The Flat Hat February 22 2022

T HE F LAT H AT

Vol. 111, Iss. 16 | Tuesday, February 22, 2022

The Weekly Student Newspaper

of The College of William and Mary

PHOTOS BY JAMIE HOLT // FLAT HAT PHOTOS EDITOR

flathatnews.com | @theflathat

GRAPHIC BY CALLIE BOOTH / THE FLAT HAT

Approximately 600 upperclassmen waitlisted for on-campus housing for 2022-23 LULU DAWES // FLAT HAT MANAGING EDITOR and that way, we ourselves could decide to take the risk because I didn't know there was a risk, so I couldn't make a decision to take it or not,” Morales said. “But because I had a plan to live on campus and I was doing all the stuff you should do to live oncampus ... It just derailed my plans. It's not the end of the world, but it's frustrating.”

Off-campus housing in Williamsburg has historically had its own set of problems, including not many available walkable

“

One thing I wish is that they had told us a lot earlier, maybe in October, and just warned us that the process of getting on campus housing for juniors and seniors would be really competitive … and that way, we ourselves could decide to take the risk because I didn't know there was a risk, so I couldn't make a decision to take it or not.

- Grace Morales '24

“

Friday, Feb. 18, The College of William and Mary’s Residence Life sent an email to over 500 students, alerting them that they would not be guaranteed on-campus housing for the 2022-2023 academic year. These students did not participate in the room selection process that took place on Saturday, Feb. 19 and were instead put on a housing waitlist.

“The demand for campus housing next year currently exceeds the supply available,” the email read. “... Some students will withdraw from the Room Selection Process for a variety of reasons such as study abroad opportunities and other changes to circumstances. When this happens, wait listed students will be contacted with either a Room Selection time slot or assignment offer as these spaces open.”

This news came to the surprise of many juniors and seniors, who, before this email, were unaware that on-campus housing was not guaranteed. As it is mandatory for freshmen and sophomores to live in on-campus housing, the College’s lack of available units– especially with One Tribe Place closing for the next school year– along with the increasing size of the freshman class, have led to a sense of housing uncertainty for many students.

“Excluding spaces for students who are required to live on campus as well as those who are guaranteed housing (such as exchange students), there are 2,496 spaces in undergraduate housing,” College spokesperson Erin Zagursky wrote in an email. “As of today, the university has received 3,102 applications from students, including 76 who submitted applications after the deadline passed. Those applications will be processed outside of the waitlist, which will receive priority when spaces become available.”

Grace Morales ’24 was planning to study abroad for a semester during her junior year, and wanted to stay on campus so she wouldn’t have to worry about finding a sublease. Currently living in the Hispanic House, Morales says she wished she would have known sooner there was a chance she wasn’t receiving on-campus housing. She could’ve then pursued other housing options — such as same room selection which guarantees a student will be in their same room for the following year.

“So there were avenues I could have taken to prevent me from having to be waitlisted,” Morales said. “But because I didn't know that the waitlist thing was going to happen, I couldn't take any of those. It's just really frustrating not being able to plan because now, I don't know what I'm going to do. Off-campus housing is really expensive and you need a car. And now things are going to be really competitive.”

Morales now cannot live with the person she was supposed to room with, as they did not get waitlisted. She says that finding off-campus housing, along with potentially having to pay rent, house maintenance and paying utilities, was not something she wanted to deal with.

“One thing I wish is that they had told us a lot earlier, maybe in October, and just warned us that the process of getting on campus housing for juniors and seniors would be really competitive …

housing units and affordability issues. Many walkable, affordable housing units are competitive for students, and their leases are signed during the fall semester.

Current Midtown Apartments opened in summer 2021 and were designed for and targeted to the College’s student population. As of Feb. 21, a leasing representative said the apartment complex currently has no available apartments — the only available space was a single bedroom in an apartment unit. According to the same representative, over 50 leases were sent out in the last three days and there was already a waitlist students could join.

Alex Funk ’23 said for his senior year he planned to live in a single on-campus dorm, and made sure to submit his housing application as early as possible. However, as the on-campus housing waitlist will randomly identify a student, rather than it being an actual ongoing numbered list, Funk said he is unsure whether to wait until the Aug. 1 deadline to see if he will be granted on-campus housing.

“The email says at many different points that I might get a spot.

You know, I might get housing, but we just don't know. So I guess I mean, that's what I'm going to be doing, I'm going to be looking for an apartment … I don't really want to stay off campus, so I'm just going to wait,” Funk said. “So I'll know by August first if I'm housed … so between August first and whenever school starts, I'm going to need to find a place to live if I don't have housing from the school.”

Similar to Morales, Funk said he just does not have the resources necessary to live off campus.

“If you live off campus, you basically need a car … I don't have those resources,” Funk said. “I don't have a car. I'm not going to be able to get a car for next semester. So if I do live off campus, I'm going to need to not only find a place, but find a place close enough to campus that I can walk to my classes… this is unreasonable to me.”

Griffin McCray ’24 created a petition titled “We Demand OnCampus Housing,” which has garnered 122 signatures and many comments, as of Feb. 21.

“I started the petition because while I may be able to seek an alternative, many others aren’t as fortunate,” McCray wrote.

“Our students deserve the chance to complete their education and move into the job market without having to worry about something as basic as where they’re going to sleep at night … My goal with the petition is to reiterate to the administration that their students are all human beings with real needs and that the decisions the administration makes have real consequences for many of their students.”

Sunday, Feb. 20, Residence Life posted a statement to their Facebook page, apologizing for the timing of the waitlist notification.

“The Residence Life team planned to send the message much earlier in the day, but urgent matters arose that had to be resolved prior to the messages going out,” the message wrote.

“The timing was not ideal; however, as the room selection process begins tomorrow, it was critical that messages be sent as soon as possible Friday, even if that meant an evening distribution.

We are deeply sorry for the distress caused by the timing of the message.”

The post said that they are currently planning to have an offcampus fair for students.

“Residence Life recognizes and regrets the strain wait listed students and their families are experiencing — it is real and understandable,” the post read. “This is a challenging time and we are committed to doing all we can to house as many of our students next year as possible.”

CAMPUS

Civil rights lawyer, activist speaks at MLK Commemoration

Benjamin Crump speaks about Virginia criminal justice reform, civil rights education MOLLY PARKS FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR

Wednesday, Feb. 9 the College of William and Mary hosted renowned American Civil Rights attorney and passionate social justice activist Benjamin Crump for the Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration. Sponsored by multiple campus organizations– including The W&M Center for Student Diversity, Honor and Conduct Councils and Conduct & Honor Advisors Program– the event was part of the College’s 2022 Ethics Week.

The event featured a memorial honoring Dr. King by brothers of the Kappa Pi Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., a lecture by Benjamin Crump and a Q&A session with Crump moderated by Law School Dean A. Benjamin Spencer.

Crump began his speech to the auditorium of students, faculty, staff and other remembers of the Williamsburg community with a story of one of his clients, Reginald Lee Fletcher Jr. He was part of the “Virginia Three”– a group of three Black men wrongfully accused of murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Crump helped the Virginia Three with

INDEX News Opinions Variety Sports News

2 3-4 5-6 7 8

their case, but he still feels that the outcome of their case represents an ongoing struggle.

“We made progress and saw that all three of them were at least paroled and released from prison.

However, they are still shown as convicted felons for murder,” Crump said. “Could you imagine trying to get a job when you have to put on your application that you are a convicted felon of first degree murder? So, we are still trying to exonerate these three young men who literally had 25 of their years stolen.”

Crump introduced Fletcher, who then stood up and received a standing ovation from the audience. The injustices that Black Americans like Fletcher face in this nation was a focal point of Crump’s speech, which centered around three ways that citizens can turn civil wrongs into civil rights.

“The first way we change civil wrongs into civil rights is making sure that the Declaration of Independence isn’t just some rhetoric, but it’s something that we really believe in our hearts,” Crump said.

Crump also addressed the notion that true social justice reform starts with individuals introspectively evaluating how they contribute to an egalitarian society. This process begins when citizens address

their implicit biases and learn to overcome them in the name of the founding self-evident truth of America that all men are created equal.

“You have to first say: ‘I want to take all my biases out and try to judge people by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin.’ That is the first way that we get an opportunity to change civil wrongs into civil rights,” Crump said.

Throughout his speech, Crump referenced Dr. King often, fitting with the theme of the ceremony. Brothers of the Kappa Pi Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. led a memorial for Dr. King before Crump took the stage. Dr. King was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. at Boston University.

One of the brothers in the memorial, Matthew Nwaneri ’23, discussed how he visited the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, where Dr. King was assassinated. There, Nwaneri learned about King’s work protesting alongside sanitation workers who demanded better pay.

“Learning about his final campaign in Memphis made me think about how fighting for justice doesn't always have to be done on a large scale. We can effect change wherever we currently are,” Nwaneri

said. “We can think about how we treat people and whose important work often goes unseen. I think about William and Mary’s dining staff and the people who clean our living spaces. Following in Dr. King’s footsteps means recognizing these people, it means fighting for them and for the respect that they deserve.”

Crump continued, informing the crowd that the second way to turn civil wrongs into civil rights is to speak truth to power. In this section, he encouraged the crowd to fight for all citizens to have an equal opportunity to achieve the American dream.

Lastly, Crump argued that the third way to turn civil wrongs into civil rights is to educate Americans, specifically young Americans, with the comprehensive history of America and the world.

“Let’s let the children learn about Black history.

Let’s let the children learn about Hispanic history.

Let’s let the children learn about Native American history. Let’s let the children learn about Asian American history,” Crump said. “Let’s let the children learn about Jewish American history. Let’s let the children learn about American history. All the history.

Because all of

Inside Opinions

Inside Variety

After petition to allow stage performers to go maskless, Justin Oei '23, music major, disagrees due to safety concerns. page 3

BSO, ACS, SA host Fifth Annual Sanfoka Gala honoring Black achievement, leadership on campus. page 5

Maskless performing not safe for immunocompromised

A Night of Excellence

See CRUMP page 8

Inside Sports

College wins at the plate, finishs opening weekend 3-0 Under new Head Coach Mike McRae, Tribe outscore Rhode Island in opening weekend. page 7

newsinsight

“

“

News Editor Alexandra Byrne News Editor Charles Coleman News Editor Molly Parks fhnews@gmail.com

THE FLAT HAT | Tuesday, February 22, 2022 | Page 2

THE BUZZ

“If we really care about survivors, then we should be increasing things and supporting things like reporting mechanisms, being able to provide psychosocial support, being able to provide counseling, being able to provide medical support, and actually having more cases go through the process.”

