The Flat Hat November 8 2022

T HE F LAT H AT

Vol. 112, Iss. 11 | Tuesday, November 8, 2022

SODEXO

Dining workers win union with Sodexo

The Weekly Student Newspaper

of The College of William and Mary

flathatnews.com | @theflathat

iGEM COMPETITION TEAM

Union aims to secure contract with better wages, benefits

MOLLY PARKS FLAT HAT MANAGING EDITOR

Oct. 24, Sodexo dining workers at the College of William and Mary announced they won their union with Sodexo. Now a recognized union, the Sodexo workers will begin contract negotiations in hopes of securing higher wages, affordable health insurance, pensions and better hours and working conditions.

The dining services staff publicized their plans to unionize in September, but have been organizing underground with the help of the labor union UNITE HERE! since January. Sarah Zidlicky ’24 has worked at The Daily Grind and Commons Dining Hall on campus and has been part of the organization effort since April 2022.

“What you have to do to get a union going is sign people up,” Zidlicky said. “So you get a majority of workers signed up, and then as soon as you have 50% plus one you can win a union. So that was, for starters, getting everything recognized was just getting people signed up. Which I mean, we reached a majority in two days, which was pretty unprecedented.”

The students of the College showed up to support the workers, rallying on the Sadler Center terrace on Sept. 21 and calling for Sodexo to “respect our campus” and “respect our dining workers.”

Zidlicky commended the extensive support from students and workers in helping underscore the importance of the union when it came time to be recognized by Sodexo. They noted that the success of the union led to an agreement of neutrality — meaning Sodexo agreed not to oppose the organization's efforts.

“The showing up and showing out that students and workers did, it gave us so much power,” Zidlicky said.

The College’s Sodexo workers are part of a larger national trend of worker organization in 2022. As of Sept. 30, the National Labor Relations Board has seen 2,510 union representation petitions filed in Fiscal Year 2022 — this is an increase of 53% from 1,638 petitions in Fiscal Year 2021. The 2022 unionization wave has tapped household names like Starbucks, Amazon and Trader Joe’s, but has also had a significant impact on Sodexo workers across the United States.

Melanie Edwards, a late-night supervisor for Sodexo and a dining employee at the College for over 20 years, felt this cross-community unionization as she worked with UNITE HERE! and spread the word about their campaign.

"We represent the company. We're doing the heavy load of the company. So they have to respect us at some point. And I think people are just getting fed up with it.”

“I realized, like, okay, it's not just happening here in Williamsburg,” Edwards said. “It's happening all over. So I think companies, they get away with a lot and they're not respecting their workers. And they've got to realize that workers are part of the company.

You know, we represent the company. We're doing the heavy load of the company. So they have to respect us at some point. And I think people are just getting fed up with it.”

Sodexo is a food services and facilities management company that currently works in 55 countries and was founded in the 1960s in France.

“Sodexo respects the right of our employees to choose to be represented by the union, proven by the hundreds of CBA’s we have in good standing with unions across the country — including with Unite Here. We have reached an agreement with Unite Here to recognize it as the employee’s representative,” a representative of Sodexo U.S. wrote to The Flat Hat. Within the past couple months, multiple subsects of Sodexo workers have gone public with plans to unionize — including dining staff at Loyola University New Orleans and cafeteria workers at Google in Atlanta. Other existing Sodexo unions — like Lufthansa Lounge workers at Newark Liberty International Airport and House of Representatives Food Service workers in Washington D.C. — are picketing for new contracts and better wages.

Kevin Hollins has worked as a catering driver for Sodexo at Howard University since 2012 and is a shop steward for the UNITE HERE! Local Union 23 of Sodexo workers at Howard. Hollins has been traveling down to Williamsburg from D.C. for the past year to help Sodexo workers at the College organize.

“I played a role as an organizer as well as a face that they can look to as a Sodexo worker,” Hollins said.

“I basically went and knocked on people's doors and talked to the workers that we couldn't catch at work.

Myself and a group of other people, you know, we all went out as a team and we talked to workers and we told them our stories because I think stories are very important when you're organizing new shops, especially people who've never been organized.”

SEE UNION PAGE 8

INDEX News Opinions Variety Sports News

2 3-4 5-6 7 8

WINS GOLD IN PARIS

COURTESY PHOTO / THE IGEM FOUNDATION

College iGEM team takes home best Software and AI Development track AAFREEN ALI // THE FLAT HAT

Oct. 26-28, the College of William and Mary’s International Genetically Engineered Machine team won best in the Software and AI development track at the 2022 Grand Jamboree held in Paris.

Competing against around 150 other teams, the College’s iGEM team also scored a gold medal, as well as nominations for Best Mathematical Model and Best Presentation. iGEM is a global organization focused on fostering research in synthetic biology, or bioengineering to create new biological systems. Research culminates annually at the Grand Jamboree for researchers at high school, undergraduate and graduate levels. This year, the College’s group was captained by biology majors Avery Bradley ’23 and Alana Thomas ’24.

Faculty advisor and Chancellor Professor of Biology Margaret Saha and student advisor Beteel Abu-Ageel ’22 also supported the team in Paris.

This year’s team included Lin Fang ’24, Megan Fleeharty ’24, Walker Knapp ’25, Zhe Liu ’24, Krithika Layagala ’25, Diego Morandi ’24, Bjorn Shockey ’23 and Debby Zhong ’25.

The 2022 team chose to tackle the issue of fieldability, or a circuit’s ability to produce results in a natural environment. Their goal was to help researchers select an ideal chassis, or organism (usually bacteria) to house the circuit. They also hoped to further expand the applicability of synthetic biology beyond laboratory settings.

“Let's say you're a researcher and you built some system to bioremediate pollutants in the Chesapeake Bay,” Bradley said. “You can input specific kinds of parameters about the Chesapeake Bay into our program, and it will say ‘okay, you should use P. putida as your chassis,’ as a way to help researchers easily figure out the optimal chassis. Because ultimately, if the chassis can't survive in that environment, your system isn't going to work. It's not going to produce any protein … it's useless.”

The team began brainstorming for their competition concept in February 2022.

“We had our general theme of fieldability throughout the year, but we progressively tried to narrow down the scope,” Knapp said. “So we started with reviewing different areas in there … then, we shifted focus to modeling behavior of bacteria once you put them in the environment. And finally, we narrowed down … So it was this iterative process of narrowing down the scope of the project to focus on the core of a problem we could solve.”

Starting in late May and working throughout the summer, the team began research in both wetlab, or hands-on, experimental science, and drylab, or coding and math model-based, settings. In Bradley's eyes, the dedicated research time lent the

team a distinct focus.

“It's fun because it's a unique opportunity to really immerse yourself in the research that you don't really get during the school year when you're having to worry about classes and everything,” Bradley said. “I also really liked the team dynamic of iGEM. I think it's different than other research labs because it was all of us constantly working together over the summer, collaborating and everything.”

The experimental phase continued throughout the beginning of the 2022 fall semester. The drylab team, composed of Knapp, Shockey and Liu, worked on data analysis and refining the software.

“We were mostly trying to analyze large amounts of metagenomic data for different bacteria cultures,” Knapp said. “What that data actually is is it's people that have gone out and have taken samples from the environment … [they] get a full readout of the different types of bacteria and what ratios are present in that sample. So we take in all of that data on the order of 200,000 – 300,000 of those samples from different sources, databases, individual studies that we analyze, and we try to collect all of those together and sort of merge the different parameters. … and we try to all unify that so that we can be put into the rest of the software.”

The wetlab team worked concurrently on collecting samples to verify the software’s accuracy.

“We actually went out to the college woods, and we dug up some soil, and then we did a bunch of wetlab stuff on it to get the relative abundance of bacteria in the soil,” Fang said. “This way we can test our software, because if we put the same environmental parameters into our software, ideally, what’s spit out by the software should be the same as the sequencing result we obtained from the lab outside.”

Reaching out to professionals in the field of synthetic biology, the iGEM team supplemented the spaces in their research with expertise from other researchers.

“We ran into a little bit of difficulty with a few knowledge gaps that showed up on the math team,” Knapp said. “We have a wide diversity of majors and areas of expertise, but there were only three of us on the math team so we really, we couldn't do everything and especially a lot of statistics topics and modeling topics. … But ultimately, we reached out to different experts in the field, different professors here, and we tried our best to reach … beyond the three of us to fill all those different gaps.”

In addition to completing their project, the College’s iGEM team went above and beyond, creating outreach materials that earned them a gold medal.

“We had one member of the team design a game called ReTerraforming Earth based on Terraforming Mars,” Saha said. “We took it to high schools, and they played the game and loved it and wanted copies of it … And we worked with the School of Ed, and we had high school students here

as well, doing outreach. So we do not just science, it's so much: it's collaboration, it's multidisciplinary, it's outreach, teaching the next generation about this incredibly cool field called syn bio.”

Fang, Knapp and Bradley echoed Saha’s sentiments regarding the interdisciplinary nature of iGEM. For Knapp, the interdisciplinary approach was especially evident in the specifics of the project.

“We had to bring in a bunch of different people with advanced biology knowledge to inform the purpose of the project. … and then from that point, we had to work with different predictive models to generate all this data, so that's where the computer scientists came in,” Knapp said. “Our math experts or physics people figure out the ways we can plug all this information into the computer and how to spit out useful information. From that point, we have people who are good at graphic design and communication to go and present this data in a cohesive manner that can be used by other people in the field. So it was really crucial for this project especially to have that wide range of different skill sets on the team.”

Most of the team flew out to Paris to present at the competition, which was structured, as Bradley put it, like a large-scale science fair, complete with booths for each group. Groups would give a larger talk, then a more private talk for the judges. For some, it was their first time presenting at such a large-scale event, but the supportive team dynamic and general environment reduced some of that stress.

“Fundamentally, it is a competition, but you don't feel that tense competitive feel when you say, play a soccer game,” Fang said. “Teams are really willing to share their projects and we communicate a lot. And I feel like it was a really welcoming environment and a great learning experience. Because we learned so much from other teams: their design process, their wet lab, and their software techniques.”

For Fang, synthetic biology is inherently an ideal field for international collaboration.

“Even if you're in, say, India, and you speak a completely different language, and that you're in a different timezone, we all do synthetic biology in the standard way,” Fang said. “We can communicate and improve each other because of this uniform language of synthetic biology. This is why iGEM is so important and international, because of this modularity. That's why we're able to get insights and provide insights to different teams across the globe.”

