The Flat Hat April 6 2021

Vol. 111, Iss. 3 ¦ Tuesday, April 6, 2021

The Flat Hat The Weekly Student Newspaper

of The College of William and Mary

Flathatnews.com ¦ Follow us:

STUDENTS UNITE IN SUPPORT OF NTE LANGUAGE PROFESSORS

REBECCA KLINGER / THE FLAT HAT GRAPHIC BY MOLLY PARKS / THE FLAT HAT

Departments struggle to meet curricular needs with potential loss of faculty CLAIRE HOGAN AND CALLIE BOOTH // FLAT HAT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND FLAT HAT NEWS ASSOC. Wednesday Dec. 9 and Friday Dec. 11, 12 non-tenure eligible faculty members at the College of William and Mary were informed that their contracts may not be renewed for the next academic year.

The faculty members were told that by March they would know whether they could stay at the College. Now, the deadline has been pushed back to May, leaving these faculty members, as well as their departments and students, anticipating the decision on their futures at the College.

Though the affected faculty come from a range of disciplines, much of the recent student activism on the issue has been focused on four NTE faculty members, all from the Modern Languages and Literatures department. German studies lecturer Veronika Burney, visiting assistant professor of Russian studies Marina Filipovic, Italian lecturer Sara Mattavelli and Arabic studies lecturer Peiyu Yang are all facing potential contract non-renewals, but will not receive the College’s final decision until next month.

While many of the 12 NTE faculty members hoped for a final decision on their contracts in March, Dean of Arts and Sciences Maria Donoghue Velleca explains that this was not a firm deadline.

“I committed to keeping our NTE faculty up to date with all developments; but cautioned that the earliest I expected more clarity on the budget would be March 2021,” Donoghue Valleca said in an email. “I have continued meeting with an A&S NTE advisory group every other week and hold A&S NTE town halls every month to update faculty with the information I have. There has never been a set date on when new contracts might be offered.”

According to Donoghue Velleca, much of this uncertainty stems from the College’s budget. Back in December, the College of Arts and Sciences was asked to plan for a 5% reduction in their operational expenses, leading Donoghue Velleca to notify the affected NTE

faculty that their contracts may not be renewed. However, this 5% reduction is not definite: depending on the College’s enrollment, tuition costs and other factors, the NTE contracts may be renewed after all. This, Donoghue Velleca argues, is why the final contract decision remains up in the air.

“Here we are in April 2021, and our budget situation has become less clear,” Donoghue Velleca said. “The W&M Board of Visitors postponed its decision on setting next year’s tuition, from February to April. And we don’t know student enrollments for Fall 2021. Thus, we are not sure of our revenues. In addition, we are facing an unexpected state-mandated salary increase for current full-time faculty and staff, which we do not expect to be fully funded by the state (W&M will be required to make up the balance of the salary increase). This means we have additional costs.”

However, for the faculty affected, this postponement of the final contract decision has left many feeling drained.

“While I understand that the administration does not want to make any hasty decisions, it is extremely frustrating and mentally exhausting to be ‘put on hold’ like this,” Burney said in an email. “My colleagues and I deserve answers, and we deserve to keep our jobs.

Because of this, most of us are currently on the job market, which puts us under additional stress that we’re facing while still teaching our regular course load and completing additional invisible labor that comes with our jobs. Not to mention the additional stress of living through a pandemic, for us and our students.”

Of the four affected NTEs in Modern Languages and Literatures, none are U.S. citizens, layering additional complications on top of potential unemployment.

“I understand the good intentions, but this is a huge problem for international faculty who need VISAs to work in the United

States,” Mattavelli said in an email. “The uncertainty is very stressful. There are hiring freezes almost everywhere, and I am very worried about my future and that of my colleagues.”

Though NTE positions are typically offered on a one or twoyear contract, NTE faculty are involved in all facets of the College’s campus: from teaching undergraduates to running extracurricular programs, with some even serving as faculty advisors for students.

Professor Robert Leventhal, German studies program director, points to NTE faculty members as key members of the College community.

“The idea that they're just teaching a language course or two is just not true,” Leventhal said. “These are full-fledged faculty members who are involved in every aspect of university life.”

For Mattavelli, the list of her on-campus involvements is lengthy: she is the director of a summer study abroad program in Florence, Italy, a Teaching Innovation Fellow at the Studio for Teaching and Learning Innovation, the Italian House and Italian club faculty advisor and a pre-major and major advisor. Trying to maintain these responsibilities while facing potential unemployment, Mattavelli says, has been arduous.

“This semester has been particularly difficult because on top of all my responsibilities as the only full time NTE in Italian, my service to the college and the profession (I am an elected representative of the American Association of Teachers of Italian), I need to navigate a terrible job market and figure out what my life could be outside of academia,” Mattavelli said. “All of this during a global pandemic.”

For a small program like Italian, Leventhal says, losing Mattavelli would have major consequences.

“When we're talking about the Italian program here on campus, I can say with absolute, 100 degree certainty that the elimination of See NTE page 8

DATA

FSPAC contributions cause unease among fraternities, sororities FSPAC funds force fraternity, sorority members to question where their due payments go MOLLY PARKS AND NICHOLAS REEDER FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR AND FLAT HAT DATA EDITOR

At the start of each semester, Fraternity and Sorority Life members look forward to new social events, reuniting with their brothers or sisters and moving back into their fraternity and sorority houses. However, the dawn of a new semester also brings the dreaded responsibility of dropping hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars on fraternity and sorority dues, with most students unaware of where exactly the money goes.

INDEX News Opinions Variety Sports News

2 3-4 5-6 7 8

The dues that Fraternity and Sorority Life members pay usually go toward the chapters themselves, national headquarters, the College’s Interfraternity Council or Panhellenic Council and individual housing corporations that fund and maintain on-campus Greek facilities.

The main controversy surrounding the dues is through the housing cooperation fund, which is indirectly correlated with the Fraternity and Sorority Political Action Committee, or FSPAC. FSPAC is a super PAC that lobbies for the interests of Fraternity and Sorority Life members and alumni in Washington by working to elect

fraternity and sorority alumni and advocates of their community.

Assistant Director of Student Leadership Development Joseph Wheeless discussed his knowledge of FSPAC. The PAC has consistently claimed that they have no political affiliation, but have consistently donated more of its funds to Republican candidates than Democratic candidates.

According to OpenSecrets.com, a website that compiles campaign contributions from the FEC in a digestible manner for the public, in 2020, 85% of FSPAC’s senatorial contributions

Inside Opinions

Inside Variety

Aidan White '23 describes his account of his altercation with Provost Peggy Agouris during her office hours. News of the altercation quickly sparked outrage across campus. page 3

Activist group Political Latinxs United for Movement and Action in Society, or PLUMAS, works to lift campus' marginalized voices. page 6

Dear Peggy Agouris: I am not a Liar

Power with a Pen

were donated to Republican campaigns ($68,000 went to Republicans as opposed to $12,000 to Democrats). The senatorial candidates who received the most money from FSPAC in 2020 were Georgia battleground candidates Kelly Leoffler and David Perdue, who were both in two of the closest senate races of 2020, and both the Republican candidates of their respective runoffs.

Overall, since 2006, FSPAC has donated more money to Republican campaigns than See DATA page 8

Inside Sports

Tribe Baseball Series Starts Strong Against Spiders Tribe baseball overpowers the Richmond spiders, winning 4 - 3 in series opener on Friday Apr. 2. page 7

newsinsight “

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

“

The Flat Hat ¦ Tuesday, April 6, 2021 ¦ Page 2

THE BUZZ

What we see is a lot of hypocrisy behind closed doors. High up individuals in these Greek organizations try to promote equity and seem progressive, but ultimately they are still supporting candidates that actively work against these goals.

̶ Sophia Kingsley 21

FLAT HAT NEWS NUGGET Provost s mental health comment in office hours sparks outrage, petition for removal Thursday, Apr. 1, Provost Peggy Agouris held open office hours via Zoom, inviting students to discuss campus issues such as non-tenure eligible faculty and the issue regarding the pass/fail policy. However, a brief exchange with student Aidan White ’23 over mental health concerns sent shockwaves through the College of William and Mary community, leading to widespread outrage and a Change. org petition for Agouris’ removal.

The news spread to students when White posted a tweet, recapping the exchange.

“Just got off Provost Agouris’s office hours,” White wrote.

