The Flat Hat January 24 2024

T HE F LAT H AT

The student newspaper of the College of William and Mary | Vol. 113, Iss. 15 | Wednesday. January 24, 2024 | flathatnews.com

BRICK BY BRICK: Confronting complex issues on campus

In this issue:

CVRP places Students for Justice in Palestine on probation p. 3 Gender equality in entertainment fails to progress p. 5 Library Ambassadors club builds community p. 8 RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT

Profile News Opinion Variety Sports

2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10

Inside Sports

Inside Variety

Inside Opinions

Index

Participation grades need comprehensive overhaul John Powers ’26 argues for clearer standards in participation grades page 6

Painting a Picture

E xploring The Galler y, the College’s student-run art, prose, poetr y magazine page 7

Buffalo take “William and Mary Bowl” at home, wins 31-17 Tribe alums Mike Tomlin, Sean McDermott square off in NFL Wildcard Weekend to decide playoff contender page 9

newsinsight news insight

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News Editor Abigail Connelly News Editor Emma Henry News Editor Daniel Kalish fhnews@gmail.com

THE FLAT HAT | Wednesday, January 24, 2024 | Page 2

THE BUZZ

Weʼre making a concerted effort for peace among everyone, thatʼs the big goal of our club and to be transparent with the university about what we do, which we have been since the beginning, and thatʼs our continued goal. ̶Member of Students for Justice in Palestine

FLAT HAT NEWS BRIEF College announces Charter Day speakers, continues celebration of Year of the Arts Friday, Jan. 12, the College of William and Mary announced that secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture Lonnie G. Bunch III will deliver the headlining speech and receive an honorary degree at the 331st Charter Day ceremony on Friday, Feb. 9 in Kaplan Arena.

“Lonnie Bunch has changed the way countless people understand American history and identity,” College President Katherine Rowe said in the W&M News announcement article. “His work sets museums at the heart of our democracy - as sources of shared learning, community engagement and civic power.”

Bunch, who assumed the role of Smithsonian Secretary in 2019, oversees numerous museums, libraries, the National Zoo and several research and educational centers. As founding director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Bunch organized fundraising efforts, assisted in exhibition plans and spearheaded the collection of material culture from AfricanAmerican individuals in the country.

“The Smithsonian is the great convener, bringing diverse points of view into contact,” Bunch said in a 2016 Smithsonian Magazine special report. “A primary goal of the museum is to help America find whatever peace it can over issues of race.”

The celebration will also honor prominent public affairs executive, and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights Jeffrey B. Trammell ʻ73 with an honorary degree.

READ MORE AT FLATHATNEWS.COM ABIGAIL CONNELLY / FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR

A THOUSAND WORDS

ABIGAIL CONNELLY / 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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COURTESY IMAGE / ISABELA ORTIZ CASO

Ortiz Caso makes it a goal to assist undergraduate students with navigating their time at college and acknowledges the importance of connections.

“You don’t get your undergrad experience twice”

Researcher, advocate, scholar Isabela Ortiz Caso sees advocacy as just one expertise PEERAWUT RUANGSAWASDI // FLAT HAT CHIEF STAFF WRITER For public health data analytics and psychology double-major Isabela Ortiz Caso ’25, being involved on campus takes many forms.

Ortiz Caso is a part of the Social Chair Committee of the Latin American Student Union and is the art and the empowerment chair for Political Latinx United for Movement and Action in Society. In her freshman year, she also served as the secretary and public relations chair for William and Mary Fighting for Immigrant Rights and Equity, otherwise known as WMFIRE. “Immigration and immigrant rights and equity has always been something that’s been very important to me,” Ortiz Caso said. “I’m an immigrant myself. I immigrated from Cuba. So understanding the struggles and, kind of like, the language that we use — especially in a college setting — as soon as I got here, I was like, ‘Why are we talking like this? And treating people in a way that is kind of condescending and dehumanizing.’”

Upon arriving on campus, Ortiz Caso began her work with WMFIRE and working with students to organize events on campus.

“My attention immediately grasped to WMFIRE,” Ortiz Caso said.

“We did a lot of events, namely, they have events every Saturday to teach college students and sometimes faculty, they sometimes show up. It’s called how to be kind of like a ‘better advocate.’ A lot of advocacy work.

My attention then shifted to PLUMAS just because the goal resonated a lot more with me.”

Ortiz Caso was pleasantly surprised by the class of 2027’s involvement in PLUMAS, recalling that the class of 2025 did not have as many students participating in events.

“We have a lot more students coming from not just different backgrounds, but different socioeconomic and immigrant [backgrounds],” Ortiz Caso said. “And it’s just nice to see different Latinxidentifying students coming from different parts.”

As an immigrant from Cuba, Ortiz Caso acknowledged that her experience differs from many other immigrant students on campus.

“I’m a Cuban resident, so my pathway to citizenship is different because of my refugee status,” Ortiz Caso said. “So I don’t go through as many obstacles, and I do kind of want to mention that because it’s important to know that there are a lot of things that differentiate between each Latin American country. And Cuba happens to be one of those countries where [we are] in refugee status just because of our political system. I don’t want to say an advantage, but it definitely changes the way that we go through our immigration process compared to other Latinx students.”

Ortiz Caso said coming to campus was a bit difficult due to the amount of required paperwork. She described the process as time-consuming.

“I think also just being in classrooms where geopolitics comes into play, and organizations on campus where you’re advocating for not just political asylum, but everybody to have a right to come within the country,” Ortiz Caso said. “It’s kind of sometimes frustrating to have to explain to people where your background is. And I do like to acknowledge that I don’t have an accent. You wouldn’t know if I told you. And that’s another part of when I’m on campus and I have these conversations is the attitude changes really quickly when I mention it.”

As a member of PLUMAS, Ortiz Caso said her organization’s advocacy work extends beyond immigration. Last year, she said the organization also worked with Sodexo employees in unionization efforts.

“We are basically an advocacy and movement-oriented organization on campus,” Ortiz Caso said. “You don’t have to be Latinx to join. Most of our current issues that we’re advocating and participating for are not Latinx-oriented. But when you look at the overall scope, immigration is a Latinx issue.”

In addition to her work with PLUMAS and LASU, Ortiz Caso also works with William and Mary law students at the Immigration Clinic.

She said helping out at the clinic takes many forms, from providing translation services to helping families navigate government forms.

Ortiz Caso said she hopes her advocacy leads the College administration to acknowledge critical issues. Though the College has many diversity, equity and inclusivity initiatives, Ortiz Caso recognizes a need to examine these initiatives and ensure that students of color actually find them helpful.

Reflecting on her involvement on campus, Ortiz Caso said the best part is seeing the fruits of her labor pay out.

“Not in the, you know, ‘Oh, yeah, I did that,’ but it’s just kind of seeing the engagement,” Ortiz Caso said. “And then from that engagement,

seeing how many students we are actually impacting and that they want to get involved. And I think with anything on campus, yeah, you should want to do events and yes, you should want to actually advocate for a change. But that change has to be continuous. And with that mentality, having this many students, like, being involved is really, really important to me.”

Ortiz Caso values making connections with other students outside the classroom. As a data analytics student, Ortiz Caso said many students are not represented in advanced classes.

She said she tries to help underclassmen navigate the college experience and advocate for themselves, especially those from a firstgeneration college student background.

“I only have one more year left,” Ortiz Caso said. “So it’s kind of also just showing underclassmen how to do work. Like, not everybody knows how to organize, and not everybody knows how to advocate for themselves. It’s a hard thing to do, especially when you come from a first-gen background. You’re navigating the spaces that purposely use, like, advanced language to kind of deter you or make you feel a little bit like you don’t belong.”

As an upperclassman, Ortiz Caso said that she has more experience advocating for herself and knowing who to contact for an issue, which could be an intimidating experience for underclassmen.

“I think as you get older, you’re like, ‘Yeah, I don’t–I wouldn’t want anybody else to go through what I did,’” Ortiz Caso said.

In her advocacy work, she has also come into contact with institutional obstacles at the College.

“When it comes to any type of advocacy work, I think our first retaliation is honestly our institution,” Ortiz Caso said. “I think institution has always been an issue, and it will probably continue to be an issue until we have better leadership. And we have — not better staff — but we have staff that is willing to advocate for students as well without it feeling like, you know, it’s a beneficial agreement like you help me and I’ll help you.”

Ortiz Caso points out the history of the College as an example.

“Especially with the background in history of William and Mary, we cannot keep perpetuating the same type of violence and the same type of neglect and just plain out disrespect that they have had kept going for different marginalized groups on campus. So I think that’s probably been the biggest part,” she said.

Apart from her advocacy work, Ortiz Caso has also studied abroad in Costa Rica and Spain, where she conducted research on the COVID-19 pandemic and mental health resources for college students. As a Latinx student, she said her experience in Costa Rica was more favorable than in Spain.

“It’s difficult just because when you go into museums and you kind of see the artifacts from Latin America, you’re like, ‘Okay,’” Ortiz Caso said.

“But just kind of having a conversation. And, when I speak, I don’t have a Spanish accent. So that initial, like, ‘You’re Latinx,’ and I’m just like — It’s very interesting to see the lack of education from like a colonial power.”

To balance her many commitments and her private life, she said having friends and faculty on campus as a support system is crucial.

Ortiz Caso said she is lucky to have a faculty advisor from a similar background as hers.

After graduation, she hopes to either enter the workforce or further her education in health psychology. She wants to work with immigrants and potentially become a therapist.

Regarding advice for other students, she shared the phrase her parents have always told her: “Échale ganas,” which is a motivational phrase meaning “give it your all.”

“You know, just keep going,” Ortiz Caso said. “It gets hard. It really does get hard. But know when to advocate for yourself and keep pouring into who pours in you and what you think is worth advocating for. And then, you have to — like within current times — I think you really have to step outside of, ‘Oh, I’m scared to advocate’ mentality. And just because advocacy can be different, can look different in many different people.

You don’t just have to be in a protest. You can do the work.”

Caso encourages students to value their time on campus, finding classes that spark their interests.

“But also take care of yourself and take classes that you actually want to take and learn from,” Caso said. “You don’t get your undergrad experience twice. So even though you may not be having the best experience, finding a professor in a class that you really like can really make or break it.”

THE FLAT HAT

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Page 3

CAMPUS

CVRP places Students for Justice in Palestine on probation Campus organizations emphasize need for safe spaces, importance of free speech

MOLLY PARKS AND EMMA HENRY THE FLAT HAT

Editor’s Note: The Flat Hat has decided to honor the requests of several sources and keep their identities anonymous out of protection for their safety and wellbeing.

Friday, Nov. 17, members of the College of William and Mary’s branch of Students for Justice in Palestine protested outside of Blow Memorial Hall on the second day of the College’s board of visitors meeting in the Grimsley Board Room. The SJP students organized the protest to urge the BOV to listen to student voices and increase visibility for Palestinian organizations.

“We want the school to represent our values as students, as people that do attend this institution,” an SJP member who attended the protest said.

“Your messaging, the money that the school invests should go and do things that we as students think is right, not to whatever the Board of Visitors deems most fit. In line with what the general campus feels and what the general campus advocates for. The whole point of the protest was to hold the board of visitors accountable to the students.”

SJP planned the impromptu demonstration the same evening as their general body meeting.

During the demonstration, they gathered outside Blow, peacefully playing Palestinian music, echoing chants and waving Palestinian flags.

After the meeting was dismissed and several board members began to leave the Dawson Circle lot behind the building in their vehicles, a few SJP general body members walked back and forth at the crosswalk to obstruct the traffic.

This latter action led to the College’s Community Values and Restorative Practices department to place SJP on probation through the end of the Spring 2024 semester.

“Following a regularly scheduled organizational meeting, the group learned that the board of visitors was meeting in Blow Hall at the same time,” the College’s Student Organization Conduct History webpage reads. “The group assembled and protested outside of the Blow Hall circle and some members crossed the crosswalk repeatedly, preventing vehicular traffic from moving freely.

