other.

I am not here to tell you what to think about the issue. What I am here to do is to present you with notable alumni who exemplify the best of our diverse community and whose contributions merit recognition of their own in the form of building names, statues or the like on our campus. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it is my hope that these figures at least earn their rightful recognition by the Board and universal acclamation from our student community, and that their inclusion fosters discussion in regard to future additions.

The first three alumni who, without question, deserve statue recognition are the Legacy Three. I am of course referring to Lynn Briley ‘71, Janet Brown Strafer ‘71 M.Ed. ‘77 and Karen Ely ‘71, the first three Black students to live in residence at the College. I invite you all to place yourselves in the shoes of these three young women as they first stepped foot on campus (Ely’s first step involved a racial slur written on the sidewalk) and question how much courage it must have taken to keep walking forward amidst all of the raised eyebrows and bigotry. For these three women, it was less than a lifetime ago that the thought of any Black woman coming to learn at the College was unthinkable, and yet their determination to receive the education they rightfully deserved shattered such a barrier and paved the way for thousands of future Black students. What does it say about implicit bias if we do not grant these women the commemoration they rightfully deserve?

Sports have also played a large role in the College’s history, and Tribe Athletics would no doubt benefit from honoring its greatest alumni. Why not include Arthur Matsu ‘27, the first Asian American (although not the first of Asian heritage) student at the College? Not only that, but he was also a star quarterback, the first Asian American captain of a college football team in the United States and the first Asian American to play in the NFL. I am not what one would call a sports person — not by any stretch of the imagination — but surely such accomplishments warrant no small measure of pride from our College, do they not?

The alumni I have proposed thus far are all relatively recent graduates in the College’s long history. One of the challenges in addressing how we name and rename spaces has been the College’s intractable ties with the American Revolution and all the warts of its time — but this does not necessarily have to be a bad thing. My next proposal, Robert Mursh of the Pamunkey Tribe, is actually a graduate of the Brafferton during its use as the Indian School at William and Mary. Mursh was also a veteran of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, bravely serving during battles including the Siege of Charleston and the Battle of Yorktown. He risked his life fighting for the Patriot cause, perhaps even more so while on the front lines of the war compared to the Founding Fathers whose presence on campus is ubiquitous. If our association with the Revolution is here to stay, why not include a diverse roster?

I could add far more to this list: Hulon Willis M.Ed. ‘56, the first Black student to attend the College; Mary Jo White ‘70, the first woman to serve as U.S. attorney in Manhattan; Stephanie Murphy ‘00, the first Vietnamese American woman elected to the U.S. Congress. While our College still has ways to go in order to achieve equal recognition, here is a rich tapestry of diversity we can weave if we seize the opportunity. Regardless of whether or not the current names and statues are subtracted, I find it very difficult to imagine why anyone would argue against the addition of these extraordinary alumni.

Lucas Harsche ’23 is majoring in History. In addition to The Flat Hat, Lucas is also the treasurer for GRAPHIC BY ALLY LIU AND HEADSHOTS BY both Swim Club and Active Minds, and KAYLA PAYNE AND plays violin in the Symphony Orchestra.

ANGELA VASISHTA / Email Lucas at lmharsche@email.wm.edu.

THE FLAT HAT To view citations, visit flathatnews.com.

STAFF COLUMN

What will the College do about previous marijuana use allegations? precedent, I am highly curious to see what actions the College of William and Mary plans to take in the next few years about marijuana use and possession on campus, both past and present.

Elaine Godwin

FLAT HAT OPINIONS ASSOC. EDITOR

As many residents have heard, the Virginia General Assembly recently voted to pass two different bills that would effectively legalize the recreational use of marijuana. This legalization is projected to come into effect in the beginning of 2024, allowing for three years of planning and transition toward this future.

The commonwealth has previously decriminalized simple possession, and these new bills seek to build upon that foundation to further normalize the role and importance of marijuana.

The decision to legalize recreational marijuana comes after many years of racial justice attempts, considering Black Virginians are more likely to be arrested and convicted because of marijuana possession and use. Many citizens who now sit in state jails are there simply because of this, in conjecture with racial profiling and police harassment of Black neighborhoods and areas.

Notably, a portion of one of the bills passed addresses the process for expungement of criminal records relating to charges that will become legal under the new law, as well as entire acquittals of crimes.

Considering that the commonwealth plans to address and set such a

I am highly curious to see what actions the College of William and Mary plans to take in the next few years about marijuana use and possession on campus, both past and present.

It is no secret that there have been plenty of drug busts in the history of the College, one of the largest being the spring 2018 drug bust.

Punishment for drug possession, including marijuana, can range from simple privileges being revoked to complete dismissal and expulsion from the College. The full Policy Notice Regarding Alcohol and Other Drug Use outlines the actions the College may take, but students and staff may still have to answer to local law enforcement as well.

Although sooner would be better than later, the College needs to begin creating its stance and plan

for addressing marijuana possession in the next three years. It is unfair to keep students and staff who may have been previously convicted removed and expelled from campus, especially considering that the soon-to-be legal possession of marijuana should not bar someone from higher education.