“When I said that I was concerned that my friends would engage in self-harm because of the stress of this semester, she said ‘give me a break’ and LAUGHED.” The tweet has been retweeted over 127 times and holds 497 likes as of Friday, Apr. 2. White originally went to Agouris’ office hours on behalf of the College Socialists’ labor committee, intending to ask about NTE faculty contracts. However, the conversation eventually shifted to the administration’s decision not to expand the pass/fail policy this semester. White recalls that many students had attended the office hours to talk about pass/fail, but Agouris did not seem responsive to student concerns when the topic arose.

“As soon as pass/fail came up, the energy of the call became very weird,” White said. “Prior to that, the provost had listened to our questions in full, and then given full responses, and then just moved on to the next student. But when that first student started talking about pass/fail, she actually interrupted him and started to ask us questions instead.”

COURTESY PHOTO / COREY BRIDGES

Corey Bridges 21 is a member the Williamsburg-based band Ms. Lonely, which will be performing for the first time in over a year Apr. 7. at WCWM Mini-Fest.

RADIO REBEL

Read more at flathatnews.com CLAIRE HOGAN / THE FLAT HAT EDITOR IN CHIEF

CALLIE BOOTH // FLAT HAT ASSOC. NEWS EDITOR

A THOUSAND WORDS

CLAIRE HOGAN / 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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Corey Bridges 21 leads the College s music scene as WCWM station manager

Emma Ford Operations Coordinator Isabella DiFulvio Webmaster Victor Tran Webmaster Ashley Huang Online Editor Noah Broude Online Editor Erica Smedley Social Media Editor Judith Hahn Podcast Editor Nina Raneses Copy Chief Jamie Holt Photos Editor Nick Meyer Photos Editor Georgia Thoms Chief Staff Writer Adithi Ramakrishnan Chief Variety Writer Tara Vasanth Graphics Editor Linda Li Variety Assoc. Editor Daly Martorano Variety Assoc. Editor Bushra Bablu Opinions Assoc. Editor Elaine Godwin Opinions Assoc. Editor Caitlin Noe Opinions Assoc. Editor Jake Forbes Sports Assoc. Editor Leif McCoy Data Assoc. Editor Ellie Voorhis Online Assoc. Editor Justin Sherlock Photos Assoc. Editor

If you were to visit the basement of Campus Center, you would likely find Corey Bridges ’21 working as the station manager for the College of William and Mary’s campus radio station, WCWM 90.9 FM. Bridges is an economics major and music minor originally from Herndon, Virginia who has been involved with WCWM since the fall of his freshman year. Now, as a senior, Bridges has become a notable presence in the music community at the College.

“I had no idea that the college had a radio station until I went to the activities fair my freshman year,” Bridges said in an email. “I was immediately drawn to it because the idea of having my own radio show was something I found really unique and something I probably wouldn’t have the opportunity to do outside of college.”

By October of his freshman year, Corey and several of his hallmates were fully trained to be DJs at the station. Four years later, he and many of these same friends share the responsibility of running the station. Along with being the station’s manager, Bridges co-hosts a radio show entitled the “Corey/ Tori Story” with a friend from his freshman hall, Tori McCaffrey ’21, which revolves around a variety of themes every week.

“Some of our themes this semester have included love songs, letters of the alphabet, internet viral music, and teenage angst.”

Bridges said. “I’d say we’re also pretty funny when we’re not playing music since the things we talk about aren’t really planned and we’re just speaking from the dome.”

As station manager, Bridges has a multitude of responsibilities, including communicating with DJs to help troubleshoot equipment, planning the stations annual music festival, WCWM Fest and preparing WCWM’s vinyl collection to be moved to the Sadler West expansion, which is where WCWM will reside upon the completion of construction.

Bridges has also

been able to help with the 60th anniversary of WCWM during his sophomore year, which he described as his proudest achievement with radio.

“I was one of the historians my sophomore year and I did a lot to put together this binder of assorted items I felt were relevant to the station’s history like the original broadcast permit for example,” Bridges explained. This evolved into greater discussions with Special Collections in Swem Library about possible donations from the station which then merged with an idea to celebrate our 60th anniversary.”

Outside of the radio station, Bridges works the desk at the Reeder Media Center in Earl Gregg Swem Library and is also heavily involved in the music performance scene on campus. His f a v o r i t e instrument to play is the guitar, due to its versatile nature, which makes it able to be used with various genres and playing styles. Bridges also listens to

numerous genres of music, but recently has been getting more into ska — a Jamaican genre which has influences from Caribbean music and American jazz.

Bridges originally played guitar and sang at the Meridian Coffeehouse’s cover nights, either alone or with friends he claimed could sing better than him. However in fall 2019, he formed a band with some of his friends called Ms. Lonely.

According to a story on WCWM’s Instagram account, the first song the group performed was a cover of a song by Mitski, and they have been “absolutely shredding ever since.”

Ms. Lonely has been greatly affected by the pandemic, since they were formed only a few months before the first COVID-19 lockdowns were put into place in March 2020.

“We’ve only played a few shows as a group because we first formed in Fall 2019 and the pandemic has made doing any practices/ performances extremely difficult,” Bridges said.

“However, we

COURTESY PHOTO / COREY BRIDGES

are playing at WCWM MiniFest on April 7, so we’re really excited to get back together!”

This will be Ms. Lonely’s first performance in over a year, as their last performance was at the Meridian Coffeehouse in February 2020.

In addition to performing at this year’s WCWM Mini-Fest, Bridges has also been involved with organizing the fest through his role as station manager.

“The station manager has always been pretty involved with the production of WCWM Fest,” Bridges said. “In a normal year, they would get a list of acts available to perform at colleges in a given semester and pick one after discussion with the events team.

Much of it after that is emailing all sorts of people that help with setting up the performance contract, securing lighting/sound equipment, and reserving the space where we hold the event.

All this while working with student volunteers to put together a staff of people that will make the promotional material and be in attendance the day of the event to help set up the stage and break it down at the end of the day.”

After his graduation this spring, Bridges shared how he hopes to combine his interests in finance and music. He is currently in the process of applying for virtual internships at record labels this summer. He is particularly excited about interviewing for an accounting and finance internship with 300 Entertainment, which is the label for Grammy award winner Meghan Thee Stallion.

Although he has had quite a large involvement with music and radio at the College, he is unsure of what kind of legacy he will leave behind after graduation.

“I don’t think my legacy will be all that grand because I’m a pretty ‘to-myself’ kind of person, but that’s okay,” Bridges said. “As long as the younger generation in radio knows that I gave it my all, I’ll be fine.”

opinions GUEST COLUMN

In Defense of Pass/Fail John Dietz

FLAT HAT GUEST WRITER

“Same pandemic, same challenges.”

“This should be a no-brainer.”

“The burnout of the past two semesters is only building up.”

“The school needs to stop pretending that we don’t need support.”

These statements make up only a tiny sample of the numerous comments that my petition for the reinstatement of the College of William and Mary’s pass/fail policy has received since it was posted on Change.org a mere three weeks ago. In that time, 2,135 students have loudly voiced their support for this policy, which is hardly a revolutionary one — after all, the College has implemented some form of expanded pass/fail for the past two semesters.

Many commenters expressed their surprise that a petition was even necessary. Why? Because nothing has changed. It is abundantly clear that students in spring 2021 face the exact same challenges posed by online learning that emerged in 2020. Many classes continue to meet virtually, campus facilities remain restricted and surges of COVID-19 cases among the student body serve as an additional stressor. This is, of course, not to mention my classmates who are immunocompromised or international and are therefore forced to take their classes from hundreds or even thousands of miles away.

Also worth mentioning are those who have had their lives uprooted by the pandemic, whether that be financially or medically. It is patently obvious that reinstating the pass/fail policy would relieve a great deal of stress on both these groups as well as the entire student body, just as it did in both spring and fall 2020.

After reading the email sent to students on the morning of Mar. 29, 2021, it is apparent that the College administration is completely unaware of the problems facing its own students … or they just don’t care. To put it plainly, the decision to deny expanded pass/fail to undergraduates is not only a slap in the face to those of us who are struggling, it is flat-out nonsensical. Let’s take a look at the Provost’s rationale for saying no to pass/fail.