This was the organization’s second violation this academic year.”

The SJP student clarified that the action of blocking the street was not planned beforehand or recommended to protesters by the SJP executive board.

“When we did the board of visitors protest, there were some students that decided that they wanted to block the board of visitors from passing by using the crosswalk a few times and that was the students’ own choice,” the SJP student said. “The school saw it fit to throw the blame on the whole of SJP and put us on probation.”

According to Section IX of the Student Code of Conduct dedicated to Special Regulations for

Recognized Student Organizations, probation could lead to various disciplinary actions if misconduct continues.

“Probation is continued recognition and operation with a warning that further misconduct during the period of probation or violation of the terms of the probation may result in loss of institutional recognition,” the website states. “Conditions may be attached as terms of continuance during the period of probation.”

Prior to this decision, the organization had received a warning after an organized protest in the Sadler Center on Oct. 25, 2023.

The guidelines for protesting at the College can be found on the Guidance for Expressive Events page of the College’s Student Unions and Engagement office. According to these guidelines, protests must be stopped if they disrupt normal university operations, obstruct access to offices or buildings, threaten physical harm or damage to property, take place within a university building without authorization or involve unauthorized entry into certain areas of campus.

“As stated in the Use of Campus Facilities Policy, ‘The university is committed to supporting the exercise of constitutionally protected expression in university-controlled facilities and property while maintaining a safe atmosphere free from disruption,’” the College’s director of university news and media Suzanne Clavet wrote in an email to The Flat Hat. “The Guidelines for Expressive Events were developed by the university’s Ad Hoc Committee for First Amendment Rights (2018-19) and completed in 2019.”

According to the Community Values and Restorative Practice office, SJP was placed on probation on Dec. 11, 2023 for infringing on the rights of others, failure to comply with instructions and endangerment of health and safety. Another SJP student voiced frustration with the probation decision and with how the College handled the Nov. 17 board of visitors protest.

“I think I speak for a lot of us when I say we feel like we do not enjoy the same rights to protest or free speech as other organizations on the campus and it makes us feel singled out obviously in a predominantly white institution of power,” the SJP student said.

The SJP student thinks that the College has made it feel as though SJP specifically has very little room for error in its conduct.

“It feels like a constant targeting, we always are asked to explain ourselves, and I feel like other members of the community aren’t always given the same treatment,” the SJP student said. “There’s a double standard where we’re always, we were expected to answer for our actions in every little single thing that we do, and other organizations are just not.”

This feeling of unease has caused SJP students to compare and contrast their situation with other

SJP chapters’ experiences on college campuses around the country. The SJP student further noted that the SJP chapter at the College invites the National Lawyers Guild to their protests for any legal assistance they may need. He also shared that several administrative members often choose to attend their events.

“Across the country we see targeting of the SJPs and we see Florida trying to ban the chapters and we see how they like to paint us in the media, but obviously none of that is true for us,” the SJP student said. “Because any events we hold, we have the National Lawyers Guild so that we have legal observers there. We have the WMPD, we have the regular PD, we have the Dean of Students there, and the Dean of the Community Values and Restorative Practices, so, everything that we possibly can in order to have the administration see the event we’re hosting and to believe in us as a student organization.”

Nationally, administrators at several higher education institutions — such as Columbia University, George Washington University and Fordham University — have either suspended their institution’s SJP chapters or prevented them from organizing in the first place. In November 2023, the University of Florida chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine filed a lawsuit against the Chancellor of the State University System of Florida Ray Rodrigues after he, in consultation with Fl. Gov. Ron DeSantis, issued a memorandum ordering the deactivation of SJP chapters at the state’s universities.

SJP members at the College have noted that their initial warning and probation sanction have made them extra diligent when planning their protests in accordance with university protesting rules.

“We’re making a concerted effort for peace among everyone. That’s the big goal of our club and to be transparent with the university about what we do, which we have been since the beginning, and that’s our continued goal,” the SJP student said.

Throughout the Fall 2023 semester, SJP continually organized several peaceful protests and rallies. On Dec. 7, 2023, they hosted a counterprotest to the “U.S. Foreign Aid and Exercise of Power Keynote Conversation” outside the Sadler Terrace. The keynote conversation was an event between Chancellor Robert M. Gates and retired General Joseph Votel, former Commander of CENTCOM. The first quoted SJP student noted how their counterprotest served as an opportunity to deconstruct the popular narrative that the keynote conversation would likely convey, that all United States aid is benevolent.

“It doesn’t really show what that aid really goes towards and what that aid really is used for and how it’s used in a way that is a manipulative thing to take advantage of other, smaller nations,” the SJP student said.

During the same event, the College’s Dissenters chapter held a peaceful disruption of the talk inside the Commonwealth Auditorium, holding up Palestinian flags and standing in unison in front of the stage.

SJP was not involved in the planning of this protest. In an Instagram video on the national @wearedissenters page with over 64,000 views, College President Katherine Rowe asked the students to stop their actions. WM Dissenters did not provide comment for this story.

According to the Nov. 16-17 BOV meeting minutes, College rector Charles E. Poston J.D. ’74, P ’02, ’06 and Student Assembly President Sydney Thayer ’24 both made comments on violence in Israel and Palestine among conversations regarding other university business.

“Mr. Poston made opening remarks regarding the events in the Middle East, noted the effects the events have had on those in the William & Mary community, and mentioned recent correspondence he had with alumna regarding William & Mary’s stance in condemning bias in all forms and all acts of violence,” the minutes read.

Thayer mentioned actions taken from the Student Assembly.

“Ms. Thayer spoke about the impact of events in the Middle East on students, the passion of student advocacy efforts, and the desire of the Student Assembly to support students during difficult times,” the minutes state. “She said the Student Assembly continues to work towards the goal of transparency among the student body and highlighted efforts being made to accomplish this goal.”

Other organizations formed at the College this past semester focused on violence in Gaza, such as Jewish Voice for Peace, advocate for continued actions calling for Palestinian liberation and express their support for SJP. “We at JVP stand in solidarity with SJP as they continue their activism alongside other student organizations,” the JVP executive board wrote in an email to The Flat Hat. “We do not see the [probation] of SJP changing the trajectory of activism, and will continue advocating and fighting for Palestinian liberation.”

The JVP executive board also discussed the importance of organizations such as these in order to create spaces for various dialogues.

“Other Jewish organizations are explicitly Zionist, which left us and other Jews feeling alienated,” the JVP executive board said. “JVP is a left-leaning, anti-Zionist Jewish space which prioritizes not only the liberation of Palestine — but also Jewish community and history.”

The first SJP student echoed this sentiment regarding SJP specifically.

READ MORE AT FLATHATNEWS.COM

CAMPUS

Students protest during foreign-aid panel discussion in Sadler Center

Global Research Institute hosts event, addresses international security, diplomacy PEERAWUT RUANGSAWASDI FLAT HAT CHIEF STAFF WRITER

Thursday, Dec. 7, the Global Research Institute at the College of William and Mary hosted a panel discussion with former U.S. Secretary of Defense and College Chancellor Robert M. Gates ’65, L.H.D. ’98, AidData Director of Policy Analysis Samantha Custer and retired Army General Joseph Votel, who served as the commander of the United States Central Command.

The panel, which Custer moderated, met in the Commonwealth Auditorium in the Sadler Center and took questions from the audience.

It took place prior to the second annual two-day Gates Forum, where policymakers and national leaders discuss foreign aid and the exercise of power with GRI students.

“The idea behind the Gates Forums is clear: to produce original research that can be used by policymakers to inform bipartisan solutions to national security problems,” George and Mary Hylton Professor of International Relations and Government and GRI Director Michael Tierney said. “Last December, we partnered with William and Mary’s Chancellor, Robert M. Gates, to tackle the issue of strategic communication in U.S. foreign policy.”

During the discussion, in which the panelists took questions from the audience, Gates and Votel addressed many subjects regarding international security and diplomacy. College President Katherine Rowe started the event by acknowledging difficulties of the current global environment.

“It’s appropriate, I think, to begin by acknowledging the very difficult time that we’re in, witnessing worldwide conflict and conflict in our country,” Rowe said. “It’s a particularly difficult time to be a college student, I think. I’m really proud of the way ours are coming together across divisions. It takes a lot of maturity to do that.”

As Rowe introduced Custer, student

protestors organized by the College’s the budget. In fact, it’s about 1% of the federal provided humanitarian assistance to Iran after a Dissenters chapter walked up to the front budget. Proportionately, we spend less on terrible earthquake.” of the stage with black tape covering their foreign assistance than a whole range of other Custer then asked Votel to grade the state mouths, blocking the panelists. Protesters held countries, from Portugal to the Netherlands to of American foreign aid programs. a flag of the State of Palestine and signs accusing Japan and others.”

“C minus, which for me would be a really Gates of being complicit in the violence between Gates emphasized that foreign aid great grade,” Votel said. “This is an area that Palestine and Israel. has the potential to make other countries gets a lot of scrutiny, that gets a lot of criticism Rowe asked the protestors to leave the American allies. because it looks — we don’t do a great job of premises, to which they complied.

“But there’s very little altruism in the explaining to the American people what we’re “It’s time for me to ask our students who American government,” Gates said. “I think doing with this money and why it makes a are being respectfully quiet to move on,” Rowe it’s a hard reality that our national interests are difference. I think the communication aspect said. “This event is about a past peace, and I advanced by providing development assistance of this is extraordinarily important, and we know that everybody don’t do a great job of at William and Mary explaining why that is. cares about that. I But when you travel ask all of you whose overseas, we do begin behavior is obstructing to see the benefits of and disrupting this the investments that meeting to stop we make in these immediately and countries.” let the conversation The panelists continue, consistent continued to discuss with policies and many issues, including values in this Russia’s war in Ukraine university.

Okay, and the role of the you’ve been asked United States in the respectfully to let this conflict in Palestine. meeting proceed, “I would say that but your conduct has the prerequisite for continued. I’m hereby PEERAWUT RUANGSAWASDI / THE FLAT HAT peace in the Middle officially directing you Gates discussed the role of foreign assistance during global conflicts with panelists. East is courageous to please leave the premises immediately.” and humanitarian assistance to other countries. leaders,” Gates said.

The panel continued after the students left We make a big mistake, in my view, in this Gates also gave his opinion on the current the room. country by keeping secret how much we do for Israeli Prime Minister.

Custer asked Gates about the importance of others and how often we do it for people who “So one of the obstacles now, and now I’m foreign aid. are our adversaries.” going to tiptoe through the minefield, one of “I think the key is, first of all, to understand He pointed to examples such as North Korea the obstacles, frankly, to further progress, to that foreign assistance has probably been one and Iran. trying to resolve all of this is that, and I’ll just of the most unpopular government programs “When I was writing my book, ‘Exercise of say it right here: I’ve never been a fan of Bibi for the last 60 years,” Gates said. “It was during Power’, I was stunned to learn that during the Netanyahu,” Gates said. “I first met him in the Cold War and has continued to be. First of North Korean famine in 1999, the United States 1989 when he was deputy foreign minister all, a lot of Americans have a totally mistaken provided three times more food assistance of Israel, and I was deputy national security view of how much we actually spend on foreign to North Korea than any other country in the advisor. I didn’t like him then, and I see no assistance. Some people think it’s 10, 15, 20% of world, including China,” Gates said. “In 2005, we reason to change my mind, and I dealt with

him a lot when I was secretary of defense, and with him leading a far-right coalition government in Israel, and very aggressive designs on the West Bank and frankly, does not accept the notion of a solution.”

Votel also pointed out the importance of providing humanitarian aid and coordinating those efforts.

“I think it’s to their benefit to be viewed as not only a military force that is going after Hamas but also a military force that is trying to work with the humanitarian aid, being to the best of their ability in what is acknowledged a very, very difficult situation,” Votel said.

Custer continued to ask other questions submitted by the audience. One of them pertained to Gates’ political ambitions.

“Chancellor Gates, have you ever thought of running for president?” Custer asked.

“I’ve been married 56 years, there would be no 57. No, never, never, never,” Gates said.