In light of the College’s recent refusal to take immediate action against the racist names and statues on campus, it is not surprising that they have been so quiet. Drug possession and the sale of all sorts of substances have been linked to disparities between races; those with more societal prejudice on their backs are more likely to both sell and use drugs. As mentioned previously, Black Americans are also more likely to be policed and therefore arrested for these so-called crimes. This is purely because of the prevalent systemic racism in the United States.

The administration is most certainly aware of this, and even if they would not like to admit it : if Black Lives Matter, so do Black drug users.

Moving for ward, the College must answer this call, and specifically address the marijuana legalization in context of the College. Most importantly, the stubborn administration needs to think long and hard about how they are contributing to racial prejudice as long as they are committed to taking a hard stance against drug possession.

Elaine Godwin ‘22 is an English and Data Science double major.

As a queer person, she has a unique view on the world and is dedicated to inclusion for the LGBTQ+ community. Email Elaine at sgodwin@email.wm.edu.

To view citations, visit flathatnews.com.

variety

Variety Editor Ashanti Jones Variety Editor Grace Olsen flathat.variety@gmail.com

The Flat Hat

| Tuesday, March 9, 2021 | Page 5

ELLIE KURLANDER / THE FLAT HAT

PASSION AND PURPOSE

Steve Prince details his journey through art, community and reconciliation ELLIE KURLANDER // FLAT HAT VARIETY ASSOC. EDITOR In every correspondence, Steve Prince makes sure to sign off his emails with a simple yet effective “peace.” Prince is the Muscarelle Museum of Art’s director of engagement and distinguished artist-in-residence and has dedicated his entire career to cultivating and connecting with diverse communities through art and education. Apart from his impressive portfolio, Prince is an individual who perfectly personifies the intersection between passion and purpose.

“I’m doing what I’ve wanted to do since I was five,” Prince said. “I’ve done nothing outside of my field, I held no job that did not relate to art. Everything is art to me.”

One notable aspect about Prince is his adopted title of “art evangelist.” The term was first coined 10 years ago by Prince’s friend Phil Schaasfma.

Prince made it clear that he embraces the term with the utmost humility. Similar to evangelists in the Bible, Prince’s unique approach to art takes the form of storytelling as a means of connecting with people, particularly when tackling themes of race, reconciliation and healing. His work presents a story that goes deeper than simply a picture, and he travels across the world to share the message within his art.

“I believe that my work, and the skills and the gifts that I have as an artist are inspired

by God,” Prince said. “When I think about this idea of being an art evangelist, it is not something light and loose to say. It is something that I take very seriously and that is very much a part of and tied into who I am as a person. My care for community is exemplified by that title.”

In addition to his faith, much of Prince’s artistic inspiration stems from New Orleans, La., his hometown.

“There’s something about home, there’s something about the sounds, the smells, those things that go back to your earliest foundations of growing up,” Prince said. “I have not gone to any place that looks like New Orleans. There are places I’ve gone to that remind me of home, but no place is like the house I grew up in, or the yard in which I played.”

For Prince, New Orleans is packed with nostalgia, an idea many college students who are leaving home for the first time may understand.

As director of engagement, Prince oversees education outreach. He interacts with an array of people ranging from elementary schoolers to adults. Prince serves as a voice for the museum, drawing people in through education experiences, specifically around art and art-making. For example, before our discussion, Prince spent the morning teaching a class in the business school on creative problem solving. The age of Zoom has allowed Prince greater access to education programs that extend outside the greater Williamsburg community.

“The beauty of Zoom is now I am international,” Prince said. “I get to go all over the place and teach to all different age brackets, it’s just I can’t look over the student’s shoulder and give them a one-on-one, but I try my best to create an authentic setting.”

One of Prince’s pieces is located on campus on the first floor of Gregg Swem Library. In 2017, Prince facilitated a one-month art program with 12 students ranging from 18 to 70 years old. The final piece entitled “Lemonade: A Picture of America” was produced for the 50th anniversary of the first African American residential students at the College.

“We were in Andrews for one month every day for four to five hours a day,” Prince said.

“Students had a hand in every aspect of the mural” On day one, Prince paired all the students in the class randomly with someone they didn't know. They were then tasked with creating plaster masks of their partner’s face.

“I tried my best to create a space to say that not only is this class safe, but I will protect you and I won’t do anything that’s gonna hurt you to the best of my ability,” Prince said. “We all create an equal system of trust between each other.”

Prince explained that the greatest day came halfway through the program when the three women who were the first African American residential students at the College visited the studio and spoke with the participants. Each student then had the opportunity to assist in creating a plaster mask of them “I sat the three women down on high chairs and every student touched the women’s faces and put a piece of plaster on,” Prince said. “We then took wax out of that and put it into molds and then poured bronze into that. The three masks on the bottom of the mural are their actual faces. We did no other manipulation” All of the other masks present on the mural were a joint collaboration between the pairings made at the beginning of the program. The collaboration was in an effort to blend both participants’ stories together to tell a singular story.

