The Flat Hat November 15 2023

T HE F LAT H AT

Vol. 113, Iss. 13 | Wednesday, November 15, 2023

The Weekly Student Newspaper

POLITICS

flathatnews.com | @theflathat

KAINE TAKES AIM AT LEGACY ADMISSIONS

Diggs wins 24th district in tight State Senate race

Mason unseated, election comes down to less than 1,700 votes PEERAWUT RUANGSAWASDI AND LISA COLEMAN THE FLAT HAT

Wednesday, Nov. 8, the Associated Press projected that former York-Poquoson Sheriff Danny Diggs narrowly won the Virginia Senate race for the 24th district on Tuesday, Nov. 7, unseating State Sen. Monty Mason ’89, D-Williamsburg. Diggs will represent the College of William and Mary’s main campus for a four-year term, joining the minority Republican caucus.

Diggs earned approximately 51.18% of the vote to Mason’s 48.61%.

“I am truly humbled by the voters of the 24th District for putting your faith in me as your next State Senator,” Diggs wrote in a press release on Wednesday morning. “I could not have done this without each and every one of you. Starting next year, there will be a new sheriff in town!”

In a statement released on Tuesday night, Mason wrote that the race was too close to call. The Mason campaign did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication following AP’s projection.

“This has been an extremely hard fought election and things are coming down to the wire,” Mason wrote. “At this time, it appears the race is too close to call, but we will continue to tally votes as they come in and look forward to having a final result.”

At his campaign election night watch party, Mason said enthusiasm was high on the College’s campus.

“We knew there was a lot of enthusiasm on campus and William and Mary students turned out big,” Mason told 13NewsNow. “Showing up today, registering today, voting today, have their voices heard, is gonna make a big difference in this race.”

Students at the College voted at two polling locations this year, the Stryker and Matoaka precincts.

Caroline Anderson ’25 reflected on why she voted for Mason and Jessica Anderson, the Democratic nominee for the House of Delegates in the 71st district.

“Mostly, I really did just come out to protect abortion care as they both supported that,” Anderson said. “I think that's super important, and would like to be the state in the South that still has access to abortion care.”

Anderson found voting to be an easy process.

“I'm from outside of New York City,” Anderson said. “I registered to vote here because I thought my vote would count a lot more than where I'm from.”

Karam Soufi ’24 echoed Anderson’s sentiment.

“Top issue is probably reproductive rights at the moment,” Soufi said. “I feel like that's a huge issue at least for me, my family, at the moment.”

College President Katherine Rowe encouraged students to exercise their vote in an email sent to the campus community on Thursday, Nov. 2.

“Democracy is a cornerstone of our Vision 2026 strategic plan,” Rowe wrote. “Students, alumni, faculty and staff serve as public officials, activists and community builders around the world. They volunteer at polling stations and get out the vote.

That is one reason W&M is recognized as one of the top voter-engaged campuses in the country. Thank you for casting your ballot.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Mason, Del. Amanda Batten, R-James City, Black Lives Matter 757 President Aubrey “Japharii” Jones and gun activist David Hogg visited the Stryker precinct, which served as the voting location for most students on campus.

The race was one of the most closely-watched and highly-contested races in the Commonwealth, with the candidates raising a nearly combined $9 million, including almost $5 million spent on political advertisements.

Batten, who represents the College’s main campus in the statehouse, was reelected with approximately 52% of the vote.

Overall, Democrats flipped the House of Delegates and retained control of the Va. State Senate.

of The College of William and Mary

GRAPHIC BY DANIEL KALISH / THE FLAT HAT

JAMIE HOLT / THE FLAT HAT

Virginia senator introduces bipartisan legislation to end legacy admissions JAKE FORBES // FLAT HAT MANAGING EDITOR

Tuesday, Nov. 7, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Todd Young (R-In.) introduced the Merit-Based Educational Reforms and Institutional Transparency Act. This legislation ends consideration of an applicant’s relationship to alumni or donors during the admissions process for colleges and universities in the United States.

Specifically, the MERIT Act would amend the Higher Education Act by adding a new standard for accreditation. The seven-page legislation also requires a comprehensive feasibility study to assess improvements to data collection on the influence of legacy and donor relationships during the admissions process.

“A student’s acceptance into a college should not hinge on whether their parents attended that school or donated a large sum of money,” Kaine wrote in a press release. “This legislation would help bring more fairness to the higher education admissions process, and ensure that first-generation and low-income students are not put at a disadvantage because of their parents’ educational histories or incomes. I will continue to do all that I can through my work on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee to expand access to highquality, affordable education.”

According to a report from Education Reform Now, over 100 colleges and universities have ended the practice of legacy preference in the admissions practice. As of 2020, 787 schools still used the practice, including the College.

The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, of which Kaine is a member.

Mac Ambler ’24 has several family members who attended the College. His mother is vice president for student affairs Virginia Ambler '88, Ph.D. '06. He reflected on his mindset as a legacy student.

“First and foremost, being a legacy student comes with an inherent privilege that was taken into account from the moment I submitted an application to William and Mary,” Ambler said.

“I am, therefore, cognizant of the ways in which I have benefited purely as a result of the people I am related to. I do, however, feel a strong connection to this campus and community, knowing that this is the place my parents met,

my extended relatives pursued their educations and passions, and my great grandmother forged paths creating opportunities for women at the College in the 1930s. These things bring me a great sense of pride and are part of why I love this school so deeply.”

Ambler conveyed concerns over the negative effects of legacy admissions on student diversity.

“I personally feel that the consideration of legacy status in the admissions process can lead to inherently unfair and exclusionary outcomes,” Ambler said. “College admissions should be based on merit, and introducing selective factors such as legacy status serves to create further barriers to entry for first-generation students and students without a legacy background. Additionally, it can limit efforts to improve diversity by reinforcing long-standing demographics within the campus community.

For me, it is important that my acceptance and legitimacy at this university be based purely on the person and student I am, not who I am related to.”

Hannah Dow ’23, M.Ed. ’25 is a member of the First-Generation, Low-Income student organization at the College. She explained the importance of ending legacy admissions, and how the legislation connects to the College’s priorities.

“The primary benefit of ending legacy admissions is eradicating the use of an abrasively exclusionary tool that bars students from traditionally underserved and historically disenfranchised communities from entering higher education,” Dow said. “Ending the consideration of legacy status in admissions aligns with President Rowe's transformative Vision 2026 by aiding efforts to increase diversity in the student body and amplifying the need to foster a more equitable and accessible learning environment on campus.”

Dow also noted the College’s recent efforts to increase access for FGLI students.

“Giving credit where it is due, William and Mary has done a phenomenal job in increasing affordability over the past several years,” Dow said. “Last year, William and Mary guaranteed to cover at least tuition and fees for all incoming Pell-eligible in-state students. Most recently, the Lighting the Way Scholarship will fully cover the

cost of attendance for out-of-state students who are Pell-eligible.”

In an email to The Flat Hat, vice president for strategy and innovation Jeremy Martin Ph.D.’ 12, M.B.A. ’17 described the role of legacy status in the admissions process.

“As part of our competitive process, the university considers a variety of indicators of an applicant’s propensity to enroll, which helps us achieve the targeted class size for enrolling cohorts,” Martin wrote. “Legacy status is among those indicators, alongside others available to all applicants such as interviewing (in-person or virtually) or visiting campus. The propensity of admitted students to enroll who have legacy status (44%) is more than double that for a general applicant (18%), similar to yield rates for applicants who either interview (54%) or visit campus (40%).”

Martin also noted the similarities in common admissions statistics between students with legacy status and all admitted students.

“As I noted to the Board of Visitors during their September meeting, admission to W&M is a competitive process open to all,” Martin wrote.

“A review of all admitted students compared to admitted students with legacy status confirmed consistent SAT and high school GPA interquartile ranges for both groups.”

According to Martin, the administration does not comment on pending legislation.

This newly proposed legislation follows Supreme Court rulings in two cases this past June that effectively ended the practice of raceconscious affirmative action.

This decision also prompted public universities across Virginia to change their policies regarding legacy admissions. In July, Virginia Tech announced it would no longer favor children of alumni over other equally qualified applicants. Less than a week later, the University of Virginia announced that applicants would no longer be asked to check a box identifying them as relatives to alumni. Instead, prospective students could respond to a supplemental essay about their personal or historical connection to the university.

READ MORE AT FLATHATNEWS.COM

CAMPUS

Roses for Rosemary initiative launches, gathers letters, gifts Eli Weissenboeck '24 garners support for Rosemary Raynal '25 following accident in October EMMA HENRY FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR

JULIANA GOMIEN / THE FLAT HAT

INDEX News Sports Opinions Variety Sports

Saturday, Nov. 11, the College of William and Mary’s Vice President for Student Affairs Ginger Ambler sent an email to the student body to give an update on the recovery status of Rosemary Raynal ’25, who sustained injuries in a pedestrianvehicle collision Oct. 26 while

Inside Opinions

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Objection!

Debate is where it's at

John Powers '26 advocates for more classroom debate page 6

crossing Richmond Road. Ambler encouraged students to send cards to Raynal's home to express their support during her recovery.

“Rosemary is now in a trauma rehab unit at Wake Medical, near where her family lives in North Carolina,” Ambler wrote. “Her parents tell us she is receiving great care there for a brain injury. Rosemary has a long road of recovery ahead, but she and her family

are hopeful about her progress and healing and taking it one day at a time.

Rosemary says she misses W&M — and her family appreciates having the strong support of the campus community.”

Eli Weissenboeck ’24 hopes to support Raynal through a campus-wide initiative titled “Roses for Rosemary,” working in collaboration with Ambler’s office. When Weissenboeck first heard of Raynal’s injuries, she had been

working as president of the College Red Cross blood drive and became inspired to begin the initiative.

“The accident really shook everyone on campus as I’m sure so many students are aware that it really could have happened to any one of us,” Weissenboeck wrote in an email to the Flat Hat. See ROSES page 2

Inside Variety

Inside Sports

AMP organizes Goat Yoga event to reduce stress, improve mental health of students and community members page 7

Young and Nascimento shine offensively in final game of home stretch page 9

Baaaaa-maste on the Sunken Garden

Struggling Green and Gold fall to George Mason, starts season 0-3

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, November 15, 2023 | Page 2

THE BUZZ

Walk towards the things that scare you. If thereʼs one thing to take away ‒ nothingʼs easy. And if you do that, just wrap your arms around all the things and go into the world with empathy, tread lightly, and love in your heart.

̶ National Geographic photojournalist, filmmaker, Ami Vitale

FLAT HAT NEWS BRIEF AidData releases extensive report on Chinaʼs overseas development finance program Monday, Nov. 6, the AidData research lab at the College of William and Mary released a comprehensive report titled “Belt and Road Reboot: Beijingʼs Bid to De-Risk its Global Infrastructure Initiative.” The report finds that China has made efforts to respond to managing repayment risk, environmental, social and governance risk (ESG) and reputational risk as it manages over $1.1 trillion in outstanding debt.

“Beijing is not going to stand by and watch its flagship global infrastructure initiative crash and burn,” research professor at the Collegeʼs Global Research Institute and Executive Director of AidData Brad Parks said in an interview with AidDataʼs Director of Partnerships and Communications Alex Wooley. “It is finding its footing as an international crisis manager and refocusing its time and money on troubled projects, distressed borrowers and sources of public backlash in the Global South.”

Global news outlets, including the New York Times, Reuters and DW covered the report.

The study bases its findings on the 3.0 version of AidDataʼs Global Chinese Development Finance (GCDF) dataset, which was released on the same day as the “Belt and Road Reboot” report. The dataset provides information on over 20,000 projects from 2000-2021, spanning 165 low- and middleincome countries supported by financial loans and grants from Chinaʼs official sector institutions.

A team of 10 AidData researchers wrote the report, including Parks.

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

A THOUSAND WORDS

RYAN GOODMAN / 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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SOPHIA KAISERMANN / THE FLAT HAT

Kane first moved to the 200-year old tree farm in 2011 after it was passed down in her husbandʼs family for generations. She now works as co-owner.