Owen Dyer ’26, who attended the panel, said he was interested in the issue of foreign aid and liked the discussion.

“I think it was very fascinating,” Dyer said.

“I think I agree with pretty much the majority of it, to Gates’ points, especially with pretty important ones promoting which ways the U.S. can engage, especially within health, within education, and also in governance and ability to to engage the Global South in a way that isn’t only military.”

Dyer touched on Rowe’s handling of the student protest during the event.

“I think the way that President Rowe dealt with it was really, really in good faith of democracy and different democratic values,” Dyer said. “So, I think just dealing with those types of issues by allowing people to speak and give their opinions, but also allowing them to also leave and protest peacefully, is especially important in a democratic space like this.”

Page 4

THE FLAT HAT

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

CAMPUS

Spray paint found on Sadler Center doors, case under investigation

Administration spokeswoman says incident violates campus policies, College values, will not be tolerated EMMA HENRY FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR

Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, a spray-painted message was found on the side-entrance doors of the College of William and Mary’s Sadler Center. The message was related to ongoing violence in Israel and Gaza, specifically criticizing the allotment of College funds.

“Your tuition funds genocide,” the message said. “Free Palestine.”

According to William and Mary Police Department Chief Don Butler, an investigation is still ongoing and further details will be released when available.

“These types of cases can often take some time to resolve,” Butler wrote in an email to The Flat Hat. “If any members of our community have information related to this incident, we ask that they contact William & Mary Police at 757-221-4596.”

In an email to The Flat Hat, the College’s director of university news and media Suzanne Clavet said appropriate criminal charges and campus disciplinary action would be pursued if a College community member was found to be involved with the incident.

“William & Mary values freedom of expression and the respectful exchange of differing ideas; however, that exchange should not involve the violation of any laws or campus policies,” Clavet wrote. “William & Mary must be a campus that welcomes difficult conversations, honest debate and civil dialogue in ways that honor our values of belonging and respect. It saddens us that someone broke those values and committed a criminal act. It won’t be tolerated on our campus.”

Clavet also attached a university graphic to her email detailing how the College spends tuition money.

Criticism from the student body regarding the use of College funds increased last semester as campus advocacy groups have commented on the College’s response to violence in the Israel and Palestine. Student advocates have urged students, alumni and faculty on their social media to withhold donations to the College until demands such as calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and divestment from companies that profit from Israel are addressed and met by College administration.

These organizations have also asked the administration denounce language that equates anti-Zionism or pro-Palestinian

activism with antisemitism.

When asked about the spray paint incident in an interview with The Flat Hat, an organizer for Students for Justice in Palestine said that no one from their organization was or would ever be encouraged to pursue that course of action during their advocacy efforts. The student emphasized that SJP only strives to take productive and educational action.

“We heard about it and we had nothing to do with it – we have actions that are organized and whatever we tell our students to do, that’s it. We think that there’s a certain way to go about things that is the most productive. I don’t think this is the strongest way to deliver that type of message,” the SJP student said.

COURTESYIMAGE / SUZANNE CLAVET Suzanne Clavet shared the above graphic with The Flat Hat displaying how the College spends tuition money.

COURTESY PHOTO / YIK YAK The above picture of the spray-painted Sadler Center doors circulated on the Yik Yak app in the local College area.

CAMPUS

College welcomes 70 students from Spring Pathway program

Students admitted off waitlist spend Fall 2024 semester at community colleges, studying abroad

ABIGAIL CONNELLY FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR

Friday, Jan. 19, the five-day new student orientation began at the College of William and Mary for Spring 2024 new students, including 70 from the 2024 Spring Pathway program.

The program began in 2020, granting spring admission to waitlisted freshman students.

Following the recipients of freshman regular decision admission offers in early April, any first-year or freshmen applicant who received a waitlist decision is able to pursue the Pathway program after May 1.

For students on the waitlist with continued interest in the College, official admission requires submitting a non-binding intent form between May and June, as well as documentation of academic standing via transcript. Final grades for a student’s senior year of high school that fall below a C disqualify them from pursuing the Pathway program.

“William & Mary annually attracts immensely talented applicants, each of whom is drawn to our learning community,” vice president for strategy and innovation Jeremy

Martin said in a W&M News article. “The Spring Pathway program has allowed us to welcome even more of these students, who add to the vitality of our campus following their time abroad or in a local setting.”

After completing the intent form and submitting the transcript, prospective Pathway students are contacted by the College in August, allowing them to access their application and choose between a full-time semester at a local two-year community college or a semester of studying abroad with Verto Education.

“Verto Education was founded to make travel the path of least resistance to a college education,” the Verto Website states. “We believe in inclusion, transparency, access, equity, and, above all, the power of travel to foster empathy and kindness across cultures.”

Implementation of Verto in 2020 and its partnership with the program are designed as part of the College’s efforts to increase enrollment and mitigate forecasted enrollment fluctuations as a result of decreased rates of high school graduation between 2024 and 2032.

To achieve guaranteed admission to the College, students must complete 12-16 credits while maintaining at least a 3.0 GPA and individual letter grades above a C-. Students can submit their grade progress via the CommonApp Mid-Term Report or through a screenshot of their respective learning portal in October. Official offers to students with sufficient standing receive offers of admission to the College.

“I love that we are able to offer this unique opportunity to students,” senior assistant dean of admission Monica Pinier said in a W&M News article. “We know these students plan to enroll in the spring, so I enjoy working with them during the fall semester to help make it a seamless transition as possible to William & Mary. I am personally in touch with nearly all our pathway students to be sure that everything is lined up between their fall academic program and the university. One of the most exciting days of the year for me is January orientation when we finally meet on campus and are able to celebrate as they officially join the W&M community.”

JAMIE HOLT / THE FLAT HAT

STUDENT ASSEMBLY

Three student senators resign for Spring 2024, citing commitments

Retired Student Assembly senators sponsored bills on sexual violence, homecoming t-shirts PEERAWUT RUANGSAWASDI FLAT HAT CHIEF STAFF WRITER

Tuesday, Jan. 16, Chair of the Senate of the College of William and Mary’s Student Assembly Senate Justin Bailey ’24 announced the resignations of Virginia Institute of Marine Science former Sen. Quinn Girasek M.S. and former Sen. Ashlynn Parker ’26 in an email to the Senate, citing upcoming academic commitments as the reason for their departures.

The resignations follow that of former Sen. Jiexi Lin ’26, who previously announced her resignation for the Spring 2024 semester following her acceptance of an internship in Washington, D.C. “We thank them both for all of their hard work, dedication, and contributions to Student Assembly and wish them all the best in their future endeavors,” Bailey wrote in the email.

Girasek, the first representative from VIMS, joined the Senate in September 2023. She, along with Parker and Lin, are a part of 14 out of 27 senators who did not cast a ‘No’ vote during the entire Fall 2023 semester.

Among her final pieces of legislation, Parker, in a joint effort with Class President Zoe Wang ’26, sponsored The Sexual Violence Tertiary Prevention Act. The bill, supported by SA Secretary of Health and Safety Terra Sloane ’25

and Director of The Haven Liz Cascone, allocated $800 for promotional materials for Project Callisto.

“Callisto Vault was developed as a direct response to the fact that over 90% of college sexual assaults are committed by serial perpetrators, who offend an average 6 times before they graduate,” Parker wrote in an email to The Flat Hat, providing a description of the project that she received from Callisto. “It is a suite of tools designed to help survivors navigate barriers and define their own pathways toward healing and justice.

Within Callisto Vault, survivors can access two tools: the Matching System and Incident Log.” Her final bill, The Subsidizing Bike Rentals Act, provided $2,500 to subsidize the costs of 25 semester-long bike rentals at the Student Health Center.

Lin sponsored one bill in the 331st session of the Senate — The T-Shirt Purchasing Act Part II, which she sponsored with Sen. Spencer Krivo ’26.

The bill spent $3,650 for the purchasing of 280 homecoming shirts.

She was also listed as a co-sponsor for The Art and Hatsuye Ball Act, which provided $17,860 to support the costs of the Art and Hatsuye Ball that will be held in the Alan B. Miller Hall on Saturday, Mar. 23.

Girasek did not sponsor any bills.

Wang will appoint replacements for the vacancies Parker and Lin created. She

announced that she was accepting applications for Lin’s replacement on Sunday, Dec. 21, 2023.

“My personal pitch to be a Senator is that you can truly make a difference on campus,” Wang wrote in a follow-up email sent to Class of 2026 students on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. “It has been so incredibly fulfilling to serve as your Class President and I’m COURTESY IMAGE / SUZANNE CLAVET sure my fellow 2026 Sens. Jiexi Lin ʻ26, Quinn Girasek MS and Ashlynn Parker ʻ26 all resign before the Spring 2024 semester, attributing their reasons for resignation to various commitments.

Senators can say the same. By being a Senator, you have the making a difference on campus (and of 2026 Senator,” Parker wrote in an power to allocate significant amounts you don’t have to know what that email to The Flat Hat. “Unfortunately, of money through sponsoring bills to difference would be),” Wang added. “I my class schedule conflicted with host campus-wide events, purchase would highly encourage you to apply!”

Senate meetings, and I felt as though items that would enhance student According to the Student I would not be able to give my full experiences, and use your position as a Assembly Constitution, t h e attention to the role and best serve way to amplify the voices of your peers Graduate Council will name the student body. I still intend to stay to school administrators.”

Girasek’s successor. Girasek d e c l i n e d involved in Student Assembly and She also highlighted that a student a request for comment. U n l i k e monitor the progress of bills I have does not need to be a certain major undergraduate vacancies, the VIMS passed and was working on. I look to apply. vacancy does not have to be filled in 14 forward to serving the Class of 2026 in “You don’t have to be a certain days. the future.” major or have experience in student Parker said she hopes to still be Girasek declined a request for government – no matter your involved in SA. comment, while Lin did not respond to background, if you are interested in “I am sad to step down as a Class one by the time of publication.

opinions GUEST COLUMN

Opinions Editor Mollie Shiflett Opinions Editor Avi Joshi fhopinions@gmail.com // @theflathat

THE FL FLAT HAT | Wednesday, January 24, 2023 | Page 5

STAFF COLUMN

Give us your provocative Empty promises: gender equality opinions! in entertainment fails to progress Sheoli Lele THE FLAT HAT

GRAPHIC BY CATHERINE STORKE / THE FLAT HAT

“According to [insert tenured Ivy League professor], spending time with loved ones makes people happy,” says your favorite science podcast host.

I just made that up, but chances are that it really exists somewhere in the world of what I call “pompous lifestyle pedagogy”: a highly-educated authority figure stating a commonsensical opinion. This media pattern always annoys me. Must I, too, put myself through twenty years of schooling (i.e. the entire time I’ve been on Earth) to have a well-received opinion about everyday thoughts?

It was this irritation that sent me hurtling toward The Flat Hat opinions section, begging to write for them. Here, anyone can have an opinion. This principle is not just a fun feature of op-eds but instead the very foundation of public discourse, which drives progress and sustains our democracy. For our published thoughts to have these effects, however, our opinions must contain one key ingredient: controversy. In this article, I hope to convince you of your right and duty to voice your most provocative thoughts (within the bounds of reason and intuition) and why you would benefit from it. Even if you do not officially write for The Flat Hat, help us move toward producing more debate-inspiring, thought-provoking and indeed out-of-the-box articles!

Widely-accepted thoughts do little good in the department of motivating societal change, so we ought to write about topics that are more disputed.

Why? To ignite a valuable debate, there must be at least two strong sides of an issue. With any controversial claim, those on either side are impassioned enough to express their reasons for holding the opinions they do. When I am debating someone with an opposite viewpoint to my own, I am forced to process the counter arguments they offer, which can either be overcome by my rebuttal or can weaken the basis of my original view. To publish a provocative op-ed is to flick the first domino in the domino chain of social change. Meanwhile, when we publish an opinion that everyone already holds, we provide little call-to-action, little room for debate and no incentive for people to reflect on the issue. No, I will not argue with a Flat Hat article that says that sweaters keep people warm or that racism is bad. I probably won’t even think about it again.