Unified by this common language, Bradley and the team were inspired by the projects presented and look forward to the next Grand Jamboree and beyond.<“It was really powerful seeing what everybody did,” Bradley said. “iGEM is really big on solving global problems, and so it's all these projects that are all solving global problems altogether being done by people my age. It was really fascinating, it really feels like the future of science.”

COURTESY GRAPHIC / ALANA THOMAS

The College's iGEM team competed with a presentation including graphic designs to represent their identification of an optimal chassis for various microbiome environments.

Inside Opinions

Inside Variety

Inside Sports

Clara Rinker '26 discusses the highs, lows and buffaloes of the freshman experience. page 3

The College sends four students to Bosnia to teach, conduct research. page 5

William and Mary defeats CAA-foe Hampton 20-14 on the road. page 7

College through freshman eyes

ABCs of the Collegeʼs American Bosnian Collaboration Project

Football wins conference battle at Hampton

newsinsight news insight

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News Editor Anna Arnsberger News Editor Callie Booth News Editor Abigail Connelly fhnews@gmail.com

THE FLAT HAT | Tuesday, November 8, 2022 | Page 2

THE BUZZ

When you bring people together for a common goal, a good common goal... people tend to produce and feel better, start to dream again, you know, start to have ambition.

̶ Kevin Hollins, UNITE HERE!

FLAT HAT NEWS BRIEF Center for Archeological Research moves location, building undergoing renovation to become a coffeehouse The William and Mary Center for Archaeological Research announced their move from 327 Richmond Road to a new location on campus on Aug. 26. The building is currently undergoing renovation and has been permitted by the William and Mary Real Estate Foundation to become a coffeehouse.

“The William and Mary Real Estate Foundation (WMREF) has been issued permits to renovate a property under its ownership into a coffeehouse operated by an internationally known brand,” Senior Associate Director of University News Erin Zargursky said in an email to the Flat Hat. Though Zagursky did not name the brand directly, the fencing on the border of the property displays an anticipated building design for a Starbucks coffee shop.

The Center for Archaeological Research has moved to their new location at the Holmes House at 308 Jamestown Road.

“It has definitely been a big change. I think WMCAR had been in that space for nearly 30 years, after starting in the basement of Camm Hall. Itʼs always difficult to make a move like this, especially while trying to keep moving forward on the various projects we had going at the time, but it gives us the opportunity to reorganize and streamline,” Archaeological Research Manager and Interim Co-Director of the Center Elizabeth J. Monroe wrote in an email to the Flat Hat. Further details are expected in coming weeks about the renovation.

ABIGAIL CONNELLY // FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR

A THOUSAND WORDS

MOLLY PARKS/THE FLAT HAT

CORRECTIONS The Flat Hat wishes to correct any fact printed incorrectly. Corrections may be submitted in email to the editor of the section in which the incorrect information was printed. Requests for corrections will be accepted at any time.

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Multimedia specialist explores “queer joy”

Drea George helps lead Reeder Media Center, explores interest in arts throgh personal projects

GRACE MARTIN // THE FLAT HAT Drea George, a multimedia specialist and student supervisor at It’s kind of like a spiritual sort of card and I thought that was a the Reeder Media Center, displays her passion for art in the pieces nice parallel to the energy that I had been used to,” George said. she creates down in the basement of Earl Gregg Swem Library.

George’s piece portrays two figures sitting together, staring Through her work at the Reeder Media Center, George uses up at the moon through a window-like space. The piece not the Center’s equipment to help assist the 16 students she only incorporates the themes of the two tarot cards but also supervises while she continues to create her own art. Working pulls from Classical and Renaissance art. at the College has allowed her to find a new creative outlet, Some of the elements of Renaissance art can be seen while providing her with an opportunity to teach students who through the portrayal of the two figures. Often in Renaissance have interests similar to her own. art, if people were portrayed as looking upwards, it was often “It’s been really fulfilling as a teaching experience, you know, perceived as the figures looking up towards a religious figure.

I get to watch these younger people be interested in stuff that When drawing the two figures, George specifically wanted them I’m interested in and learn and be excited about the stuff that sitting and looking up so that it looked like they were looking we have,” George said. out towards their future or “That’s something towards a larger desire.

I’ve never really “I was thinking about experienced before.” how Classical art and This summer, Renaissance art a lot of the George participated times have figures looking in the Virginia Library up and it’s like a God Association’s LGBTQ+ thing, right? So, I wanted art forum. This forum to channel that because challenges Virginia that’s what it felt like to librarians and library me. You know, queer joy staff to create art that is like the most spiritual explores LGBTQ+ ideas. experience. It’s like the George placed second most pure and true thing at the forum, which gave that I’ve ever felt. So, I her the opportunity to wanted to express that display her art at the in an artistic way that VLA conference earlier references these other this month. things,” George said.

The theme for this Her unique artistic contest was “queer style is evident in this joy,” which challenged piece. George typically George to approach the uses the style of thicker work from a different lines, blocky and more constructive approach. ornamentation shapes.

“I don’t really make She also experimented a lot of art that is with different techniques sociopolitical and all,” until she was happy with George said. “A lot of my the methods she was work is just kind of funny using, which is why this or moody or colorful. piece took her a longer Stuff that I’m interested time to create. in, you know?”

“It took me, I think However, as a bisexual a month,” George said. woman herself, George “It was a lot of time and saw this task as a challenge thought and energy. I really to adapt her traditional had to think about it for a COURTESY PHOTO / DREA GEORGE long time before I could artistic process.

George shared her George takes inspiration from tarot cards in her artwork, and explores themes of queer experience. make it. I think I spent analysis of the conceptual nature of “queer joy” in her blog post maybe a few days actually making it, but it took me a really long about her creative process in creating this piece. Rather than time to get comfortable with the line quality and everything.” approaching the concept from a flashy perspective, George George also enjoys producing other artistic works for the wanted to abandon the stereotypical idea of queer joy that large College and for herself. One of her favorite projects at the corporations utilize.

College was a video she produced to commemorate and “Large corporations willfully exploit queer symbolism to celebrate former research librarian Natasha McFarland’s years capitalize on a community disenchanted with big brands — at the College at her retirement party. George collected many demonstrably only during the single month of the year in which documents, videos and pictures from McFarland’s colleagues it is profitable for them to do so. With this in mind, I deliberately and friends, and planned out the video to have a smooth, avoided this attitude with my piece,” George wrote in her blog post. flowing progression.

Prior to the competition, George had recently been drawn “It was this very beautiful, lovely thing. It was an honor to to tarot cards and their meanings. She decided to utilize “The produce and really fulfilling for me, just as a creative person, to Lovers” and “The Moon” and their meaning to inspire her construct this bigger thing from a bunch of pieces that others piece. The “Lovers” card is related to relationships, connections had made,” George said. and sacrifices. The “Moon” card, although interpretations may George also enjoys making art in her free time. Sketching, vary, ultimately connects to ideas of intuition, dreams and storyboarding and animation are some of the many forms of confronting fear and uncertainty. art that she creates. To see more of her art, you can visit her “The one about the moon talks about hope and dreaming. website here.

Renowned alumni author hosts talk for new book

Fiona Davis ʻ88 disscusses her newest novel at Ferguson Blair Publishing seminar in Earl Gregg Swem Library ABIGAIL CONNELLY FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR

Friday, Nov. 4, The New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis ’88 discussed her latest book, “The Magnolia Palace,” at the Earl Gregg Swem library for the biennial Ferguson Blair Publishing Seminar.

The discussion began with a brief statement from Carrie Cooper, the Dean of University Libraries at the College of William and Mary.

Cooper expressed her excitement for the fourth year of the “One Book, One Community” partnership and invited residents and students to engage with the library’s growing collections of literary works.

“A few years ago, we were the beneficiaries of an endowment that would help us become a research destination for the study of Virginia female writers,” Cooper said. “Libraries are likely spaces for book talks and we’ve been attentive

to the wonderful writers of our alumni community. This endowment makes it possible to take our commitment to the next step. We see a future with writers in residence, writing conferences and an archive that is full of books and manuscripts by female Virginia writers.”

Cooper introduced Tracy Melton ’85, an author and member of Swem’s Board of Directors, to welcome Davis to the event.

“I write and I love to write about and read about places and the people in those places,” Melton said. “And as a researcher, I love those ‘ah-ha’ moments when you’re trying to put together a story and you find just the right piece that puts it all together.

I’m excited to hear Fiona tell her tales of doing the same thing.”

Davis was an International Relations major and an English minor at the College.

After her undergraduate education, she went to New York City, intending to pursue an acting career. However, her interest in

writing became concrete after procuring her Master’s degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.

From a young age, Davis liked to imagine the history of each building and the experience that different individuals would’ve had in each estate.

Davis’ research for “The Magnolia Palace” was centered on the history of the Frick Collection museum, which was built in 19131914 for Henry Clay Frick and is located in the Upper East Side of New York at the southern end of Museum Mile. Mr. Frick, his wife Adelaide and his daughter Helen moved into the estate in 1914 and were served by a staff of 27 individuals.

“Mr. Frick was a big art collector,” Davis said. “And so, instead of a ballroom, which normally a gilded age mansion at that time would have, he made it into an art gallery.

And apparently, he used to go in there late at night and sit in there in the dark and READ MORE AT FLATHATNEWS.COM.

opinions

Opinions Editor Adam Jutt Opinions Editor Caitlin Noe fhopinions@gmail.com // @theflathat

THE FL FLAT HAT | Tuesday, November 8, 2022 | Page 3

GUEST COLUMN

STAFF COLUMN

The Sadler Expansion’s Blinding Problem Lauren Meyer

FLAT HAT ASSOC. EDITOR

GRAPHIC BY YELENA FLEMING / THE FLAT HAT

Highs, Lows, and Buffaloes: The College of William and Mary from a Freshman’s Perspective Clara Rinker THE FLAT HAT

Is the murky, brown Sadler cup half empty or half full (or half clean)? It’s all about perspective. This is the perspective of an out-ofstate girl from Alabama. My adjustment and experiences can be paralleled, but in the end, everyone will have their own internal version of the “Highs, Lows, and Buffaloes” of being a freshman at the College of William and Mary. This is merely my version.