“Now the partners are connected for life, their stories are shared in the making of that piece,” Prince said. “It’s the way of working together where we can break those barriers down and push past the stereotypes, that we can really cultivate a relationship that’s built on truth, beyond the surface of that mask.”

Themes of reconciliation and healing also play prominent roles in Prince’s work. To commemorate the 400th anniversary of the first arrival of enslaved people in the United States at Point Comfort in Hampton, Va., Prince created the “Links” project which is on permanent display at the Sadler Center.

This colossal piece is made up of puzzle pieces with a yellow chain link that runs down the middle of it. Prince worked with over 500 people over the course of six months from 20 countries. Each puzzle piece holds the name, location and age of every participant.

“We created about 30 workshops and each person made their individualized puzzle piece and then we brought all those pieces back together around that chain link motif which is a symbol of our inextricable connection,” Prince said.

The project culminated in a festival outside of the Sir Christopher Wren Building, where a steam roller was used to print the final image. All of those pieces were then brought back

to the museum and were part of the show entitled “1619, 2019.”

The Muscarelle then bought many of the pieces presented in the show. Prince explained that this was done in an effort “to further enrich the collection so that the collection is more reflective of the diversity of not only campus but the diversity of our nation.”

Prince is an artist in perpetual motion, and his work shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. As recently as this week, Prince assisted in launching a new project in association with the program “Cultural Arts Experience” led by the Greater Williamsburg Women’s Association.

In a joint collaboration, Prince and the GWWA developed a project called “Art in a Box” for middle school students.

“We got together art supplies, information sheets on a few artists from the Museum’s collection,” Prince said.

“We sent art supplies and infor mation to the kids and asked them to make an art piece thinking about the stylistic working of those two artists while als o thinking about making an or iginal pie ce that speaks to these times that w e ’ re going through right now.”

All of the pieces submitted were documented digitally and will be presented in a virtual exhibition through the Muscarelle Museum.

In addition to his w ork w ith the Mu s c a re l l e, Prince is also working on a personal project with h i s f i a n c e e nt i t l e d “Nine” which serves as a tribute to the Little Rock Nine. Prince is now preparing for a national tour that will travel to Richmond, San Antonio, Denver a n d Ne w O r l e a n s beginning in 2022.

In his closing thoughts,Prince presented advice for any young person who also wishes to pursue a career in the arts.

“First, do as much research as you possibly can about the field,” Prince said. “S e condly, it is ab out building community and finding people that are running along similar paths that you are. Those people can provide models for you to follow. What ’s critical is not to tr y to be them. Your voice is cultivated by seeing, learning and mimicr y. I also encourage practicing your craft, you can’t just talk about the work you have to do, you have to actually make it happen. The best teacher is practice. Then those doors and those opportunities will start popping open. When those doors open, do not be surprised, don't go through the door believing you’re unqualified. Hurdle past the thoughts of self-doubt and then walk through the door when it opens, not with arrogance but with the confidence of knowing you’ll do the job well.”

Page 6

Tuesday, March 9, 2021

The Flat Hat

A CHORAL CONUNDRUM

COVID-19 forces the College s A Cappella groups to adapt to the unprecedented times JR HERMAN // FLAT HAT VARIETY ASSOCIATE EDITOR

ZACH LUTZKY / THE FLAT HAT

The Gentlemen of the College, the College of William and Mary’s oldest all-male a cappella group, used to rehearse twice a week from 7:10 to 9:10 p.m. on the third floor of Washington Hall. This year, due to COVID-19 restrictions, you can find them practicing in the Morton parking garage.

The College is home to a plethora of a cappella groups, all of which have been hit especially hard by the pandemic. The central mission of a cappella groups, which is to perform in front of large audiences of friends and classmates, is simply incompatible with current conditions. According to the CDC, choral singing is a very high-risk activity. This is not only due to the gathering size, but also because the very nature of singing, especially loud and consonant-rich singing, transmits COVID aerosols at a much higher frequency than regular speaking. A cappella groups are, by definition, COVID-unsafe. However, by adapting COVID mitigation techniques, the College’s a cappella groups have been able to continue operating, just in a very different way.

Aidan O’Connell ’22, member and business manager of The Gentlemen of the College, explained that although auditions, elections and song selection meetings were all conducted virtually to minimize in-person contact, callbacks and rehearsals for the group have been in person with COVID mitigation techniques in place.

“We started last fall rehearsing masked, 10 feet apart, in the courtyard between Blow and Monroe Hall, which was less than ideal in terms of lighting and sound quality,” O’Connell said. “Those mask and distancing requirements have been and will be the same for everything we do in-person, but thankfully we’ve since been able to move our once-per-week, full group rehearsals to the Morton parking garage, which has much better acoustics and lighting. Our full group rehearsals are every Thursday night from 7:30 to 9 at the garage, and on Tuesdays we split the group into two to three cohorts for one-hour sectional rehearsals at primarily either Wren or Ewell Portico.”

