The Flat Hat March 14, 2017

Page 1

Vol. 107, Iss. 6 | Tuesday, March 14, 2017

The Flat Hat The Weekly Student Newspaper

of The College of William and Mary

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HOUSING

City votes 4-0 on Days Inn Hotel to house students in 2017 SARAH SMITH FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR

March 8, the City of Williamsburg’s City Council voted 4-0 to allow students to move into the Days Inn hotel on the 900 block of Richmond Road. City Council member Scott Foster ’10, J.D. ’14 recused himself because his wife is employed at the College of William and Mary. This decision comes after the William and Mary Real Estate Foundation filed two requests with the City to renovate the 102room hotel as a dorm for 180 students. Because the Real Estate Foundation was the organization making this purchase, it had to go through the City’s special use permit process. During the City’s Planning Commission meeting in February, Williamsburg residents voiced their concerns about having 180 students, the original number requested by the Real Estate Foundation, living that close to their homes. Following these presentations, the Planning Commission voted to conditionally approve the proposal but recommended that only 80 students be allowed to live there. The City Council’s decision to approve the proposal also comes with a 10-year “sunset clause” that would limit the special use permit’s length. It also voted in favor of the installation of bike racks, fences and landscaping and to require the College to submit a parking plan before opening the dorm. Depending on the completion of renovations, the Days Inn should be housing students as early as the 2017-18 academic year.

STUDENT CHARGED WITH ABDUCTION Feb. 27, the College of William and Mary Police Department arrested Tejaswi Shrestha ’18 on one count of felony abduction and two misdemeanor counts of assault. Following his arrest, WMPD issued a trespass notice prohibiting Shrestha from coming to campus until his case is resolved. The abduction charge and one of the assault charges are from an offense on Dec. 14, 2016, in which Shrestha is accused of assaulting another student and holding her against her will in Preston Hall, the dorm in which he resides. These charges were reported to WMPD Feb. 26. The second assault charge was made Feb. 26 when he was accused of assaulting the same student that day at One Tribe Place. Shrestha was transported to Virginia Regional Peninsula Jail following his arrest. His hearing is scheduled at 2 p.m. March 21. Spokesperson Suzanne Seurattan said it would be university practice for a student charged with a crime to face campus disciplinary actions. — Flat Hat News Editor Sarah Smith

O’Dea, Levine kick off campaigns Presidential, senatorial candidates begin race to 2017 elections SARAH SMITH // FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR The 324th session of the College of William and Mary’s Student Assembly saw the creation of a website designed to let students review local landlords, the codification of support for immigrants and victims of sexual assault, and the purchase of water for students affected by lead levels in Jefferson Hall. Students will elect new representatives March 23, marking the end of this SA session. This year’s contenders for SA President are current Chairman of the Senate Danny O’Dea ’18 and Elijah Levine ’18. Their running mates are Nami Srikanth ’18 and Sen. Annelise Yackow ’18, respectively. O’Dea, who has been a member of the SA senate since his freshman year, said that his experience this year as chairman of the senate would help him fulfill the position of SA president. “I ran for Student Assembly Senate as a freshman because I’ve grown up believing that, when you have the opportunity to help someone, you have the responsibility to help someone,” O’Dea said. “I have an immense love for the College as well as the extraordinary opportunity to change it for the better, and those are two facts I am extremely conscious of every time I walk into the senate, with every bill I

write and with every time I speak. In my time in the senate I have been able to sponsor bills that help sexual assault survivors, work for community service events that help the campus and our town around us and promote a Student Assembly that takes a more active interest in the student body.” Levine, who has never held a position in SA, said that he and Yackow’s platform is based on ideas and experiences of students who are “silenced” because of their identities. The platform is two-pronged, and Levine said he aims to dissolve cultural biases with institutional measures to foster a community of awareness. “SA and other arbiters of power espouse democracy so much. We feel it’s time to live up to those ideals and give students the floor,” Levine said. “This means activating the potential of student groups by connecting them to the resources they need to carry out their missions, thus empowering them. As a three-year member of SA, Annelise has the institutional knowledge to effectively run the senate, and I’ve made student connections that position me as a unique insider, living within the student body unhampered by the distance that accompanies years

in SA.” Current Class of 2018 President Laini Boyd ’18, Class of 2019 President Jonah Yesowitz ’19 and Class of 2020 President Kelsey Vita ’20 are running unopposed for re-election. Yesowitz, who faced opposition last year when he ran for re-election, said that he feels that no matter what, it is his job to make the College a better place. “William and Mary is consistently ranked to have one of the smartest student bodies in the country,” Yesowitz said. “As representatives of this body, it’s our duty to exceed the expectations of this base. We are put into a position where we can enact lasting change and have the responsibility to take that seriously and actually walk the walk. My promise has always been that I would do all I can to make William and Mary a better campus for everybody, and whether I’m running against nine other candidates or unopposed, that promise will never change.” Joining current Sen. Alaina Shreves ’18 and Sen. Colleen Heberle ’18 are Jack Bowden ’18 and William Jackson ’18 in the race to represent the class of 2018 See STUDENT ASSEMBLY page 4