“People want an experience that’s different”

Kane discusses farmʼs strong ties with Black history, cultivates sustainable small-scale farming

SOPHIA KAISERMANN // THE FLAT HAT Wednesday, Nov. 8, the College of William and Mary’s Office of Sustainability hosted guest speaker Angi Kane to discuss her journey to becoming the Creative Director and co-owner of Jolly’s Mill Pond, a 200year old tree farm and pond in Williamsburg, Va. Kane is also the creator of the Raw Land Startup and is the host of the Raw Land Startup Podcast, both of which provide marketing services and resources for small farms.

Kane is an Emmy award-winner for her work on the PBS documentary “HEARD.” She is also on the board of Belltower Pictures, a non-profit organization that produces films focusing on social issues, and was awarded Small Business of the Year by the Chesterfield Chamber of Commerce.

“As a friend of mine has said, I’m a slasher, so I’m a documentary producer slash filmmaker, slash creative director. I wear a lot of different hats,” Kane said.

Twelve years ago, Kane and her family moved from Brooklyn, N.Y. to her husband’s childhood home in Richmond, Va. to be the proprietor of Jolly’s Mill Pond, which had been in her husband’s family since the 1950s. Kane mentioned that records show the pond was built between 1780 and 1820 by enslaves individuals who dug out a hillside and created an earthen dam, which is part of Preservation Virginia’s registry of Endangered Historical Sites. The property consists of 100 acres of land and the 50 acre pond, which is mostly off the grid.

“Probably about 90% of the property is off grid,” Kane said. “We have a little bit of electricity, high speed internet for security purposes, but it is absolutely raw land.”

Kane and her husband feel a significant connection to the land.

“We’re stewards who want to protect this kind of unique ecosystem,” Kane said. “We have a lot of forest and land. We had to learn how to manage a lake, what goes into lake management, what goes into farm management.”

The water of the pond is of high quality for a man-made lake of its size and age, leading the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and field studies classes at the College to venture over for examinations.

Kane went on to discuss what she has learned about small businesses from running Jolly’s Mill Pond.

“Over the past 12 years, through many painful lessons, we started to pull together the model that would be appropriate for us, and we know can be workable for other landowners or aspiring landowners to fit into as well. Hence the Raw Land Startup,” Kane said.

Agritourism, which according to Kane generates $2.2 billion annually in Virginia, is one of the methods she promotes for small farms through her startup.

“You don’t have to be toe to toe with the thousand acre farms or the more conventional farms. You can find what is unique to your property and leverage it,” Kane said.

Kane created a model she calls “the four legs of a stool,” which includes events, accommodations, small-scale farming and e-commerce. Events such as cornhole competitions and unique lodging like glamping are examples that Kane used to explain her model.

“You can start low-budget with a tent and you can go on up to a luxury accommodation. People want an experience that’s different,” Kane said.

Addressing the small-scale farming leg of the stool, Kane spoke about specialty crops. She has interviewed other farmers about their own unique crops in her podcast.

“I’ve interviewed everyone from flower farmers to hemp growers, etc.

Really, the sky’s the limit in terms of what you can specialize in. And then thanks to the fourth leg of the stool, e-commerce, you can tap into an audience that isn’t limited to a specific geography,” Kane said.

Kane then gave some advice to people interested in working with small, sustainable farms.

She explained the different experts she works with at the farm, such as land-use attorneys. However, she also emphasized that other experts may not have titles.

“You also should keep in mind that there are other people without titles who are the experts that you may need. The old dude down the street who’s been farming since the beginning of time. He doesn’t have a title. He may not be formally educated, but he understands the land,” Kane said.

Kane still continues to build her team, now working with an organic farmer and planning to offer a sustainability internship in the spring and summer of 2024.

At the end of Kane’s talk the audience had a chance to ask questions.

One question asked about Jolly’s Mill’s future plans. Kane shared that the farm plans on expanding on its Black history and culinary heritage with a “seed-to-table” approach.

“We want to start cultivating some of the ingredients that people grew during that time,” Kane said. “What types of foods, what types of meals were people celebrating with, particularly Black families, were celebrating within the 18th and 19th-century?”

Jolly’s Mill Pond has strong ties with Black history, particularly through one of its past owners, Jeremiah Wallace. He purchased the land in the late 18th-century as the farm’s first Black owner. Wallace went to Hampton University and was heavily involved with real estate in the James City area.

“He wasn’t a one percenter. He was a middle class man. But given the time that he did the things that he did, he accomplished a lot,” Kane said.

Doing research on his life, Kane found more connections between Wallace, Jolly’s Mill and Colonial Williamsburg.

“There’s this network of stories that we’ve started to learn about that really helps us understand how much richness there was at the time, even among regular working class people who were making their way,” Kane said.

The last audience question addressed what makes Kane confident in the future of Jolly’s Mill Pond. Kane said the farm has surpassed many challenges with limited resources, giving her more confidence. She also believes that telling the history of the land is key to connecting with visitors.

“We’re determined and our storytelling is going to be key to being able to do this,” Kane said.

Joslyn Colglazier ’27, who attended Kane’s talk, agreed that the emphasis on storytelling made the farm unique.

“I thought it was really cool. Just the idea of a small, sustainable farm and the idea of tying storytelling to make it successful, but also historically important,” Colglazier said.

Breegan O’Hearn ’25 works with the College’s Office of Sustainability and also attended the event. To her, Kane’s work with storytelling and Jolly’s Mill exemplify a path to a sustainable future.

“I think this goes beyond agriculture and into every sector of sustainability,” O’Hearn said. “The key to sustainability is listening to the knowledge of others and creating a community that amplifies the voices within it.”

CAMPUS

Students emphasize community support, collective healing

Erin Young ʼ25, Ambler express importance of uplifting others, hope for speedy recovery ROSES from page 1

“I became really determined to push our blood drive, since all of our donations go to hospitals around the country to help similar patients in need. At the time, it felt like that was the only thing I could do to help the situation.”

The initiative is currently in its initial stages, with Weissenboeck recruiting organizations to act as sponsors to spread the word to students via a social media

flier. The program will collect cards for Raynal and organize drop-off stations in the Sadler Center. As of Monday, Nov. 13, Weissenboeck said 15 campus organizations have given their support to the initiative, including the College Red Cross, Alpha Phi Omega and more.

“Rosemary Raynal is a member of the Tribe and we are all a community built on supporting and caring for each other, especially during our times of need,” Weissenbock wrote. “The mission of Roses

for Rosemary is to send letters with floral designs to show our support for Rosemary.”

Weissenboeck mentioned that from Nov. 27 to Dec. 8, Roses for Rosemary will be tabling in the Sadler Center’s atrium so students can stop by and make cards. There will be a card collection box on the table that will be sent in a care package to Raynal.

Personal letters made outside of tabling events are also welcomed by the initiative.

READ MORE AT FLATHATNEWS.COM

THE FLAT HAT

Wednesday, November 15, 2023

Page 3

CAMPUS

Institute of Integrative Conservation hosts award-winning storyteller

National Geographic photojournalist, explorer Ami Vitale visits College, discusses impact of work EMMA HENRY FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR

Thursday, Nov. 9, the College of William and Mary’s Institute of Integrative Conservation, in partnership with the Muscarelle Museum of Art, hosted an event titled, “Reframing the Narrative: An Evening with Ami Vitale” in Alan B. Miller Hall’s Brinkley Commons. The talk was also in collaboration with the Vital Impacts Student Speaker Series, part of the nonprofit Vital Impacts cofounded by Vitale and journalist and filmmaker Eileen Mignoni.

Over 200 people attended the event, including College President Katherine Rowe and First Gentleman Bruce Jacobson.

Vitale is an award-winning National Geographic filmmaker, photographer and writer who hopes to share her philosophy of reframing stories to focus on the power of human ingenuity and storytelling. Recently, she won the Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service and the Lucie Humanitarian Award in 2022.

Vitale published her first book, “Panda Love: the Secret Lives of Pandas” in 2018.

Executive Director of the IIC Dr. Robert Rose introduced Vitale, as well as the goal of the IIC to educate the next generation of conservationists.

“Each academic year, the IIC presents a series of lectures and panels centered around biodiversity and conservation themes,” Rose said. “This year, we bring you events that explore conservation histories and hope. This series of events, including this evening’s event, examines the backgrounds of specific conservation challenges and looks at how changing perspectives, new technologies and approaches and new or newly embraced knowledges are broadening or challenging how we understand and talk about conservation.”

Rose’s introduction was followed by a land acknowledgment given

by Chair of the IIC Student Leadership Council Malvika Shrimali ’24.

Rose then introduced Vitale.

“I see so much powerful work being done and hopeful stories, and I title this ‘Reframing the Narrative’ because I realized that stories are so important. They shape who we are as individuals, they shape who we are as societies,” Vitale said.

Vitale continued her talk by showcasing various examples of her work that have contributed to her understanding of conservation, humanity and the future of the planet. She believes that though many stories of the environment have been bleak as of late, there are stories of solutions and hope that are not as commonly

available or accessible to the general public. She also discussed how photography has contributed to her own self-confidence.

“In the beginning of my career, I realized it was this wonderful tool for my own self-empowerment,” Vitale said. “It can be, when used correctly, a very powerful tool to amplify all of these very important stories and voices, and I realized that photography had helped me find my hidden superpower.”

CYNTHIA WU / THE FLAT HAT

Vitale published her first book in 2018, including a collection of her images of pandas.

Vitale began by telling a story about her time in Guinea-Bissau, covering one of her first stories after the country’s civil war ended in 1999. Though she anticipated to primarily find stories of trauma, she instead discovered stories of hope. Vitale told the story of Alio Balde, whom she met in Guinea-Bissau. Balde patiently took time to teach her the local language spoken in the village of Dembel Jumpoa. She emphasized his patience and curiosity as a light during her travels. Vitale emphasized that though she has learned to help tell people’s stories, there is also a danger that comes when others think they understand someone else’s story.

“I learned that when you push yourself out of your comfort zone, that place of discomfort, and it doesn’t have to be physical discomfort, but if you push yourself there, that’s where empathy comes,” Vitale said.

“It is probably the most important tool all of us can have in this world.”

Over the next decade, however, Vitale would leave Guinea-Bissau and become a war photographer. Vitale has covered conflicts in Afghanistan, Gaza, Pakistan, Nepal and more. While in Gaza, she discussed an incident in which she almost died from a missile that hit a police station she was supposed to be inside of at the time. She used this story to reflect on the power of journalism.

“There was this turning point when I began to ask myself — Were we contributing to this narrative that maybe fueled the conflict? Because there were a lot of other stories around us, but we weren’t telling any of those stories, we were focusing simply on violence,” Vitale said.

After her time as a war photographer, Vitale eventually realized that there was an emphasis on the natural world in the backdrop of all of her work. This realization changed the course of Vitale’s career. To emphasize this, she told a story about her first time meeting an endangered Northern White Rhino in the Czech Republic on his way to a conservancy in Kenya.

When she arrived in Africa, she realized that the species was to be under constant surveillance due to threats of poaching.

“The value of their horn is worth more than gold — they are being poached to extinction,” Vitale said. “When I began this story, the focus was all on militarizing fighting the poachers. And I began to ask one simple question back in 2009 — What do the people living with the wildlife think?

Do they care? Very little was being said about them. We often forget that it is the people living closest to these animals that can be the best protectors.”

Vitale discussed her increased focus on small communities making big changes, citing the impact of conservation efforts such as that of the Northern White Rhino.

“Everywhere I go, I see people often with very little, making huge impacts on their communities and their planet,” Vitale said. “Today, in Kenya, because of a focus on local community conservation, stricter laws in place, the number of poaching instances has dramatically decreased.”

Sadly, the male rhino she had followed from the Czech Republic to Kenya passed away in 2018, with Vitale right by his side. She became emotional when speaking about this incident, as she essentially watched a species that had roamed the earth prior to humanity’s existence become virtually extinct. Though he was the last male of his species, Vitale discussed efforts to bring the species back through the insemination of Southern White Rhinos using frozen semen from the male and eggs from the two surviving female Northern White Rhinos.

