The Flat Hat March 22 2022

T HE F LAT H AT

Vol. 112, Iss. 2| Tuesday, March 22, 2022

The Weekly Student Newspaper

of The College of William and Mary

flathatnews.com | @theflathat

LAW SCHOOL

Law School hosts talk on “Transitional Periods in Arab Springs” Soliman announced as Kraemer Middle East Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence BETSY MAHONEY FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER

Nagwan Soliman, Senior Fellow at the Alwaleed Center for MuslimChristian Understanding in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service and Nonresidential Affiliate Scholar at Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security at Georgetown University, spoke as a guest speaker at the MarshallWythe School of Law Studies on March 10.

Soliman, who has a doctorate in social and political sciences, gave a speech titled “Transitional Periods in Arab Spring Countries,” but also addressed many questions about the situation in Europe and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Soliman argued that both the Arab uprisings and the Russian invasion of Ukraine involve threats to both democracy and the rights of the people due to oppressive regimes.

Soliman was announced as the 2022 Kraemer Middle East Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence by the Wendy and Emery Reves Center for International Studies and the Center for Comparative Legal Studies and Post-Conflict Peacebuilding on March 4.

The lecture began with a summary of Soliman’s previous work as an experienced regional trainer in conflict and peace studies. Soliman has previously trained activists from Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Yemen, Lebanon, Palenstine, Turkey and many other countries in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Soliman is also a specialist in women and peace processes, conflict transformation and sectarian tensions between Muslims and Christians in the Arab regions. She has also contributed to the design of the Early Warning and Rapid Response networks and dialogue processes.

Professor Christie S. Warren organized the event with the help of her research assistant, Cameron Krause J.D. ‘23.

Warren and Krause helped facilitate and organize the event to give students a chance to both learn about periods of transition and democracy and also to be informed on how to facilitate peace and reconciliation in countries affected by oppressive governments.

“I think that having one off talks like the one that we had kind of makes the subject more approachable to people that otherwise would be perhaps a little hesitant to learn more or feel that maybe it isn’t their place to learn more,” Krause said.

VDH FINDS MULTIPLE FOOD SAFETY VIOLATIONS IN CAMPUS DINING HALLS ZACHARY LUTZKY / THE FLAT HAT

Students have expressed particular concerns about the preparation and quality of meals served at on-campus dining halls:, particularly at the Sadler Center and Commons dining halls.

READ MORE AT FLATHATNEWS.COM

Routine health inspections reveal eight observations and corrective actions at Sadler Center MOLLY PARKS // FLAT HAT MANAGING EDITOR

February and March of the Spring 2022 semester, the Peninsula Health District of the Virginia Department of Health conducted four routine and one follow-up Educational Facility Food Service health inspections at The College of William and Mary.

The inspections, conducted at Sadler Center, Commons Dining Hall, Sadler Center - Lodge 1 Catering, Sadler Center Cosi and W&M ChickFil-A, found multiple violations and corrected on-site violations.

Notable violations included the food time/ temperature control for safety violation, protection from contamination violation, proper holding temperature violations and a lack of procedural guidelines for GI-issue events.

Of particular concern to students, the inspection at the Sadler Center dining hall found raw chicken that was only partially cooked as part of a non-continuous cooking process.

Jason Aupied, the resident district manager of the College’s dining team, spoke on the violations and COSs found during the inspection of Sadler Center Feb. 23.

“The observation and corrective actions included eight items. Several items were corrected on the spot, prior to the inspectors leaving the dining hall and no follow up visit was required,” Aupied said in a written statement.

Aupied also directly addressed the non-continuous cooking process citation.

“We were surprised by the citation for the non-continuous cooking method, which is an industry standard when cooking large amounts of protein in a short amount of time,” Aupied wrote. “The citation W&M Dining received was not because of improper cooking methods, but because we did not have the appropriate paperwork on file with VDH. That paperwork has been submitted and we are awaiting final approval. Until then, we have discontinued that

cooking process.”

Aupied also noted the importance of student feedback, especially real-time feedback in the dining halls. According to Aupied, earlier this year, 19 dining managers rotated throughout the

“While we have constant training for our team members and extremely strict quality control protocols, communication on the spot from our patrons is imperative. We encourage anyone to share their questions or concerns with us so we can investigate immediately as lapse in time can cause more difficulty trying to identify the root cause and implement immediate corrective action,

”

- Jason Aupied

dining halls to gather student feedback.

He also encourages students to join the Student Culinary Council as advisors for the dining program, attend the monthly Student Town Hall meetings with Dining Director Lamar Patterson and to look out for the launch of the new dining “myDTxt” text notification system.

“While we have constant training for our team members and extremely strict quality control protocols, communication on the spot from our patrons is imperative. We encourage anyone to share their questions or concerns with us so

we can investigate immediately as lapse in time can cause more difficulty trying to identify the root cause and implement immediate corrective action,” Aupied wrote.

In a highly digital age, one of the main ways students have provided feedback regarding dining is through social media platforms. After having its first account taken down, the satirical Instagram account @wm_dining_ made its first post Feb. 1 showing a stale piece of cake.

The @wm_dining_ Instagram account is a satirical page, posting images of meals that students eat in the College’s dining halls.

The account is relatively controversial, receiving negative feedback that it could hurt the dining hall workers, but also receiving positive feedback that it could spark the changes necessary to help create a better dining situation for students. The owner of the account and student at the College shared how they deal with the conflicting feedback.

“There were a few times I was just considering deleting the account because I don’t want to hurt the people working in the dining halls– the minimum wage employees, they’re trying their best. But then I also got some slightly aggressive comments, so I decided to keep posting,” the owner of the @wm_dining_ account said.

The owner of the account shared that their motives behind creating the account were purely satirical and not meant to be malicious in any way. However, they also shared that if the account creates change for a better dining program, that would be great.

“It would be nice to get better food out of it.

That wasn’t the goal initially. Initially, I was just making a funny account,” @wm_dining_ said.

The owner of @wm_dining_ also spoke on their reactions to the health inspection reports.

READ MORE AT FLATHATNEWS.COM

CAMPUS

Crim Dell Association hosts virtual book talk with acclaimed author Rebecca Makkai Event offers readers a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the novel “The Great Believers” CHLOE JONES FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER Award-winning author Rebecca Makkai gave a virtual Book Talk about her novel “The Great Believers” on March 16. This novel received numerous awards, including the LA Times Book Prize and the Chicago Review of Books Award, and was a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award.

This event was sponsored by the Crim Dell Alumni Association. The Crim Dell Association is described by their page on the Alumni Association website as “William & Mary’s identity group representing alumni dedicated to expanding the freedom to love and express gender and sexual identity.”

“The Crim Dell Association is open to all alumni who identify as LGBTQ+ and allies or advocates,” Ivana Marshall M.Ed.’23, assistant

Index Profile Opinions Variety News Sports

director of Alumni Engagement and Inclusion Initiatives, said.

Marshall was the main organizer for this event and came into contact with Makkai through Jon Fox ’72, alumnus and member of the Crim Dell Association.

