Flat Hat 11-15-12

Page 1

VARIETY >> PAGE 6

SPORTS >> PAGE 8

Law school simulates trial of fairy tale characters to teach kids about legal system

A look back at senior forward Mallory Schaffer’s illustrious career at the College

Vol. 102, Iss. 21 | Friday, November 16, 2012

Schaffer ends notable career

The Flat Hat The Twice-Weekly Student Newspaper

of The College of William and Mary

CAMPUS

How to break the

It was grey and then green and then black. It was disgusting. Your room is supposed to be somewhere you feel at home but we didn’t really want to be there.

MOLD

—Stephanie Krauss ’15

Williamsburg’s humidity takes a toll on health and building maintenance at the College bY claire gillespie flat hat STAFF WRITER

High humidity and frequent storms throughout the last six months in Williamsburg have left the College of William and Mary increasingly vulnerable to those black spots that make people’s hair stand on end: mold. “I guess the mold had been there since we moved in. It was on the ceiling tile,” Stephanie Krauss ’15 said. “The ceiling had water spots and then the water grew and spread. It was gray and then green and then black. It was disgusting. Your room is supposed to be somewhere you feel at home, but we didn’t really want to be there.” Mold grows when warm, moist air comes into a cool building. When this humid air hits a cold surface, such as the cold water pipes that make up the air conditioning system of many residence halls, mold can grow. “The way students and staff and faculty can help is by not opening your windows when you have the air conditioning on. If you have an air-conditioned building and you open the window, any cold surface in here, the warm, moist air will hit the window, it will hit that surface, it will condense, and it will create a moisture problem,” Director

Flathatnews.com | Follow us:

The jury’s out

Why does mold form? Mold grows and multiplies when it has sufficient moisture and organic material. High humidity, condensation and water from a leaking pipe are all causes of mold.

of Operations and Maintenance Robert Avalle said. “Also, don’t prop your doors open. Anything you can do to seal that building will help in reducing the probability of warm, moist air getting in.” Another technique that keeps mold out of the halls is turning the air conditioner up so the room is not as cold. “The colder you make a room, the higher the probability that you’re going to get condensation somewhere,” Avalle said. The Environment, Health and Safety Office, which deals with the work orders that involve mold, has responded to 19 different work order requests in the last six months. From May to October 2011, the department responded to five requests. “The Office wants to treat the mold and make sure everybody has a healthy living environment, but they can’t really do anything unless a student reports it. If you have mold, report it, and they will get rid of it,” Secretary of Student Rights Emily Wade ’15 said. Environment, Health, and Safety staff members start the treatment by running tests with a moisture meter, a device that responds to the

What can students do? Don’t open windows when the air conditioning unit is on and make sure to close all doors.

See mold page 3 courtesy photo / STEPHANIE KRAUSS

katherine chiglinsky /THE FLAT HAT

Stephanie Krauss ’15 experienced mold on the ceiling in Camm basement this year.

campus

PULITZER

Provost shares personal opinion, questions benefits of merger

LGBTQ on campus

Public speak on EVMS discussion Students talk being College remains fairly tolerant

by eleanor lamB the flat hat

by beatrice loayza the flat hat

The prospect of creating a medical school prompted nearly as many questions and concerns as a medical school exam. The Due Diligence Committee, charged by President Taylor Reveley to explore the prospect of formal connections between the College of William and Mary and Eastern Virginia Medical School, met Nov. 14 to discuss the overlap of the two institutions. Linking the two schools would add a medical school to the College’s programs. The public forum gave concerned students and community members the opportunity to voice their questions and concerns. “This is truly exploratory,” Provost Michael Halleran said. The idea of formally joining with EVMS did not come out of the blue; the College has had close ties to the medical school for some time. Located in Norfolk, the school is only about a one-hour drive located from the College. In fact, a few members of the audience were EVMS students who had earned their undergraduate degrees at the College.

Index

News Insight News News Opinions Variety Variety Sports

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Although it would not be as expensive as schools like Virginia Tech that started their own medical programs from scratch merging the two would require quite an expenditure. “Those schools [who built their own medical schools] are knee-deep in red ink,” professor of kinesiology and health sciences and committee member Michael Deschenes said. “Maybe we could come up with our own model.”

In 2009, Simone, an outspoken lesbian from Jamaica, applied for a visa to the United States after being attacked violently by an anti-gay gang, according to the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting. Homophobia runs rampant in Jamaica, so for Simone, being openly homosexual is “essentially a death sentence.” Discrimination against LGBTQ individuals is still a serious issue, even in the United States. However, institutions of higher education that represent today’s young people and tend to be fairly progressive, often strive to create an atmosphere of tolerance and acceptance for the LGBTQ community. The College of William and Mary is no exception. Last year, the College participated in a study called the Campus Climate Index, a national standard for measuring LGBT-friendly programs, policies and practices of universities. The College received 3.5 out of five stars, indicating a need to increase efforts to address the needs and concerns of LGBT individuals on campus. According to Margie Cook, assistant director of the Center for Student Diversity, many positive steps have been taken and integral students do not have major complaints about LGBTQ-based discrimination on campus. “Students are often having a positive experience with other students, and also with supportive staff and administration,” Cooke said in an email. Dylan Frendt ’14 and Dylan Lowery ’13 have been in a serious, open

See evms page 4

See pulitzer page 4

Michelle gabbro / THE FLAT HAT

The due diligence committee opened the floor to the public comment on the possible EVMS merger.

Although the addition of a medical school to the College is appealing to some, the committee feels there are many important factors to consider. “There’s a lot to know. This is a big, strategic decision that we face,” Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and committee member Jim Golden said. “It’s complicated. We want to continue to explore possibilities.” One of the biggest concerns raised by the audience and committee members alike was how to fund an emerging medical school.

Today’s Weather

Sunny High 55, Low 37

Inside opinions

One change every professor should make If professors don’t return our graded assignments, we won’t have the information we need to fix our mistakes. page 4

Inside SPORTS

Tribe downs Virginia Union for first win

Sophomore guard Kyle Kerstetter provides 14 points, six assists off the bench to power College to victory page 8


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.