The Flat Hat -- Dec. 2, 2011

The Flat Hat

Best of the ’Burg Check out the Flat Hat’s picks for the best of Williamsburg.

Vol. 101, Iss. 24 | Friday, December 2, 2011

The Twice-Weekly Student Newspaper

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of The College of William and Mary

ADmissions

WILLIAMSBURG

deeply concerned that the

“

i’m just

money

from the state isn’t going to be there.

— College President Taylor Reveley

FILE PHOTO / THE FLAT HAT

its strength in the market place to support itself, since the state taxpayers are no longer able to do so.”

Galuszka’s piece prompted Rector of the College and chairman of the Board of Visitors Jeffery Trammell to respond with another oped piece in The Washington Post supporting Reveley’s statements.

“Those who benefit from the university must make up the bulk of the lost state support,” Trammell wrote in the op-ed. “An essential component of our new funding model, however, will be to devote a considerable portion of any increased tuition revenue to financial aid for students from middle-class Virginia families who need it most.”

Financial aid has not kept pace with what other universities offer.

“I’ve had folks telling me that all things being equal they like W&M better but they couldn’t get financial aid so they went elsewhere. We really need to be competitive with this,” Trammell said. “Also, if I’ve got a bright young professor that’s getting offers from the best universities in the country how are we going to keep them if we don’t have the money to keep them? If were not charging market value?”

After 46 years, the City of Williamsburg and James City County are no longer subject to special federal oversight of voting and election practices mandated by the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

The U.S. District Court in Washington issued Williamsburg and James City County separate consent decrees in early November, releasing the regions from the U.S. Department of Justice’s supervision over voting and election practices in the county.

“I was confident that [the] Court would sign the consent decree. James City County clearly met the criteria identified in the Federal Code to eliminate the preclearance requirement,” James City County attorney Leo Rogers said in an email.

“I knew when the suit was filed September that USDOJ would endorse a consent decree with the Court. With both parties in agreement, the Court reviewed the record to make sure it met the Code and then entered the Consent Order.”

Under the preclearance requirement of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, certain states and jurisdictions were subject to federal scrutiny any time voting or election practices altered. The preclearance requirement, which applied to nine states, primarily southern, with paths colored by discrimination like Virginia’s, was aimed to suppress voter disenfranchisement.

For Rogers, this requirement most recently translated into seeking federal permission for using handicapped accessible voting machines.

Before that, the preclearance requirement charged debates over Virginia’s redistricting.

Virginia’s election cycle made it one of the first states subject to the Voting Rights Act to redistrict, and it applied 2010 census data to redraw the maps. These new maps then had to go through the Department of Justice, a step which placed racial concerns at the center of the General Assembly redistricting debates.

Rogers noted that the exemption saves money and time by not requiring citizens to submit stacks of documents for review and wait approximately 90 days for Department of Justice approval.

Rogers began the application for exemption for James City County in late 2010.

See TUITION page 4

See CONSENT page 3

excellence

school in the country, and that shouldn’t be our

Goal College weighs financial paths — College RECTOR Jeffery Trammell

COURTESY PHOTO / WM.EDU

Lack of state funding sparks debate on how the College can plan its financial future

BY ARIEL COHEN Flat hat assoc. news Editor

Tuition troubles at the College of William and Mary have reached beyond campus grounds, sparking debate in The Washington Post.

In a Nov. 6 op-ed piece in The Post entitled “Invisible Hand at William and Mary,” Peter Galuszka criticized College President Taylor Reveley’s ideas about conserving College resources by allowing the market to set tuition rates.

“This imbalance [in state support in education] has put pressure on the schools to push hard for outof-state students attracted by the Virginia schools’ academic standards and pleasant campuses,” Galuska wrote. “It also makes it harder for in-staters to win admittance. This can make for tears and gnashing of teeth in the spring when acceptance letters go out. (Full disclosure, I am a U.Va. parent).”

While the state provided 43 percent of the College’s funding in 1981, it now provides a mere 13 percent of the school’s budget. Over the past 30 years, tuition increases have become a fact of life for College students.

“A serious move back toward the support of a generation ago would be manna from heaven,” Reveley said in an email. “There isn’t the remotest possibility of this happening, however. Other

demands on state revenues are too great. The era of significant state support is over, in my judgment.”

The strategy, explained by Reveley in an interview with Virginia Business magazine, is part of a new financial model stemming from the College’s Six Year Plan released in October 2011.

“The six-year plan doesn’t contemplate ‘market tuition’ for in-state students, however, simply a step toward their contributing more of what it actually costs to educate them,” Reveley said in an email. “At present there is a huge gap between what in-state and out-of-state students pay. We need to narrow it some, now that the state has cut back so much on the subsidy it provides for in-state students. While we have already drawn near to what it’s realistic to charge out-of-state students, we’re not all the way there yet. Thus, out-of-state tuition is likely to increase some, too, next spring.”

The current price tag of a College education hovers at $22,024 for in-state students and $44,854 for out-of-state students per year, yet it currently costs the College several thousand dollars more to educate one College student than what the state and tuition provide.

“In 1906, W&M deeded its real estate to the Commonwealth, and we’re now firmly and irreparably part of the state system,” Reveley said.

“What we need is for the state to let the College use

Federal court approves Voting Rights Act of 1965 exemption

by VANESSA REMMERS FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR

People come to the College because of its , [NOT] because it’s the cheapest

.

City receives exemption

forum

STUDY ABROAD

College creates new source of funding

College students most likely to go abroad

Creative Adaptation Fund to help budget

bY Sarah caspari Flat hat Staff writer

bY CHRIS McKENNA Flat hat Senior Staff writer

The College of William and Mary is going to get a bit more creative next year.

In late November, Provost Michael R. Halleran sent out a memo to College faculty announcing the creation of the Creative Adaptation Fund.

“The College will make available $200,000 for [fiscal year 201213]…to engage and unleash the creative energy in the academic areas to develop creative adaptations that improve the quality of our educational programs either directly or indirectly, by reducing costs or generating new revenues and thereby providing funds that can be reinvested in people and programs,” Halleran said.

The College expects similar investments to be made over the course of the next two years.

The fund aims to respond to economic challenges with creative solutions to avoid undercutting the College’s academic rigor. Although the College will likely make a slight reduction in instructional faculty to save money in the shortterm, its broader goal is to support innovative ways to generate revenue, Halleran said.

“We all recognize that the economy and higher education See FUNDS page 2

Index News Insight News News Opinions Sports Variety Variety

2 3 4 5 6 Insert Insert

Today’s Weather

Sunny High 60, Low 37

Out of all U.S. public doctorate universities, College has highest percentage of international study

According to a recent study conducted by the Institute of International Education, the College of William and Mary has the highest percentage of undergraduate students who choose to study abroad of all public doctorate institutions in the United States.

The IIE’s Open Doors 2011 Report showed that 43.9 percent of students at the College have studied abroad in the 2009-10 academic year. This is a 3.6 percent increase from 200809, when the percentage was 40.3, following a 6 percent decrease from 2007-08, when the percentage peaked at 46.3.

These numbers correspond with the national trends indicated by the report.

Overall, numbers slowed down after the economic downturn beginning in 2007, but began increasing again in 2009-10.

“I think we’ve been paying attention to this for a long time,” Chair of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures and associate professor of Hispanic studies Silvia Tandeciarz said about the popularity of study abroad at the College. “I think that as a liberal

Inside opinions

CHRISTINA GLASS / THE FLAT HAT

According to the 2011 IIE’s Open Doors 2011 Report, at least 43.9 percent of students at the College study abroad.

arts college we emphasize — maybe more than other state institutions, I don’t know — the importance of breadth and depth in our education, and part of that breadth is an international exposure. I think that the faculty deserve a tremendous amount of credit because they are constantly recruiting students for study abroad programs.”

Time for religion to get it right

Conservative theological beliefs should not interfere with the legal rights and protections of the LGBTQI community. page 5

Inside SPORTS

Tandeciarz is the faculty liaison for the semester study abroad program in La Plata, Argentina and participates in the governance of study abroad programs at the College.