“I thought the book talk was a perfect switch up from what we usually do. We’ve done virtual pride parties, we have had DJs on Zoom, and it’s been a lot of fun. But, we haven’t had a lot of conversations, so this was an opportunity to offer something different with a really talented speaker and author,” Marshall said. “I really wanted to first make an offering to the LGBTQ+ Alumni community as well as students, faculty and staff, but also bring in non-LGBTQ+ community members. Rebecca’s book is perfect for this because she writes it as a non-queer woman to talk about LGBTQ+ experiences from a very honest place.”

Inside Variety

Inside Opinions 2 3-4 5-6 7 8

Makkai opened up about her writing process for this novel during the event, which served as a personal touch that was admired by attendants.

“Hearing an author talk about her writing process to me was very fascinating, hearing how a novel like ‘The Great Believers’ started as one idea and took shape and evolved,” Paul Brockwell ’07, alumnus and member of the Crim Dell Association, said. “It was interesting and compelling, to me, to see the behind the scenes of a writer’s process.”

Makkai told attendants how the novel that fans know and love was not the novel she initially intended on writing. Makkai initially wanted to write about a woman who went to Paris and studied to be an artist, but ended up as an artist’s model instead. However, Makkai felt she needed something for her main character to truly speak up about.

Top Ten Bathrooms on Campus Eduardo Rodriguez -Gonzalez ‘24 has spent a great deal of time researching and ranking the bathrooms on campus to help you maximize your comfort when doing your business. page 3

Campus-wide Purim carnival celebrates culture, religion The College of William and Mary’s Hillel, Challah for Hunger, AEPi invite students to experience Jewish culture, traditions through Purim Carnival. page 5

“I realized that I had an opportunity to write about the AIDS epidemic,” Makkai said. “It’s something I have been interested in and concerned with my whole life.”

Makkai originally wanted her novel to focus on the art world and have AIDS be a personal struggle or background with one character. However, Makkai changed her mind.

“I started thinking about the fact that I don’t really necessarily like the knee-jerk move in a lot of art that makes AIDS a subplot,” Makkai said.

“AIDS is something that happens to a secondary character and they die offstage, and then the main character learns that life is short. I really didn’t want to participate in that.”

Makkai’s willingness to focus on AIDS as more than a side plot, both in writing and discussion, stuck out to Marshall.

Inside Sports

READ MORE AT FLATHATNEWS.COM

Tribe snaps losing streak with series sweep over GMU

William and Mary (8-9) swept George Mason March 18 in a 9-3 win at Plumeri Park. page 8

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newsinsight

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

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

THE BUZZ

The Book Talk itself was a great reminder of why itʼs important to tell stories with inclusive narratives, especially from communities that have been overlooked or intentionally shut out from the dominant narrative in the past. I think that William and Mary needs to hear things about their gay history and also share it among students, faculty, alums and anybody else.

̶ Paul Brockwell ʻ07

FLAT HAT NEWS BRIEF Student Assembly Student Body President Election to be Contested For the first time in recent years, the race for Student Assembly President at the College of William and Mary’s will be contested. Two pairs of students are running jointly for President and Vice President, which are John Cho ’23 and Jasmin Martinez ’23, as well as Conor Sokolowsky ’23 and Bryce Earley ’23. Additionally, Mikayla Fulcher ’23 is running for Student Body President independently without a running mate for Vice President.

Cho currently serves Chief of Staff for SA President Meghana Boojala ’22, while his running mate has not previously held a position in SA. Sokolowsky is the current president for the class of 2023, while Earley serves as Secretary of Public Affairs in the SA cabinet. Fulcher serves as the Deputy Secretary of Outreach for Campaigns.

Students interested in running for a position had to declare their candidacy by March 20, and are allowed to campaign for themselves between March 21 and election day. All students at the College will be eligible to vote for both positions on March 31 via TribeLink, and the results of all SA elections will be available that night.

CALLIE BOOTH/ FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR

NICHOLAS KAUFMAN/ COURTESY PHOTO

Nicholas Kaufman ʻ22 started hosting weekly Thirsty Thursday DJ eventʼs at Paulʼs Deli in Fall 2021 that has become a popular social destination for students of the College.

A THOUSAND WORDS

‘Gimmie, Gimme, Gimme’ a good night Student DJ transforms Paulʼs Deli into popular Thursday night spot for students LULU DAWES // FLAT HAT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

VERONICA BONDI / THE FLAT HAT

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

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For Paul’s Deli, Thursday nights were one of their slowest days of the week. Just next door, College Delly hosts its weekly “Thursday Corona Night” and Brickhouse Tavern Williamsburg hosts its Thursday karaoke night, taking a majority of the students from the College of William and Mary. However, starting in the fall of 2021, Paul’s would take a dramatic shift, becoming the highlight of Thursday night social life and, according to the DJ, making more money than every other night combined.

This enormous feat can be credited to the efforts of Nicholas Kaufman ’22, also known as Paul’s Thursday night DJ “The Little Big Deal.”

“William and Mary, at least since I’ve been here, the nightlife is fun…

Yes, like there’s a lot to do, but there’s never been a place before where you could just go out and dance and enjoy that kind of vibe,” Kaufman said. “Except for maybe going to fraternity parties. But the problem with those events are that they are private and not everyone can access them. And also, you know, not everyone necessarily feels comfortable or safe attending events held by different orgs… And so I really was hoping now that I had the opportunity to create a place where it didn’t matter who you were, who you know, what you look like, anything, you could just go and be there and be yourself and have fun and dance in a place that is just like safe and open and welcoming.”

With Kaufman behind the DJ stand, Paul’s has completely transformed. Large numbers of students can be found tightly packed in the bar, with the entire restaurant seeming to be cramming for more space as students pile in throughout the night. At the peak of Kaufman’s set, most of the students seem to be dancing, sweating or attempting to navigate the crowd.

Kaufman first started performing at Paul’s Sept. 23, 2021, after reaching out to multiple Williamsburg bars to let him perform. Waiting until he was 21 to do so, Kaufman says he has been wanting to play at restaurants since he was a freshman. After receiving multiple rejections, Paul’s allowed him to do a trial-run set.

“Finally, one week they were like ‘all right, this is your chance: next Thursday, come do it,’” Kaufman. “And I guess kinda the rest is history.”

For his first set, Kaufman said it was mostly his friends at first, and his parents who drove to see him perform.

“For the first one to see just how many of my friends and people I knew come out to support… just made me feel very supported by this community that we have here and by my friends who have been there for me since this was just like a concept in my head,” Kaufman said.

“And so I remember it got really crowded. The vibes were good. I still played my general style, I think, of just dance music, a lot of throwbacks, remixes and mashups of songs that people could really sing and enjoy hearing. And the night went really great. I think that it has grown since then in terms of more people, more people knowing about it, knowing about who I am and what I do. But that first one again was super special.”

Kaufman was first introduced to DJing when he was in middle school and downloaded a DJ app on his iPod to mess around with.

When his mom would have friends over, Kaufman would stand in the kitchen and mix their music over small speakers.

“My whole life, I’ve kind of always been exposed to lots of different kinds of music at home with my family,” Kaufman said.