LOWS 1. Reality Check: Many of the people who end up at the College come from similar experiences in high school where they were seen as high-achieving, highly-committed students. So naturally, when you take your first biology midterm and the grade you get back is lower than the temperature displayed on your weather app, your confidence can take a hit.

2. No Car: In high school, I got to enjoy driving a car to and from school or just around town when I needed a break or an adventure.

Now that sense of freedom has been replaced with the reality that I, being an out-of-state student with her closest relative two and a half hours away, am pretty much stranded, which can be overwhelming from time to time.

3. Starting from Scratch: The beginning of college is a lot of socializing in an effort to find your new core friend group and support system.

As someone who came from out of state with no one else from my high school here with me, I felt a lot of stress and worry about whether or not that feat was something I was up for, and would end days during orientation exhausted and homesick.

4. Privacy?: I had my own room at home. I had a bathroom with a door that shut and locked. Here, not only do I share a room for the first time in my life, but I also had to learn how to live with someone else’s habits. I had to navigate how to get ready for the day or for bed around someone else’s sleep schedule. The system I had at home didn’t necessarily work here; I had to start over.

5. Dining: Sadler’s options are limited, Marketplace has strange hours, Caf is closed on the weekends. While everyone has their preference, most would agree that even the best food is a step down from home cooked dinners put together by your parents. The strangest thing I’ve had to deal with is getting unquenchable cravings for food I can only have at home from local restaurants that simply don’t exist here.

HIGHS 1. Reality Check: When things turned out not to be as easy as I had expected, I learned how to ask for help. In high school, I stubbornly sought to figure out everything on my own. Here, however, there is an overarching sense of collaboration among friends who bond through joint suffering and eager professors who will (most likely) not judge you for asking questions.

2. No Car: When a car is removed from your potential methods of transportation, you inevitably learn how to navigate the world in a new way. For some it means biking or roller skating or mastering the WATA

bus; For me it meant walking. It meant taking wrong turns and finding new hidden corners to claim as my own.

3. Starting from Scratch: The thrill of college comes in part from the fact that most of the people you’re all of a sudden surrounded by know next to nothing about you. If you’re into reinventing yourself, this is the perfect opportunity to do so. If you’re relieved to finally be in a place where you can comfortably be the version of yourself that you’ve shaped over the last several years of your life, this is the perfect opportunity to do that. Everyone has both a blank canvas and an interest in seeing the art someone else creates with theirs.

4. Privacy?: The doors and walls, at least in Monroe Hall, are incredibly thin. You may share a room with one person, but you really could have up to 24 roommates. Roommates who will gather around a table and watch your name move around the Find My Friends map, roommates who don’t even need to hear from you to know you need checking-in on. It may feel smothering to some, but that’s what the Tribe is for.

5. Dining: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. That can be a challenge in the dining halls, but after a while, you learn to get creative. There are different ways to top a waffle for each day of the week, most efficient ways to crack and peel boiled eggs. Eventually this creativity built in the dining halls can be harnessed and applied to other disciplines. Maybe that’s why they’re the way that they are.

BUFFALO Lost Socks - Part of my orientation involved closing out each day with a high, a low, and a buffalo, so I figured it would only be fitting to include one here. When I lived at home, I would constantly lose socks due to dogs, so I was curious to see if I would lose socks here. I have, and so have many others in my building. Our solution to accidentally rehoming someone else’s single socks was to hang what we took on our doors. Particularly crazy ones that don’t get claimed turn into jokes, and at any given moment your door could possess the beloved, yet dreaded, toe sock.

Another thing you might be able to find in the halls of your freshman dorm are moments of in-it-togetherness. There are days where it can be lonely, where it can be overwhelming, where it can feel far from home, where it can feel unlivable due to the heat. But there will always be people there to catch you if you fall crying to the ground. There will be people to brace you when you are laughing to the point of weakness. There will be people to stay up with you to study for yet another midterm. There will be people to answer your late night texts of worry and imposter syndrome. There will be people to open the door for you to lie on their carpet and rant. There will be moments when you can step back and think about how even the worst days can warm your heart a little bit.

Clara Rinker ‘26 is planning to double major in Hispanic Studies and CAMS on the mathematical biology track. She is from Alabama and in her spare time, Clara can be found reading, listening to Spotify, or pushing off practicing guitar. Reach her at carinker@wm.edu..

COMIC

Fuzzy 23: Not to Fear, Captain Bighorn is Here COMIC BY ARIANNA STEWART / THE FLAT HAT

Look, I like the Sadler Expansion. I think it adds more space to a well-trafficked part of campus. There’s dynamic room for group projects, zoom calls and relatively quiet studying between classes. But there’s this one glaring problem that keeps me from loving the new wing. What could be this final straw, you ask?

What is that little piece tipping the scales against the expansion’s favor? Well, it’s really not that small. It’s the sun.

Huge glass windows are nice. I like to see the outside world when I’m inside. People watching is a fantastic pastime which the windows lend themselves tremendously to. And architecturally, they’re beautiful. The expansion, with its sparkling glass facade and metal beams, brings the heart of campus out of the 18th century and into the modern era. It’s a great break from the all-brick design. I’m sure the inside looks awesome, too, but unfortunately I can’t usually open my eyes there without squinting. Because boy oh boy do those glorious modern windows let the silly little sun in.

While I appreciate the idea of natural light, something has to be said for the literal hell on Earth that is sitting directly in the path of waves and waves of searing solar radiation. It’s like for each of the 93 million miles that light travels from the surface of the sun to the Sadler Expansion, it’s been collecting hatred.

Once it reaches you, an innocent student looking for a reprieve in the middle of your day, sitting at a table by those picturesque windows in Sadler…well, it’s over. The burning rage of the sun is relentless, especially in peak afternoon hours. You may think you can bear it. You might, for a while. But eventually, you will give up and move.

There’s a reason that, while looking for a seat in the expansion, you’re more likely to find an opening by the window rather than at one of the tables further back, like at the Slice.

It’s so uncomfortable to sit in the sun’s path that people would rather sit at what are, in my opinion, worse tables. And if brave students do choose to sit by the window, almost everyone uniformly has their back turned away from the outside. It’s a smart move, but an imperfect one. The sun is still hot on your back and, perhaps more importantly, it glares on your computer screen, making it hard to see. Not only is it irritating, but it kind of defeats the whole purpose of having windows if everyone tries their best to face away from them.

There’s also the added factor that all of that light makes the expansion hot. On really warm, sunny days, the expansion is noticeably warmer than other parts of the building. The added heat is quite uncomfortable, and besides, it can’t be good for the College of William and Mary’s energy bills. There’s also the smell of heat, which isn’t necessarily revolting, but it’s a bit unpleasant compared to a normal aromatic experience inside of a building.

Luckily, there is a relatively easy solution for this problem: add blinds to the expansion. They have them in the meeting rooms, so I know they can do it. I don’t think it would be that hard to add some nice pull-down shades along the main outer hallway of the expansion. That way, students could adjust them as they please, keeping everyone happy and squint-free. They could even be those translucent ones that let you kind of see outside, if someone out there really is worked up about being able to get the full experience of the floor to ceiling windows.

I want to love the Sadler Expansion. I think blinds are the way to get me there. It would be like making a house a home.

We built the expansion, tested it out and now we can add things we know would make it better from lived experience. This is my Vision 2022. No more squinting! No more optical UV damage!

Please please PLEASE add blinds to the Sadler Expansion.

Lauren Meyer ’24 is planning to major in anthropology and minor in history. Outside of the Flat Hat, Lauren is a member of Swim Club and is also an avid Swiftie. Email Lauren at lemeyer@wm.edu.

THE FLAT HAT

Page 4

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

STAFF COLUMN

Craft 31: Burger and Wings Bushra Bablu FLAT HAT ASSOC. OPINIONS EDITOR

My friends and I decided to grub at Craft 31, located in Williamsburg, Va. Craft 31 is an American restaurant known for their gourmet burgers and bottoms up pizza. We made a reservation at 6:45pm and arrived around 6:30pm. Once we arrived, I was amazed by the bright lights contrasting the night sky. It was evening, and the Craft 31 sign was lit up by the twinkling lights carefully placed near it, illuminating the title.

Once we walked in, I analyzed the interior. There were three sections separating customers in the restaurant. One side was fully shaded, the second section was outside with a garage-like exterior with a fireplace in the corner and the third section was completely outside eating. I thought it was genius how Craft 31 carefully designed this layout for their customers. We, the customers, had an option to choose to sit in whichever section we desired.

Once we arrived at our table, we were greeted by our server and we decided to order their house smoked wings, with garlicparmesan sauce for our appetizer. Next, I ordered my main course, a “California” burger, with turkey, avocado, tomato, provolone, iceberg lettuce, red onion, all on ciabatta. I was very excited for my meal; however, I became hangry. I felt like it took a long time for our food to arrive. I checked the time on my phone, 6:55pm.

Finally, we received our garlic-parmesan wings. I requested to have the garlic-parmesan sauce on the side instead of on the

wings because I felt that was the best way to eat them. To my surprise, the sauce was really sweet. It was too sweet for me to finish and then I proceeded to ask if they had any hot sauce that I could use on my wings. I’m glad I asked for the sauce to be on the side rather than smothered in it.

Next, my turkey burger arrived, and I asked for a side of tater tots because I felt that potatoes and burgers paired very well together. The tater tots were very appetizing —they were crunchy and crispy on the outside, and soft and chewy on the inside. I usually eat tater tots with honey mustard however, I didn’t have that option at Craft 31 and therefore I ate them with ketchup. The “California” burger was also delicious. The flavor was amazing, the turkey patty was tender and juicy, however the burger was tall and difficult to eat. It got kind of messy, and elements from my burger fell apart shortly after I started eating.

I then looked at the dessert section. However, I was really full from the meal and decided to call it off. The desserts were also very basic, with different variations of chocolate cake, ice cream, pies, brownie, cobblers and more! Overall, I would rate my experience and meals at Craft 31 a 7.5 out of 10. I think I would like to try one of their famous pizzas if I get a chance to dine there again.

Bushra Bablu ’24 is planning to double major in government and economics. Bushra serves as an Associate Opinions Editor for The Flat Hat Newspaper and the Business Manager for Flat Hat Magazine.

