The Flat Hat October 25 2023

T HE F LAT H AT

Vol. 113, Iss. 11 | Wednesday, October 25, 2023

The Weekly Student Newspaper

of The College of William and Mary

flathatnews.com | @theflathat

LIFE BEYOND THE STAGE ALFRED HERCZEG / WILLIAM AND MARY NEWS

College President Katherine Rowe hosts conversation with renowned actress, alumna Glenn Close, discusses growth of performing arts on campus

EMMA HENRY AND SOPHIA KAISERMANN // THE FLAT HAT Content Warning: This article contains mentions of suicide and self-harm.

Saturday, Oct. 21, the College of William and Mary hosted a Presidential Conversation between College President Katherine Rowe and Glenn Close ’74 as part of the College’s Homecoming and Reunion Weekend festivities. Close is an eight-time Oscar nominee and a winner of three Golden Globe awards, three Emmy awards and three Tony awards. The conversation took place in Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall’s newly inaugurated Glenn Close Theatre.

Rowe introduced Close, highlighting her many accolades and honors. In addition to her bachelor's degree in theater and anthropology, Close received an honorary degree from the College in 1989 and an honorary fellowship in 2019. She is the third person in the College’s history to be honored with the fellowship, which only universities with a Royal Charter can award.

After a standing ovation from audience members, Close sat down with her dog, Sir Pippin of Beanfield. Rowe began their conversation by discussing Close’s time at the College and the 2023 Year of the Arts.

Along with serving as the Grand Marshal in the Homecoming Parade, Close also taught an acting masterclass and visited the McLeod Tyler Wellness Center during her visit.

“I spent some wonderful time at the Wellness Center, which I was deeply impressed by, and spent an hour or more with their Wellness Ambassadors,” Close said. “It was really great. It was very moving.”

Close then discussed her work as the founder of Bring Change to Mind, an organization that battles the stigma surrounding mental illness. BC2M was founded in 2009 and was motivated by Close’s family history with mental illness. BC2M now supports over 500 high school clubs focused on mental health advocacy across the nation.

Rowe also mentioned that while the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the mental wellness of people worldwide, she believes the

stigma behind mental illness has decreased substantially due to an increased culture of support.

“The story of mental health on campus is the story of great success nationally,” Rowe said. “That really gives me hope for society, those efforts among young people, young adults. We see it here with our Wellness Ambassadors; they have the most authority with their peers and they use it.”

After discussion about BC2M, Rowe transitioned to the College’s Year of the Arts and the transformative power that the College had on Close’s career. Close highlighted the influence of former College professor Howard Scammon, who passed away in 1999.

“There is nothing more beguiling and affirming than a student that takes the work seriously,” Close said. “We chose each other, I think.”

Scammon understood how serious Close was about becoming an actress and guided her through the rest of her college career.

When she scored her first role on Broadway just five months after graduating, Scammon attended Close’s performance. He continued to attend her performances in various roles and even offered her notes after each one.

Rowe mentioned that Close’s majors in both anthropology and theater showcased the value of the College’s ampersand, which highlights the dynamic nature of the College’s students. Close believes that her background in anthropology helped her delve deeper into her characters.

“Theater is language, and I learned about the beginning of language.

Theater is about behavior, and you learn about primitive societies, you learn the evolution of behavior, and of community. Theater is community.

You learn about how humans have dealt with each other and with other communities,” Close said.

Close mentioned the importance of a liberal arts education in

cultivating humanity.

“I think a part of a great liberal arts education is to learn how to express yourself as an individual,” Close said. “The arts is where you explore the human condition, and I think the more you can do that, the more you will have empathy for what it means to be human.”

When discussing Close’s involvement in the College’s theater department, Rowe asked about her first production, Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” in which Close played the role of Olivia. She reminisced on the joy of being in that production.

“I do remember the thrill of finally doing what I wanted to do,” Close said.

She also reflected on playing Hecuba in “The Trojan Women” by Euripides. Close shared that the monologue she delivered in the play has stayed with her in the way that it is still relevant today.

“She has that amazing speech over the body of her dead grandson who has been killed in war and is brought back on the shield of his father,” Close said. “I mean, think of what's going on in the world now and read that speech. It goes to the essence of the cruelty and the insanity of war.”

Close further discussed her approach to characters.

“I feel you can't do justice to a character if you judge them because that will separate you from them,” Close said. “You have to ultimately love them. And the way to love them is to find where your common humanity is.”

The next step in her process is working with the director to express the character’s stories. Close talked about disagreements with directors and how an actor must be unselfish to play a character truthfully.

“Your job is to be fiercely subjective about your character,” Close said. “It's about what is right for that character, for that moment, for that piece. You have to suspend your ego, really.”

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CAMPUS

Black Faculty and Staff Forum creates Transition Team to revitalize group with new guiding themes

Forum Transition Team members share collective values of community, emphasize importance of inclusive excellence at the College MOLLY PARKS FLAT HAT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

In 1987, a group of employees at the College of William and Mary first met as the Black Faculty and Staff Forum to discuss the interests of the Black community on campus. In 1991, the Forum was organized officially, adopting its bylaws and electing officers in the following year. Now, over 30 years since its first meeting and after a lull of membership in the past decade, the Black Faculty and Staff Forum has created a Transition Team to revitalize this community affinity group.

Supported by the College’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the Black Faculty and Staff Forum is one of three college affinity groups along with the Women’s Network and EqualityW&M. Currently, the Forum does not have any officially elected members. The members of the Forum’s Transition Team have volunteered to revitalize the organization.

Assistant Dean for Student Affairs at William and Mary Law School Arielle Newby M.A. Ed ’21 is a member of the Forum’s Transition Team.

“Originally, the organization was started in thinking about Black faculty and staff and how they could support each other on campus and recognizing issues that were across the board with relation to how they were on campus, whether it be socioeconomic, whether it be thinking about promotions,” Newby said.

College Financial System Specialist Ghana Smith MBA ’21 is also a member of the Transition

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Team. Smith noted how important it was for members of the team to build off the history of the pre-existing Forum.

“We just didn't have community, in terms of a place where people could come to and just conversate and enjoy each other's company, like I said, building that community,” Smith said. “So it was important to me and to know that the forum already exists. It just needed to be revitalized.”

According to Newby, the Transition Team currently includes Newby; Smith; Associate Athletics Director for Academic Services Jason Simms; Chief of Staff in the Office of the President Carlane Pittman; National Endowment for the Humanities Professor of anthropology, Africana Studies and American Studies Michael Blakey; Alumni Engagement Coordinator for the Mason School of Business Alisa Whitehead; Oral Historian for the College’s libraries Andre Taylor; Senior Assistant Director in the Financial Aid Office Ginia Anderson; Travel Programs Manager in Financial Operations LaDonna Brown and Joy Jackson of the Office of Community Engagement. Newby spoke to the origins of the Transition Team.

“When we got involved, it was after the pandemic had sort of shifted with college operations,” Newby said. “Both Ghana and I were also formerly on the staff assembly where we moved some mountains for the staff assembly. We've always felt that there was this need to have this engagement that is not just holistically for staff, but thinking about the groups within staff.”

She elaborated on the initial conversations that

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Fifth-year defender Audrey Domovich leads Tribe offense

Field hockey relies on Domovich's leadership as team enters postseason page 4

motivated herself and Smith to get the ball rolling with the Transition Team.

“She and I would actually talk quite often, with a few others who are no longer here, about this piece of ‘where is our engagement as Black people and how do we connect with each other?’” Newby said.

“I think for some of us, like Ghana and I, we were able to organically connect, but we know that's not happening across the board.”

Smith noted that the first Zoom meeting the Transition Team held with potential Forum members in Nov. 2021 consisted of over 40 people.

During these initial Zoom meetings, the Transition Team created its guiding themes.

“As the transition team, first, we had to ask the important question: Is there a need for this? Or is this just something that is a dream that we think is needed and wanted? But when people showed up at that first meeting, it was a confirmation that somehow, some way, we have to figure this out because so many people were just excited,” Smith said.

According to the Forum’s website, the guiding themes of the Transition Team are advocacy and awareness, connection and networking, personal and professional development, recruitment and retention and speakers and events.

Smith noted that because of the age of the Forum, the transition team is crucial to bring the goals and themes of the organization up to date.

“We are trying to figure our way in terms of ‘What does this look like in 2023?’” Smith said.

“Because the model of 1987 might not exactly work

in 2023. So what does that look like?”

The College’s Special Collections Research Center at the Earl Gregg Swem Library has several records from the early years of the Forum, including the original bylaws, committee information, event flyers and meeting minutes. According to the collection, the Forum held several annual events, such as a Black history trivia contest, a holiday gala, a spring fling and many guest speaker events.

Newby noted that much of the original Forum’s mission was based primarily on service.

“The purposes of the Forum shall be to: 1) promote the recruitment and retention, promotion and tenure, and professional development and career advancement of Black faculty, administrators, and staff at the College; 2) to address issues of concerns to the Black community; including campus climate; 3) to provide support for recruitment and retention of Black students; 4) to expand and strengthen the relationship and involvement of Black faculty and staff of the College with the wider College community, including the Hulon Willis Alumni Association; and 5) to foster a greater sense of community and mutual support among the Black faculty and staff of the College through mentoring and networking,” the Forum’s original 1992 bylaws read.

Smith spoke to how the revitalized Forum can fit within the inclusive excellence framework of the College in the present day, as the College considers strategic planning initiatives such as Vision 2026.

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Inside Opinions

Inside Variety

Elizabeth Brady '25 gives her view on what Halloween costumes really mean as the importance of self expression. page 6

Korean American Student Association hosts event for students celebrating the value of shared culture, food, history page 8

Look crazy, go crazy: let loose on Halloween

Convene with cuisine

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THE BUZZ

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

THE FLAT HAT | Wednesday, October 25, 2023 | Page 2

If we can get to a point where Black faculty and staff are at a point of belonging and feel good about what they do and the community that they join, and having even an internal community that further perpetuates that, then it is going to impact the flourishing and belonging of our students.

̶ Assistant Dean for Student Affairs at William and Mary Law School Arielle Newby

FLAT HAT NEWS BRIEF AidData receives grant from Hewlett Foundation, supporting work with foreign aid to Global South The College of William and Maryʼs AidData research lab received a $1.5 million grant from the William and Flora Hewlett foundation to assist with its objectives in addressing the needs and focuses of the lab through data and analysis. This grant continues an existing partnership between the Hewlett Foundation and AidData.

“The latest grant continues a 15-year partnership between the Hewlett Foundation and AidData, which operates under William & Maryʼs Global Research Institute, a multidisciplinary hub comprising over 60 faculty and staff and more than 200 students,” Tina Eshleman wrote in W&M magazine on Oct. 16, 2023.

Research professor at the Collegeʼs Global Research Institute and executive director of AidData Brad Parks recently announced a new organizational strategy for the lab in 2023-2026. Parks described the importance of AidDataʼs faculty, staff and students in assisting policy-makers with the designing, implementation and evaluation of policies and financial investments through research and evidence.