Growing up, Kaufman learned how to play the cello, guitar, saxophone, drums and the piano, though he said he’s not a master of any instrument. He’s most experienced with Caribbean steel drums, as he played for six years from middle to high school performing reggae music.

“I think that all of those things really kind of led to and contributed to my style now with the DJing and I also produce my own music,” Kaufman said. “But the thing that drives me to DJing in at least like the

musical form art form of it is that DJing allows me to interact with music in a way that I think you can with any other instrument because just the fact that there are no bounds to types of music that I could play and the way that I could manipulate these songs, whether it’s by remixing, by doing a mashup, changing the speed scratching, there’s so much you could do that.”

At 15 years old, Kaufman booked his first professional gig: DJing for a preschool prom. From there, he started building a reputation around his hometown of Manalapan, New Jersey, and buying more equipment.

“When I started DJing, there was a lot of people that, you know, they would hire me and book me through the phone or email, and they would be shocked when my parents had to drop me off at these gigs. … I couldn’t even drive yet,” Kaufman said. “But I think before that first gig, definitely feeling a little bit nervous… because I knew that people were going to be there listening, and I was kind of creating the energy for that event.”

When he began his freshman year at the College, Kaufman said he started to offer to DJ for his fraternity’s party. With that, he then started performing at mixers, sorority date parties and formals.

“My brothers are extremely supportive of it,” Kaufman said regarding his Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI) fraternity. “It’s a lot of fun and…. I think… when I DJ our fraternity parties it really elevated the experience for everyone.”

When COVID-19 hit his sophomore year, Kaufman continued to DJ in creative environments. His fraternity hosted a virtual music festival philanthropy event, and he would also DJ at outside events.

In his hometown during the summer, Kaufman would perform for neighborhood block parties where he would DJ from his car.

“I remember the first time someone reached out to me about that because, you know, I’ll DJ anything if people want it,” he said. “And I was kind of like, this is kind of a funny idea, but I did one and people loved it and like, I did that for work through most of the summer, just playing outside at those kinds of events.”

At the College, Kaufman says he does most of his own promotion for Thirsty Thursdays, including making flyers and posting on social media. His favorite song to play for students is “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme” by ABBA. “The energy in there man is… I love it when I put that song on,” he said. “I like seeing everyone getting so excited screaming the lyrics, especially when people get, like, really loud singing it.”

Kaufman says that he believes his DJ nights have shifted the social scene for students at The College.

“I think that really ‘Thirsty Thursdays,’ (which is what you know now what you call it… At first, it was just kind of like ‘DJ Night’) has really kind of changed the way that I think the social scene here on campus and just kind of shifted the way that people, you know, think about going out and the things that people plan to do. And I think that that’s been a really positive experience, … this is kind of what I’m going to leave here when I graduate at the end of next semester. And I feel good about that.”

Outside of being The Little Big Deal, Kaufman is a business analytics major, public health minor and Monroe Scholar, with an interest in healthcare work. He currently works at The Charles Center as a peer scholarship advisor and helped pioneer the College’s e-sport team.

After college, Kaufman will be moving to Arlington to work at Accenture.

Kaufman emphasized the appreciation that he has for his friend’s support and says that they have a weekly tradition before he starts his Paul’s set.

Read more at flathatnews.com

opinions STAFF COLUMN

Masks should stay on in classrooms Seth Novak FLAT HAT OPINIONS ASSOC. EDITOR

The College of William and Mary has slowly dropped mask mandates on campus over the past few months, and I’m all for it.

The College has remained on the cautious side with more rules regarding masking and vaccinations than many Virginia schools, which is something I appreciate. While students remain in Williamsburg, we live in a bubble where vaccinated students pose less of a COVID-19 concern than if we were back home with our families. I’m tired of this pandemic, and I’m glad we’re getting it under control, but I still want to be safe. I believe that masks in classrooms are the only realistic way to stay safe on campus.

Thinking about it logically, the only way to actually achieve the purpose of having masks on in the dining halls would be for us to eat outside. We walk in with our masks on for five minutes, grab our food, sit down and then take them off for at least twenty minutes.

Eating our food in the dining hall negates the entire purpose of wearing the mask when not eating. Most likely, the College won’t make us eat outside of the dining halls again, so it never made sense to wear masks there in the first place.

On the other hand, dorms are more of a gray area. I believe that since I live, eat and sleep there, it doesn’t make sense to wear a mask in the lounge area. My floor only contains 21 people, so it is somewhat of an outlier, but that makes me more comfortable not wearing my mask there because I am constantly in contact with the same people.

An issue I’ve encountered, though, is people unconsciously peer pressuring others to take

GRAPHIC BY YELENA FLEMING AND EMNET ABRAHAM / THE FLAT HAT

their masks off. In dorms and dining halls, it is a personal choice whether or not the student wants to wear a mask, and we, as peers, should not be trying to sway another student to be less safe or uncomfortable.

Academic buildings are one of the few places where there is no real reason to have our masks off, and it is no more than a small hindrance to have it on for the fifty-minute to hour-and-twenty-minute classes. Going to class is one of the few places where, on a regular basis, I am coming into contact with people I don’t know, and it’s the bare minimum to keep a mask on.

We have to take into account that COVID19 is not gone, nor will it ever be. Right now we’re in a valley between waves and it’s only a matter of time until the next surge comes. If we don’t want to run into the same problems we’ve had for the last two years, it would be smart to leave our masks on.

I’m almost certain that the College will lift the mask mandate for classrooms sometime soon after spring break, but I for one will leave mine on. Having a conversation with hallmates and classmates about how to handle wearing or not wearing a mask can alleviate any animosity that may form and will allow everyone to get a better understanding of why wearing our masks is so important.

I’m not the first person to say this, but COVID-19 is no more than a regular illness for the majority of the healthy population.

But we’re not being safe for ourselves. We’re being safe for those few friends who could die if they got COVID-19. We have to be safe for everyone else.

Seth Novak ‘25 is majoring in government and American studies. He plays on the club lacrosse team and is a member of the Sigma Pi fraternity, while also being the president of the Randolph Complex Community Council.

Email Seth at stnovak@email. wm.edu.