̶ Dr. Kelebogile Zvobgo

FLAT HAT NEWS BRIEF

es

Research and restitution grant announced for the Williamsburg Bray School Project Saturday, Feb. 19, the Williamsburg Bray School Project announced that they would be receiving a $5 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

The Bray School Project is a collaboration between Colonial Williamsburg and the College of William and Mary, focusing on the restoration and research of the Bray School, an 18th-century institution that once taught free and enslaved Black children, some of whom were enslaved by the College.

The grant comes as part of the Mellon Foundationʼs Monuments Project, a $250 million project dedicated to promoting public history projects throughout the United States. Money from the grant will be used to fund the preservation, restoration and relocation of the Bray School building to Colonial Williamsburgʼs historic district, as well as creating public programming initiatives related to the school.

“For far too long, crucial voices have been missing from the stories we tell about William & Maryʼs past ̶ and that of our nation,” College President Katherine A. Rowe said in a press release. “We are grateful for the opportunity to listen to the voices of Bray School students and their families through sustained research and to amplify their stories for all to hear. Thanks to the Mellon Foundationʼs support and our partnership with Colonial Williamsburg, we can learn from those stories, acknowledge historical injustices and work toward a more inclusive future.”

CLAIRE HOGAN/ FLAT HAT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

A THOUSAND WORDS

ANDRE TRAN / 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.

THE FLAT HAT ʻSTABILITAS ET FIDESʼ | ESTABLISHED OCT. 3, 1911 25 Campus Center, The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Va. 23185 Editor flathat.editor@gmail.com Managing flathat.managing@gmail.com Executive flathat.executive@gmail.com Magazine editor@flathatmagazine.com News fhnews@gmail.com Sports flathatsports@gmail.com Copy flathatcopy@gmail.com

Opinions fhopinions@gmail.com Variety flathat.variety@gmail.com Photos flathatphotos@gmail.com Online flathatonline@gmail.com Advertising flathatads@gmail.com Graphics flathat.art@gmail.com Webmaster flathat.webmaster@gmail.com

COURTESY PHOTO / ANDRE TAYLOR

Andre Taylor has aimed to cover a wide variety of oral history sources in recent years with a direct historical connection to the College in order to document local history.

Always lending a listening ear

Oral Historian Andre Taylor speaks on importance of documenting history HANNAH RAY // THE FLAT HAT Andre Taylor, the College of William and Mary’s oral historian, recognizes that every person he sees passing on the street has a unique story to tell, whether it be a news story, an obituary, or a complex oral history.

“Oral histories are the collection of narratives from individuals that give vantage points that we have not examined throughout history,” said Taylor. “We have historical narratives, however, often those narratives of others who are at these historic events are never told. So, we give vantage points and give more insight and give a fuller narrative.”

Though many students may associate history with heavy textbooks carried around to classes, Taylor believes that history is composed of many sources and stories that come together to create a larger and honest narrative. For Taylor, oral history serves as an authentic representation of previously unheard historical perspectives.

“It’s very important to hear what others have to say, because once we close the door and close our ears to people, we have killed society,” he said.

This awareness of the fleeting nature of time drives Taylor to collect oral histories. After losing his grandfather, Taylor vowed to never let a chance to record history slip by him again.

“I lost his stories, I lost his voice, I lost his contribution to history and I vowed to never do that again,” Taylor said.

Taylor’s first collected oral history project was on the Tuskegee Airmen, the first African American military aviators during World War II. He had the honor of meeting with veterans Alexander Jefferson and Charles McGee, an experience Taylor says he will never forget.

“You could see the pride when McGee told the story of how he became a Tuskegee Airman, you know it was,” Taylor said.

“It was. You can see the joy, you can see the love, you can see the dedication.”

McGee passed away this January at the age of 102. Thanks to Taylor’s work, part of his history will be permanently preserved.

“I have his voice to listen to and to hear his story in his own words. Not something historians say, but his account of what happened,and if we don’t have their stories, what do we have left of them?” said Taylor.

While collecting an oral history, Taylor does not refer to the parties as “interviewee” and “interviewer”, they are the “narrator” and the “listener.”

“So, as you narrate your story, I just listen. I’m just an ear,” Taylor said. “I don’t say, ‘what? You shouldn’t say that.’ No, I empower you to tell your truth. And that’s the best part about oral histories. You get people to tell the truth.”

Taylor remarks that his interviews with the Tuskegee Airmen

were nothing like the movie “Red Tails.” Whereas the cinema plays up a grandiose story for profit, the real oral history is so much more down-to-earth and awe-inspiring.

Taylor’s journey in oral history has led him to the College, where he sees a multitude of opportunities for the past, present and future to converge.

“How can you not be in this area and be collecting oral histories?” he said. “I mean, the stories that can come from families that existed here, exist here, and will exist here are amazing and bottomless.”

In Williamsburg, Taylor has done work with local churches, Colonial Williamsburg and James Monroe’s Highland.

One of his most standout undertakings is the Project 2024 which follows the class of 2024 from their unprecedented start at the College amid a pandemic to their graduation.

“They’re all in the same space, but they’re all in different places,” Taylor said. “They’re all seeing different things that not everybody is going to see. So, we now have a more cohesive, collective narrative for what it looks like for a student during a pandemic at William and Mary.”

Taylor remarks that he would like to see an official oral history program established at the College where students can directly contribute to the rich historical culture at the College by adding their own stories and stories of others.

“I want to see William and Mary become the place people come to to study oral histories, be it because we offer a lecture series, we offer a conference, or we create an entire department geared toward teaching people the methodology of oral history collection,” he said.

Taylor’s first piece of advice to prospective oral historians is to press the record button.

“Press record. Too often, we press record when the event is over. We have no recollection of it,” Taylor said. “I say actively be involved in a collection of history. Don’t just sit there and wait for somebody else to do it. Be an active component to collecting history.”

You can see Taylor’s most recent project on Black Greek Life in America currently on display in Earl Gregg Swem Library with QR codes that lead to recorded oral history interviews. His other work at the College will also be published on the Special Collections website in the coming weeks.

Taylor will continue to work with Special Collections to advance the gathering of oral histories that shed light on the College’s past, present, and future.

“We’re telling stories. We’re giving people voices. We’re giving credence to communities. We are celebrating cultural heritage.

We are celebrating life,” Taylor said. “Everybody has a voice, and it’s my job as the oral historian to give you that voice.”

Claire Hogan Editor-in-Chief Lulu Dawes Managing Editor Zoe Beardsley Executive Editor Rebecca Klinger Digital Media Editor Taylor Robertson Business Manager Matt Lowrie Standards Editor Ryan Leventhal Webmaster Alexandra Byrne News Editor Charles Coleman News Editor Molly Parks News Editor Ashanti Jones Variety Editor Madeleine Harris Variety Editor Lexie Hiestand Sports Editor Nathan Seidel Sports Editor Lucas Harsche Opinons Editor Alyssa Slovin Opinions Editor Nick Reeder Data Editor Noah Broude Online Editor

Emma Ford Operations Coordinator Isabella DiFulvio Webmaster Victor Tran Webmaster Erica Smedley Social Media Editor Justin Sherlock Social Media Editor Judith Hahn Podcast Editor Nina Raneses Copy Chief Susie Stark Copy Chief Jamie Holt Photos Editor Callie Booth Chief Staff Writer Georgia Thoms Chief Staff Writer Adithi Ramakrishnan Chief Variety Writer Tara Vasanth Graphics Editor Ashley Huang Online Editor

William Kobos News Assoc. Editor Bushra Bablu Opinions Assoc. Editor Kim Lores News Assoc. Editor Elaine Godwin Opinions Assoc. Editor JR Herman Variety Assoc. Editor Caitlin Noe Opinions Assoc. Editor Ellie Kurlander Variety Assoc. Editor Jake Forbes Sports Assoc. Editor Linda Li Variety Assoc. Editor Leif McCoy Data Assoc. Editor Daly Martorano Variety Assoc. Editor Ellie Voorhis Online Assoc.

Zach Lutzky PhotosEditor Assoc. Editor \

COURTESY PHOTO / ANDRE TAYLOR

Taylor previously interviewed eight different students for “The Project 24,” constructing a narrative about the college experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

opinions STAFF COLUMN

Despite Olympic doping scandal, Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva is permitted to compete Veronica Bondi THE FLAT HAT

The story of Kamila Valieva — the 15-year-old Russian figure skater who was allowed to compete in the 2022 Beijing Olympics despite a positive doping test — has taken America by storm. But in order to fully understand the true gravity of the issue, we must look back at 2014 in Sochi, where Valieva’s star coach first gained recognition and Russia’s state-sponsored doping program was exposed. This doping scandal is more than an isolated event. It is the latest chapter in the long history of a celebrated coaching teams using, abusing and discarding minors in the name of results.

2014, Sochi — Yulia Lipnitskaya, then 15, wowed the world with her flexibility and emotions as she delivered two clean skates and led Russia to their first gold medal in the figure skating team event. Her coach, Eteri Tutberidze, beamed proudly by her side — she finally had a star. What a beautiful start to a magnificent career, or so the figure skating fans thought.

Yulia would never make it to the next Olympics.

Three years, a coaching change and several injuries later she officially retired from skating in 2017 and revealed her need to seek help for her eating disorder. It was a pity, but skating fans had long since turned their attention to another young Tutberidze skater, Evgenia Medvedeva. She went undefeated her first two senior seasons, and going into the 2017–2018 Olympic season, she was the unquestionable favorite for Olympic gold.

But Eteri Tutberidze debuted yet another skater that year, 15-year-old Alina Zagitova. Zagitova lacked Medvedeva’s artistry, but had a technical advantage. This, coupled with Medvedeva sustaining a foot injury early on in the season, led Zagitova to Olympic gold while Medvedeva settled for silver.

Much happened after the 2018 Olympics. Tutberidze and her coaching team rose to unprecedented heights, sweeping the podiums of major international competitions after debuting three new skaters in 2019 — all could perform either a quad or triple axel. They supplanted Zagitova, who stopped competing midway through that season. We can see this same cycle taking place this year, with Kamila Valieva overtaking her older training mates. To go into further detail would detract from my main point. I merely wish to paint a picture of this cycle of young, talented skaters being overtaken by even younger, more technically gifted skaters, all of whom were trained by the same coach.