The first reason College Provost Peggy Agouris gives for refusing to expand pass/fail is that spring 2021 was intentionally left unshortened, unlike fall 2020, and the administration has ever so graciously given us “wellness days” as a substitute for a normal spring break. I’ll be straightforward — every student reading this knows that “wellness

days” are a laughing stock. They are by no means any sort of substitute for a real spring break, and, what’s more, most students are forced to spend the entirety of these days hard at work due to the heavy course load that gets dropped right back on them the following day.

The Provost then goes on to say that they made this decision in accordance with “many of our peer institutions across the state and country,” conveniently ignoring the fact that the University of Virginia, probably the institution most commonly associated with the College, has been committed to expanded pass/fail for many months now. In addition,George Mason University, another peer institution of ours, is offering expanded pass/fail, and so are many of the most highly acclaimed institutions in the entire country, including Georgetown University, the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University.

This is followed by what is probably the least comprehensible reason for refusing students pass/fail: that it would somehow hinder students’ chance at graduate school admissions. This is ridiculous for two reasons. First, a mere 15% of the College’s graduates go on to attend graduate school in the first six months after leaving the College — it makes no sense to punish the vast majority of students solely because 15% might be somewhat inconvenienced. Second, the last I checked, pass/fail is entirely voluntary. With that in mind, here’s a suggestion for students who think that pass/fail might handicap them somewhere down the line: don’t use it! I trust that the students of the College are intelligent and forward-thinking enough to not need to be coddled into making what the powers that be believe is the right choice.

As a commenter on my petition noted, re-implementing the pass/fail policy of fall 2020 is a no-brainer. It helps the entire student body at absolutely no cost to the administration and alleviates a lot of the stress that we have been placed under due to the acute educational disadvantages that are sadly a necessary side effect of being a student in 2021.

Provost, I believe that I have thoroughly responded to the argument that you laid out in your email to the student body.

If you can find any legitimate reason not to implement pass/ fail, I encourage you to inform me of it.

John Dietz ‘24 is an intended public policy major and music minor. He is a member of College Socialists and the Stairwells A Cappella group, writes for Vinyl Tap, and has a weekly show on WCWM. Email John at jddietz@email. wm.edu.

Opinions Editor Lucas Harsche Opinions Editor Alyssa Slovin fhopinions@gmail.com // @theflathat The Flat Hat ¦ April 6, 2021 ¦ Page 3

STAFF COLUMN

Dear Peggy Agouris: I’m not a liar Aidan White

FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER

Dear Provost Agouris, My name is Aidan White, and I am a member of the College of William and Mary class of 2023. I was the student who came to your open office hours on Thursday, April 1, where I expressed my concern that the administration’s failure to adequately address mental health concerns coupled with the increased stress of this semester could lead to students engaging in self-harm. You responded, “Give me a break.” When I publicized this comment, you told The Flat Hat that you were being taken out of context. “Context is very critical here,” you said.

I agree that the context is critical. Here is the context.

The context is that our school has a tragic and painfully recent history of student self-harm and suicide. Since 2010, eight College students have taken their own lives, including four in 2015 alone. When I was going through the application process in 2019, I remember being told that the College is a “suicide school” and even “the suicide capital of Virginia.”

The context is that we the students have been saying for months that expanding pass/fail options this semester would have a positive impact on our mental health.

The context is that the school continuously fails to address this crisis. At an open mic event on Friday night, we heard stories from multiple students who sought help from Student Accessibility Services but were met with callous indifference. At your office hours on Thursday, one of the other students on the call shared that their friend had been waiting for an appointment to address their mental health at the McLeod Tyler Wellness Center for three months. Rather than helping this student find other resources for their friend, Vice President for Student Affairs Ginger Ambler ’88 Ph.D. ’06 said that was just a rumor.

The context is that we the students have been saying for months that expanding pass/fail options this semester would have a positive impact on our mental health. We made that clear at the open mic on

GRAPHIC BY ARIANNA STEWART / THE FLAT HAT

INDEPENDENT GRAPHIC

During difficult times, mental health of students often neglected GRAPHIC BY HABLO TYLER / THE FLAT HAT

Friday, we made that clear at the protest on March 26, and we made it clear in the Student Assembly referendum last week where 89% of voters supported expanding pass/fail.

The context is that you have consistently ignored these cries for help. Even after over 2,000 people signed a petition for expanding pass/fail, even after more than 1,400 current students signed the petition that triggered the SA referendum, and before we could even vote in that referendum, you made it clear that you would not expand pass/fail options this semester. You have claimed that this decision was made based on faculty support, but a group of my peers and I have emailed every single professor at this institution over the last week, and every reply we have received has been supportive of expanding pass/fail. In fact, the entire music department sent you a letter on Friday requesting that you expand pass/fail.

The context is that at your office hours on Thursday, I said that student mental health should be at the forefront of administrative decision-making. You asked me what I was so worried about. I told you, “I’m worried my friends are going to kill themselves.”

You told me, “Give me a break.”

The context is that I have a platform of about 200 Twitter followers, while you have the power to put an email in the inboxes of nearly 10,000 undergrads, graduate students and faculty members at the push of a button. When I tried to use my comparatively small platform to spread the word about your insensitive remark, you sent an email to every single one of my peers essentially calling me a liar.

The context is that I am a student of the College of William and Mary, where I am bound by an Honor Code that I pledged to uphold on my first day living on this campus. Multiple students who were also at your office hours and who also took that pledge have publicly corroborated my side of the story.

Madam Provost, there are only two ways that the university can begin to move on from the apathy you showed at your office hours. Either you can expand pass/fail, or you can resign. I will not accept any apology that is not accompanied by at least one of those things, and my fellow students should not accept any such apology either.

Sincerely, Aidan White Aidan White ’23 is a public policy major and a sociology minor. He is involved in Shakespeare in the Dark and the William & Mary Mock Trial Team, and is also a member of the Young Democratic Socialists and the Sinfonicron Light Opera Company. Email Aidan at amwhite02@email.wm.edu.

The Flat Hat

Page 4

Tuesday, April 6, 2021

STAFF COLUMN

GUEST COLUMN

Banner preferred names do not update in records, leads to deadnaming trans students

Alumnus speaks out: College actions show no regard for student heath Alexander Wallace THE FLAT HAT

To the administration of the College of William and Mar y,

Essentially, this means that not all email or written correspondance will be addressed or directed at students with their preferred name. The entirety of my College of William and Mary inbox is rife with Dear Sara, save perhaps professors that have had me in their classes.

Essentially, this means the responsibility of using correct pronouns is no longer placed on the professors, administrators or others, but rather on the person. I commend professors for trying to make this ordeal easier, and allowing a space to do so at the beginning of each semester, but many class sizes and delivery don’t allow for such things. Instead, I have to run the risk of being misgendered or pronoun-ed by the professor or faculty member, my alternative being forced to perform a micro-coming out.

Although I have never mentioned it before, my queer GroupMe chat recently had a discussion about the same issue, with many members sharing their frustrations. The next time it happened, the respective staff member told me many departments use different systems to pre-populate messages to students, and these systems use legal names and “sex” markers rather than the correct information.

As a queer person who is also a data science major at the College, it is not hard to imagine a future where this information is shareable between offices and systems. Indeed, given the recent lack of care shown for student mental health, I think it is all the more important that such an issue get the attention it deserves. Queer youth and young adults are some of the most vulnerable in terms of mental health issues, specifically spurned on from societal difficulties. Pride may be fast approaching, and campus ready to decorate itself in gauche rainbow flags, but administration needs to realize that queer needs exist year-round.

Elaine Godwin ’ 22 is an English and Data Science double major. As a queer person, she has a unique view on the world and is dedicated to inclusion for the LGBTQ+ community. Email Elaine at sgodwin@email.wm.edu.

Yours faithfully, Alexander Wallace, Class of 2019

Alexander Wallace ’19 has a bachelor’s degree in international relations. He is currently living in his hometown of Arlington and working for a healthcare company managing the ongoing pandemic. He is also a freelance writer for three different sites and is currently editing an anthology of short stories to hopefully be published later this year. Email Alexander at alexwallace2@yahoo.com.

STAFF COLUMN

Spring break days: good in theory, unhelpful in practice can increase the amount of stress students currently face. Personally, I have noticed that my spring “break” days are not breaks at all; I have been studying and doing homework nonstop as if it were a normal school day. To add on, although some spring break days are scattered near exam week, which can provide another day to study, it still defeats the purpose of it being a “break”, and turns it into more of a study hall.

have a day doing exactly what I would have been doing even without the help of a speak break day.