“I don’t see how you could be educated to be a citizen in the 21st century without some See INTERNATIONAL page 3

Tribe takes third straight William and Mary notched its fourth win of the season in a 7643 win over Longwood at home Wednesday. The team kicks off its conference schedule against Deleware Sunday. page 6

news insight “

The Flat Hat | Friday, December 2, 2011 | Page 2

THE BUZZ

All The News that’s unfit to print

If you’re stuck spending Blowout with mere Natty Light, don’t be ashamed, be proud. Two fans of Natural Light launched a can of the cheap beer into space last week. The two men approached the company with the idea and were given the green light to launch. The spacecraft that the two developed, The Aluminum Fullcan, reached an altitude of 90,000 feet before beginning its descent. The beer is the first launched into space, the Huffington Post reported.

Feeling nostalgic? Hanson is here, ready to exploit that emotion.

The band, comprised of Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson plans to release its own beer, MMMHop IPA, in the near future, reported the Los Angeles Times. The band — which evidently still exists and and produces music — wants to allow their fans to “have a greater experience,” Zac said. Evidently, the band has also released a board game called “Hansonopoly.” To put it all in perspective, Taylor Hanson is now 28 years old and MMMBop was released in 1997 during the Clinton administration.

An “enraged and naked” man in Olympia, Wash. was arrested Tuesday after attacking a Thurston County Sheriff’s deputy. The sheriff was called to respond to the disturbance. One man out of a group of men drinking began removing his clothing and charged a patrol car. The man hit the police car with his fists and head, reports FOX Seattle reported. It took several officers and a stungun to subdue the agitated gentleman.

This Sunday evening, don’t be alarmed by the sound of frequent explosions outside. The annual Grand Illumination fireworks show will take place in Colonial Williamsburg beginning at 7 p.m.

Thousands of celebrants are expected to swarm Duke of Gloucester Street to view the spectacle.

Various news outlets are citing a Virginia GOP insider with information that Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R) will declare his intention to run for the governor’s seat in the 2013 election.

The declaration would pit Cuccinelli against current Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling (R) in a two-year long nomination battle.

After being ousted from their protest spot in Richmond, Occupy protesters have received an open invitation from the editor of the Richmond Free Press, Richard Boone, to use his lawn as a protest site.

The advantage of the location is that Boone lives next door to the mayor of Richmond, who authorized the earlier removal of the protesters.

A THOUSAND WORDS

“

THE PULSE

News Editor Katherine Chiglinsky News Editor Vanessa Remmers news@flathatnews.com

It’s ridiculous the way they’ve spread it out. I represent twelve jurisdictions, stretching from Suffolk to King and Queen County.

— Senate Majority Leader Sen. Tommy Norment (R-3)

BEYOND THE BURG

Debit card fees cancelled

Banks nix monthly fees after public backlash and fear of losses

BY Maggie Kern Flat hat staff writer

Proposed monthly usage fees for debit cards, which were proposed by Bank of America and other financial institutions, have been abandoned after intense public backlash.

The bank fees, which were developed to compensate for lost revenue as a result of new banking regulations, were vigorously opposed by students and other debit card users. As a result of the banks’ abandonment of the fees, students and debit card users feel empowered.

Elaine McBeth, economics lecturer and associate director of the Thomas Jefferson Program in Public Policy at the College of William and Mary, weighed in on the reasons why the banks deserted the debit cards fees.

“They dropped the fees likely because of protests and the fear of clients leaving them for credit unions,” McBeth said.

Assistant professor of economics Till Schreiber agreed that public backlash was a primary motivator for banks to remove these new fees. He also postulated that these fees may have been a ploy by the banks to influence policymakers — which backfired.

“Many people, and I believe rightly so, were very angry at the big banks who … were seen as being too greedy,” Schreiber said. “But [the fees] were also something of a blackmail tool, a message from the banks to the government saying, ‘If you pinch our funds, we will make up our funds elsewhere in a manner that could hurt the public opinion of policymakers [who the banks blamed for the necessity of the fee].’ But this move to possibly influence policymakers became a public policy nightmare.”

McBeth also questioned the alleged

COURTESY PHOTO / clarkhoward.com

necessity of the banks to establish these fees.

“The real question was: do the banks really need these fees to survive or were they pursuing an opportunity to make extra profit?”

McBeth said. “Potentially, to make up for the loss of money, the banks could have staffed less bankers or staffed them less frequently because the users of debit cards tend to bank electronically. They had other options.”

McBeth and Schreiber both agreed that students are more likely to use debit cards than other consumers, so if the fees had continued, students would have been disproportionately negatively affected.

“Students use debit cards more, don’t tend to carry cash on them, and make small, frequent purchases,” McBeth said. “[The fee], in a sense, was a regressive tax on the lower income folks — like students — who were disproportionately charged for their primary means of using their money. Removal of these fees means now that the students may be disproportionately benefitted … because alternate [mechanisms] for the banks to gain money is likely to affect them less.”

Schreiber agreed that students would have been unequally affected, but he believed the banks would probably have waived debit card fees for students to capture their loyalty.

“If the fees had stayed, banks likely would have waived fees [for students] to attract them away from their competitors, the credit unions,” Schreiber said.

“Because college graduates are more likely to earn more money in their lifetime, the banks would have wanted to secure these students as lifelong clients early because you’re more likely to divorce your spouse than divorce your lifelong bank. Keeping student loyalty ends up being profitable for banks.”

It appears this move by the banks to undo some of the damages to client relationships is working, and students appear to feel less alienated and used by their banks.

“I am very happy that the banks decided to drop the fees,” Sukyoung Kim ’13, an exchange student and SunTrust customer, said. “It makes me more eager to continue a relationship in the future with them.”

CITY POLICE BEAT

Nov. 21 to Nov. 28 1

Monday, Nov. 21 — A bicycle was stolen at 221 Jamestown Rd. The estimated value was $50.

2

Monday, Nov. 21 — A bicycle was stolen at 127 Richmond Rd. The estimated value was $200.

3

Tuesday, Nov. 22 — Shoes were stolen at William and Mary Hall from the athletic department. The estimated value of the shoes was $430.

MICHELLE GABRO / the FLAT HAT

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

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

The Flat Hat ‘STABILITAS ET FIDES’ | ESTABLISHED OCT. 3, 1911

25 Campus Center, The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Va. 23185 Newsroom (757) 221-3283 — Advertising Dept. (757) 221-3283 / ads@flathatnews.com Editor editor@flathatnews.com News news@flathatnews.com Sports sports@flathatnews.com

Opinions opinions@flathatnews.com Variety variety@flathatnews.com Photos photos@flathatnews.com

Mike Barnes Editor-in-Chief Becky Koenig Managing Editor — Jill Found Executive Editor Ellie Kaufman Chief Staff Writer Katherine Chiglinsky News Editor Vanessa Remmers News Editor Hailey Arnold Variety Editor Katie Demeria Variety Editor Jared Fortek Sports Editor Ariel Cohen Assoc. News Editor Rob Marty Assoc. News Editor Cristina Marcos Assoc. News Editor Chris McKenna Senior News Writer Alex Bramsen Copy Editor Lauren Becker Copy Editor Megan Elmore Copy Editor Betsy Goldemen Copy Editor Claire Hoffman Copy Editor Meredith Luze Copy Editor

Elizabeth DeBusk Opinions Editor Stephanie Hubbard Copy Chief Katherine Hoptay Copy Chief Michelle Gabro Photo Editor Walter Hickey Online Editor Rachel Steinberg Copy Editor Colleen Leonard Copy Editor Zack Quaratella Chief Photographer Molly Adair Cartoonist Rachel Brooks Cartoonist Rachel Pulley Cartoonist Allison Hicks Cartoonist Alex Cooper Editorial Writer Nara Yoon Business Manager Karin Krause Social Media Manager

Creative Adaptation fund open to students and faculty FUNDS from page 1

are going through a period of unusual change and that our success depends on a common effort towards a common goal — strengthening the essence of the College and preparing our students through the best education possible to thrive in the twentyfirst century,” Halleran said.

The Creative Adaptation Fund is open to schools, departments or individual faculty involved in instruction and research.

Although members of the administration may be involved in these projects, they cannot be the leading effort behind them.

Although the College is setting aside $200,000 in total for the fund, the budget of any individual project cannot exceed $50,000 and most awards will probably be for lesser amounts, Halleran said.

Halleran said that he expects the fund to attract a wide variety of efforts.

“The parameters are broad: projects that improve the quality of the education we provide, either directly or indirectly,” he said. “One idea that has been mentioned to me informally is a more effective way to teach an introductory social science class.

But the only real limits to the projects are imagination and energy.”