Parks wrote in the blog post that the lab intends to ramp up its efforts supporting public policy research organizations and government agencies in the Global South.

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

A THOUSAND WORDS

MAYER TAWFIK / THE FLAT HAT

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

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COURTESY PHOTO / PAUL HUNTLEY, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Close pictured in the 1994 original Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Webberʼs “Sunset Boulevard.” Close won her third Oscar for the role of Norma Desmond.

Getting close with Glenn Close

Close emphasizes cultivating curiousity, power of mentorship, battling mental health stigma

EMMA HENRY AND ABIGAIL CONNELLY // FLAT HAT NEWS EDITORS CONTENT WARNING: This article contains references to suicide and self-harm.

As the College of William and Mary celebrated its 2023 Homecoming and Reunion Weekend, acclaimed actress Glenn Close ’74 paid a visit back to her alma mater. Close participated in a plethora of campus festivities, including serving as the Grand Marshal in the Homecoming Parade, attending the Arts Quarter Dedication and participating in a Presidential Conversation with College President Katherine Rowe. The Flat Hat sat down for an exclusive interview with Close following her participation in these Homecoming events.

Originally from Greenwich, Conn., Close was admitted to the College in 1970 when she was 22 years old. She had spent the previous 15 years as part of an international spirituality movement called the Moral ReArmament movement which her parents joined when Close was seven.

It was this movement, which Close described as a cult, which originally drew her to the College when they performed in Williamsburg, Va. during the Vietnam War. She described the shocked faces of College students when her group began its performances at the College’s student union.

“I didn’t really have the tools at the time to get out, but when I saw that, I knew the kind of bullshit that I was a part of at the time, I thought ‘I want to come here,’” Close said. “It wasn’t just taking something at face value, and because I was so unhappy, and wanting to leave myself but not knowing how, I thought, ‘When I do, this is where I want to go.’”

Close mentioned how tough the transition was from her time in the MRA to a liberal arts institution, but ultimately reflected on how transformative the College was to her life. Close mentioned that walking into Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall and joining the theater department was her salvation from a life that had previously denied her individuality.

“It was like my life began — I made the conscious decision not to trust my instincts, because I thought they’d been all dictated,” Close said. “I think that for anybody who’s gone through that as profound and as long, a kind of brainwashing, if you want to call, you don’t really unlearn it, but you can learn what the triggers are, and you can learn to either know there’s certain environments that are not good for you, there are certain people that are not good for you.”

As Close discussed cultivating her sense of identity at the College, she also mentioned the impact of technology and its potential to stifle curiosity.

“Any great liberal arts education puts a big value on curiosity,” Close said. “You go down the Instagram hole and all of a sudden two hours have gone by. That’s substituting curiosity, that’s responding to what people are feeding you. It’s very fun to watch, but it’s a waste of time because it’s not giving anything back to you.”

Close attributes lasting inspiration for her career to the College’s former professor of theater Howard Scammon ’34. The pair remained close friends until Scammon passed away in 1999.

“I think he really sensed how serious I was about becoming an actor,” Close said. “He made sure that it wasn’t just about being a star.

You know, it was about being a supporting player. It was about being a

stage manager. It was about painting sets, it was about learning about costumes, it was about the whole thing.”

After her graduation in May of 1974, Close’s role as Angelica in the November 1974 production of “Love for Love” took place at the Helen Hayes Theatre in New York. Before going through the stage door on opening night, Close recalls seeing Scammon across the street.

“When my first job was a Congreve play on Broadway, I was going into the stage door one night, and I saw this figure across the street.

And I said, ‘Is that Dr. Scammon?’ So, I went across the street and asked Dr. Scammon, ‘What are you doing here?’ And he said, ‘I just want to watch you go through the stage door.’”

Scammon attended most of Close’s theater performances and offered her notes and commentary, just as he did when she was his student.

“He would come as long as he was able and see my work, and then write me a letter, would have all these letters, and give me really good notes. I mean, really good notes. And so, he was still helping me form as an artist and there’s no words that can express my indebtedness to him.

And he was sycophantic. You know, he was authentic,” Close said.

Close also described two-time Academy Award winning costume designer Ann Roth as a mentor and inspirational figure throughout her career. Roth designed costumes for Close’s roles in the films “The World According to Garp” and “Jagged Edge.” Roth received her latest Oscar in 2021 for Viola Davis’ costumes in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”

“That collaboration and the feedback I had with Ann made me feel that the costume designer is as important as the director, because the costume designers are trying to figure out character as much as you are,” Close said. “She had a great ability to find details, but she expressed herself in shapes and fabrics.”

Close mentioned actress Mariska Hargitay as a close friend and confidante, as well as a group of friends she keeps in touch with from her time at Rosemary Hall, a private school in Connecticut. Close also considers her daughter, Annie Starke, as a source of wisdom.

“My daughter is a wise person, she’s very different from me,” Close said. “I call her an old soul, and I’m a new soul. I still feel incredibly unfinished. But she’s got a good head on her shoulders.”

Throughout Close’s career, she has represented a diverse array of characters both in film and on stage. When reflecting on each character’s unique persona, Close finds that certain parts of the roles have remained with her for many years.

“I think in some ways, they all have, because each of them has informed me in different ways,” Close said. “I think once you go through that journey of trying to understand what is basically another human being, which is presumptuous, because that’s very hard, then there are aspects of them that stay with you. So I think what I’m doing today is literally a sum of all the different characters I’ve played up until now.”

Close said that one of her favorite characters to play was Cruella de Vil in the 1996 live-action film adaptation of “101 Dalmatians.”

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Alumna Kimberly Cossey discusses Finnish-Russian history Russian and Post-Soviet Studies department hosts event, students emphasize importance of language programs MOLLY MARTIN THE FLAT HAT

Friday, Oct. 20, the Department of Russian and Post-Soviet Studies at the College of William and Mary hosted guest alumna Kimberley Cossley ’04 to discuss her work studying FinnishRussian history and international education.

Since graduating from the College in 2004, Cossley has worked in various positions across the field of international education, including as an Immigration Advisor at Virginia Tech and as a graduate assistant at the Center for Global Education at Old Dominion University.

Currently, Cossley is a Ph.D. candidate at ODU, researching virtual study abroad at community colleges during the COVID-19 pandemic and analyzing interactions between local and state governments during the pandemic.

Cossley began her talk by introducing the concept of international education, which she emphasized is more than just study abroad programs. International education encompasses the field of international enrollment management, which includes professionals, like Cossley, who advise and assist international students to gain the proper credentials, visas and immigration status to study and work in the United States.

While working to earn her Ph.D., Cossley shared that she had the opportunity to visit Finland, where she explored the Lenin Museum in the city of Tampere. The museum is dedicated to the life and work of Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin, but also explores the connection between Russia and Finland.

After the Russian Empire occupied Finland, the Russian Empire initially allowed Finland

to keep many of the Finnish systems in place, like its Parliament, and maintain Finnish as the primary language in schools.

However, from 1899 to 1900, Cossley said, the process of “Russification” began, in which the Russian government dismantled the Parliament and introduced “the Language Manifesto of 1900”, which stated that Russian would be made the primary language of administration and education in the country.

“I wanted to share not just the Finnish story of student unions, but also talk about different paths through international education. Learning a language doesn’t mean you have to be a translator for your entire life. You know, you have so many things you can do,” Cossley said.

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THE FLAT HAT

Wednesday, October 25, 2023

Page 3

BOARD OF VISITORS

Legal hiccups stall Sen. Normentʼs BOV appointment

State law prevents start of state senatorʼs BOV term before his Senate term is complete

PEERAWUT RUANGSAWASDI CHIEF STAFF WRITER

Wednesday, June 28, Va. Gov. Glenn Youngkin HON ’22 announced his intention to appoint Republican State Senate Minority Leader Sen. Thomas Norment J.D. ’73, R-3, to the College of William and Mary’s board of visitors.

“Senator Norment is just an extraordinary public servant, leader, loves Virginia, loves William and Mary,” Youngkin said in an interview with The Flat Hat on July 4, three days after the proposed start of Norment’s term.

“We’ve got a little bit of work left to do in the Senate before he can take up his seat, and so hopefully we can pull out a way to get the budget done and then he can go serve. It’s a great school, and he was very excited about having an opportunity to continue his service there.”

His appointment was welcomed by College President Katherine Rowe.

“We also welcome warmly Mr. Malveaux and Sen. Norment to the board as, together, we look to bring the university closer to its strategic goals,” Rowe said of Norment, who received the Prentis Award from the College in 2007, in a W&M News press release.

The award recognizes individuals in the Williamsburg community for their strong civic involvement and support of the College. That same year he also received the Jo Lynne DeMary award from the College’s School of Education.

“Both are alumni and longtime supporters of their alma mater,” Rowe added. “They will bring invaluable insight to our work ahead.”

However, Norment, a former law and undergraduate professor at the College, is unable to take office until he leaves the Virginia State Senate due to Virginia law.

“Members of the General Assembly shall be ineligible to serve on boards, commissions, and councils within the executive branch of state government who are responsible for administering programs established by the General Assembly,” the Code of Virginia reads.

Norment’s term will expire on Jan. 8, 2024, following state elections on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2023. It is unclear whether Norment will resign before then to take up his board seat.

Board member James A. Hixon J.D. ‘79, M.L.T. ‘80, P ‘08, ‘11, who Norment was slated to replace, was scheduled to retire from the board this year. While Norment is still barred from serving, Hixon must continue in the role until his successor is eligible.

“We are looking forward to Senator Norment’s joining the Board of Visitors, but he will not be able to do so until he leaves in present office as a member of the Senate of Virginia,” College Rector Charles

E. Poston J.D. ’74 P ‘02, ‘06 wrote to The Flat Hat ahead of the board’s summer retreat in July. “Senator Norment will replace Mr. Hixon whose second term has expired, but university counsel has advised that Mr. Hixon’s membership on the board of visitors will continue until Senator Norment assumes the position.”

Poston invited Norment to the board’s summer meeting and Norment also joined the board for its September meeting. However, since he has not officially taken up his seat, Norment has been unable to vote or participate in closed session meetings.

JULIANA GOMIEN / THE FLAT HAT

Sen. Thomas Norment J.D. ʼ73 (right) speaks with Rector Charles E. Poston J.D. ʻ74, P ʻ02.

During the board’s September meeting, Norment declined to comment on his appointment, noting that it would be premature. However, he emphasized that he desires to serve the College in a non-partisan role.

Norment has been participating in board discussions and has received his unofficial board committee assignments. In June, he told The VirginianPilot that he sees tuition and fees as a constraint for incoming students and hopes to address the issue.

“Mr. Norment will begin his service as a member of the Committee on the Student Experience when he assumes his appointment to the board of visitors upon the completion of his State Senate term,” the College’s website states. He will also serve on the Richard Bland College and the Financial Affairs committees.

The 77-year-old legislator, who is not seeking reelection this year, has not been a stranger to the board. After former board

member Laura Flippin ’92 was arrested and found guilty of public intoxication in 2012, Norment was chosen to represent her in court. Flippin later resigned her seat.