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

THE FLAT HAT| Tuesday, March 22, 2022 | Page 3

GUEST COLUMN

New signs around campus serve no purpose for visitors a pressing need or solve an important problem. I got lost on the trails once — and never again. Students, the trails’ most FLAT HAT COPY EDITOR common users, quickly get the hang of navigating them. The locals walking their If you’ve taken the trails in the past dogs seem to have their bearings too. New couple of weeks, I’m sure you’ve seen students and families from college tours the useless signs that have cropped would be the only ones to benefit from up. Of moderate height, made with signage at all. Provided the signs were unassuming wooden poles and simple actually helpful, that is. Which the current plaques, the signs are not attention ones are not. grabbers. That is, until you take a I do not know who made the decision minute to read what they say. to approve the project, useless vague signs Aside from the bigger sign at the and all. Or why attention and resources main entrance of the trails, the vast were directed towards a minor issue when majority of them read: “Campus Access.” more pressing ones remain unresolved. Of Nestled on one side of the Crim Dell course, pursuing one directive does not lies my particular favorite, which remove one’s ability to pursue others. Nor features two identical plaques that am I saying that the College of William point in completely opposite directions, and Mary should only focus on the most epitomizing just how unhelpful this important of issues and ignore the smaller needless ones that only addition to impact students’ our campus quality of life really is. on campus. But Now, I can why is it that see the case these signs were for adding erected when signs to the Cabell Hall trails. I, remains closed myself, made with no sign of a wrong turn construction, on my first when the day of classes, weekend food winding up offerings remain in the outer so limited and reaches of unvaried that New Campus, it has become far away from a chore to eat, the desired and when viable St. George long-term Tucker Hall. solutions to the What I can’t housing crisis understand is have not been why someone proposed? decided The signs are a vague a daily reminder umbrella term of the resource would suffice mismanagement, for denoting VERONICA BONDI / THE FLAT HAT cut corners and all areas of campus rushed projects not located within that, at best, make the Sadler Center. little to no impact It is not as though there are no on student lives and, at worst, cause landmark locations at the other end of the headaches that plague students for years trails. They lead to various dorms, The (One Tribe Place, I’m looking at you). The Caf, Earl Gregg Swem Library and more College needs to get their priorities in — the names of which would have made order; more is not always better. A project’s excellent labels and provided meaningful completion is only worth as much as its directional aid. Or perhaps the College impact on the College’s community — and could have marked intersections with the signs barely add anything at all. rudimentary street signs, enabling Veronica Bondi is a freshman at the students to give easy-to-follow directions College of William and Mary. She hasn’t to anyone lost on the trail (“Take a left decided what she’s majoring in yet, but at Sign A, then go straight until you see she’s interested in English, Marketing Sign B…” etc). The administration might and Government and she is planning on as well have done nothing at all with how double majoring. She is a copy editor for much the signs add, or rather don’t, to the The Flat Hat, a Facilitator-in-Training for navigability of campus.

Tribe Innovation, a Writing Resources This begs a different question entirely.

Center Trainee and a member of Library Why are the signs even up in the first Ambassadors. Email Veronica at place? Sure, I can see their potential vabondi@email.wm.edu. utility, but it is not as though they fulfill

Veronica Bondi

COMIC

Fuzzy 9: Fuzzy takes a class with guest star Professor Lockwood COMIC BY ARIANNA STEWART / THE FLAT HAT

THE FLAT HAT

Tuesday, March 22, 2022

GUEST COLUMN

Gender-inclusive housing needs to be guaranteed Crystal Wang FLAT HAT COPY EDITOR

It has come to my attention that gender-inclusive housing for students is not guaranteed for the next academic year. The Flat Hat recently released an article about the new housing policy and upon reading the article, I am not impressed with Residence Life.

It comes as no surprise that ResLife has been bad at its job this year: closing One Tribe Place, inducing a housing crisis for upperclassmen, not contacting those upperclassmen about their housing crisis, reopening One Tribe Place once they noticed their major oopsie, etc. Now, don’t get me wrong, ResLife has a hard job and, if rumors are to be believed, they have a lot of new staff this year.

But they had one job: to make sure that students have a safe place to live. They had one job and somehow failed to do it. However, the issue of gender-inclusive housing not being guaranteed is not new. I reached out to ResLife after reading The Flat Hat article, inquiring about what is happening with gender-inclusive housing.

They wrote back in an email that “Gender Inclusive Housing is not guaranteed in any year.”

However, the issue of gender-inclusive housing not being guaranteed is not new This was alarming since I was under the impression that those who needed gender-inclusive housing would receive it. Not guaranteeing gender-inclusive housing for gender nonconforming students is like a slap to the face. It implies that the needs of those students aren’t guaranteed to be met. It implies that the needs of those students are not as important as the needs of other students.

Furthermore, having gender-inclusive housing isn’t just a comfort issue; it is a safety issue. Not being able to room with people who affirm your gender identity could tank a person’s mental health. Someone who doesn’t fully identify as a man rooming with a bunch of men or someone who doesn’t fully identify as a woman rooming with a bunch of women when they don’t want to isn’t okay. It actively denies their gender identity.

Transgender people are already much more likely to have anxiety and depression, issues that plague the College of William and Mary’s history. Denying their gender identity only makes the issue worse.

While I don’t totally consider myself a woman, it is not affecting my mental health to room with and use the same bathroom as people who do consider themselves women. However, I am not the blueprint; not every transgender or gender-nonconforming person is the same. While I would be comfortable with rooming with people who don’t share my exact gender identity, I know people who would not be. I know people who didn’t go to an all-women’s college despite being assigned female at birth because it would not be gender-affirming. I know a current College student whose housing situation is affecting their mental health because it is not gender-affirming. This is an actual issue that some people face.

Not being able to room with people who affirm your gender identity could tank a personʼs mental health

STAFF COLUMN

Top ten bathrooms on campus Eduardo Rodriguez Gonzalez FLAT HAT OPINIONS ASSOC. EDITOR

After exploring different avenues to alleviate myself on campus, I have compiled a list of my favorite bathrooms for those who value their toilet time. The rankings were based on each bathroom’s performance in relation to three distinct categories. The categories are based on what I believe are the most important aspects of any enjoyable experience. The bathroom must feature an attractive ambiance, privacy or limited traffic and a commitment to cleanliness.

Privacy is pivotal. One unwanted guest in the room could trigger my anxiet y and ruin my bathroom experience. Visits shouldn’t be traumatic and limited traffic creates a stress and judgment free environment. Of the three categories, I find privacy by far the most important. Ambiance is defined by lighting and architectural design. The bathroom should be attractive with unique designs and fancy sinks. The ambiance of a bathroom should be sensual, worthy of a mirror selfie. Obviously, ever yone agrees that cleanliness and scent are of utmost importance. There is nothing more disappointing than a disgusting bathroom with a putrid smell.

That being said, here is my humble review of my favorite bathrooms on campus. I understand that not everyone may welcome the review and that it may provide details you never considered important; however, I know there are picky potty pickers out there, and this one’s for you.

The Top Ten Bathrooms on Campus: 1. Earl Gregg Swem Library basement allgender bathrooms The holy grail and my personal favorite bathroom of choice. The all-gendered bathrooms located in the Swem basement feature perfect privacy, wonderful ambiance and are kept quite clean. The one on the right has more square footage than my own room and has a quaint chair in the corner for your jacket and backpack.

The lattice on the overhead lighting creates a perfect calming environment. Overall its grandeur is unmatched and perfect for prolonged potty visits.

2. Sir Christopher Wren Building, third f loor These bathrooms embody the colonial. Ver y private and ver y clean, but these bathrooms’ greatest strength is their ambiance.

The sunlight f loods these rooms to drown your worries. A great go experience with a side of goldenhour mirror selfies?

Yes please.

4. Third Floor Washington Hall

6. Second Floor Chancellors Hall The only reason this was not placed higher is because it is often a little too crowded for comfort. I feel strongly about the 4K, full body mirror because it can either be a big confidence booster when you wear that outfit you like or it can be terribly humbling after a belligerent Thursday night. However, its sleek feel and unique tiles land it a spot at number six.