Rehearsals are a serious time commitment, but they allow members to practice their musical repertoire for upcoming performances, which in normal years are quite frequent. Performing once a week on average, the Gentlemen of the College are the most active of all a cappella groups on campus. Traditionally, the holiday season is particularly busy, with the group sometimes performing up to three times in a single week. Their main performances include the semesterly showcase before the call for auditions, the end of year final concert, typically held in Commonwealth Auditorium before final exams, as well as two Wren 10 concerts.

For those unfamiliar with Wren 10s, in normal years, every week one of the College’s many a cappella groups perform some of their favorite tunes at 10 p.m. on the Wren Portico in front of friends and classmates. The Gentlemen of the College were one of the few groups fortunate enough to host a Wren 10 concert during the fall semester; however, all other performances and gigs were simply impossible due to the pandemic. Sans pandemic, the group usually performs at campus events, retirement homes, local businesses and occasionally even a nearby wedding. Unfortunately, semesterly weekend retreats also fell victim to the pandemic, as did the highly-anticipated spring break tour, which allows members to travel, perform and spend time together enjoying all that their destination cities (in the past Nashville, New Orleans and Chicago, etc.) have to offer.

One of the group’s main priorities for this semester is releasing its new album. Recorded last spring before the beginning of the pandemic, the album’s release was delayed due to COVID. As for in-person activities, all plans are contingent upon both state laws and college specific rules regarding gathering limits and other COVID mitigation rules. Surges in campus cases could decrease the ability to hold in-person events.

However, The Gentlemen of the College are hopeful they will be able to host another in-person, masked and physically-distanced Wren 10 performance, as well as a final concert outside at the Matoaka Amphitheatre.

Even with the group’s success in hosting in-person rehearsals and a Wren 10 perfomance on Halloween weekend, O’Connell reflects on the difficulty of the semester. “I’d be lying if I said it has been smooth sailing, navigating safety protocols while trying to maintain a tight-knit, strong-sounding ensemble, but I think the challenge of it has brought us together in many ways,” O’Connell said.

All members, of course, are looking forward to a return to normalcy.

While some groups like the Gentlemen of the College had in-person callbacks, rehearsals and even

performances, other a cappella groups like Reveille, one of the College’s all-female a cappella groups, had completely virtual online auditions, callbacks and optional in-person activities. The group originally made plans to take the semester off and resume performances and activities in the spring, but Reveille ended up performing a Wren 10 and some physically-distanced rehearsals outdoors. However, according to Kaley Haller ’21, president of Reveille, the group aimed to respect all members’ comfort levels.

“Participation was voluntary and not required,” Haller said. “It is a hard thing to navigate especially when people have different comfort levels. As president I wanted to be there, but as a college student navigating life in a pandemic, I did not feel comfortable performing, so I sat the performance out with a few other members.”

This semester, Reveille plans to host a Wren 10 which is being specially designed to be COVID-safe, with strict audience limits as well as socially distanced singing and specialized audio projection systems. It will be live streamed on YouTube. All in-person events will continue to be optional for members in order to respect varying comfort levels, and Reveille plans to continually monitor COVID cases on campus and the health of members and their contacts to ensure that in-person rehearsals and performances are safe. The group uses Zoom for workshops, social activities and vocal training to minimize in-person contact and allow for even the most COVID-conscious members to participate.

Despite the difficulties the pandemic has brought, Haller sees some advantages to the disruption — it forged innovation and reworked norms previously taken at face value.

“The pandemic has given us the opportunity to look at our jobs and passions differently,” Haller said.

“While change is scary, it is necessary, and this scary, stressful time can also be seen as a springboard to innovate best practices. One thing we will most likely continue to implement is the online audition process.

With Google Forms and video submissions, auditions take up a lot less time and alleviate performance anxiety for many auditionees. Pairing in person callbacks with video auditions is something I think could make the process better in years to come.”

Other unforeseen benefits include live-streamed performances on YouTube, which have the benefit of reaching a much wider audience than traditional in-person events. Now, performances can be viewed by friends and family across the country who otherwise could not partake in the performances that members of the group worked so hard to put on.

The College’s a cappella groups are making the best out of a bad situation, but virtual meetings and the lack of traditional performances are certainly disappointing. For the Christopher Wren Singers, the College’s oldest student-run a cappella group, a typical performance schedule includes a homecoming concert, a holiday fundraising banquet, a Wren 10 each semester, a spring tour and local and on-campus gigs. During the fall semester, the group was unable to put on any concerts due to COVID concerns. Emma Ward ’21, president of the Christopher Wren Singers, reflected on the disappointment of not being able to perform in front of the community.

“We definitely miss performing together, as well as the opportunities it gave us to connect with W&M students, alumni and the Williamsburg community in general,” Ward said. “The pandemic has been challenging because Wrens is like a family, and singing together is one of the best parts of our four years at W&M for all our members. It’s been difficult, both logistically and emotionally, to have that disrupted, but it has also made us even more grateful when we are able to sing together. I’m sure we’ll never take that for granted again.”

This spring, the group is hoping to be able to finish recording the album they began before the pandemic, which will be the group’s first album in five years. Plans for a Wren 10 as well as a final concert in some capacity are in the works, but , everything is up in the air as the pandemic continues.