During this same period of time, Norment was also serving on the Senate Finance Committee, which had influence over the state budget.

However, in an opinion written by former Va. Attorney General Bob McDonnell, he cautioned Norment against voting on legislation involving the College that affected his personal interest, but that the employment did not constitute an impermissible conflict of interest.

According to The Virginian-Pilot, former Va. Attorney General Bill Mims called Norment an honorable public servant and said the 2008 opinion includes some overly rigid language.

“If he sponsors budget amendments for an undergraduate science center, that has no connection to his ‘personal interest,’” Mims said.

According to The Virginian-Pilot, while Norment’s appointment drew scrutiny from some, his Democratic counterpart had no problem with the issue.

“Quite frankly, I don’t see a problem there,” then-Majority Leader State Sen. Dick Saslaw said. “He’s a hell of a spokesman for them and they’re lucky to get him.”

This year, Norment proposed an amendment that gave an additional $6,200,000 in funding to the College for historic campus renovations. However, this practice is not exclusive to Norment, as State Sen. Monty Mason ’89, D-1, has also requested funding for the College in the past.

Norment served as a legal advisor to former College President W. Taylor Reveley III, in a role that was scrutinized by some in the College community, including former board member Paul Jost ’76 J.D. ’88.

“It’s bad,” Jost told The Virginia Informer, a former student-run newspaper at the College in 2009. “There are all kinds of things that are bad about it.”

Jost, a Republican, ran against Norment in 2003 for the State Senate but lost the primary. During a meeting with reporters from The Daily Press, he called Ken Stolle, one of Norment’s allies in the state Senate, a “Nazi.” He later said he was referring to Stolle’s style, which he found overbearing.

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CAMPUS

Shawna Alston presents project funded by Concord Scholarship

$3,000 creative writing scholarship allows student to explore American South, family through writing SKYLAR HARTGERINK THE FLAT HAT

Thursday, Oct. 19, College of William and Mary student Shawna Alston ’25 presented her writing project “Gone Away Somewhere (Be Back Soon)” in the Tucker Hall Theater. Alston’s project was funded by the College English department’s Concord Traveling Scholarship for Creative Writers, which provided $3,000 for her to travel and write about her experiences. The Concord Scholarship is named after a quote from “Walden” by Henry David Thoreau.

“I have traveled a good deal in Concord; and everywhere, in shops, offices, and fields,” Thoreau wrote.

Alston spent the summer of 2023 traveling from Virginia to Tennessee to talk to her extended family members about their experiences living in the South as Black Americans. Inspired by their words and her own observations, Alston crafted both poetry and prose to convey her experience, as well as several pictures of the people and places she had seen.

Alston’s presentation was in part inspired by the work of previous Concord Scholarship winners, who often used the money to travel abroad and trace back to their roots, something that felt more difficult for her to do.

“They kind of reconnected with a country that meant a lot to them and their identity, and I realized as a Black American and an American descendant of the enslaved, it’s hard for me to kind of trace my own heritage back any farther than Jamestown,” Alston said. “So I was like, ‘Where could I go that means a lot to my work and means a lot to my identity and my personhood?’ And that was the South.”

Alston’s trip ended up being far more than a

way for her to create a written work — it was also a family reunion. Alston admits that one of her biggest struggles during this process was finding the time to write while being constantly surrounded by family, but that she was grateful for all of the inspiration that her trip afforded her. It also allowed Alston to reconnect with her past and learn the true meaning of home.

“What I wanted you guys to know about me is that not

only is my home, yes, in the Black American South, but is also in all the people who have supported me, and my home is in myself,” Alston said. “So I think the biggest takeaway of my presentation is that you can be at home anywhere.”

Several students, including Ashlynn Prentice ’26, attended the event, excited to celebrate the hard work of their peer and impressed by her powerful writing style.

“Sometimes when you think about modern poetry,

SAMUEL LI / THE FLAT HAT

Alston ʻ25 spent her summer traveling from Virginia to Tennessee talking to extended family members using creative writing funds.

it’s really surface level, even when it’s about deep topics and it’s about personal experience and relationships and everything,” Prentice said. “I didn’t feel that way at all about hers, especially on the opening poem. I thought that was amazing.”

Students were not only impressed with Alston’s writing skills, but also her hard work and dedication towards achieving her dreams. During the presentation, the audience saw the cover of the book of poetry that Alston hopes to get published soon. Angel Bradley ’27 discussed how inspiring this achievement was.

“I also want to do that,” Bradley said. “So the fact is, she’s still only in college, and she already has basically a published work, which I think is really cool.”

Bradley also shared how this event perfectly showcases the culture at the College.

“I think it really ties into the culture of hard work, because you can feel she put a lot of effort into the poetry, and I think this type of thing would take repeated effort and trial and error,” Bradley said. “So it really speaks to William and Mary’s value of hard work that will lead to achievement and success.”

The number of students who came to listen to Alston’s presentation also showcases the supportive learning environment that the College boasts. Several students emphasized how common it is to find events relating to every passion on campus.

“I think it’s pretty easy to find events like this going on, which I really appreciate,” Prentice said.

“Professors, especially in the English department, for presentations that involve English, obviously they will tell all their classes about it, and I really appreciate that because I do enjoy going and hearing people talk about what they’re passionate about.”

POLITICS

John Quincy Adams Society hosts Doug Bandow to discuss US-China relations Cato Institute fellow discusses opposing leadersʼ approaches to international relations, wargame scenarios

MONA GARIMELLA THE FLAT HAT

Monday, Oct. 16, the College of William and Mary’s John Quincy Adams Society hosted Doug Bandow in Ewell Hall for a moderated question and answer session on the United States’ political and economic relations with China.

Bandow is a political writer and senior fellow at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank advocating for limited government involvement in foreign affairs.

The event was moderated by JQAS President Justin Eng ’24.

“JQAS has a mission to educate people about the basics of international relations and explain the large overarching issues, and at the moment, one of the most important ones is US-China economic ties,” Eng said.

Eng’s first question to Bandow was about the United States’ approach to China, which he claimed is often characterized

by precluding security deals and economic deals. Eng wondered how the United States’ interactions with China should be characterized.

Bandow described the partisan view of China domestically and how that affects international approaches towards the country.

“Democrats tried to prove that Republicans were wrong with [Former president Donald] Trump’s approach to international policy,” Bandow said. “Trump tried to kiss up to [President] Xi Jingping and build relations.”

Bandow then discussed President Biden’s approach to China-U.S. relations and mentioned the continuing tensions between China and Taiwan regarding Taiwan’s sovereignty.

“While Biden’s presidency tried to build on that, there has been a politicization of that issue with the tensions in the South China Sea,” Bandow said.

Bandow was then asked about the future of public consensus on China.

“Xi Jinping has transformed China politically,” Bandow said. “He’s reinstated party control and personal control in almost every area. And that I think is a scary thing that I’m interested in seeing play out.”

Bandow also discussed China’s economic state.

“A common problem in China is that you pay companies to build a home for you, and they don’t end up building it despite you paying them,” Bandow said.

According to Bandow, this situation leads to a housing crisis with an already existing overcrowding issue in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai. For Bandow, with great emphasis on political usurpation and censorship, it seems China’s economy has taken a hit.

One audience member asked Bandow about how China operates with other Asian countries such as Korea and Japan and

inquired about whether differing political beliefs play an important role.

“Currently, political factors play more of a role,” Bandow said. “South Korea is in an odd position to be reliant on the United States for defense from North Korea, yet they have strong economic ties with China that helps preserve the North Korean regime. Public opinion on China in South Korea has dropped below Japan — that’s not a good thing. South Koreans really don’t like Japan.”

According to Bandow, former Japanese colonialism in South Korea has caused consistent negative public sentiment towards Japan. To Bandow, support ratings dropping lower for China means a great deal.

“The worst thing for China is to find itself at war with the United States, South Korea and Japan,” Bandow said.

Later, Eng explained how he began planning the event with his club members

during fall break.

“I suggested a topic to the organization, and they suggested a few speakers with their bios and Doug Bandow was available for this week,” Eng said. “The work for planning the event usually starts picking up about two weeks before the event actually occurs.”

For student attendee Ariel Dodds ’27, the most interesting part of Bandow’s talk was regarding decreased fertility rates in China, and how that might deplete the pool of workers. Dodds, a student in the St. Andrews Joint Degree Program, stated that this stood out to her because Bandow had asked the audience about how to handle a shrinking population that is also aging.

“I went in with a decent amount of knowledge of policy structures and some of the [political] ties because I was there for a class that talks about this, and I think that’s why his discussion of the fertility issues stood out to me,” Dodds said.

sports

THE FLAT HAT | Wednesday, October 25, 2023 | Page 4

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT

Fifth-year defender Audrey Domovich leads Tribe offense

Field hockey relies on Domovichʼs leadership as team enters postseason MADDIE MOHAMADI THE FLAT HAT Fifth-year defender Audrey Domovich has led William and Mary field hockey as both a captain and an athlete.

Throughout her five seasons with Tribe field hockey, Domovich has played in 74 games and started in 55. During her senior season, she was named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Watch List. This year, she has scored six goals for the Tribe, five of which were on penalty corners.

Originally from Hummelstown, Pa., Domovich began her field hockey career in elementary school after a gym coach recommended she try a summer camp. Though Domovich also played soccer until seventh grade, she ultimately decided to continue with field hockey when her older brother told her about the high school team’s success.

“I was a really competitive kid, and playing a sport in college had always been a dream of mine,” Domovich said. “I feel like growing up being surrounded by sports was huge.”

At Lower Dauphin High School, Domovich captained her team to the Pennsylvania state title game as a senior. In 2018, she was also named by Max Field Hockey to the All-Pennsylvania First Team and received all-conference recognition.

Domovich credits her high school coach, Linda Kreiser, to her success as a player. Before retiring last year, Kreiser coached at Lower Dauphin for 45 years and played at Millersville University, where she was inducted into the school’s hall of fame in 1995.

“Her drive for us to have fun really allowed us to fall in love with the game,” Domovich said.

Domovich also emphasized her teammates’ impact on her field hockey career.

“When I came in as a freshman, I had strong

RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT

Fifth-year defender Audrey Domovich leads Tribe field hockey on and off the field. Domovich accounts for six of 18 total team goals and 16% of team shots taken so far this season. The team is currently 7-8 and qualified for the 2023 CAA tournament.

leaders above me who could support me and taught me what to do,” Domovich said. “It was kind of taking what they showed me and then replicating that for the next new class coming in.”

According to Domovich, Tribe field hockey head coach Tess Ellis often says she recruits players for the person before the athlete.

“Tess being able to create this culture of being a family and being there to support one another makes time on the field and off the field special,” Domovich said. “We always say she recruited 26 best friends.”

Both Domovich’s teammates and coaches admire her for her leadership on and off the field.

“Audrey is a super good role model on the team,” senior midfielder Jayden Moon, who is also Domovich’s co-captain, said. “I think the best thing about playing with her is that she leads by example.”