Savings gathered through fund initiatives will be reinvested in academic programs and increased faculty compensation.

Instead of being funneled back up to the administration, most of the revenue generated by these initiatives will go back to the school which created it.

Proposals are required to include a clear statement of the project’s methodology and its expected impact in terms of educational quality or cost savings.

Applications for the Creative Adaptation Fund are due Jan. 16, 2012. A committee will review proposals for various fund awards by mid-February.

Page 3

Friday, December 2, 2011

The Flat Hat

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Redistricting returns to political arena Va. General Assembly Senate Majority Leader Tommy Norment calls for redistricting redo

by Chase hopkins flat hat staff writer

Richmond politics are heating up once again in preparation for the 2012 Virginia General Assembly session, which is scheduled to begin in January.

The newly reinstated Senate Majority Leader Tommy Norment (R-3) is advocating another examination of the layout of the state’s representation districts.

Redistricting occurs in each state every 10 years if the census results indicate that reapportionment is needed. Norment and his Republican peers — who now effectively control both houses of the General Assembly — are using this as justification for another reevaluation.

However, some are expressing

concerns that minority party politicians could refuse to come to the session, denying the majority party the quorum required to call a vote, as has happened before in Texas.

Norment is particularly upset with the new layout of his district.

“It’s ridiculous the way they’ve spread it out,” Norment said in a statement. “I represent twelve jurisdictions, stretching from Suffolk to King and Queen County.”

The City of Williamsburg was also removed from Norment’s district and placed in that of Sen. John Miller (D-1).

Many expressed concerns regarding where Williamsburg would eventually be placed.

Williamsburg Mayor and professor of economics Clyde Haulman went so far as to write to the governor during

the process earlier this year, expressing his concerns over the possibility of splitting the city between two districts.

“I do not understand the motivation to go after Williamsburg,” Young Democrats President Katie Deabler ’12 said. “Localities being split is a serious concern.”

Miller is less concerned about the new maps. He believes that there are more important issues to be considered by the General Assembly.

“I’ve just spent two days with the Senate Finance Committee,” Miller Norment said in a statement.

“The Commonwealth has some big problems. People want us to

concentrate on transportation, education and filling the budget gap, not revisiting redistricting.”

The redistricting done in the last General Assembly session earlier this year was not accomplished easily. Governor Bob McDonnell (R) proceeded to authorize Executive Order 31, creating a Bipartisan Advisory Commission on Redistricting.

Law students and undergraduates from the College were on the teams selected in a Governor’s Commission competition for redistricting, and the council considered their plans.

After the Commission’s recommendations, the legislature submitted a plan to McDonnell.

The redistricting done in the last General Assembly session earlier this year was not accomplished easily.

The governor was offered one option by the General Assembly where both houses planned redistricting separately.

This was at a time when Democrats controlled the State Senate and Republicans controlled the House of Delegates. Voicing concerns over the legality of the final product and the large number of cities it divided, McDonnell vetoed the plan.

The plan was redrafted, sent to McDonnell again and approved.

“They obviously had their own agenda when they were moving forward with it,” Alex Bramsen ’12, one undergraduate team member, said at the time of the original redistricting.

“We were grateful to Senator Miller, but realistically we knew that we were not going to receive the level of serious consideration that would be required.”

STUDENT ASSEMBLY

SA funds permanent place for library massage chairs

Senators decide to recoup Hindu Student Association losses and allocate $8,000 for massage chairs

by MEREDITH RAMEY FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER

The Student Assembly held its last meeting of the semester Tuesday, approving four pieces of business and confirming three new members of the Public Affairs committee.

Sen. Grace Colby ’13 announced that the Hindu Student Association exceeded its previously approved budget for the Diwali event due to unexpected catering costs. The association asked the Student Assembly to retroactively fund the difference, amounting to about $200. Some senators spoke out against retroactively funding the association.

“Retroactive funding is not something we normally do,” Colby said. “[The Finance

Committee] felt that it was an oversight by the club.”

A majority of senators, however, felt that the association did not need to be punished for the mistake.

“It’s not really our place to punish student organizations for their missteps,” Sen. Ben Huber ’12 said.

In the end, the SA voted in favor of allocating the necessary funds to cover the unforeseen costs for the association.

The SA also passed the Chillaxin’ All the Time Act, which allocates $6,000 from the Student Activities Reserve to fund the rental and running of four massage chairs in Swem for the next calendar year.

The massage chairs will be free to students.

“Last year we had massage chairs in Swem for $10,000 during finals,” McNerney said in an email.

“I worked with Campus Massage, the company that we rented them from last year, and negotiated the price. The Student Assembly will now be renting massage chairs in Swem for the entire year for $6,000. This was a highly popular program last year so I’m glad that we will be continuing it. In a survey last year more than 90% of people said they wanted to have them continued.”

The SA also unanimously passed the Tables, Chairs, and Van Training Act, providing $2,000 for chairs and tables for student events and $3,320 for van training for students.

“This bill pays for things students use like tables and chairs at their activities and van training,” Colby said.

Next, the SA unanimously approved the Student Organization Outreach Act, implementing changes to the Student Assembly Code in order to monitor where student organizations spend the funds they are given more effectively.

This act only affects student organizations that receive more than 25 percent of the annual budget, which currently pertains only to AMP. “We’re more interested in seeing how money is being spent as you go rather than the planning process,” Colby said.

The SA also unanimously confirmed Keenan Kelley ’14 as the new Secretary of Public Affairs, Zach Woodward ’14 as the new Undersecretary of Voter Registration Events and Initiatives and Alison Roberts ’15 as the new Deputy Undersecretary of Voter Registration Events and Initiatives.

Study abroad a popular option INTERNATIONAL from page 1

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See More | Inspiration

kind of global understanding and global perspective,” Tandeciarz said.

Tandeciarz attributed the College’s preponderance of students who study abroad in part to the nature of the student population and in part to the unique opportunities that students receive abroad.

“I think that our students tend to think about the global reality that they’re engaged in and are very active in terms of finding ways to make it possible to study abroad, whether it’s over the summer or on semester-long programs or even short research trips,” Tandeciarz said. “I think where there’s been a lot of growth has been in facultymentored research abroad. The culture of study abroad, I would say, has shifted over the years to more intense mentored undergraduate research experiences, where students aren’t simply going abroad and immersing themselves in the culture and the language and living with host families and studying in classes — sometimes with foreign nationals, other times just with American students — but they’re also going abroad thinking about original research that they can undertake in the field and so using that experience as a lab where they’re pursuing independent research questions under the guidance of faculty mentors. And I think that’s really very exciting and something that’s very special about [the College] in particular and our study abroad [programs].”

Kelsey Conway ’12 agreed, citing the students and the opportunities available to them as the reasons behind the College’s superior ranking.

“I think it’s the students and then the students mixed with the opportunities that we have

available for us here [that] really make it so that we have a good study abroad program,” Conway said.

Though many students clearly do take advantage of the study abroad opportunities that the College has to offer, others feel as though obstacles such as finances, major requirements and extracurricular commitments impede them from going abroad. However, there are several solutions to these problems.

“I’m on the golf team here, so I knew that I wasn’t going to be able to go abroad during the semester,” Conway, who spent the summer after her freshman year in Galway, Ireland, said. “I knew that the only time I would be able to do anything would be over the summer.”

Originally, Conway’s interest lay not in study abroad, but just in visiting Ireland.

“It wasn’t really to have the study abroad experience; it was more to visit Ireland specifically, but it turned out that I got a lot more out of doing it by studying abroad than going to visit personally,” Conway said.

The faculty of the College is also trying to make study abroad more accessible to those who believe it to be beyond their reach.

Meanwhile, the Wendy and Emery Reves Center for International Studies is working to advocate and facilitate study abroad for students.

“I think it is getting the message out there over and over that this can be a really important part of your academic course, and then once students are convinced, helping them work out those practical problems — the finances, the academics — getting over those hurdles,” Theresa Johansson, assistant director of the Global Education Office at the Reves Center, said.

Local jurisdictions released from oversight

© 2011 Ernst & Young LLP. All Rights Reserved.

CONSENT from page 1

The consent decree follows a year-long investigation by the Department of Justice into voting and election practices in the area, where a lack of specific complaints and a decade’s worth of nondiscriminatory practices helped pave the way to Williamsburg and James City County’s exemption.