7. First Floor James Blair Hall Firstly, it’s fun to skip on the tiles to get there.

The bathroom just exudes history or philosophy major energy from the warm lighting to the odd soap dispensers. The end stall has ample wiggle room, but there is nothing particular about the bathroom that makes it shine other than good vibes. Usually empty of traffic so feel free to empty your bowels here.

8. Integrated Science Center ISC has a plethora of good bathrooms, but that might be the problem. There are too many mediocre bathrooms with no real luster. My personal favorites are located on the newer wing, specifically the bathroom in the basement next to the elevator. The bathrooms are usually neat and since there are so many to choose from, they are usually empty.

9. Second Floor Campus Center These bathrooms are hidden towards the back and unlike their first f loor counterparts, their stalls reach from the ceiling to the f loor. It is usually quiet up there, but at the sink, the mirror is behind you? The uncomfortable 180 degree turn to check myself out before public exposure is awkward and therefore this bathroom is stuck at number nine. Overall a good time though.

10. Sike, I lied.

An honorable mention: The Daily Grind little single.

3. McLeod Tyler Wellness Center The creative sink is not the only thing you will fall in love with. Very private, these are some of the best and newest the College has to offer. Its intimate details and quiet disposition feel almost too comfortable. Plus, the waterfall in the lobby is a nice foreshadowing touch.

are faithful and have plent y of mirror space to check up on that business casual look. The toilets have a particularly crisp f lush if that tickles your fancy.

This spot was left purposely blank and up to interpretation. I am currently on the search for our tenth spot and I am providing ample room to move the list around should I discover another private, pretty, and pristine potty room for our most necessary needs. Stick around for a revised version as that will possibly include new locations popping up as construction finishes.

I/ IC L T H EL HA AP AB T GR IS FLA

BY HE T

ResLife tried to justify this in the same email by writing that “this year (and in prior Flexible Housing years) we have not run out of eligible spaces during the room selection process.” This implied that this situation had yet to be a problem. But I still see a problem. If giving people gender-inclusive housing has never been an issue, then why not just guarantee it?

Why still dangle the possibility of not having genderinclusive housing in front of people like a threat?

There are two possible answers. The first is that there aren’t enough rooms with private or suite bathrooms available to accommodate everyone in the future.

The second is that, to ResLife, the issue of guaranteed gender-inclusive housing isn’t even important enough to be a blip on their radar. I hope for the sake of ResLife that the answer is the former.

Gender-inclusive housing should be guaranteed.

Transgender students and gender-nonconforming students deserve to feel just as safe and just as seen as everyone else.

Crystal Wang ’25 is planning to major in English and History. In addition to being a copy editor for the Flat Hat, she writes for the DoGStreet Journal and is a member of WM Archery.

Email Crystal at cwang28@wm.edu

Page 4

The best part of this bathroom is the open window by the last stall. W hile this bathroom may be occasionally busy in between classes, it is generally empt y and fairly tidy. On a nice fall day or bright summer afternoon, the window is wide enough to give the bathroom an outdoor feel without sacrificing privacy. The leaves rustle in the wind, and if you feel curious to look out and down, you have a bird’s eye view of the Sunken Garden and the hustle and bustle of the people on it. Overall, a unique experience but exclusive to non-rainy days.

5. First Floor Raymond A. Mason School of Business These bathrooms carr y themselves similarly to the Wellness Center, carr ying the College’s limited modernit y on its back. These bathrooms

The Daily Grind little single. While it is completely private, it can feel a little hostile with the bombardment of knocking at the door.

Plus when you walk out, you are greeted by everyone in the little room who knows exactly how long you were in there for. It’s also not that clean, to be honest.

W hile I did indeed analyze the best bathrooms for your buck, I would suggest actively avoiding The Common’s bathrooms as they are the worst bathrooms available. W hy are the doors always open, and why are they never clean? W hy must we subject ourselves to such a poor state of affairs? And what on earth is that smell? I digress.

If there is anything I can leave you with, it is that potty time is a sacred time. We do it every day, and might as well enjoy the go. So check out these locations to diversify your potty palette.

Remember to wipe, my friends.

Eduardo ‘24 is majoring in government and minoring in Latin American studies. He kindly asks that should you have alternate restroom location recommendations, please send them to eerodriguezgon@wm.edu

variety

Variety Editor Vivian Hoang Variety Editor Madeleine Harris flathat.variety@gmail.com // @theflathat THE FLAT HAT | Tuesday, March 22, 2022 | Page 5

JUSTIN SHERLOCK // THE FLAT HAT

Campus-wide Purim carnival celebrates culture, Jewish religion

The College of William and Maryʼs Hillel, Challah for Hunger, AEPi invite students to experience Jewish culture, traditions through Purim Carnival CHLOE JONES // THE FLAT HAT

Sunday, March 6, the College of William and Mary’s three Jewish organizations — Hillel, Challah for Hunger and the Jewish Fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi — hosted an extravagant Purim carnival that lit up the Sunken Garden with joy, laughter and cheer.

The welcoming atmosphere was accompanied by bounce houses, delicious food, face painting, field games like cornhole and Kan Jam and live music by the band Phrases. This event was open to the community and served as an opportunity for others to learn more about and become immersed in Jewish culture.

“Purim is celebrating when the Jews, many years ago in Persia, were able to escape being persecuted, by being killed, by the right-hand man of the current King of Ahasuerus, this guy named Haman,” Hillel Social Chair Noam Stanislawski ’22 said.

While Haman serves as the antagonist of the story, Queen Esther of the Persian Empire, along with her uncle Mordechai, serve as heroes of the story when they save the Jews from their persecution. Queen Esther, who originally concealed her Jewish identity, spoke up and saved her people when she heard about Haman’s plan to persecute the Jews in Persia. Esther now serves as a feminist symbol — her role as a hero in this story is retold to individuals every year on Purim.

“It’s a holiday that not a lot of people, other than Jews, know about but it’s a very fun holiday, and I think it’s a very accessible one to non-Jews,” Shabbat and Holiday Co-Chair of Hillel Rebekah Cohodas ‘23 said. “I personally love it because it’s a feminist-based holiday because the main protagonist is a female,

which you don’t often get in these more older, religious practices, but this one is very female-centered and powerful.”

Purim also involves parties and carnivals with lots of food and drinks.

The carnival incorporated many of the traditions associated with the celebration of this classic Jewish holiday, such as baking a traditional Jewish dessert hamantaschen, doing charitable work and retelling the Purim story from the Book of Esther.

As part of the event, the Purim story, traditionally told in Hebrew from the Book of Esther (the Megillah), was translated in English to accommodate all students.

“One of the really cool traditions is that you’re supposed to boo out the antagonist, Haman, so whenever you say Haman’s name, you make a lot of noise, you say ‘boo,’ and you use the noisemakers — the graggers — to drown out his name,” Cohodas said.

Colorful graggers were provided to all attendees, inviting them to partake in this tradition.

Inspiration for the event came from attending a Diwali celebration hosted by the South Asian Student Association in Sadler months prior. This cultural celebration was open to all students and had an enormous amount of support by the campus community while also offering great food.