Outside of The Flat Hat, Bushra is also involved with One for the World and Women in Business. Email Bushra at bebablu@email.wm.edu.

GRAPHIC BY EMNET ABRAHAM / THE FLAT HAT

GUEST COLUMN

The Dark Side of the World Cup Mollie Shiflett THE FLAT HAT

Football, or soccer, depending on how much of a traditionalist you are, is referred to as “the beautiful game.” However, the beautiful game is, at this moment in time, showing its ugly side. In one month, FIFA will hold the World Cup, normally a summer activity, in Qatar. Normally, that would create some form of buzz with sports fans in parts of both the Williamsburg area and the US in general, especially since the US has actually qualified for this edition of the World Cup. Instead, it has created a large amount of backlash.

The decision to allow Qatar to host the World Cup has been problematic since the very beginning. When the bid was awarded, the Qatari representatives were accused of bribing FIFA officials; however, this is not the main problem There are two fundamental issues with the hosting of the World Cup in Qatar which makes the decision extremely objectionable, and puts a greater spotlight on the questionable reputation of football’s governing body. Both of these issues are so horrible, and on such a scale, that no citizen of any participating country (or indeed any democratic country that prides itself on freedom and equality) can turn a blind eye or pretend not to care, especially not college students like those at the College of William and Mary.

Firstly, Qatar has been guilty of a multitude of human rights violations. According to Amnesty International, many of the migrant workers in Qatar work under conditions put in place by their employers which qualify as “forced labor.”

In addition, in the decade since Qatar was awarded the World Cup, thousands of workers have died and no explanation has been given.

Secondly, Qatar is one of many countries that have categorized homosexuality as a criminal offense, and is one of the few for which it is punishable by death under Sharia law. This is a problem for

several reasons, but in the context of the FIFA and the World Cup, it comes from the fact that FIFA has stated that any discrimination by a member of FIFA/participatory nation is prohibited and grounds for suspension or expulsion. This is a very interesting claim to make, since FIFA seems to have absolutely no interest in upholding it. When the decision to host the World Cup in Qatar first came out, questions were raised regarding these issues, and Sepp Blatter — who was president of FIFA at the time — was asked about protections for LGBTQ people who would attend the World Cup. His statement was, “I would say they should refrain from any sexual activities.”

This speaks to the more important part of this article. Yes, the fact that Qatar was allowed to host a World Cup is extremely immoral and disgusting, but what is more upsetting is the two-faced way that FIFA continues to address the world at large. It is a body that drapes itself in the veil of spreading love and inclusion through sport, but it doesn’t do that at all. It has been claimed that awarding the World Cup to Qatar was done to spread and grow the game outside of its traditional stomping

COURTESY IMAGE / QATAR WORLD CUP

grounds, but it is impossible to ignore the general corruption that surrounds the World Cup bid process. It is far more likely that some money has been paid under the table for every World Cup that has been awarded in recent memory.

The blatant hypocrisy of FIFA is something that should concern everyone. This organization is a world class example of a dangerous hypocrisy that exists in this money driven society we live in. The fact that this organization, which is ostensibly one with no global interests beyond the ability for countries to play soccer, is willing to put money above human lives and freedom. This is a concerning theme that has begun to appear more and more over the past decades.

As a country where soccer is growing in popularity, many of us will probably watch the World Cup this November. However, we must keep in mind that we live in a country that is supposed to be a leader for democracy and human rights, and it seems fairly ridiculous that we or any other nation that has the power to check FIFA’s hypocrisy won’t take steps to do that. Whether it be at a national level or at a grassroots level with a boycott of this upcoming World Cup, we as a society have a duty to make sure that international organizations cannot be allowed to support a country that violates, uses and alienates a large portion of the world . It may appear to be something that doesn’t affect us at the college student level, something that we can so easily say, “isn’t our problem.” But it is something that we must address, so that the buck stops getting passed along, because it’s hard to tell who, if anyone, will pick it up and do something with it.

Mollie Shiflett ’26 is an undecided major who will probably end up majoring in History. She plays on the Gold Women’s Club Soccer team for the College of William and Mary and is an avid fan of most sports, except golf.

Email Mollie at mrshiflett@wm.edu.

GUEST COLUMN

The Blair Statue: A Legacy Worth Interrogation Not Reverence Julian Allison and Fatoumata Sissoko GUEST WRITERS

While looking about the Flat Hat website for an interesting read during class, I came across a recent opinion piece about the James Blair statue. Having done a lot of research about James Blair and the statue itself, I was intrigued to see what the conversation around the statue was. To my dismay, the article was more of a joke, and sought to establish light-hearted traditions for the statue.

In fact the Blair Statue was characterized as “arguably the hardest statue on campus about which to form an opinion”; compared to Jefferson and Monroe, the author says that Blair “comes with no such obvious angle of attack.” Well, here I am to provide such an angle.

First, I should introduce how I came to research James Blair. Last year, I joined the Committee for Contextualization of Campus Landmarks and Iconography , which is working to research the names and subjects of buildings and statues on campus in order to contextualize their history. CCL&I was formed in the wake of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests as one of the five groups under Student Assembly’s “The Plan to Tackle Systemic Racial Injustice at William and Mary.” When I first joined, I chose to work on the Blair statue since, as a history major, I spend most of my time in a building bearing Blair’s name, and Blair Hall was already taken.

In my research of Blair I found some of the most abhorrent acts that a person could do, not just today but at the time as well. As can probably be assumed, Blair enslaved people. In fact, the very first people who were enslaved by the College of William and Mary were lent to the College by Blair himself.

Yet it goes further than just his own enslavement of others.

One of the sources of funding for the College was known as the Boyle fund — a fund of around 5,000 pounds, which was bequeathed to Blair for the purpose of “...converting native infidels…” to Christianity. In fact, this same language made its way into the College’s charter, which is read aloud every year at Charter Day. In order to get Native students to attend the Brafferton School which was funded by the Boyle fund, Blair enslaved Native tribes who were understandably hesitant to give up their children. Not only did he enslave them, but he made about 14 pounds per Native student.

All of this is horrible, but Blair’s most nefarious deed, in my opinion, is introducing slavery to the Anglican Church.

Blair himself was an Anglican minister — it’s why he originally came to Virginia and wanted to found a College.

However, Blair was not seeing much success in producing more Anglican ministers from the College. His solution?

Allow Anglican ministers in Virginia to enslave people.

According to Blair, this would both attract more men to be ministers, and it would help convert more enslaved people to Anglicanism. These newly ordained ministers would have to be trained, and the College would be the perfect place for them to do it (earning Blair more money in the process).

I think there is a larger conversation to be had here - one about memory and remembrance I could go on about all of Blair’s misdeeds, and there are many. Yet I think there is a larger conversation to be had here — one about memory and remembrance. Monuments and tradition are deeply intertwined with memory and legacy. We build statues and name buildings for people we respect, people we are meant to idolize. This campus unfortunately has both statues and buildings honoring men with horrific pasts, whose actions to this day cause controversy on this campus. As students, we must be actively engaging with this campus’ history, and not participating in a continued blind reverence for people who do not deserve it. Memorialization and the consequences of memorializing people such as James Blair is grossly apparent in the article of mention. A generation, hundreds of years divorced from James Blair still feels a pull towards reifying his legacy.

Attempting to cheekily establish traditions around his effigy is a consequence of his memorialization. James Blair not only participated in the barbarous practice of slavery and the genocide of indigenous peoples, but his actions contributed to the founding of the College’s deplorable and shameful history rooted in the dehumanization of peoples.

The preservation of the James Blair statue is contradictory to the College’s mission in “commit[ting] to continue our efforts to remedy the lingering effects of past injustices.” The James Blair statue alone is deeply insensitive, but as students establishing an associated tradition surrounding James Blair, we’d go further: it is a contemptuous action towards those who the legacy of James Blair’s actions affects. As students, we must ask ourselves how we engage in remembrance and memorialization, especially towards those whose legacy this college has taken great strides to preserve and who reside as the most abominable of humankind.

Julian Allison is a senior majoring in Government and History. He is the public relations chair for the Committee for Contextualization of Campus Landmarks and Iconography, and can be reached at jdallison@wm.edu.

Fatoumata Sissoko is a junior majoring in Africana Studies and Government. She is the co-chair for the Committee for Contextualization of Campus Landmarks and Iconography, and can be reached at fssissoko@wm.edu.

variety

Variety Editor Vivian Hoang Variety Editor Madeleine Harris flathat.variety@gmail.com // @theflathat

THE FLAT HAT | Tuesday, November 8, 2022 | Page 5

Aim for the sky, shoot for the clay pigeons

The College of William and Maryʼs Clay Target Club promotes inclusivity in the shooting range SUMMER KING // THE FLAT HAT

COURTESY PHOTO // AUBREY BOUCHOUX

Clay target club member lines up shotgun to hit clay pigeon.

Stunning sunsets, open forests and a ton of broken clay pigeons seem to be the defining traits for the College of William and Mary’s Clay Target Club. The Clay Target Club is an association dedicated to teaching and promoting the sport of clay pigeon shooting to nearly 100 participating students. Founded in 2018, the club, formerly known as the Rod and Gun club, began to make its rise

as an inclusive club hoping to popularize recreational and safe skeet shooting, a sport in which participants fire shotguns at moving clay targets, on campus.

The origins of the sport can be traced back to late 18th century England, where players would shoot down live pigeons released in timed increments from sliding cages. Luckily for the feathered critters, the birds were replaced with clay disks in the 19th century — although the name remains symbolically. Nowadays, clay pigeon shooting requires participants to shoot down circular saucers that are launched out from ‘trap houses.’ With an assortment of clay disks, shotguns and challenges available to explore, including the unique “rabbit” shoots, where the disks are rolled instead of shot up, members of the Target club are certain to never grow tired of the sport.

The club hosts bi-monthly trips to local shooting ranges, allowing both experienced members and newcomers to test their clay target skills under the supervision of a licensed professional shooting coach.

“We meet with the instructor, whatever range we’re going to,” club member Quartz Drucker ’23 said. “And he helps the newer shooters sort of train, get their position, get their form right. And then, if the group is large enough to have two groups, the more experienced shooters will go and run their own courses.”

Once on the course, experienced members are brought through a series of different target setups and types of shooting.