MENTAL HEALTH

Student translates mental health resources into Chinese Confucius Institute sponsored ‘translate-a-thon’ event for $500 NIA KITCHIN FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR

Students at College of William and Mary worked to translate mental health information from English to Chinese April 20, 2016. This event brought together Chinese learners and speakers to help translate the information and begin a conversation about mental health within the community. This “translate-a-thon” was organized in order to raise awareness about mental health among Chinese-American and international students. It was also intended to help eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health in the Chinese-American and international community. By discussing this topic openly, the organizers hoped to reduce this stigma. Howe Wang ’16 organized the translate-a-thon last year. He said he did not intend for the event to encourage people to seek help but rather to start a conversation. He also said he was excited about the

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COURTESY PHOTOS / ELIJAH LEVINE AND ANNELISE YACKOW, DANNY O’DEA AND NAMI SRIKANTH

SA presidential contenders Danny O’Dea ‘18 and Elijah Levine ‘18 announced their campaigns March 13. Elections will conclude March 23 after students vote throughout that day over eletronic ballots.

possibility of friendships forming between the native and nonnative speakers during the event. “I want to create a closer community where people are more comfortable to talk about mental health and to reduce the language barrier that might prevent these conversations,” Wang said. The event paired together a native and non-native speaker who worked together to translate mental health pamphlets from English to Chinese. The pamphlets were provided by the Counseling Center. The pamphlets were from the University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign’s Counseling Center Self-Help Brochures and included topics such as coming out, crosscultural journey for international students, relationship readyness, identifying eating disorders, racism and race-related stress, self-confidence, suicide prevention, understanding and treating anxiety, and understanding and treating depression. “I first went to the counseling

center to see what sort of materials they had easily accessible to the public and they had a bunch of pamphlets regarding a variety of topics, so that’s what I used,” Wang said. Director of First Year Experience Lauren Garrett helped to distribute the translated information during the new student and family events in China last summer. Garrett said she would like to see this partnership continue. Garrett said that the translated pamphlets helped to engage new students and families in conversations about personal health and wellness, especially during the student’s transition into university life. “The idea of many students working together to translate W&M documents for their incoming peers is a heartwarming thought, and quite in character for our student body,” Garrett said in an email. “W&M students tend to be extremely caring of one another and keen on supporting new students.” Associate Director of the

Rain, High 52, Low 27

The College of William and Mary Police Department has charged Rakeem James, a 24-year-old resident of the City of Williamsburg, with a misdemeanor count of reckless handling of a firearm and a misdemeanor count of discharging a firearm in public following an incident where shots were fired near Stadium Drive Feb. 26. James is scheduled to appear in court March 21. He was served warrants for the two misdemeanor charges, which only required his signature. He has not been taken into custody. In an email sent out later that morning, WMPD Chief of Police Deb Cheesebro said that WMPD had detained five suspects involved in the shooting. At that time, no charges had been filed against any of the suspects. While the other four initial suspects have not been charged, College spokesperson Suzanne Seurattan said that WMPD does not anticipate any other charges in this case. — Flat Hat News Editor Sarah Smith

Inside Variety

Inside Opinions

The ethics of wearing green and gold

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Confucius Center Ying Liu Ph.D. helped with publicity and funding for the translate-a-thon. The Confucius Institute sponsored the event and provided $500 for the event, including catering. Liu said that the mental health information would be very helpful for Chinese students and their families to have access to. She emphasized that this would allow parents of the students to have access to mental health information as well. Liu said that some Chinese speakers do not consider mental health an issue or something to be fixed. Instead, they think it is something that will simply go away eventually. She said they would sometimes not consider treatment for depression or bipolar disorder in the ChineseAmerican community. She said that these translated pamphlets would bring awareness to this issue. Liu said that after the event the Confucius Institute edited the translated information and then sent it to the Reves Center for International Studies.