Ellis highlighted Domovich’s influence on her teammates.

“The way she practices and the way she plays on the field, it lifts her teammates,” Ellis said. “She’s learned to use her voice to lead people by example, but her work ethic on and off the field is insane.”

Named to the NFHCA All-Academic Team her freshman, sophomore and junior seasons, Domovich is committed to her studies. In 2021, Domovich also received recognition from the NFHCA National Academic Squad, and in 2022, she earned CAA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll distinction.

“She knows what she needs to do to be successful, and you never see her stray from that

path,” Moon said.

Ellis believes Domovich will continue leading by example beyond her years at the College.

“Audrey is the true William and Mary student,” Ellis said. “She sets such a good standard, a high standard.”

As a biology major, Domovich aspires to attend medical school and become a doctor in sports medicine and family medicine.

“With sports medicine, you’re linked with family medicine,” Domovich said, reflecting the impact of the family atmosphere on Tribe field hockey.

Domovich has set goals for both herself and the team for the remainder of the season. In future years, Domovich hopes to see the team become more consistent in both Coastal Athletic Association and non-conference play.

“We’re starting to balance the two, but I think still learning to grow and gain that consistency throughout the entire season will be huge for everybody,” Domovich said.

Though Domovich will graduate this winter, she hopes to have fun and be successful in the CAA tournament, which Tribe field hockey qualified for after a 3-2 home victory against Monmouth on Oct. 20. Domovich assisted the tiebreaker during a penalty corner, sweeping the ball from the top of the circle before her teammate tipped it into the goal.

“I’m going to miss it all,” Domovich said.

“Being on campus here, having the team, all of the different spots in Williamsburg, it’s this place that has become home.”

FOOTBALL

Football loses Homecoming game after second half collapse

Tribe plummets 11 spots in FCS rankings despite historic attendance ETHAN QIN FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR Saturday, Oct. 21, no. 13 William and Mary football (4-3, 2-2 CAA) lost to Towson (3-4, 2-2 CAA) 34-24 in its annual Homecoming game at Walter J. Zable Stadium in Williamsburg, Va. This defeat marks the Tribe’s third consecutive loss after dropping backto-back away games to Elon and Virginia. With a historic 13,713 fans in attendance, William and Mary was unable to snap its losing streak, despite a significant first-half lead.

The Tribe elected to receive the ball to start the game and began its first drive with a strong 22-yard return by junior wide receiver JT Mayo. Junior quarterback Darius Wilson connected with junior slash quarterback Hollis Mathis for a 12-yard reception to put the ball at the William and Mary 35 yard-line for a first down.

Wilson had lackluster passing performances in the team’s previous two losses, recording only 36 and

72 passing yards against Elon and Virginia, respectively.

After the reception, William and Mary returned to the run game. Still without senior running back Bronson Yoder, the team continued to heavily rely on junior running back Malachi Imoh and sophomore running back Martin Lucas to get more touches on the ball.

After a combination of runs from Imoh, Lucas, Mathis and Wilson, the Tribe found itself on the Towson 18 yard-line in a fourth and two situation, thus sending on senior kicker Caden Bonoffski to kick the field goal.

Bonoffski’s kick put the first points on the board of both teams, giving the Tribe a 3-0 lead with six minutes, 34 seconds left in the first quarter.

Towson looked to respond with a drive of its own, but found little success against the steadfast Tribe defense, going threeand-out and forced to punt the ball away.

Following a substantial 19 yard return by sophomore cornerback Jalen Jones to the Towson 44 yard-line, William and Mary was eager to score more points.

RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT

Junior running back Malachi Imoh led William and Mary in rushing yard with 104 on 13 carries, 99 of which came in the first half. The Tribe lost the game 34-24 to Towson after a second half collapse.

This drive by theTribe was spearheaded

by Lucas with three consecutive positive yard rushes for six, 19 and 10 yards apiece, putting the Tribe at the Towson nine yard-line. Mathis continued Lucas’ hard work with an eight yard rush of his own, coming up just short of a touchdown at the one yard-line. Lucas finished the drive he started with a one yard rushing touchdown. Bonoffski converted the extra point, extending the William and Mary lead to 10-0 with two minutes, 12 seconds left in the first quarter.

On Towson’s next drive, the Tigers offense looked primed to fire back with redshirt junior quarterback Nathan Kent stringing together three consecutive pass completions. However, with an incomplete pass on a third and two situation, the Tribe forced Towson to once again punt the ball away with 14 seconds left in the first quarter.

After Jones called a fair catch, the Tribe began its third drive, starting on its own 13 yard-line. After an incompletion

by Wilson, Imoh exploded for a 56 yard run to the Towson 31 yard-line for a first down. Towson was then called for an offsides penalty, giving the Tribe another five yard gain.

Wilson went to the air, connecting with Mathis for a nine yard completion to the Towson 17 yard-line. William and Mary then handed the ball to Imoh for a nine yard gain, before once again throwing to Mathis for an eight yard touchdown reception. Bonoffski converted yet again on the extra point, putting the Tribe up 17-0 with 13 minutes, 39 seconds left in the second half.

Towson’s first points of the day came from an eight play, 63 yard drive that resulted in a 28 yard field goal converted by redshirt junior Keegan Vaughan, closing the lead to 17-3.

The rest of the first half consisted of empty drives by both teams, keeping the score 17-3 in favor of the Tribe at the halfway point.

What was a phenomenal start to the game by the Tribe quickly turned into a nightmare. Towson came out of the locker room blazing, putting together an 82 yard drive consisting of 22 plays which concluded with a Kent one yard rushing touchdown. After an extra

point kick converted by Vaughan, the Tribe lead was diminished to 17-10 with three minutes, 24 seconds left in the third quarter.

The Green and Gold looked to respond with a solid offensive drive of its own. However, on the kick return, Mayo fumbled the ball at the William and Mary 26 yard-line. Towson, now with great field position, capitalized on the opportunity with a mixture of runs and pass completions, resulting in a 10 yard rushing touchdown for senior running back Devin Matthews. The Vaughan extra point equalized the game at 17-17 with one minute, 21 seconds left in the third quarter.

The Tribe offense that recorded 17 first half points quickly came to a standstill, going three-and-out on its next drive resulting in an untimely punt.

Towson’s offense continued its momentum, scoring a field goal on its next drive, putting the Tigers in front 20-17.

William and Mary’s offense continued to be stagnant, once again going threeand-out and punting the ball away.

On Towson’s next drive, Matthews started off with two carries for two and five yard gains, before Kent connected with redshirt junior tight end Carter Runyon for a huge 53 yard touchdown reception. Vaughan’s extra point kick furthered Towson’s lead to 27-17, with four minutes, one second left in the fourth quarter.

The Tribe’s offensive struggles continued into its next drive with Wilson fumbling the ball and being penalized for

an unsportsmanlike conduct, resulting in a Towson first down at the William and Mary 20 yard-line.

Towson’s offense did not let up, taking advantage of its stellar field position and scoring another touchdown via Kent’s passing. With the extra point, Towson now led the Tribe 34-17, with only one minute, 55 seconds left in the fourth period.

The Tribe finally found some success on offense, putting together a touchdown-scoring drive, topped off by a Wilson 18 yard passing touchdown to Mathis. However, it was far too late, as with only 47 seconds left in the game, the 34-24 lead that Towson held was too much to overcome.

Wilson recorded 129 yards through the air, completing 12 of 20 attempts and two touchdowns. He also put up 36 rushing yards on nine carries.

Mathis led in receiving yards with 66 on five catches with two touchdowns. He also rushed for 36 yards on six carries.

Imoh led in rushing with 104 yards on 13 carries, 99 of which came in the first half.

Despite first half domination by the Tribe, its second half offensive struggles and turnovers ultimately led to the Green and Gold’s defeat. Towson was able to capitalize on scoring opportunities and big plays to catapult itself to an impressive come from behind victory.

William and Mary will look to snap its three-game losing streak on Saturday, Oct. 28 against CAA foe Monmouth (34, 2-2 CAA) at Walter J. Zable Stadium in Williamsburg, Va.

opinions

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

THE FL FLAT HAT | Wednesday, October 25, 2023 | Page 5

GUEST COLUMN

Plight of the pickles: pertinent It’s time for Virginia to drop its problems with off year election system shared living spaces STAFF COLUMN

John Powers

FLAT HAT OPINIONS ASSOC.

Tessa Catalano THE FLAT HAT

GRAPHIC BY YELENA FLEMING / THE FLAT HAT

Food: it’s what drives us, brings us together, establishes community, expresses love — and is stored in community kitchens. Its integral role in our lives is the reason that I am choosing to write about the kitchen of all shared living spaces at the College of William and Mary.

One might say that our most vulnerable times come in the form of the community bathrooms, but it’s food that holds all our hearts.

Especially in a climate of dining hall food and precious dining dollars, the food we choose to store within reach of others is often our most prized. The pilgrimage to the grocery store is often timeconsuming, requires exorbitant amounts of planning and must be executed with precision. All these reasons and more are why the community kitchens house our blood, sweat, tears and pickles.

At least for me, the Trader Joe’s kosher pickles hold a special place in my heart. They found their way to me when a friend selflessly asked if I needed anything while grocery shopping, and I jumped at the coveted opportunity to buy food of my own. Sadly, with naivete of believing in the good of humanity, I placed them carelessly within reach of others in my communal kitchen. Without getting into any of the gory details, the pickles have been taken.

With little to

no supervision or

enforcement of the law in community

kitchens, residents

are left to abide by

their own rules based on assumed moral responsibility.

This is one instance of the hardships of community living spaces, a

particularly unique time of life when one shares a kitchen with up to 30 other individuals. My experience with losing my pickles inspired this article for the sake of examining the realities of shared kitchens and possibly rectifying some of the tension.

There is very little authority that reigns over communal living areas.

Some might say the Resident Advisors hold the power, both to uphold the rules and punish accordingly, but participation in resident meetings and GroupMes is unsurprisingly low.

If laws aren’t given authority by the people they are enacted by, then how can they be enforced? With little to no supervision or enforcement of the law in community kitchens, residents are left to abide by their own rules based on assumed moral responsibility.

What we are left with is an ungoverned shared space, leading to only one thing: the tragedy of the commons, an economic theory that ungoverned public resources are depleted because everyone acts in their own short-term self-interest. Manifesting in overflowing trash bags, pots waiting to be cleaned by the invisible hand of the ghost of dirty dishes past and the mysterious disappearance of pickles, among other prized food items, the tragedy of the commons wreaks havoc on the state of our communal kitchens and demands a reactionary moral code to correspond. The goal of this article is to clarify what moral responsibility means within the microcosm of the shared kitchen.