In reading op-eds, I find a unique entertainment that only reading fiction shares. When I compare this experience to reading the non-opinion sections of journalism, I find the latter does not deviate from objectivity. They shun bias—the inevitable accomplice of opinion—and access only

facts. News reporting, for example, operates on the assumption that nobody is entitled to their own facts, so it is more than enough to publish an objective account of an event with little room for variation. Opinionists go a step further in their writing and give one of the infinite possible interpretations of objective facts. Because interpretation has more room for creativity than factual reporting, I easily find one much more fascinating than the other. Yes, I just called reading the news boring. Offended?

Consider it a provocative opinion.

Writing an op-ed is mentally stimulating in itself, but writing tame op-eds pale in challenge next to their more provocative counterparts. As an op-ed author, I use more words to construct my writing plan than the final published piece.

This is because, after writing a few pieces, I understand it as a deceptively difficult task; the prerequisite to writing an op-ed is to thoroughly understand my claim, why its supporting points differ from one another and how they collectively lead to the particular conclusion I would like readers to accept. The problem I often face is realizing that my reasons for holding certain beliefs are jumbled and do not logically flow.

The intellectually challenging work of creating an outline leaves me no choice but to organize my thoughts. With provocative opinions comes more of this work. Because fewer people are likely to share my opinion, I must guide readers through clearer and more abundant reasons to accept my view. This activity alone has made me a better debater, conversationalist and listener.

I feel that there are two main reasons why we see a lack of provocative opinions published in The Flat Hat, both of which are grounded in fear.

The first is the fear of backlash. Students (myself included) worry about what others will think of them after reading their writing. Especially in an age where friends lose one contact over politics, this fear is natural. The fear even applies to our controversial thoughts about topics unrelated to the future of the nation. One of the best ways to reverse this trend is to begin publishing the kind of work we would like to see written. If a few writers have the courage to catalyze our move toward more bold writing, others will witness the power in doing so, then follow suit.

The implicit norm in Flat Hat opinions — endorsing generally good things as good, and condemning generally bad things as bad — cannot be expected to change overnight.

The second reason is the fear of being offensive.

I myself find this fear more difficult to address than the first. Flat Hat interns are firmly (and rightfully) told not to write articles maliciously attacking specific individuals or clubs on campus, but I think many mistakenly conflate attack and constructive criticism. For instance, op-eds are often considered “provocative” only because they express disapproval of an authority figure, and students (again, myself included) are nervous about voicing our thoughts.

Especially because the very purpose of an opinions section is to spread awareness about systemic flaws and suggest ways to rectify them, our fear of offending should not be the reason we keep these thoughts to ourselves.

The best way to help writers navigate this obstacle is to clearly show by example appropriate and inappropriate ways to respectfully express criticism and avoid insult. Let’s say I wanted to communicate my disapproval of Residence Life’s training methods. I would select the title “The importance of DEI training: suggestions for Residence Life” over “My baby sister could run

Mollie Shiflett

FLAT HAT OPINIONS EDITOR

Women in this period, especially successful women, are praised for their abilities, but it’s all just lip service. Women like Dolly Parton are adored for their contributions to their field — she has been a driving force in country music, and music in general for going on fifty years, but women in country music still don’t get a fair shake. According to Marissa Moss’s book “Her Country,” there is — or has been — an unwritten rule in the country music radio world that says that female artists should never be played back to back, and generally speaking not more than one in an hour, but of course, women are equal to men.

In the last 11 years, women have made up only 13.9% of nominees for major categories at the Grammy Awards. Feminists and activists will say that they always knew about this gender inequity — and of course they probably did — but most of us ignore it. We don’t think about the fact that for all the talk about female empowerment in this country, nothing is happening to change how these industries work. As Moss points out in “Her Country,” good old boys like Jason Aldean can cheat all they want, but if a woman like LeAnn Rimes has an affair with a married man, her career is over. That’s the double standard, as America Ferrera pointed out.

For a woman to even be worthy of recognition in this world of old boys’ clubs, they have to be perfect, GRAPHIC BY YELENA FLEMING / THE FLAT HAT every minute of every f—ing day. I make a habit of talking about things that everyone that goes here “‘Oppenheimer’ is based on a 721-page, Pulitzer already knows for the most part, being a fairly liberal Prize winning book about the Manhattan Project, and population, but this is all the platform that I have ‘Barbie’ is on a plastic doll with big boobies.” to talk about the world around us which, for all its That is what comedian Jo Koy said in his Golden presentation of progress, doesn’t seem ready to do a Globes monologue Jan. 7. To be fair, he’s technically damn thing to ensure equality. right since the film is centered around a doll, which I’m just sick to death of it. We like to wrap ouris definitely plastic and not anatomically accurate. selves in a warm blanket and tell ourselves that things But that’s what a lot of Hollywood is all about: trivialare getting better, but they’re not. For 60 years, there izing women and their achievements because of their has been no real substantive change to the gender appearance. “Barbie” is a movie that examines the inequality that exists in media and the arts. misogyny and female empowerment — or the lack But everything is hunky dory. “Barbie” broke thereof — in our world. That joke drew a lot of critibox office and cinematic records, but the only cism for its reductive nature, although “Barbie” director thing notable about it is that it’s about a doll with Greta Gerwig has said that he was “right on” about the big boobs. Making a joke like that trivializes what basis of the film.

Gerwig was able to make that doll say and how I don’t want to spend too long on a Golden Globes it made people feel deeply and think differently. monologue that will go down in history as one of the Maybe Gerwig didn’t have a problem with it, but most cringe-inducing and awkward openers in the why don’t we flip the script. Both are great movies, history of the award show. There’s nothing fun to say but why don’t we phrase it like this? “‘Barbie’ is a about a grown man getting defensive when a room movie that takes a symbol of gender stereotypes and of people won’t laugh at his jokes (although in my challenges the patriarchal set up of today’s world, opinion, if you want people to laugh you need to be ‘Oppenheimer’ is a biopic about a man who almost funny, and if you’re a stand up comic, you should have single handedly allowed for the slaughter of more learned how to identify a good joke by now). What than 200,000 people.”

I want to talk about is something that no doubt has How’s that for reductivist? been talked about and will be talked about again, but Mollie Shiflett ’26 is a history major who may also it’s something that “Barbie” as a movie addresses and major in linguistics. She plays on the Gold Women’s that Koy seems to be neglecting: the perilous double Club Soccer team for the College of William and standard that exists for women in media and indeed Mary and is an avid fan of most sports — except golf. famous women at all.

Email Mollie at mrshiflett@wm.edu. better training than Residence Life” or “Residence Life?

More like Residence get-a-life.” Of course, the tone of the article must reflect the respect and nuance in the title.

Overall, students should have greater access to opportunities to be educated on the art of authoring a well-informed and productive critique for The Flat Hat. Despite the reservations you may feel, I encourage you to brave through your fears and use The Flat Hat as a platform for your opinion that deserves to be heard.

In hindsight, I have not practiced what I preach about the importance of provocative opinions. In my most recent

COMIC

Fuzzy 57: Mouse in the House?

COMIC BY ARIANNA STEWART / THE FLAT HAT

article, I make the case against dwelling on past bad grades, but in which world is it considered helpful to cry about last semester’s results? After all, I simply argue that we should do more of a generally good thing. In writing it, I learned a lot about my own thought process and how to modify my work in a way that benefits both myself and my community. You should, too.

Sheoli Lele ’26 is a prospective math and philosophy double major. She uses her free time to paint, take photos around campus and debate. Contact her at smlele@ wm.edu.

THE FLAT HAT

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

STAFF COLUMN

STAFF COLUMN

Participation grades need comprehensive overhaul

Change is in the air as studwents at the College of William and Mary return from winter break, setting the stage for a new semester full of fresh opportunities and growth. With classes beginning, new course widgets adorn students’ Blackboard pages, and our campus grows lively again. Some things never change, though. What will remain constant is the participation grade, a mainstay of syllabi and an often looming source of discontent for students. As syllabus week commences, now is an appropriate time to examine the issues with participation grades.

Before examining those issues, it is important to acknowledge that the idea of evaluating a student’s communication skills is entirely reasonable. Public speaking is a vital tool needed for a well-rounded education and a successful career. The idea that we should axe participation grades because some students feel uncomfortable speaking in front of others is akin to saying exams should be abolished because they cause anxiety.

Student participation spurs engagement in the classroom, making discourse more exciting. If discussion is moderated successfully, participation can help students make connections between different ideas and improve understanding of the material. Non-oral exercises can also improve the quality of learning.

The problem is not participation grades per se, but participation grades in practice. Consider when participation grades are posted. All semester, students are told they should come to class prepared and ready to share their thoughts on the assigned materials or respond to questions from the professor. Typically, students only know how they performed on this aspect of the course at the very end of the semester. By grading participation last, professors leave no room for their students to improve.

It gets lost how unreasonable this grading practice is because it is a cemented feature of higher education. Imagine taking a calculus class where your final course grade is the average of a few exams. If you do not know the grade of each exam until your final course grade is posted to Banner, then how could you assess your achievement in the course and adjust your

preparation for future exams? The participation grade is marked by a similar lack of feedback.

While participation is not usually weighted as heavily as exams, this is no excuse for ditching feedback. Students receive feedback — whether through a grade or written comments — on all sorts of assignments, big and small. Participation shouldn’t be an exception.

Moreover, the delayed release of participation grades also contributes to an imbalanced professor-student relationship. A student wishing to challenge a grade on a test, assignment or presentation could point to an identifiable deliverable to support their claims. Likewise, the professor could use that deliverable to defend the original grade.

Yet in the case of participation grades, there is nothing substantial to point to. From my experience in various discussion-heavy courses, it seems most professors do not have the time to moderate a discussion, present content and write detailed participation notes all at the same time. Perhaps they may note if a student spoke, but it is unlikely professors can remember the quality of each student’s contribution during each class when it is time to grade. This could easily result in grades that are an inaccurate representation of a student. My intention is not to categorically paint professors as unable to fairly grade. Rather, the point is that grading participation is a uniquely challenging endeavor that opens up a higher risk of an unfair grade.

Indeed, University of Notre Dame professor James M. Lang echoed this point in a 2021 article for the Chronicle of Higher Education.

He rightly noted that participation is “subject to too many biases.” As the Columbia Business School’s Arthur J. Samberg Institute for Teaching Excellence said, participation grades could be affected by the recency effect, in which a professor might remember a student who participated more at the end of the semester than one who participated more at the beginning. Biases like these can cloud judgment, and combined with a lack of identifiable deliverables for an abstract and subjective concept like participation, they can yield an unfair result.

A final factor to consider is the profound lack of expectation-setting with respect to participation grades. Syllabi will usually say something along the lines of “exemplary participation means coming to class prepared to share questions and thoughts with others,” yet this statement is unclear. Is it simply sharing those thoughts that is the exemplary participation, or the quality of those thoughts? Unclear written instructions on assignments are usually mitigated by the fact that professors talk about what

FLAT HAT OPINIONS EDITOR

they like to see in these assignments during class time, providing students with valuable insights.

That is unfortunately not a feature of participation grades.

This lack of expectation-setting has the ripple effect of diminishing the quality of discussion as students overly-participate in an effort to receive a good grade because they are unsure of what they should be doing. In this case, not everyone has a chance to make their voice heard.

So, what could be done to solve this problem?

For one, Professor Lang stopped grading student participation in his classes. I wrote another op-ed arguing for the use of a completely different discussion format in more classes. However, these solutions, even with their merits, are not scalable.

Incremental steps that apply to a broader set of circumstances, on the other hand, can make a real difference.

Professors could start by providing more feedback, which could be as simple as splitting the participation grade into two grades, one before fall or spring break and one after. That way, students have a chance to change their behavior and work towards a higher grade. This is a no-brainer.