READ MORE AT FLATHATNEWS.COM

CAMPUS

Museum curator presents fieldwork, research regarding evolution of reptiles Dr. Adam Pritchard examines diversity of specimens in lineage, significance of data in Earthʼs history LILA REIDY THE FLAT HAT

Wednesday, Nov. 8, the College of William and Mary’s Geology Department hosted Assistant Curator of Paleontology at the Virginia Museum of Natural History Dr. Adam Pritchard to give a presentation on the evolution of reptiles. In his presentation, Pritchard discussed the rise of reptiles, beginning in the age of dinosaurs, through specimen-based research and three-dimensional scanning technology.

Pritchard earned his B.A. in biology from McDaniel College and his Ph.D. in anatomical sciences from Stony Brook University. After obtaining his Ph.D., Pritchard went on to conduct fieldwork around the United States and research with Smithsonian Museums before working at the Virginia Museum of Natural History.

Pritchard began the presentation with an overview of the Mesozoic Era and a display of diagrams of modern reptile lineages.

“We see very rapidly beginning in the Triassic emergence of a vast array of different reptile lineages, body plans and feeding eco-morphologies,” Pritchard said. “Just a huge diversity of different taxa. And in a way, that diversity is so vast and to emerge so rapidly that it’s somewhat overwhelmed, we have a nasty impact on understanding when those divergences really occur.”

The age of reptiles started with dinosaurs 25266 millions years ago, and has since branched out into a largely diverse body of reptile species. This diversification of reptiles started with the PermoTriassic extinction, which was a tectonic shift that

caused a rift in many species. According to Pritchard, many bizarre and disparate species emerged in the Triassic period.

Pritchard posed two questions to the audience, asking “How are they related to one another?” and “What does this tell us about the nature of the PermoTriassic diversification?” To approach these questions, Pritchard introduced an overview of methods used to analyze fieldwork, then offered reflections.

“I use a number of different sort of project methodologies to attack those kinds of questions,” Pritchard said. “All of my research is very much specimen-based, and I do engage in fieldwork and museum based collections work to identifying specimens that are really relevant to understanding this sort of diversity of basic description and analysis and phylogeny context.”

Pritchard mentioned his fieldwork discovering specimens in Virginia and Arizona, but noted that his favorite task is 3D modeling because it helps him see small, almost microscopic bones in the fossils he studies.

“For a lot of those specimens accessing the data is really difficult; the body size is small and inaccessible for physical preparation,” Pritchard said. “So I actually use CT scanning and three dimensional modeling of sort of delicate fossil specimens for description and analysis. And then finally all of that comes together in a sort of phylogenetic analysis, building evolutionary trees based on those anatomical relationships to define the aspects of the early reptile radiation.”

When analyzing evolutionary trees of reptiles, Pritchard noted that anatomical disparities were frequent. He referred to ghost lineages, known as the

missing spaces in evolutionary trees that should be present. The species lines show increasing disparity between animals as time goes on, thus diversifying the world of reptiles.

“Phylogeny has always produced ghost lineages like, there’s never superfect congruity in the splitting of different taxa,” Pritchard said. “But when you’re doing phylogeny around a major tumultuous event in Earth’s history, then it becomes weird.”

Pritchard emphasizes that from the 1980s all the way to the present, researchers are still discovering skeletons of these animals. Some of these fossils have unprecedented anatomy, and the types found are primarily microvertebrate fossils, meaning they are very small. Rather than looking at the examples as disconnected, singular incidents, Pritchard considers them as a part of a more intricate history.

“I no longer look at these things as examples of single, weird examples of diversity and disparity,” Pritchard said. “I see these in a way as the seeds for this incredibly complex garden of diversity of contribution to that phylogenetic narrative that could emerge from any discovery that expands the understanding of lineages during the Permian and the Triassic periods.”

For Pritchard, the process is ongoing and holds potential to lead to new understandings.

“Even the things that we have only just really begun to analyze and interpret could really change our understanding of the world at the beginning of the age of reptiles,” Pritchard said.

Funding for Pritchard’s research comes from the Virginia Museum of Natural History Foundation, The Peter Buck Foundation and the

National Science Foundation for CollectionsBased Research.

Many attendees stayed for a question and answer session following Pritchard’s presentation.

After the event, Orion Fellows ’24 shared their initial connections to Pritchard and his work.

“I’m here because Adam is a friend of mine because I went on the Wyoming dig with him a few years ago,” Fellows said. “And since then, I have also visited his museum where he’s a curator. And we also worked on a dig in Virginia last year together.”

Professor of geology Rowan Lockwood also attended the talk, sharing praise of Pritchard’s work.

“I teach the Age of Dinosaurs class, and every time I teach that class, I try to have a person who works on dinosaurs or works during the time of dinosaurs to come out and tell us a little bit more about the dinosaurian world,” Lockwood said. “And I thought Adam was an excellent choice because a lot of people are familiar with dinosaurs, but they don’t know all of the really cool and wacky creatures that are living alongside dinosaurs.”

Lockwood also reflected on Pritchard’s impact on the overall study of the Mesozoic period.

“It’s like the dinosaurs get all the attention, and I think Adam has really been a big proponent of studying everything that exists in the Mesozoic,” Lockwood said. “Everything that, you know, is living alongside the dinosaurs. And so, I thought he did a beautiful job of bringing his fieldwork and his museum work to life.”

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LECTURE

Anthropology department hosts hybrid lecture on climate data from Carribean University of Maine professor, doctoral student discuss significance of findings, intentions for future goals CLARE GIFFORD FLAT HAT NEWS ASSOC. EDITOR

Wednesday, Nov. 8, the College of William and Mary’s department of anthropology hosted a Brown Bag Lecture titled “Connecting Climate Pasts and Presents in the Caribbean.” Thirdyear doctoral student Caroline Watson hosted University of Maine second-year anthropology doctoral student Karina Cortijo-Robles and University of Maine professor of anthropology and quaternary and climate studies Dr. Daniel H. Sandweiss via Zoom for a hybrid lecture.

Sandweiss and Cortijo-Robles initially began collaborating over a shared interest in human responses to unprecedented climate change, specifically regarding hurricanes and the El Niño climate pattern. Cortijo-Robles and Watson focused on its effects in the municipality of Ponce in southern Puerto Rico.

Watson began the presentation by underscoring their goals.

“As archaeologists, we are interested in not just the material correlates of climate change, but more so, how climate becomes a social phenomenon when you consider the ways that it conditions the relationships that people form between each other and between the landscape,” Watson said. “And how climate shapes peoples’ lives and allows people to innovate resilience in relation to weather.”

According to Watson, climate change is not a new phenomenon for civilization.

Archaeological records give anthropologists a better understanding of how past humans dealt with similar environmental changes and offer potential insights for contemporary solutions.

“We need to understand the relationship between climate, environment and climatic change, and human society,” Sandweiss said.

“And it’s a very complex relationship, difficult to get at today, much less through the material remains we have of the past.”

Sandweiss then presented a spreadsheet of past El Niño activity by novel climate proxies located in archaeological sites. He described how anthropologists use proxies in relation to data for climate observations.

“They allow us to understand aspects of climate that might not be visible in other ways, and they let us understand those climatic events and changes in frequencies and changes in frequency and intensity of events in direct association with what peoples of the past were doing, which is also critical for understanding the relationship between people and climate,” Sandweiss said.

By documenting previously unknown data through climate proxies, Sandweiss contributes to improving climatologists’ ability to forecast future weather patterns.

Cortijo-Robles, a Puerto Rico native, also expressed interest in paleotempestology, the study of past tropical cyclone activity, as a tool for understanding her community’s ongoing

relationship with extreme weather. Her working doctoral thesis delves into the interactions between hurricane activity of the past and the responses of Indigenous peoples in Puerto Rico.

Around the year 1200, there was an unexplained abandonment of the current Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial Center near Ponce after three-hundred years of occupation. CortijoRobles and her team believe a considerable change in weather may have played a part in the site’s abandonment.

To analyze her initial proposition, one of Cortijo-Robles’s first goals was to verify that hurricanes of present-day magnitude occurred in the past as part of Earth’s ever-changing climate. Using data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, she reconstructed a graph illustrating the trajectories of hurricanes affecting Puerto Rico from 1898-2022, analyzing clear patterns of behavior.

Cortijo-Robles and her team have

begun studying sediment erosion in the nearby Portuguese river to further confirm these patterns.

“So usually the direct observation is the soil samples or sediment cores that we picked from the coast,” Cortijo-Robles said. “And also we have indirect observation in Tibes. With those old sediment cores, we’re trying to identify those hurricane signatures and maybe try to understand how Indigenous populations were responding to them.”

As for the larger intentions behind her work, Cortijo-Robles hopes to have present-day locals see reflections of themselves in historical documentation of Indigenous responses to their shared world.

However, documenting archaeological data is a time-sensitive process, as hurricane and storm activity jeopardizes the longevity of sites in numerous ways.

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sports

THE FLAT HAT | Wednesday, November 15, 2023 | Page 4

FIELD HOCKEY

Tribe loses to no. 1 UNC in NCAA Division I tournament

George records career-high 16 saves, matches 2002 program record MADDIE MOHAMADI THE FLAT HAT Friday, Nov. 10, William and Mary field hockey (12-9, 4-2 CAA) lost to no.

1 North Carolina Chapel Hill (16-3, 5-1 ACC) 6-1 in the second round of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Tournament at Karen Shelton Stadium in Chapel Hill, NC. Though the game marked the end of the Tribe’s season, the team’s defense persisted, with nine total defensive penalty corners. During the first quarter, the Tribe kept the score 0-0, with senior goalkeeper Maddie George recording six saves.

In total, George saved a career-high 16 of UNC’s 22 shots on goal. George’s 16 saves rank 22nd on William and Mary’s single-game list and are the most for a Tribe goalkeeper in the NCAA tournament.

George described the team’s defensive success as “a big group effort,” emphasizing how her 16 saves would not have been possible without the defenders’ support.

“One thing that’s really important to me is playing with my defenders,” George said. “I think I did my job in terms of having their back, and they did their job in terms of having mine.”

Head coach Tess Ellis further stressed the importance of the team’s collaboration.

“It was just a belief that they had each other’s backs,” Ellis said.

UNC’s first two goals came in the 19th and 29th minutes from freshman forward Charly Bruder and senior midfielder Katie Dixon, respectively.

Bruder scored off a lifted shot from the top of the circle, while Dixon redirected the ball past George during an offensive penalty corner.

UNC senior forward Paityn Wirth scored off both of the Tar Heels’ offensive penalty corners in the 35th and 36 minutes. Two minutes later, senior midfielder Kiersten Thomassey’s tip at the far post pushed the Tar Heels’ lead to 5-0.

Despite UNC’s three third-quarter goals, the Tribe looked to capitalize on its offensive play during the same 15-minute stretch, with two shots on goal and two offensive penalty corners in the 45th minute. Though senior midfielder Allison Goodwin’s first attempt was blocked by UNC graduate student goalkeeper Maddie Kahn, Goodwin scored off the Tribe’s second penalty corner. After junior midfielder Pyper Friedman inserted

the ball, Goodwin received it off a stick-stop by senior midfielder Maddie McGaughey and scored with a lifted shot from the top of the circle.

In the 48th minute, UNC junior midfielder Lisa Slinkert scored the Tar Heels’ sixth goal with a lifted shot from the top of the circle during an offensive penalty corner.

Ellis identified the quick turnaround between games as a challenge for the team. Between the UNC game and the previous week, Tribe field hockey played four games.

“Our biggest hurdle was what shape we were going to be in when we hit the Friday game against UNC,” Ellis said.

Before facing UNC, Tribe field hockey defeated Sacred Heart (9-11, 4-3 NEC) 4-0 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Karen Shelton Stadium on Wednesday, Nov. 8.

The Tribe’s victory marked William and Mary field hockey’s second NCAA Tournament win in program history.

With nine shots on goal and five offensive penalty corners, William and Mary dominated the majority of the game.

In the 20th minute, senior midfielder Jayden Moon passed the ball across the circle to graduate student forward/midfielder Lonica McKinney, whose tip put the Tribe in the lead.