These exercises range from the classic skeet shooting to the newer and more complex

‘wobble trap’ — a version of skeet that involves rotating shooting locations, with five clay disks fired out from several stations.

The variety of setups encourage players to shoot clay targets launched from different speeds and angles, using shotguns loaded with birdshot. The guns used by the club come from the members themselves or the club’s professional coach and all weapons are held and handled off-campus.

“We have a decent amount of people that have a very limited amount of experience,” Clay Target Club President Aubrey Bouchoux ‘23 said.

“If you have good eyesight and are able to aim the shotgun, it’s really just about practice,” Joanie Sceppa ‘23, another club member, said. “Obviously there are people who have been doing it for longer and have had a lot more practice and are a lot better at it. But there is not a single person there who is just born better at it.”

Members of Clay Target agree that the sport is very easy to progress in, even if you cannot make it to every practice since the sport is centered around accuracy, not strength. Breaks throughout the shoot are encouraged, and members will often move to easier targets to get their morale back up.

“Every time you miss, the coach tells you, ‘Okay, this is what you did wrong, here’s how we fix it for next time,” Sceppa said in regards to how constructive criticism helps members actively improve.

With around 15 to 20 students attending these individual shoots, the opportunity to learn from fellow members is especially significant.

“I’ve seen so much improvement, and I

think even people who come out for the first time, they can see themselves improving just even in one session,” Sceppa said.

The club seems to prioritize creating safe spaces in a sport not traditionally perceived as open to people of all backgrounds.

“I think a lot of gun culture has a machismo problem, but I don’t really feel that Clay Target does,” Drucker said. “You have to make a process of making a space and ensuring that space is comfortable. And I think that’s being done. I don’t see a lot of toxic behavior in the club. And I think that’s really good because it provides a comfortable space for people who are just curious about the sport.”

In terms of plans for the future, the College’s Clay Target Club is hoping to expand its membership base and hopefully competition roster to rival the well-established teams of other regional universities, such as Virginia Tech.

“We haven’t had the opportunity to host any events because it turns out trying to host a shooting event-tournament-fundraiser type of thing is actually kind of hard,” Bouchoux said.

However, Bouchoux hopes to increase fundraising in order to pay for future equipment and tournament expenses. Currently, the range trips are priced at around fifteen dollars for each member, including the costs for equipment and range use.

“I think if you have curiosity about it, you should join,” Drucker said on why prospective members should take the leap. “And if you have anxiety about it, you should look into it because I think that it could be a good way to get more comfortable with the sport.”

Learn the ABC’s of the College’s American Bosnian Collaboration Project The College of William and Mary sends four students to Bosnia summer of 2022 to teach English, conduct research GABRIEL BLACK-PLANAS // THE FLAT HAT

This past summer, four students from the College of William and Mary traveled to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina to participate in the American Bosnian Collaboration Project.

The program is designed to generate Englishlanguage and intercultural communication skills for Bosnian primary school students.

Catherine Cable ’24, Lara Nayar ’24, Olivia Olson ’23 and Rosemary Ketron ’23 all participated in the program in dual capacities. The group primarily served as teachers for students of four different age groups. They also served as additional support staff for the program in various roles such as researchers, social media content creators and treasurers.

“As a co-teacher, I was responsible for working with my partners from the University of Sarajevo to teach lessons about intercultural competence and English language skills to Bosnian schoolchildren,” Nayar said. “And as a student researcher, I’m responsible for conducting qualitative research on the efficacy of different experiential learning techniques on children’s acquisition of intercultural competence skills.”

The ABC program has been operating at the College since 1999, however the ABC program’s current structure was just recently adopted in 2010. The program shifted from being based in Zenica to Sarajevo, and the College began partnering with a nongovernmental organization, Creativus. The ABC program is primarily supported by Professor Paula Pickering and other faculty within the government department at the College.

The program aims to foster intercultural and pacifist educational methods. This is accomplished through collaboration between the College’s undergraduate student teachers and graduate students from the University of Sarajevo who act as both student teachers and translators. The program also collects data and continues to conduct research on the use of hands-on teaching styles in promoting crosscultural learning.

“A really helpful thing about having partners at the University of Sarajevo is they are all master’s students in pedagogy or education,” Cable said.

The student teachers applied to join the program in the fall of 2021. After being accepted, they took a course in the following spring semester designed to help with the transition into working and teaching non-American schoolchildren. The course sought to teach the students an appreciation for the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the value of handson learning in academic development and the importance of taking on the role of a collaborator in education. All the while, the participants fundraised and sought to strengthen connections between the

program’s current iteration and its veterans.

Once the student teachers from the College arrived in Bosnia, the teaching segment of the program began. This portion of the ABC program was divided into a three-day online portion which then transitioned to fully in-person classes. These classes incorporated different teaching styles, alternating between lecture and discussion based lessons. Class topics were primarily designed around cultural, ecological and nonviolent communication themes, as well as diversity and tolerance. The exposure to English also allowed for indirect language acquisition, especially with the classes often being held outside and taught via games.

The two-week in-person segment of the program concluded with the different age groups demonstrating their learnings through creative projects. Using the themes of the previous three weeks, the students and their student teachers (American and Bosnian) put on plays, ranging in focus from the nonviolent salvation of a polluted animal kingdom to the exploration of marginalized identities through time travel.

Beyond allowing the students access to COURTESY PHOTO // WM BOSNIA PROJECT another unorthodox educational avenue, these final projects were critical in the data acquisition The College of William and Maryʼs Summer 2022 American Bosnian Collaboration Project participants, left to mission of the program. In utilizing the different right, Lara Nayar ʻ24, Rosemary Ketron ʻ23, Catherine Cable ʻ24, Olivia Olson ʻ23 pose on the Sunken Garden stairs. types of teaching methods, the student teachers assessed how efficient each method was by allowed at all, ending only when the Reeves places, like most people wouldn’t realize you’re handing out surveys before and after lessons Center Travel Advisory Board gave the program in the same city. Both were important parts of to their students. The student teachers also the go-ahead. their identity, and they didn’t want to get rid of found that they learned from the nuances their For the student teachers, the benefits they either one.”

Bosnian coworkers were able to glean from the received from the program were myriad. They The students also touched upon the schoolchildren’s experiences. expressed satisfaction with the role they were personal growth that they were able to “For example, one of my experiential activities able to play in bringing the schoolchildren experience throughout their journey, citing was teaching the children about nonviolent opportunities and ideas that are not always readily the radically different environments and new communication,” Olson said. “We gave them a available to them through traditional schooling. experiences that being first-time international conflict, and then they made a little skit showing “I remember specifically how some students teachers afforded them. how they would use nonviolent communication expressed that bullying is not something they “It was really valuable for me to go to a to resolve the conflict. That’s an example of usually talk about in school, so it was very valuable country where my default and the way that I’m experiential learning. Then we would go through for them to have the space to talk about subjects programmed to think and live and work is not and analyze ourselves if we thought it worked in that are not in a school curriculum,” Olson said. everybody else’s default, and I had to adjust how the students had reacted.”

“And it actually empowered them to ask us to talk my expectations based on what was normal to As with countless other organizations, the ABC or have lessons about certain topics.” others around me,” Nayar said.

Project was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The student teachers were able to find much Though the four students have since returned The last project before the current cohort traveled to to love about Bosnia on a more personal level as to Williamsburg, the project’s research component Bosnia this year was held in the summer of 2019. With well. Though all four of them were interviewed continues; the data analysis process is expected to last only two veteran students from the ABC Project’s last separately for this article, when asked about the entire fall semester. Although the program has a in-person year still at the College, the new student their favorite parts of their time abroad they all brand-new research focus every year, the conclusions teachers recounted some of the logistical challenges remarked on how special the bonds are that they drawn from this research on experiential learning faced while embarking on their trip to Bosnia. have built with their fellow student teachers from efficacy and the experience that these four students “As with most programs that return to the College. Each also gave glowing reviews of gained this summer will aid their successors. in-person after two years online, there were Sarajevo’s architectural diversity.

“I think we will have a lot of good knowledge some kinks that we had to work out because “It was conquered by the Ottoman Empire moving forward for next year’s cohort because we didn’t have a lot of remaining institutional and also the Austro-Hungarian Empire, so it’s we understand what worked and what didn’t,” knowledge of the program,” Cable said. split between looking like Vienna on one half Cable said. “So we are able to help guide them Additionally, there was initially substantial and looking like Turkey on the other half” Ketron and mentor them as they look towards hopefully doubt as to whether in-person travel would be said. “And it really is like two completely different returning in-person again next summer.”

THE FLAT HAT

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

Page 6

COLUMN: SHARPS & FLATS

Falling into Fall A self-proclaimed granola girlʼs guide to autumnʼs crunchiest tracks GRACE SAUNDERS // THE FLAT HAT Roanoke, Va. — My hometown in the Roanoke Valley is one of the most outdoorsy places you’ve ever seen. Sunk between the Blue Ridge Mountains, Roanoke is home to more dirt roads than paved ones. Growing up here was growing up in nature — my dad constantly begging me to go hike the mountain behind our house, never ending “go outside” festivals and watching as hikers migrate off the Appalachian Trail and into town.

It’s only after coming to flat, flat, Williamsburg that I realize how much I miss the mountains.

Since I’ve gotten here, I’ve found myself falling back into my indie folk music phase, seeking to surround myself with the “Mountain Sound” —

by Of Monsters and Men, give it a listen — that I associate with home.

Authenticity is a pervasive theme in indie folk music; itʼs not only the lyrics that speak to the uniqueness of the artist, but also the instrumentals and vocals.

“

“

As the leaves have turned, I’ve only fallen in deeper, and once Noah Kahan dropped his newest album, I knew I was done for: I’m in my crunchiest granola (if you’re unfamiliar with “granola,” look for it on Pinterest) phase yet. Indie folk/granola music is a relatively new genre, and I believe it hasn’t quite gotten the attention it deserves. It’s the “season of the sticks,” and it’s time for crunchy granola indie music to have its spotlight.

With artists like Caamp, The Lumineers, Hozier and Lord Huron headlining the genres,

it’s hard to go wrong in the world of indie folk music. In my thousands of hours of listening, I’ve come to realize that modern folk music would not be what it is without the artists. It’s not the music that makes the artist, but the artist that makes the music. This may seem like an obvious conclusion, but it’s true. These artists are far from one-hit wonders; more often than not, they have at least a handful of hits apiece and they’re all recognizable for the things they say through their music and how they tell their stories.