Tutberidze’s priorities do not lie in looking out for the best interest of her skaters. If she did, she would not have allegedly pressured Evgenia Medvedeva to retire after the 2018 Olympics, forcing Medvedeva to switch coaches in an attempt to prolong her career.

Rather, Tutberidze seems only to care about results, no matter the costs. While many things discussed about the Tutberidze camp, dubbed Sambo-70, are merely gossip, Tutberidze, her assistant coaches, and her athletes — nicknamed Team Tutberidze — have revealed troubling information, such as encouraging unhealthy eating to stave off puberty and forbidding athletes from drinking water during competitions.

Sambo-70 is far from a healthy and supportive training environment. What Team Tutberidze is known for, however, are their results. Tutberidze’s skaters are

known for their consistency, something they gain from the reportedly high numbers of run-throughs and jump repetitions her skaters perform. Not only can Tutberidze skaters execute quads and triple axels, but they can land them more often then not, leaving very little opportunity for other skaters to challenge for a medal. It is not a coincidence that trimetazidine, the drug Kamila Valieva was found to have taken, increases the endurance and decreases the recovery time of healthy individuals who ingest it. Tutberidze skaters get their edge from their brutal training, an edge this drug seems to increase.

Now, we can go back to the current case at hand: 15-year-old Kamila Valieva’s positive doping test. While it is hard to know for certain, Valieva is most likely a victim. What talented 15-year-old would jeopardize their chance at Olympic gold in order to increase the score gap between them and their competitors? It is far more likely that her coaches or other adults in her life gave her this medication, perhaps without disclosing what it really was.

After all, did it really matter to them if her career was ruined because of a positive doping test? All her coaches care about are results, and if Kamila Valieva was disqualified from the Olympics, they coached a long list of girls vying to take her place. They likely did not anticipate that Valieva’s positive test would be revealed during the Olympics, but their rationale for giving her the drug remains the same nevertheless. They have nothing to lose because they do not truly care about her well-being. This is likely the same rationale that causes Tutberidze and her team to push countless skaters so hard that they sustain career-threatening injuries and create a training environment so grueling that, as of February 2022, not a single Tutberidze skater has lasted past 18 under her tutelage. The constant cycle of replacement fuels Tutberidze’s success and hurts her skaters the most.

While the specific reasoning behind the decision to allow Valieva to compete in the Olympics remains unclear, her age is the main reason that she is being treated with such leniency. Well, her age and the political power of Russia in the groups making these decisions.

But politics aside, Valieva would not have been treated nearly as leniently had she been a year older.

I support a more lenient treatment of Valieva due to her likely victimization. It would have been more than appropriate had any suspensions prohibiting her from competing in the next season been waived. But allowing her to compete in the Olympics, and most likely earn gold, while still directly benefiting from the use of a banned substance only serves to reward her coaches, this cycle of abuse and their utter disregard for the well-being of minors. In fact, it even sends the message that coaches have nothing to fear if they pressure their young skaters to take illegal substances. Kamila faced very minor consequences; why wouldn’t they?

Veronica Bondi is a freshman at the College of William and Mary. She hasn’t decided what she’s majoring in yet, but she’s interested in English, Marketing and Government and she is planning on double majoring.

She is a Facilitator-in-Training for Tribe Innovation, a Writing Resources Center Trainee and a member of Library Ambassadors.

Email Veronica at vabondi@email.wm.edu.

COMIC

Fuzzy 7: Fuzzy Gets a Bid COMIC BY ARIANNA STEWART / THE FLAT HAT

Opinions Editor Lucas Harsche Opinions Editor Alyssa Slovin fhopinions@gmail.com // @theflathat

THE FLAT HAT

| Tuesday, February 22, 2022 | Page 3

GUEST COLUMN

Performing arts petition argues for students to go maskless, but that’s not safe for the immunocompromised Justin Oei

FLAT HAT GUEST WRITER

Recently, a petition has been making the rounds on campus to allow performing arts students to perform on-campus — or while representing the College of William and Mary off-campus — without masks. While I’m sure that there’s a diversity of opinions on this issue (obviously there are considering the very public petition and very public response), with COVID-19 still posing a very real and very serious threat to GRAPHIC BY GRACE PAYNE / THE FLAT HAT our cautious new normal, it just seems too early to consider this step. would be a nightmare, at least from a Don’t get me wrong: I am, after all, public health perspective. a singer. There is nothing that I long There’s nothing inherently more for more than the last recital of which I difficult about singing through a mask. was a part, performing scenes from Don I do it every day through an N95, Giovanni and Le Nozze de Figaro in the KN95 or KF94. While those little nasty Ewell Recital Hall in the fall of 2019. pathogens might not make it through a Those were truly halcyon days. Zoom mask, sound still does, assuming you’re choir, followed by socially distanced using proper vocal technique and rehearsals and outdoor performances, breathing properly. (If you’re singing, and ultimately the current status you should be doing these things quo of somewhat normal masked anyway.) If you’re really concerned performances, just cannot compare. about this, buy a singer’s mask.

And on a psychological level, I get it.

Ultimately, my mind goes to this Nonetheless, science is simple: reality: I have immunocompromised Singing is still a dangerous activity. A friends; and, crucially, I have 2021 article in Nature confirms that we immunocompromised friends with release more aerosolized, potentially whom I make music. Their lives and pathogen-carrying particles when careers are just as important as my singing than speaking, due to the ways own. A temporary inconvenience that in which we produce sound. As you will make others’ experiences making might expect, there’s a correlation music safer is not a hard ask, because between intensity and emission of I believe that the life-changing, these particles. On a broader scale, if empowering ethos of the performing the 65-person William & Mary Choir arts needs to be accessible to everyone. were to sing without masks, shoulderJustin Oei ‘23 is a music major. He to-shoulder on stage for an hour, sings in the William & Mary Choir, is a and just one person in the choir had member of the Early Music Ensemble COVID-19, think of how many people and is on the vestry of Canterbury: The might become infected. Then think Episcopal Church at the College. about how many people each of the 65 Email Justin at jmoei@wm.edu. could potentially infect after that. It To view citations, visit flathatnews.com.

THE FLAT HAT

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Page 4

STAFF COLUMN

GUEST COLUMN

Inventing a sport: the easiest way for a college to get great at sports

“Tradition” of honorary degrees not intractable

Adam Jutt

FLAT HAT OPINIONS EDITOR

Say that you and your family live in a fictional, rural town called Placeville, along with 350 other families. Every year in Placeville, a town-wide event called The Contest is held in the park. The rules of The Contest are simple: The patriarch of every family (Placeville is not a progressive town) is given a certain number of eggs — each stamped with the family’s crest — and instructed to distribute them however they please between the 24 huge baskets laid out in a roughly circular formation on the grass. Once everyone has allocated their eggs in a manner with which they are satisfied, one egg is randomly chosen by the mayor from each basket. If a selected egg is yours, your family is one of the champions.

Some families receive hundreds of eggs. Others, only a dozen or so. Your family in particular always receives an amount somewhere in the neighborhood of 30. This is notably less than the average, which — for those of you unfamiliar with statistics — means it serves as a sizable disadvantage. It should come as no surprise, then, to learn that despite your family’s long history in Placeville (second longest of any family, as a matter of fact), you have very seldom been among the champions of The Contest.

Unfortunately, this lack of victories has translated into a lack of enthusiasm on the part of your family toward the event, especially compared to the verve with which more historically successful families regard it.

You go from basket to basket, tossing an egg or two in each (eggs from Placeville are inexplicably hard to break, which explains why last spring’s First Annual Placeville Egg Toss Competition was such a disaster). However, just before you deposit your last egg, you feel a hand on your back. You turn, and standing before you is one of your daughters, 10 years old this coming Friday.

She is wearing a wide grin and holding a small stick basket inexpertly fashioned together. “Dad, I made this basket for you!” she exclaims; “I figured that if we were the only ones who knew about it, we could put an egg into it and win!” The love and pride you feel for her in the moment brings you close to tears (though when she tells the story she insists it brought you further than close). Choked up, you tell her to go gather the rest of the family.

When the Mayor finishes pulling an egg out of all the other baskets, you call her over (maybe Placeville is more progressive than I gave them credit for!) and inform her that her job is not quite complete. She sees your family gathered ‘round the tiny basket and smiles. She reaches in and pulls out the egg. At that moment your whole family breaks out in dance, song and other celebratory action. It is the most fun you’ve ever had at the Placeville Contest, and you know a tradition has been born. Who knows, maybe in future years other families will put an egg or two into your daughter’s basket, too.…

That seems like more than enough allegory: We as the College of William and Mary need to invent a new sport. We have some strong D1 sports programs here at the College, which is very impressive for our size, but (with occasional notable exception) we simply do not have the resources to compete with the powerhouses. I think most people would agree with me that this lack of dominant teams caps our potential for any remarkable amount of “pep” or “Tribe Pride”; I don’t think Zable Stadium or Kaplan Arena have made many appearances on lists of the rowdiest collegiate sports arenas. Imagine, though, what attendance would look like at an event for a sport we created — bippleball, say. I guarantee that the ticket queues would put Sadler mail lines to shame (yes, that joke would have been more topical three weeks ago). Putting a couple million dollars into developing the sport of bippleball and recruiting the best high school talent would be the best money ever spent by the College.

It might sound crazy, but think about it! If we announced the bequeathment of athletic scholarships for a sport no one yet plays, people would start playing. And in the years before a second college adds bippleball to their sports lineup, we would be guaranteed to rope in the best players in the world. Success begets success, so even when big schools do introduce bippleball programs, they would not be able to compete with us recruiting-wise — I mean we’re the creators of the dang sport for crying out loud! Sports would go from a relatively unexceptional aspect of the College experience to a point of great pride. The University of Alabama has football; Kentucky has basketball; and we would have bippleball. It would be a truly amazing innovation, and while I will be the first to admit I began this article as a joke, I have fully convinced myself of its merit. I see only two reasonable points of contention: 1. In the years before a second college adopts bippleball, who would our team play?