“Prior to filing the action in Court, the County worked with U.S. Department of Justice on its investigation,” Rogers said in an email. “USDOJ gave its approval to the County in August 2011.”

Williamsburg and James City County jointly submitted a

consent decree to the federal court in September.

“The City and County worked together on this process, but of course filed separate applications with USDOJ and the Court,” Rogers said in an email.

Williamsburg and James City County’s actions are part of a larger trend of states seeking to be “bailed out” of the preclearance requirement. James City County is one of 14 other Virginia counties and four other Virginia cities seeking exemption.

The court retains jurisdiction of the cases for 10 years. If any future problems arise, James City County and Williamsburg could

be subject to the preclearance requirement again. All other mandates of the act still apply to those areas exempted from the preclearance requirement.

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Private entrance. Includes wi-fi, cable and utilities. $775 month. Call 757871-3693 for more information.

Page 4

Friday, December 2, 2011

The Flat Hat

SUSTAINABILITY

Decreased campus water bottle sales Students cite environmental and monetary concerns encouraging them to utilize reusable bottles and drink tap water bY harika peddibhotla The flat hat

Fewer students are quenching their thirst at the vending machines.

David Walker, the Pepsi Co. representative to the College of William and Mary, reported a 7 percent decrease in water bottle purchases from June to October this year. During those weeks, 48,893 water bottles were purchased, which is a little more than 368 water bottles per day. This is significantly lower than the number of water bottles purchased just a year ago.

The College’s Associate Director of Auxiliary Services Wade Henley reported that approximately 394 water bottles per day were purchased around the same time in 2010.

A number of reasons have been proposed for the decrease in water bottle purchases, but many students agree that increasing monetary and environmental concerns led to the reduced demand for bottled water.

“People have become aware that buying plastic water bottles is not good for the environment and that reusing bottles is a healthier option,” Elizabeth Ostick ’14 said. “It is better for the environment to buy a Camelbak and keep refilling it rather

than throwing away, or even recycling, plastic bottles.”

Reusable water bottles aren’t the only alternative. Water containers with builtin filtration, designed by companies like Brita, are becoming a popular choice.

“I used to drink a lot of bottled water until I realized how much plastic that wasted. I still drink the same amount of water, but I decided to invest in a Brita filter and a steel water bottle as opposed to continuing wasting resources,” Meha Semwal ’14 said.

“The availability of fresh water all over campus such as water fountains contributes to the fact that there is no need to spend money on water,” Davey Chadwick ’15. “Also, a lot more people are carrying around plastic water bottles than ever before as more people are health conscious than they were 10 years ago.

At the same time, these water bottles cut back on overall global waste that plastic bottles create.”

Rasik Winfield ’15 noted that bottled water does not always live up to its supposed benefits.

“The water that is in those Dasani bottles or Aquafina bottles and especially some off-brand bottles is not necessarily any healthier or more pure than what we get out of the tap,” he said.

“I don’t really have high standards when it comes to the taste of water.”

A campaign against bottled water, called “I’d Tap That,” offered three samples of water to hundreds of students on the Sadler Center Terrace.

The samples were Fiji water, tap water and generic bottled water. The students who tried all three samples were asked to identify the source that each sample of water came from. Of the 150 students who drank the water, 29 guessed all three samples correctly and won T-shirts. The majority of students were not able to differentiate among the samples.

“Only 29 people guessed correctly, but everyone wanted a shirt, so we ended up giving away a bunch,” campaign creator Corbett Drummey ’12 said on his blog.

Although it doesn’t have a specific focus on water bottle reduction, the College’s Student Environmental Action Coalition works on similar projects for environment protection and sustainability.

“We can’t take credit for the decrease, but there’s an interest in the reducing aspect,” SEAC historian Eric Dale ’14 said. “Recycling is better than nothing, but it’s down-cycling because

Caroline Wren martin / THE FLAT HAT

Vending machine water bottle sales have significantly decreased on campus as students feel the impact of enivormental and economic constraints.

the recycled items become less pure.”

More and more, students are questioning whether buying water is comopletely necessary.

“If you are lucky enough to live in a place that has drinkable water from the tap, just drink it from the tap,” Matt Sniff ’15 said.

NATIONAL STUDY

Engineers spend most time studying, survey says Engineering majors study on average 19 hours per week; business and social science majors study the least

by Ellen wexler Flat hat staff writer

If students want to spend their college years lazily meandering through school, a recent National Survey of Student Engagement suggests that the engineering path might not be for them.

According to the study, engineering majors study for an average of 19 hours per week, more than any other major, compared to an average of 15 hours per week for undergraduate students across all majors.

It also found that business and social science majors study the least, approximately 14 hours per week. The study was conducted last spring and surveyed 416,000 students at 673 four-year colleges in the United States.

A potential reason for the difference may be that students in majors like engineering are using their college education as a direct way to prepare for their careers.

As a result, they are studying their fields in greater detail than students in more general fields.

“Engineering disciplines … require a lot of technical depth,” mathematics professor Michael Lewis said. “You’re expected to be a functioning engineer. They want you to be able to work right away … [As an English major entering the workforce], you’re going to be doing something other than analyzing literature.”

Students who major in social sciences may not know what their careers will be when they enter the workforce, and the fact that their career goals are not as firm may correlate to less study time. “[Social science majors give students] more flexibility and a time for sorting things out,” psychology professor Larry Ventis said. “[Some are] not as single-minded in focusing on mastering the material.”

Social science majors do not just study less than other majors — they also fail to meet professor expectations to a greater degree than other majors, according to the survey.

While social science majors study 14 hours per week, their professors expect them to study 18 hours per week.

But Ventis disagreed with the survey’s finding, believing that the survey results do not reflect social science majors who are truly serious about their work.

“In terms of my interactions with students, I don’t think that’s true,” Ventis said. “There are people who are very focused [who] study a tremendous amount. The more people have a clear sense of direction … the more effectively they devote their time to [studying].”

Business majors are tied with social science majors for reporting the least study time.

“Thing one, I’m not sure they do [study less],” business professor James Smith said. “Thing two, I have high expectations for my students and that necessitates studying … They definitely have to prepare for class and exams and things like that.”

Many are skeptical about the study’s findings in general, and more specifically, about how the findings relate to the College.

“I’m always wary of applying these national studies to what’s going on at William and Mary,” Lewis said. “[Students at the College] have a lot of

other things going on … If you’re at a hard-core engineering school there may not be so much of that.”

Another concern is how accurate these numbers are due to students’ measurements of study time.

“My biggest concern would be how they [go about researching] the amount of time [spent studying],” physics professor William Cooke said.

In addition, the survey only measures students’ initial effort without comparing the results of that effort. “[The survey] seems to have measured an input variable [study time],” business professor Scott McCoy said in an email. “What might be more telling would be an output measure, such as achievement or performance. In the case of business students at W&M, they are constantly being recognized for their academic success, including winning competitions, obtaining highly sought after internships and permanent employment positions, and going onto graduate programs at top-tier universities.”

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In Virginia Business magazine, Reveley said that out-ofstate tuition was nearing its “saturation point,” making in-state tuition the most likely to rise.

According to Vice President for Finance Sam Jones ’75, M.B.A. ’80, this could mean in-state tuition increasing to the rates similar to schools of comparable quality. While Jones said that in-state tuition would not near that of the current cost of out-of-state students, the price tag for a Virginia student to attend the College would have to increase in order to compensate for a lack of funding.

“If the state came in tomorrow and offered us more money, we wouldn’t raise tuition. This is a matter of necessity,” Jones said.

Trammell noted that, if passed, the plan would increase tuition prices gradually over time.

“The Board’s commitment is the quality of William and Mary. People come to the College because of its excellence, they don’t come there because it’s the cheapest school in the country, and that shouldn’t be our goal. Our goal should be to provide a great education with financial aid for middleincome families. We just can’t sustain that educational model without greater resources,” Trammell said.

The administration has sent its financial model to the Virginia General Assembly for review. If passed and approved, the plan will be given to the Board of Visitors for a final decision in April.

“We won’t know what’s going to happen to W&M tuition until the BOV actually sets it next spring,” Reveley said in an email. “There is no meaningful way now of predicting how the state of the national economy and of Virginia politics are going to play out over the next five months or so.”

Despite Galuska’s warning that the College is paving the way to go private with such a strategy, Jones denies that this option is on the table. In order to privatize, the College would need to buy all its buildings and grounds back from the state with a price tag of more than $2 billion, after receiving approval from the state to break away.