“We thought Hillel should be on the map; we are the only purely Jewish cultural organization on campus,” Stanislawski said. “How else would we celebrate but with a big carnival open to anyone?”

Stanislawski further commented on Hillel’s mission to spread inclusivity and welcome others to experience the Jewish faith.

“The goal was just to have a big, campus-wide event where people can come and join, and whether you’re Jewish or not, there’s something for you,” Stanislawski said.

Shabbat and Holiday Co-Chair of Hillel Ike Bluestein ’23 noted that traditionally, Hillel throws a more low-key Purim event.

However, this year, the organization knew they wanted to make it a larger celebration, one that was more open and accessible to the public.

“We wanted this to get out there as a bigger thing; this is a great event to have a huge celebration for,” Bluestein said.

“It got a little bit bigger and bigger as we went, and we kinda added stuff on, and it became something really, really exciting.”

As planning got underway, Hillel decided to invite the other two Jewish organizations on campus, including Challah for Hunger, a nonprofit group at the College that sells Jewish baked goods for charity, and AEPi, the primary Jewish Greek organization on campus.

For Hillel, it was crucial to have students plan and host this celebration so that they could reflect on and incorporate their own experiences with Purim carnivals growing up.

“It was very important that we involved all three Jewish organizations that are on campus; that way it represented the students,” Cohodas said. “I really wanted it to represent the students and what their experiences with their Purim carnivals have been like.”

Both Challah for Hunger and AEPi brought different philanthropic initiatives to Purim as part of their involvement.

Challah for Hunger baked hamantaschen, which are triangle-shaped pastry cookies that are traditionally filled with jam, jellies or chocolate. These

desserts were a crowd favorite at the carnival and allowed attendees to sample a taste of Jewish culture.

“You make them in the shape of a triangle because it kind of mimics the hat of the antagonist of the Purim story, Haman,” Cohodas said.

Taking a more rambunctious route, AEPi hosted “Pie an AEPi Brother,” in which students could pay to smash a pie in AEPi members’ faces, and these funds went toward Jewish communities in Ukraine. This event was perhaps the most popular attraction at the Purim carnival for all students and an inexpensive way to donate to a worthwhile cause.

“Giving to charity is a big part of Purim, so AEPi is doing that with their ‘Pie a Pi’ fundraiser,” Bluestein said.

As a non-Jewish attendee, I felt so welcomed and included at this event. It was a great way to not only experience a culture that is foreign to you or that you know little about, but also build connections to other College students and become more deeply connected to the different cultures present at our school.

Attending these events that are open to all students is a great way to see and experience the diversity amongst students on this campus and is something I highly recommend. It is so important to preserve the different cultures and traditions held by each individual student at the College, and partaking in these sponsored events is a great way to grow your knowledge as well as create an inclusive environment in our community moving forward.

If you are looking for other ways to get involved, Hillel hosts weekly kosher Friday night dinners. Feel free to follow any of these three organizations on Instagram and support any of their future endeavors!

The Flat Hat

Tuesday, March 22, 2022

Page 6

REEL TALK

Reel Talk: The Batman (2022) a Long Review for the Long Halloween HANNAH RAY // FLAT HAT NEWS ASSOC. EDITOR Warning: spoilers ahead! My relationship with “The Batman” (2022) goes back all the way to June 2020, the year of the first DC FanDome event. School had been canceled three months earlier and a year of Zoom school was rapidly approaching in the months to come. Every movie had been pushed back at least a couple of months, if not a year or more. The DC FanDome event was everything I was holding on to for the coming future of blockbusters.

What I didn’t expect, however, was Nirvana blasting through my phone as I saw the edgiest Batman ever, played by Robert Pattinson no less.

Two months later, I marked “The Batman” as my most anticipated movie of 2021, and a year and a half later, in 2022, I’m glad to report that it paid off.

Thursday, March 3, 2022, I was drowning in homework and midterms, but I had one thing that I knew I wanted to do: make the thirty-minute walk to New Town to sit down in the Regal Cinemas for three hours and watch “The Batman” with my friends. Sitting in the theater, the screen fades to a black screen and boom: the giant, bright Warner Brothers logo fills the screen followed by the title of the film in that same bold lettering.

This is one of the best opening sequences I’ve ever seen in a movie theater. The film opens on a family on Halloween night, and even if you don’t know that much about Batman, you could suspect that this was Bruce Wayne’s parents in a silly domestic moment right before their murder in the alleys of Gotham. However, unlike the many subversions of my expectations, this is not the Waynes. Instead the movie starts, in true Gotham fashion, with the gruesome murder of Mayor Mitchells by the terrifying Riddler hiding in the shadows right behind him. Introducing the Riddler in this fashion sets him up to be a cold parallel to Batman. Who you thought were the soon-to-be-dead Waynes were actually the soon-to-be victims of the Riddler’s own vengeance for his destitute upbringing in the Gotham Orphanage. Already, both figures are seeking vengeance for their orphan statuses: the Riddler takes it out on the corrupt upper class of Gotham, while Batman opts for the criminals that run about the streets of Gotham at night.

And that’s exactly what we see next. Pattinson starts up a stellar edgy monologue as he walks through the chaotic streets of Gotham on Halloween night, talking about how the Bat Signal or even the mere sight of shadows sparks fear into street criminals. The monologue comes to fruition when we finally see it, or rather, we hear it. Batman’s heavy boots thunking into grimy puddles strikes fear into his targets and the audience itself. He doesn’t speak, the only words he utters are to state who he is and his purpose at the same time: “I’m vengeance.” Thus, we have two juxtaposed characters trying to do their best for Gotham in the only way Gotham knows how — dark, gritty violence.

Setting this film in year two of Bruce Wayne being Batman is genius. As a result, we are not force-fed the same story of his parent’s death (see: “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”), yet we still see Bruce Wayne dealing with the resulting trauma. We are spared the playboy Bruce Wayne persona and we instead get to see a tortured, conflicted Batman whose ideals come into question when the Riddler and Catwoman come into his life and turn his already upsidedown life even more upside-down. Bruce Wayne doesn’t need to speak because the audience already knows what he’s going through, given that

they have at least some prior Batman knowledge.

Bruce’s whole “vengeance” thing doesn’t work.

And it’s exactly Catwoman who shows him that.

He thinks that she is exactly like him, just in female form. Someone who has a conviction so great that they turn to a persona of night-crawling vigilantes.

Bruce isn’t expecting Selina Kyle to come into his life, but she does. She works perfectly into the puzzle pieces that are Batman and the Riddler.

Falcone, he stops himself.

Bruce’s growth throughout this film is subtle but amazing. You can tell that he hasn’t forgiven anyone for the death of his parents all those years ago. He is brusque with Alfred and does not fully trust him.

He is surprised when Alfred says that his cufflinks were given to him by Thomas Wayne. Even though Alfred taught Bruce how to fight (instead of him learning from ninjas), Bruce obviously wants to just

MONICA BAGNOLI // THE FLAT HAT

She is determined, strong, and dangerous, and it is Bruce’s mistake for thinking that she will be exactly like him. Their partnership is tenuous at best, both trying to use each other for their own gains. Selina, however, is not afraid to kill her enemies despite not having done it before. She is totally willing to pull the trigger where Batman just opts to brutally beat up a guy in the rain.