We might also consider shifting emphasis to other means of participation in addition to oral contributions. I had one professor who based our participation grade on both in-class discussion and Blackboard blog posts. The K. Patricia Cross Academy offered another idea called the 3-2-1 technique, in which participants write three things they learned in the lecture, two things they found interesting from the lecture, and one question.

Approaches like these mitigate the lack of deliverables problem with participation grades, which can make grading more accurate and grading appeals easier.

Clarifying expectations should be another goal to work towards. It would be overburdensome to ask professors to devise complicated rubrics, but more guidelines would certainly help. Professors should expand upon possible grade criteria such as engagement with assigned readings, relevance of class comments, concision of class comments and civility. Not only should these expectations be clearly spelled out in the syllabus, but they should also be discussed in class, just like professors would do with other assignments.

This semester, let’s improve participation grading by providing more feedback, diversifying criteria and clarifying expectations. It’s long overdue.

John Powers ’26 is a Public Policy major hailing from Brooklyn, N.Y. He is a Resident Assistant in Hardy Hall, a member of the Undergraduate Moot Court competition team and a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. John is a huge Adele fan.

Email him at jdpowers@wm.edu.

GUEST COLUMN

New Year’s resolutions are just cookies from Sadler Lana Altunashvili THE FLAT HAT

Whether you greet Jan. 1 with fireworks, a New Year’s kiss or simply look at the clock and go back to sleep, for some reason the end of December symbolizes the turning of a new page. It is exactly that time of the year when children believe in a sort of magic, parents are carefully preparing to make that magic happen and college students — well, we are somewhere in-between. Some really want to go back to their studies, others probably want to stay home but almost everyone expects things to be different in the new year.

I, myself, have made a New Year’s resolutions list this time around. Yet even without them, the beginning of January symbolizes a sort of anticipation as we hold our breath and wait for our lives to instantly improve. Are our New Year’s resolutions realistic, though?

How likely is it that we will stick to them? And do we need New Year’s resolutions at all?

Full of bullet points like “drink more water,” “be more physically active” and “have more discipline,” annual resolutions are often discarded after a month or two at best.

We’re all familiar with the gym craze on the first of January that steadily dies out most of the time as our responsibilities catch up to us.

In fact, these sorts of goals rarely materialize themselves because we expect ourselves to jump right into them. We forget, however, that these are resolutions for 2024. A whole year, 12 months, 52 weeks, 366 days in 2024 to make our goals happen at some point and continue them consistently. Starting gradually would not only help us all stick to what we’re doing, but it’s also good to take it slow in any part of our lives if we have the chance to.

Honestly speaking, I haven’t started on almost any of my New Year’s resolutions. Not because I’m lazy or unwilling to make them happen, but simply because every other time I’ve walked straight into everything all at once, it was overwhelming and unmanageable. This hasty practice is what often leaves people believing that they are incapable

of implementing new habits that aren’t already part of their daily routine. No wonder people dread the new year after that.

They don’t want to have expectations for themselves that they undoubtedly will not meet. But it doesn’t always have to be this way, and hopefully in 2024, you see why.

Having only been here one semester, I have already noticed just how much stress students at the College of William and Mary experience on a daily basis. Whether it be overinvolvement in student clubs, exam preparation or personal issues, the view of Earl Gregg Swem Library alone during finals season is enough to make me want to travel 24 hours just to go back home again. As we enter 2024, it’s important I think that we all set small goals for ourselves. Nothing big but instead something we know we can do every day and still go on with our daily school duties.

And, since everyone here likes being a “twamp”,’ do not connect those goals to school. Make it something personal, something that makes you, as a person, happy.

Once you do something every day that makes you feel accomplished outside the context of academics, it will be much easier to motivate yourself. Trust me.

I think that most New Year’s resolutions can be looked at as bonus points anyway. Or even as cookies from the Sadler Center’s dining hall. Truthfully, your life will not change that much after you eat a cookie at Sadler. It would be a nice treat if you did, but overall, your life would be just the same. Let’s take the Dean’s List as an example. I’ve noticed most people dismiss it and say that they don’t know why freshmen make such a big deal out of being on it, even mocking those who are passionate about making the list. Personally, I think making the Dean’s List is something people should be proud of — but just as a good bonus point. Though making the Dean’s List can be a source of pride and

My academic hell: the Foreign Language Requirement Avi Joshi

John Powers

FLAT HAT OPINIONS ASSOC.

GRAPHIC BY CATHERINE STORKE / THE FLAT HAT

Page 6

GRAPHIC BY YELENA FLEMING / THE FLAT HAT

accomplishment, it also doesn’t truly matter whether your name is listed amongst hundreds of others or not. Again, it’s only a bonus point, or in other words, ‘a cookie from Sadler.’ So keep that analogy in mind as you round up last year’s goals and create new ones for 2024; remember your resolutions should be nice extras, not the all-encompassing be-all and end-all.

Soon, spring 2024 will start, and we will likely forget all about what we wanted to accomplish for ourselves this semester. A good idea would be to put up resolutions somewhere visible in your room so that you can occasionally look at them and maybe decide to start working on them one day. Though you will have academic achievements on your mind as so many of us do, I truly hope you choose not to forget to also take care of yourself first as doing so should be the most important resolution of all. Everything else, well… it will come in time. And remember: it’s all just a cookie from Sadler.

Lana Altunashvili ’27 is a prospective biology major. She is a James Monroe Scholar and a member of Club Tennis. Contact her at laltunashvili@wm.edu.

JAMIE HOLT / THE FLAT HAT

Recently, I received another one of many winter break emails.

Normally, I would do what most people would do: maybe glance at the Outlook notification and then swipe it away, allowing the email to set up camp in my inbox until I finally decide to start paying attention to any school-related emails in the days leading up to the first day of classes. However, this particular email caught my eye because when I went to go read it, it was a reminder about the College of William and Mary’s Foreign Language Proficiency Requirement.

I instantly couldn’t help but feel a little pissed off. I mean, on the one hand, it’s just rude to send an email in the middle of my rather peaceful and meditative break reminding me of my imminent academic doom as I try to work through the requirement, but more importantly, it led me to think about how poorly the FLP is set up. I believe that the FLP forces too much of an academic burden on students, adding to the stress and exhaustion most of us already go through.

Now, for context, I have not completed my FLP but am taking French courses to do so. This article is also by no means trying to say I hate any of our modern languages and literatures departments. Nor am I attempting to target any individual professors or classes; the people who work and teach for these departments are incredible (shoutout professor Deborah Lee-Ferrand; c’est une excellente professeur). However, some problems with the FLP need to be addressed, and I imagine I’m not the only student who feels the same.

The most obvious complaint when it comes to the FLP is how most language classes are scheduled all five days of the week. I don’t necessarily mind the time the classes start — I should probably be waking up early anyways. I also understand that the five-day schedule was likely imposed to fit in the large amount of content that comes with learning a brand-new language. However, most students are used to taking classes that only occur two to three times a week since a majority of the classes at the College are structured this way. So, for students who are used to having classes that have a day or two buffer in between each period, language classes can become overwhelming very quickly. The content comes fast and does not let up.

In addition to frequent classes, introductory language courses are also demandingly difficult. The College’s website states that students can earn their FLP by completing courses in a language “at a level equivalent to or above the 202/203 level.” However, I do not believe that this requirement needs to go up to the 202 level. I don’t think it needs to go to the 201 level. 102 is where the requirement should end. The amount of time needed to keep up with even just 101 had me swamped most of the semester. On top of regularly studying new content taught daily, the class workload was intense.

There were lots of chapter homework and quizzes that I never connected with, making it even harder to retain the information.

On top of this coursework, students working towards earning their FLP must also attend certain events hosted by language houses outside of class time, which are intended to help students better engage with the language. However, in my experience, these events rarely met their intended purpose. I would go to an event, and more often than not it was a long, awkward and quiet hour. None of the students, including myself, at these language house events ever connected with the language itself, leading my peers and I to just stare at each other and mumble a few French words. After the long hour was up, I honestly couldn’t help but feel a little relieved to get out of the event.

Now, I recognize that most classes at the College require quite a lot of time and effort from its student body; it’s part of our culture.

The problem for me comes in when other classes that do not relate to my major end up becoming a huge part of my academic life.

Halfway through a recent semester, I realized how much I wasn’t enjoying French; every time I went to the class, did work for the class or realized there was an impending chapter quiz at the end of the week, I couldn’t help but feel exhausted from trying to force myself to retain French. And when I brought it up with a few of my classmates, they said the same. The sheer volume of content that language courses impose on students can end up creating a negative relationship with the language itself.

Some may point out that there are many other general education requirements that students must complete beyond the FLP. While, yes, we do often have to take classes that are not just language classes even if we may not necessarily want to, most of the other classes that I’ve been required to take have been far less stressful than any language course I have taken. For example, a large lecture class like Psychology as a Natural Science, which doubles as fulfillment of both a gen-ed and psychology major requirement, was well-paced and never became too overwhelming. I’m not trying to speak for everyone — I’m sure there are students tearing through the FLP like it’s nothing or other students struggling through other general education requirements. In the meantime, my grade point average will continue to struggle in its fight with the FLP. Requirements like the FLP spark larger conversations on the balance between fulfilling academic requirements and allowing students to explore subjects of interest without unnecessary burden. Students at the College have consistently been academically drowning, and requirements like the FLP only make us drown more, in my experience. Though I again want to mention that I sincerely do not want this article to bring any hate towards the modern language and literatures department, I truly believe there can be more and better ways to achieve academic freedom in relation to our current student culture. Maybe we could even build a future at the College that is not somewhat poisoned by its rigorous academic atmosphere but rather fortified by it.

Now, if you excuse me, I need to go stare at French vocab until my brain turns to yogurt.

Avi Joshi ‘26 is a prospective English and Education major.

He is a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity and Wind Ensemble. Contact him at asjoshi@wm.edu.

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Page 8

THE FLAT HAT

We’re getting along Swem-ingly The Collegeʼs Library Ambassadors work to promote Earl Gregg Swem library, reduce studeny stress, build community MILES MORTIMER // FLAT HAT VARIETY EDITOR On the campus of the College of William and Mary, one of the most visited buildings on campus is the one and only Earl Gregg Swem Library. Inside the building’s four walls, there exists a smorgasbord of activities and items available, ranging from book rentals to work spaces to equipment rentals and more. Despite its plethora of offerings, however, Swem is often summarized in a single word by the students of the College: stress. Its presence as a place where people labor over major assignments, coupled with its chaotic overflow during midterms and finals, means that the library’s more relaxing and positive aspects can go overlooked. However, the Library Ambassadors, an organization that works to promote library services and events, is working to change that through not only public events, but also a closeknit community.

Ambassadors take on many activities ranging from bringing in therapy animals to giving out free Swem swag to passersby in hopes of fulfilling their overarching goal of creating a setting accessible and open to all students at the College.

“Our main focus is to have events around the library and surrounding library events that we could promote to students, that anyone can join, that anyone can come to,” club president Linna Cui ’24 said. “We really just want to create an environment where people can come from their classes or if they want to de-stress, they can do some fun activities that we have at our club.”

Cui emphasized that regardless of what time of the semester it is, the Library Ambassadors work to be a source of support for students at the College and turn Swem into a place of refuge and comfort.

“It’s kind of a space for people to forget about their studies for a little bit and to just do something that is genuinely fun for them,” Cui said. “We wanted to make the space that’s associated with so many stressful things and turn it into something that’s welcoming and relaxing for people.”

For many club members, the meetings and events have been such a positive experience for them that they often reach out to their wider social circles and try to get others to join in on the fun.

For club member Elsa Hendrix ’25, the club has been the perfect outlet for strengthening bonds between friends looking for a common activity to embark on together.

“I think my second meeting I had just brought a friend I had made from class,” Hendrix said. “And it was just so wholesome, and it was a really great bonding experience because we got to be in this place that all of us really like.”

Club Vice President Stephenie Choi ’25 seconded this point, citing one particular Halloween-based event as a memorable experience for her and her friends.