This is an excellent question. We would go to other college campuses and collect volunteers to serve as their college’s makeshift team. Hilariously easy wins ensue. (Or maybe — as a more practical but less fun idea — we could start a league in conjunction with a few other colleges.)

2. How does one play bippleball?

If you are the one to figure that out, you just might work your way into the history books.…

Adam Jutt ’25 is planning on majoring in who knows what (maybe public policy and economics). Aside from being an upcoming opinions editor, he is a member of Club Tennis and involved with InterVarsity. Email Adam at adjutt@wm.edu.

Molly Robinson FLAT HAT GUEST WRITER

According to the current bylaws of the Board of Visitors, the President of the College of William and Mary, in consultation with the Rector, has the power to recommend candidates for honorary degrees to the Board for approval. Governor Glenn Youngkin was among the recipients of an honorary degree at the College’s 329th Charter Day celebration on Feb. 11. Therefore, President Rowe and Rector John Littel, the latter of whom Governor Glenn Youngkin named as Virginia’s next Secretary of Health and Human Resources last month, made the choice to recommend the Governor for an honorary degree.

In the days leading up to the ceremony, administrators deployed the rhetoric of tradition to conceal the political process by which honorary degrees are conferred. Classifying the practice as a “longstanding tradition” makes it seem as if every Virginia governor since 1693 has received an honorary degree from the College.

Perhaps those who invoke tradition truly believe this; tradition does not lose its power when those who weaponize it are unaware of their role in constructing the artifice. Or perhaps tradition is used by those in power to avoid ownership of their decisions.

Holding this “long-standing tradition” up to the light reveals its short history. Governor Youngkin is just the 12th Virginia governor to ever receive an honorary degree at a Charter Day celebration. Former Virginia Governor Westmoreland Davis received an honorary degree in 1921, and it was infamous segregationist Harry F. Byrd who infused the practice with regularity when he was awarded an honorary degree from the College in 1926.

1926 might be a watershed for tradition at the College. Perhaps it was in the name of tradition that five thousand members of the Ku Klux Klan descended on Williamsburg on September 26 of that year to present the College with the gift of an American flag and a flagpole. College President J.A.C. Chandler wrung his hands, complaining of the awkward position the Klan had put him in. Ultimately, he appealed to traditions of liberty and free speech to authorize the Klan’s activities. Most of the College’s one thousand students joined the ceremony. Tradition kept this flag — a commemorative token of Chandler’s accommodation of the Klan — waving at the intersection of Jamestown Road and South Boundary Street until the late 1950s.

Not everyone was happy with Chandler’s decision. Among his critics was John Stewart Bryan, publisher of the Richmond News Leader and Richmond Times Dispatch. Bryan sat on the College’s Board of Visitors at that time. He was outraged at Chandler’s badfaith reliance on First Amendment principles to sanction a Klan meeting, and threatened to resign over the event. Unfortunately, in an era of Jim Crow racial violence against African Americans, most of Chandler’s critics viewed the event as a minor embarrassment rather than an instance of domestic terrorism.

When John Stewart Bryan became President of the College in 1934, he wanted to challenge the state politicians who controlled

much of the direction of the College, and empower faculty and students instead. He drafted the first set of faculty bylaws and circulated them with a letter addressed to faculty one week in advance of a scheduled vote.

“It is obvious that no separate genius can take the place of unified action,” he wrote of the bylaws, “and it is with the purpose of attaining the maximum that can be furnished by this Faculty that I am suggesting this new step for your consideration.”

Bryan likely recognized that, at best, routine honorary degrees would be meaningless, devoid of real attachment to the College’s values. At worst, they could become imprimaturs for powerful politicians who legislated in opposition to these values. With this in mind, Bryan drafted bylaws that contained explicit provisions for nominating candidates.

These provisions put the power to recommend candidates directly in the hands of the faculty. Article III gave the College faculty the power to recommend candidates to the Board of Visitors, whose final vote would confer the degrees. Article IV went even further, establishing a faculty committee on honorary degrees. Bryan’s intention was clear: faculty, whose research, pedagogy and service to the College defined its values, would take priority over the Board of Visitors in the selection of honorary degree recipients. Faculty ratified the bylaws on Nov. 15, 1938, and the Board of Visitors approved them shortly thereafter.

It is in keeping with the spirit of these first bylaws that the College’s Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (CDEI) recently spoke out against the Board’s decision to award an honorary degree to Gov. Youngkin. In an open letter circulated prior to Charter Day, the committee wrote, “We are compelled to note here that Gov. Youngkin did not waste time in eliminating the cabinet-level DEI post, asking the DEI staff to resign, and denying the existence of systemic racism in American society by banning the strawman of critical race theory from public schools.”

From my seat in Kaplan Arena, I heard at least one Charter Day speaker encourage the College’s students to demonstrate intellectual curiosity. And yet appeals to “long-standing tradition” thwart the intellectual curiosity that asks, “Why are things the way they are? Why do we do this?” Tradition mystifies, concealing the thread of transformation that runs through history. If faculty bylaws were amended to jettison the power of those recommending honorary degree candidates in 1972 — when a new set of bylaws without the provisions for nomination were approved — then they can be amended again.

Doctrine is not immune to change, and occasionally even makes room for it. Why else would the current bylaws for the Board of Visitors give the President, in consultation with the Rector, the power to recommend that the Board revoke an honorary degree? Perhaps another choice can still be made.

Molly Robinson is a first-year PhD student in American Studies at the College of William and Mary. Her public writing includes a recent blog post on William & Mary Libraries blog. She has also published with Platform and The Trouble Magazine. Email Molly at merobinson03@wm.edu.

STAFF COLUMN

Wordle has fallen

down with them.

I don’t think any of this would necessarily be a problem if Wordle THE FLAT HAT hadn’t started out the way it did.

On a cold January evening, one It was an almost universally liked of my friends said something that game due to the relative ease and would change the course accessibility of playing. of my daily routine for the Also, what’s not to foreseeable future. like about the story of “Yes! I got the Wordle in the game’s creation: A three,” he cried. Perplexed, husband made it for I looked over. He his wife, spread it to seemed to be celebrating his friends and then something on his phone, decided to share it with having to do with a game the world. A sweet story called “Wordle.” This for a sweet game until having no meaning to me, capitalism came knocking I quickly zoned out as he and ruined it, turning it explained the rules to highbrow and strenuous. the game. I do not care, I Now, I’m not blaming thought. This game seems the game’s creator hard and confusing. I for selling Wordle; he promptly forgot all about reportedly made seven Wordle and lived my life figures off the deal. I in peace for approximately would have probably one week. done the same thing.

Then, the inevitable However, in buying the hit. I saw Wordle game, The New York trending on Twitter, and, Times’ aim is to profit, as remembering my friend’s the game will probably obsession, I decided move to a subscription to give it a try. I don’t later on. It’s a smart remember the first word. business move, allowing I don’t remember how people to get used to the many tries it took me to game, and then more GRAPHIC BY MONICA BAGNOLI AND HEADSHOT BY ISABEL LI / THE FLAT HAT guess. All I remember is people will be willing to the rush of excitement continue paying for it. and adrenaline that shot through me The problem here is that when The Except the Times is already alienating that first day when, one by one, five New York Times acquired Wordle, they their fanbase by crushing people’s letters turned green. attempted to intellectualize it. They win streaks and making the words Thirty-seven days later and my have definitely made the words harder incredibly difficult.

Wordle streak is still going strong. since assuming control over the game.

And so, I will continue to play Would I call myself particularly But I argue, New York Times, that this Wordle every morning, trying my best talented? No. Am I proud to have is not the daily crossword. Wordle is to keep my streak alive. If it dies, I kept my streak alive? Yes. Would I be not supposed to be mentally taxing. might even keep going. But if Wordle devastated to lose it? Also yes. Am I At its origin, it was a light game is made pay-only, I do not foresee fully expecting to lose it in the coming created and meant for good, free fun. myself continuing to play the game. days? Unfortunately, yes.

Yes, it’s a challenge, but it’s one that Lauren Meyer ’24 is planning to The sanctity of Wordle has been people play because they want to win. major in anthropology and minor in betrayed. What began as a way to People want to start their day on a history. Outside of the Flat Hat, Lauren casually start the day has turned sour positive note and Wordle provided is a member of Swim Club and is also and frustrating. I used to wake up and that opportunity. Now, people are an avid Swiftie. Email Lauren at happily do my Wordle, perhaps while losing in droves, their streaks going lemeyer@wm.edu.

Lauren Meyer

sipping tea and listening to birds chirp outside my window. Now, I have a violent and bloody battle against the English language every morning at 9 a.m. as I painstakingly try to think of a word whose only vowel is “i.”

variety

Variety Editor Ashanti Jones Variety Editor Madeleine Harris flathat.variety@gmail.com // @theflathat

THE FLAT HAT | Tuesday, February 22, 2022 | Page 5

COURTESY IMAGES / JAMIE HOLT

A Night of Excellence

BSO, ACS, SA host Fifth Annual Sankofa Gala honoring Black achievement, leadership on campus VIVIAN HOANG AND MADELEINE HARRIS // FLAT HAT VARIETY EDITORS Saturday, Feb. 12, a sea of sparkles and satin shimmered and shone under the bright lights of Alan. B Miller Hall as attendees of the fifth annual Sankofa Gala gathered in floor-length gowns and tailored tuxedos. The Sankofa Gala is a yearly celebratory event that honors Black students, faculty and staff of the College of William and Mary hosted by the College’s Black Student Organization, African Cultural Society and Student Assembly.

Traditionally marked by elegance and glamor, the Sankofa Gala, along with its hosts and attendees, model Black excellence and achievement at the College.

BSO Vice President Victor Adejayan ’23 described Sankofa Gala as a symbol of Black excellence in his introductory keynote speech.

“Tonight we’re here to celebrate Black excellence,” Adejayan said. “Although our history as a community has been riddled with struggles and pain, and we have a lot of healing to do, one thing that the Black community has been, and will always be, is excellent.”

Leaders of ACS described the meaning of Sankofa. ACS Secretary Nhyira Simpson ’23 shared that Sankofa is a proverbial phrase originating in the Akan languages of Ghana.

“In literal translation, Sankofa means ‘to go back and get it,’” Simpson said. “With ‘San’ meaning ‘to return,’ ‘ko’ meaning ‘go,’ and ‘fa’ meaning ‘to take.’ The Sankofa symbol, a bird with its neck turned around, represents the idea that we can take things from the past in order to build a better future.”