“Privatizing is not anything we are proposing right now,” Jones said. “You can do the math and make the numbers work out, but politically, it’s not something we are promoting at all.”

For now, the College’s primary strategies to address its financial situation are making operations more efficient and encouraging alumni donations.

opinions

Opinions Editor Elizabeth DeBusk opinions@flathatnews.com

The Flat Hat | Friday, December 2, 2011 | Page 5

Editorial cartoon

Staff Editorial

I

By Molly Adair, Flat Hat Cartoonist

Support gay marriage in its own right David Foster Wallace’s 2005 commencement speech at Kenyon College, I believe that everyone, atheists included, chooses something to worship. Given that we all do worship something, we all ascribe some measure of holiness to our value system.

Therefore, the question is not whether I believe the Holy Bible is holy or eternal. Instead, it’s becoming increasingly clear Flat Hat Staff Columnist that the question to be asked of the text is what exactly does “holy” mean? Should consecrating a document as holy free it from continuing reinterpretation?

A few weeks ago, I was walking past the tables outside I consulted religious studies professor Sandy Jo Rogers the Sadler Center dining hall, which consisted of the about the issue. Rogers is simultaneously working toward her usual roster of charitable fundraisers, Greek events and doctoral degree in biblical studies with an emphasis on the AMP speakers, when an unusual one caught my eye, and I Hebrew Torah at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond doubled back. and her ordination at Ginter Park Baptist Church.

A sign was decorated with a bright sky blue canopy and two Rogers explained that “the Bible has been used to support golden gates. On top of the gates was written, “Do you think holy wars and genocides, all kinds of hatred throughout human you’re going to Heaven? Take our easy 2 question quiz to find history and this [homophobia] is just another example of that. out.” I stopped and talked with the local pastor for a while It doesn’t make the use of it right. Anyone who is using the before the subject of same-sex marriage came up.

As a double major in government and religious studies, I Bible to oppress,” Rogers finished, “is guilty of breaking the find the issue of same-sex marriage fascinating. The battle third commandment. That is what it means to use the Lord’s name lightly, that is what it means to over same-sex marriage is one of the take the Lord’s name in vain.” political debates that clearly has been It is critical to examine the Furthermore, context is key. On the filtered through a religious prism. same pages as the verses in the book While these political and religious context of our core beliefs. of Leviticus that many use to justify forces can certainly be felt here, and the anti-gay marriage positions are other College of William and Mary can claim both a significant number of Christian student groups and a verses prohibiting planting different kinds of seeds in the vocal LGBTQI community, the College is fortunate not to be same field and wearing clothes from multiple sources.

Honing in on verses condemning homosexual relations rankled by the polarization of our political process. for a specific people during a specific time divorces the However, one day we will leave the Williamsburg bubble and message from its larger aims. take our places as stewards of our nation’s future. It is critical I am not a Christian. As such, I have no real authority to to examine the context of our core beliefs, specifically in the claim that my simplistic theological interpretation is the correct controversial same-sex marriage debate, so we will be ready to one. However, as a citizen of a country whose politics are take charge when that happens. increasingly being shaped by the presence of Christianity — I believe that conservative elements in modern-day see California’s 2008 Proposition 8 and Ken Cuccinelli’s 2010 Christianity are wrong to use the Bible as justification for ban on sexual orientation-based legal protections — I have denying marriage equality. Some might argue that I am illevery right to demand that one interpretation of a holy text not suited to discuss Christian theology, as I am not Christian. But be deemed holy itself. it does not matter whether I subscribe to the Christian Bible or any other specific scripture. Taking my cue from the late Email David Alpert at daalpert@email.wm.edu.

David Alpert

“

“

“Buck Up”

t is impossible to avoid hearing about the College of William and Mary’s current financial struggles. The College needs money that quite simply isn’t there right now. As state funding for the school drops, the cost of tuition continues to increase, and every year there is an attempt to raise tuition either for out-of-state students or in-state students by some delegate in the Virginia General Assembly.

In a recent interview with “Virginia Business Magazine,” College President Taylor Reveley described his belief that tuition needs to be based on market price, which means increasing the amount in-state students pay. Reveley also said in the interview that some of the funding generated from the increase would go toward financial aid so as to not deter students from applying.

According to Reveley, out-of-state student tuition has reached a point where it cannot be increased; in-state tuition has not.

After the interview, a writer for the Washington Post, and the parent of a student at the University of Virginia with more than a little bias, worried that Reveley’s plan will lead to privatization and contemplated other courses of action. In an editorial response, the rector of the Board of Visitors at the College, Jeff Trammell, supported Reveley’s views while ensuring that the College had no intention to privatize.

Reveley’s interview, in conjunction with Trammell’s response, indicates a very different tone in the discussion of raising tuition and where the College stands financially. Reveley knows the comments may be unpopular with some people — like delegates from Northern Virginia — yet he seems confident in talking about this possibly polarizing plan. In speaking to a business journal, Reveley went straight to the people who would understand his position rather than begging the General Assembly for funding. Yes, this move is bold. Yes, the College is taking its finances into its own hands because it is not receiving enough state support. This move may even be a bluff to raise awareness that if the state won’t give the College more money, the College will look elsewhere.

We obviously need the money. By now everyone should understand that the state has all but stopped funding the College’s operating costs. The College is a prestigious school, but without the cash to hire professors, conduct research projects, or incentivize intelligent students to apply, our reputation is in jeopardy. Other state schools have other funding options and from that funding they can afford better facilities and support. Other state schools don’t have buildings that are sinking into the ground or that have been closed for three years.

In the entire country, Virginia ranked 38th in state and local appropriations for students — as compared to North Carolina and Maryland which were ranked 10th and 11th, respectively.

In case you’re getting a little mentally overwhelmed at the end of finals, that means only 11 other states have worse funding allocation per students.

While Reveley’s comments may seem a little hard-hearted, his plan is one that will allow the College to effectively finance itself. The College needs to maintain its reputation — even if that means students will have to shell out a little more in return for a valuable education.

The staff editorial represents the opinion of The Flat Hat. The editorial board, which is elected by The Flat Hat’s section editors and executive staff, consists of Mike Barnes, Becky Koenig, Ellie Kaufman, Elizabeth DeBusk and Alex Cooper.

The Flat Hat welcomes submissions to the Opinions section. Limit letters to 250 words and columns to 650 words. Letters, columns, graphics and cartoons reflect the view of the author only. Email submissions to opinions@flathatnews.com.

Street Beat

Which final exam do you expect to be most difficult?

Avoiding flocks of drunk alumni Homecoming Parade

Being in a flock of drunk alumni The Cheese Shop

“My most difficult exam my “The football game.

GoisTribe!” take home for developmental biology. There’s nothing to do but make it easier.”

Sam Meadows ’12 Tori Snell ’14

Avoiding flocks of students “Friday’s eventsorganic — the parade, “My “Hanging is advanced outiswith friends and “Math Powered Flight — even “My “The hardest homecoming is Psychstep 418.show It’s and “Mine worst exam going “Statistics is my hardest. My a capella the pep It’s rally, and the block a really difficult good times.

More my after senior partyresearch that theprojet Black in Student chemistry. to behaving molecular genetics.

I time tothough it’s theGentlemen easiest math class, concert professor is the worst.” party” — seems like a legit day, haven’t subject. spend with the youa like.”I’m just not a math oriented abnormal Organization psychology. puts on.”It’s the opened thepeople book in a day of fun.” hardest class for my major.” few weeks.” person.”

Football game Lemondre Watson ’13 Micah Jasny ’14 Cheryl Williams ’13 Emil Iqbal ’13 Jackie Shawn Pembleton Burley ’12‘13 Steve Dachert ’13 Michaela Francis ’15 Alan Takasugi ’15 ­— photos and interviews by Michelle gabro

­— photos and interviews by Zachary Hardy

President Reveley goes rogue: Realistic solution comes at a steep price Ellen Wexler

Few things possess

Flat Hat Staff Columnist

Over the past 30 years, state funding has dropped from 43 percent to 13 percent of the College of William and Mary’s operating budget. As a possible solution, College President Taylor Reveley has suggested raising in-state tuition and basing it on the market.

In a Washington Post editorial, blogger Peter Galuszka argued that Reveley’s proposal “could help clear the way to privatizing Virginia’s precious public university gems. There’s a strong undercurrent, especially among privatization-loving conservatives, to extract state funding entirely and make

the schools private.”