Along with this stress, there has been an increase in positive COVID19 cases on campus. The main reason for the single spring break days was to decrease the number of positive cases, and although the cause of this uptick in cases may not correlate with the spring “break” days themselves, there could FLAT HAT ASSOC. OPINIONS EDITOR definitely be more effective ways to portion and schedule the breaks.

Initially, I thought it was strange to Overall, I wished there was a ANGELA VASISHT Y B S T O A/ T DSH HE F separate spring break week into single better way to experience spring HEA L D A TH N AT YA days scattered throughout the break during my first year ID S AS whole spring semester. However, at the College. Yet, it is EC I H I understood why this change still absolutely possible OP was introduced, since it for other students would prevent students to have a positive from traveling off campus experience. Some and thus prevent a may have more potential increase useful spring break in COVID-19 cases. days compared to This seemed like a others and would good plan. However, not prefer any when it has been put change to the into effect, I have system. It has seen the opposite been disastrous results. There have and not the been many issues college lifestyle I and complications was envisioning, that have appeared as but I still hope a result of having these to have better single break days. experiences in the During this fall semester, following years. the last week of school Bushra Bablu ’ 24 is a was our winter break. I was remote student planning to excited since students would double major in government have a longer break period, but felt and economics. Bushra serves stressed because the semester was as an associate opinions editor condensed. However, with this new It also bothers me that the spring for The Flat Hat and the business spring break plan, I felt the school “break” days are scattered on days manager for Flat Hat Magazine. year would be more relaxed. But I I normally don’t have class. I have Outside of The Flat Hat, Bushra was not ready for what College of talked to a couple of other students is also involved with One for the William and Mary students would who have had this experience World and Women in Business. have to experience. and feel cheated by the College’s Email Bushra at bebablu@email.

Having single spring break days scheduling system. It is useless to wm.edu.

Bushra Bablu

S

As many of you know, Banner has an option to input a preferred first name, gender identity and personal pronouns, and it may be updated at any time. These functions are particularly useful for queer and gender non-conforming students, as they allow a more private way to have the information pre-populated. The alternative to this would be having to essentially come out to each and every staff or administration member. However, I have noted many issues and shortcomings with this function, because although it could prove incredibly useful, it simply is not adequate enough, given the circumstances.

Underneath the widget for “preferred name” is the description of “name by which you like to be commonly known.

This information may be used in correspondence by university officials and will appear to faculty in Blackboard.” Essentially, this means that not all email or written correspondence will be addressed or directed at students with their preferred name.

The entirety of my College of William and Mary inbox is rife with “Dear Sara,” save perhaps professors that have had me in their classes.

And I’m more or less one of the lucky cases; many trans and GNC students have to be repeatedly deadnamed throughout their time at the College. Hand-in-hand with this, of course, is typically the inclusion of incorrect pronouns or other identifying factors, both of which I have also endured at times.

My fellow queer students know that pronouns are hardly a simple matter, particularly when choosing the set or mixture that makes one most comfortable. Despite the complexity of pronouns in general, Banner has only five pronoun choices: “he, him, his,” “she, her, hers,” “they, them, theirs,” “ze, zir, zim,” “ze, zir, zir.” Nowhere is there an option to create or combine pronouns, such as perhaps “he/they” or “she/they” in my case. In addition to this, Banner states that “Personal pronoun is stored in Banner Admin, where it can be viewed by some administrative staff members. Faculty members cannot see personal pronoun in Banner Self-Service or Blackboard, but you may ask them to use your personal pronoun.”

BY

FLAT HAT ASSOC. OPINIONS EDITOR

I have heard all too much about the College s reputation among outsiders; the College is known for being brutal to its students.

GR AP HI C

Elaine Godwin

I write to you as an alumnus of the College who graduated in 2019. In retrospect, it was the last graduation before the pandemic strangled the world.

Such awful times, where family members die and politicians dissemble, would be cause for kindness, or so I would hope.

It is with great dismay that I have learned that the administration of the “alma mater of the nation” would rescind the liberalized pass/ fail option for this semester.

The current students at our august institution are inquisitive and thoughtful and diligent, but have also been ripped away from the touch of a friend, the hug of a significant other, the camaraderie of a club. As a public ivy, their workload is intense, as is their drive.

You have looked at these wonderful people and decided to make their lives so much harder for them.

To which I ask : How dare you?

I am the survivor of child abuse that began from an early age. It is an experience that makes you see cruelty behind every smiling face, and question regularly your own sense of reality. I am used to being lied to on a daily basis, and any and all affront to my dignity denied to my face. Make no mistake, I know the vicissitudes of cruelty all too well. I wish that knowledge on nobody, not even my worst enemy.

The pass/fail policy this semester strikes me as being a similar form of cruelty. You know the students under your care and direction are suffering. You know they are overwhelmed. You know they have lost loved ones. You know they are crying and screaming and perhaps even praying for something, be it a vaccine or providence, to deliver them from this excruciating pain. You know all of this to be true.

And yet you decide to exacerbate their burden.

You sit there in your golden sandals as the college years of so many are shod by the iron of fortune.

You have not kept them well, but handed them mere breadcrumbs in the form of ‘break days’ that do not allow even a modicum of rest. You have denied any

wrongdoing after one of your own was caught laughing at the suffering of students. They have already seen a stimulus in Congress so small as to be worthless. Do you really want to be in that company?

I have heard all too much about the College’s reputation among outsiders ; the College is known for being brutal to its students. In the early 2010s when I was in high school, its reputation was at a nadir. It is in your interest to ensure that this reputation does not continue, for the sake of the future of the College.

Listen to your students.

Listen to the people for whom the College was founded to serve. Their voices swell with the misery of those who have endured more than anyone should, and they are strong and true and clear. Listen to those for whom your job exists, lest they be drowned.

I say this to you as someone who loves the culture and the community of William and Mary with all my heart. It is in classrooms and club halls that I learned to be a human being after the callous neglect of my parents. I believe in all sincerity that had I not had the kindness of the Ballroom Dance Club and the Swing Dance Club and the Quizbowl team in that dark part of my life, I would not be alive to write this letter. It is for that reason I love the College. I owe the people there a great debt, for it is they who saved me through their boundless empathy. Several of those wonderful people are being directly affected by these policies on this very day.

The people to which you are responsible are kind and diligent and full of empathy for their fellow human beings, willing to support each other through iron-shod years. They are sterling examples of human goodness.

And they deserve so much better than this.

variety

Variety Editor Ashanti Jones Variety Editor Grace Olsen flathat.variety@gmail.com

The Flat Hat

¦ Tuesday, April 6, 2021 ¦ Page 5

Power with a pen Activist Group PLUMAS works to uplift campus marginalized voices NINA RANESES // FLAT HAT COPY CHIEF

We want to create a space that serves our communities and supports our communities ̶ so that s done through listening to one another.

Rocca and Lopez Perez made clear that PLUMAS exists to provide support for any and all social justice issues facing the College and the greater Williamsburg community.

“One thing we want to do no matter what is center the voices and experiences of Black and brown students on campus,” Rocca said. “We’ve found that oftentimes many organizations say they want to do this, but how do we ensure this? How are we intentional about doing what we say and saying what we do?”

Most recently, calls to change campus buildings named

AS

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after racist and slaveholding historical figures resulted in a Student Assembly referendum and student demand for the Board of Visitors to acknowledge and work toward a solution. Lopez Perez commended her close friend and PLUMAS member Salli Sanfo ‘22 for her organizing efforts in the renaming movement and knew that PLUMAS could do more to help.

“She’s done a lot of work in regards to renaming. We saw she needed more support, more people backing her up and using direct action, which again, is one of our pillars,” Lopez Perez said. “So if it meant organizing something the night before, we were willing to put in that work.”

She further explained that she and fellow PLUMAS member and co-founder Jordyn Hodge ‘22 were meant to speak on a panel on the experiences of students of color at the Mar. 8 Board of Visitors meeting when the panel was canceled at 10:30 p.m. the night before, prompting students to instead organize a protest at the Alumni House in its recess.

Lopez Perez called the last-minute cancellation a “slap in the face” to her, Hodge and Sanfo, as well as those in the Student Assembly.

“Our stories are valuable,” Lopez Perez said. “If anything, they’re lucky to have ever heard our stories.

That is kind of why we decided to create the protest right before because we’re like, ‘No, you can’t silence us, you’re not going to just forget about us like that ,you’re going to hear us whether you like it or not.’ But it speaks really clearly to the mission of PLUMAS, we are capable of much more than we think we can be so it may be tiring, but we were able to do it.”