ACS Co-Vice President Nelson Soga ’23 elaborated on Sankofa’s significance to the College community, explaining that like the bird, we need to move forward while bringing the good of the past with us.

“That’s the beauty of Sankofa,” Soga said.

“Every time we bring a piece of culture, bring an injustice to light, or lift people across the diaspora who have made major contributions to society, we are sowing seeds of excellence that will bear fruit to progress and a more just society for those who will come after us. Although the work isn’t done, tonight we enjoy each other’s company, celebrate the strides we have made as a community and reflect on the good of the past that has come to the present.”

Co-chair of the Reparations Committee, Chance Jimenez ’23, took the stage next to speak about the necessity of restorative justice for the Black community.

“I think it’s institutions like ours that profited on the suffering of others that need to take the first step,” Jimenez said. “It’s a step past acknowledgement, it’s a step past naming these individuals, and it’s a step past describing Black trauma for one history class or another. We need to acknowledge the consequences of the atrocities committed.”

Jimenez further detailed the specific goals of the Reparations Committee at the College.

“The Reparations Committee here at William and Mary seeks to acknowledge that past and go past acknowledgement,” Jimenez said. “We want to name these individuals and also name their descendants because they deserve that. They deserve that acknowledgement. They deserve to be seen.

They deserve to be heard. Their experiences deserve to be heard. And institutions like ours no longer get to benefit from their pain, the pain that they’re still experiencing.”

Next, the BSO Honors, a series of awards dedicated to honoring Black achievement on campus, were presented to students and faculty. The first round of awards were given to students by social class who are “involved in various organizations and excels both inside and outside the classroom.”

For the underclassmen, Shawna Alston ’25 was awarded with Outstanding Freshman, and Amaiya Mauney ’24 was awarded with Outstanding Sophomore. For the upperclassmen, the Outstanding Junior award was given to Adejayan, and the Senior Legacy award, for a senior who “has made a great impact on campus” and “given all of themselves to affect change” was given to Salli Sanfo ’22.

The next round of awards were given to students who showed exemplary performance in extracurricular activities, such as the arts and athletics. Excellence in Leadership was awarded to Adejayan, Excellence in Community awarded to Jimenez, Outstanding Female Student Athlete award to Amaya Johnson ’23, Outstanding Male Student Athlete award to Nate Lynn ’23, Tribe Involvement award to Shaunna Scott ’23, Outstanding Faculty award to the Associate Director for the Center for Student Diversity Ms. Shené Owens and the Artistic Expression Award to Dawn Bangi ’24.

“It really means a lot to have my talent as well as my message and subjects be recognized, especially because a lot of the subjects that I take photos of are People of Color,” Bangi said. “So I think having them seen as well is a really great perk of people interacting with my work.”

The last round of awards were based on personable qualities, such as the Sunshine award for “an individual that always brightens everyone’s day” or the Social Butterfly award for “a people person … fluttering from one conversation to the next, keeping the community connected.” The Sunshine award was given to Breyonna Rock ’24, the Social Activist award given to Sanfo and the Social Butterfly award given to Adejayan.

Following the BSO Honors, a representative of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, the governing body for historically Black fraternities and sororities, presented awards for two outstanding members of NPHC for the extra time and effort they put into their organizations.

Kevin Bloodworth ’23 was awarded the Mr. NPHC Service award for his dedication to leadership and community values in the NPHC. Tristan Andrews ’22, current NPHC president, was awarded the Ms. NPHC Service award for her work to facilitate discussion about NPHC through the Residence Hall Association, helping to raise over $13,000 for NPHC and representing NPHC in the greater Fraternity & Sorority Life community.

In his acceptance speech, Bloodworth thanked his community members within NPHC and acknowledged the greater implications of being nominated for the award at a predominantly white college.

“I know that Black Greek organizations at a predominantly white institution can be a bit difficult to run and get members and sponsorship, so it’s just great to be nominated to show we all work together and attempt to achieve some form of unity, at least within the Black Greek life community,” Bloodworth said.

The gala concluded with executive remarks from those who played crucial roles in planning and executing the event. First to take the stage was Student Assembly’s Sen. Taylor Fox ’24, who spotlighted the often overshadowed work of Black and African organizations on campus after thanking attendees and her fellow organizers for making the gala possible.

“I just want to thank a lot of our Black and African organizations for the amount of work and effort you put into creating safe, inclusive spaces for Black students on this campus,” Fox said. “One, it’s very hard, but to continuously do it without always being recognized — just know that I see the work that you’re doing.

And I’m very appreciative and know that the people that take part in these spaces are very appreciative as well.”

Adejayan returned to the stage to express his gratitude for the team of organizers who dedicated themselves to the gala in order to bring it to life. Following a profuse round of thanks to all attendees who came out to support the gala, Adejayan shifted the spotlight to the other two primary organizers of the gala, Jimenez and Scott, who worked tirelessly with Adejayan over the last three months to spearhead the planning behind the gala.

Adejayan also thanked Director of Engagement and Distinguished Artist in Residence at the Muscarelle Museum of Art Steve Prince, Sen. Fox, Sen. Daniel Bess ’24, Yvonne Boadi ‘23, Owens and Director of Student Leadership Development Anne Arseneau for their individual and collective contributions to the execution of the gala.

To close out the night, Alton Coston III ’23 came onstage to promote the Sankofa scholarship. The Sankofa Scholarship will be awarded to Black students enrolled in Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools who have shown significant activism within the Williamsburg community. Coston encouraged audience members to purchase posters and T-shirts with screen-printed designs created by Prince to help fundraise for the scholarship.

Coston also detailed his personal connections to the scholarship and highlighted its greater impact within the local Black community.

“This is really personal for me because this semester I work with a nonprofit organization called the Village Initiative,” Coston said. “We are conducting a lot of educational research into the local disparities within WJCC schools and when I went to teach there, these children did not believe the miracle was for them. But I taught them a lesson of African American history and showcased that we are more than just poverty and chains. They are powerful.”

Coston made clear the responsibility that the College’s students had to invest in the local community and combat racial injustices within the local education system.

“I don’t believe that we should be able to go here at William and Mary when we have students in the community being sent from schools to prisons,” Coston said. “I don’t think we should even go here when we have children dying in our own backyard.

So that’s why we’re doing what we’re doing with the scholarship.”

Adejayan echoed Coston’s remarks, underscoring the gravity of being an active College community member who is sharply aware of the space they occupy and is not complicit in upholding the systemic inequalities plaguing the local community.

“Something that many of us tend to forget is that whether we like it or not, as people who attend William and Mary or people who work at William and Mary, we are also members of this community,” Adejayan said. “Some of those wrongs of the institution eventually fall upon us as well. It’s our responsibility to make sure that we are taking care of our outside community as well.”

Adejayan also spoke about the stressful, yet rewarding, nature of organizing the gala and reminisced on the full-circle moment he experienced going from an attendee of the gala as a freshman to the main organizer of the event as a junior.

“It just really means a lot to me to be able to be a part of bringing Sankofa to life because I know that I’m helping to give the Black community on this campus an experience that they’re going to cherish,” Adejayan said. “We don’t have too many events like this, so when we do have events like this, and we have a safe space where people can just dress up, have fun, be themselves, enjoy one another and meet people, I think that just enriches the overall experience on campus as a Black student.”

Justin Kelly ’22, an attendee of the gala, spoke on how the event emphasizes Black excellence and Black love, and he hopes that even more people come out next year.

“I really love this event, I really do,” Kelly said. “I hope people get to come experience what Sankofa is for themselves.”

Olivia Blackshire ’25, another attendee, detailed how seeing the event full of other members of the College’s Black community eased a sense of loneliness that comes with being a Black student at a predominantly white institution.

“It shows me how much of the Black community is here on campus,” Blackshire said. “A lot of times, especially when I’m in my classes, it can feel lonely. But coming to see all these beautiful people and knowing we do great things right now and in the future and past is awesome. It encourages me to keep going.”

Bangi mirrored Blackshire’s sentiments in discussing the impact of the event.

“I think that our existence within certain spaces is often invalidated — our meaning Black individuals and People of Color in general, especially Black individuals at a university like this,” Bangi said. “What Sankofa means to me is acknowledgement and being seen as an individual rather than a statistic of the College. It’s really nice to be acknowledged and celebrated within this space with other Black individuals.”

Page 6

THE FLAT HAT

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

First Impressions of Impressionist Exhibit

Preview of Muscarelleʼs new collection “Degas: The Private Impressionist,” featuring interactive workshops

JUSTIN SHERLOCK / THE FLAT HAT

TEDDY CHUNIAS // THE FLAT HAT

Saturday, Feb. 13 marks the opening of “The Private Impressionist,” the Muscarelle Museum of Art’s exhibition on Edgar Degas. The exhibit features some of Degas’ lesser known works as well as pieces from his inner circle of confidants that provide a glimpse into the 19th century impressionist’s personal life. The exhibition is on display until May 29 and is free to all College of William and Mary students.

The exhibit is divided into three galleries, each with a different theme. The first gallery features Degas’ copies of previous masters’ works, highlighting the portion of his career when he was one of many artists honing their craft in the halls of the Louvre Museum.

“The Louvre was granting permits to a set number of artists each year to come in and have … free reign to make copies of works,” Director of the Muscarelle Museum David Brashear said, providing historical context behind Degas’ work.

This permit system demonstrates the ability of art to facilitate intergenerational interaction.

One of the artistic workshops the Muscarelle is providing as a supplement to the exhibition plays on this principle of learning through copying. In this workshop, called “Copying with Confidence,” attendees choose and draw a copy of a piece of art from the exhibition that speaks to them. Before, Degas and his friends learned through copying their preceding masters — now Degas and his friends are the masters that students copy.

When discussing this workshop, the Muscarelle’s Director of Engagement and Distinguished Artist in Residence Steve Prince, emphasized the importance of hands-on learning.

“Yes, you do have to intellectually engage art, but you also have to physically do it,” Prince said. “And the way you get better at anything is through repetition.”

While the first gallery focuses on Degas shaping his artistry through practice, the second gallery delves into his personal life and interests. This gallery furnishes a portal into some of Degas’ main thematic areas — such as horse racing, the Parisian cafe culture and the ballet — through mixed media. These media include prints, monotypes, sculptures, drawings and photographs. In particular, the medium of photography provides the viewer an intimate snapshot of Degas’ personal life as a family member and friend.