Around three minutes later, senior forward Mollie Schuma scored her first goal of the season on an offensive penalty corner. Schuma received the ball from Friedman at the bottom of the circle and redirected it into the goal, securing the Tribe’s lead 2-0.

In the 35th minute, graduate student forward Lauren Curran received the ball at the top left of the circle from McKinney. Curran scored with a hard shot that went between Sacred Heart junior goalkeeper Samantha Maresca’s legs.

The Tribe’s final goal came in the 42nd minute, when Schuma passed the ball along the top of the circle to Friedman. Friedman scored on a reverse shot, extending the Tribe’s lead to 4-0.

The Tribe had three defensive penalty corners and George recorded one save.

Despite the Tribe’s success, Ellis emphasized the hardships Sacred Heart field hockey faced with a player sustaining critical injuries following a skiing accident last spring.

“Within every team, there’s a story,” Ellis said. “It was a game that was going to be filled with a lot of passion, and they did not give up.”

George highlighted the tournament’s novelty for current Tribe field hockey players, as the last time the team qualified was in 2018.

“It was very new to all of us, and we were just trying to soak it all in in terms of the experience,” George said. “We always want to win, but it was more about creating memories that we’ll cherish and bring with us regardless of if we bring home a medal or trophy.”

Although the Tribe’s 2023 field hockey season has come to a close, George — who will play next fall as a graduate student — remains optimistic.

“I hope that next year, we’re able to accomplish all the same things and more, but also to continue creating a very accepting and supportive culture,” George said.

Ellis hopes Tribe field hockey will continue competing against the top 20 teams in the country.

“How we played against UNC will be the standard for the next Tribe field hockey generation that comes through,” Ellis said.

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT

Women’s soccer sends off three fifth-years, celebrates legacy

Shackford, Oʼ Toole, Doughty end collegiate careers with distinction LACI MILLER FLAT HAT SPORTS ASSOC. After five years and a combined 14,634 minutes of play, Kayleigh Shackford, Jillian O’Toole and Zoe Doughty are ending their collegiate soccer careers with William and Mary. The trio of fifth-years led this year’s team to one of the best seasons in program history.

The dynamic trio entered William and Mary in 2019 and five seasons of excellence followed.

Shackford, a midfielder from Ashburn, Va., O’Toole, a midfielder from Montclair, N.J. and Doughty, a goalkeeper from Woodbridge, Va. were each granted an extra year of eligibility after their sophomore year season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“My class and I went through so much on and off the field,” Doughty said. “I think it helped me develop a deep appreciation for my time here because at one point we weren’t sure when or if we would come back.”

In 2021, Doughty was named Coastal Athletic

Association Goalkeeper of the Year and selected to the All-CAA First Team and VaSID All-State First Team. Doughty was also on the CAA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll for three years (2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23).

“I think my junior season was the highlight of my soccer career up until this point,” Doughty said. “It was a time where I came out of one of the lowest points of my life and was able to turn my entire season around for the better.”

The Tribe soccer program builds athletes and individuals, emphasizing excellence and physical, emotional and personal growth.

“Our team’s core values, CAPPLE — commitment, accountability, preparation, perseverance, loyalty and excellence — are upheld extremely well on a daily basis by every single person involved in the program,” O’Toole said. “Being around some of the most incredible individuals has inspired and motivated me every single day to be a better athlete, teammate and person.”

In 2022, O’Toole was awarded the College Player Award of Distinction from the United

Soccer Coaches. She also excelled academically at William and Mary, making CAA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll and winning the William and Mary Provost Award in each year of her career.

Additionally, she was inducted into the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society, awarded to the top 10% of the class of the Raymond A. Mason School of Business.

As the fifth-years conclude their time at William and Mary, they will join the network of alumni of the College, and the existing team will carry on the legacy they left behind.

“Each season, the team continues to get stronger and stronger, and I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to come back for one more season. I’m so excited for what the future holds for this group, and I cannot wait to watch my favorite team as the proudest Tribe Soccer alum,” O’Toole said.

Kayleigh Shackford had a unique experience of playing under head coach Julie Shackford, her mother. Though it took some time to adjust to balancing the player-coach relationship and a mother-daughter bond, Kayleigh learned to embrace it.

“Both my coaches and teammates push me everyday to be a better player and a better person. They’ve taught me to be accountable and vulnerable and I wouldn’t be here without any of them,” Shackford said.

From 2020-2023, Shackford started every game but one. In her entire career at William and Mary, she recorded five goals, eight assists and 79 games played. She played 4,995 minutes on the field in her career, all of which she spent as a dynamic and confident presence.

“College soccer forced me out of my shell and it really shaped me into who I am today,” she said.

The memories, relationships and accomplishments of these three throughout their time together in the William and Mary women’s soccer program have been nothing short of extraordinary. In addition to their excellence on the field, their resilience, strength and leadership have cultivated a team culture like none other, producing lifelong friendships and connections. Shackford, O’ Toole and Doughty all emphasized how deeply the saying “the people make the place” holds true.

FOOTBALL

Football defeats Hampton 31-10 in final away game of season

Team scores 24 unanswered points in late fourth quarter offensive surge MAX GRILL FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR Saturday, Nov. 11, William and Mary (6-4, 4-3 CAA) took down Hampton (55, 3-4 CAA) 31-10 in its final road game of the 2023 season at Armstrong Field in Hampton, Va. Saturday’s win cemented the Tribe’s

third consecutive winning season, a notable positive for the Green and Gold despite its unrealistic chance of qualifying for the FCS playoffs this season.

Going into this week, the Tribe knew that if it wanted even the slightest chance of making a late playoff push, securing a win on the road against Coastal Athletic

Association opponent Hampton would be a step in the right direction.

Coming off of an unfortunate road loss to no. 23 Albany last week, William and Mary looked to silence the opposing crowd at Armstrong field with strong offensive production early on Saturday.

After an impressive defensive stop on fourth-and-two at its own 34-yard line, the Tribe offense took the field for the first time with just over 12 minutes left in the first quarter. Redshirt freshman quarterback Tyler Hughes got the nod for Saturday’s start, and in his second appearance this season, the young quarterback did not disappoint.

Despite a slow start, the Tribe got the scoring started in its second offensive possession of the day, headlined most notably by a 33-yard completion to junior running back Malachi Imoh and a 29-yard rush by junior running back Mattijs Lasore. Lasore, who made his season debut on Saturday, finished with a team-leading 42 rushing yards against the Pirates while averaging 7.0 yards per carry. After a quick eight-yard completion to redshirt freshman running back Tyson Garrett, Hughes connected with

sophomore tight end Trey McDonald for a 10-yard touchdown, marking Hughes’s second passing touchdown of his career.

After drilling the extra point, the Tribe jumped ahead to an early 7-0 lead with just 11 seconds left in the quarter.

The Pirates steadily chipped away at the William and Mary lead in the second. In its second drive of the quarter, Hampton slowly worked its way down the field using a variety of short runs and pass plays to keep the Tribe defense on its backfoot. After an eight-yard completion and two rush attempts by Pirate redshirt junior quarterback Chris Zellous, Hampton decided to settle for a 29-yard field goal, cutting the lead to four.

William and Mary, looking to extend the lead, started its response with a nineyard gain from junior quarterback Hollis Mathis. However, just three plays later, an Imoh fumble returned the ball right back into the hands of the Pirates. After what looked like a Tribe interception that was overturned due to a penalty, Zellous settled down and found junior receiver Romon Copeland for a 45-yard touchdown with just 30 seconds left in the half. After a made extra point, the Pirates

completely flipped the game on its head, taking a 10-7 going into halftime.

With just 30 minutes left to keep this season’s hope alive, the Tribe defense entered the second half set on shutting down the Hampton offense. On top of a first quarter interception by senior cornerback Ryan Poole, the Tribe defense kicked it into an even higher gear in the third, thanks to a dominant showing by senior linebacker Kevin Jarrell. After forcing a fumble in the Pirates’ second drive of the half, Jarrell managed to force another fumble later that same drive, this time being recovered by Tribe senior defensive lineman Nate Lynn.

To make up for the quiet third quarter, William and Mary’s offense came out swinging in the fourth. After a gametying 40-yard field goal from senior kicker Caden Bonoffski, Zellous turned the ball over again, this time via an interception by junior inside linebacker Quinn Osborne.

With the ball back in his hands, Hughes connected with junior wide receiver JT Mayo for a 76-yard touchdown, securing a Tribe lead once again.

READ MORE AT FLATHATNEWS.COM

opinions STAFF COLUMN

Mid-semester blues: we are in the trenches

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

THE FL FLAT HAT | Wednesday, November 15, 2023 | Page 5

STAFF COLUMN

Chick-Fil-A kiosk conundrum Mollie Shiflett

FLAT HAT OPINIONS EDITOR

Avi Joshi

FLAT HAT OPINIONS EDITOR

There are many things in the world that bother me: slow walkers, my laundry costing four dollars and the fact that my room is four thousand degrees right now.

The list goes on. But right now, I’m going to talk about one of the things that bothers me the most: the new kiosks at the Chick-Fil-A on Richmond Road, which make the lives of its student patrons unnecessarily difficult.

My primary complaint with the kiosks is that no one takes your order, so no one remembers it. In the five or six times I’ve been to CFA this semester, three times I’ve gone just for a drink, and twice people have forgotten to get my large lemonade. I don’t ask for much, but if all I want to order is a drink, it shouldn’t take 15 minutes.

Ever. Under any circumstances.

In the good old days, if you wanted to order a drink, you’d get in line, order and then the guy who took your order would just fill up your drink right when you ordered it. I realize I may be in the vast minority of people who go to CFA just for a large lemonade, but

what’s so wrong with that? Even better, under the old system, you’d have your drink the entire time you were waiting for your food, so you had a little something to sip on while you waited. I miss that.

And to those skeptics out there who say to me, “If you don’t want to use the kiosks, just use the GrubHub app,” I say, “Why?” I would still have to go to the CFA and wait in the giant chaos that the kiosks create.

Honestly, the kiosks are just unnecessary. You wait just as long to get to a kiosk as you would to order in a normal line, so I can’t tell what the reason for them is. Presumably it saves CFA money, but having been in the line waiting for the kiosks, it’s not worth it from a consumer’s point of view because it makes absolutely nothing more efficient.

All these kiosks do is retool and revamp the same old waiting time — but now with the added benefit of your orders getting forgotten. I have no problem with progress, but I fail to see how these kiosks make for a better customer experience, and that’s what dining should be about, right? It should be about creating the

best customer experience possible, not massive chaos and unidentifiable blobs of people who either have or haven’t ordered — how can you ever tell, really?

If you’re going to stick with the kiosks, there should be a more defined waiting area so that we can differentiate between who’s waiting for their order and who’s ordering or still needs to order. At least under the old system, no one had to work that hard to figure out where the freaking line was. All I’m asking for is a little bit of organized chaos.

Too often in our society, improved technology, or even just more technology, is equated with being better, but when it’s not implemented properly, technology is just some fancy computers and a bunch of irritated people who just want a lemonade and would have gotten it by now this time last year. Maybe this is an unpopular opinion, but I just don’t see why we need them — as customers — unless it is to satisfy our strange desire as a society to not talk to other people unless absolutely necessary, which is a personality issue that I’m not even going to begin to try to explain.

Maybe this entire article is an exercise in futility; maybe this is just a giant pet peeve that I’m blowing way out of proportion — to be honest, it definitely is a little bit of that, but what opinion isn’t? But mainly, I’d just like an explanation for the rationale behind introducing the kiosks because no matter how hard I rack my brain, I can’t figure out the point of them. Does it save CFA from having to hire more cashiers?

I don’t have the actual numbers, but it’s not like CFA isn’t already making plenty, so if they’re doing this all for an extra few hundred dollars in savings then that’s a whole different issue. Maybe CFA did think it was more efficient? Maybe CFA thought that having four people ordering at once would make it easier, but all that does is back up the kitchen, if anything.

Why? Just why?