Whether it be through organizing last-minute protests, collecting mutual aid or painting and chatting on the Sunken Garden while reenvisioning a future of the College free from its racist past, the College’s PLUMAS founders hope that every member walks away with a better understanding of the issues concerning their community.

“Every aspect of our lives is political, no matter what,” Rocca said. “The home is political, the university, everything is political. So that’s why education is a big part of PLUMAS, and understanding the roots of the issues.”

PLUMAS is the group that its founders wish they’d had as freshmen, but are working to make this a reality for students for years to come even after they’ve graduated.

“That’s what I would want — a space where people want to come back to,” said Lopez Perez. “A space that people can go back to and be like, ‘This was like a home away from home. This was a place where I felt safe. This is a place where I felt heard, like, this is a space where I felt supported in my ideas.’”

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community sense,” Lopez Perez said. “Creating a space that people want to come back to — I don’t want this to be a space where ‘Oh we have to do work, we have to organize this.’ No, we can just be friends, like hanging out in some room talking about whatever. And that can lead to new ideas blossoming for PLUMAS.”

“

The College of William and Mary’s centuries-old history includes a complex timeline of cultural shifts that have continually changed the landscape of the institution due to movements led by its students. In the 2020-21 academic year alone, students have witnessed a national news cycle characterized by hate, violence and vast inequality exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. And rather than ending there, students, especially those of color, have suffered through the localized effects of the pandemic and revitalized calls for racial justice. At the forefront, student activists have led conversations and affected change in our community in a time that couldn’t be more crucial.

Political Latinxs United for Movement and Action in Society, or PLUMAS, is one of the College’s newest studentrun social justice and activist groups. Established at the University of Maryland College Park in 2013, PLUMAS has grown to include a number of chapters in Virginia, from the University of Virginia to Virginia Commonwealth University and most recently at the College.

Yannira Lopez Perez ’22, Rai Rocca ’22 and Jordyn Hodge ’22 founded the College’s chapter of PLUMAS with hopes of creating a safe place for students to be educated on issues facing the community and to create plans for direct action to support marginalized students at the College, especially those of color.

“At the beginning of our time at William and Mary, we saw a need for a place to talk about these issues and to learn from one another because I personally believe that a lot of learning can come from those within your community, and learning from one another,” Lopez Perez said. “And for me personally, I believe that politics and Latinidad are inherently intertwined, you can’t separate our histories without acknowledging the politics of it.”

Lopez Perez explained that while there are two student organizations specifically centered around the Latin student population, the social organization Latin American Student Union and the sorority Sigma Iota Alpha, they are both inherently limited in what they can do based on the social nature of their organization or the exclusivity of a being a sorority, respectively.

“We want to create a space that serves our communities and supports our communities — so that’s done through listening to one another,” Lopez Perez said. “And a lot of it is empowering one another and encouraging each other to know that we are much more capable than we could ever think we are. We are able to create change that many people want us to not think that we’re capable of.”

Instead, PLUMAS acts as a means to rally political action while also being a place where students can feel safe, make friends and lean on each other for support.

“I think another thing is supporting each other in a

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The Flat Hat

Tuesday, April 6, 2021

Page 6

AMP presents:

PATTON OSWALT AMP Live hosts actor, alumni Patton Oswalt 91 for a talk on his time at the College

JIN WEN XIE // THE FLAT HAT Saturday, Apr. 3, AMP’s Live Committee hosted its latest event featuring award-winning comedian, writer and actor Patton Oswalt ‘91. The virtual event, “A Night with Patton Oswalt,” was split into two question and answer portions, one for moderator questions and the latter for student attendee questions that were submitted prior to the event.

Moderators Emily Peterson ‘21 and Emily Riffer ‘22 guided Oswalt through several questions revolving around his time as a student at the College of William and Mary.

Like many students and alumni, the first thing Oswalt does when back in the Williamsburg area is to visit the Cheese Shop. His love and adoration for the Cheese Shop aside, during his time as a student, Oswalt’s preferred food establishment between Paul’s, Green Leaf, and the College Delly was Paul’s because he lacked the money for Green Leafe and the “brawn” for the College Delly.

“I know that’s what everyone does, but that’s their fault for making really good sandwiches!” Oswalt said.

When asked if he had ever taken a class in the Sir Christopher Wren Building, Oswalt admitted that he had not, but was glad because after a study session with a friend there, he felt it was haunted. Oswalt claimed to not believe in ghosts, but the vibes of the Sir Christopher Wren Building creeped him out so much that the study session was the first and last time he went in.

During the student question and answer segment, one student had asked if Oswalt had ever snuck into any places on campus. Oswalt recalled that he had snuck into an event at the College Republicans Convention while covering it for The Flat Hat. He recounts the abundant amount of drinks the convention attendees had and how, in a state of tipsiness, he was almost able to blend in with the crowd until he accidentally blurted out the reason why he was there when questioned by someone.

Oswalt was thankfully able to escape the convention but was unfortunately too hungover the next day to remember anything to write down.

When questioned if he had ever eaten ratatouille during his time voicing Remy in Pixar’s “Ratatouille,”

Oswalt explained that he had tried the specific type of ratatouille featured in the movie. Oswalt joked that he probably wouldn’t be able to cook the iconic dish due to his ineptness as a cook.

Another attendee asked if Oswalt’s college experience had any impact on his comedic career.

Oswalt shared that the initial start to his comedic career began at the local club on Richmond Road called The Comedy Club where he worked as the master of ceremonies. He credited that job experience for overcoming his fear of performing on stage and not completing his performances well.

Oswalt also credited it for allowing him to meet future comedian friends such as Carlos Alazraqui.

“I was very very lucky to encounter some really interesting people.” Oswalt said. “Their philosophies were that also just kept me open-minded in terms of how to pursue a creative career.”

Coincidentally, it was at that job that Oswalt overheard the worst advice given to another amateur comedian, when a club manager told him to structure his jokes and performance around popular ideas the audience already liked instead of his own opinions.

“If you go into every situation dampening how you feel while trying to figure out what the other person wants, then that to me is not only a short-cut to failure but a short-cut to kind of an empty frustrating life,” Oswalt said.

“A Night with Patton Oswalt” proved to be an extremely interesting and humor-filled look into Patton Oswalt’s life as both your average college student, and as an experienced award-winning comedian. The event not only displayed how he fared in his journey from the suburbs of Sterling, Virginia to the diverse community of the College but also how his college days propelled his dreams of becoming a full-fledged comedian.

COURTESY PHOTO // IMDB.COM

SHARPS AND FLATS

A Tale of Two Podcasts

Sharps and Flats columnist Vivian Hoang 24 discusses two identity-based podcasts VIVIAN HOANG // THE FLAT HAT Switch set me up perfectly for college, where I am continuing to develop this interest into a long-term dedication as the focus of my undergraduate studies with the history department. For all the ways it has strengthened my character and intellect, I am truly grateful for Code Switch and cannot emphatically express how worthwhile of a listen it is.

“

Self Evident: Asian-American Stories has become a vital outlet for me to explore my Asian American identity, feel more connected to the community and gain insight into AAPI history.

“

Erupting into laughter while brushing my teeth, I sheepishly meet the gaze of my roommate as I cover my mouth to spare her the ungodly sight of my toothpaste-filled grin. My eyebrows furrowed in a gaze of thoughtful intensity, I stare down at my iron as I attempt to rid a shirt of wrinkles amid my roommate’s faraway calls to come back to earth.

Taken together, these scenarios seem like they have little in common — besides perhaps making me seem like a complete psychopath.

However, the unlikely shared factor between these two instances is podcasts. My spontaneous laughter can be attributed to the banter between the hosts of NPR’s Code Switch, and my look of introspective contemplation was in response to an emotional episode of Self Evident Media’s “Self Evident: Asian-American Stories.” Over the past year, listening to podcasts has become a staple of my daily routine, allowing me to engage with new perspectives as I complete activities like brushing my teeth or ironing my clothes.

Code Switch was the first podcast I really fell in love with, discovered during the social upheaval and racial unrest in early 2020. I immediately took to its charismatic co-hosts, Shereen Marisol Meraji and Gene Demby, as they facilitated conversations about race and its intersections with society, culture, history, politics and a variety of other topics, platforming marginalized voices in the process. Their injections of humor and vulnerability between profound discussions of race offered a refreshing change of pace from the often emotionally draining news cycle while still treating heavy topics with the respect and gravity they warranted.