As you might have noticed from his expensive interests, Degas belonged to an elite family.

“Degas never has to struggle like some artists have to struggle,” Brashear said.

The question that then arises from this exhibition — centered around an elite 19th century Frenchman — is the same question that troubles all museums in the 21st century: how do you make historical figures from a socially exclusive past relevant and meaningful to a diverse, modern-day audience? how do you make historical figures from a socially exclusive past relevant and meaningful to a diverse, modern-day audience?

Through asking and answering his own question, Brashear defined the problem.

“So who are the great icons in the canon of art history?” Brashear said. “In Western art, it’s largely white men, right?”

Next, he described the Muscarelle’s efforts to remedy the traditional lack of gender and ethnic diversity in museum collections.

“Well over 50% of the works that we’ve purchased since I’ve been director have been in underrepresented categories,” Brashear said.

He further emphasized the importance of the museum diversifying their offerings, perspectives, periods and groups.

The third gallery delves into the lives of artists in Degas’ sphere of influence. Fellow impressionists, such as Paul Cezanne and Mary Cassatt, provide an interesting view into not only how Degas influenced his comrades, but also how his comrades influenced him. However, with each artist, there is a distinct style and artistic choices that make them unique. Therefore, this gallery serves to illuminate Degas’ eccentricities while showing that no artist develops in a void.

In addition to the exhibition, the museum will attempt to engage students and community members through three workshops hosted by Prince, who has educational experience at all levels and extensive training in the fine arts that uniquely position him to provide arts education to the community.

Along with the copying workshop, the “Period Portraits” workshop involves members of the Theater Department dressing up in 19th century costumes and sitting as figures for participants to draw.

“So the theater members get to do a little cosplay, and we know a lot about that here in Williamsburg,” Prince said with a laugh.

The last workshop, “Dancing with Degas,” engages members of the College’s dance program, who model in different dance poses. The workshop attendees will then sketch the dancers in various poses, much like Degas drew ballerinas in his day.

“I’m trying to give them ways … of connecting with Degas and the way in which he thought, and then I

want to – in a contemporary way — teach them skills that can’t be taken away from you,” Prince said.

These three-hour workshops will cost $10 for students and $25 for non-members. However, Prince clarified that the cost should not deter anyone from coming.

“If anyone ever came up to the museum and said, ‘Hey, I can’t afford this,’ I will waive that fee,” Prince said. “I would never let the money be the deterrent for a person who really, truly wants to come and learn and be involved in expression.”

“Copying with Confidence” will be held on Feb. 19, “Period Portraits” on March 30 and “Dancing with Degas” on April 4.

Outside of the exhibit and workshops, the Muscarelle is offering a number of programs, including a lecture series, film screening, concert and book club. All programming is free with registration on the Muscarelle website.

Robert Flynn Johnson, the collector who made this exhibition possible, will speak at the first lecture of the series, “Chasing Degas: My Four Decades Collecting the Artist and His Circle.” In this lecture, he will discuss his long, winding journey collecting Degas’ works on a curator’s salary.

“I never collected my works with the intention of having an exhibition,” Johnson said. “I acquired the works of art, one at a time.”Johnson’s collection is not only affordable and spontaneous, but it is also making Degas accessible to audiences that may not have had the opportunity to see the artist’s work otherwise.

“It’s been to places that usually wouldn’t be able to do a Degas show,” Johnson said. “So the idea that, rather than people in Virginia having to go up to Washington or New York to see a Degas show, we’ve brought a Degas show to the Muscarelle. I’m really excited about that.”

In addition to the College, the exhibition has traveled to Tulane University, Pittsburgh, Naples, Florida and rural Texas.

Johnson also spoke to another key feature of his collection: because many of Degas’ pieces were never meant for public view, they afford viewers a glimpse into the artist’s creative process. The collector singled out the double-sided “Studies of Horses” as an exemplar of this theme.

“He did not do the drawing to be in a gold frame,” Johnson said. “He did the drawing for himself; it’s a working drawing by a working artist. In fact, every single drawing in my collection, they were all in his studio when he died.”

Johnson, who was also an educator for 30 years, expressed some of his aspirations for his upcoming lecture on Feb. 24.

“I very much hope that the students that I’m going to be interacting with have already seen the show and will be peppering me with questions and comments,” he said.

If the works of Degas or Johnson’s extensive knowledge of art curation and collection is not enough to pique your interest, Johnson has provided one more reason to attend his lecture.

“There’ll be a surprise in my lecture,” he said. “And it relates to your museum too, not just my collecting.”

As the Muscarelle breaks ground on a new facility later this year, this will be one of the last chances for students and community members to enjoy the museum space until construction finishes in 2024. The Muscarelle staff has laid their best plans, and now it is time to see how the community responds.traveled to Tulane University, Pittsburgh, Naples, Florida and rural Texas.

Johnson also spoke to another key feature of his collection: because many of Degas’ pieces were never meant for public view, they afford viewers a glimpse into the artist’s creative process. The collector singled out the double-sided “Studies of Horses” as an exemplar of this theme.

“He did not do the drawing to be in a gold frame,” Johnson said. “He did the drawing for himself; it’s a working drawing by a working artist. In fact, every single drawing in my collection,they were all in his studio when he died.”

Johnson, who was also an educator for 30 years, expressed some of his aspirations for his upcoming lecture on Feb. 24.

“I very much hope that the students that I’m going to be interacting with have already seen the show and will be peppering me with questions and comments,” he said.

If the works of Degas or Johnson’s extensive knowledge of art curation and collection is not enough to pique your interest, Johnson has provided one more reason to attend his lecture.

“There’ll be a surprise in my lecture,” he said. “And it relates to your museum too, not just my collecting.”

As the Muscarelle breaks ground on a new facility later this year, this will be one of the last chances for students and community members to enjoy the museum space until construction finishes in 2024. The Muscarelle staff has laid their best plans, and now it is time to see how the community responds.

THE face behind flat hat comic fuzzy Arianna Stewart ʻ24 talks inspiration for art, future for “Fuzzy” comics

COURTESY PHOTOS / ARIANNA STEWART

LINDA LI // ASSOCIATE VARIETY EDITOR

Tucked away at the end of The Flat Hat website’s front page banner is the newspaper’s graphics section — easy to miss, but definitely something you won’t want to skip. Beginning in the fall semester, Arianna Stewart ’24 has been steadily growing her comic series “Fuzzy,” which follows Fuzzy and Blues, two aptly named animal characters navigating their version of college life. In the span of six comics, Stewart has already touched on significant aspects of the College of William and Mary culture while sprinkling humor, relatability and “fuzziness” throughout.

Before joining the newspaper, Stewart had already established a solid foundation in drawing.

“I didn’t really have an introduction to art.,” Stewart said. “I just always liked to draw when I was a kid since elementary school, and then I just progressed from there.”

Stewart’s art interest quickly narrowed toward cartoon drawing.

“I liked ‘Phineas and Ferb’ when I was younger, and I based a lot of my cartoons off of ‘Phineas and Ferb,’” Stewart said. “For a while, I just copied their artwork. And I also copied the work from ‘Calvin and Hobbes.’

Then I made my own, like combined different styles, and used my style after that.”

Stewart knew the newspaper’s cartoonist

gig was a no-brainer, as she could combine her art background with a natural inclination for cracking jokes.

“I really enjoy making comics,” Stewart said.

“I like to make jokes. And I also have too many ideas going on in my head of these characters that I made, Fuzzy and Blues. They’re actually based on stuffed animals that I have, so I gave each one of them personalities and they have come to life in my drawings.”

When it comes to the less-thanglamorous process of coming up with jokes, Stewart said she often relies on day-to-day occurrences as a starting point, from which she takes an idea and spins it into a scenario with an animal twist.

“A lot of my inspiration comes from everyday life, like my own experiences at William and Mary, because my comic is based on William and Mary,” Stewart said. “And then I try to put myself in the perspective of an animal sometimes. I would say Blues is more human-like. He’s more of the thinker, the philosopher, and then Fuzzy is more like a typical animal — he just likes to eat.”

Although her characters are animals, Stewart doesn’t miss a beat in fusing her personality into her work.

“I’m really outgoing, so the characters talk a lot in their dialogues,” Stewart said. “And I like to add a lot of dialogue because, for me,

it’s easy, it flows really well. I think that’s one of my strengths.”

Having animals replace the typical student allows Stewart to deliver her jokes in a gentle, subdued manner that doesn’t sacrifice punchiness.

“I really like the one where Fuzzy is rushing, and the ending of that where the bear asks him to join his frat,” Stewart said. “I found that really funny because obviously he’s not going to want to join, because bears are carnivores.”

Although the premise of “Fuzzy” is lighthearted and endearing, she’s been working toward infusing realism into her drawings and straddling the line between uncanny and cartoonish.

“As I’ve gotten older, I’ve been able to add more details to my drawings and gotten better at realism,” Stewart said. “I know readers don’t want any real-real sheep. The plush animals look very cartoonish, and yeah, mine still look cartoonish. But I’m trying to make a medium between realism and cartoonish so you can kind of still tell what the animal is.”

This personal goal, in turn, drives Stewart to pay close attention to the quality of her images and the delivery of her jokes.

“I think if the cartoons are too ‘cutesy,’ it will turn the reader away, and they won’t take them seriously enough,” Stewart said. “So I want it to be a happy balance of realism and

cuteness, to have the reader engage but also have a respect and interest in the characters.”

While Stewart focuses on enhancing her drawing techniques, the adventures of Fuzzy and Blues will surely continue.

“I’d like to add more animals to it. I think that would give people a better idea of each character’s personality,” Stewart said. “I want to expand Fuzzy’s personality as well, as you’ve only seen him in six comics so far.

You can kind of get an idea of him, but I want people to understand more.”

One of the perks of drawing cartoons as a side gig is that Stewart gets to keep up with her hobby without it becoming stressful or burdensome.

“I want to give people a laugh between classes or take a break,” Stewart shared.

“They can read my comics and enjoy them.

It’s a relaxing time.”

Looking into the future, Stewart sees the potential to steadily raise her cartoonist profile into the world of mainstream publications.