Under Reveley’s proposal, some of the increased revenue from higher in-state tuition would go toward financial aid. Taking a different side of the argument, a writer for the same blog criticized this part of the proposal as a “wealth-distribution scheme … from each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.”

I doubt that Reveley will pursue a policy of either extreme rightwing privatization or some sort of communist redistribution of wealth.

I especially doubt that he will pursue both of these simultaneously.

Instead, Reveley is taking a very practical approach to a very divisive problem. Of course it would be nice if the state did not continuously lower the College’s funding, but Reveley cannot control state funding. What he can control are the College’s policies, and as

the state is proving to be unreliable, he must use that control in order to stop our dependence on the state.

It seems simple, but take a moment to think of all the public figures you know who have had to deal with an unpopular issue. Generally, people in this situation advocate for a popular solution that has little to no basis in reality — consider the many proposals in the national debt debate. Incidently, the University of Virginia is addressing the issue by advocating that the state give Virginia colleges more funding. If this does not happen — as it most likely will not — U.Va. will not have a clear plan to keep itself running smoothly in the future.

Reveley does have a plan, even if it isn’t ideal. Student debt is a problem, as is the widespread inaccessibility of a college education. As U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a speech Tuesday, “The difficulty of reducing the

price of college and student debt cannot become a discussion-ending excuse for inaction.” If there are ways to increase financial productivity and efficiency, we should pursue them. What we should not do is advocate solutions that will never

exist, ignore realities, or fail to put forth potentially controversial but tangible ideas for discussion. In this respect, Reveley has certainly succeeded.

Email Ellen Wexler at eawexler@ email.wm.edu.

Graphic by Rachel Brooks /the Flat hat

sports

SPORTS IN BRIEF

Sports Editor Jared Foretek flathatsports@gmail.com

The Flat Hat | Friday, December 2, 2011 | Page 6

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Quotable

Too Easy

“We love to play Delaware.

Our kids are excited to play them first in the league, start at the top and see what we’re made of ... We’ve got a lot of talent and we’ve got kids who keep getting better. This team’s hungry.”

— Women’s basketball head coach Debbie Taylor on the team’s upcoming matchup with CAA-foe Delaware.

Stat box

4

The number of women’s basketball wins in six games this season. The team won just three all last season, finishing 3-26.

upcoming games Men’s gymnastics Pre-season intrasquad 7 p.m. Fri., Williamsburg The Tribe will officialy begin its pre-season Friday when it holds an intrasquad at Kaplan Arena.

The team will look to build on a successful 2011 season in which the team went 15-8-1, finished third in the ECAC and 13 in the nation but barely missed the NCAA championships. A young squad, the team has just two seniors.

men’s Basketball Tribe at Georgia State 2 p.m. Sat., Atlanta Coming off an ugly home showing against Richmond, the College (1-7) will look to turn around its young season when it begins conference play against Georgia State (4-3). The teams didn’t meet last season, but when the two faced off two years ago, the Tribe eeked out a three-point win on the road.

The Panthers are currently third in the CAA in scoring, averaging 70.4 points per game, which could spell trouble for the Tribe, currently No. 10 in the league in defense, allowing 73.8 points per game.

women’s Basketball Tribe at Delaware 2 p.m. Sun., Wilmington, Del. The College (4-2) has already topped its win total from last season, and is red hot since the return of senior guard Taysha Pye, having won three straight.

That said, Sunday will be a real test for the Tribe, as it kicks off its CAA slate against the nation’s top scorer, Elena Delle Donne, and No. 24 Delaware. When the two played late last season, the College nearly scored the upset, falling in overtime 70-66. yards on passing the web per game

The flat hat sports desk is now on twitter!

Follow The Flat Hat Sports Desk on Twitter at @Flathatsports for the latest news, updates and scores from all the Tribe teams.

And if you don’t already, Like The Flat Hat on Facebook and follow the entire paper at @ theflathat for updates and news from around campus.

ASHLEY CHANEY / THE FLAT HAT

Junior forward Emily Correal made a big difference on the boards in Wednesday’s 51-28 win over Longwood, pulling down nine rebounds to go along with eight points and two blocks and an assist.

Tribe notches fourth win of the season with 76-43 thrashing of Longwood at home

BY JACK POWERS THE FLAT HAT

William and Mary continued its hot start to the 2011-12 campaign Wednesday, cruising to a 76-43 win against visiting Longwood. With its fourth win of the season, the Tribe has already eclipsed its 2010-11 win total.

The College (4-2) carried out a campaign of attrition against the Lancers (1-6), meticulously building up an insurmountable lead throughout the game, finishing with a 33-point victory.

The decisive victory was largely due to the Tribe’s whopping rebounding advantage of 51-28, which led to 12 more shots for the College than Longwood.

Junior center Jaclyn McKenna said that rebounding has been one of the key factors the College has been working on lately.

The Lancers held the lead for the first five minutes of regulation, and scored with ease. It wasn’t until senior guard Taysha Pye checked in that the Tribe’s domination of Longwood began. Pye provided an instant spark as she scored four points in her first 1 minute, 30 seconds on the floor.

Taylor chose to play an intense trapping zone defense for most of the first half, which rushed the Longwood offense into miscues and poor shots. The effectiveness of the Tribe’s zone in the first half was apparent through the 12 Longwood turnovers at halftime as the College took a 36-25 lead into the locker room.

The steady unraveling of the Lancers accelerated in the second half as senior guard Katherine DeHenzel grabbed the reins of the offense and orchestrated a slew of devastating cuts and passes. Pye also proved to be too much for the Lancers, finishing with 15 points on a 7 of 10 shooting performance, with four rebounds and a pair of assists. The team is 3-0 since Pye was allowed back on the court after violating team rules.

“I wouldn’t say it’s me, but it’s just the cohesiveness of the whole team,” Pye said, calling the current squad the best she’s played on in her four years at the College.

“We have so much depth. We have people that can play all down our roster.”

Despite some early foul trouble, DeHenzel logged 11 points, four assists and three steals. As of Nov. 27, the senior led the nation in steals per game, averaging 5.5.

In the second half, the Tribe switched to its regular zone defense, hampering the Lancers’ shooting ability as

the team hit just 8 of its 26 shots in the final 20 minutes.

“When we switched to a flat zone they just couldn’t shoot the ball,” Taylor said.

As has been commonplace in some of the College’s blowout wins this season, all four of the Tribe’s freshman saw action in the waning minutes, playing solid team basketball to build on the commanding lead.

Although junior forward Emily Correal, who came in averaging close to a double-double, struggled from the floor, shooting 2-10 on the night, fellow frontcourt member, junior center Jaclyn McKenna was able to pick up the slack, finishing with 11 points, five boards and three assists.

The Tribe will open its conference schedule when it travels to Delaware to take on the No. 24 Blue Hens Sunday. The College will need to continue its excellent defensive play if it wants to contain forward Elena Delle Donne, the nation’s top scorer averaging 30.3 points per game.

“We love to play Delaware,” Taylor said. “Our kids are excited to play them first in the league, start at the top and see what we’re made of … We’ve got a lot of talent and we’ve got kids who keep getting better every day. This team’s hungry.”

MEN’S BASKETBALL

College falls to Richmond at home, 92-61

Tribe defense no match as Spiders shoot 62 percent, dropping College to 1-7 on season

BY CHRIS WEBER THE FLAT HAT

For a team that lives and dies with the three-point game, there will be nights like Wednesday night. William and Mary went 5-20 from behind the arc en-route to a 92-61 home shellacking at the hands of Richmond.

Couple the College’s inability to shoot with a porous defense, add red-hot Richmond shooting and the result is a drubbing that moves the Tribe to 1-7 on the season. Seemingly a step behind and a second too late for the vast majority of the game, the Tribe defense watched as the Spiders shot an impressive 51.7 percent (15-29) from three-point land and 62.1(36-58) percent from the floor.

“I felt [the Spiders] were incredible,” head coach Tony Shaver said. “I’m embarrassed by our play tonight, I really am. I’ve got to get this team to respond better than we are right now.”

Sophomore forward Tim Rusthoven, playing just his second game after returning from a foot injury, provided most of the Tribe’s bright spots in the first half, finishing the game with a team-high 15 points and 8 rebounds. Alongside Rusthoven, junior guard Matt Rum made his first start of the season, ending the game with 13 points and going 4-5 from the field, 2-3 from behind the arc.