While the pandemic has certainly complicated a cappella rehearsals, performances and album recording, a cappella groups have been adapting as best they can, considering member safety and mission objectives. Hopefully with the emergence of the vaccine and the declining number of COVID cases, the College’s a cappella groups will be back every Wednesday on the Wren Portico performing a Wren 10 for friends and classmates by next fall.

sports

Sports Editor Nathan Seidel Sports Editor Lexie Hiestand flathatsports@gmail.com @FlatHatSports

The Flat Hat ¦ Tuesday, March 9, 2021 ¦ Page 7

BASKETBALL

Tribe falls in CAA quarters after beating UNC-W

College unable to keep pace with 22-4 Northeastern run, Loewe scores 18 in loss

injury during the game.

Scoring was hard to come by apart from that, though, with the freshman rookie-of-the March 6: 73-60 W vs. UNC-Wilmington -year duo Connor Kochera and Yuri Covington combining for just nine points on 3-17 shooting What a difference a year makes. While this and eight turnovers. is undoubtedly true for every team, it proved to After a lackluster first half, Northeastern woke work in Tribe men’s basketball fans’ favor on up to begin the second, knocking down nine of its Saturday, as the seventh-seeded Tribe knocked opening 14 attempts in the second half. off 10th seed UNC-Wilmington 73-60 in round The Huskies kept the foot on the gas, turning a 1 of the 2021 CAA tournament after losing in the tight game into a near-blowout and opening up its first round of last year’s competition. largest lead of the night — 21 points — amidst a In contrast to last year’s game where Tribe 22-4 run. The closest the Tribe got after that was 11. failed to lead, this year the team refuse to trail Head Coach Dane Fischer was pleased with the Seahawks throughout the 40 minutes. They the fast start once again. pushed the lead to 12 at halftime and coasted the “I thought we came out like we did last night rest of the way, never truly being challenged for with really good defensive focus and energy, the advantage. and on offense we were able to get the ball in the The College was led by 17 points apiece paint and get some stuff around the rim,” Fischer from senior guard Luke Loewe and freshman said. “In the second half, we just couldn’t get guard Connor Kochera, with junior forward anything going offensively.”

Quinn Blair pitching in 14 and nine rebounds.

However, he noted the effectiveness of the Junior center Mekhel Harvey also contributed Huskies’ halftime adjustments.

10 boards and freshman guard Yuri Covington “[Northeastern] did a great job of trying to take chipped in eight points. us out of some of our stuff,” Fischer said. “We Among the facets of the game dominated had some shots around the rim that we certainly JAMIE HOLT / THE FLAT HAT by the team from Williamsburg were points in In possibly his final game for the Tribe, senior Luke Loewe had 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists against Northeastern. needed to make and a couple from the free throw the paint (40-24), rebounds (45-33), and free line that didn’t go down. And then they got going throw percentage (91% to 80). The Tribe also overcame shooting “It was, ‘Let’s go out there and play as hard as we can right from the with their transition and hit some threes.” just 4-17 from three to lead by as many as 20 in the second half. start.’ The guys did a really nice job of that. It’s great to come in here and Loewe also referenced the tale of two halves and the Leading the way for the Seahawks were guards Ty Gadsden with win our first game. I think the guys will have some confidence coming critical momentum shift, disrupting the positive momentum 15 points and Joe Pridgen with 12 and eight rebounds. Most notably, into Sunday, but we’re obviously playing against a terrific team.” achieved in the first half and completely changing the however, was standout Seahawk guard Mike Okauru being held to just The Tribe would go on to play Northeastern, who the Tribe did not complexion of the game.

10 points on 3-15 shooting, predominately defended by Loewe. Head have the chance to play this season due to health and safety concerns.

“Obviously, it was two completely different halves,” Loewe Coach Dane Fischer was highly complimentary of the defensive effort said. “We came out a little slow and they went on an early run. after the game.

March 7: 63-47 L vs. Northeastern They had the momentum, and we struggled to recover from that.”

“Luke’s an unbelievable defender and did a great job on a terrific Loewe does have an extra year of eligibility due to COVIDplayer,” Fischer said. “Our guys did a great job of staying in gaps. I Despite a promising first half, William and Mary dropped its enabled extensions for winter sport athletes but told press he thought we had really good focus on the defensive end.” second-round Colonial Athletic Association tournament game would wait to decide on that until this season had concluded.

Loewe stressed the importance of both defense and starting the to Northeastern 63-47 on Sunday.

“Weird is the word that comes to mind,” Loewe said of the game off strong.

The College came out hot for the second game in a row, season. “Playing games with no fans — CAA games are usually “We were just getting stops,” Loewe said. “I mean, our offense opening up a nine-point lead on the Huskies over midway packed, and you get momentum from crowds. You feed off that will come. But when we get stops, to start the game especially, through the first half, and even held a three-point advantage at stuff, and it was just weird.” and don’t let teams get out to a fast start … that just carried over halftime, but shot 1 of 10 from three in the second half and only The College will look to enter next season with new hope for the rest of the game.”