This difference comes to fruition when they both face Carmine Falcone who, coincidentally, killed both of their parents. Faced with a terrifying decision, Batman does not kill him and does not let Selina kill him. Again, he is struck with a brutal mirror of himself if he ever deigned to murder someone. Bruce sees himself in Selina, even though they come from vastly different backgrounds, and by stopping her from killing

be a vigilante on his own. By the end of the movie, Bruce has both learned the truth about his father’s death and also seen Alfred on the brink of death.

It shocks his system enough to realize that, deep down, he loves Alfred like a father and that it’s okay to let him into his life. Together, they can set out to realize Thomas Wayne’s vision for Gotham and truly bring justice for his untimely death.

The Riddler is pivotal to this. The shocking moment where the heroes unmask one of the Riddler’s followers for him to say, “I’m Vengeance,” is a cold shock to Bruce’s system. He realizes that even though this city took away his parents, his answer should not be to turn to vengeance. That is what those criminals have done: the higher-ups taking money out of Thomas Wayne’s renewal fund is an ache on the city that they contribute to through

seeking vengeance. Batman must turn away from violence and focus on helping the city through his masked endeavors.

Batman jumps into the flood below to help free the people trapped under the rubble from the fight he contributed to. Lighting a red flare, the first person to trust the Batman is the little kid that was orphaned from the first Riddler’s murder. Of all the Bruce Wayne mirror characters in this film, this boy is the first that Batman can help before it’s too late. By saving this kid, Bruce makes peace with the angry orphan inside him that wants vengeance on the city of Gotham. He now knows that he can instead support the city’s recovery from the Riddler and assure that nothing like this happens again, that no one needs to crave vengeance on Gotham and its innocent people.

“The Lego Batman Movie” says that all good movies start with a black screen and end with a white screen. “The Batman” opens with a gritty, dark scene in the rainy depths of Gotham’s underworld and the caped crusader that lives here is ruthless and dangerous, operating in the shadows. The whole movie operates at night, sunrise, sunset, or under cloud cover. However, the end of the film finds the sun shining on Batman holding a scared girl’s hand as she is lifted into a helicopter to be transported to a hospital. He is no longer the “Vengeance” that trusts no one. This is a Batman that has opened his heart and assistance to the city of Gotham. He is dedicated to healing Gotham and might just heal himself in the process.

Obviously, there is a lot in this movie to talk about (it’s three hours long). For some rapidfire things, the Batmobile scene was absolutely jaw-dropping. The engine start-up is one of the greatest, most visceral things to hear in the movie (apart from the Batman theme itself, of course). I cannot wait to see more of Colin Farrell’s Oswald Cobblepot-slash-Penguin. I felt that this film functioned mostly to introduce his character, but now that Carmine Falcone is out of the picture, he can truly shine in his villainy and clash with Batman as their ideals for Gotham wildly differ.

The introduction of a new Joker is always a daunting sight to see as that can go either really badly or really well. I have faith in this new Batman world to handle him in a fresh, new light that hopefully won’t bring too many outcries from Batman fans.

As for the future of this Robert Pattinson Batmanverse, I hope it doesn’t become a “cinematic universe” that so many people expect of comicbook movies these days. This film shined where it treated the audience as a mature group of Batman fans who wanted a new take on the Batman without a rehashing of what we’ve already seen. This film was wholly just about Batman; introducing aliens or different dimensions without taking away the grounded reality that’s already been established would be difficult and unnecessary. It’s been a while since we had a solely Batman-centric set of movies, and Robert Pattinson’s iteration of the character has the perfect chance to helm this microcosm of the DC Universe.

As for the future, I believe that the next step for this film series would be to introduce Robin. It’s been far too long since we had a live-action Robin on the big screen. The lessons Bruce Wayne learned in this film would come to the test raising another orphan boy. If he’s dedicated to helping Gotham, he would have to start where it started for him: with an orphan.

Hieroglyphics, biology, Indian politics: investigating honors theses Weighing the advantages and disadvantages of constructing an honors thesis.

JR HERMAN // FLAT HAT VARIETY ASSOC. EDITOR

COURTESY PHOTOS // ANNEMARIE WOLF

An honors thesis provides exceptional, driven students the opportunity to further pursue an area of academic interest while working closely with a faculty advisor.

Deciding to do an honors thesis, however, is not a decision to be made on a whim but is instead a serious commitment — these six-credit-hour independent research projects span an entire year and result in a thesis that must be defended before a faculty committee. Eligibility and specific requirements vary by department, but to give an idea of scale, an honors thesis is typically between 45 and 100 pages.

In the realm of the liberal arts, Annemarie Wolf ’22, a history major at the College of William and Mary, is studying regional dialects in ancient Egyptian texts and how these dialectal differences shed light on local identities.

Wolf developed an interest in Egyptology as a freshman after taking professor Jeremy

Pope’s Deciphering Ancient Egypt courses.

These courses led to her conducting two James Monroe Scholar Program research projects anchored in Egyptology, one about 25th dynasty name erasures and the other about the Coptic language.

When it came to her thesis, Wolf wanted to continue her study of ancient Egypt with Pope as her advisor but did not have a specific topic in mind until she somewhat randomly stumbled onto the idea. After attending a Zoom call where people happened to be discussing the concept of identity, she realized that she could examine Egyptian identity through her knowledge of both the Egyptian and Coptic languages.

Wolf said that planning an honors thesis involves a decent amount of paperwork, especially for those seeking summer funding from the Roy R. Charles Center who need to get a head start the summer before their senior year. Wolf, who received summer funding,

spent the whole summer doing research.

Wolf noted that the thesis requires an intense time commitment, and balancing a thesis with four other classes can be a “bit insane.” Wolf stressed that students should know that writing an honors thesis can be an extremely stressful experience, one which can also be a significant drain on one’s mental health, especially if coupled with COVID-19 burnout.

Wolf had decided to pursue an honors thesis because she thought the experience would make her a better student, but for those like her not interested in graduate school, Wolf explained that a thesis may not be worth the stress. Although she loves her topic and working with her advisor, if she could do it over again, she would not have opted to take on the added responsibility and stress.

Her advice to students considering a thesis is to “weigh the costs against the benefits very carefully” based on college and career goals.

More specifically, Wolf would not recommend a thesis to those who find writing or researching stressful or find themselves constantly needing extensions, and she notes that the experience can particularly be difficult for perfectionists who feel the need to try to examine every source in the literature.

Thomas Hess ’22, a biology major at the College, is studying the location of thyroid receptor hormones within cells for his honors thesis. Although Hess’ thesis technically falls under the biology department, he is also working with a data science professor for the modeling aspects of the project. Hess’ thesis is a combination of his academic interests — his study of thyroid receptor hormones stemmed from working in Dr. Lizabeth Allison’s lab for the past three years while the modeling side of the project was inspired by his data science minor.

Read the rest of the article and more at flathatnews.com.