Memorable episodes include “What’s in a ‘Karen,’” in which Meraji and Demby trace the modern trope of a “Karen,” an overbearing and often racist white woman who exploits her privilege to make unreasonable demands, to a long history of the idealization of white womanhood enabling elite white women to falsely accuse Black men of rape, especially in the American South.

Listening to episodes such as these unlocked a passion within me for learning about the historical roots of longstanding institutions that continue to be upheld today.

I realized that there was such empowerment in education; expanding my understanding of the structural barriers designed contrary to the success of communities of color has helped me have more productive conversations about race with family members and friends as well as shatter my naïve conceptions of American society.

The critical worldview and foundational interest in race relations from a historical standpoint that I gained from Code

Now knowing I could effectively learn about these issues in this audible format, I sought out a podcast that specifically centered around my own identity. Serendipitously enough, I came across “Self Evident: Asian-American Stories,” a podcast dedicated to fostering a greater sense of what it means to be Asian American through the sharing of community narratives and dissection of

pertinent issues such as racism and immigration.

One episode in particular, “The Talk We Were Supposed to Have,” deeply resonated with me even after it concluded.

In it, Gabe, a Filipino American, talks to host Cathy Erway about his estrangement from the Filipino community due to his upbringing in a predominantly white area and the lack of emotional support within his household.

Listening to him describe experiences eerily similar to my own — from eating in silence with parents who only open up about themselves at random and extremely rare intervals to calling yourself the “white” Asian because you feel like you’re not “Asian enough” to truly belong in that community — I was left in a state of shock. Growing up with two reserved immigrant parents who chose to fully Americanize my brother and I at the expense of our Vietnamese culture, I knew exactly what he was talking about.

Never before had I felt so seen and understood, the identity crisis I’d struggled with my entire life suddenly lighter on my shoulders as I felt Gabe share some of the burden. Hearing his parallel experiences provided me with a sense of comfort that I wasn’t alone in my constant battle to accept my Asian identity.

It’s been difficult to reconnect to my Vietnamese heritage without my racial impostor syndrome rearing its ugly head, especially when I see my friends so effortlessly speak the language or bond over their favorite Vietnamese foods. But listening to stories from other Asian Americans like Gabe remind me that there isn’t one “right” way to be Asian, and I am again motivated to continue my efforts to learn more about Vietnamese culture and the AAPI community at large.

“Self Evident: Asian-American Stories” has become a vital outlet for me to explore my Asian American identity, feel more connected to the community and gain insight into AAPI history. I encourage you, whether you are in the AAPI community or not, to consider giving this podcast a listen, especially as the exponential increase in hate crimes against the AAPI community over the past year has shown there is an overwhelming lack when it comes to media coverage and understanding of AAPI issues.

However, even if you don’t start with either of my two personal favorites, I hope I’ve convinced you to try out a new podcast the next time you’re walking to class or cleaning your room. At the very least, I hope you start to consider the unlikely ways in which you can shape your perception of the world around you and form a greater understanding of your own identity.

sports

The Flat

Sports Editor Nathan Seidel Sports Editor Lexie Hiestand flathatsports@gmail.com @FlatHatSports Hat ¦ Tuesday, April 6, 2021 ¦ Page 7

BASEBALL

JAMIE HOLT / THE FLAT HAT

With strong pitchers, defense, Tribe squashes Spiders 4-3

Tribe starts off three-game series with narrow win over Richmond, hosted at the College LEXIE HIESTAND FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR Friday, Apr. 2, William and Mary (5-12, CAA 3-3) hosted the first of a three-game set against Richmond (10-5). Thanks to a quintet of pitchers, backed up by a strong infield defense, the Tribe was able to start off the series with a 4-3 win over the Spiders.

Graduate student RHP Wade Strain took the mound, where he would stay for the next 6.1 innings. Facing the first two Spider leadoffs, center fielder Wyatt Ulrich and left fielder Anthony Forte, proved no problem for Strain. He did not hesitate to use the Tribe’s middle infield to his advantage, where Ulrich and Forte grounded out.

Catcher Drew Blakely gave the Spiders their first hit of the game, batting in the third slot. Though he doubled with a long ball to right field, the Spiders could not drive him home. Strain close out the inning with another ground out to second base. Senior shortstop Matt McDermott and junior second baseman Phil Conti rolled all three outs the first inning.

The Tribe’s offense came alive immediately with back-to-back hits from third baseman Ben Williamson and McDermott. Williamson singled up the middle, and McDermott doubled to left to drive him home. McDermott advanced to third on junior centerfielder Jack Cone’s ground out, but the Tribe could not convert. Spider RHP Jacob Marcus closed out the inning with minimal damage and a strikeout.

Strain stole a strikeout of his own to open the second inning. The Spiders went three up, three down.

However, though the Tribe swung for the fences, they could not figure out how to follow up their lights-out defense. Sophomore designated hitters Mark Trotta and Joe Delossantos hit a pair of fly balls to center field, and Conti batted into a fielder’s choice with junior right fielder Matt Thomas for the last out.

Strain pitched another backwards K against Spider shortstop Jared Sprague-Lott to open the third, but quickly followed up that at-bat by walking second baseman Rich Ciufo. Ulrich singled, pushing Ciufo to

third, then stole a base. The Spiders had two men in scoring position with only one out. Strain re-centered and was able to leave both of the men on base after a pop-up to second and a fly to center.

The Tribe was back to the top of its line-up to begin the bottom of the third. Williamson and McDermott grounded and flew out respectively, but Cone held out for a walk. In the box, he was patient, but on the base path, he was over-eager. Marcus caught him stealing second during senior left fielder David Hogarth’s at-bat.

Once again, Strain opened up with a strikeout, killing the Spiders’ momentum in the fourth, where they went three up, three down.

This time, the Tribe offense put its pieces together to back up Strain.

Graduate center Matthew Trehub opened this hitting with a double, down the left field line. Trotta walked. A passed ball during senior first baseman Tyler Solomon’s at-bat allowed both to advance a base, and Thomas walked to load the bases.

Marcus walked the next two batters, Conti and Williamson, and allowed the Tribe to add two runs to its lead, 3-0. The pressure of the loaded bases and two outs made Marcus’s pitches erratic. The Spiders pulled him at 4.2, and subbed in LHP Alden Mathes. Mathes closed out the inning with a ground out from McDermott.

Strain’s stamina began to wear in the fifth as well. Instead of his usual strikeout, he walked the first batter, designated hitter Johnny Hipsman. Two outs followed — a line-out and a strikeout looking from Ciufo — but the well-rested top of the Spiders’ line-up was back up.

Ulrich found the chinks in Strain’s armor, and hit a triple to the right gap in centerfield. Hipsman scored, and Ulrich loomed on third base.

Strain, however, mustered up enough strength to close out the inning against Forte.

The Tribe scored their fourth and final run in the fifth against Mathes.

Cone flew out, but Hogarth and Trehub waited for a pair of walks. A single from Trotta pushed Trehub to second, but allowed Hogarth to run home. Mathes struck out Solomon, but the Spiders pulled him to close out the inning.

The Tribe’s offense extended their half of the inning long enough for Strain to rest. At the top of the sixth, Strain recorded both a K and backwards K, and threw a batter out at first.

The Spiders played RHP Josh Willitis who pitched lights out against the Tribe, going three up, three down.

The seventh marked the beginning of the Spiders’ comeback, while the Tribe’s offense lagged. Strain let the Spiders post back-toback singles from Sprague-Lott and Hipsman. Though a well-placed grounder against Ciufo allowed the Tribe to log its first out, another single from Ulrich pushed Hipsman home once again. The Tribe pulled Strain and put in sophomore LHP Matt Howat.

Howat struck out his first batter, then walked Blakely to load the bases. Despite the mounting pressure, Howat managed to close out the inning with no more damage. Howat pitched the ball in play, a grounder to shortstop, which McDermott fielded for the final out.

Freshman RHP Garrett Newsome pitched the eighth inning for the Tribe. Though Newsome quickly threw two outs, a single to right center from Sprague-Lott drove the Spiders home once again. Ciufo singled after to left field, advancing Sprague-Lott to second. The Spiders tried to two-out rally, but Newsome regained composure and closed the inning. Going into the ninth, the Tribe led narrowly, 4-3.