23% from the field. and ride the momentum of the singular tournament win and Fischer praised the team’s mentality heading into the postseason The lone double-digit scorers for the night were senior Luke continue to grow the skill of this years’ freshman class, which after a tumultuous regular season filled with uncertainty.

Loewe, who put up 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists, showed promise at many points. As former editors like to “Our overall mindset coming into the game was great,” Fischer said. and junior Quinn Blair, who had 11 while fighting off a shoulder repeat, there’s always next year for the Tribe.

NATHAN SEIDEL FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR

College picks up first two wins of the season Tribe topples Towson, nerfs Norfolk State in opening home doubleheader LEXIE HIESTAND FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR William and Mary only dropped one match overall during its afternoon doubleheader on Sunday, Mar. 7. The home stand began at 11 a.m., where the Tribe played Norfolk State and won 6-1. Then, at 2 p.m., the Tribe swept Colonial Athletic Association rival Towson 7-0. These two wins are the Tribe’s first wins of the season.

Against the Spartans, the Tribe took all doubles matches and all but one singles match. Between the top four players of graduate student Jill Van Den Dungen, senior Vitoria Okuyama, junior Lisa Fukutoku and sophomore Elisa Van Meeteren, only two games were dropped.

Van Den Dugen, in the top spot, swept her sets 6-0, 6-0.

Second spot Okuyama also blanked her opponent, Spartan senior Zoe Fraser. Fraser’s defeat marked Okuyama’s first win of the season.

Fukutoku dropped only one game in her first set against Spartan senior Bruna Goncalves. In her next set, she went 6-0. As a new addition to the team, this win was both Fukutoku’s first of the season and first as a member of the Tribe.

Van Meeteren matched Okuyama and Fukutoku by picking up her first win of the season against the Spartans.

She played fourth spot and won her singles match 6-0, 6-1.

Fellow sophomore Raffaela Alhach rounded

out the Tribe’s singles wins against the Spartans.

Alhach fought a hardwon match against Spartan freshman Andrea Barcenas.

Both sets Alhach won went to tiebreaker.

The first set she won 7-5. Barcenas was able to capitalize on Alhach’s fatigue in the second set, where she upended Alhach 6-4.

But, Alhach fought back in the deciding set, where she won 10-7. Sophomore Shruti Srinivasan made her season debut playing in the sixth position. Though she dropped the first set 3-6, she captured a 6-7 tiebreak in the second set and forced a third. The third went 5-10 against the Tribe.

In doubles, both the top spot combination of Okuyama and junior Mila Saric and the third spot pairing of Van Meerteren and sophomore Alisa Manolescu won their matches in a 6-0 shutout.

The second spot pairing of Alhach and Van Den Dugen dropped just a couple of games against their opponents Fraser and Goncalves, winning 6-2.

With the doubles sweep, the Tribe headed into their game against Towson with their first win of the season under their belt.

Head Coach Toni Bickford mixed up the line combinations for the CAA match-off in singles. Saric took the top line, pushing everyone back a position. The new lines allowed the Tribe to sweep singles, where all members,

s t r o p S t h g i l t o Sp Women s gymnastics earns season-high bar and beam scores in Senior Day loss JAKE FORBES FLAT HAT ASSOC. SPORTS EDITOR

COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS

Elisa Van Meeteren went 6-0, 6-1 in both matches vs. Towson and Norfolk State.

except third-line Okuyama, won in just two sets.

A well-rested Saric won her sets 6-1, 6-1, which improved her season record to 3-1. Her defensive play was only bested by sixth-line Van Meerteren, who dropped just one game to her opponent. Van Meerteren’s scoresheet looked identical in singles with a 6-0, 6-1 win against both the Spartans and the Tigers.

Only Okuyama played more than two sets. Though she dropped her first set 3-6 against Tiger senior Alexa Martinez, she quickly recovered, taking the second set 6-1. In the deciding set, Okuyama conquered Martinez in a 10-4 victory.

The Tribe’s singles

performance propelled them to a similar doubles result.

All three lines bested the Tigers, allowing the Tribe to blank Towson in a 7-0 win.

The Saric and Okuyama first line chemistry carried over from the Tribe’s bout with the Spartans. They won 6-2. The second line of Van Den Dugen and Fukutoku matched the third line of Van Meerteren and Manolescu with identical 6-3 victories.

Momentum from singles overwhelmed the fatigue of the doubleheader.

The Tribe hopes to continue its streak at home next Sunday against Morgan State. The match will be outdoors at the Millie West Tennis Facility at 1 p.m.

William and Mary fell to North Carolina 194.875190.850 at Kaplan Arena on March 6. Despite the loss, the Tribe posted their season-high score on Senior Day. The meet was the last home meet for the senior class, which includes Mary Graceyn Gordon, Hailey Haycox, Katie Waldman and Lauren Winkler. The seniors were able to capture the momentum of the ceremony, with Gordon and Waldman posting individual and team highs.

The Tribe started on bars with a season high of 46.200, led by Waldman’s score of 9.725. Though Waldman secured fourth place with her performance, it was not enough to take the lead over the Tar Heels, who led the Tribe 48.800-48.125.

