SPORTS // Tribe dismantles Northeastern, p. 8
Vol. 101, Iss. 32 | Tuesday, February 14, 2012
The Flat Hat The Twice-Weekly Student Newspaper
of The College of William and Mary
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GREEK LIFE
campus
Greek policy changes predicted to alter the ‘average weekend party’ on and off campus
Student found dead
Sorority events reevaluated
Investigators suspect suicide by Katherine chiglinsky AND VANESSA REMMERS FLAT HAT news editorS
are aimed primarily at decreasing legal and insurance liabilities, while congruently improving general safety. “We are spending some time in February, for the fraternities and sororities, focused on some conversations around safety and risk management … particularly around the area of mixers,” College Associate Director of Greek Life and Leadership Anne Arseneau said in an email. “The policies we’re educating on are also not new. In fact, by not new, I mean really not new. The individual organization policies that we’re highlighting were all created in the late eighties.” The CAP study also expressed concerns regarding the well-being of sorority and fraternity members when socializing. It particularly targets
Troy Pelish ’15 died of an apparent suicide over the weekend. Police received a call at 4:23 p.m. Sunday by a College of William and Mary student who found Pelish’s body in Fauquier Hall. Although medical examiners have not confirmed the cause of death, investigators at the scene believe the evidence points to an apparent suicide. Pelish was a second-semester freshman studying chemistry at the College. This was the fourth suicide in the past two years at the College. Vice President for Student Affairs Ginger Ambler ’88 Ph.D. ’06 released the information to the College community Sunday afternoon. “A freshman from Vinton, Virginia, Troy was a 2011 graduate from William Byrd High School where he was an excellent student, having earned national recognition for his performance on the National German and Latin Exams,” Ambler said in an email. The College community was notified of Pelish’s death Sunday once the family was contacted by the College. Funeral arrangements for Pelish have not yet been announced. “Anytime we have a tragedy, such as a student death, we want to provide the community with accurate information as soon as possible,” Director of University Relations Brian Whitson said. “This is a close-knit community and rumors spread fast, so once we notify the family, we work to get a message out to provide the campus with as much information as soon as possible.” The Counseling Center will be available by appointment for any student in need. The Office of the Dean of Students is currently working with students and faculty to make any necessary academic accommodations for those close to Pelish. “We want students to feel comfortable — it’s okay to grieve; it’s natural to feel upset,” Dean of Students Patricia Volp said. “We’re trying to deal with this in waves. There are some people who need to articulate their grief or their sadness. They can do it with friends or at the Counseling Center. … The next ripple is the people for which this event triggers some kind of concern — they’ll have more difficulty coping. They might want to have one-on-one time with a counselor.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and
See GREEK, page 3
See PELISH, page 3
darya minovi / THE FLAT HAT
Following a study by the Sorority Coalition Assessment Project, sorority mixer policies are currently being revised with the intent of preventing underage drinking at the College.
by CHASE HOPKINS FLAT HAT ASSOC. news editor
Alleged illegal alcohol consumption during Greek social events at the College of William and Mary could soon be curtailed. A 2009 study of the Fraternity and Sorority Coalition Assessment Project advised altering the nature of College fraternity and sorority social functions. Two-and-a-half years later, the Panhellenic Council, College administrators and sororities are implementing changes that will enforce existing social events policies. “The intention is sort of that the average weekend party is going to change,” president of the Panhellenic Council Jordan Peterson ’13 said. “It is not going to be a fraternity and a sorority hanging out in a unit basement. … It is going to be a cultural change because people are used to having maybe two or three of these unofficial parties a weekend for some chapters, and now cost-effectively, you cannot do that.” Possible changes are intended to bring sororities into compliance with national chapter policies. They could include replacing the current oncampus mixers with “bring your own beer” events or parties hosted by third-party vendors.
The CAP findings faulted not only the College’s Greek organizations, but also the College itself, for alleged problems. They placed an onus on administrators to increase their involvement with the Greek system, citing their tendency to favor self-determination over engaged oversight as responsible for strained College-Greek relations. “It appears that philosophically the College approaches the chess club the same as a fraternity/ sorority chapter, and the Assessment Team understands that is by intent,” the CAP study reported. “For the College ‘walk’ to be congruent with the ‘talk’ regarding self-governance and the individual chapter philosophy, it would need to leave the fraternity/sorority community alone … but neither the College nor the fraternity/sorority community would benefit from this, which is why the current unique relationship exists. The ongoing failure to acknowledge the different treatment of the fraternity/sorority community prevents a conversation from taking place that would lead to congruence between the reality of the relationship and a philosophy that articulates it.” College administrators emphasize that they have been working with Greek organizations in recent weeks to plan changes that many believe will improve the system. These alterations
More Greek news Coverage of the suspension of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity on hazing charges and misconduct violations, page 2.
CITY COUNCIL
Freshman considers campaigning for city council position
Schapiro campaign looks to increase student involvement and guard student rights in Williamsburg bY MEREDITH RAMEY Flat hat assoc. news editor
Another freshman is considering making a splash on the local political scene by diving into the Williamsburg City Council race this spring. A Facebook group has been made for Felix Schapiro ’15, who says he will decide on whether he will officially run for City Council within the next two weeks. Schapiro said his campaign is spurred by a lack of student representation on the Williamsburg City Council and that he hopes to fix this problem with the help of the student body. “I like to think of this as the College’s campaign,” Schapiro said. “I see the campaign as driven by the student body … the primary drive behind the campaign is student rights.” Schapiro needs about 125 registered voters to sign a petition in order to get his name on the ballot; however, he hopes to have more signatures and an actively involved campus. “I’d like to urge the student body to get involved,
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and would really be ecstatic if the student body would help with [my] campaign,” Schapiro said. Schapiro anticipates centering his council campaign on student rights. Schapiro focused on Williamsburg legislation like the three-person rule, which limits the number of unrelated individuals who can live together, and the 2004 attempt to take away College students’s right to vote on city matters in Williamsburg. “I feel like this is such a huge opportunity for the College to really change the town in which we live because Williamsburg is our home,” Schapiro said. “I’d like to see the student body think of it as our home.” This is Schapiro’s first attempt at an elected office of any kind. He states that his campaign is inherently bipartisan, although he personally considers himself more politically conservative. Students share a variety of opinions on Schapiro’s possible city council campaign, but many appear optimistic about student involvement in local politics. “I think it’s great that students have the self-
determination to represent the College within the community,” Samantha Nelson ’15 said. Some students have expressed qualms about electing a freshman, as he does not have the same experience as other members of the student body. “It’s good to have someone in the school to have the goals and concerns of William and Mary addressed within the city council, but I would just hope that whoever it is is completely well-versed in the issues,” Cassie Berman ’14 said. Chris Connolly ’15, a freshman at the College who serves on the planning commission for the City of Williamsburg, was appointed to the position by city council. As a student at the College, he spoke positively about student involvement in the Williamsburg political scene. “I think student representation and student involvement in local government is something important and something we should strive for,” Connolly said. Connolly, however, says he, as a member of the planning commission, will not endorse a candidate for the upcoming election.
Inside opinions
Nothing to fear, except fear itself
Fear should not cause a halt to scientific research on the national level or at the College of William and Mary. page 4 Cloudy High 51, Low 31
Inside VARIETY
Anita jiang / THE FLAT HAT
Schapiro is a possible candidate for city council elections.
Finding your religious sexuality
During guest speaker Keith Graber Miller’s presentation “Good Sex(uality),” he helped students reconcile the idea of having a sex life and being Christian. page 5