“When I bring friends who haven’t been to our club meetings before and see them just really enjoy their time at the club meeting, it’s really special to me,” Choi said. “I remember one time it was a Halloween event that we had, and I invited a friend over, and we just painted pumpkins and

that was really fun.”

For Choi, the community is one of the main highlights of the organization’s meetings and activities. Not only do members like Choi describe the kindness and closeness of the different members, but they also underscore the fact that the club attracts a variety of students representing different academic paths. This diversity in the club’s membership, often seen as a selling point for the group, can lead to experiences that members would not otherwise have had.

“I think the emphasis on community is really strong, especially because I see people in the meetings that I would never see outside of the meetings,” Choi said. “And it’s really a place where people with different interests and different majors come together and just enjoy their time there.”

Although ambassadors plan a slew of different projects in any given semester or year, they often have certain flagship events. More recently, the ambassadors focused their efforts on raising money for the library during the College’s One Tribe One Day. For the annual occasion, the organization’s executive board traditionally prepares a lineup of activities for patrons to enjoy, such as giving out free frozen treats and Swemthemed merchandise, in hopes of encouraging visitors to contribute to the library’s donation funds.

“We had a whole fundraiser outside on the patio and in the lobby, and we were basically promoting two of the library funds for One Tribe One Day. We were giving out tote bags and stickers and pins, and we were tabling outside, and we had Ben and Jerry’s on the patio,” Cui said. “That was one of our biggest events, us promoting the library at One Tribe One Day, and I think we raised like $120,000 or something in one day.”

For many members of the group, another highlight of Library Ambassadors is the potential oncampus job offerings it provides.

As club members work closely with the library, members are often able to attain jobs at Swem, such as working at the front desk, and gain access to networking opportunities. Choi in particular recalled an instance in which she asked a faculty supervisor of the group for a job reference, which she ended up receiving due to the strong community of the club.

“I asked her for a reference, and she was super open and was like, ‘Yeah, of course, put me down as a reference,’” Choi said. “So I think that just speaks to how warm and friendly our environment is and how our club is really supportive of our members.”

Although career benefits are an added bonus of being a Library Ambassador, the core of the club is its strong community. The group works to relieve the challenges and stresses of life at the College, and, according to many members, it creates lifelong friendships along the way.

“It’s an open space. You can come and you would get free things, free anything, and a little bit of happiness in your day,” Cui said. “That’s the environment that we want to promote.”

COURTESY IMAGE / LINNA CUI

COURTESY IMAGE / LINNA CUI

COURTESY IMAGE / AGAVNI MEHRABI

variety

Variety Editor Agavni Mehrabi Variety Editor Miles Mortimer flathat.variety@gmail.com // @theflathat THE FLAT HAT | Wednesday, January 24, 2024 | Page 7

PAINTING A PICTURE

Exploring The Gallery, the Collegeʼs studentrun art, prose, poetry magazine AGGIE RIGO SAITTA // THE FLAT HAT

RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT Many of us cast our inner artists aside as we leave mandatory drawing and painting classes behind in primary or middle school. However, throughout college — a rollercoaster of ups and downs — many students feel a particular need to be heard or express themselves, and oftentimes art proves to be an effective medium to do so. The Gallery, heeding this need, serves as the College of William and Mary’s studentrun literary magazine for student art, prose and poetry.

The Gallery offers a creative outlet for all students at the College, regardless of their academic or professional interests. Each semester, The Gallery accepts student submissions by email in the form of poetry, prose, art and photography. They open their inboxes to submissions of any genre, with the only requirement being that the artist is a student at the College. The Gallery’s Fall 2023 edition can be found in print at the start of the upcoming semester, adding to its rich archival records which date back to its founding in 1979.

Monica Griffin ’88, a contributor and member of the editorial staff for The Gallery’s very first issue, is someone who dearly remembers this valuable experience.

“My roommate Susan Smith Bateman, ’88 and I both enjoyed being a part of The Gallery as an

initiative, because it allowed us to explore aspects of creative writing and art production outside of class as English majors,” Griffin wrote in an email to the Flat Hat. “We are still good friends who stay in touch, and sometimes reminisce fondly about The Gallery as one of our most affirming experiences as undergraduates. I believe it was the only ‘applied learning’ or ‘leadership’ in creative writing and art publishing available at the time (1987-1988). It inspired us to continue writing, whether published or not, a cherished goal and craft beyond that time in our lives.”

This sentiment is still cultivated within the organization by the current editors-in-chief, Jenna Massey ’24 and Malvika Shrimali ’24. They recounted that all members — aside from the two of them — sit together in the Socratic seminar style during meetings, in which everyone faces each other in a circle. This model helps them promote a sense of egalitarianism within the conversation and foster a safe space for open conversation amongst their attendees.

“It also invites people to very constructively argue and really discuss with each other,” Shrimali said. “We have had people go back and forth so much about the tiniest detail of a piece of art or a poem or a prose piece,

and we all have to jump in and say, ‘Okay, we’ve got to move on. We’ve got more stuff to see.’ But people are really willing to express their own opinions in a space where they know they’re not going to be judged.”

From the moment that submissions start rolling in, most club meetings are dedicated to carefully debating, reviewing and providing constructive criticism on all pieces. All submissions are anonymized during this process, and all members of the organization ultimately participate in a simple show-of-hands majority vote to determine which ones will be featured in the biannual print. Despite this more intensive component, however, Massey and Shrimali have also established new patterns to foster that crucial sense of community within their organization.

“This past semester, we started opening the meetings by inviting our members to submit a famous poem or piece of artwork that they like that we could then discuss as a group to just get to know the members a little bit better and also explore art that isn’t just created by the students at William and Mary,” Massey said.

Elsa Hendrix ’25, who had a piece of personal writing published by The Gallery, shared the benefits of being a member and participating in the submission process. With her involvement in the club, Hendrix credited this experience with increasing her willingness to speak up, share her thoughts and overcome the fear of public reception.

“My writing is very important to me for a variety of personal reasons, and I was afraid of having something I’d written be torn apart rather than published,” Hendrix wrote in an email to The Flat Hat. “It can take a few tries for your piece to be accepted, but I feel that that is an experience that can make anyone that much stronger.”

Andre Adams ’25, another student who has submitted several pieces to The Gallery, expanded upon the difficult yet ultimately rewarding nature of the review and critique process that structures The Gallery. Adams expressed the difficulty of being present in a meeting in which they voted on his own submission, especially as that portrait

did not get accepted. However, he recognized this experience as not just the most challenging aspect of the club but also his best memory there.

“That part is what makes The Gallery so good. It forces you to have to think about the presentation of your work as you will not always be there to explain it to the audience,” Adams said in an email to The Flat Hat. “However, art is not binary nor specific. It’s an extremely malleable genre that makes it impossible to define in simple terms.”

Considering how to make their meetings a safe space for all their contributors, Shrimali and Massey have drawn clear boundaries on the particular conduct tolerated within discussion rounds.

Although constructive criticism is encouraged for each piece submitted, they do not tolerate any harsh or derisive comments as they would not want anyone to feel that their art is being put down.

Instead, Shrimali reflected on a practice established by their past editor-in-chief, which consists of smaller, tailored workshops for certain students to work on their art with the benefit of the other members’ feedback. These collaborative sessions bound by community norms have allowed The Gallery to nurture literary and artistic talents in a sustainable, open format that encourages students to continuously return, Shrimali says.

“I really appreciate that people are able to take what they hear at Gallery meetings or within The Gallery space and turn it into some sort of progress or improvements upon their art,” Shrimali said.

“And we’ve had people submit two, three, four times, and sometimes it’s different pieces, sometimes it’s the same piece. But I love when people keep submitting, even when we have to send out the ‘Hey, we’re sorry we couldn’t accept your piece this year.’ Even when we send that out to them, they’re like, ‘Okay, let’s improve on it. Let’s try again next semester.’ I love that spirit, and I love seeing people’s names come up in my inbox multiple times.”

To read the latest issue of The Gallery, find it online on Issuu or pick up a physical copy around campus.

Reel Talk: Anything but ‘Anyone But You’ Some disappointment behind latest film featuring Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell AGAVNI MEHRABI // FLAT HAT VARIETY EDITOR

Before I get into my thoughts, I want everyone to know that this movie deserves two out of five stars. I must also preface that I love romantic comedies; it’s not like I am a film snob who will only find productions like “Lawrence of Arabia” palatable. No, I actually prefer when a movie is goofy, gushy and more than slightly unrealistic because it allows me to escape from a life that’s sufficiently serious.

I actually decided to watch “Anyone But You” because of another romantic comedy. After seeing Glen Powell — who would become the starring male lead of “Anyone But You,” — in the film “Set It Up,” I had to watch the newest movie he was working on. Not to mention, my interest was doubly piqued when he and his co-lead Sydney Sweeney pretended to have a real-life affair to promote the film.

Unfortunately, that publicity stunt was ten times more interesting than the actual film.

To clarify, the film’s failings are not due to any fault in the plot itself. The movie starts with Powell’s character, Ben, helping Sweeney’s character, Bea, secure a coffee shop bathroom key by pretending to be her husband. The two strangers get along so well that Bea ends up spending the night at Ben’s. However, she immediately leaves in the morning. She doesn’t get the chance to explain herself because she catches Ben self-deprecatingly badmouthing her to his friend Pete.

This leaves a misunderstanding between the two — one that keeps their relationship bitter months later when they are both invited to a house in Australia for a wedding coincidentally between Bea’s sister and Pete’s sister.

The misunderstanding doesn’t clear up

until a few mishaps, a fake relationship and a near-death experience later. Even then, the two manage to have yet another misunderstanding before they make up for good on the wedding day at the movie’s end.

To reiterate, I did not give the movie such a low star rating for the mere predictability of its narrative. I wasn’t too put off by the use of the “only one bed” trope. Neither was I annoyed when the two planned a fake relationship (see “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”). I saw it coming when Bea’s ex Jonathan and Ben’s ex Margaret hooked up with each other, but this was also water under the bridge.

In fact, some parts of the plot even earned the movie stars. Take the first scene. I mean, who hasn’t dreamed of a meet-cute in a coffee shop? Not only did the scene have a nice setting, but it was also extremely relatable thanks to the writing. You bet I mouthed, “Girl, me too,” when Bea was overthinking the meaning behind Ben’s kindness in the bathroom.

It hit painfully yet entertainingly closeto-home when she internally debated if Ben was just being nice or if his act of kindness could be the spark that ignites a new romantic relationship. Ditto for when she happens to get her pants wet with sink water, and when she explains to Ben that the reason she was there in the first place was that she was too scared to ask where the bathroom was at work.

Truthfully, I was ready to be a fan of both the movie’s writing and Bea after such a strong start. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before I couldn’t root for either character. I mean, Ben’s most vulnerable moment as a character involves holding up a wrench to tell

Bea how his deceased mother said everything can be fixed. Truthfully, all he had to do to demonstrate vulnerability was talk with her about his deceased mother, and doing so would have gotten the point across just fine. Adding a trite metaphor to the mix was cheesy overkill that may have even inappropriately overshadowed the power of loss.

As for Bea, her decision to leave her own sister’s wedding reception because she just feels too uncomfortable about Ben is cringe-worthy. She does ask for permission, but it still feels like an incredibly selfish thing to do to someone, let alone your sibling. Even worse, she decides to run all the way to the Sydney Opera House to have her sulky moment.

When Ben chases her to the landmark to finally profess his love, I couldn’t help but think, “But what about the wedding?”

They couldn’t have made up the day before? The day after? The two already ruined the wedding cake a couple of hours before, and now they have to make the evening about them. The pair just come across as self-centered and tonedeaf, making it difficult to root for them.

However, I do want to give an honorable mention to the casting department for choosing the right actors for Ben and Bea’s ex Jonathan, who was played by Darren Barnet. Something that can make or break a cinematic love triangle for me is the hotness ratio between the main character’s love interest and the competitor, and Powell was clearly more physically attractive than Barnet. With that said, I find it difficult to agree with Bea’s reason for choosing Ben over Jonathan. Bea ultimately justifies

dumping Jonathan because they never fought, which might be fair because some conflict is certainly healthy for a relationship, but I can’t for the life of me condone when Ben says, “I love the way we fight” in his closing monologue.