Coming in to vault with an event score of 48.125, Waldman and Gordon each scored 9.675, enough to tie for fourth on the apparatus, but several Tar Heel podium performances caused the Tribe to trail 94.325-97.275 at the half way point of the meet.

The Tribe also recorded a season high 48.375 on beam. Freshman Grace Costello led the team with a 9.750, her personal record.

In the final rotation, Gordon, Costello, and junior Chloe Campbell scored career highs on floor. They each led the team with identical scores of 9.750, enough to place themselves in a tie for third.

Gordon placed third in the all-around with a score of 38.725. Waldman and Costello finished with 38.150 and 37.050, respectively. The Tribe’s teamwork achieved a season record, but failed to topple the Tar Heels.

The Tribe will finish its season with a rematch at North Carolina next Saturday, March 13 at 6 p.m.

Page 8

The Flat Hat

Tuesday, March 9, 2021

CONSTRUCTION

Sadler construction aims to centralize student activity New contruction updates around Sadler Center, King Health Center, Memorial to the Enslaved ABBY PARAS FLAT HAT NEWS ASSOC. EDITOR

Students at the College of William and Mary have encountered diversions and fencing at the Sadler Center recently as preliminary construction on the new Sadler West Expansion began during the winter break of 2020-21.

Though the construction seems recent, this project has been in the works since October 2018 according to Project Manager Amber Hall, who is currently overseeing the Sadler Center renovation.

Hall has previously worked on construction projects around campus, including the Reveley Garden, the Law School patio renovation, the Washington Hall exterior improvements and water intrusion repairs, among others.

According to Hall, the new addition will consolidate and relocate Student Affairs offices and functions, most of which are currently located in Campus Center.

“The expansion will make Student Engagement and Leadership and Student Success departments all accessible together in a central hub,” Hall said.

Though Hall knows that the construction can

be disruptive for students, she hopes that they will be excited, since they are being included in the process.

“Some students were involved early on in the design process,” Hall said. “Currently, furniture samples are in Sadler Atrium for students, faculty and staff to test out and vote for their favorites.”

Director of Facilities Planning, Design and Construction Gregg Shipp explained that construction began in November 2020, towards the end of the fall semester. The construction is set to be completed in summer 2022.

“The building committee included staff from all departments within Student Affairs and other campus departments as appropriate, as well as students,” Shipp said. “The committee worked hard to ensure this project provides a welcoming, centralized, supportive facility where students can not only conduct business with Student Affairs but also a place they want to simply hang out and enjoy.”

Vice President for Student Affairs Ginger Ambler is excited about the new offices that she and her department will be moving into once the construction is finished.

“Our excitement around this new construction is knowing that we are centralizing student activity and student service spaces in a way that will promote connections between and among students, faculty and staff,” Ambler said. “For student affairs, the project carries with it the promise of greater collaboration with and on behalf of students.”

In addition to the Sadler Center renovations, many other facilities on campus are receiving upgrades.

“We are renovating and constructing an addition to Phi Beta Kappa Hall and we are constructing a new music building adjacent to PBK Hall. Both projects are scheduled to be completed in December 2022,” Ambler said. “A renovation and expansion of the Muscarelle Museum is in design, though the exact schedule is not yet confirmed” The King Health Center will also be renovated in the same project. Once completed, many student departments and offices will be moved to the new building. According to the College’s website, student publications, the Office of Community Engagement, the Center for Student Diversity, Residence Life, the Office of Student Transition Engagement Programs, Dean of Students Office, Sadler Center Management

Office and Academic Enrichment will all be relocated to Sadler.

The project is estimated to cost $37,742,000, with funds coming from the College’s auxiliary services budget. The rest of the Six Year Capital Plan that details the costs of the various construction projects around campus can be accessed on the College’s website.

Also in progress is the Memorial to the Enslaved, which will commemorate individuals enslaved by the College. Construction on the memorial, which Shipp manages, is set to begin in February 2021 and will be completed by fall 2021. The memorial will be located on Old Campus by the Sir Christopher Wren Building.

Current levels of construction are not unusual for the College. Generally, the school completes three to four projects per school year.

Many students will remember the construction surrounding Washington Hall in the fall 2020 semester, for example, or the construction on Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall. However, since the Sadler Center is such a crucial part of campus life, its renovation has come to many students’ attention.

DATA

Data confirms Williamsburg as rainiest college town in Virginia College s campus recieves more rain than St. Andrews, leads to cancelled activities, issues for maintenence

NICK REEDER AND LEIF MCCOY FLAT HAT DATA EDITOR AND ASSOC. EDITOR

Despite the picturesque buildings and charming colonial location, students at the College of William and Mary often find themselves hesitant to leave the confines of their housing due to what can seem like neverending rain. Since students returned to the College for the spring semester, it seems to have taken a distinct turn, with the number of pleasant days being almost none.

According to Director of Facilities Gregg Shipp, this season seems particularly rainy.

“It seems the rainfall for this year has been well above average,” Shipp said.