“It would be really cool if I could get my work syndicated into a newspaper like the Washington Post,” she said. “I did read one of Bill Watterson’s books — he’s the one who made ‘Calvin and Hobbes’ — and he talked about his process. He also drew for college, and he finally worked up to bigger newspapers, which I thought was pretty cool.”

sports

THE F LAT HAT | Tuesday, February 22, 2022 | Page 7

BASEBALL

JAMIE HOLT / THE FLAT HAT

The Tribe scored at least 10 runs in each of the three games in their opening series against Rhode Island. Senior Jack Cone and sophomore Nate Goranson each recorded a grandslam during the Tribeʼs oustanding offensive performance.

College dominates at the plate, finishes opening weekend 3-0 Under new Head Coach Mike McRae, Tribe outscore Rhode Island 35-16 in opening weekend NATHAN SEIDEL FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR William and Mary (3-0) had a great weekend on the diamond to start its 2022 season against Rhode Island, knocking off the Rams 10-3, 15-8, and 10-5 to complete the sweep and enjoy an undefeated coming out party for new coach Mike McRae. In the opening game, the Tribe gained its first lead after runs from junior infielder Ben Williamson and senior pitcher/outfielder Jack Cone, which were driven in by a hit by pitch by senior utility player Matt Thomas and a sacrifice fly from junior infielder Mark Trotta. These highlights made it 2-1 after the first inning and another two runs in the second and sixth innings left a close 4-1 spread after six.

The College then blew the game wide open

with a grand slam from Cone, scoring six runs in the seventh inning to make it 10-3. The Rams drove in two runs in the remaining two innings but the game had long been decided. The team notched two doubles, Cone’s home run, a stolen base by Trotta, and three Tribe pitchers kept the Rams in check to secure the win.

The second game featured more offense on both sides, with the Tribe scoring two runs in the first and third innings, appearing to be on its way to another smooth victory. But the Rams had other ideas in the fourth inning, scoring six runs on two singles and two doubles to take a 6-4 lead. The Tribe got one run back in the fifth inning on a fielder’s choice by junior outfielder Joe Delossantos to pull back within one.

Once again, a mid-game explosion from the Tribe bats followed, pouring in six runs in the

WOMENʼS LACROSSE

sixth inning to retake the lead and control of the game. Thomas walked in a run, sophomore catcher Nate Goranson drove in four with a grand slam and a Delossant double brought in one more to make it 11-7 after the sixth inning. The Rams scored a run in the eighth, but the College countered in the bottom of the inning with four more runs to finish out the 15-8 final score.

Junior starting pitcher Casey Green struck out seven batters in the first three innings of the game and freshman utility player Nate Knowles earned the win, allowing only one run in his 2.2 innings of work. Junior pitcher Matt Howat forced four outs and earned the save.

Unlike the first two contests, the Tribe bats did not wait until the middle of the game to get its offense going in Game 3. It instead pounded in six runs in the first inning on a double from Cone,

single from graduate student utility player David Hogarth and a double from Thomas. Both teams went scoreless for the second and third frames.

The Rams found their stride in the fourth, driving in five runs to close the gap to one and put some pressure back on the College. The game remained deadlocked until the eighth inning when Hogarth drove in two runs on a single and Thomas drove in another on a hard hit ball to left. An additional unearned run from Cone led to the eventual 10-5 score. The College’s bullpen came in clutch in the latter half of the game, with freshman pitcher Mike Weidinger giving up just one run in two innings and senior pitcher Rojo Prarie closing out the final three innings, earning the save in the process.

The Tribe will play next on Feb. 22 against Richmond. The game can be accessed on ESPN+.

WOMENʼS SWIMMING

Tribe struggles against College wins first CAA title in five years Duke in home opener Victory marks third conference championship in seven years Blue Devils flex offensive power in dominant win KELSI PUTNAM THE FLAT HAT The College (5-19, CAA 4-7) fell to UNCW (16-6, CAA 101) 92-70 on Saturday, Feb. 5, at Kaplan Arena in the annual Gold Rush game.

“Today, Wilmington did everything that we said we needed to make them do to beat us,” said Head Coach Dane Fischer.

Despite UNCW winning the tip-off, the College started out strong and went shot for shot with the Seahawks for the first five minutes of the game. The Tribe held the lead for 2:33 minutes in the early part of the game.

Several minutes later, UNCW began to pull ahead by making three unanswered threepointers in a row to increase their lead by nine.

The Tribe kept themselves in the game for the remainder of the first half, in part due to their impressive foul shooting. The home team shot 80% from the line, compared to only 63.6% for UNCW. Both teams heavily relied on three-pointers, as they each shot over 55.5% from beyond the arc. Sophomore Connor Kochera was a perfect 4-4 from deep, followed by graduate student Brandon Carroll who went 3-4.

UNCW graduate student Mike Okauru was a one-man wrecking

ball. He went 8-10 from beyond the arc and led the game scoring with 30 points.

“We just talked about being more aware of getting out to them with more urgency,” Fischer said about containing the UNCW offense.

Okauru began the second half with a three-pointer for UNCW to create a comfortable 16-point lead. The Tribe gained some momentum in the middle of the half with a layup from Carroll, followed by Kochera converting an offensive rebound made by freshman Tyler Rice.

In the final 10 minutes of the contest, UNCW maintained a lead in the double digits. They extended their lead to a gamehigh of 23 points in the last minute, moments before Rice made a final free throw for the Tribe to end a 92-70 contest.

“The big thing we’ll do is be able to practice Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, which is nice,” Fischer said.

“It is the second time we can do that. We’ve tried to kind of go in incremental steps of improvement and you know we certainly got to talk about our defensive effort and making sure we’re getting out to shooters.”

William and Mary will travel to Towson on Thursday, Feb. 10 for their next match-up.

JASON TUKKER THE FLAT HAT William and Mary captured their first Colonial Athletic Association title in five years last weekend in Christiansburg, Virginia. They finished the competition with 663.5 points.

The Tribe opened day one with commanding performances in the 200 Medley Relay and 800 Free Relay. In the 200 Medley Relay, senior Anna Kenna gave the Tribe a lead they would never look back from with her 25.58 split. Junior Annie Tuttle and sophomore Corinne Davenport maintained a healthy lead, while senior Missy Cundiff finished the relay with a blistering freestyle split of 21.70, which was good enough for a gold medal finish and a new record time of 1:40.34 in the event.

In the 800 Free Relay, juniors Katie Stevenson and Grace Tramack and senior Ellie Henry maintained a first-place position throughout the entirety of the race. Junior Elizabeth Intihar, the team’s anchor in the event, finished the race with the fastest split of the final heat at 1:47.12, which was good enough to beat North Carolina Wilmington by four seconds.

Day two began with Intihar claiming her first individual medal, a silver in the 500 Free.

Freshman Ellie Scherer made a splash in her CAA Championship debut, as she earned silver in the 200 IM with a third split of 34.61 that cemented her second-place position.

Henry and junior Maura Graff racked up important points in the event, with Henry winning the B finals heat and Graff recording a sixth-place finish.

The highlight of day two was in the 50 Free where Cundiff convincingly won gold. Her time of 22.26 was a CAA championship record and is an NCAA B qualifying time where she will look to continue the remarkable season she is having for the Tribe.

This momentum continued into the

final event of the day, the 400 Medley Relay, where the quartet of Graff, Kenna, Stevenson and Tuttle claimed the Tribe’s fourth medal on day two. The closest relay of the championships so far was neck and neck until the final split where the Drexel Dragons edged William and Mary by .55 seconds.

In an intensely close race with less than a second separating first and third finishes, Intihar secured her second individual podium finish with a bronze in the 200 Free.

Stevenson finished half a second behind her in fourth place, gaining crucial points for the Tribe.

Tuttle earned a silver medal in the final split of the 100 Breast, finishing just a half a second behind the leader. In the 100 Back, Kenna finished in first and shaved half a second off her previous qualifying time.

The Tribe continued to impress in the relay races with a strong performance from Cundiff, Stevenson, Kenna, and junior Broke Lamoureux in the 200 Free Relay. Although disappointed to not retain the gold in the event for back-to-back years, quick splits from Cundiff and Kenna were close enough for a second place finish.

Early in the day, Kenna earned a spot on the podium in the 200 Back to extend the Tribe’s lead. In the 100 Free, Stevenson put on a dazzling display of strength and determination that ultimately led her to a gold in the event, beating all her competitors with a time of 49.89.

Improving her time by almost a second from the qualifiers, she held the lead through the entire race with the fastest times in both splits.

Following suit, Tuttle was laser focused on bringing home the first CAA Women’s Swimming Championship for the Tribe in five years. With over a second and half separating her from second place, her dominant final split won gold with a time of 2:14.14.

The points she secured in this event put

the Tribe in a very comfortable lead that they would ride out to the end of the day, winning their third CAA Championship in seven years.

Head coach Nate Kellogg added to the team’s accolades by winning the CAA Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year award for the second year running.

“I’m so proud of the way our women handled themselves throughout the entire season,” Kellogg said.

“They established their identity as touch, fearless, relentless, and resilient. This group displayed this throughout the meet. We also owe a ton of gratitude to our alumni, who paved the way for this group.”

The Tribe will shift their focus to the NCAA tournament, which will be held from March 16-19 in Atlanta, Georgia.

JAMIE HOLT / THE FLAT HAT

The Tribe will begin their preparation for the NCAA Championships, which will take place Mar. 16-19.

Page 8

THE FLAT HAT

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

CAMPUS

Professor Kelebogile Zvobgo hosts talk on gender violence

Director of the International Justice Lab presents her research on gender-based violence over Zoom EMMA HENRY THE FLAT HAT

Friday, Feb. 11th, the International Law Society and Women’s Law Society hosted a Zoom discussion with Dr. Kelebogile Zvobgo.

Zvobgo is an undergraduate assistant professor of government at the College of William and Mary as well as the director of the International Justice Lab (IJL), founded by Zvobgo in 2019. The discussion featured a presentation titled “GenderBased Violence and Public Attitudes Towards Punishment” highlighting her research regarding gender-based violence and punishment.

Marshall-Wythe School of Law student Matt Martin ’23 introduced Zvobgo as well as her work with the IJL, which produces research on human rights, transitional justice and international law and courts. Holding a degree in political science and international relations from University of Southern California, Zvobgo said that she never expected to be in this position.

“I kind of had this fork in the road my senior year of college, where I was either going to get a PhD in financial literature or go to law school, and clearly neither of those happened. So, it’s funny to be, now, presenting at a law school, the place where I have a job in political science,” Zvobgo said.