Despite solid individual efforts, the Spiders quickly set the tone and headed into the half with a 26 point lead. “[Richmond] scoring almost 50 points in the first half is unacceptable, you’re not going to win a game giving up that many points,” Rum said.

The first half saw seven Spider three-point attempts drain the rim. Freshman guard Kendall Anthony led Richmond with 17 points in only 18 minutes of action.

“We got some open shots early to build confidence for people,” Anthony said.

As the second half got under way, the College began to play with a bit more passion. Off the bench, junior guard Doug Howard provided a spark both offensively and defensively. While the offense still sputtered, the defense tightened up.

“We came out fighting a little more, a little more aggressive, we just got to do that for 40 minutes,” Rusthoven said.

Despite the Tribe’s effort, the Spiders continued to maintain their insurmountable lead. With the game well

SALMA ABDEL-RAHEEM / THE FLAT HAT

Junior guard Matt Rum finished with 13 points, three rebounds and one assist in 31 minutes as the Tribe fell to Richmond at home, 92-61.

out of reach and Richmond’s reserves on the floor, the College’s freshman talent began to show itself.

Silent for most of the game, freshman guard Marcus Thornton finished with 10 points while going a perfect 4-4 from the free-throw line. Perhaps the only Tribe highlight of the night came on a Thornton steal, after which he flushed a two-handed dunk.

Poor defense by the College and stellar execution by the Spiders wrote the script of the game. Coming off of some injuries to key players, Richmond coach Chris Mooney saw the outcome as a result of great timing for his squad.

“I’m pleased with the win and how we played,” Mooney said, “I think we caught William and Mary on a tough night and made a lot of shots. You’re not going to make 15 three’s too often.”

Aside from a lights-out shooting performance, the Spiders also displayed an intimidating defensive force. Senior center Darrius Garrett lead the cause with five of Rich-

mond’s seven blocks.

“I let [my team] know, don’t get comfortable, stay hungry all night,” Garrett said.

As the College falls to 1-7 on the season, the focus for the players and coach turns to the defensive side of the ball. Richmond dominated the fast break points, 14 to the Tribe’s four, and scored 32 points in the paint. The Spiders had five players score in the double-digits.

“It’s just a question of us being better on defense and [we] got to keep working at it,” Rum said.

Shaver showed more emotion about his team’s effort.

“I think our team was hurt. I thought we got punched in the mouth in the first half and didn’t respond very well — we didn’t stand our ground and fight very well. I think that’s something we’ve always done,” Shaver said.

The College hits the road for the seventh time this season as they visit Georgia State Saturday. The game will begin the College’s CAA conference schedule.

Best

SAL’S of

green the LEAFE B CRAFT HOUSE u AROMA’S r SWEET g FROG blue talon

ALL PHOTOS BY MICHELLE GABRO AND CAROLINE WREN MARTIN / THE FLAT HAT

As the semester comes to an end, our staff reflects on the town where we live. We take a poll and determine those spots we see as the Best of the ‘Burg. This year’s Best of the ‘Burg has been compiled in a special insert as a guide to the city of Williamsburg.

BestDateBlue place Talon

BestIce cream Sweet Frog

BY MEREDITH RAMEY FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER

CAROLINE WREN MARTIN / The Flat HAT

BestCoffee Aromas

BY ARIEL COHEN FLAT HAT NEWS ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

With the warm yellow walls, eclectic artwork and Ella Fitzgerald’s bluesy melodies, the atmosphere in Aromas on a rainy November morning is anything but dreary.

Tables packed with students and local residents starting their day over coffee show that, this coffee shop is the ideal place to start or end a hectic day.

Colonial Williamburg’s only coffee shop, located just across from Brown Residence Hall on Prince George Street, is cozy and full of locals grabbing coffee by morning. However if you walk in to the shop at night, Aromas gives a completely different vibe.

A local jazz trio plays live music in the corner while members of student groups discusses their next fundraiser over cheesecake. A graduate student, on his fifth cup of coffee, furiously works on his research paper next to that couple from your freshman hall cozying up in the corner below the Christmas lights.

In a town with few places for a casual coffee date, Aromas provides a warm atmosphere to get to know someone better. Aromas offers an array of specialty brews and flavored lattes and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

On a daily basis, the coffee shop offers four regular brews, two decaf brews plus one flavored brew along with an assortment of espresso drinks, teas and smoothies. Aromas’ “Stimulating Specialty Drinks” include the delicious and ever-popular dessert drinks: the Snickers Latte, Almond Joy Latte, S’mores Latte, Prince George’s Mint Mocha and the ‘Honey Dew’ Latte.

A lover of Wawa coffee, I had never ventured to Aromas before. So, when the local coffee shop was voted the Best of the ’Burg, I dragged along four bluntly honest boys from my freshman hall to help me critically review Aromas’ house brews and was quite pleased with what we discovered.

The coffee selection offers something for everyone, from the caffeine connoisseur looking for an espresso fix to the dessert lover looking for a sweet drink to end the evening.

One member of our group, Cameron Teaster ’14, who had never had an espresso drink before, found himself going up for a second cup. He described the Prince George’s Green Mint Mocha as “warm ice cream in a cup.”

Aromas one drawback is its high-priced menu. On a college budget, a $3.50 “Tribe Mocha” can become an expensive habit.

However, for those cold mornings when you just feel like you need extra pep in your step

Flavors upon flavors of frozen yogurt fill the pink and green walls.

An abundance of candy, fruit and other toppings spill from the counters.

Students fill the shop, self-serving their way to delightful desserts.

That’s right, it’s Sweet Frog time.

Many aspects set Sweet Frog apart from other shops of its kind, and the most notable of these is its self-serve concept. The process is relatively simple enough to understand. So easy, a freshman could do it. First, a customer walks in and selects a serving container from the three sizes offered. Next, they approach the large frozen yogurt wall, home of 14 distinct flavors. There are many different ways to tackle the flavor wall. Do you mix and match or delve into one distinct flavor? It’s up to you to decide.

Now that you have decided on the yogurt, it is time to choose your toppings. The toppings range from classic chocolate chips and sprinkles to fresh fruit and caramelized nuts.

The combinations are limitless.

Depending on your mood, you could spend all day deciding on the perfect combination or run in, wing it, and enjoy the results.

Lastly, customers pay, but how much does this sweet treat cost?

Again, it’s up to you (for the most part). Sweet Frog weighs each customer’s dessert on a scale and charges 37 cents per ounce. That’s less

than $6 for a pound of ice cream!

Another appealing aspect of Sweet Frog are the health facts.

Frozen yogurt is low on fat, and a number of flavors contain no fat at all, allowing for a healthier way to satisfy a sweet tooth. The self-serve concept also allows students to control their portions. Of course, the ability to control your portions can end up swinging both ways.

Can I hear a freshman fifteen?

One of the only drawbacks of Sweet Frog is its location, but students can deal with that as well. As it is not located in the area adjacent to campus, it is not easily accessible by walking like Aromas or BerryBody. However, the Williamsburg trolley and red line of the Williamsburg bus system both stop right by Sweet Frog. Also, convincing a friend with a car to drive you to Sweet Frog should not be too hard, either.

While Sweet Frog does not offer any specific discounts for students at the College, they do have a number of other promotions.

When you pay for your dessert, be sure to ask for a punch card.

Every time you buy a treat at Sweet Frog, you just have the cashier punch your card, then on your tenth purchase, you get $4 off. In addition, the Sweet Frog manager, Grace Clemente, said the shop does a lot of fundraisers for both the Williamsburg community and College students.

CHRISTINA GLASS / The Flat HAT

BY ELLIE KAUFMAN FLAT HAT CHIEF STAFF WRITER

CAROLINE WREN MARTIN / The Flat HAT

Need a place to take your campus cutie that isn’t the Commons Dining Hall or Sadler Center dining hall?

While some of my personal favorites include this town’s fine selection of pancake houses and Mexican restaurants, the staff has spoken, and the word on the street is that the best place to take your date is the Blue Talon Bistro.

Conveniently located on Prince George Street across from Aromas and the Campus Store, the Blue Talon Bistro provides a cozy but sophisticated atmosphere if you are looking for a quiet evening alone. Blue Talon serves breakfast, lunch and dinner with delicious

combinations of traditional favorites and original creations. My personal favorite, the Blue Talon Mac and Cheese, is a comfort food classic, but the dinner entree menu includes plenty of specials to satisfy. Dinner entrees are priced at around $20, just enough to impress your date without breaking the bank.