The length with which one trash bag can be used is highly contested, and the mountain that looms precariously above the bin itself is a revolutionary feat of physics only rivaled by the feat required in disposing of it. The pile that could qualify as modern art with its impossible angles and balancing acts becomes a source of not just pungent odor, but also rising tension within the kitchen. In dorms, the janitors are left with the mess to clean, leaving residents with deniability and no consequences. I propose a Doctrine of Janitor Justice, one that lets janitors set standards for what they expect from students and allows students to acknowledge the person most affected by the effects of their uncleanliness. These balancing acts

On Nov. 7, citizens in the commonwealth of Virginia, residents of Williamsburg and students at the College of William and Mary will vote in a legislative election to elect a slate of state delegates and state senators. It shouldn’t be this way.

As students of the College, it is essential to consider how our state’s election system impacts our lives and our ability to engage in the democratic process. College is a time to use academic and research skills to question the norms and, in many cases, fight for change. Many of my peers are doing just that by knocking on doors for their chosen candidate, attending political clubs or conducting policy research. We should devote our attention to the timing of our elections as well.

Virginia is only one of five states that hold its statewide elections on an off-year. An off-year describes the odd years between midterm or presidential election years. Of course, many more states hold municipal elections for mayor or city council during off years, but they differ in that they are not electing state senators or governors on that ballot.

One reason why Virginia should move its elections is obvious: voter turnout. Off-year and midterm elections suffer from notably lower participation due to limited media coverage and public attention compared to presidential races. This lack of exposure leaves many voters, including college students, less informed and less motivated to participate. By aligning state elections with federal ones, Virginia can maintain consistent electoral engagement every two years. This approach could also address demographic biases in voter participation.

Another reason comes straight out of any ECON 101 class at the College: costs and economies of scale. Ditching the current system would likely save money because it reduces the administrative expenses associated with running separate state elections in off-years.

Streamlining the election calendar by aligning state elections with federal ones would lead to more efficient resource allocation, lowering costs for the state. The logic is simple. For instance, running elections means the state has to compensate poll workers. Why should taxpayers pay for two separate stipends instead of one stipend for one streamlined election?

The point here is not that election policy should baby voters.

Uncle Sam is not a personal aerobics instructor in the democracy

pool. He is the lifeguard, making sure voters find their way to the water. It’s up to them to get in.

Voters are adults who should be expected to be capable of planning a time to vote and traveling to a polling place. In this spirit, I previously argued that the College should not give us election day off. I stand by that opinion. It is very easy to participate in our democracy in Virginia.

Any of the benefits of an election holiday here pale in comparison to a lost day of instruction.

However, dropping the off-year election system is not babying in the way that our election holiday might be. If we could boost voter turnout and reduce costs with a simple switch, why shouldn’t we? What are the drawbacks here?

Those on the other side of this debate might argue that local issues would be drowned out if there was a change. But local issues can remain vital since candidates can still focus on them within the broader context of national politics. In fact, higher voter turnout during federal elections may bring greater attention to local concerns as candidates would be motivated to address these issues to appeal to a wider and more diverse electorate. Additionally, efforts can be made to educate voters about local matters alongside federal ones, ensuring that citizens are well-informed about the full spectrum of issues at stake when they cast their ballots.

are not completed by a mysterious acrobat but the janitors responsible for keeping our kitchens from complete disarray.

Not only are trash bags a site of tension, but dirty dishes are just as much of a battle that takes no prisoners. Littering sinks and stove tops with corpses of past mac and cheese and burnt mystery meals ultimately creates an inhospitable climate for future meals that is conducive to bacterial overgrowth. The mysterious invisible hands responsible for cleaning dirty dishes at home suddenly become culpably absent from our lives and kitchens. The result?

Yet another battle of the wills as residents wait for others to muster up the courage and clean up their crimes. The Dirty Dish Declaration would solve this injustice by setting forth a limit on the amount of dishes allowed in the sink at once, meaning that those looking to use pots and pans are forced to clean up immedi-

ately after themselves if the sink is full. This declaration would result in warranted growing resentment towards the repeat offenders of the dirty dishes and a general containment of the issue.

And then there’s the fridge, a bounty often ransacked by anonymous criminal hands lying in wait to find optimal products for consumption. The first solution should be a Fridge Federation, establishing a union under the domain of that flickering refrigerator light that rests on a treaty agreed upon by all.

Under this federation, one would enter into an agreement to label all food items with sticky notes that have their names written on them. Furthermore, any food item that has been expired for over two weeks would be fair game to throw out, and residents must generally approach the hallowed refrigerator with courtesy. This agreement would constitute the safety of one’s

The road to reform

is daunting, but it is

vital to recognize that change is possible

when college students

make our voices heard.

Not convinced? Consider the matter this way: are the 45 other states all incorrect? It seems Americans agree on little, but election timing is one of those issues where we usually find a national consensus.

Admittedly, reform would be hard, no matter how good an idea it might be to dispose of this bygone system. Reform necessitates amending the state constitution. That means the proposal would have to pass through both houses of the state legislature not once, but twice after an election has occurred. The legislature would then have to authorize a referendum with the approval of the governor and hand the question over to voters.

It is up to students to

use their power to shift the narrative and raise awareness.

This scenario is essentially impossible given that Republicans arguably benefit from the lower voter turnout and wouldn’t want to change it. Moreover, Gov. Glenn Youngkin is unlikely to support this cause given his restrictive actions on voting. Earlier this year, he rolled back the voting rights of former felons. His office now has unrestricted domain over providing voting rights to this group, and progress has been slow. The Virginia chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People may even sue because of his actions.

The road to reform is daunting, but it is vital to recognize that change is possible when college students make our voices heard. Students of the College represent the next generation of leaders in Virginia. Some of us will intern for a local state senator. Others will do a summer internship on the Hill. Many might work at think tanks. It is up to students to use their power to shift the narrative and raise awareness. There are significant obstacles today. Our job is to change that reality five or ten years from now.

It is time for Virginia to join nearly every other state and hold legislative elections in presidential and midterm election years.

John Powers ’26 is an intended Public Policy major hailing from Brooklyn, Ny. 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.

GRAPHIC BY YELENA FLEMING / THE FLAT HAT

purchases ensured by the contractual obligation to respect people’s desires to not have their food eaten.

The kitchen, a holy ground of communion, should be treated as such and guided by a moral code demanding responsibility for the well-being of other people’s food and kitchen supplies. We should always consider the needs of others and be courteous in public spaces, specifically when acknowledging the people who clean up after us, a lesson learned the hard way through the trials and tribulations of communal kitchens. So next time you see a particularly enticing food item that isn’t yours innocently tempting you to steal it, I hope you remember this article and the plight of the pickles.

Tessa Catalano ’26 is an English major with a minor in Art History in the Joint Degree Program. She is also a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority. Contact her at tccatalano@ wm.edu.

THE FLAT HAT

Wedneday, October 25, 2023

STAFF COLUMN

I fear I am a Munchkin

GUEST COLUMN

Men’s basketball nonconference schedule disregards fan experience Jack Brewer

Ethan Qin

FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR

GRAPHIC BY ISABEL LI / THE FLAT HAT

“Like, damn, she in her mood (Grrah)” – I fear that to the novice and ignorant hip hop enjoyers, these lyrics from the track “In Ha Mood” by Bronx rapper Isis Naija Gaston, better known as Ice Spice, will seem basic and resemble that of a nursery rhyme.

These seemingly elementary lyrics, coupled with her meteoric rise to fame and popularity, have prompted many listeners to spread “industry plant” accusations. However, Ice earning accolades like Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Rookie of the Year and charting four Hot 100 top 10s appear to suggest a different story of talent and hard work propelling the 23-year-old to music stardom.

In a recent interview last month with Variety, Ice addressed some of the industry plant rumors surrounding her speedy comeup in the music industry. An industry plant, for those of you who don’t know, is an artist who surges to fame seemingly overnight, usually despite a lack of obvious talent or appeal, because they receive significant backing support from a record label to materialize their popularity.

With Ice’s arguably unprecedented immediacy to hip-hop fame, it’s understandable that some listeners are skeptical vis-à-vis the legitimacy of her stardom. She first captured notable recognition in late 2022 with her track “Munch (Feelin’ U),” which went viral on both TikTok and Twitter. Over the course of a year, Ice’s music grew in popularity with multiple tracks charting on Billboard’s Hot 100 and featuring collaborations with ultra-famous music industry veterans like Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift.

Going from her first Hot 100 song to being referred to as “rap’s new princess” by The New York Times in a little over a year is debatably unheard of in the rap and hip hop sphere. Other, longerestablished female rappers in the industry like Minaj, Cardi B and Megan thee Stallion all took between four and seven years to gain mainstream visibility. Such is the reason why many are suspicious of the sheer quickness in Ice’s rise to fame.

Itʼs this ubiquitous authenticity that

has captured the hearts of millions

around the world and is a large reason why she has such a large following of “Munchkins” like me.

While the allegation of an “industry plant” will come up with success stories like Ice’s, it’s important to recognize the line between industry backing and intrinsic talent. There’s no doubt that in our hyperconnected society, powerful marketing and investment in an artist can catapult them to the top of the music industry. However, it is absolutely critical to remember that marketing and investment alone cannot create a genuine connection to the audience.

There’s no question that Ice is talented, with her unique flows and versatility on a myriad of beats. However, her best characteristics are her relatability and authenticity.

It’s common for celebrities to grow increasingly out of touch from their audience as they become more popular. Think Kris Jenner overenthusiastically praising Kylie Jenner, a 26-year-old mother of two, for returning a shopping cart after loading their groceries at their first ever grocery store trip in two years. Yikes.

But in the case of Ice Spice, no matter the heights of fame she has reached, she comes across as down-to-earth. Ice, herself, believes her relatability is a major factor for her rise to stardom, citing that she will always just be a regular girl from the Bronx. She even still rocks the same afro and tube top that she says she wore in high school.

It’s this ubiquitous authenticity that has captured the hearts of millions around the world and is a large reason why she has such a large following of “Munchkins” like me.

Furthermore, despite the rumors of her being an industry plant, Ice has been celebrated by numerous other top artists ranging from Drake to Swift. Having these artists of such high stature rave about her just goes to show how talented and adored she is.

At the College of William and Mary, we students are driven and dedicated to our academics, extracurriculars and other aspects of life, so it’s easy to compare our accomplishments to those of our peers and doubt the reasons why we have achieved such success.

Much like the industry plant allegations thrown onto Ice Spice, we find ourselves trying to discount their successes by saying it was undeserved or there must be other factors at play – even when the most likely reason for their success is that they worked hard and deserve it.

Let’s choose to celebrate our peers for their successes and remain true to ourselves, rather than focusing on other people. Anyways, I fear I am a Munchkin.

Ethan Qin ‘26 is intending to major in finance and currently serves as a sports editor. Outside of the Flat Hat, he enjoys highland cows and getting on his soapbox. Email Ethan at erqin@wm.edu.

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THE FLAT HAT

Aug. 28, the College of William and Mary released its men’s basketball nonconference schedule on the Tribe Athletics website. It consists of 13 games featuring five home, five away and a three-game multiple-team event at the United States Air Force Academy that the Tribe will participate in for the third consecutive time. Other highlights of the schedule include short trips east and west on I-64 to Norfolk State University and the University of Richmond. The Tribe will aim to win their second consecutive game against the Spiders Dec. 2. Another feature of the schedule is a cross-country trip to Malibu, where the Tribe will take on Pepperdine four days before Christmas.