She began her presentation by introducing her current research collaboration with Dr. Suparna Chaudhry, an assistant professor at Lewis & Clark College and affiliated scholar with the IJL. Zvobgo and Chaudhry began thinking about their current project while Zvobgo was a pre-doctoral fellow at the College and while Chaudhry was in her last year at Lewis & Clark. Their objective is to discover an appropriate remedy to gender and sexual-based violence and to conclude whether or not messaging by international actors can change these views. The project is funded by the National Science Foundation and the American Political Science Association.

“We know that a range of international nongovernmental organizations such as Amnesty International have been advocating vociferously in different parts of the world to absolutely have criminal accountability for sexual and gender-based violence, but for it to not reach the extent of capital punishment,” Zvobgo said.

Zvobgo mentioned briefly that though there has been a lot of research done concerning government policy and how effective they are, there has not been much work considering citizens’ views on anti-gender violence measures.

Zvobgo said that this lack of research is a “striking omission,” as these public opinions can be used to

influence public policy development. Many citizens, Zvobgo said, even believe that court issued sentences for violent crimes are too lenient, and that people typically view sex offenses as especially heinous crimes.

“They may be persuaded to support alternative sentences like imprisonment and victim compensation, so this is where we come in,” Zvobgo said. “We want to know: can human rights organizations, especially how they frame arguments against the death penalty, change individuals preferences on punishment?”

Zvobgo then discussed how her research was being conducted as well as their preliminary findings, stating that they have currently collected two-thirds of their research responses.

The IJL’s current hypothesis is that exposure to effectiveness frames will results in increased support for alternatives to the death penalty, and that citizens are sensitive to the stated effectiveness of government policy. Along with this, they also believe that exposure to human rights findings will result in increased support for these alternatives.

“Citizens are sensitive to external criticisms of their country’s human rights records, so if it is a human rights organization that is saying this policy or this practice is incompatible with human rights, that, again, will persuade people away from the death penalty,” Zvobgo said.

The IJL’s current research is focused on the crime of rape in India and is formatted as an online study.

The study uses a sample of about a thousand Indian adults, randomly assigning each person to one of three treatment conditions (effectiveness, human rights, and control) with an additional manipulation for familiar versus unfamiliar in terms of the victim.

Her study specifically uses Amnesty International as their human rights advocacy group example, as they have been proven to be influential on governments changing their policies.

Zvobgo mentioned that the research specifically focuses on India because it is the largest and most populous developing country in the global South, and that the crime of rape recieves a lot of media attention due to the frequency of assualts. Along with this, they had to study a country in which capital punishment is legal.

“We are interested in the public support for long-term imprisonment as an alternative to the death penalty. We are also interested in the public support for monetary compensation to victims for emotional distress as well as for physical injuries,” Zvobgo said. “We have a last outcome which is for police to provide women’s protection to the victim.”

READ MORE AT FLATHATNEWS.COM

CHARTER DAY

Students oppose honorary degree for Glenn Youngkin at Charter Day ceremony Students host walkout, safe space in response to ceremony involving an award for new Virginia governor CALLIE BOOTH AND MOLLY PARKS FLAT HAT NEWS EDITORS

During the College of William and Mary’s annual Charter Day ceremony on Friday, Feb. 11, students responded to Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin’s recipience of an honorary degree with a variety of opposition movements, including a walkout, protests during the ceremony and a safe space event that occurred at the same time as the Charter Day ceremony set to celebrate the College’s 329th year.

Charter Day, which was originally called Founder’s Day, commemorates the day that King William III and Queen Mary II of England granted the College its royal charter. In recent years it has become a tradition for Virginia governors to receive an honorary degree from the College and speak at Charter Day in their inaugural year.

However, when the College announced that Youngkin would speak at this year’s ceremony, students were disappointed and angry with the school’s choice.

“My first reaction was I was initially confused and upset,” Grace Engelhart ’23 said. “I didn’t know the precedent of the university inviting the governor to Charter Day. I didn’t know that was a tradition that they had. I thought he was just being invited and that was very angering and confusing.

But then when I heard about the tradition, it was still upsetting that they invited such a controversial political individual across the country. He’s controversial across the country to a school of higher education, especially with a new mask policy that actively hurts and impacts students.”

Students began to organize protests in opposition to Youngkin’s involvement in Charter Day, with movements formed in opposition such as the “No Degree for Bigotry” campaign that was started by students at the College’s law school to attempt to try and prevent Youngkin from receiving an honorary degree.

The College’s chapter of the NAACP and Voters for Tomorrow also organized a walkout to take place at the beginning of Youngkin’s speech at the Charter Day

ceremony.

Throughout the beginning of the ceremony and the conferral of honorary degrees to Howard J. Busbee ’65, JD ’67 and Rep. Robert C. Scott, the Kaplan Arena was full with students, faculty and community members. When Gov. Youngkin was called up to the lectern to receive his honorary degree, many

those of you whose behavior is disrupting this event to stop immediately and let the program continue consistent with the policies and the values of this university.”

Though a large portion of the audience remained in support of Youngkin and cheered after Rowe’s remarks, another student in the audience continued to

I think that people should have just quietly walked out because that’s the most impactful and respectful thing to do.”

As the College’s Charter Day ceremony occurred at Kaplan Arena, a group of students gathered at the Sunken Garden to attend the Charter Day Safe Space. The event was organized by the American

JAMIE HOLT / THE FLAT HAT

Students protest Virginia governor Glenn Youngkinʼs honorary degree during the 2022 Charter Day ceremony, hold protest at event with sinage.

students walked out of the ceremony. Some students held signs with messages marked with the words “G. Youngkin is a Bigot,” while chanting “No Justice, No Peace.”

College President Katherine Rowe responded to the student’s protests, encouraging students to discontinue their actions during the ceremony.

“Kaplan Arena is an arena for enthusiastic expression that’s for sure,” Rowe said. “Most often we’re cheering on William and Mary teams during games, but right now is not a basketball game. So I ask

openly object to Youngkin’s honorary degree. Rowe told this student that they were in violation of the university code of conduct and police officers escorted the student out of the building. Most students walked out peacefully without engaging in verbal protests, and Engelhart believed that all students should have conducted their protests peacefully.

“I didn’t really agree with the people yelling because I didn’t want the students to get a bad name for what they are trying to communicate,” Engelhard said. “Like,

Asian Student Initiative and featured performances from four student-led dance groups — Zodiacs Dance Crew, Afsana, Griffin Bhangra and Syndicate Hip Hop Dance Team — while Students of Hip-Hop Legacy managed the DJ booth.

Director of AASI Grace Liscomb ’23 was one of the main facilitators of the event. She discussed how the event came to fruition and why she felt it necessary to create a safe space for students during Charter Day. “One of the dance groups was invited to perform at Charter Day, but when they

found out that Youngkin was involved they were kind of uncomfortable with his presence there and they asked AASI, ‘Is there an event or protest or anything going on where we could still perform and have that platform and get that exposure?’”

Liscomb said.

The safe space event gave students a platform to speak and perform, while highlighting the different cultures and perspectives that the College’s students embody.

“This is going to be focused on redirecting the attention onto the students and redirecting it away from Youngkin,” Liscomb said. “Look at the beautiful cultures and ethnicities that we have to offer.”

President of SoHHL Camryn Claude ’22 spoke about her reasoning to show up to the Charter Day Safe Space.

“Even if AASI hadn’t asked us to come and help us with the music, I still would have been here because I think it is really important to support the marginalized communities here,” Claude said. “I think it was important for me to be here to show that we, as the educated young people who are going to be pushing America forward in the future, have to be able to make a statement.”

Claude shared that her statement was in opposition to Gov. Youngkin being honored and speaking at the ceremony, noting that she disagrees with the College continuing the tradition of inviting the Virginia governor to speak at the Charter Day ceremony and receive an honorary degree during their first year in office.

“It has nothing to do in my opinion with tradition, as much as it does to do with the fact that he stands for what a lot of William and Mary alumni believe in and what a lot of donors believe in,” Claude said. “ Some traditions shouldn’t be honored. Slavery was a tradition at one point, women not being at the college was a tradition at one point, Asians not being at the College was a tradition. So at some point we have to be aware of what traditions are worth keeping.”

CAMPUS

Civil rights lawyer Benjamin Crump speaks about racial justice as part of Ethics Week 2022 Renowned civil rights attorney addresses community in commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. CRUMP from page 1

us contributed to making America the great country that we are today.”

Throughout his speech and in the Q&A session after, Crump discussed many of the prominent cases he has worked on and referenced other notable circumstances of injustices in marginalized communities in recent years.

Many students and audience members, including Kendal Sanders ’24, had recognized Crump’s name from his work with these previous court cases. Sanders is a member of the Conduct & Honor Advisors Program, one of the

sponsors of the event.

“I know that he is a very prominent attorney for a lot of the cases pertaining to Black Lives Matter, like Ahmaud Arebery,” Sanders said. “He is a very vocal person in the Black community.

So I thought this was a very amazing opportunity to come and see him speak at William & Mary.”

Crump specifically mentioned the Ahmaud Arbery case when discussing the idea of giving all children an equal opportunity at the American dream.

“What we want is Breonna Taylor, our sister, to be able to sleep in peace and not have

RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT

Benjamin Crump spoke to the College in the Sadler Center to celebrate Martin Luther King JR. Day.

the Louisville Metropolitan Police bust open her front door at 1:00 in the morning and execute her with nine bullets in her body while she is practically naked in her nightgown. What we want is to give Amaud Arbery an opportunity to run free without a lynch mob – not in 1940, not in 1950 – but a lynch mob in 2020, in your day, lynching him for jogging while Black in Brunswick, Georgia in broad daylight,” Crump said.

After the ceremony, Victor Green ’22, a member of the Kappa Pi Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. shared his takeaways from Crump’s speech.

“Personally, I was just glad to have him on campus to speak, especially given the current political climate. I know we have a lot of issues right now, especially with the recent election of Glenn Youngkin. It’s a time where a lot of people feel like Black voices, especially in education, are being suppressed. So to have him come to the school to speak about these civil rights issues, about how we can make sure our voices are being heard, is very inspiring.

I feel like a lot of people gained a lot from this talk, myself included,” Green said.

READ MORE AT FLATHATNEWS.COM