Mollie Shiflett ’26 is a history major who may also major in linguistics. She plays on the Gold Women’s Club Soccer team for the College of William and Mary and is an avid fan of most sports — except golf. Email Mollie at mrshiflett@wm.edu.

a further division between students and administration. It just doesn’t really feel like the College cares about its current students. Horrible food quality, irritating construction and the wave of mid-semester blues has all added up, and it makes us feel pushed to the side. And I know it may seem like I am complaining a bit too much, but there is no real other option.

Maybe I should go to the Wellness Center, where they don’t stay open on weekends or provide a form of counseling that has been worthwhile for my personal needs.

The point is that students do not have that many options or resources to help deal

with mental health.

I am tired. And I know that I am not the only one who feels drained. Maybe this is just mid-semester blues, but I still think it’s an important topic of discussion. Wave after wave of work, meetings, classes, social events and more just keep crashing onto the student body — and it’s getting more difficult to get through each wave. I am positive that other people on campus feel the same way I do, and I don’t necessarily know what advice to give because I don’t know what will work for everyone because I haven’t figured out at all what the hell works for me.

But what I can say is talk to the people around you and just ask how they are doing. It goes a long way when you remind someone that you care about them and the student body needs to look after one another. So talk to your friends, call your mom (she probably wants to talk to you) and lock in for this last push of the semester. Then, finally, we can all get a break we wholeheartedly deserve.

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.

GRAPHIC BY CATHERINE STORKE / THE FLAT HAT

ZACHARY LUTZKY / THE FLAT HAT

Time to get serious.

I normally like to do more lighthearted articles — usually involving food — but I think this topic needs to be talked about: it just seems like mental health at the College of William and Mary is in the gutter. This assertion is a bit hyperbolic; I don’t have any statistics or research or really even many people I’ve talked to about this.

Rather, I am going completely off my own observations.

So, what’s going on? What prompted me to try and tackle this subject?

Honestly, I have felt like the overall mental health of the student body has been on a slow decline since the beginning of the semester. This decline mainly started when the construction on campus began to pick up. The Flat Hat has already published numerous articles on what the construction has done to the College, so I won’t spend too much time on this. But, seriously, the construction has ruined aspects of campus life that were once quite enjoyable. The amount of greenery that has been destroyed in an effort to race to some kind of utopian campus model is completely unfair. The construction feels like the administration is tossing current students to the side in order to create resources that we will never even benefit from or utilize. And, worst of all, it makes the campus ugly as hell.

I’m sorry, but it just isn’t as fun to walk

around campus anymore. Now, I can’t help but notice the destroyed foliage and loud construction noises as I try to sip shtty coffee from the Sadler Center.

Besides the construction, dining has been a serious problem. While the quality of food has increased slightly since last year, the amount of options for students has been cut. Last year, we had Drips and Sips, swipes could get you a lot of food from multiple places and even Marketplace used to be a respectable dining hall. Now, the only consistent places to get food are the Commons (better known as Caf) and Sadler. Drips and Sips have been removed almost everywhere but a few select places on campus, and despite changing our food provider going into this semester, the quality has not gotten substantially better, which is most evident when looking at Sadler and Caf. I think that Caf has way better food than Sadler, but in reality, both dining halls should be equal in food quality.

I think that a big reason mental health seems to have gotten worse on campus is due to the general student body lacking adequate food options that are necessary to maintain the academically rigorous schedule that the College asks of students. It is hard to find good food on campus, and there have been very few meals that I have eaten from dining halls that haven’t left me feeling bloated, tired and nasty.

These problems have contributed to

COMIC

Fuzzy 53: Fuzzy and Dozer make pumpkin bread...almost COMIC BY ARIANNA STEWART / THE FLAT HAT

THE FLAT HAT

Wedneday, November 15, 2023

Page 6

GUEST COLUMN

STAFF COLUMN

Objection! Debate is where it’s at

ChatGPT: artificial fears, real benefits Sheoli Lele

John Powers

THE FLAT HAT

FLAT HAT OPINIONS ASSOC.

GRAPHIC BY VIVIAN HOANG / THE FLAT HAT

When I signed up to take Philosophy 215: Right and Wrong in the Contemporary World, I expected to be assigned dull readings and have to churn out copious amounts of writing. I anticipated the all-too-familiar rush of frantically submitting long papers right before the deadline. Well, the end of the semester is approaching fast, and I’ve only written three paragraphs in this entire class. So, what exactly is going on here?

I don’t have a term paper due at the end of the semester, nor have I skipped assignments. As it turns out, the class is intentionally structured this way. Half of our grade comes from two exams and in-class participation. The other half: two debates. Almost every class consists of a thirty-minute debate on a particular moral issue between two teams of two followed by a short lecture. Audience members are encouraged to participate in cross-examination rounds and a group discussion at the end.

I’ll be honest, I was considering dropping the class before the start of the semester, but the debate format piqued my interest. I am the first to admit that I am biased because I relish the opportunity for public speaking and have been to five college debate competitions. However, there are real benefits to using this format in classes beyond allowing debate amateurs like myself to polish our skills.

Most humanities classes require written assignments because they demonstrate a student’s understanding of class topics. Essays are a way to show the instructor the student’s breadth of knowledge, their ability to defend claims and the quality of their reasoning. Teaching students how to write convincingly, clearly and concisely should be a key goal of higher education. Not only are these skills needed for graduate education, but they are also needed in the workplace.

Public speaking is important too. If a health economist is able to write research papers on Medicaid expansion but unable to communicate their findings with others adequately, they are limiting the real-world impact of their expertise. Effective public speaking is a vital tool that ensures the dissemination of knowledge to diverse audiences, not just other experts. By placing little-to-no focus on public speaking, we risk producing smart, but not well-rounded graduates. That is especially true at the College of William and Mary, where it is exceedingly difficult to enroll in a public speaking class. Beyond that, the only other opportunities are in clubs and organizations, which not everyone has time for.

Alternatively, in-class debates are a great way to develop public speaking skills.

They allow students to hone their ability to articulate ideas clearly and persuasively in a dynamic, real-time setting. If you frequent the Opinions section of The Flat Hat, you know my skepticism of ChatGPT. Debates are certainly a way to discourage us from mindlessly regurgitating arguments using artificial intelligence. Debates encourage students to think on their feet; even if you did write a speech with AI, cross-examination questions force you to think for yourself.

It’s worth noting that AI can be embraced within the debate format as well.

It might be really interesting to have a human team debate against ChatGPT in real time.

Furthermore, debates have the benefit of breaking echo chambers. I had to defend the abolition of legal punishment in the United States last week. While I don’t agree with this view, crafting clever arguments and presenting them to my peers allowed me to ponder deeper the ways that we could reform our justice system.

Breaking echo chambers encourages intellectual diversity within the academic setting. They prompt students to consider alternative viewpoints, cultivating a spirit of open-mindedness and critical thinking.

Debates can also promote civility in a time when it feels like disagreement on important political issues is the end of the world. They allow us to practice hearing points of view with which we disagree and finding ways to respond to them thoughtfully and respectfully.

In this way, in-class debates promote a free speech culture which is too often tarnished on American college campuses. With typical class participation, the discussion of unpopular ideas might be hampered if the professor does not play devil’s advocate. Students with these views might be afraid to express them for fear of being shunned. Debates are a way to avoid these fears since everyone at some point will have to grapple with an unpopular point of view.

Some professors might be pressured to not incorporate disagreeable viewpoints into their curriculum for fear of student protest. By framing contentious issues within the context of a debate, instructors can present diverse perspectives without endorsing any particular viewpoint.

By now, you might be thinking why typical participation in class is not sufficient to meet these goals. Participation is important, but debates provide unique benefits.

In many classes, just a few students often monopolize class time to answer questions and provide thoughts. Some professors navigate this scenario by calling on more vocal students less, but in many circumstances, many students do not voluntarily participate in class. Debates are a way to open the floor to everyone, not just over-achievers.

Of course, this format will not work in every class. Large introductory classes and many STEM classes are probably not a good fit since the nature of the content often leans towards factual and objective information, leaving less room for the nuanced and subjective arguments that thrive in a debate setting.

It is important to acknowledge the logistical problems debates might create as well. For example, in PHIL 215, it took awhile to create team pairings, and the schedule might get thrown off if someone is absent from class on the day they’re supposed to debate. Debates also frequently deviate from the allotted time, posing challenges to maintaining a structured class schedule and ensuring that all planned topics receive sufficient attention within the course timeline.

However, many classes are actually a good fit for the debate format. 83% of classes at the College have fewer than 40 students. All freshmen take COLL 100 classes, which are designed to involve assignments that “go beyond writing.” What better way to achieve this goal than with a debate? With the right planning, logistical hurdles can be avoided.

Software solutions can pair partners together, and professors can deter absenteeism by implementing stricter class policies. To enhance flexibility, scheduling a team for a specific week, instead of a particular day, could be considered.

From fiery arguments about the morality of abortion to spirited discussion of prison abolition, in-class debates in PHIL 215 have truly enhanced my learning experience, and I suspect the same applies to others as well. More professors at the College should consider using a debate format in their classes.

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.

At the mention of the term “artificial intelligence,” too many people’s minds jump to rogue automated empires, mass unemployment and fading human connection. Media representations of the technology have all but helped. Look no further than the 2023 horror/sci-fi movie “M3GAN,” in which a lifelike AI doll designed to be a child’s closest companion quickly spirals out of control. The “AI takeover” has been added to the same category of doomsday events as the zombie apocalypse, the alien invasion and large-scale volcanism.

Even worse than these disaster scenarios, some argue, is the spread of AI as a tool for cheating in school. The reality is that this technology is here to stay, and it will only get more sophisticated and widespread. It is in our best interest to improve our relations with AI and stay informed about the field’s latest advances. A great way to achieve this end is to recognize how AI can personally benefit us and help us grow as people. My goal in the next few paragraphs is to introduce to you three simple ways you can use AI — specifically, ChatGPT — to make your life easier.

Before I move further, I would like to provide some necessary background on AI. Knowing even a smidge will help demystify the concept for anyone who fears it. Simply, AI is the development of machines that can think and learn in similar ways to humans. So far, the field’s main goal has been to use pattern recognition to accomplish tasks that once cost hours of human energy, time and resources. The most famous example of AI in 2023 is Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (known by its users as “ChatGPT”), which is a large, language model-based chatbot. Large language models take in huge chunks of data, enabling them to recognize, predict and generate text.

For example, when I type “Who was the 30th U.S. president?” into ChatGPT’s chat bar, the system pores over the content of the datasets it was trained on, finding the repeated associations between the terms like “30th president,” “U.S.” and “Calvin Coolidge.” A misconception many have is that ChatGPT is able to “think” and “remember” on its own, but it only predicts outcomes based on instances of connections between words. In the interest of simplicity and time, I cannot explain it (or completely understand it, myself) to its full complexity.

One of ChatGPT’s best uses is its abilities to deal with administrative tasks. Before ChatGPT, my sloppy attempt at time management involved at least five different resources, including but not limited to Google Docs, Google Calendar, Notepad, Excel and a paper planner. I drowned in the inconsistency of my own habits and was largely oblivious to many assignments’ due dates. Upon the chatbot’s release in late fall last year, I learned to delegate to it the mundane task of planning my day of studying. By typing in a short list of tasks, estimated durations of each and a time range, I get a personalized study schedule to follow. The time that I used to spend thinking up the nuances of difficulty and motivation that varied between tasks, I now spend on the work itself. Unlike word processors, ChatGPT helps me keep planning uncluttered and in one place.

Another of ChatGPT’s best uses is research. In many ways, I treat it like I once treated Wikipedia: a source meant to introduce a topic but is better used in conjunction with other, more credible sources.

Especially in the case of highly technical and jargon-heavy concepts, it is difficult to be a beginner looking for a simplified explanation online outside of ChatGPT. As a student of an intro-level computer science class, I had never before seen the terms “SSH key,” “Git Bash terminal” and “object-oriented programming.” A quick exchange with ChatGPT mediated through my request to get answers “in language

GRAPHIC BY VIVIAN HOANG / THE FLAT HAT

that a beginner would understand” gave me a base of knowledge that allowed me to understand more rigorous explanations. Looking for the same answers on websites whose target audiences are computer science professionals would hardly help me. In this way, the free chatbot profoundly increases access to the realm of technical fields.