I’ve spent a lot of time covering the features of the away games, but not as much on the games taking place at Kaplan Arena.

Ultimately, that’s because the home slate of games leaves much to be desired.

My main point of contention with the Tribe’s nonconference schedule is that it only provides two opportunities for most students to watch the Tribe play fellow Division I competition. Two of the five home games are against members of the National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association. Those games include the season opener against Regent University Nov. 6 and the last home game before winter break against Virginia University of Lynchburg Dec. 10. However, these schools’ teams are not evenly matched to the Tribe’s level.

For instance, Regent lost to the Mid-Atlantic Christian University twice last season, the latter of whom the College had already beaten by a 76-point margin of victory, so the outcome of the College’s upcoming game against Regent seems already clear. As for Lynchburg, they won only one game last season.

This leaves three games against fellow NCAA Division 1 schools at Kaplan Arena during the fall semester. The Tribe will host American University Nov. 9, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County Nov. 25 and Old Dominion Dec. 6. Keen-eyed readers of this article (or those counting down the days until a home-cooked meal) will notice that the UMBC game is taking place over Thanksgiving break, leaving only two home games against similar caliber competition that most students will be able to watch before heading home for winter break.

This lackluster nonconference schedule, paired with our winter break being a week later than most other institutions, limits the number of games students can watch. I do want to be clear that I don’t pin the later winter break on the athletic director, head coach or whoever makes the schedule, but it is another important factor in making the College’s basketball schedules less accessible to students.

Also, I recognize that creating a schedule is tough, especially while trying to balance the need of other teams to use Kaplan.

However, I only need to go back to the 2021-22 season to find a nonconference schedule that’s better for students. That schedule also featured five home games; four were against Division

JAMIE HOLT / THE FLAT HAT

I competition while the fifth game was against Randolph College (Division 3). However, that game against Randolph was scheduled over Thanksgiving break, leaving that as the only game where most students would be unable to attend. All four home games against Division I competition were played at a time where most students could have the opportunity to cheer on the Tribe. Accessibility was not the reason keeping students from attending games in the 202122 season.

I’m not explicitly against scheduling non-Division I caliber opponents. In fact, I think playing teams below our level can provide the Tribe with a tune-up game and an opportunity to bank a win, which was proved even more necessary when the Tribe only won four games against Division I opponents in that 2021-22 season. I just don’t think two of those games are necessary, especially if one of the three games against Division I competition is during Thanksgiving break.

At the end of the day, I realize there are probably not many basketball fans at the College and even fewer Tribe fans. However, as one of the few and not always proud, I believe other students would be much more likely to show up to Kaplan if the schedule featured better opponents rather than prioritizing early wins against the Mid-Atlantic Christians and Regents of the college basketball world. A schedule that catered more to students could potentially lead to a renewed interest in Dane Fischer’s team.

Nathan Brewer ’25 is a business analytics major and data science minor. He is a member of the Men’s Club B soccer team and Baptist Collegiate Ministries. Around campus, he can be found playing IM sports or drinking chocolate milk.

Contact him at ndbrewer@wm.edu.

STAFF COLUMN

Look crazy, go crazy: let loose on Halloween Elizabeth Brady FLAT HAT OPINION ASSOC.

If you ask a College of William and Mary student what they’re going to be for Halloween, you’re probably going to get an answer in list form. If you ask when Halloween is, Oct. 31 might be their second answer, second to whatever costume-related plans they’re most excited for or the closest non-school night to the actual day of festivities.

Something strange and wonderful happens to Halloween as you grow up; it goes from one night of candy-gathering to something else entirely.

Halloweekend is universally acknowledged as the weekend when you go a little crazier, stay out a little later and get in a little more trouble than you normally do. Something about the opportunity to put on a costume just does something to people — there’s a certain freedom that you get when you don’t look like yourself.

Appearance and action are so closely linked in the human brain and in our daily lives that we rely on visual patterns and cues to know what to expect from the people around us. It’s evolutionary — a way for us to avoid danger and unknowns.

But on a night when everyone is in costume, when no one looks like themselves, the visual cues we use to inform our social cues vanish. It’s jarring; the rug of visual communication is ripped from under us, and we don’t know what to expect. But at the same time, when we don’t know what to expect, we know there is nothing expected of us. It’s rare that we get the opportunity to step outside the existing structures of physical and visual coding, but when it presents itself, people tend to take advantage to its fullest extent.

This idea of looking different means acting different is nothing new. The strength of physical markers of identity and behavior are due in part to their persistence; for the entirety of human history and across almost every culture, people have dressed differently when they want to act differently.

The “jaguar knights” of the ancient Aztecs, crossdressing Shakespearean actors and Japanese geisha all assumed a form of non-normative dress for the purpose of assuming or communicating a non-normative standard of action. They assumed a role outside of themselves of ferocity, farce and masterful performance, respectively.

I recognize that this is a very deep reading of a holiday that primarily involves dressing silly and going to parties. My love of Halloween, of a silly little costume, of a night of raunchy unusualness, of bad decisions, runs so deep that I’d like to tell myself that it has some kind of deeper sociological significance. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn’t; regardless, Halloween is one of the only days where we can really color outside the lines. You have one (or three or four, depending on your level of dedication) days to do

GRAPHIC BY KAYLA PAYNE / THE FLAT HAT

something completely out of character and become something other than yourself.

Because of my ardent dedication to both the spirit and practice of Halloween, planning my costumes usually begins in August. I make Pinterest boards, I scour thrift stores, I examine my closet, I bring out my sewing machine and I plan extensively — usually to change my mind night-of, abandoning my carefully laid plans for something that makes up in novelty what it lacks in elegance. As a lover of crafts and a disciple of doing things myself, the hardest part, inevitably, is not actually making the costume but instead deciding what to make.

There are so many angles, exigencies and influences that can contribute to such a monumental decision. Do you want the gleeful cohesion of a group costume? The cold-legs-despitethe-fishnets feeling of being a “sexy [insert anything here]”? The smug satisfaction of a perfectly poised joke costume? Or are you going to figure something out last minute and go solely for vibes alone? Speaking from an extensive wealth of experience, I have the most fun (and the best pictures) in the costumes that are the least like me. Those costumes are the ones that come from the longest nights and create the most fun stories to tell.

Dress has a concrete power: it makes us feel sexy and scary, invincible and exposed. When we want others to believe something about us, we try to look a certain way, so on nights when we don’t look the way we expect ourselves to, we can escape the beliefs and identities we’ve created for and about ourselves. What you’re not going to be for Halloween matters almost more than what you are going to be. It’s the most largely accepted cultural hall-pass for all kinds of weirdness, so my advice is always to take the opportunity and run with it.

So go crazy! Be smart while you’re getting stupid, stay safe and have a happy Halloween.

Elizabeth Brady ’25 is a public policy major and an English minor, and she is a member of Alpha Chi Omega.

She loves art, music and movies. Email her at eabrady@ wm.edu.

variety

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

THE FLAT HAT | Wednesday, October 25, 2023 | Page 7

COURTESY IMAGE / LETSDRAWIT

A HartHart -warming art showing Hart Gallery features first student art exhibit of fall semester in celebration of LGBTQ+ History Month EMMA HALMAN // FLAT HAT VARIETY ASSOC. Monday, Oct. 9, the Hart Gallery held the opening reception for its first student art exhibit of the semester, titled “Refractions: Student Reflections on LGBTQ+ Life.” Numerous students stopped by to take a look at the art featured in the gallery, which is located on the second floor of the College of William and Mary’s Sadler Center.

“Refractions” was curated by Faith Ronquest ’24, the Hart Gallery intern responsible for creating the concept of each exhibit held there. She intentionally chose for it to be displayed in October in celebration of LGBTQ+ History Month.

really important, and then how we’re viewed by others.”

Castonguay’s piece is notably the only photograph that was chosen for the exhibit. The other mediums featured include photography, mixed media, acrylic on canvas and wood, monotype print, graphite, relief print, oil on canvas, paper collage and stoneware.

EMMA HALMAN / THE FLAT HAT

Castonguay reflected on the significance of art as a whole, regardless of the medium in which it is presented. They recognized the power of representation channeled by this kind of creative expression.

“I think art is a great way to get at people’s sense of empathy and really help them to identify with their subjects,” Castonguay said. “I think [art] can be really important for LGBT people, who are often marginalized and ignored and put to the side, to show people that we are here, and this is who we are and [to] really express ourselves and our identity.”

Castonguay’s preferred art medium is photography, and they have taken several photography classes at the College.

However, “Looking Glass” is a photograph that they took on their own time.

EMMA HALMAN / THE FLAT HAT

EMMA HALMAN / THE FLAT HAT

As a whole, the exhibit centered on the individual lived experiences of each artist and their personal artistic styles.

Ronquest noted the theme was kept intentionally broad and non-mandatory for submissions.

“I was just saying whatever you would like to showcase as yourself or if you had any art that somehow reflected themes of LGBT life, you know, that’s great, and we have a couple pieces like that,” Ronquest said.

Rather than focus on a specific art style or medium, Ronquest sought to display the voices of the artists.

“I also liked that it was an exhibit about the artists rather than the works necessarily reflecting anything,” Ronquest said. “We got a really broad range of works that were really more about the artists getting to showcase them.”

To acquire submissions for the exhibit, Ronquest employed a variety of outreach strategies, using her connections with faculty, students and groups as an art major, as well as contacts in LGBTQ+ focused student organizations like Lambda Alliance.

Ronquest herself also submitted two pieces to the exhibit. She chose two monotype prints that she created as class projects, as monotype tends to be a medium she deeply enjoys working with.

The prints, made only with black ink, are titled “Banshee” and “Ropes Course 1.” While “Ropes Course 1” includes clearer elements of nature, “Banshee” is more abstract with its lines and images.

For attendee Fiona Molluso ’25, “Banshee” particularly struck a chord within her and was her favorite of the exhibit.

“I don’t know anything about art, but that one, I feel like I could just stare at for hours,” Molluso said.

Beyond Ronquest, several other artists were featured in the exhibit, including Meg Castonguay ’25, who submitted a photograph to the exhibit entitled “Looking Glass.”

“The picture was taken actually through a glass bottle, and it’s of my partner who identifies as non-binary,” Castonguay said. “So it’s like looking at reflection and glass as a theme in LGBT life, and how we view ourselves as something that’s

EMMA HALMAN / THE FLAT HAT

“I think photography for me has been a really good way to capture the world around me and to express my identity as an LGBT person,” Castonguay said.

They further explained that they are especially drawn to photography’s ability to capture fleeting moments.

“I like photography especially because it’s capturing moments that you would normally miss,” Castonguay said. “It’s like, ‘Hey, this is something that you should pay attention to,’ and I think that’s really the way that I look at it.”