Cone was subbed in for the ninth inning to relieve Newsome.

Striking out his first batter, then putting the ball in play to his infielders, Cone finished the game for the Tribe and recorded the save.

The Tribe’s cohort of Matts drove their offense throughout the game. McDermott, Trehub and Thomas hit matching doubles, with McDermott recording an RBI as well. To round out the trio of Ts, Trotta also finished the game with an RBI. The Tribe will travel to Richmond for its next two games in the series. Hoping to use the momentum from its game one win, the Tribe will play a double header on Easter Sunday against the Spiders at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. The Spiders have a 10-2 record while playing at home, but the Tribe is 2-7 while away.

WOMEN S LACROSSE

Sports tlight Spo Saric, Okuyama win twice but Tribe narrowly falls to CAA foe Elon NATHAN SEIDEL FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR William and Mary (3-7) lost a close match Saturday, Apr. 4 to in-conference foe Elon (13-4), getting into a hole early and very nearly coming all the way back to win.

The Tribe created an uphill battle early in the match, dropping the doubles point to the Phoenix by losing the No. 2 and No. 3 matches. The No. 1 duo for the Tribe did hold their own, with senior Vitoria Okuyama and junior Mila Saric downing their opponents 6-3 to move to 6-0 at the top seeded position.

Saric continued a stellar performance later in the match, claiming victory in her singles contest in dominant fashion, 6-1, 6-2.

The victory moved her to 6-2 on the year in the No. 1 slot.

Elon then went on to take the No. 3 singles match to level the score, but Okuyama

echoed her doubles partner’s singles precision at No. 4, taking down her opponent 6-1, 7-5 and moving the Tribe back in the singles lead.

The match then came down to the remaining three matches, all of which went to three sets.

At the No. 2 position, graduate student Jill van den Dungen captured the first set of her singles match 7-6, but dropped the second and final sets 3-6, 2-6. The No. 5 position also went to the Phoenix, with sophomore Alisia Manolescu blanking her opponent in the first set 6-0 before losing the next two 3-6, 4-6. These losses secured the overall win for the Phoenix, and even though the Tribe’s No. 6, junior Lisa Fokutoku came back to win 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, the conclusion did not change.

College falls to Elon 15-6 in CAA conference opener Despite strong surge in second half, Phoenixes prevail JAKE FORBES FLAT HAT ASSOC. SPORTS EDITOR William and Mary (3-5, CAA 0-1) lost 15-6 against No. 25 Elon (7-0, CAA 2-0) in its CAA women’s lacrosse conference opener Saturday, Apr. 3 at Busch Field.

The Phoenixes started the game with a 7-0 run, including three goals from senior attacker Sara Bouwman. The Tribe scored just one goal in the first half, which came from junior midfielder Grace Ahonen.

Facing an eight-goal deficit heading into the second half, the Tribe made several adjustments at the break.

“We went into the second half focusing on getting it over in the clear safely and finding the 2v.1 on the backside,” junior Sabrina Schrader said. “We really just needed to play our game and be confident with the ball by having seven threats on offense.”

The Tribe battled back to make the score 11-4 halfway through the second half after two free position goals from Schrader and freshman Kathleen Cozzi.

However, Phoenix senior attacker Mae McGlynn scored her fourth and fifth goals of the game to extend the Phoenix’s lead to nine.

Ahonen and Cozzi each scored their second goals of the game towards the end of the second half, but Elon held strong, winning by a final margin of 15-6.

Despite their first half struggles, the Tribe showed significant improvement on both ends of the ball in the second half. The Phoenix outshot the Tribe by just one on offense, but the Tribe allowed fewer turnovers, giving up possession just 15 times (29-28).

Schrader racked up a career-high eight draw controls, as well as three ground balls and a caused turnover.

“I was able to get a lot of shots off because my teammates were setting me up for success and finding me when I was open,” Schrader said.

On defense, the Tribe outscored the Phoenix 22-13 on ground balls. Sophomore midfielder Caroline Donovan accounted for half of the Tribe’s forced turnovers with 3.

“Our defensive motto this season has been ‘one shot, one opportunity’ and we really embraced that today,” Donovan said.

Senior goalie Devon Fleischman finished with 10

JAMIE HOLT / THE FLAT HAT

saves and seven ground balls.

The Tribe will travel to No. 15 Towson next Saturday at 6 p.m. The game will not count as a conference match-up.

“We will be focusing on strong team defense and a fast-paced offense that positions all of our players as threats,” Donovan said.

Page 8

The Flat Hat

Tuesday, April 6, 2021

STUDENT ASSEMBLY

Campus elects Boojala, Goodman in low-turnout SA race

Election sees higher voter participation for contested down-ballot races, pass-fail referendum

EMMA FORD AND KIMBERLY LORES FLAT HAT SA REPORTERS

In an uncontested race, the College of William and Mary’s student body elected current Senate Chair Meghana Boojala ’22 and Student Assembly outsider Zenobia Goodman ‘22 as the next SA president and vice president. In addition to the presidential and vice presidential race, SA held its 329th down-ballot elections, as well as a pass/fail referendum Thursday, Apr. 1.

Centering their campaign around finance reform, renaming of buildings commemorating individuals tied to the institution of slavery, COVID-19 policies including pass/fail and improving diversity and inclusion within Greek Life, Boojala and Goodman hope to bring both Boojala’s internal SA experience and Goodman’s skilled presence on campus to their administration.

With her victory, Boojala becomes the third candidate in SA history to win the presidency after an unopposed race (following Joseph in 2020 and Brendan Boylan in 2018). She expressed that she was excited about her win, but recognized that there was an immense amount of work to be done before she felt she could relax.

“For me, it’s kind of strange for me because it’s very uncontested,” Boojala said. “I just feel like my responsibilities are going to be going from whatever

amount of work I do for a Tuesday meeting, to exponentially increasing. But I’m honestly very, very excited for that. Our major, major concern is we’re on Zoom, we’re in a remote world, how do we ensure continuity in a remote world, how do we ensure engagement? This is a very unemotional response right now, but it’s basically how do you continue that? I don’t think I’ll be able to take a breath and calm down until we have that cabinet filled out.”

Boojala and Goodman said that their top

priorities upon assuming their positions are strategizing the campus’s COVID-19 response in the fall, focusing on diversity and inclusion initiatives and improving SA’s outreach.

All current class presidents went unopposed in their races as well. The races for senator positions, however, were more competitive across all classes.

The most contested race was for the class of 2024 senator positions, where seven candidates ran to fill four seats.

Class of 2022 President Suhas Suddala ’22 was

re-elected for a fourth term, receiving 497 votes of the 545 votes cast, as 48 voters abstained. Class of 2023 President Conor Sokolowsky ’23 was reelected for the 329th session after running for his position unopposed. Sokolowsky received 528 out of the 581 votes cast, or 90.87% of the vote, with the remaining 53 voters abstaining. Class of 2024 President Vicka Heidt ’24 was re-elected after running unopposed. Heidt received 523 votes, with 63 students abstaining from voting in the race.

CAMPUS

MLL Department fights for non-tenure eligible contract renewals Professors express concerns over department resources, experience stress of potential unemployment NTE from page 1

I can say with absolute, 100 degree certainty that the elimination of Sara Mattavelli is gutting to the Italian program at W&M,” Leventhal said.

Italian is not the only program within Modern Languages and Literatures that is threatened by potential NTE cuts. The loss of Burney, Leventhal says, would enormously impact the German studies program at the College. Burney, who received a faculty award for teaching excellence in 2020, also serves as a premajor advisor, director of a summer study abroad program in Potsdam, Germanyand the advisor to the German House. For Leventhal, losing Burney means losing a valuable member of the German Studies community.

“I will be losing six courses next year,” Leventhal said. “Six courses. Veronika [Burney] averages probably 20 to 25 per course. You do the math. And that’s to say nothing of her myriad other activities with the German house, with the German Honor Society, with German film evening, you know, with all the sort of co-curricular and extracurriculars that we do as a way of creating the German Studies community on this campus. This is devastating for all of these programs.”

In addition to the impact on these programs, Burney also says that losing her job would have acute consequences for her family.

“Non-renewal of my current contract would deeply impact my family, as I am the main breadwinner, and financially and otherwise responsible for a small child with several medical issues,” Burney said.