I also use the chatbot to help debug my code by pasting in errors and requesting that it explains the errors in natural language. This process is the equivalent of having a constantly-available computer science major help me reason through my mistakes and learn. If more students began to recognize and take advantage of AI’s power for good, we would be less frightened by its mention.

The last personal benefit of AI that I will discuss has to do with writing and editing. By this, I do not mean that you should use ChatGPT to write your papers or cheat in any way. However, I find that immediately after I write a paper, I am unable to find flaws with it because I cannot see where it does not make sense; my background knowledge fills in the gaps that other readers would not be able to fill.

To help with this problem, I paste chunks of my writing into ChatGPT, asking for it to return a summary. From this, I am able to gauge how another person would interpret my writing from a quick read and pinpoint my own logical jumps.

My father has also told me how he uses ChatGPT to quickly read and return emails. He types in the content of replies in a set of bullet points and requests a well-worded format from ChatGPT, which he is able to paste, tweak and send. For anyone who spends a lot of time wording emails or dreads doing so, this strategy can be quite beneficial. Essentially, ChatGPT can take the place of the well-versed friend who we ask to look at our papers before submitting them and who offers constructive advice that ultimately makes us better writers.

It is saddening that many people took the chatbot’s release as a sign to misappropriate it, but the fact that it can be used in dishonest ways does not exclude it from doing good if used properly. The advancement that ChatGPT brings, however, will pale in comparison to what comes after it. It is time we accepted this reality and changed our ways to adapt to AI, especially when part of “adapting” is seeing the fruits of technology work in our personal favor.

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.

GUEST COLUMN

Fighting through hardships of homesickness Lana Altunashvili THE FLAT HAT

Homesickness: a feeling familiar to most if not all students here at the College of William and Mary. Whether you are an international, out-of-state or in-state student, we all face this feeling at one point or another during the college experience. You must leave the comfort of your homes and put yourself out there, heeding the universe’s call to independent adulthood.

I think we are all usually eager to leave the place we grew up in, see new places and explore new versions of ourselves. Don’t get me wrong, I still stand by the idea that leaving home is a necessary experience in the modern world, but I’ve also come to the conclusion that the phrase “you don’t realize what you have until it’s gone” is the most true statement I’ve heard in a while. The seeming liberty you feel when you leave your home turns into the sharp lack of something you can’t really pinpoint. So how do we appreciate the place we are from? How do we deal with this feeling of wanting to go back when we are struggling to adjust to being away from what we are used to?

For context and some perspective, I’m from Georgia (the country, not the state), which is situated under Russia, east of the Black Sea. Like any other country, it has its issues, whether they be socioeconomic, political or of some other kind. These issues are mostly why I had always thought my life would be better when I left the capital of Tbilisi, where I have lived for 18 years. In spite of being told I would miss it when I left, I let those words pass right through me, thinking “they don’t know just how much I want to leave.”

Now though, I find myself reaching for pieces of home everywhere. So my first piece of advice is the following: listen to music from your home or something that reminds you of where you came from. For example, I notice my American friends listening to country music because it makes them think of home.

For me, it’s the Georgian band Mgzavrebi that makes me feel like I’m traveling in time and about to see my friends, most of whom are scattered across the globe. There is something about music that seems to connect not only varied groups of people, but also the past and the present, creating a calming sensation that reminds you that everything you miss is still within reach.

Another thing I’ve found helpful is listening to interviews of people who also moved away from their home. It doesn’t necessarily make you feel closer to home, but it can make you feel less alone in what you are feeling. In this case, I think listening to someone who’s gone through a similar experience is beneficial in that it gives you some perspective on where you are in life. Oftentimes, we get lost in the little details of everyday life and lose sight of why we left home. But seeing people who started out the same way you did find success makes you think you’re on the right path — that wherever you are in the current moment is for a greater purpose, and you’re just too stressed and tired to see that right now.

This next one is a vague piece of advice, but I will recommend you live in the future to some extent. I know everyone says you have to “live in the moment,” but I feel like whenever you separate yourself from the things, places and people you love, you look forward to something. Every time I’m with friends, I make some plans for the future no matter how unlikely they are to happen. I want to see someone who’s on the other side of the world? I guess I’m going there at some point next summer.

Another thing you can do is count down the days until you can return home, and take each day at a time. At the time of writing this article, I know that despite there being around 50 days left until Christmas day, there’s only 18 school days left in the semester. Some may find this fact frightening, but it’s comforting to know that we’ve got so little left until we get to

go back to our families and childhood friends.

During my senior year of high school, I had a countdown on my phone to the last day of school. I won’t lie, at first the rate at which the days went by seemed painfully slow.

However, trust me, the numbers will go down to zero in a blink of an eye, and then the wait for the last day of classes, going home and seeing your family and friends will be over.

As of right now, Earl Gregg Swem Library is filled with stressed students. This is a time when most of us feel like we can’t do it anymore, when we long for the comfort of home, when we are trying to make it to the next day off. I suppose my last piece of advice is to hang in there because time has a way of accommodating when you have a lot on your plate — it goes by quickly. So, truly, all you have to do is keep reminding yourself that you are really almost there. Just one final push to the finish line, and you’ll be on your way back to whatever place you call home.

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.

GRAPHIC BY CATHERINE STORKE / THE FLAT HAT

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Variety Editor Agavni Mehrabi Variety Editor Miles Mortimer flathat.variety@gmail.com // @theflathat

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THE FLAT HAT | Wednesday, November 15, 2023 | Page 7

BAAAAA-MASTE Alma Mater Productions organizes Goat Yoga event to reduce stress, improve mental health MEGAN RUDACILLE // THE FLAT HAT

RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT

Sunday, Nov. 5, Alma Mater Productions’ Special Events committee welcomed a herd of honored, albeit unconventional, furry guests to the Sunken Garden for its third annual Goat Yoga event at the College of William and Mary. The event is designed to uplift mental health and wellness, according to AMP Special Events committee member Adrianna Kopp ’25.

“We were going to do puppy yoga, which is also very beneficial to mental health, but something about holding goats the right, proper way and having them cuddle with you — the trainer was like, ‘When you hold them, pretend like you own them, and when you hold them, they’ll treat you like that, and they’ll snuggle up to you really close,’” Kopp said. “So, 100%, there’s serotonin involved there.”

AMP organized the afternoon into two sessions. During the first half, all students were welcomed into a large, open pen to pet, cuddle and play with goats, no registration required. “[It was] definitely more crowded than anything I’ve gone to before,” event attendee Maanasa Schwartzkopf ’27 said. “I wonder if, maybe if there were smaller pens next time so there were less people in each one, that would be good, but I did have a good time overall.”

The second half was dedicated to the goat yoga class itself, which required advanced registration as it was limited to only 60 participants. One attendee, Gemma McCreight ’26, reflected on her decision to sign up for the focused yoga class after a positive experience at last year’s iteration of Goat Yoga.

“When you’re just hanging out with the goats, especially the smaller ones, they kind of crowd towards one group,” McCreight said. “But when you’re doing yoga, the instructors all encourage the goats to go on top of you, and you get to interact with them more directly.”

To provide the headlining animals, AMP collaborated with vendors from Pactamere Farm, located just outside of Richmond.

The family-owned farm offers on-site goat yoga multiple times a

week, along with various other activities accompanied by their goats, such as movie nights. Co-owner Katie Evans cited the benefits of goat yoga that allowed their classes to quickly gain popularity.

“It does help with core strength,” Evans said. “Obviously, you have anywhere from a 10-pound to 40- or 50-pound goat on your back, you’re going to have to have some core strength.

Also, I think the animal-assisted therapy part of it is the main benefit of it. Animals are therapeutic. Goats love the human interaction, and people feel good, and they’re happy.”

Goat Yoga was originally scheduled for Saturday, Sept.

30, but minutes before the program was set to begin, the vendors alerted AMP organizers they had blown a tire en route to Williamsburg. AMP members were faced with the challenge of efficiently responding to the change and determining how to proceed, eventually choosing cancellation as the most viable option in light of the exigent circumstances.

“We were like, ‘Oh, no, are your goats okay?’” AMP Special Events Chair Emma Stephens ’25 said. “They were all okay and everything, but they wouldn’t have gotten here until the event was ending, so for staffing purposes, and also just getting the word out, the vendor and I agreed that it would just be better to reschedule it.”

Despite the initial setback, however, Goat Yoga was nevertheless seen as a resounding success by the AMP staff and the goat handlers. Now in its third year, Goat Yoga has become an annual tradition on campus, and to this, Stephens described how the event’s popularity secures it a spot on the schedule year after year when AMP members plan and budget their programming.

“I don’t know if it’s that people love goats, or it’s just something super fun and different on campus, but it really is an attention grabber, and everyone gets so excited,” Stephens said. “In terms of the sign-ups, you post the sign-ups, and they were gone in ten minutes.”

When it comes to the reasons for the high demand,

animal-loving students like Schwartzkopf recalled being drawn to the event simply by the very presence of the goats.

“I just love goats,” Schwartzkopf said. “I’m, in general, an animal person. I’ve done animal rights activism the past few years. I’ve worked with animals the past few years. I love them, and goats were my favorite animals in childhood.”

Others were enticed specifically by the yoga element of the event as well. Aja Bauer ’26 described her experience with yoga since childhood as a major influence in her decision to register for the yoga session.

“I’m not too good about going and taking yoga classes,” Bauer said. “I am very physically active. I love to lift, I love to climb, but in terms of going and taking a class, I’m not too good about going out of my way and setting up a time for a class. I think it was good to just take some time and de-stress for the week, and do something I don’t normally do, like goat yoga.”

Aspects of yoga have an instinctive appeal to not just students of the College, but the goats themselves as well. Evans explained the natural ease of training the goats to participate in the yoga, a practice they surprisingly seem not to mind.

“Goats innately love to jump anyway,” Evans said.

“They like to be the highest and be on top of everything, and they fight to be the best, and they’re always so playful, so training them to jump is not hard, it’s just routine.”

Whatever may be the reason for its popularity, Goat Yoga left students at the College championing its emotional benefits in the face of stress. Kopp herself, after working to plan the event, remarked on her improved mood after getting up close and personal with the four-legged friends.

“I just thought it was the most adorable thing ever,” Kopp said. “It really made my day, and I can’t stop smiling.

I’ve just been really happy because I have so much work to do today, but this was good. This was really good.”

Reel talk: fnaf's iconic animatronics Newly released “Five Nights at Freddyʼs” movie impresses franchise fans, divides critics TOMMY KILROY // THE FLAT HAT For the film adaptation of the video game “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” the disappointing critic score of 30% on Rotten Tomatoes paints a much bleaker picture than Rotten Tomatoes’ optimistic audience score of 88%. The film’s director Emma Tammi must tailor her cinematic rendition of “Five Nights at Freddy’s” to the constraints of a PG-13 rating, and she uses a mix of live-action and animated voice acting to craft a chilling yet oftentimes light-hearted mystery tale masquerading as a horror film. Easter eggs and references to Scott Cawthon’s video game franchise, however, provide moments of delight to long-time fans without impeding the plot. Overall, while critics may bemoan the confusing story and the lack of successful horror beats, fans can rejoice in having their wish for a successful movie adaptation fulfilled.

“Five Nights at Freddy’s” begins with Mike Schmidt (played by Josh Hutcherson) accepting a position as a night guard for the abandoned restaurant Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria from his suspicious career counselor (played by Matthew Lillard). Schmidt takes the job to fend off his estranged aunt Jan (played

by Mary Stuart Masterson), who threatens to take custody of his little sister Abby Schmidt (played by Piper Rubio) in order to reap the benefits of monthly custody payments.

During his first shift, Mike falls asleep and dreams about an incident from his childhood in which a strange man kidnapped his younger brother Garrett. In this dream, Mike also

encounters five children who witnessed the kidnapping but who run away from him as he approaches them. Mike, who never got over the loss of his brother, believes that these dreams hold the key to solving the mystery of his brother’s disappearance and vows to recreate this dream until he finds out the truth about what happened to his brother.