For instance, Kate Madigan ’24 submitted a piece called “Handshake,” which is an acrylic painting on canvas that includes bright colors and geometric shapes. Madigan created it during her freshman year before she started taking any art classes at the College.

“For this piece, specifically, I was really interested in color relationships, very inspired by [Rene] Magritte and surrealist landscapes,” Madigan said. “I was just playing around with color and shape and geometry. It just felt fun to make, so I enjoyed it. It’s usually hanging up in my bedroom, so my walls are a little bare. It makes me happy, all the different colors.”

For Madigan, whose other pieces “Intimates” and “Love Potion” were also featured at the exhibit, her love for art extends far prior to her freshman year, having been nurtured by her family since she was young.

“I definitely grew up in a family where art is very encouraged,” Madigan said. “Both my parents are very creative. My dad is a writer, so he is artistic in that way. And my mom is very creative. She’s an elementary school teacher, so [she is] very crafty. I’ve just always loved to paint, especially, and drawing all different kinds of art.”

Mattie Lambert ’24, another attendee of the event, conveyed the value of Hart Gallery as an important venue to showcase student art, especially during the Year of the Arts.

“I feel like there’s such a broad range of different artistic mediums being shown, and it’s really cool to see all the student work being shown in such a prominent place on campus,” Lambert said.

Molluso also noted the crucial visibility that the exhibit brings to queer student artists at the College.

“I like that we have the gallery at all and that it is in such a communal, high traffic space so that people will see it,” Molluso echoed. “I feel like it’s obviously really important to display student art and specifically queer student art.”

Lambert said she especially appreciated the decisions that Ronquest made in terms of how the different art pieces are actually displayed, which she felt contributed to the overall feel of the exhibit.

“When you move through [the exhibit], you’re not just looking at stuff in order of what’s most similar,” Lambert said. “Each piece is really positioned in a way that shows off its uniqueness. They all come together to make a really diverse, interesting exhibit outside of just the concept itself. All the different pieces are so different and interesting.”

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THE FLAT HAT

Wednesday, October 25, 2023

Honing in on health

The Collegeʼs Public Health Club works to inform students about current health issues, engages in community service CHRISTINA WU // THE FLAT HAT Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the widespread effects of a global health crisis have plunged regular citizens into the world of health, safety and precaution. Now more than ever, a focus on personal and public well-being has been brought into the limelight. However, a group of students at the College of William and Mary, driven by a passion for public health and student well-being, has been acting on the same mission since well before the start of the pandemic.

The Public Health Club is a studentrun organization that works to inform the College’s general student body about important public health issues in hopes of promoting awareness and education.

Meeting weekly on Thursdays in Room 1280 in the Integrated Science Center, this group of students works to create a healthier and safer living environment for the broader community.

“I think as a whole, the Public Health Club seeks to promote general knowledge and health on William and Mary’s campus but also in our community,” Halle Boroski ’25, Public Health Club vice president, said. “So whether that be through campaign topics or guest speaking events, basically everything that we do is to promote a general sense of good health practices on campus.”

The club’s main focus is on researching prevalent public health issues and posting them around campus through infographics and posters. Members meet once a week to decide on what the next public health campaign will look like.

“We’ll pick something that we think is at least somewhat pertinent to college students on our campus, but it doesn’t have to be,” Ella Smith ’24, the club’s secretary, said. “It’s supposed to be a somewhat contemporary public health concern that we think that more people should know about than they do.”

To ensure that students are receiving information from a variety of sources, the club also updates students about current global health issues that are emerging around the world. Club President Hita Yalla ’24 described the importance of a campaign she led recently.

“So for example, I did one this semester earlier about the flooding in Libya and how that environment might be conducive to an epidemic and cholera, any outbreaks and

emerging diseases like that,” Yalla said.

Members of the club not only work on student-targeted missions within the campus, but they also actively engage in volunteering

in different majors joining because public health really is about policy, government and economics,” Yalla said. “So we always encourage people that are in those fields of

COURTESY IMAGE / HALLE BOROSKI

and interacting with organizations in the greater Williamsburg community. Prior to the pandemic, the club would volunteer to serve meals once a month at the Williamsburg House of Mercy, an organization that provides services for the local community.

During the pandemic, this collaboration was unable to continue, but the club has just recently started reinstating their preCOVID volunteering practice. The club hopes to visit the Arc of Greater Williamsburg, an organization that assists adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

With Public Health Club’s broad mission, anyone and everyone is encouraged to join, regardless of their major or knowledge of the public health field.

“We try to advocate for people interested

study to join, but it does tend to pull bio, public health, neuroscience and pre-med people.”

Smith emphasized the intersections between different areas of study and how they can all pertain to issues related to public health.

“The great challenge is convincing people that public health is so many fields of study that coalesce into what public health is, and you can be an expert in a bunch of different things and still have a lot of interest in public health,” Smith said. “I mean, if you like people at all, which I think is most of the William and Mary population, then you have some interest in them being healthy, and on purpose we try to pick campaigns that aren’t super science heavy.”

The Public Health Club also allows students of different backgrounds to develop new skills

that are applicable to a variety of fields. Boroski described that participating in the club can help develop communication skills necessary for conveying technical information in a way that is easy for a lay audience to understand, which contrasts the often complex academic writing that students are typically taught.

“I think definitely researching and making it digestible to the general public is a really important skill that if you’re premed, you don’t necessarily have to dabble in as much because when you’re writing a research paper, you’re writing it for a professor who’s literally an expert in that topic.” Boroski said. “So I think making sure that you can make research accessible, but not generalized, then making sure you’re finding good sources and giving the best information possible to a whole student body is a really important skill that I think is good that you learn through our club.”

The club prioritizes the social aspect just as much as the academic. Boroski expressed that the atmosphere of the club allows for connections between members, who are linked through much more than just being in the same student group.

“I’ve made so many friends in the club which, obviously you can do anywhere here, but it’s really nice to know that we all have this mission of promoting good health on campus,” Boroski said.

Smith affirmed that the club’s community service is balanced by a low-pressure environment where one can simply delve further into a common area of interest.

“We just kind of try to make it a fun space to get your mind off your class and on to a bigger picture thing for a few minutes a week,” Smith said.

The Public Health Club provides students with a way to explore the vast field of public health through something as simple as providing health reminders to something as profound as working hands-on within the field in which they hope to find a career in.

“I do feel like I’m definitely making a difference on campus, which feels really good to be able to do, even if it’s something as small,” Boroski said. “It doesn’t take much time for me to research something that is so simple that people don’t usually think about and is just important to know so that you’re prolonging and bettering your life. So I feel like I definitely have aided in making a difference.”

Convene with cuisine

Korean American Student Association hosts celebration of culture, food, history LAYNEE SCHOLTZ // THE FLAT HAT

RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT

Tuesday, Oct. 10, the College of William and Mary’s Korean American Student Association held its second ever cooking class at the Wesley House, teaching attendees how to make the popular Korean dish bibimbap, which translates to “mixed rice” in English.

Bibimbap is a flavorful Korean dish consisting of rice, mixed vegetables, sliced meat, sauce and topped with an egg.

Throughout the event, Korean culture was literally and metaphorically brought to the table as attendees assembled delicious bowls of bibimbap while learning its history and listening to popular K-pop hits. KASA members and non-members alike were scattered throughout the Wesley House while members of the executive board bustled around in preparation for the event.

“We’re trying to share Korean culture with campus,” KASA culture chair Alex Park ’24 said. “We also just want to be a positive impact on the William and Mary community, and we want to be able to do good by people.

And if Korean culture happens to be the mechanism for that, I think it’s a very fun mechanism to work with.”

Park further expressed her hopes that the celebration of Korean culture would both draw people in and bring them together.

“I think at least for me personally, how a lot of other people get connected into Korean culture and Korean heritage is through food,” Park said. “There’s K-pop, and there’s Korean food. We can’t really make K-pop, but we can make bibimbap.”

With event preparation steadily underway, attendees gathered and waited to taste Korean food that otherwise isn’t readily available in traditional dining locations like the College’s dining halls.

“I first heard about this event when I was going through my email,” Tory Crenshaw ’27 said. “Then I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, they’re making food. I love food. Better than the dining hall, I’m going to go.’”

The tables began by accumulating various, preprepared ingredients. KASA’s executive board members laid the tables with sliced cucumbers, carrots, ground beef, steamy rice and spicy gochujang (a chili pepper paste). Chatter quieted as Park gave a brief explanation of the meaning of bibimbap and its history.

The best part of bibimbap, claimed the organizers, is how creative one could get with it. Between varieties of

veggies, meats or sauces, there was no shortage of ways the dish could be made.

“I spent, I think, an hour chopping cucumbers,” Park laughed. “We want to make the experience the best we can for you guys.”

As for the history of bibimbap, references to it can be dated back centuries, as it appears in many historical documents and books. Interestingly, the theories on the origins of bibimbap vary, as some claim that bibimbap was part of a king’s meal while others state it was a fast meal for farmers as they worked the fields.

“It was nice being able to also learn about the history of it and then actually apply that and make bibimbap with other people and share that culture,” KASA member Phoebe Wu ’27 said.

Wu further expressed her joy at seeing her culture being celebrated so well, a sentiment that Park echoed.

“I see sharing Korean culture with those around me as a way of expressing love,” Park said. “My culture is something that means a lot to me, and I want to be able to share that with those around me and give people who haven’t always had the same opportunities that I had to learn about Korean culture and to learn more about people who aren’t exactly like ourselves.”

Hosting an event centered on Korean food was not only directed to those who were unfamiliar with the dish, but also to those who grew up with bibimbap and find comfort in it, Park says.

“Somebody came up to me, and she was like, ‘I really like this event because the food tasted really good, and it tasted like the Korean food I had at home, and it made me feel better,’” Park said.

Overall, Park reflected on the event with pride and says it was a success. Though the KASA executive board spent a great deal of time preparing all the ingredients and planning the event, Park says they were able to revel in their efforts by eating the meal together and knowing they did something good for their community today.

“As an executive board for an organization, we’re trying to serve our members and the people and community the best that we can.” Park said. “So it’s always very rewarding to have the positive affirmation feedback.”

Currently, KASA is working to prepare for their Chuseok showcase in November, which will feature different aspects of Korean culture, such as its folklore and spiritual tales.

sports

THE FLAT HAT | Wednesday, October 25, 2023 | Page 9

WOMENʼS BASKETBALL

Tribe has high hopes for Dickerson Davis’ second season William and Mary welcomes six new players to Williamsburg this winter MAX GRILL FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR

William and Mary women’s basketball is back.

After a strong 2022-23 season, women’s basketball is returning to Kaplan Arena with the same goal it had last year — take the Coastal Athletic Association by storm.

Despite losing to Towson in the CAA semifinals last March, the 2022-23 season was more than an impressive campaign for the Green and Gold. In head coach Erin Dickerson Davis’ first season leading the team, William and Mary finished with an 18-13 overall record, winning a program-best 12 conference games along the way.

RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT

Sophomore guard Alexa Mikeska played the fifth-most minutes and scored the fifth-most points for the Tribe last season over her 23 starts as a true freshman.