“A year ago, I was on track to be promoted to Senior Lecturer this year (after two years as Visiting Assistant Professor and four years as Lecturer), now I’m facing unemployment - when the (academic and non-academic) job market is the worst

it’s been in years. Aside from the financial implications, the uncertainty of nonrenewal is also putting a massive mental burden on me and my family.”

Burney and Mattavelli have taught at the College for several years, and both were up for promotion to senior lecturer, a position that comes with a three-year contract, signaling a presumption of continued employment. For Mattavelli, losing her contract with the College after years of work is disheartening.

“I was hired in 2016 under the assumption that a Lecturer position would lead to promotion to Senior Lecturer depending on satisfactory performance,” Mattavelli said. “I have been at W&M for 5 years, went through two reviews, and my department already recommended me for promotion to Senior Lecturer starting next Fall. I have been very invested in the Italian program and MLL since day 1 because I consider myself a member of this community. I’ve never been someone who simply comes to campus to teach their classes and then goes home. It is very demoralizing to see that none of this matters enough - number of majors/ minors have more value.”

The number of students majoring or minoring in a program did indeed have an impact on the NTE contract decisions.

Donoghue Velleca says that when deciding which NTE contracts to renew, student demand was the top priority. Although both Burney and Mattavelli were up for promotion, this did not impact their contract decision.

“All NTE contract decisions are based on curricular need,” Donoghue Velleca said. “First we assess student demand for particular courses and departments/ programs. We also consider contributions to the COLL Curriculum, diversity in focus or background, and any special expertise that is not present elsewhere among our faculty. Neither past performance or pending promotion to Senior Lecturer is a

criterion for decision-making.”

However, for professors like Leventhal who teach in smaller departments, “curricular need” doesn’t tell the full story.

“There has to be some sort of reckoning, right?” Leventhal said. “Yes, I understand there’s a vital need in economics, computer science, data science, etc. But do you, because of a shortfall in a pandemic do you gut a program? A smaller program that is incredible and serves so many undergraduates and is beloved by so many undergraduates on this campus? That seems, to me, short-sighted. And it speaks, to me, of a lack of vision.”

German studies, Italian and other programs housed in the Modern Languages and Literatures department are often very small. Italian studies lists four full-time faculty members, and German Studies lists five, underscoring the potential importance of a single faculty member. Despite the small size of the programs, Mattavelli argues that modern languages courses are crucial to the College.

“I think it is a great loss for the W&M community and for our students,” Mattavelli said. “Our courses serve many interdisciplinary programs, help satisfy the FLP requirement and, in general, contribute to the diversity and internationalization of W&M. In my classes, students discuss many issues of diversity and inclusion: immigration, “second-generation” Italians, racism, gender and sexuality, and use of inclusive language, to mention a few examples.

Language classes are not just vocabulary and grammar - we delve into cultural products, practices and perspectives to facilitate the understanding of other cultures and prepare students to be global citizens.”

Indeed, the College itself emphasizes the importance of modern languages on its self-guided tour, boasting about the size

and age of the program.

“William & Mary had the first Department of Modern Languages in the country, and it is the largest Department of Modern Languages of any college in Virginia,” the website reads.

Despite this, Leventhal feels that the College is stripping resources away from the humanities, undermining its extensive history in programs such as modern languages.

“I fear that there is a movement away from what we have cherished for centuries here, and one of the reasons I came here — and many of us are here — is because the humanities occupies such a strong place at William and Mary,” Leventhal said.

For Leventhal, the reduction of NTE faculty in the modern languages department signals a larger shift in priorities away from the humanities.

“I talk to my colleagues in History, in American Studies, in Film Studies, and there is this sense among many of us that there is, in fact, a sea change going on at William and Mary,” Leventhal said. “It’s gradual, it’s slow, it’s not going to occur overnight. But this affects the very soul of the university. It’s about who we are.”

Donoghue Velleca, on the other hand, argues that the NTE decisions are not about humanities, but, once again, about curricular demand.

“Currently our highest curricular need, as assessed by student interest and demand, is actually in the social sciences, including Economics, Government, Public Policy, and International Relations, among others,” Donoghue Velleca said.

Despite the uncertainty of the situation, students in the Modern Languages and Literatures department have rallied around the contracts of Burney, Mattavelli, Filipovic and Yang. Through petitions, emails to the Dean and rallies outside the Wren building, students have shown their support for the affected faculty.

“My students - past and present - have

been nothing short of amazing,” Burney said. “The outpouring of support I have received since the potential non-renewal of my position has been made public is truly heartwarming. I hear and feel their frustration and anger over this current situation - it very much mirrors my own. In the midst of a global pandemic and going through yet another incredibly difficult semester, they remind me why I chose this profession in the first place, and I am so honored to know that I’ve made such an impact on their lives - they certainly have made an impact on mine.”

Patrick Salsburg ’21, who has had five classes with Burney, is involved with a petition to keep Burney and the other affected faculty in Modern Languages.

For Salsburg, the NTE faculty situation feeds into a larger pattern of draining resources from language programs, one that is troubling for the future of the College.

“It doesn’t bode well for the future of what William and Mary thinks of the Modern Languages department,” Salsburg said. “Last year, they got rid of the language tutors, and now, some professors. Once COVID isn’t an excuse, are they gonna still continue to get rid of the programs? I find it worrying.”

Meredith Lemke ’23, who has been a TA for Burney for the last four semesters and also the head editor for Die Zeitung, the bilingual German newspaper at the College, has also been involved with the petition to protect the affected faculty in Modern Languages.

Lemke encouraged other students who have had professors who are facing non-renewal to advocate for them to the College’s administration.

“Show your professors that are facing non-renewal that you care,” Lemke said.

“Email the president. Email the provost.

Show them that we are watching and we see the shift from humanities to STEM at the College.”

DATA

Students question political use of sorority, fraternity payments Super PAC donates $14,000-$15,000 more to Republican political campaigns than Democratic ones DATA from page 1

Democratic campaigns in every election cycle except 2008.

So what does this have to do with an individual fraternity or sorority member’s dues?

The housing corporations mentioned earlier, that members pay a portion of their dues to, often donate to FSPAC, which has a pattern of funding Republican candidates as opposed to Democratic candidates.

On the FSPAC website, they note “no portion of any dues or fees paid to a fraternity or sorority are used for a

donation.” Although it may be true that no member’s dues go directly to FSPAC, their dues do go directly to the respective housing corporations of their fraternity or sorority.

When it comes to corporate donations to FSPAC, these housing corporations play a prominent role. The FSPAC website states, “Corporate donations to the IEA are primarily from the housing corporations who own and manage the individual fraternity and sorority houses on college campuses, although other corporate entities have donated on occasion.”

Sophia Kingsley ’21 is a

former member of the Omicron Beta chapter of Chi Omega who helped establish Disaffiliate for Change, whose goal is to abolish White Fraternity and Sorority Life at the College.

In February 2021, the group’s instagram @ disaffiliate4change_wm posted a graphic about FSPAC and the controversy behind due payments being associated with the super PAC. Kinglsey worked on the graphic and shared her opinion on the discourse about FSPAC and due payments.

“While making the graphic, we focused on how national organizations advertise that

due payments do not go to FSPAC,” Kingsley said. “But, then housing corporations donate, which is a part of your dues, because a portion of dues go to these housing corps.

Also, national leaders, whose salaries are paid by national dues, often donate to the PAC. So although it might not be direct, William and Mary dues fall into this national pool.”

According to Open Secrets, the top donor to the FSPAC in 2020 was the housing corporation of the Delta Eta chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity at the University of Delaware.

With regard to national fraternities that have chapters

at the College, the national housing corporations of Lambda Chi Alpha, Sigma Chi, Kappa Alpha Order, Gamma Phi Beta, Pi Beta Phi, Kappa Delta, Delta Gamma and Chi Omega were among the top donors to FSPAC in the 2020 election cycle.

Although it is not clear to what campaigns the donations from each of these housing corporations were allocated, it is worth noting that in the 2020 election cycle FSPAC spent between $14,000-$15,000 more on Republican candidates than Democratic candidates.

“What we see is a lot of hypocrisy behind closed

doors,” Kingsley said. “High up individuals in these Greek organizations try to promote equity and seem progressive, but ultimately they are still supporting candidates that actively work against these goals.”

The College’s Fraternity and Sorority Life is relatively removed from direct affiliation with FSPAC. However, fraternity and sorority members should still be aware that the dues they pay to national and housing corporations could be funneled through channels that lead to the super PAC and ultimately fund candidates they may not support.