On his second night, Mike encounters Vanessa (played by Elizabeth Lail), a police officer on a patrol that happens to include the decrepit pizzeria. Vanessa offers him a wealth of knowledge on the restaurant, including the animatronics Freddy, Bonnie, Chica and Foxy and why the location shut down. That is, five children were murdered at the location, and their bodies and their killer were never found.

The movie continues with many revelations into the mystery of Garrett’s disappearance interspersed with light horror elements and surprisingly effective comedic quips.

All in all, the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” film contains a convoluted and confusing narrative that leaves more questions than answers.

With a runtime of 109 minutes, the film feels dense with information and overwhelms any viewer who gets lost in the numerous small details of the plot. However, the movie remains faithful to its source material in this way as it combines plot elements from many different entries in the video game franchise.

Tammi does also fail to elicit an effective feeling of horror in the film and leans more

into telling a mystery tale. The animatronics prove to be ineffective as the main source of horror once Abby befriends them. Although this relationship makes sense since children haunt these lifeless husks, their friendship leads to a few scenes where the animatronics act as comic relief, effectively ruining any sense of foreboding these creatures had established.

Aside from Lillard and Hutcherson, the performances in the film are largely forgettable.

The film badly yearns for an R-rating since whatever gory scenes it contains lose effectiveness because of the restraint necessary to maintain a PG-13 rating. Plus, torture devices hold less weight in the film when the extent of their torture cannot be fully realized on the screen and are relegated to offscreen screams. Really, the most memorable horror scene in the film occurs when a babysitter gets chomped in half during a raid of the restaurant. The sheer brutality of the event transcends the limits placed by the PG-13 rating and shows the potential for bloody horror that is not generally present in this film.

Still, avid “Five Nights at Freddy’s” fans will rejoice when they experience the fan service present in the film. The popularity of the video game franchise soared when certain internet personalities created content surrounding the game, and the film treated the audience to cameos of some of the most well-known of these “Five Nights at Freddy’s” content creators. YouTubers MatPat and CoryxKenshin

have memorable cameos that feed the nostalgia of lifelong fans of the franchise. The 8-bit animated opening credit scene plays into this sense of nostalgia and provides an avenue for numerous Easter eggs and other references to make an appearance in the film.

Overall, “Five Nights at Freddy’s” provides a love letter to the fans of the titular video game franchise while providing a solid viewing experience to those less familiar with the series. With the box office success surrounding the movie as well as its growing cult status, a sequel seems inevitable. A sequel should maintain this dedication to creating a faithful adaptation while improving on aspects of the film that critics seem to loathe.

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THE FLAT HAT

Wednesday, November 15, 2023

Reach for the Stars Astronomy Club shares its passion for exploring a galaxy far, far away SADIE DOWNING // THE FLAT HAT

or Astronomy Picture of the Day, where Astro Club secretary Mia Bridges ’25 shares and discusses a photo of their choosing (this week, it was the Crab Nebula).

Beyond these tidbits, an astronomyrelated data science project is discussed with the members, giving them the opportunity to use their space interest for school credit.

Co-President Yera Park ’25 shared that she brings homemade hot chocolate to most Astro Club meetings. Park makes the cocoa using her own electric kettle, and most weeks the club offers cups for members who may have forgotten theirs. While

and went to the activities fair, and I saw we had an Astronomy Club, and I started coming to all the meetings and had a lot of fun.”

Bridges has also been a member of the club since the first semester of their freshman year when COVID-19 mandates pushed all extracurricular activities online. As a physics major, Bridges shared that while they may seem like the typical Astro Club member, the club is open to everyone, whether they are a STEM major or not. They explained that because the College does not have a major centered specifically

COURTESY PHOTO / MIA BRIDGES

the hot cocoa is poured, members chat among themselves, and the sound of laughter fills the room. The club’s energy is convivial, and members seem excited to see their Astro Club friends.

Many Astro Club members have been a part of the group since they were freshmen, including Nick DeSante ’26, who joined the club in fall 2022.

DeSante recounted his first Astronomy Club meeting, during which attendees played trivia.

“So I went to this meeting in Small Hall, and I just really had a lot of fun answering questions,” DeSante said. “Ever since then, I just kept coming to meetings, and I’ve really enjoyed it so far.”

Like DeSante, Abigail Swanberg ’25 has been coming to Astro Club meetings since the first semester of her freshman year.

“I’ve always been really interested in space,” Swanberg said. “So I came in freshman year

on astronomy, the club is especially important.

“Anybody can learn about space or work in space, in astronomy or in any capacity, no matter what major they are,” Bridges said.

Though Bridges wants to work in an astronomy-related field someday, they communicated that they appreciate Astro Club for more than just the space-related information.

“I really love getting to talk to people about space.

I really enjoy that,” Bridges said. “I can’t always make my roommates do it, but the people who come to hear people talk about space, they’ll appreciate it.”

Another thing Bridges noted they appreciate about Astro Club is the club-sanctioned stargazing.

The club used to have a dome on the roof that they used as an observatory, but DeSante clarified that it has been broken for a couple of years, and it has not yet been repaired. However, club

GRAPHIC BY CATHERINE STORKE / THE FLAT HAT

Though Small Hall might not be the most bustling hall on campus, the building comes alive with the weekly meeting of the Astronomy Club on Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. in Room 122. The Astronomy Club is a relatively small but dedicated group of students who meet and discuss their shared interest in outer space. Club members embraced stargazing and the discussion of astrophysics concepts with equal interest.

At a weekly meeting on Nov. 9, members of the club sat and intently listened to a presentation by former Astronomy Club president and selfproclaimed “former space overlord of Astro Club” Mikayla Huffman ’22. Huffman discussed their current physics research at the University of Colorado Boulder, where they are currently participating in the Astrophysical and Planetary Science Ph.D. program. To some members of the affectionately nicknamed “Astro Club,” who began the meeting discussing their current physics classes, Huffman provided insight into what their own futures in physics could look like.

Though talks like Huffman’s are welcomed by the members of the club, that is not typically how Astro Club spends its meetings. Astro Club usually starts its gatherings with announcements, during which each executive board member has a specific topic they present at each meeting. Some of the topics include Space News, in which social chair Erin McDonald ’25 gives an update on the latest in space; Constellation Corner, in which a different constellation is shared each week, along with its location and the mythology behind it; and APOD,

members still use telescopes when they go up to the roof to stargaze at least once a month, which often leads to fond memories, as Bridges recalled.

“One week they brought out the telescopes, and we were looking at the different planets and the moon and stuff like that, and they turned it to Jupiter, and we got an amazing view of Jupiter where we were seeing the white and red stripes on the planet,” Bridges said. “And that was so cool. I didn’t know that you could do that with such a little telescope.”

Other members of the club, like Swanberg, are similarly effusive when it comes to their favorite memories of Astro Club.

“Oh, I really like getting to go up on the roof,” Swanberg said. “Last year, for I think it was a lunar eclipse, we all went up like the morning of Election Day onto the roof and watched it together.”

For DeSante, the best part of Astro Club is the people.

“I think that just the people are really my favorite part,” he said. “We do lots of fun things just like catching up with space, going up and looking at the stars or just having hot cocoa nights, but just talking to people is really great.”

Bridges made it clear that they encourage everyone interested in space to give the club a try. They emphasized that this student organization is a great outlet for those with a passion for the celestial heavens.

“If you have an interest, then I think we’re here to help fuel that,” Bridges said. “I love space, space is awesome. I think a lot of people really like space, and I think it’s a really cool opportunity to actually get to do and learn some things that you might not in terms of space. I never got to use a telescope before, and now I’m looking at star clusters, and that’s so cool.”

BEAT OF THEIR OWN DRUM Student musicians gain exposure, experience through local performances JULIANA GOMIEN // THE FLAT HAT

Nestled within the historic streets of Williamsburg, Va., right by the College of William and Mary, a vibrant music scene is on the rise, with student musicians assuming the spotlight. The Meridian coffeehouse, located at 406 South Boundary St, plays a pivotal role in nurturing this musical resurgence.

Students, faced with the challenge of limited performance venues in the town, find this journey to be a defining aspect of their musical pursuits.

General manager for the Meridian coffeehouse and bassist in the student band Dietz and Dilemmas Abby Mendez ’24 says that the Meridian has been the gateway to the Williamsburg music scene for them and their fellow band members, especially because there are very few music venues in Williamsburg. Led by John Dietz ’24, Dietz and the Dilemmas is a pop-punk musical ensemble featuring Mendez on bass, Logan Wolf ’23 on guitar and Soph Aseno ’24 on drums, with frontman Dietz on lead vocals and rhythm guitar.

“I mean, this band would not exist without the Meridian just because it’s just such a great little spot,” Dietz said. “I think a lot of bands here rely on the Meridian for practice space and a performance space, and it really kind of fosters the music scene here.”

Dietz is also the station manager for the College’s student-run radio station, WCWM 90.9. He says that his involvement in radio allowed him to meet Mendez and form their band.

Dietz and Mendez are both involved in WCWM and regularly perform at the Meridian, and they also assist with in planning semesterly music festivals, or Fests as they’re colloquially known.

“There’s a strong connection between Radio and Meridian for sure. There’s a lot of overlap,” Dietz said. “But being

involved with Fest and helping to plan Fest has been one of the best experiences I’ve had at William and Mary, and it’s another great place to kind of showcase the music scene here.”

Student organizations like WCWM and venues like the Meridian have also allowed for fellow artists on campus to connect with each other.

S k y l e r Foley ’24, an indep endent s t u d e n t musician at the College, c r e d i t s Dietz with organizing several of the gigs they have been part of, including a summer tour with Dietz and the Dilemmas. Foley also says that their involvement in Meridian and radio allowed them to find a bassist, Mendez, for their performances and helped them to form meaningful relationships. Foley, whose priority it was to get involved with the local music scene, has worked to get involved despite limitations.

“It took me a little while to figure out where music was on campus because we’re not in a city. That was one thing I was worried about coming in here,” Foley said. “And the music program is pretty small, so I wasn’t sure that there would be a ton to do. But once I learned that it was mostly in radio and also in Meridian, that was where I wanted to get involved.”

Foley says that getting involved in the music scene at the Meridian should be a priority for any aspiring performer at the College. Serving on the executive

him on campus. However, he and fellow bandmates Alec Conley ’25 and JJ Aldridge ’25 feel as though performing at the Meridian has allowed them to bridge the gap between the two.

“A lot of people that are involved in music on campus aren’t actually completely musicoriented, right.

They have a main thing going on,” Serlin said. “But when we play the shows … it brings everyone together. It’s like a culmination.

It’s pretty nice.”

Aldridge, Mu g s h o t ’s bassist, says that performing with the band has allowed for COURTESY PHOTO / VAN MONDAY board for the Meridian and running a lot of personal growth and been WCWM’s social media accounts, a massive boost in self-esteem.

Foley currently works to ensure that “I think, at least for me, the reason the venue is accessible and open as I do shows, like the reason I find it so possible by organizing events like open fun and captivating and everything, mic nights where any student artist can it’s like personal growth. It builds sign up to perform a cover of a song. your confidence, you feel good, The Meridian’s outreach and you get to share art with people,” the exposure it can provide is Aldridge said. “It really just, it elevates much needed for student artists things. I don’t know, it makes you at the College, according to the more confident in everything else members of student band Mugshot. you do on campus, whether it’s “I’d say there’s a lot of people work or presentations or whatever.” that are looking to play but don’t One challenge Conley says know where to go,” Mugshot’s the band does face is the storage drummer Dylan Serlin ’26 said. and organization of their A physics and math major, Serlin says instruments, an issue which can that sometimes music and academics be compounded by where you live. can feel like two separate worlds for “Thankfully, me and JJ live on

campus now, so we have cars, and we can just drive our stuff to wherever it needs to be. But before, when you’re in the dorm, you’re moving an entire drum set from your dorm to Sadler, and then the amps, and then the guitars, and everything,” Conley said.