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Tuesday, March 22, 2022

THE FLAT HAT

sports

THE F LAT HAT | Tuesday, March 22, 2022 | Page 8

BASEBALL

ZACHARY LUTZKY / THE FLAT HAT

Freshman Carter Lovasz pitches to a George Mason batter during William and Maryʼs 9-3 win over the Patriots last Friday, March 18 at Plumeri Park. Lovasz pitched the final three innings, allowed only one hit and received credit for the save.

Tribe ends losing streak with series sweep over George Mason College relies on good pitching, active bats in late innings to pull off comeback victories JAKE FORBES FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR William and Mary (8-9) swept George Mason (7-12) this weekend to break their six-game losing streak. After hosting the first game at Plumeri Park, William and Mary traveled to Fairfax for two road games at George Mason. The Tribe outscored the Patriots 20-9 during the series.

In the first game, William and Mary heavily relied on their explosive offense. After being down 3-0 in the third inning, the team scored four runs in the fourth inning. By the end of the fifth inning they jumped out to a 5-3 lead and did not look back.

They added another run in the sixth inning and three more in the eighth to give the pitching staff a comfortable edge coming down the stretch. Nine different players recorded a hit throughout the game, but graduate student David Hogarth was the only player to record two hits in the game. He finished 2 for 4 with two RBIs and one run.

Senior Zach Tsakounis started on the mound for William and Mary. He got off to a rocky

start, giving up five hits and three runs in three innings pitched.

Freshman Mike Weidinger came into the game in the fourth inning and recorded three strikeouts and no walks. He was credited with the first win of his college career. Freshman Carter Lovasz then pitched the final three innings, allowing just one hit and receiving credit for the save. The final score of the first game was 9-3.

The second game of the series was a pitching duel. Although both teams recorded seven hits during the game, they each struggled with leaving men on base. The Tribe struck first in the fifth inning when sophomore Nate Goranson scored on a sacrifice fly by senior Matt Thomas.

Junior Casey Green pitched lights out for the Tribe, lasting seven innings and giving up just two hits. Graduate student Randy Prosperi came in for the eighth inning but struggled, allowing five hits and a run in 2.1 innings. George Mason scored in the eighth off an RBI single. With neither team able to score in the ninth inning, the game went into extras.

After a scoreless 10th inning, Hogarth singled up the middle to drive in junior Joe Delossantos,

putting William and Mary ahead. Junior Matt Howat pitched 1.1 innings and gave up no hits to seal the deal for the Tribe. He received credit for the win, his first of the season.

After a nerve-wracking second game on the road, the Tribe got off to a slow start in the series finale. The Patriots managed to score one run in the first inning and held the lead for three innings. Senior Jack Cone allowed a leadoff single and several wild pitches that brought in the first run for George Mason.

William and Mary’s bats came alive in the fourth inning and they tied the game at one apiece. Junior Ben Williamson hit a single to center field, followed by a double to right center from Cone. Goranson followed with an RBI grounder that drove Williamson into home.

The Patriots responded quickly, managing to tack on two more runs in the bottom of the inning. The Tribe crawled back, managing to score another run in the sixth. However, George Mason responded with another run of their own in the seventh.

After cutting the Patriots’ lead down to one in the eighth, the Tribe had one more inning to tie

the game or take the lead. Delossantos started off the team with an infield hit. Then, senior Phil Conti reached on an error that advanced Delossantos into scoring position. Junior Mark Trotta hit an RBI grounder that drove in Delossantos to tie the game.

However, the Tribe did not stop there. Conti scored on a single from Thomas to give William and Mary a 5-4 lead. Williamson then drove in Thomas on a single to left center.

Junior Cole Ragone and Williamson each recorded a hit to keep up the momentum, and then Cone was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Goranson. He managed a double that scored a pair of runs and increased the lead to four. Cone later scored on a wild pitch to increase the Tribe lead to 9-4.

The five-run deficit was too big for George Mason, who managed just one run in the bottom of the ninth off a homer. Senior Rojo Prairie pitched the last three innings and recorded his first win of the season.

After a confidence boosting series, the Tribe will travel to Durham, NC, on Tuesday, March 22, to face Duke.

MENʼS TENNIS

WOMENʼS GYMNASTICS

College finishes season Pellerito carries Tribe to victory over UAB at GEC Championship Menʼs tennis looks to carry momentum into final stretch of season Tribe gymnasts cap off season with personal, team records JAKE FORBES FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR William and Mary earned their highest team score of the season at the Gymnastics East Conference (GEC) Championship at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, last Saturday, March 19.

The team finished in seventh place.

Junior Emma Wiley led the way for the Tribe with a score of 9.600. Close behind, freshman Sarah Kuper finished with a 9.550.

Kuper and freshman Sarah Wozniak led the Tribe on bars with scores of 9.550 and 9.600, respectively. In addition to posting career-high scores on the event, Kuper and Wozniak’s performances

played a key role in William and Mary scoring its season best in the event.

Wiley and senior Chloe Campbell each posted career highs of 9.725 on beam.

The Tribe made up some ground on floor, recording their season high in the event with a 48.875. Campbell registered another career high with 9.850, and junior Abby Carpenter posted a 9.825 to attain a new personal record.

Junior Keaghan Schafer finished sixth in the allaround with a 38.325, her new career best. Schafer’s finish earned her second-team allconference honors.

Kuper finished right behind Schaefer in seventh with a 38.200.

Want more Flat Hat Sports coverage?

For your daily dose of all things Tribe Athletics at the visit flathatnews.com

FH

KELSI PUTNAM FLAT HAT SPORTS ASSOC. EDITOR William and Mary (9-5, CAA 2-0) defeated the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) (6-11) 4-3 after a late comeback from senior Daniel Pellerito last Saturday, March 19. The victory marked the Tribe’s sixth straight win.

The Tribe faced hardship as half of their usual singles players were unable to play. The team relied on their underclassmen, including freshman Sean Joseph, stepping up.

Joseph won his match and brought his record up to 4-4, giving the Tribe their first point of the day. Saturday was the first time Joseph played at the No. 5 spot. After losing the first singles match, Joseph’s victory proved key for William and Mary.

Senior Joseph Brailovsky continued his winning streak, scoring his sixth straight victory for William and Mary and clinching the second point for the Tribe. He won his games 6-1 and 6-3, helping to spike the morale of the Tribe.

Graduate student Harrison Brown struggled in his singles match as he lost to UAB junior Michal Lusovsky. However, Brown and junior George Davis mounted a comeback in their doubles match. This marks the duo’s fifth straight win together and was the only doubles match William and Mary won.

The most impressive comeback of the match, however, was between Pellerito and

UAB freshman Nikola Puric. Pellerito and Puric went one-for-one in their first two sets, and the fate of the match rested in the third.

Pellerito was down 4-1, but just as his team had rallied all day, he shut down Puric to win five straight sets and secure a 6-4 win in the game to lead the Tribe to victory. This win

was especially exciting for Pellerito, who had previously lost to Puric in the doubles match earlier in the day.

After losing to No. 49 Penn on Sunday, March 20, The Tribe will host Drexel on Tuesday, March 22, at the Mackesy Tennis Center at the Millie West Courts.

COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS

Teammates gather around senior Daniel Pellerito after his match against UAB on Saturday, March 19.