This year’s team, however, comes back with an almost entirely different roster. Most notably, the Tribe saw graduate guards Riley Casey ’23, Sydney Wagner ’23 and senior forward Bre Bellamy ’23 leave the team after graduating in the spring. The trio was an integral piece of the Tribe’s success last season, both on and off the court. Casey, Wagner and Bellamy led the Tribe in scoring, averaging respectively 18, 16 and seven points per game. Casey and Wagner also lead the team in minutes played and three pointer field goals made, leaving a gaping hole in the Tribe’s offense heading into this season.

To fill those gaps, the Tribe brought in a strong class of recruits and transfers to keep last season’s momentum rolling into November.

Freshman guards Cassidy Geddes and Monet Dance come to Williamsburg to replenish the Tribes backcourt, while freshman forward Cate Carlson looks to add depth to an experienced Tribe frontcourt. From the transfer portal, the Tribe added junior Bella Nascimento, a guard from Manhattan College, junior Anahi-Lee Cauley, a forward from Villanova and graduate student Nylah Young, a forward from CAA rival Hampton.

Young, who was named to this season’s CAA Preseason Second Team, tormented the CAA last year as a member of the Pirates. In 21 starts, Young averaged an impressive 14.1 points per game, marking the ninth highest in the conference that season. She also ranked 15th in rebounding, averaging six a game. Along with two double-doubles, Young scored 20+ points in eight different games as a senior, including a season-high 25 in a loss to William and Mary on Feb. 3.

When asked about her presence, Dickerson Davis expressed great anticipation regarding how well Young will integrate into the team this season.

“We’re going to play her in every position to be successful,” Dickerson Davis said. “She is expanding in her game, which is what I’m most excited about. I’m excited for you guys to see that as well, but she’s going to be a very important part of what we do.”

Young is equally happy to be in Williamsburg.

“I really appreciate the support, the conversations we have, everything just feels right here,” Young said. “I’m really excited for this new team, and I’m really excited to see what we do in the CAA this year.”

Despite the six new players William and Mary brought in this season, the Tribe will still heavily rely on the experience of their returning players. Senior forwards Kayla Beckwith and Rebekah Frisby-Smith and sophomore guard Alexa Mikeska all saw solid action last season and will each look to step into larger roles this season.

Dickerson Davis thinks blending last year’s experience with this year’s new talent will create a strong team chemistry, similar to the one that helped the Tribe perform so well last season.

“A lot of our returners are back and they know exactly what it takes to win in this league,” Dickerson Davis said. “They are working really hard and they just show the newcomers exactly what it was going to take for us to be successful, so everything is shaping up pretty nicely.”

Along with the new personnel, this year’s team will also approach the offensive side of the ball a little differently than last season. The

Tribe heavily relied on three pointers last year. Seven hundred of the team’s 1887 shots in the 2022-23 season were threes, and although the Tribe shot a decent 32% in those attempts, coach Dickerson Davis is planning on utilizing the team’s other strengths in combination with the long ball to wreak havoc on offense this season.

“I think that we are a lot more versatile this year than we were last year,” Dickerson Davis said. “We are still shooting threes — a couple too many, at some practices, but because we are so much more versatile now, we are looking a lot into the paint.”

As the team gets closer and closer to the beginning of its season, Dickerson Davis also touched upon how fortunate the team is to be healthy.

“We have most of our team healthy right now, which is very good going into these first couple of games,” she said.

Overall, Tribe fans should be more than optimistic for this year’s team. Despite its different roster and altered playing style, the Green and Gold are hungrier than ever to keep improving and ultimately bring a CAA title back home to Williamsburg.

“It’s different, and that’s okay,” Dickerson Davis said. “We’re just going to enjoy the process.”

The Tribe will open its season Nov. 6 against Norfolk State in Kaplan Arena in Williamsburg, Va.

RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT

Senior center Kayla Beckwith will look to step into a larger leadership role both on and off the court this season in her fourth year with William and Mary.

WOMENʼS SOCCER

William and Mary outmatched by CAA rival Towson, loses 3-0

Tribe loses first game at home, still qualifies for CAA quarterfinals LACI MILLER FLAT HAT SPORTS ASSOC.

Thursday, Oct. 19, William and Mary women’s soccer (9-3-6, 6-3-3 CAA) lost 3-0 to Towson (12-2-2, 8-1-2 CAA) at Martin Family Stadium in Williamsburg, Va. The conference matchup against visiting Towson marked William and Mary’s first home loss of the season.

It was a dominant offensive performance from Towson, starting off hot with an early shot that just missed off target in the third minute. The visitors managed to connect in the 11th minute into the top right corner of the net from a strike by senior forward Jasmine Hamid.

Junior goalkeeper Morgan Wood was in the goal for the Tribe, making a key save in the

34th minute to keep the deficit to one. In the entire first half, William and Mary only took one shot on target. A free kick from freshman midfielder Lindsay Wilson played to fifthyear midfielder Jillian O’Toole, whose header was barely deflected by Towson’s goalkeeper.

The first half concluded with the Tribe trailing 1-0.

Eight minutes into the second half, Towson struck again with a goal from senior forward Nia Christopher to extend the lead to two. A Towson scoring chance arose after William and Mary received a penalty in the 63rd minute, sending Hamid to take a penalty kick that missed just left of the goal. Three minutes later, another penalty was called, RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT giving Hamid the opportunity to redeem The Tribeʼs offense was shutout out for just the fifth time the last attempt. This time, she finished the this season, marking its third shutout loss of the 2023 season.

MENʼS BASKETBALL

attempt, converting the goal to make it a 3-0 Towson lead.

Despite offensive efforts from the offense led by sophomore forward Ivey Crain — who had a shot on goal saved in the 73rd minute — the Tribe could not close their deficit.

William and Mary was handed its third loss of the season, its first loss at home, with a final score of 3-0. Though the Tribe fell to Towson, they still clinched a spot in the Coastal Athletic Association tournament, so its season will continue past the regular season for the second year in a row.

The Tribe ended their regular season with a 2-1 win against Northeastern (8-4-5, 6-24) on Oct. 22. William and Mary will play the Huskies again on Thursday, Oct. 26 in the CAA quarterfinals.

FIELD HOCKEY

Tribe future looks bright Green and Gold beats Monmouth

Finished 13-20 in 2022-23 Team continues strong conference play SYDNEY WITWER FLAT HAT SPORTS

William and Mary’s men’s basketball team is about two weeks from the beginning of its 2023-24 season.

In its last season, the Tribe had a 13-20 record, and were 7-11 in Coastal Athletic Association conference play. Most of its wins were in home games, as they went 11-5 compared to its away record of 1-14.

While this may not have been the season the Tribe wanted, the team is preparing for a different outcome this year.

While many teams rely on a group of seniors to lead them, the Tribe differs, having only a single senior in Jake Milkereit. Hailing from Dallas, Tx, Milkereit is looking forward to his final season with the Tribe. Regarding the roster of the team this season, he expressed optimism and anticipation of the team’s newcomers.

“Out of all the teams at William and Mary I’ve been on, I think we have the most talent this year in terms of depth,” Milkereit said. “Every guy on our roster has a chance to play significant minutes, and that’s something we haven’t had in the past.”

Freshman guard Jayden Lemond is one of these newcomers. Lemond is

from Marietta, Ga and attended his prep years at Blair Academy in New Jersey. In his prep career, Lemond was a three-star recruit that was ranked 34th nationally in his recruiting class. He was a major contributor at Blair Academy and helped lead them to the state finals.

The second newcomer for the Tribe this year is freshman forward Tai Hamilton. He only played basketball for the last two years of high school, but nonetheless was selected for the Queen City All-Star game in 2023 and led the state of North Carolina with 4.6 blocks per game in the 2021-22 season.

Amongst these newcomers, graduate student Sean Houpt joins the Tribe as a transfer from Florida Institute of Technology. Houpt spent his prior years at Florida as a guard and earned the title of D2CCA AllSouth Region Second Team. He started all 28 games in his senior season and hopes to make a change in the Tribe’s record.

Junior Caleb Dorsey also joins the Tribe after his career at Pennsylvania State from 2020-23. Dorsey is joining the Tribe for this season and will play with his younger brother junior Gabe Dorsey.

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MADDIE MOHAMADI THE FLAT HAT

Friday, Oct. 20, William and Mary field hockey (7-8, 4-2 CAA) defeated Monmouth (10-5, 4-1 CAA) 3-2 at Busch Field in Williamsburg, Va. Tribe field hockey’s victory placed them second in CAA standings, one slot behind the Hawks, and secured the team a spot in the 2023 CAA tournament.

With six offensive penalty corners and seven shots on goal, the Tribe’s recipe for success was capitalizing on quick rebounds and scoring opportunities.

Though Monmouth junior forward Sofia Fouces — who leads the CAA in points and goals — scored in the second minute, Tribe field hockey bounced back, scoring two goals in the third and sixth minutes, respectively.

Junior forward Kellen Richbourg scored William and Mary’s first goal, receiving the ball from senior midfielder Jayden Moon and shooting from the right side of the circle. The equalizer marked Richbourg’s first goal for the Tribe.

Fifth-year forward Lauren Curran scored the Tribe’s second goal of the

match on a reverse hit. Sophomore midfielder Olivia Stocks assisted the goal, passing the ball to Curran from the right side of the circle.

Scored by Curran again, the Tribe’s third goal — which head coach Tess Ellis described as a “perfect play” — came in the 38th minute during an offensive corner. Assisted by fifth-year defender Audrey Domovich, who sweeped the ball at the top of the circle, Curran tipped the ball over Monmouth freshman goalkeeper Jessie Eiselin and into the goal.

“We knew that we would have a huge opportunity to get shots on cage on penalty corners, so we were really working to put pressure on the goalkeeper and get some rebounds,” Ellis said.

Defensively, senior goalkeeper Maddie George saved five of Monmouth’s seven shots on goal. The Hawks did not score any goals on its four offensive penalty corners.

Assisted by Monmouth freshman midfielder Lauren Relik and scored by Fouces, the Hawks’ second goal came in the 18th minute.

With five minutes left in the game, Monmouth pulled Eiselin for a player advantage, eventually earning two

penalty corners in the 57th and 60th minutes, respectively. George saved Fouces’ attempt for a hat trick in the 57th minute, and Monmouth freshman defender Anna Moors’ shot fell wide under defensive pressure in the 60th minute.

Ellis identified areas for improvement under high-pressure defensive situations.

“Them pulling a goalkeeper is a big play for them, which means we needed to step up our defending,” Ellis said. “We’ve just got to be confident that we have the ability to match up anybody.”

Tribe field hockey’s victory marked the first time since 2021 the team made it to the CAA Tournament. Last year, William and Mary tied 3-3 in CAA games to Northeastern and Drexel, but ultimately did not qualify due to a lower goal differential.

“It’s a better feeling that we qualified ourselves and not sitting on a bench waiting for somebody to win or lose,” Ellis said. “It’s a confidence builder if you do it by yourself.”

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