While the Meridian provides practice space for bands with a full drum set, Conley observed that an increase in the number of student bands over the past semester has led to a crowded practice schedule at the coffeehouse. Serlin expressed hope that the construction of the College’s new Music Building will provide additional space for bands to practice with their equipment.

Mugshot has ambitious prospects for their musical future, including branching out to perform off-campus in Williamsburg and hopefully playing a show with friends at the University of Virginia.

For their next major event, Mugshot, Skyler Foley and Dietz and the Dilemmas will all be performing Nov. at an event celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Muscarelle Museum of Art. Additionally, they all hope to have performances scheduled for next semester at the Meridian. For those looking to explore the College’s music scene, the coffeehouse hosts substance-free live music performances nearly every Friday at 406 South Boundary St. More information can be found on the Meridian’s website as well.

“Come to the Meridian and just keep coming to Meridian, and radio also, but especially the Meridian,” Foley said. “If you’re interested in performing specifically, you just talk to people, and you can get a gig there. It’s really easy to get a gig there, and you can get involved through that. Even though it seems kind of tight-knit at first, you can break in and it’s a really great place to meet people.”

sports

THE FLAT HAT | Wednesday, November 15, 2023 | Page 9

MENʼS BASKETBALL

Lockdown Tribe defense stifles American, wins 75-56

Well-rounded offensive production propels team to second win of season MOLLY PARKS FLAT HAT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Thursday, Nov. 9, William and Mary men’s basketball (2-1) defeated American (0-2), 75-56 at Kaplan Arena in Williamsburg, Va. “I’m really, really pleased with the effort tonight, especially on the defensive end,” head coach Dane Fischer said. “I thought our guys came in with terrific focus.”

The Tribe defense shined throughout the game, holding the Eagles to an 18.5% three-point percentage, compared to the Tribe’s own 35% conversion rate from behind the arc. The Tribe only let American step up to the free throw line 10 times, whereas William and Mary had 32 free throw attempts and converted 24 of them.

William and Mary sophomore guard Trey Moss started off the night with a layup 45 seconds into the game after American senior forward Matt Rogers turned the ball over in the paint.

RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT

Graduate student guard Sean Houpt is quickly becoming one of the Tribeʼs most reliable players after transferring from Florida Tech earlier this year.

Less than three minutes into the game, American took its first and only lead of the night when senior guard Lorenzo Donadio drained a three to put the Eagles up 3-2. The Tribe then returned with a powerful run.

Junior guard/forward Gabe Dorsey converted three free throws after a shooting foul from Eagles freshman forward Matt Mayock.

Soon after, junior forward Caleb Dorsey, who recently joined his brother for his first season with the Tribe, followed with a three-

point jump shot to put William and Mary up 8-3.

Sophomore guard/forward Jack Karasinski then kept the threepoint trend coming with a layup and-one, after drawing a foul from American sophomore center Jermaine Ballisager Webb.

Sophomore guard Chase Lowe then finished the Tribe’s early run with a layup to put the team ahead 13-3.

Moss, Karasinski and Lowe carried much of the Tribe’s offense in the first half, shooting four for five, three for five and two for two, respectively, in first half field goals. At the nine minute, 15 second mark, Moss lit up Kaplan Arena with an electric dunk to extend the Tribe’s lead to fifteen points, at 21-6.

After a fast break layup, junior guard Matteus Case gave the Tribe its biggest lead of the half at the six minute, six second mark with two free throws following a personal foul from American senior guard Lincoln Ball, which put the Eagles at 11 fouls in the half. The Tribe subsequently stood tall at 29-12.

In the last six minutes of the first half, American sank two layups, a three-pointer from sophomore guard Geoff Sprouse and five free throws to cut the Tribe’s lead to nine at 33-24.

However, a clutch dunk from Karasinski with 32 seconds left helped secure the Tribe’s momentum going into the second half with a 35-24 lead.

In the second half, an uptick in offensive intensity from American’s two big players, Ballisager Webb and Rogers, who stand at seven feet and six foot nine, respectively, led to a higherscoring half for the Eagles. However, a killer offensive half from Tribe new recruit Sean Houpt, a graduate student guard from Florida Tech, helped the Tribe hold its lead until the final buzzer.

After an early layup from Karasinski and three buckets from the Eagles, Houpt hit his first jumper of the night — a three pointer to push the score to 40-30. However, after a couple hits from American’s offense, even a layup from Moss could not stop American from cutting the Tribe’s lead to five.

This close dip in the score difference woke up the Tribe’s offense. Houpt kept his three point game strong, converting on four of six attempts. Dorsey also found success with his three ball, converting on two of four attempts.

When asked about what generated early success for him on offense, Houpt discussed the selfless team dynamic which has unlocked his strengths on the scoring side of the game.

“It feels great,” Houpt said. “I mean, the offense is designed where I feel like I fit in well and everyone does a good job. I feel like we have a really unselfish team, nobody cares who gets the shots, I guess it’s just someone different all the time. And it just

feels good to be a part of a group that plays so well together and when we’re clicking on offense, movement, setting screens for each other, we can be a special group.”

Following Houpt’s final three-pointer and a layup from Moss to put the Tribe up 61-41, a series of fouls on American led to the Tribe reaching its biggest lead of the night with a 25 point differential.

When Dorsey drew a shooting foul from Donadio behind the three point line, Ball then committed a flagrant foul on Case later in the possession. The two William and Mary players converted their five collective free throws, and were joined by sophomore forward Charlie Williams who sank one of his two free throws seconds later for the Tribe. The score was then 66-41.

The Tribe luckily pushed through American’s scoring streak in the last eight minutes of the half. Two threes, four two-point field goals and a free throw was not enough from the Eagles to catch up to the Tribe. Five free throws and two layups, from Case and Williams, held the Tribe steadfast to the finish as William and Mary pulled out its second home win 75-56.

“First half, Sean and Gabe each had one shot. We got a boatload more looks in the second half and a lot of that was just us running better offense and giving them an opportunity to do what they do really well. So, very pleased with how we played and happy to get the win tonight,” Fischer said.

Next, the Tribe will face off against Omaha in the first round of the Air Force Classic on Thursday, Nov. 16 at the Clune Arena in Air Force Academy, Co.

RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT

Sophomore guard Trey Moss is making a strong impression early in his William and Mary career, averaging 12.3 points per game in three consecutive starts.

WOMENʼS BASKETBALL

Green and Gold falls to George Mason, starts season 0-3

Young, Nascimento shine offensively in final game of home stretch JAKE FORBES FLAT HAT MANAGING EDITOR

Sunday, Nov. 12, William and Mary women’s basketball (0-3) fell to George Mason (3-0) 77-72 at Kaplan Arena in Williamsburg, Va. “I’m not panicked,” said head coach Erin Dickerson Davis. “I’m not worried. I am super proud of my kids. We are fighting. These are very, very tough opponents.”

This matchup marked the conclusion of the Tribe’s three-game homestand to start the season.

After a narrow defeat against Norfolk State Monday, Nov. 6, William and Mary struggled against Virginia Commonwealth Friday, Nov. 10. The Tribe dropped that contest 70-54, with graduate student forward Nylah Young recording 26 points in her second start with the team. Junior guard Bella Nascimento recorded 11 points, but no other player scored more than five points on the day.

Hoping to turn things around, William and Mary welcomed Gerge Mason to the newly renovated Kaplan Arena for a Sunday afternoon matchup.

George Mason held a slight edge throughout much of the first quarter, but never extended its lead to more than four points. Nascimento scored eight of the Tribe’s first 12 points of the game. She started the William and Mary offense with a fastbreak layup, then drained a threepointer halfway through the quarter to tie the game at eight apiece.

RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT

Graduate student forward Nylah Young has been an offensive weapon this season, averaging 26.0 points over three games.

Young led the Tribe offense early in the second quarter, converting on a jump shot to pull within one of George Mason. Two minutes later, freshman guard Cassidy Geddes nailed a shot from deep to put the Tribe in front 22-20 with seven minutes, 42 seconds remaining in the first half. Young grew the Tribe lead to six points with two more free throws and another jump shot.

In the latter half of the second quarter, the George Mason defense clamped down. Senior guard Taylor Jameson scored on consecutive drives for the Patriots before senior guard Sonia Smith converted on a layup to even up the score. Relying on its defense to produce turnovers, George Mason gave itself a plethora of scoring opportunities on the other end of the floor.

A three-pointer from freshman guard Kennedy Harris propelled George Mason to a six point lead heading into halftime. The visitors ended the quarter on an 8-0 run, holding William and Mary scoreless in the final three minutes, 19 seconds.

Through 20 minutes, Nascimento and Young finished with 12 and 10 points, respectively, combining for over 73% of the team’s points.

George Mason relied heavily on its bench, with only eight first half points coming from its starting five. The visitors shot an impressive 48.4% from the field in the half.

Coming out of the locker room, William and Mary was visibly frustrated. Both teams were physical up and down the court, preventing any scoring in the first minute and a half of the third quarter.

“I think we just wanted to come out prepared, fight, and play hard,” said Nascimento. “No matter what the score was, we just put our heads down and kept attacking.”

Then, sophomore forward Kayla Rolph sent an inside pass to Young, scoring the first points of the second half. After missing a jumper on the subsequent drive, Young made a contested layup on the following possession to pull her team closer to George Mason.

Later in the quarter, Rolph continued her role as facilitator, finding Geddes inside for a layup to tie the game at 38 apiece.

Halfway into the quarter, Nascimento dribbled up the court, but committed an offensive foul, sparking an eruption of cheers from the visitor section. George Mason head coach Vanessa BlairLewis yelled at the referees, claiming the penalty should have been more severe. This marked Nascimento’s third foul of the game.

Down two points, junior forward Anahi-Lee

RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT

Despite a slow start to the season, head coach Dickerson Davis is still optimistic for the teamʼs future and is proud of the teamʼs effort through the first three games. The Tribe will travel to Charlottesville to take on the University of Virginia on Nov. 15.

Cauley drove into the paint hoping to tie up the game. In addition to converting the contested layup, she drew a foul and made the and-one to put the Tribe ahead 41-40. However, the William and Mary lead was short-lived, with Jameson swishing a three-pointer to retake the lead.

The final minute of the third quarter was a flurry of Tribe offense, beginning with a three-pointer from Nascimento. Then, following a defensive rebound by Young, Nascimento dribbled up the court on the fastbreak. She found Geddes by the basket, who made the layup. On the next Tribe drive, Young created another and-one opportunity to end scoring in the quarter. With 10 minutes remaining, the Tribe were down just 54-53.

After recording a steal on the Patriots’ opening possession of the final quarter, Young drove down court, but committed an offensive foul in the paint. This marked her fourth foul of the contest, prompting Dickerson Davis to pull her from the game.

“She only got a chance to practice for like two weeks before our first game. You know, she is not in condition. She’s playing a lot of minutes. I mean, 26 minutes when you haven’t really practiced. And our team has been doing a lot of running, a lot of practicing since then. You know, I think that with time and as she goes into the game condition, I think that those fouls will be better. A lot of them are just tired fouls, I believe,” said Dickerson Davis.

Despite Young’s absence, the Tribe remained locked-in on offense early in the quarter, with sophomore guard Alexa Mikeska hitting a threepointer from the left wing to tie up the game.

Throughout the middle portion of the quarter, Harris drained two three-pointers to help the Patriots retake the lead. Several minutes later, Smith grew that lead with a deep ball of her own, propelling George Mason to a nine point lead with under four minutes remaining.

Entering crunch time, Dickerson Davis brought Young back into the game. Her presence made an immediate impact as she continued the Tribe scoring with another layup. On the next possession, Young missed a pair of layups, but thanks to Cauley’s aggressive play on the offensive glass, the Tribe stayed on offense. Nascimento converted on a three-pointer to make the contest just a one possession game with less than two minutes remaining.

George Mason regrew its lead back up to six points, but Mikeska drew a foul to get to the line. She made the first shot but missed the second. On the rebound, senior center Kayla Beckwith pulled down the ball then kicked it out to Geddes who drained the deep ball, making the score 74-72 in favor of the Patriots.

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