Because, no, constant bickering should not be romanticized. Trust me.

Honestly, though, my biggest grievance with this movie isn’t the annoyance it constantly made me feel.

It is what the movie didn’t make me feel.

Throughout the whole thing, I was never truly excited. I didn’t once hold my breath, as I did with the acting and

chemistry of the leads in “The Hating Game.” I was never on the edge of my seat, like I was when the main character was about to get taken advantage of in “She’s All That.” I never laughed like I did during the uncomfortable stripper scene in “The Proposal.” I never even cried, and I was most surely sobbing when Sandra Bullock thought she lost Keanu Reeves in “The Lake House.”

“Anyone But You” simply failed to stir some strong emotion in me when I was watching it. And that is quite ironic for a movie belonging to a genre devoted to the most stirring emotion of all.

GRAPHIC BY CATHERINE STORKE / THE FLAT HAT

sports

THE FLAT HAT | Wednesday, January 24, 2023 | Page 9

WOMENʼS BASKETBALL

Women’s basketball wins overtime thriller against Delaware William and Mary starts conference play 4-1, marking best start in 30 years ETHAN QIN FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR Friday, Jan. 19, William and Mary women’s basketball (8-9, 4-2 CAA) defeated Delaware (6-11, 2-3 CAA) 78-72 at Kaplan Arena in Williamsburg, Va. This overtime thriller improved the Tribe’s Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) record to 4-1 to start the season, marking the team’s best start in 30 years.

William and Mary started hot against Delaware, going on a 9-0 run to begin the game. Graduate student forward Nylah Young opened the scoring for the Tribe with a jump shot. Freshman guard Cassidy Geddes and junior guard Bella Nascimento followed up with each of their own layups, before Nascimento drilled a three-pointer to cap William and Mary’s opening run with six minutes, 53 seconds left in the first quarter.

The Blue Hens finally got on the scoreboard at the five minute, 33 second mark with a jump shot from Delaware senior forward Chloe Wilson. She then recorded a layup to cut the Tribe lead to five.

The Tribe responded with back-to-back three-pointers from senior forward Rebekah Frisby-Smith, both assisted by sophomore guard Alexa Mikeska. These six points extended the William and Mary lead to 15-6 with three minutes, 15 seconds left in the first quarter.

Delaware senior guard Tara Cousins answered with two consecutive scores of her own, a jumper and a three-pointer, closing the Tribe lead to 15-11 around the one minute, 54 second mark.

Geddes then made a jumper, again assisted by Mikeska. Young continued the William and Mary scoring with a jumper of her own, before Cousins interrupted with her own jumpshot. The first quarter ended 1913, with the Tribe up.

Cousins continued her strong start to the game, opening up the second quarter scoring with a layup at the nine minute, 24 second mark. Delaware freshman center Ande’a Cherisier followed up with two layups of her own to tie the game at 19-19 with eight minutes, 20 seconds left.

The William and Mary offense stalled at the beginning of the second quarter, going two minutes without a score. Junior forward Anahi-Lee Cauley stopped the scoring drought at the eight minute mark with a jumper assisted by Geddes.

Cherisier responded with another layup of her own, assisted by Cousins. Both teams continued with back-and-forth unsuccessful possessions until a foul by Cherisier sent Young to the free throw line. Young sank both attempts, giving the Tribe the lead after the deadlock at 21-21.

The next Delaware possession, junior Sydney Boone scored her first points of the game with a layup assisted by Cousins, tying the game once again. The Tribe answered on its next possession with a layup converted

by Cauley, giving William and Mary the lead once again.

This was the start of an eight point Tribe run spearheaded by consecutive scores from Geddes. Starting with a layup, Geddes drained

a couple of free throws and a jumper to cap off the William and Mary run, extending the team’s lead to 31-23 with four minutes, 10 seconds left.

Wilson stopped the eight point Tribe run with a three-pointer assisted by sophomore guard Nakiyah Mays-Prince. Wilson continued her scoring with a layup after nabbing a steal, but missing the first layup, getting the offensive rebound, and finally finishing the second layup.

This marked the start of Delaware’s own 10 point scoring run, facilitated by multiple scores from fifth-year center Klarke Sconiers.

She converted a jumper, as well as an andone layup plus free throw to propel the Blue Hens into the lead, 33-31 with two minutes, 46 seconds left.

Mikeska responded for William and Mary, converting a shot from behind the arc, assisted by Geddes. On the following Delaware possession, Geddes stole the ball from Mays-Prince and swung the rock to Mikeska for an easy lay, extending the William and Mary lead, 36-33.

To end the second quarter, Delaware recorded a three-pointer from Cousins and a layup by Boone to put the Blue Hens ahead by two entering the locker room, with the Tribe trailing 38-36.

The second half began slow for both teams, with the Tribe opening the scoring at the eight minute, 22 second mark from a Cauley layup, following her offensive rebound on a missed Mikeska jump shot. Tribe scoring continued after a foul on Cousins sent Young to the charity stripe, where she sank both free throws.

Sconier answered with a layup off of an offensive rebound following a missed Mays-Prince jump shot. On the next Tribe possession, Nascimento responded with a three-pointer assisted by Alexa Mikeska to give William and Mary a three point lead.

A minute later, a foul on Wilson sent Young to the free throw line for the Tribe, where she went one for two. Cousins and Cherisier answered for Delaware with each of their own jumpshots. Following a missed Nascimneto three-pointer, Cousins grabbed the defensive board and passed the ball to Mays-Prince on the offensive end, who converted her behindthe-arc shot to cap a seven point Delaware run. With four minutes, 56 seconds left in the game, the Blue Hens led 47-44.

The Tribe halted the Delaware run with a Cauley jump shot, before the Blue Hens continued its strong scoring period with layups from Cherisier and freshman guard Grace Sundback.

At the two minute, 51 second mark, the Tribe finally found some offensive success with two plays assisted by Frisby-Smith, a Cauley layup and a three-pointer from Geddes to tie the game at 51 apiece.

After a foul by Cauley, Wilson sank two free throws for Delaware to push the Blue Hens ahead by two points. The Tribe responded with a layup from senior center Kayla Beckwith, to once again tie the game at 53-53 with one minute, 38 seconds left.

A foul on Cousins sent sophomore forward Kayla Rolph to the free throw line, where she

went one for two to give the Tribe a one point lead. On the next possession, a Frisby-Smith steal led to a Geddes three-pointer on the other end of the court.

To end the third quarter scoring, a foul

by Frisby-Smith on senior guard/forward Rebecca Demeke, resulted in Demeke converting one of two shots, cutting the Tribe lead, 57-54, to end the period.

Starting the fourth quarter, a Geddes turnover caused by a Mays-Prince steal led to a Cousins jump shot to open the scoring in the period. On the next Tribe possession, Mays-Prince recorded another steal on Rolph, which she passed to Demeke for a three point jump shot, forcing a William and Mary timeout.

The Delaware onslaught continued out of the timeout with a jump shot from Cousins that extended the Blue Hens’ lead, 61-57.

Both teams then went on multiple scoreless possessions until the six minute, 41 second mark whenthe Tribe broke the stalemate with a layup from Cauley.

After a foul by Sconiers that sent Cauley to the line, the forward went one for two, bringing William and Mary within one point of Delaware.

Delaware responded with a layup from Sundback assisted by Boone. Both teams experienced another scoreless period of around two and a half minutes, before Cauley assisted Young on a layup. The Blue Hens followed up with a layup of its own from Cherisier, extending the Delaware lead to 65-62 with three minutes, 25 seconds left in the game.

The Tribe equalized the game at the two minute, nine second mark with a Frisby-Smith three point shot assisted by Geddes to settle the score at 65-65. On the next possession, Delaware’s Wilson converted a layup to once again put the Blue Hens up by two points.

With one minute, 34 seconds left in the game, a foul on Mays-Prince sent Geddes to the charity stripe, where she converted both free throws to tie the game once again at 67-67.

This was the final score of regulation, as both teams had unsuccessful chances to win the game in the final stretch of the bout.

The overtime period scoring began after a foul on Mikeska sent Mays-Prince to the free

throw line, where she drained both. The Tribe countered with a three-pointer by Mikeska on a Geddes assist, propelling William and Mary into the lead 70-69. The Tribe continued its scoring with a Cauley jump shot, following a Mikeska offensive rebound, extending the Green and Gold lead, 72-69 with one minute, 27 seconds left in the overtime period.

The Blue Hens responded when a foul

by Frisby-Smith on Cousins, resulted in her converting one of her two free throws, bringing the Tribe lead back to two.

Both teams traded baskets on the next few possessions, starting with a Cauley jumpshot to extend The Tribe lead to 7470. Delaware then scored through a MaysPrince layup to bring the deficit back to two points. Geddes scored a jumper on the next possession extending the Tribe lead back to four with 14 seconds left, forcing a Delaware timeout.

Out of the timeout, Mays-Prince turned the ball over as a result of a Frisby-Smith steal, leading a layup by Mikeska, settling the score at 78-72 to end the game as a William and Mary victory.

This win secured the Tribe’s 30 year-best 4-1 CAA start to a season, with four players in double-figure points for the first time this season. Geddes recorded career-high points (20) and rebounds (seven). Cauley scored 17, while Young and Mikeska recorded 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Friday night’s game marked the first time Dickerson Davis’ team played in overtime this season, and improved the team’s overtime record to 5-0 under her tenure.

William and Mary was board-dominant, out-rebounding Delaware 50 to 37. The +13 rebounding margin is the largest one all year for the Tribe, and certainly helped it overcome the season-high turnover total (27).

The Tribe shot 43% from the field and went nine of 18 from behind the arc.

Sunday, Jan. 21, William and Mary women’s basketball (8-9, 4-2 CAA) lost to Towson (10-6, 3-3 CAA) 80-64 at TU Arena in Towson, Md. The Tribe will look to get back in the win column in more conference play on Friday, Jan. 26 against conference foe Hofstra (7-9, 1-4 CAA) at Kaplan Arena in Williamsburg, Va.

SWIMMING

Tribe swim teams split penultimate meet in North Carolina

Womenʼs side records multiple first-place finishes, improves to 6-1 record MAX GRILL FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR Saturday, Jan. 20, William and Mary split its second-to-last regular season meet against Davidson at the Charles A. Cannon Pool in Davidson, N.C. The women’s team won 175-119, improving to 6-1 on the season. The men’s team lost 154-134, falling to 1-5.

The women’s team, which entered Saturday’s meet determined to bounce back from its only loss of the season at East Carolina, dominated the Wildcats from the get-go. After securing first and third in the 200 yard medley relay, freshman Lauren Tucker won the 1000 yard freestyle with a time of 10:19.44. In the meet’s fifth event, freshman Sarah Dunham secured another Tribe win in the 200 yard freestyle, finishing with a winning time of 1:54.71.

The men’s team, looking to finish the season on a high note, started

Saturday’s meet on the right foot.

Identical to the women’s team, the Green and Gold took first in the 200 yard medley relay, out-touching the Wildcats by less than two tenths of a seconds to secure a much-needed 11 points. In the 1000 yard freestyle, Davidson swept the podium, taking first, second and third in the event.

Sophomore Will Glass earned two points and freshman Thor Dyke earned one with their fourth and fifth place finishes respectively, but the Wildcats drastic point swing marked just the beginning of a subpar rest of the meet for the visiting Tribe.

For the women’s team, the first place streak continued right into the 100 yard backstroke. With a winning time of 57.29, senior Kat Vanbourgondien scored nine points for the Green and Gold.

Junior Ellie Scherer tallied another nine points for the Tribe in the 100 yard breaststroke. Sophomore

Lindsay Juhlin recorded second in breaststroke, adding to the impressive early performance from the women’s side. In the 200 yard butterfly, the Tribe took first and second once again, this time thanks to sophomores Sophia Heilen and Lauren Klinefelter, finishing with times of 2:05.91 and 2:08.01, respectively. Through six events, the women’s team was perfect in first place finishes, allowing the team to grow its lead.