Each and every artist is distinguishable from the others, their stories and voice shining through every melody. Only Hozier could take the twisted history of female oppression and make it into such a tragically beautiful song such as “Swan Upon Leda.” Only The Lumineers could take the story of Cleopatra and Marc Antony and turn it into a hauntingly upbeat melody about love and loss. Only Noah Kahan could soliloquize on autumn in his home state, turning reminiscent images of fall foliage into a sonnet on feeling left behind and trapped in the “season of the sticks.” In the genre of folk music, every artist’s voice shines through so authentically that, even through just reading their lyrics, you know who wrote the song. Each artist’s music is a lyrical reflection of their own experiences, bringing a deeply personal element into each song on an indie folk lover’s playlist.

Authenticity is a pervasive theme in indie folk music; it’s not only the lyrics that speak to the uniqueness of the artist, but also the instrumentals and vocals. Though there are a few commonalities across the genre — the certain raw sound that accompanies the typical acoustic instruments chosen as the basis of most of the pieces and the twinge of country music twang that shines through — there is much variation in sound from artist to artist, album to album, song to song.

With Caamp, you’ll always get upbeat acoustic guitar and banjo, simple, smooth melodies and the recognizable grit of the lead singer’s voice.

Lord Huron, however, has a more eclectic sound, with lots of percussion, edited reverberation and an eerie, mysterious undertone that haunts their songs, giving their music a sound reminiscent of ghost stories told around a campfire.

From the instruments to the production techniques used, the sound variation throughout the genre is wide, but complementary in a way that makes listening across the genre such a special experience. Conjuring images of windows down, trees ablaze in the colors of autumn and mountains rolling past in the distance, there’s just something about the sound of indie folk music that sounds like a peaceful fall at home in the countryside.

If music can be described as “welcoming,” that’s what I’d call indie folk — the raw authenticity, emotion and sheer appreciation of the human experience drench the genre in a way that makes every listener feel like they’re experiencing the artist’s story as it’s put to lyrics and melody. There is something for everyone in the wide world of indie folk music, whether it lyrically speaks to a common experience or expresses something else melodically.

For those of you who might be like me — missing home in the mountains or the countryside, with a little bit of hyperactive wanderlust — or simply for those whose interest I’ve piqued, give indie folk a try. To start with something recent, I’d highly recommend Noah Kahan’s newest album, “Stick Season,” which speaks to themes of homesickness and growing out of where you grew up, feelings that are probably becoming more common here on campus as the semester carries on.

If you’re looking to find something new as the seasons change, are feeling a little homesick, have a bit of unsatiated wanderlust, or just want to hear some music slightly removed from the mainstream, crunch on some indie folk granola tracks. Maybe you’ll find a new home in music, just like I did.

Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3k s7nXQ9544QVr1GfanTml?si=e90e9cabd560480c

GRAPHIC BY ARIANNA STEWART / THE FLAT HAT

COLUMN: SHARPS & FLATS

Musings from a die-hard Swiftie: A love letter to “Midnights” Ellie Reichenbach ʻ26 offers her critical reflections on Taylor Swiftʼs latest album release ELLIE REICHENBACH // THE FLAT HAT

Oct. 21, 2022, singer/songwriter Taylor Swift my favorites are “Anti-Hero,” “Midnight Rain” released “Midnights,” her tenth studio album. and “Karma.” Though the album lacks a true lead Throughout the album’s thirteen songs, Swift tells single, “Anti-Hero” pseudo-fills the role; Swift the stories of thirteen sleepless nights, backed released a music video for the song at 8 AM on with a synth-pop style. And despite my dedicated Oct. 22, 2022. And at the time of writing this article, “Swiftie” heart, I did not like the album.

“Anti-Hero” is the only song on “Midnights” to Let me rewind a little. When the album surpass 100 million streams on Spotify. dropped at midnight (fittingly), I was sitting in There is no denying that “Anti-Hero” is insanely my dorm’s lounge, losing a battle to my French catchy. It has been stuck in my head for days, and I paper due the next morning. This was definitely terrible planning on my part; everyone knows that when the Taylor Swift releases a new album, it is almost a crime to not listen to it with 100% dedication. That said, I was in a very bad mood.

Looking back, it was surely my paper that caused me to dislike a vast majority of the album. Sitting next to a friend, I complained repeatedly that the songs were blending together, that the lyrics were too repetitive and that overall, the album was not as good as Swift’s previous work. I was still in this same sour mindset at 3AM, when Swift surprisingly released “Midnights (3AM Edition),” which includes seven additional tracks. And yes, I was still working on that essay.

Almost twenty-four hours later, after having slept a majority of the day, I gave Swift’s “Midnights” another listen. This time, it was vastly better (or rather I was vastly better), and I recognized that my “Swiftie” queen has done the impossible, yet again.

(A quick side note: Taylor Swift, if you are reading this, I would like to GRAPHIC BY jESSICA SIGSBEE / THE FLAT HAT formally apologize for any terrible things I said about your album. I am a traitor. However, I would still appreciate some cannot complain. I speak for most “Swifties” when tickets to your Eras Tour, which was announced I say that my favorite part of the song is the chorus. on Nov. 1, 2022).

“It’s me / Hi,” Swift sings. “I’m the problem, Anyway, it is time for the crux of this article. it’s me.”

What are my (new and improved) thoughts on How is that not relatable?

“Midnights” tracklist? Let’s dive in.

In fact, it is so relatable that part of me wonders Of the thirteen songs on the original album, if “Anti-Hero” was intended to be a TikTok

trend; it seems to have lots of potential for some entertaining TikToks and, while I generally do not love what I call “TikTok music,” I will make an exception for this song.

Filled with Swift’s wildest fears and worst-case scenarios (and an obscure, funny reference to the show “30 Rock”), “Anti-Hero” is a real trip, and truly deserves to be on repeat. The music video includes Swift smashing a guitar and downing shots and,

while listening to this song, I also feel like partaking in both of those activities with a vengeance.

“Midnight Rain” starts off with jolting background vocals that left me wondering who they belonged to. After a bit of research, it seems that the vocals belong to Swift herself, except pitched lower and synthesized.

“Rain, he wanted it comfortable,” Swift’s altered voice sings. “I wanted that pain.”

The electronic backing vocals on “Midnight Rain” remind me of some early 2000s pop tracks, maybe those of singer Justin Timberlake. While they surprised me at first, I really grew to adore them. They are the reason “Midnight Rain” is a stand-out track on the album. Besides, these lines have great duality; I can either rant to them in anger, or tear up slightly while listening to them as I am getting my third Sadler soft serve of the night. Whatever comes first.

“Karma” embodies summer, sunshine, disco, dance and revenge. Throughout the entire song, there is a feel-good confidence that attracts everyone, no matter what.

I imagine that Swift was smirking while recording this song in the studio; before “Midnights,” Swift also focused on the idea of karma in her såixth studio album, “Reputation,” released Nov. 10, 2017. On Reputation, Swift viewed karma negatively.

Since then, she has reconsidered.

“Karma’s a relaxing thought,” Swift sings.

“Aren’t you envious that for you it’s not?”

Whatever happened to bring Swift such joy in “Karma,” I am here for it. I will be blasting this song on repeat (even more so) this next summer.

On a different note, there is still one song on “Midnights” that I do not love. “Snow On The Beach (feat. Lana Del Rey)” is slightly underwhelming. All I have to say is, where is Lana Del Rey? Realistically, I know she is singing the backing vocals, but I speak for most when I say that Del Rey deserved a killer verse in the song. Hopefully, Swift and Del Rey will collaborate differently in the future.

Throughout “Midnights,” however, Swift paints a wide variety of scenes as well as she always does, but arguably with even more color and nostalgia than before. The retro, 70s style of the album’s cover and photoshoots add to its uniqueness in Swift’s discography.

“Midnights” is stellar. (Unfortunately, the same will not be said about that French paper).

sports

THE F LAT HAT | Tuesday, November 8. 2022 | Page 7

MENʼS SOCCER

Tribe makes early exit from CAA Championship against Hofstra

Menʼs soccer surrenders one goal in extra time against top opponent JASON TUKKER ASSOC. FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR

Thursday, Nov. 3, William and Mary traveled to Wilmington, NC, for the first round of the Colonial Athletic Association tournament. The Tribe lost to Hofstra 1-0 in extra time.

After the first encounter between these two teams earlier in the season ended in a 0-0 draw, it was no surprise to see the defense dominate for both teams.

After 90 minutes of lockdown defensive performances for both teams, Hofstra junior forward Ryan Carmichael, who was named CAA Player of the Year, broke the tie. After the Tribe lost possession of the ball in midfield, a routine clearance from Hoftsra turned into a half chance for Carmichael, who converted with a low driven shot into the bottom corner from just inside the 18 yard box. With only seven minutes remaining, Hofstra were able to hold out and bring an end to William and Mary’s season.

“They are very good dribblers and do well when they have room in transition,” head coach Chris Norris said. “I thought for the

majority of the game we did really well in defending transition.”

A notable performance from the Tribe came from graduate student goalkeeper Danilo Nikcevic. He held Hoftstra scoreless for over 90 minutes and resisted Hofstra’s constant attacks for all of the regulation time. Nikcevic recorded a career high eight saves on ten shots on target, with the pick of the bunch being a double save with just under 25 minutes left in regulation. Nikcevic and the rest of the Tribe defense held Hofstra sophomore midfielder Eliot Goldthorp, who leads the nation in goals (14) to a minimal role throughout the contest. Only allowing one goal against the Pride in 200 minutes of gametime throughout the season is an incredible accomplishment for the Tribe.

Offensively, the Tribe were able to generate 12 total shots with only three ending up on target. There were two standout chances for the Green and Gold during the game, with the first coming in the first half for senior forward Diba Nwegbo.

Senior Nathan Messer put in a lofted shot on target with Nwegbo running in to finish, but Hofstra senior defender Shane Salmon cleared it away at the last moment off a header.

The Tribe’s second chance came 75 minutes into the game when senior Alexander Levengood’s header forced a quick reaction save from Hofstra junior goalkeeper Wessel Speel.

This was the Tribe’s first shot on target, and was their most threatening moment in the game.