To make Blue Talon more affordable for the average college student budget, those 21 and over should take advantage of half-priced wine on Tuesday nights. Get a bottle of expensive wine for half the price combined with a delectable Blue Talon meal, and you are sure to win over your crush’s affections. The Bistro also provides birthday boys and girls with a free meal if you ever feel like making all of your friends

pay for an expensive dinner while you sit there and eat for free.

The Blue Talon provides a comfortable atmosphere so your date won’t feel overwhelmed by the sophistication of the Trellis but still will feel special on a night out.

While the other options in Merchants Square scream serious commitment, the Blue Talon says “I like you enough to pay at least $50, but I am not asking you to marry me— yet.”

It also gives your date the option of wearing the always-preferred slightly-dressed-up date outfit without having to go all out. Blue Talon is the perfect balance between way-overpriced Williamsburg and the are-we-just-friends-or-arewe-on-a-date off-campus options including Panera or Chipotle.

BestOf Richmond Road Sal’s

BY WALTER HICKEY FLAT HAT ONLINE EDITOR

Williamsburg has unparalleled restaurant quality, largely due to its tourism, strong local character and abundance of students. This mix creates the perfect environment for independent, locally owned businesses to prosper. In short, to be considered the best restaurant on Richmond Road, a business has to beat out some very strong competition.

Sal’s by Victor sets the bar high, to say the least. Unequivocally, Sal’s is the best Italian restaurant in town. It’s locally owned, inexpensive and the quality of the food is superb. I hadn’t been to Sal’s since it suffered a crippling fire two years ago, forcing it to close and rebuild. Other restaurants may have balked at the task, but the eponymous Vittorio Minichiello, or Victor persevered and rebuilt his decades-old business. Rising from the ashes, Sal’s is better than ever.

Victor has an unwavering passion for food. I stopped by Sal’s to reacquaint myself with their menu the other day.

While I was enjoying the freshly prepared lasagna, I overheard Victor talking to a person waiting for a pickup order. Victor

promptly invited the man to sit down and offered him a coffee on the house while he waited. In many ways, that interaction conveys exactly what makes Sal’s stand out in an outstanding field: Victor and his staff sincerely want their customers to enjoy their visit. The walls are adorned with imported Italian art and Victor prides himself on his decor. When describing his restaurant, Victor’s pride is palpable. It’s also completely deserved.

Sal’s is an excellent dining experience; with passionately prepared food, the ambiance is the result of thirty years of experience in entertaining guests. College oenophiles won’t be disappointed either as the wine selection is superb. Sal’s exemplifies what makes Williamsburg restaurants unique. Every locally owned restaurant I’ve been to in this city has been largely a labor of love on the part of the omnipresent owner. Sal’s is, by far, the best example in town of the impact of passion has on the dining experience. Once Victor learned I was covering his restaurant for Best of the ’Burg, he gave me a personal tour of his reconstructed restaurant. The kitchen is precisely what one would expect: rows of packed ovens, cooks preparing sauce from scratch, the staff preparing for

CHRISTINA GLASS / The Flat HAT

the lunch rush at eleven in the morning.

Victor even showed me the walk-in freezer; the deli meats were all top-notch brands, specialty meats imported from Italy and a veritable mountain of prosciutto.

In spite of the fact that Sal’s seems to spare no expense on their ingredients, the food is surprisingly affordable. Entrees can go for less than ten dollars. Moreover, Sal’s also has — in my opinion — a severely underused delivery option. With

comparable prices but superior quality, skip Domino’s next time you order in and give Sal’s a shot. Sal’s is an excellent choice for an inexpensive but quality date night, or just one of those nights where you need some home-style Italian food. The passion of the owner, the superiority of the ingredients and the exceptional quality of the food are just some of the reasons why Sal’s by Victor is Richmond Road’s Best of the ’Burg.

Best Deli Green Leafe

BY KATIE DEMERIA AND WALTER HICKEY FLAT HAT VARIETY AND ONLINE EDITOR

MICHELLE GABRO / THE FLAT HAT

for mom BestGiftCraft House

BY ABBY BOYLE THE FLAT HAT

The last few weeks leading up to the holidays, while filled with anticipation and excitement each year, are always accompanied by certain challenges. Year after year, one of these difficulties is finding the perfect gift for your mom. Choosing a gift that is the perfect balance of useful and sentimental is often a seemingly impossible task, especially if you’re on a budget. Luckily, this is where the Williamsburg Craft House comes in.

Located in Merchants Square, the Williamsburg Craft House is a big draw for tourists because it is elegant inside and out. With soft music in the background and a color theme throughout, the store is full of possibilities for gifts. The Craft House sells plates, glassware, cutlery and art pieces, along with silver and jewelry. There are also greeting cards and even books and DVDs about all things Colonial Williamsburg. All of these items are definitely suitable gifts for moms: they are quality products that will no doubt be useful in some part of your house, and they will look nice whether they are on display or put to use.

While you can order these gifts online, going to the Craft House

itself is a part of the experience of buying a gift. Especially in the weeks before the holidays, with all of its its holiday decorations, you really can’t help but feel the holiday spirit as you browse through the store’s offerings.

It’s also nice to shop among the various tourists, many of whom are discovering the store for the first time. Although you will probably never have the store to yourself, the enthusiasm that the tourists have for admiring and purchasing home décor is unexpectedly infectious and makes for an entertaining shopping experience.

One downside to the Craft House is that it can be pricey, especially if you have limited funds to spend on a gift. Since the products are of a high quality, many potential gifts cost $60 or more. However, if you are willing to search through the piles of items on display, there are plenty of options that cost a little bit less.

A gift bought at the Craft House is clearly meant to last a long time, and it is an item that can either be used or displayed for years to come. The quality and variety of the products, along with the experience of buying the gift itself, make the Craft House the best place to buy a gift for your mom in Williamsburg.

The debate to select the best deli in Williamsburg was, to err on the side of understatement, rather contentious.

The discussion grew animated. Names were called. Mistakes were made.

Insults flew. An associate suggested the Hospitality House; he was promptly sacked. In the end, the final decision was made based upon rank, since the Variety editor does, in fact, place the column on the page, and the Online Editor has no such authority.

This year the Best Deli award goes to the Green Leafe Cafe.

The Leafe offers an innumerable amount of beer brands. Their selection varies seasonally, and it’s the go-to establishment for the beer snob in your life. While the other delis have the old classics, the Leafe’s experimentation with its selection allows adventurous weekend warriors to switch up the routine at their leisure.

Moreover, the menu at the Leafe, while not as vast as at the other delis, has some delicious drunk food as well as food that can stand on its own. Green Leafe Head Chef A.J. Garrelts has made some excellent decisions with his menu.

Specials stand out, and the man behind the kitchen has crafted an exceptional menu. Staff recommendations include the calamari.

Finally, the Leafe is the most conscientious eatery with specials.

Monday night is half-price burger night, a

great deal that allows students to get great burgers starting at a mere $4. The staff recommends the Black ‘n’ Bleu burger.

When talking about deals on drinks, we’d be remiss if we failed to mention Mug Night, the iconic ritual when the senior class gets together every Sunday to get drunk on the cheap.

In short, the Leafe won this year because it remains the deli for those seeking a modicum of adventure while living in Colonial Williamsburg, of all places. For those bold souls among us, The Leafe offers them the chance to try a new beer or a bold menu selection, or just try to score on a Sunday.

Praise is due to similar establishments; the College Delly requires significant kudos to accurately convey our satisfaction with the restaurant’s metamorphosis over the past year. The College Delly went from “that place where I once saw a drug deal take place on the porch” to having a re-vamped menu, classy interior and cheap alcohol. “That is worthy of incredible commendations.

Moreover, Paul’s Deli continues to serve as a reliable, consistent sports bar with a great crowd, strong drinks and great cheese fries. And the Hospitality House continues to have a bar, as far as we know.

But in the end, the Green Leafe Café won out this year. It was close, and the Online section seems to be deliberately sulking just to convey disappointment with the selection, but the Leafe’s versatile menu, vast selection of craft and imported beer, and excellent deals made it this year’s champion.

MICHELLE GABRO / THE FLAT HAT