The men’s team, on the other hand, struggled to secure first place finishes early on. After not touching first since the initial relay, in the 100 yard breaststroke, the Green and Gold found its form. Sophomores Brock Rempe and Logan McDonald secured first and second place, respectively, putting the Tribe back on the board with a quick 13 points.

After getting swept in the 200 yard butterfly, freshman Aiden Bond won the 50 yard freestyle, giving the

team momentum heading into the diving portion of the meet.

After yet another Tribe win in the 200 butterfly, the women’s team suffered its first loss of the day in the 50 yard free, a minor setback in an overwhelmingly dominant day.

After the diving break, Dunham continued her impressive day with another win in the 100 yard freestyle. Bond also took first in the men’s event, winning by almost one and a half full seconds with a swift time of 45.93. The Tribe freshmens’ dominance continued right into the 200 yard backstroke, where Julie Addison secured second place and David Yune won by almost an astounding three whole seconds.

Heilen secured her second victory of the day in the 200 yard breaststroke, finishing with a time of 2:20.15. Heilen and Dunhan were just two of the four women’s swimmers to win multiple events

against the Wildcats, while Bond and Yune also accumulated two wins apiece on the men’s side.

Tucker, who emerged this season as one of the Tribe’s strongest distance swimmers, took first in the 500 yard freestyle, capping off her impressive day in Davidson.

The sophomore pair of Klinefelter and McDonald then took first place in the 100 yard butterfly to capture the event for both the men’s and women’s teams, finishing with impressive times of 57.52 and 50.98, respectively.

In the second to last event of the day, William and Mary finished strong with wins coming from both Scherer and Yune in the 200 yard Individual Medley. Finally, in the 200 yard Freestyle Relay, both Tribe teams took first.

Both teams will look to finish their regular season on the right note against Georgetown on Jan. 27 in Williamsburg, Va.

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THE FLAT HAT | Wednesday, January 24, 2023 | Page 10

FEATURE STORY

Buffalo takes “William and Mary Bowl” at home, wins 31-17

Tribe alum Mike Tomlin, Sean McDermott square off in NFL Wildcard Weekend

MADDIE MOHAMADI THE FLAT HAT

Monday, Jan. 15, the Buffalo Bills (11-6 AFC East) defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers (107 AFC North) 31-17 at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. The AFC Wild Card playoff game — colloquially dubbed the “William and Mary Bowl” — marked the first Super Bowl-era match in which two former college teammates coached against each other in the National Football League postseason.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and Bills head coach Sean McDermott graduated from William and Mary in 1995 and 1998, respectively.

Tomlin — who has coached the Steelers for 17 seasons and won Super Bowl XLIII in 2009 — played wide receiver for the Tribe. Tomlin was a co-captain for the team his senior year and received All-Yankee Conference honors.

Tomlin ended his college football career with 20 touchdown catches and 101 receptions for 2054 yards.

McDermott has served as the Bills’ head coach since 2017, leading the team to four consecutive AFC East championships. At William and Mary, he played defensive back in all 46 games of his college football career, co-captaining the team his senior season. In 1997, McDermott also won AllAtlantic 10 and All-Eastern College Athletic Conference honors.

Though postponed by a day due to inclement winter weather conditions, the game saw several strong offensive plays, especially from the Bills.

CATHERINE STORKE / THE FLAT HAT

Bills tight end Dawson Knox scored the first touchdown of the match in the eighth minute, receiving a nine-yard pass from Bills quarterback Josh Allen in the end zone.

Bills kicker Tyler Bass earned the extra point, putting Buffalo in the lead 7-0.

Roughly three minutes later, Bills cornerback Taron Johnson forced Steelers receiver George Pickens to fumble. After Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard recovered

the ball, Buffalo regained possession. With four minutes, 15 seconds left to spare in the first quarter, Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid scored the second touchdown of the game off a 29-yard pass from Allen.

Bass earned a second extra point, securing the Bills’ lead 14-0.

In the second quarter, Pittsburgh began driving, but Bills cornerback Kaiir Elam intercepted Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph’s pass. After regaining possession, Buffalo continued capitalizing on its offensive opportunities. In the 23rd minute, Allen scored off a 52-yard rushing touchdown, the longest in Bills postseason history. Bass’ third extra point extended Buffalo’s lead 21-0.

The Steelers managed to cut the Bills’ lead 21-7 at the end of the second quarter. Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson caught Rudolph’s 10-yard pass just outside the end zone, earning six points for Pittsburgh.

Steelers kicker Chris Boswell won the extra point for Pittsburgh with one minute, 39 seconds left in the first half.

Boswell scored a 40-yard field goal in the 37th minute, racking up another three points for the Steelers. With one minute, 36 seconds left in the third quarter, the Bills responded with a 45-yard field goal by Bass, extending Buffalo’s lead 24-10.

In the 50th minute, Pittsburgh picked up offensive momentum, scoring another touchdown. Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III received Rudolph’s seven-yard pass just outside the end zone, and Boswell won a second extra point, narrowing Buffalo’s lead 24-17.

Four minutes later, Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir scored his first career playoff touchdown. After receiving a short pass from Allen, Shakir evaded three Steelers players, pivoting and running into the end zone.

Following Shakir’s 17-yard touchdown, Bass’ extra point cemented the Bills’ 31-17 lead.

GRACE LORCH / COURTESY IMAGE

Sean McDermott ʻ98 was inducted into the Wililam and Mary Athletic Hall of Fame on March 10, 2023.

Buffalo’s victory earned the team a spot in the Divisional Round, ending the Steelers’ postseason. The Bills faced the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Jan. 21 at Highmark Stadium and came up short, 27-24.

MENʼS BASKETBALL

Tribe’s CAA skid continues, loses 77-64 to Campbell at home

Despite second half-push, late lead proves too much for William and Mary to overcome LACI MILLER FLAT HAT SPORTS ASSOC.

Thursday, Jan. 18, William and Mary men’s basketball (7-12, 2-4 CAA) lost to Campbell (9-9, 3-2 CAA) 77-64 at home in Kaplan Arena in Williamsburg, Va. The loss to the visiting Camels marked the Tribe’s second consecutive Coastal Athletic Association loss after losing a tight contest to Stony Brook the week prior.

Thursday’s matchup started out even, with both teams exchanging baskets for the first few minutes. A 7-1 run for the Tribe gave the team an early lead within the first six minutes. Campbell held on,

keeping the deficit within reach, as it made 12 of its first 17 shots of the game.

Throughout the half, the visiting team slowly crawled back into the game. With two minutes, four seconds remaining in the first half, the visiting Camels trailed by a one point deficit, 27-26, to the Tribe.

Campbell took back the lead thanks to back-to-back scores from sophomore guard Anthony Dell’Orso and a three pointer from senior guard Gediminas Mokseckas. With just three seconds remaining in the half William and Mary’s junior forward Caleb Dorsey converted a three to conclude the half with the Tribe down just five, 31-36.

The second half started off relatively slow for the Tribe, as Campbell tacked on four more points to take its lead to nine before a fast break three pointer from sophomore guard Trey Moss broke the Camels’ momentum. Five minutes into the half, William and Mary cut the deficit to three, as junior guard Matteus Case converted from beyond the arc to make the score 4245. However, the three point deficit was the closest the Tribe came to closing the gap, as Campbell held onto and later extended its lead through the remaining 15 minutes.

Campbell sealed its victory with a final score of 77-64 over William and Mary.

Sophomore guard Chase Lowe led the Tribe with 14 points, Moss was close behind with 13 and Case and junior guard Gabe Dorsey both added 12. William and Mary recorded a respectable 42.9% from 3-point range, going 12-28. However, Campbell shot 61.8% from the floor to propel themselves to victory. Dell’Orso led the team on offense, recording 26 points on the game.

William and Mary then traveled to Greensboro, N.C. to take on North Carolina A and T, losing 69-76 on Saturday, Jan. 20.

In Saturday’s match-up, Lowe recorded a career high 25 points, going 7-10 from the floor and 11-14 from the free-throw line. Moss also added big for the Tribe with 17 points and eight rebounds.

William and Mary had a solid first

RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT

Sophomore guard Trey Moss leads the team in total scoring, total assists and assists per game. Moss has provided the team with a much needed boost in its backcourt this season.

half, overcoming an initial 8-0 run from North Carolina A and T and taking its first lead of the game with six minutes, 51 seconds remaining in the first half. Both teams exchanged leads for the rest of the half, with North Carolina A and T ending up with a one point lead, 26-25.

Gabe Dorsey scored the Tribe’s first basket of the half to reclaim the lead.

North Carolina A and T responded quickly with a jumper from graduate student forward Jeremy Robinson and the team held its lead for the rest of the

game. William and Mary was able to cut down the deficit at times, but was never able to even the score. Even as Lowe recorded 10 straight points for the Tribe and helped William and Mary cut the score to 73-69 with 31 seconds remaining, North Carolina A and T held off the Tribe’s advances, and ended the game on top, 76-69. William and Mary went only 2-22 from beyond the arc and shot 35.1% from the floor.

The Tribe will travel to face Hofstra on Thursday, Jan. 25 in Hempstead, N.Y.

TRACK AND FIELD

Green and Gold post strong showing at Brant Tolsma Invitational

Istnick sets meet record in 5000 meter, Walsh breaks Tribe freshman record in heptathlon

MAX GRILL FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR Thursday, Jan. 18 to Saturday, Jan. 20, William and Mary men’s and women’s track teams began their spring season with an impressive performance at the Brant Tolsma Invitational at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. Highlighted by impressive outings from both the men’s and women’s squads, the Green and Gold secured multiple top-10 finishes over the course of the three day event.

In the women’s 800 meter

run, Tribe senior Makenzie Joiner finished sixth with a time of 2:17.06 while freshman Becca Harkness finished in tenth with a time of 2:19.16.

In the 1000 meter run, junior Arianna DeBoer secured a first place finish for the Green and Gold, recording a blinding time of 2:56.77, which marks a personal best.

Senior Molly Coyle took 10th as well, edging out the 11th place finisher from Western Carolina by just three tenths of a second.

In the 3000 meter run, senior Kyra Holland took

third out of 28, crossing the finish line with an impressive 10:01.96 time.

Then, in the 5000 meter run, sophomore Sofia Istnick made history. On top of securing a first place finish, Istnick recorded a meet record of 16:41.61, winning by more than 10 seconds.

The women’s team also performed well in the field events, headlined by a second place finish in the pole vault by freshman Elizabeth Strobach. Senior Megan Heidebrecht finished third in the triple jump, cementing a best jump of

12.03 meters.

On the men’s side, the Tribe wasted no time adding even more top-10 finishes to its already impressive weekend.

In the 60 meter dash, senior Jackson Cooley finished fourth with a time of 6.94.

In the 400 yard dash, sophomore Austin Rice placed second, missing the first place finisher from Liberty by just four hundredths of a second.

In the 800 meter run, William and Mary sophomore Lucas Thompson and freshman Henry Anderson finished seventh and eight,

respectively, both finishing within five seconds of the winning time.

In a nail-biting finish, Tribe junior Luke Ellwood finished second in the mile, crossing the finish line with an incredible time of 4:18.06.

Senior Sam Pritchard and sophomore Brendan DiStefano both notched top10 finishes in the 3000 meter, finishing fifth and ninth, respectively.

The Tribe also placed third in the 4x400 relay, finishing behind Wofford and Western Carolina by just three seconds.

In the field events, sophomore Jason Nwosu started the men’s team off hot, finishing eighth in shot put with a best throw of 14.39 meters. Nwosu also finished seventh in the weight throw, peaking at just under 17 meters.

Finally, in the heptathlon, freshman Brian Walsh finished third with 4.802 points, breaking the Tribe’s freshman record in the event.

Both men’s and women’s teams will head to Fairfax, Va. next week to compete at the Patriot Games hosted by George Mason.