“We created some good chances,” Norris said. “We didn’t do a good enough job at being efficient with those chances, getting it on target, and forcing the goalkeeper to work a little bit harder.”

With the Tribe’s season now finished, memorable moments from the season include their huge upset win over No. 10 Wake Forest, and their thrilling comeback win over Monmouth just over a week ago that gave them their tournament berth.

The soccer team will graduate a large group of players this year.

“They have been really influential and have gone through college athletics during a really difficult time,” Norris said. “They have weathered a lot of uncertainty and been great representatives of our soccer programs, our athletic department, and the school itself. I am sad to see them go but excited for what the future holds for those guys.”

VOLLEYBALL

Volleyball loses two close matches to Delaware at Kaplan Arena

Tribe pushes Delaware to five sets in both games, clinch CAA tournament berth

JAKE FORBES FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR

Saturday, Nov. 5 and Sunday, Nov. 6, William and Mary (11-11, 6-8 CAA) lost both matches against Delaware (14-10, 10-6 CAA) 3-2 at Kaplan Arena this weekend. Ahead of Sunday’s match, seniors Kaitlyn Ferguson, Anna Porter and Sydney Taylor were honored for their efforts.

The first match of the weekend was as close as could be. Neither team won a set by more than two points. There were 15 lead changes and 46 ties throughout the game.

Delaware captured an extended first set 35-33 and the third set 25-23. Despite losing the opening set, libero Anna Porter recorded 11 of her 27 digs on the day. Sydney Taylor recorded five kills in the first set.

The Tribe won the second set 26-24 and the fourth set 25-23. In the fourth set, the Tribe battled back to extend the match to a fifth set.

The home team had 16 kills in a set that had 12 ties and five lead changes.

However, Delaware prevailed in the fifth and final set, edging out the Tribe 15-13. The visiting team recorded five aces, compared to the Tribe’s single ace.

Sophomore outside hitter Eleanor Stotoff finished Saturday with 15 kills and 10 blocks,

making a new season high. Sophomore setter Amy Scwhem recorded 24 assists and 11 digs, and graduate student setter Emma Minnick completed 25 assists and 16 digs.

When the two teams met again Sunday afternoon, the match was nearly as close. The Tribe dropped the opening set 25-21 after holding a lead for most of the set. Delaware won six straight points to win the set.

The Tribe bounced back in the second set with a 25-21 victory. After losing an extended third set 27-25, the team bounced back in the fourth to win 25-20, sending the team’s to a fifth set for the second straight day.

However, the Tribe appeared sluggish in their tenth set of the weekend, losing 15-7.

Delaware jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead and never looked back.

William and Mary bettered Delaware in team kills, attempts, hitting percentage, points and assists. Burrell recorded 21 kills, two aces and a block. Stothoff finished the match close behind with 20 kills and 5 blocks.

The Tribe will close out their regular season play at Northeastern this weekend before beginning CAA Championship play.

Despite losing both matches this weekend, the Tribe are guaranteed a top eight seed for the tournament.

SAMUEL LI / THE FLAT HAT

Members of the volleyball team prepare to hit the ball during their match against Delaware on Saturday, Nov. 5.

FOOTBALL

No. 8 William and Mary defeats CAA-foe Hampton in close road contest

Tribe football rushes for 309 yards, Yoder improves to 853 rushing yards this season

JAKE FORBES FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR

Saturday, Nov. 5, William and Mary football (8-1, 5-1 CAA) defeated Hampton (4-5, 1-5 CAA) 20-14 on the road.

“You are not satisfied because there are some things you could have done better,” head coach Mike London said. “But at the same time you celebrate. You celebrate things because it is part of competition, it is part of recognizing the opportunity to extend your season could be relevant at the end.”

The Tribe started the game on offense. Sophomore quarterback Darius Wilson drove his team down field with three passes over 14 yards apiece. Senior running back Bronson Yoder concluded the drive with a nine-yard touchdown run.

On the ensuing possession, the Tribe held Hampton to just one first down before regaining control of the ball. However, on the first play of the drive, Wilson threw an interception on a long pass intended for senior wide receiver Caylin Newton.

Hampton junior quarterback Malcolm Mays completed a 26-yard pass to senior wide receiver Jadakis Bonds to move the chains past midfield. Several plays later, Mays connected with Bonds for another 18yard completion. A pass interference penalty on senior cornerback Ryan Poole moved Hampton to the two yard line. On first and goal, Mays rushed up the middle but fumbled

the ball. Senior linebacker Kevin Jarrell recovered the ball to regain possession for the Tribe.

Pinned against their own endzone, the Tribe offense struggled to advance the football upfield.

Senior kicker Will Whitehurst sent a booming punt 70 yards to start Hampton on their own 10-yard line.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Christopher Zellous broke through the Tribe defense for a 28-yard run to near midfield. A personal foul on the Tribe placed Hampton at the Tribe 18-yard line. Sophomore running back Elijah Burris ran into the endzone on the next play to tie the game at seven apiece.

“Defensively, we came out a little slow,” Poole said. “The game was a little sluggish, [so] we had to adjust and adapt, and we did that.”

The Tribe and Hampton traded three-and-outs on their next possessions. Yoder ignited the Tribe offense with a 22-yard rush across midfield. Wilson completed a 10yard pass to advance his team into field goal territory. The Tribe failed to convert on third down, prompting London to bring sophomore kicker Ethan Chang on field for a field goal attempt. Chang’s successful conversion from 35 yards out was successful, regaining the lead for the Tribe.

In the final minute of the first half, William and Mary drove downfield hoping to extend their lead. With two seconds left, Chang attempted a 53yard field goal but missed wide left.

“It took us a while to get going,” London said. “At halftime, they led us in every [statistical] category. When we came out in the second half, we did a much better job executing and got some explosive plays.”

Hampton began the second half with an 11-yard rush by Burris.

Nearing midfield, redshirt junior running back Darran Butts fumbled the ball several plays later.

Already starting in good field position, Yoder rushed 32 yards into field goal territory. However, sophomore quarterback Hollis Mathis gave up the second Tribe turnover of the game on a fumble.

The next score of the game came from Hampton. On first and 20 from the William and Mary 23-yard line, Butts redeemed his earlier fumble and rushed the rock into the endzone. Hampton took their first lead of the game, 14-10.

The Tribe offense wasted no time to respond. Beginning the drive at their own 40-yard line, sophomore running back Malachi Imoh rushed for 11 yards to secure a first down over midfield. On the next play, Imoh broke free from the Pirates’ defense and ran all the way to the goal line to retake the lead by three in the closing minute of the third quarter.

On Hampton’s ensuing drive, Zellous completed a 39-yard pass to Bonds to near field goal range. Zealous then rushed for 12 yards to the edge of the redzone. The Tribe defense held the home team short on third down, bringing in the Pirates’ kicker.

However, senior kicker Axel Perez missed the 37-yard attempt right.

This drive, senior running back Donavyn Lester put the Tribe offense on his back. Lester rushed for eight yards on the first play, then broke free for a 44-yard gain on the following play. After a personal foul on sophomore wide receiver DreSean Kendrick, the Tribe failed to advance the chains again. Chang converted from 35 yards out to extend the Tribe lead to 20-14.

Neither team scored in the remaining seven minutes.

William and Mary finished the

game with 309 total rushing yards and averaged 6.6 yards per attempt.

The Tribe finished the game 3-3 on redzone conversions. However, the Tribe’s 20 points on Saturday marks their lowest score of the season.

Following this weekend’s game, Yoder has totaled 853 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Imoh scored his 10th touchdown of the season, the most by a Tribe running back since 2015.

The team is 5-0 on the road this season for the first time in program history.

The Tribe will host Villanova (5-4, 3-3 CAA) on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 1 p.m.

SAMUEL LI / THE FLAT HAT

Senior running back Donavyn Lester evades a defender during the Tribeʼs 31-30 victory over Rhode Island on Saturday, Oct. 29. Lester totaled 80 rushing yards on 10 attempts against Hampton.

Page 8

THE FLAT HAT

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

LAW SCHOOL

William and Mary Law School hosts reproductive justice panel Series of panelists participate in interactive discussion, comment on issues of abortion access in Virginia

Thursday, Oct. 27, The College of William and Mary Law School held an interactive panel discussion titled “Reproductive Justice: Rights and Realities Post-Dobbs.”

The law school’s Center for Racial and Social Justice, the College’s Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Department, the Black Law Students Association, the National Lawyers Guild and If/When/How organized the event.

Panelists included law school professor Dr. Vivian Hamilton, Hampton Roads Reproductive Justice League representative Ammie Pascua, American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia representative Breanna Diaz and Blue Ridge Abortion Fund’s co-director of Movement Building and Engagement Stephanie Nash. The panel was introduced by second year law student Kyle Hyde J.D. ’24 and moderated by second year law students Ella Ginsberg J.D. ’24 and Kendall Piertzak J.D. ’24.

Hamilton kicked off the panel by giving a brief overview of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the court case that overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022. She also explained the subsequent fallout of the overturn by highlighting a map of updated statewide abortion access. Diaz followed by explaining abortion parameters and laws in Virginia.

“We do not have the right to an abortion in Virginia,” Diaz said.

“I think that needs to be really clear when we talk about what abortion access is in Virginia. We do not have a right statutorily: constitutionally, a right to abortion. What we do have is a set of laws that exist in our criminal code that define the parameters for abortion access.”

Diaz discussed what abortion access looks like in Virginia, including narrowed access based on the timeline of pregnancies, access to abortion pills and parameters for underage abortions.

They also mentioned that it is not required to be a resident of Virginia in order to receive abortion services within the state.

Nash and Pascua followed by explaining the role of abortion funds nationwide as well as within Virginia.

“At the core principle of any abortion fund is that we fund abortions,” Nash said. “But what we’ve seen, more so since June

24th, is folks also calling needing practical support.”

Nash also emphasized the importance of reproductive justice frameworks that highlight the intersections between reproductive rights and other social justice and human rights issues. Nash mentioned that Blue Ridge Abortion Fund is currently working on an ambassador program to train individuals in cultural competency and create a sustainable community to

“

There are abortion clinics here, but there

are many barriers, finances being one, stigma being a huge one. So we saw a need here that people needed funding for abortions, they were needing funding from other parts of the

state. In the concept of solidarity and mutual

“

EMMA HENRY FLAT HAT ASSOC. NEWS EDITOR

aid, we decided that we needed to build something in Hampton Roads.

