OPINIONS >> PAGE 4
VARIETY >> PAGE 5
Why we’re thinking less
Gingriches visit Williamsburg
With every piece of information at our fingertips, we lose the ability to think deeply.
Vol. 102, Iss. 25 | Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Political figures sign copies of their books at College Bookstore.
The Flat Hat The Twice-Weekly Student Newspaper
of The College of William and Mary
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EVMS
STUDENT LIFE
BOV requests EVMS funds
The hookup hyperbole
$1 million needed to explore possible merger by KATHERINE CHIGLINSKY FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR
Study of female freshman sex culture prompts talk of hookup prevalence and relationships at the College
JOHN ANDERSON / THE FLAT HAT
A survey conducted by the Miriam Hospital Center for Behavioral and Preventative Medicine found that freshman women had more sex in relationships than in hookups.
by Meredith Ramey flat hat News editor
After watching “American Pie” or “Van Wilder,” incoming freshmen could easily believe their next four years are destined to be filled with sex and booze. But are these depictions accurate? A study conducted through the Miriam Hospital Center for Behavioral and Preventative Medicine determined that sexual behavior in freshman women occurred most commonly in romantic relationships rather than casual hookups. Robyn L. Fielder, Dr. Kate Carey and Dr. Michael Carey surveyed 483 first-year female college students about their sexual behavior, both oral and vaginal, in order to “assess the prevalence and frequency of sexual hookups across the first year of college and to compare rates of hookups and romantic relationship sex.” The study determined that 40 percent of participants hooked up with sexual partners during their first year of college while 56 percent had sex with romantic partners instead. The study defined as
a hook up as a sexual interaction “between partners who are not dating or in a romantic relationship and do not expect commitment.” Seven to 18 percent of participants had a sexual hookup each month while 25-38 percent had sex with a romantic partner each month. “Hooking up varies in frequency over the first year in college, but remains less common than sex in the context of relationships,” the study concluded. The study determined that first-year hook ups occurred most often in the months of October and May and least often in the month of June. Sex in a romantic context during the freshman year occurred least often in October and most often in the month of August before the start of sophomore year. In both casual and romantic sex, oral sex is more prevalent than vaginal sex. “Hooking up was more common at the start of the academic year compared with the start of the summer, which suggests that the college environment may facilitate hookups through proximity to other youth and opportunities for socializing,” the study wrote. Health Promotion Specialist Eric Garrison M.Ed.
’94 described some reasons these trends may occur. “Many people come here and they don’t know other people so there may be a need for attachment,” Garrison said. “There’s also the chemical piece. … When people have an orgasm or have good sexual touch or even just positive touch — it doesn’t have to be even sexual — they’ll start to build of oxytocin. … If cupid had dipped his arrow in something before he shot you, I think it, in my mind, was probably a big vat of oxytocin.” The study also concluded that the “average number of oral and vaginal sex hookups per month ranged from one to three, which suggests that these behaviors are likely experimental rather than a regular pattern.” Garrison emphasized this first-year sexual exploration and described the factors that cause it to occur. “We hear from students that your freshman year is a time to explore, and not just sexually,” Garrison said. “There’s a chance to explore sexually and that See Relationships page 3
The College of William and Mary Board of Visitors announced their plan to request state funding to investigate a possible merger with Eastern Virginia Medical School at their meeting Friday. The board passed resolutions to request $1 million in funding so the College and EVMS can “explore possible increased collaboration and development of integrated academic programs.” “We think there is a great deal of potential here and this is a meaningful first step,” Halleran said in a press release. The resolutions are the next step in the process of considering the merger. In July, both institutions announced a plan to consider a partnership. After the announcement, a due diligence committee, led by Provost Michael Halleran and comprised of faculty and BOV members, was formed to explore all aspects of the merger. Members of the committee come from a variety of departments at the College and include adjunct assistant professor of biology Beverly Sher, professor of kinesiology and health sciences Michael Deschenes and chancellor professor of economics Robert Archibald. The committee held a public forum Nov. 14 and created a website for public feedback. The next steps include hiring a consultant for the remainder of the process. The College and EVMS selected Dr. Jordan Cohen, former president and CEO of the Association of American Medical Colleges, to serve as the consultant. No timeline has been set for the final decision, but the request for state funding serves as the next step toward making the decision.
More BOV coverage inside.
Check out Friday’s committee meetings and the General Board meeting, page 3.
ACADEMICS
Tribe Rides to subsidize transportation to long-term counseling Receives funding from the Student Assembly and another grant to cover cab rides to off-campus facilities by claire gillespie flat hat staff writer
When students first arrive at the College of William and Mary, they do not have a car. They do not know the Williamsburg area. They do not know the bus or trolley schedule. At most, students have a bike. Getting to places — the outlets, a grocery store and even doctor appointments — is a difficult endeavor. For students that seek long-term counseling, this will no longer be an issue. The HOPE-sponsored initiative will reimburse students for taxi rides to and from appointments with a longterm counselor. Tribe Rides received $3,000 from the Student Assembly and $1,500 from a grant to operate the pilot program this spring. If the program is
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successful, Lexie Mellis ’14, a developer of the program, will use next semester as a foothold to obtain additional grant funding. Mellis developed the program as a direct response to students’ needs. Last February, she asked students what their experience with mental health on campus was through her Facebook page. “There was a great long list of things people felt dissatisfied with, but one of the biggest ones was they felt they didn’t have access to [long-term] care on campus,” Mellis said. “People said that they were required by the school to go to counseling every week but they couldn’t get off campus. The counseling center does not offer long-term care. They couldn’t figure out where to go; they couldn’t find someone within biking distance who took their
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insurance — which is a common problem — and then there are people like me who can’t ride a bike. The one thing that seemed actually fixable was the transportation issue.” Mellis looked at various options, including buying a Zipcar plan, before concluding that a deal with a cab program was the best solution. As the program stands, students will be reimbursed for 50 percent of the cost of a weekly taxi ride to their off-campus counselor. “It’s a flexible bill,” SA Senator Daniel Ackerman ’16, a sponsor of the bill, said. “It allows a lot of different angles. If you can’t afford it at all, we’ll find a way to pay for it. If you can afford most of it, we’ll find a way to pay for a bit. If you can pay for half, we’ll find a way to pay for half. It’s completely confidential, and it’s very understanding.”
A guide to finals advice
benoit mathieu / THE FLAT HAT
Lexie Mellis ’14 worked to develop Tribe Rides and provide affordable transportation for students.
The program will serve 20 to 80 students, depending on the size of the subsidy each student needs and the
Columnist Carter Lockewood breaks down some of the cliched tips students commonly hear during finals. page 4 Sunny High 73, Low 52
Inside SPORTS
frequency with which they see their See rides page 2
Men’s basketball storms past ODU to open conference season
Led by sophomore guard Marcus Thornton’s 23 points, the College beat the Monarchs for the first time since 2008, 71-62. page 8