VARIETY // Game night! Take a break from studying and get competitive, pg. 4-5
The Flat Hat
Vol. 102, Iss. 23 | Tuesday, November 27, 2012
ADMISSIONS
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The Twice-Weekly Student Newspaper
of The College of William and Mary
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Six percent of student enrollment at The College of William and Mary are not United States students, hailing from countries such as Azerbaijan, Finland, Ethiopia, Estonia, Zimbabwe and Venezuela.
International students attending American universities increased this past year
BY ANNIE CURRAN THE FLAT HAT
Jiayang Zhou ’16 heard about the College of William and Mary from an international study company in her hometown of Jiaxing, China. She read a story about a boy who applied to the College but was rejected. His story inspired her to try her hardest to get accepted. Zhou slept four to five hours per night and was under constant stress as she prepared her application. She even had to take the SAT — a daunting task considering it was in a language she only started to learn
when she was ten. “The last days, I really didn’t sleep because my essay wasn’t great, and I wasn’t well prepared,” Zhou said. “But the result was great.” Zhou is just one of the College’s many international students. She is one of a growing number of students seeking undergraduate education in the United States. According to the Huffington Post, the number of international students attending American universities increased by six percent during the 201112 school year. Most notably, the number of students from China increased by 23 percent.
For the College specifically, six percent of the freshman class is made up of international students. According to Dean of Admissions Henry Broaddus, this is consistent with previous years. There are many reasons why students come over to the United States to receive their education. For some, like Daniel Sieh ’16 from San Paolo, Brazil, the undergraduate education system is more appealing in the United States. “It was the general quality of education and the way it’s set up,” Sieh said. “In Brazil, none of the colleges are
nowhere near as good as [the College].” Sieh stated two major problems with undergraduate education in Brazil. First, one test is used to determine whether students will go to college. Second, students are supposed to attend technical schools instead of receiving a broader liberal arts education. “If you’re not so sure about your future, it’s not the best system,” Sieh said. Broaddus believes the College’s historic reputation carries a lot of See INTERNATIONAL page 3
WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS FROM? the People’s 208 from Republic of China from the Republic
62 of Korea
10 from Japan 5 from South Africa Statistics are taken from the Fall 2011 Undergradute Course Catalog
CAMPUS
FACULTY
Record number of students graduate
College misses accessibility list
33 percent of 25-to 29-year-olds attained bachelor degrees in 2012 BY ZACHARY FRANK THE FLAT HAT
The number of students receiving college degrees has reached an all-time high, according to a new study by the Pew Research Center. More young Americans aged 25 to 29 are receiving bachelor’s degrees than ever before. In 2012, 33 percent of the country’s 25-to-29-yearolds had completed college at the baccalaureate level. These record-levels of college degrees persisted across numerous demographic groups. Women and men, along with Hispanic, white and black Americans and native and nonnative Americans are all finishing college at record-high levels. The Pew study cites the economic downturn of the late-2000s and the poor job market as a possible reason for the increase in college attendance and completion, a notion that Sara
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Marchello, registrar at the College of William and Mary, shares. “It’s certainly been true throughout my career that higher education enrollments grow in society at large during periods of high unemployment and recession,” Marchello said. “Adults in the age range [mentioned], 25-29, who find themselves unemployed or underemployed, are often in a position to seek additional education (or, in the case of different types of institutions, occupational training) in hopes of improving their employability and/or quality of life.” Before the 2008 recession, college completion levels had not been as high, likely the result of a better economy. The Pew Center also cited changing public opinion toward college degree as a reason for the increase in college completion. In 1978, there was an even split among those who thought that going to college was vital for success, and
those who disagreed. In 2009, 73 percent of those surveyed felt that going to college was a prerequisite for success. Survey results from the Gallup Organization yielded very similar data, including the discrepancy from the 1970s to the 2000s. Morgan Ferguson ’15 feels that students are pushed to enter college right after high school, due to the changing public opinion on higher education. “I think for me, college is like the stepping stone for getting the training that I want for my future career,” Ferguson said. “But it’s not just a stepping stone, it’s total enrichment for my life, you know? For most people it’s about the college experience. Most likely, people that are going back to college are using it as a tool to solely forward career objectives, but [college age] people have the ability to treat it as
Inside OPINIONS
Passion versus practicality
In today’s job market, should we still be encouraging college graduates to pursue their passions when deciding on a career path? page 6
See DEGREES page 3
Unranked on “Most Accessible Professors” list BY AINE CAIN FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER
According to a recent Princeton Review list published in The Huffington Post, the College of William and Mary does not have the most accessible professors. The College’s exclusion from the “Most Accessible Professors” ranking may come as a surprise, as 10 faculty members were named in the Review’s “Best 300 Professors of 2011.” At the College, professors are required to hold office hours — a topic specifically addressed by the Arts and Sciences Faculty Handbook: “Regular office hours shall be held and the schedule of office hours shall be listed on course syllabi, posted on See ACCESSIBILITY page 3
Inside SPORTS
Football team shows support for local girl battling cancer
Junior linebacker Matt Crisafi organizes head-shaving event to raise money for St. Baldrick’s foundation. page 7