Flat Hat 2-8-13

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VARIETY >> PAGE 7

SPORTS >> PAGE 8

25 little-known drawings of famous Renaissance artist on display at the College

Tribe unable to withstand hot-shooting Dukes in 81-71 loss in Harrisonburg.

Muscarelle presents Michelangelo JMU outdukes College

The Flat Hat

Vol. 102, Iss. 33 | Friday, February 8, 2013

The Twice-Weekly Student Newspaper

of The College of William and Mary

WILLIAMSBURG

City lacks affordable housing

Over 200 Williamsburg residents identify themselves as homeless by claire gillespie flat hat assoc. news editor

In Williamsburg, 238 people — the approximate number of students living in DuPont Hall — identify themselves as homeless. This census data figure from 2008 demonstrates the lack of affordable housing in the area. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development defines affordable housing as lodging that costs less than 30 percent of a family’s income. November 2011 statistics from Campus Kitchen reported 40 percent of Williamsburg’s workforce earns less than $400 a week. In order for their housing to be considered affordable by HUD, these residents should pay about $480 a month for housing. However, the average rent in Williamsburg is $1,007 a month, over twice the HUD prescribed amount. “[Williamsburg’s] industries are mainly hospitality and tourism, which are very seasonal and not permanent and may be parttime and very low-wage,” senator Danielle Waltrip ’14 said. “That’s the main source [of income], plus the College. And the College also has a lot of low-paid jobs.” For years, students have complained about expensive offcampus housing issues, including the three-person rule that forbids renters from allowing three nonrelated people to live in the same house, a policy currently under review. Additionally, the density cap has limited the number of people who can live in a certain area but was recently eliminated in certain areas of the city. City Outreach Coordinator Roy Gerardi does not think changing

student assembly

SA subsidizes STI testing Senate debates accidental use of frozen health funds

Wages compared to Housing in Williamsburg

Statistics courtesy of the College of William and Mary Office of Student Engagement

$965

/month Market rent, 2-bedroom apartment

More than 40 percent of Williamsburg’s workforce earn under $400/week

$480

/month Affordable housing for those making $400/week according to the HUD graphic by meredith ramey / THE FLAT HAT

these rules will get to the heart of the problem. People who are homeless usually possess other underlying issues like substance abuse or anger management. “We try to find out what are some of those underlying factors then bring along professional help,” Gerardi said. “The best thing students can do is volunteer. Most of the kids I encounter don’t have any positive role models, male role models in particular.” Still, poverty plays a much greater role in Williamsburg than in surrounding communities. 20.3 percent of people live below the poverty threshold, according to

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Campus Kitchen. In James City County, that number rests at 7 percent. “This isn’t uncommon in college towns, for instance, because demand drives up cost and in Williamsburg, the demand for student housing and the demand for other housing is high, which means that the cost goes higher,” CEO of United Way of Greater Williamsburg Sharon Gibson-Ellis said. “I think Greater Williamsburg could do a better job at understanding why it’s important for us to embrace those who serve us who want to live among us. What is it that we can do to ensure that they can live among us?”

City Director of the Department of Human Services Peter Walentisch, who has worked with about 500 people who are homeless in the last two years, says that Williamsburg faces the same problems that every city does, especially coming out of the recession. “Williamsburg has a higher standard of living,” Walentisch said. “You always have a population that’s commuting into the area. But that’s the case everywhere. You look at any city in the country — Charlottesville, I’m sure, has some of the same issues. You have people commuting

by meredith ramey flat hat news writer

The Student Assembly’s sexually transmitted infections funding mishap continued Tuesday as the SA senate debated and ultimately unanimously passed the Student Health Act. Effective Wednesday, Feb. 6, the act subsidizes the four most common STI tests administered to College of William and Mary students by $9, institutes a $500 freeze limit to the account, and charges SA Secretary of Health and Safety Jake Lewitz ’13 to update the senate on the account’s funds weekly. The $500 freeze limit was added to the Student Health Act at the Tuesday senate meeting in response to previous miscommunications with the Student Health Center. After returning from winter break, the SA’s STI fund fell to $1,800. To reassess the spending of this account alongside other SA financial problems, the SA froze the STI accounts and stopped administering free STI testing while the Student Health Act was being written. According to Madame Chair of the senate Kendall Lorenzen ’15, however, the SA did not communicate this freeze to the Health Center, and the center continued to administer STI tests to students for free. This, coupled with the planned Free STI Testing Week in January, resulted in the Health Center spending the remainder of the STI fund and accumulating about $2,100 in debt for the SA. In total, the Health Center spent $3,900 on free STI testing in January for 29 individual students. “[SA President] Curt [Mills] sent out an email to [Student Activities Accountant Anita Forrest], Jake [Lewitz] and myself, and I think that it never got communicated to the Health Center that they needed to See STI page 3

BOV coverage inside For information on the Committee on Student Affairs and Committee on Athletics see page 3.

See HOmelessness page 4

FEATURE PHOTO

Charter day weekend

jung hyun lee / THE FLAT HAT

In celebration of the 320th birthday of the College of William and Mary, today’s Charter Day ceremony will take place at William and Mary Hall at 4 p.m. The ceremony will include a speech from Chancellor of the College, Robert Gates ’65, and students will read excerpts of the Charter. Honorary Alumna Lois Critchfield ’06 will receive an Honorary Degree, and the recipients of the Thomas Jefferson Teaching Award, James Monroe Prize in Civil Leadership and the Thomas Jefferson Prize in Natural Philosophy will be awarded. For more information on the award recipients, see page 6. Today’s Charter Day ceremony is free to the public. Saturday’s Charter Day concert, featuring Gavin Degraw, will cost $15 to students and will be held at 8 pm.

Index News Insight News News Opinions Variety Variety Sports

Today’s Weather 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

sherri grierson / THE FLAT HAT

Due to unexpected weather conditions in the past few months, construction of the Fraternity Complex is one month behind schedule. Inside opinions

Inside SPORTS

How we understand religion in college

Light Rain High 50, Low 31

Until coming to college, the idea of someone regularly attending church seemed foreign. This sort of exposure to unfamiliar ideas and beliefs is essential. page 5

Women’s basketball loses in Atlanta

Despite 22 points from senior forward Emily Correal, the Tribe’s 15-point second half comeback came up short Thursday night page 8


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