The Flat Hat has examined data from multiple weather services to investigate just how much it rains in Williamsburg and how those tasked with maintaining the College feel about the weather. According to data from the National Weather

Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Williamsburg was the rainiest of the major college towns in Virginia on average from the years 2000 to 2020.

Williamsburg’s rainiest months on average over this period were August, July and September.

Compared to Blacksburg, Harrisonburg and Charlottesville, the average rainfall in Williamsburg is higher on average at almost every measured point. The only exception is May, in which the other three locations reach their peak rainfall, and Williamsburg is in a dry month. That being said, even when the other locations are at their peak, Williamsburg is getting more rain in May than the others do most of the rest of the year. Meaning that even when Williamsburg is not the leader in rainfall for the month, it is still raining more here than it usually does in Harrisonburg, Blacksburg or Charlottesville.

Williamsburg rain has always been something facilities management has had to contend with.

“Buildings do age and develop leaks,” Shipp said, “Facilities staff keep a close watch on facilities during rain events to identify leaks for repair and protect university property.”

This is not to say that consistent rain has not caused issues, as Shipp confirms.

“It has been a challenge for ongoing construction projects, but our contractors have taken appropriate precautions and made adjustments in work sequencing in order to remain on schedule,” Shipp said.

Students attempt to escape the rain in a variety of ways. For Grant Wong ’21, that involved moving 3,000 miles away as a member of the St. Andrews Joint Degree Programme.

His gamble paid off, as Williamsburg gets more rain on average than Scotland, one of the most famously rainy places in the world.

“I’d say here, [activities are interrupted more] as it rains harder,” said Wong. “At St. Andrews, there’s a bunch of sports that practice indoors, so I’d guess those aren’t interrupted as

much as those at William and Mary.”

Though the rain makes some activities difficult, takes its toll on buildings and sometimes creates issues for facilities management,

those at the College persevere, and the rain is just part of the experience.

After all, to quote Dolly Parton, “If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.”

CAMPUS

Workers Union oppose non-renewal of contracts with protest William & Mary Workers Union holds protest outside Wren Building to speak out against faculty layoffs NTE from page 1

“It is now normal, I submit to you, that colleges and universities, whether public or private, are increasingly indistinguishable from business enterprises with respect to their external aims as well as their internal organization and norms of government,” Arzuaga said. “Institutions of higher education strive for the

maximization of revenue.”

Arzuaga also argued that the comparison of a college to a business is supported by rising tuition costs, which are increasing at a rate four times higher than inflation.

“Alternatives exist at the campus, state and federal levels,” Arzuaga said. “Student debt can be cancelled. State colleges can be entirely state funded as they used

“

NTE faculty are teaching faculty. We make up nearly half of this campus s faculty and more than two-thirds of this country s faculty. We do more teaching, and more care work, and more advising, and more letter writing, and reaching out, and checking in, and more resource sharing and more actual listening than any other part of our faculty

“

̶ Scott Challener

to be. Colleges and universities can expand tenure or prioritize their spending to support the mission for instruction and learning over efforts to transform into resorts for the rich and heavily in debt.”

Another NTE faculty member at risk of losing his job, English professor Scott Challener also spoke at the rally. Challener referred to the 2019-20 academic year, when the College did not renew the contracts of 10 NTE faculty, while continuing to offer the same amount of classes within the affected departments.

“NTE faculty are teaching faculty,” Challener said. “We make up nearly half of this campus’s faculty and more than twothirds of this country’s faculty.

We do more teaching, and more care work, and more advising, and letter writing, and reaching out, and checking in, and more resource sharing and more actual listening than any other part of our faculty.”

Later in his speech, Challener also brought up how the failure to renew the contracts of NTE faculty contributes to continued institutional racism at the College.

“Black faculty are underrepresented at this institution,” Challener said.

“They are 4.5% here in a nation that is 40% Black and a state that is 20% Black.”

This expanded on a point made

by Arzuaga, who spoke about how NTE faculty are more diverse, and have a larger percentage of BIPOC individuals and women. On the

COURTESY PHOTO / WILLIAM AND MARY WORKERS UNION

William and Mary Workers Union promoted and spread the word about the NTE rally on their instagram account.

other hand, tenured faculty are more likely to be white men.

Many current students at the College came to the rally to show their support, including Erik Wells ’23.

“I thought it was ridiculous,” Wells said. “At the time I remember reading the email from professor Challener getting circulated online and getting so angry. It’s just the latest in a long line of disappointments from this administration”.

However, seeing the turnout to

the rally made Wells hopeful for the future.

“I just think it’s really, really reassuring to see this level of support,” Wells said. “I’ve seen so many people here who I know peripherally from classes or like through Twitter. It’s just a really affirming, really cool thing to see all these people from all these different areas come together to show their support for this faculty.”

To conclude the rally, Conner encouraged interested students and workers to reach out to

the Workers Union or College Socialists for ways to get involved on campus. He added that he was happy with the turnout at the protest, and hopes that the students that attended will continue to be involved, and fight for the rights of workers and other social justice issues.

“Today and tomorrow is the right time,” Conner added. “Here, there, anywhere and everywhere is the right place. More scenes need to be made. More noise needs to be made. So let’s make it.”