- Ammie Pascua

support those seeking abortion care.

“We take care of each other from a grassroots perspective,” Nash said. “We partner with other funds and collab with other organizations, supporting and uplifting the work be that legislation, be that cookouts, be that collab requests and trying to fill in gaps.”

Pascua followed by discussing their work with the HRRJL, mentioning various gaps they saw missing in the community after they sought abortion care in 2019. HRRJL, created in

2021, is intended to remove financial and logistical barriers to reproductive healthcare and abortion access, according to their website. This page also mentions that they believe funding abortion to be “an act of radical care.”

“There are abortion clinics here, but there are many barriers, finances being one, stigma being a huge one,” Pascua said. “So we saw a need here that people needed funding for abortions, they were needing funding from other parts of the state. In the concept of solidarity and mutual aid, we decided that we needed to build something in Hampton Roads.”

After initial questions from the moderators, the floor was opened to questions from the audience, with topics ranging from increased pressure on abortion rights activists to the criminalization of abortion to gender inclusivity.

Nash and Pascua highlighted the difficulties their funds have experienced post-Dobbs, including emphasis on burnout and the influx of calls. Pascua mentioned that HRRJL is completely volunteerrun, and is currently the smallest abortion fund in Virginia.

“Abortion funds existed prior to June 24th, and so the stretch has always been thin,” Nash said. “Blue Ridge is fortunate to have staff, we are a staff of six and counting. This work is just draining in general.”

Nash also emphasized the role reproductive and abortion care employees play outside of just funding, including providing transportation and emotional care, along with navigating various needs such as childcare. She again emphasized the importance of a grassroots community in which individuals are able to engage each other and lean on one another for support.

In terms of ACLU, Diaz mentioned her work to fund abortion, remove barriers and find new ways to codify the right to abortion in legislation or amendments. They also mentioned preparation for a difficult general assembly session in January, with an onslaught of anti-abortion bills already being introduced by Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

“Going into a post-Dobbs world, it truly is now up to the legislature whether we have access to abortion,” Diaz said. “What I’m trying to do is work with legislators in the community to say ‘you will oppose any ban that reaches your desk or your committee,’ mobilizing our READ MORE ON FLATHATNEWS.COM

SYMPOSIUM

Press freedom symposium assembles to discuss threats to journalism Global journalists engage in conversation about media oppression, address dangers faced during coverage IAN HARMAN THE FLAT HAT

Friday, Nov. 4, The Reves Center for International Studies, The Human Security Law Center and the Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO-FM collaborated to bring accomplished journalists together for the “Press Freedom Under Attack: 21st Century Threats to Journalists and Democracy” symposium.

Dr. Teresa Longo, the Associate Provost for International Affairs and Executive Director of the Reves Center, explained that her objective for the event was to provide students with an opportunity to converse about one of the world’s most urgent concerns and bring an “international dimension” to learning.

“This Symposium is an example of something W&M does well–– bring students into contact with scholars and professionals,” Longo wrote in an email to the Flat Hat. The symposium featured a series of global journalists to spark conversation about global media oppression. Following the opening remarks from Dr. Longo and Nancy Combs, a professor of law and Director of the Human Security Law Center at the College of William and Mary Law School, the event kicked off with comments from Tikhon

Dzyadko, the Editor-in-Chief of Dozhd TV (also known as TV Rain) As the only remaining independent television news station in Russia, Dzyadko had tremendous experience fighting the brute repression of the media. TV Rain’s creation in 2010 coincided with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rise to power.

“We decided that it is really important to try to show the people the real picture of what is happening,” Dzyadko said.

As independent news stations across Russia were suppressed and filled with propaganda, TV Rain took it upon itself to push beyond barriers put in place by Putin’s administration.

Dzyadko’s honest take on journalism came at a cost, however. He reminisced about him and his wife, a news director at TV Rain, receiving threats by mail, phone calls and SMS. “We received a visit from Russian Police,” Dzyadko said.

After this visit, Dzyadko had to relocate his station’s operations to Latvia.

Despite their constant battle with the Russian government, Dzyadko and his staff receive almost 25.5 million monthly viewers, with 14 million viewers from Russia. TV Rain’s delivery of honest information to the Russian people continues through 2022, giving on-the-ground coverage of

Russia’s war with Ukraine and overcoming barriers erected by Russian media oppression.

Following Dzyadko’s remarks, the symposium moved into a panel focusing on “Endangered: Journalism in Jeopardy,” a new documentary on HBO about press freedom globally. Moderated by Rachel Sleiman J.D. ‘23, the panel included three guests specializing in press freedom.

The first panelist, Rachel Grady, is the director and executive producer of the film.

“It felt like a civil service,” Grady said in reference to bringing the issue of media oppression into the mainstream through film.

Supporting her on the panel was Joel Simon, an author and journalist for The New Yorker and the Columbia Journalism Review, specializing in press freedom through his writing. Carl-Philippe Juste, a photojournalist for the Miami Herald and a featured profile in “Endangered,” was also an honored guest on the panel.

Grady’s documentary highlighted Juste’s experiences with media intimidation. During his coverage of numerous protests, Juste’s role in “Endangered” gave viewers a first-hand look into what press intimidation does to journalists. For Juste, mob confrontations and police violence were repeated encounters in his experience. Still, he emphasized that it only proves how much bravery is

necessary for journalism in the 21st century.

“This film was a candle in a very dark time, globally, personally and in my community,” Juste said. “And I will hold that candle up, protect the flame as long as I can. I just need more candles in that room.”

The second panel focused on media intimidation on a global scale beyond the scope of a documentary. Moderated by Christopher Tyree of the Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism, the panelists used the platform to discuss their projects on press freedom.

The first panelist to speak was Martin Plaut.

Plaut is currently a Senior Academic Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London, as well as a former BBC journalist and trusted advisor to many governments.

“The thing I’m working on particularly now is the horn of Africa, where places like Eritrea allows nobody in,” Plaut said. “They have no free press of any description.”

Specifically, Plaut shared details of Eritrea’s war with Egypt, one of the longest and deadliest conflicts in African politics. However, the restriction of the press leads to a lack of general knowledge and, thus, no public backlash to push governments to find peaceful solutions.

READ MORE ON FLATHATNEWS.COM

SODEXO

College dining hall workers celebrate their union victory with Sodexo Dining hall workers share enthusiasm for union victory, workersʼ contract negotiations begin UNION from page 1

Hollins spoke to the current uptick in worker unionization across America and how the happenings at the College fit into this national union arena. He explained how a lot of food service worker union contracts in the Washington D.C. area will be up for re-negotiation in 2023. This will mark 10 years since many food service workers in the city negotiated their last major contracts and held the “We Feed DC. We Are D.C.” rally in 2013.

“A lot of the contracts are up in 2023, different months, but a lot of the Sodexo contracts are up in D.C.,” Hollins said. “A lot of food service workers’ contracts are up in D.C. The union kind of, like, planned it like this so we all can be fighting at the same time. To show our power, to show our unity and to let all the other food service workers know, like, you’re not in the fight alone. Like, we are all brothers and sisters in this fight.

That’s part of the reason why we came down to William and Mary and let them know, like, they’re a part of this.

We want them to be a part of this.”

Now that the College’s Sodexo dining workers are officially a recognized union, they will be bargaining their contracts with Sodexo management. In these upcoming contract negotiations dining workers will be advocating for higher wages, better working conditions, pension coverage and more affordable health insurance.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Edwards emphasized the importance of more affordable health care coverage in the contract.

Edwards explained how many of her co-workers could not afford a doctor’s visit if they experienced any COVID-19 symptoms.

“We’ve lost people,” Edwards said. “We’ve lost people. I’m not talking about just, you know, family members, people who, you know, coworkers, people who worked here with us side by side. We’ve lost people.

In these last two years, we’ve lost a lot of people. That’s because they didn’t want to go to the doctor, didn’t want to go get a checkup. If they were sick and they had the COVID like symptoms, they’d do home remedies. You know,

it is heartbreaking.”

Edwards also emphasized the need for wage increases — as she hopes to move out of her parents’ home and into her own place — and the need to secure pensions. Zidlicky expanded on the need for pensions as well.

“Pensions are also a really big thing,” Zidlicky said. “We have a lot of dining workers who have worked here for like 20, 30, 40 years who need to retire. Straight up, who need to retire. You know, they’ve given their life to the company and the company should give something back.”

Senior Associate Director of University News Erin Zagursky reiterated the College’s administration support for the Sodexo workers.

“William & Mary values and respects the contributions of dining staff to the university through their work with Sodexo,” Zagursky wrote in an email to The Flat Hat. “They are critical to providing the type of dining program we expect and crucial in looking after our students and campus community.”

Edwards believes the quality of

service that students receive will increase now that the workers are unionized.

“They’re going to get better service and better quality food,” she said.

“You know, better customer service.

You’re going to get all that, I believe, once it becomes union because it’s going to be across the board.”

Hollins, as an already unionized Sodexo worker, echoed that quality of service will increase after the recent victory.

“When you bring people together for a common goal, a good common goal... people tend to produce and feel better, start to dream again, you know, start to have ambition,” Hollins said.

Hollins also shared his advice to the College’s dining workers in their upcoming contract negotiations.

“Learn how to use your power, you know, as far as in the workplace,” Hollins said. “Knowing not to let the company intimidate you, reading your contract, knowing your rights, and also knowing the company’s rights. Also because you don’t want to infringe on their rights.”

Nathan Romans, the Chapter Chair of the William & Mary Workers Union, spoke about the common goal of the Sodexo workers to the campus as a whole — saying the dining workers’ fight is the whole campus’s fight.

“Workers in the William & Mary Workers Union have been galvanized by the courage and solidarity dining workers have displayed throughout their unionization push,” Romans wrote in an email to the Flat Hat. “They stood together, fought like hell, and earned their union. And when they asked for solidarity from the campus community, William & Mary students, staff and faculty rallied to their side because fundamentally, their fight is our fight.”

Romans shared that the Sodexo workers at the College could be leading the way for broader labor change across the College’s campus.

“Dining workers have proven it’s possible to build substantial labor power on campus, now it’s on the rest of us to follow their lead and begin building the William & Mary we deserve,” Romans said.