WMPD SERVES WARRANT

Phebe Meyer ’18 discusses her involvement in The Committee on Social Responsibility in Manufacturing and its role in ensuring only ethical vendors are used to produce collegiate apparel. page 5

Two Bands, Ten Shows, Ten Cities

Two student bands, Swete Dreams and Talk to Plants, look back on their spring break tour. page 7


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THE BUZZ

I ran for Student Assembly Senate as a freshman because I’ve grown up believing that, when you have the opportunity to help someone, you have the responsibility to help someone. — Chairman of the Senate Danny O’Dea ‘18 when speaking about his SA presidential campaign

Now it’s easier than ever to stay upto-date on all on-campus news.

Ken Kambis talks climbing mountains, altitude research HENRY BLACKBURN // FLAT HAT ASSOC. NEWS EDITOR

Page 2 Spotlight

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theflatchat A THOUSAND WORDS

A researcher in the field of high-altitude sickness, a mountain climber, and a collector of guitars— kinesiology professor Ken Kambis does it all. One of his current projects involves testing subjects at sea level and then seeing how they react to quickly entering a high-altitude setting. He conducts this research with the United States Army Institute of Environmental Medicine and works in its laboratory, located on the top of Pike’s Peak mountain in Colorado.

I always tell my friends that the thing about hiking up to high altitudes is that it’s the only way you get to see some of the most spectacular sights in the world — Joel

LEONOR GRAVE / 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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“That laboratory, it’s been around for around 35 years, is one of the best in the world,” Kambis said. “We can fit 16 people there to study their responses to highaltitude exposure. After all, educating people is one thing. Trying to find a fix to reduce the severity of the response is something else.” When not at Pike’s Peak, Kambis spends his time conducting research in Adair Hall. He said he specifically works on high-altitude research with an isolation chamber called a normobaric hypoxia chamber, which sits in his laboratory. “What we do is extract oxygen that enters into that chamber to a level that mimics the same partial pressure that oxygen would exert at a variety of altitudes,” Kambis said. “That chamber can simulate altitudes up to 25,000 feet. I’m continuing my research with USARIEM here with these simple noninvasive sea-level tests on campus.” Kambis said that anyone who likes to travel to mountainous areas could benefit from breakthroughs in his studies. “The key to avoid acute mountain sickness is to go up slowly, but nobody does that anymore,” Kambis said. “If you have a week off for break to go ski, you’re not going to spend three days climbing up slowly to adjust to the altitude. You’re going to go up immediately and try to get the most out of your break.” Before studying altitude sickness, Kambis was an associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he studied football injuries ranging from muscle overexertion to head injuries. Kambis also said he is an avid mountain climber. He said he is especially fond of the 14,000-foot mountains, or “14ers,” in Colorado. “My last ascent was about two years ago,” Kambis said. “I injured my knee coming

down a mountain about two years ago and had it replaced. That was part of the process of rehabilitating, which I’m still doing before I go back up there again.” Kambis mentioned that the last mountain he climbed is still officially unnamed. It sits on the south end of Mount Elbert, the tallest mountain in Colorado, and has the unofficial and unrecognized name of South Elbert. Kambis has, however, tried on two occasions to change the official name to either Mount William and Mary or William and Mary Peak. “I was voted down by the committee in Washington both times, but I haven’t given up yet,” Kambis said. “I still plan to go back up there again, and I’m still looking at ways to make it official. It won’t be on any federallyrecognized map, but we can call it Mount William and Mary as long as we want to.” Kambis also said that he knew Jacob Moses “Jack” Borgenicht, a mountain climber who held the record for the oldest man to climb Mount Rainier. Kambis said that Borgenicht became an inspiration for his climbing career and research. “Jack was a great man, wonderful personality and an all-around good person to be around,” Kambis said. “He’s the one who actually got me into high-altitude research. He was always in excellent physical shape and held his record for 12 years, I think. It was unbelievable.” When he’s not climbing or busy in a laboratory, Kambis said he also has an interest in collecting guitars and has known professional guitar makers throughout his life. Two of his favorite guitars were made by the guitar maker Jimmy D’Aquisto, who was considered to be the best luthiers from the

1960s until his death in 1995. “I actually knew Jimmy personally,” Kambis said. “He made a pair of guitars for me, and they were the only pair of guitars that he ever made that belonged to a set. I sold them a few years back but I’ve been trying to get them back ever since. I was able to buy one back, but I’m still working to get the other.” Kambis also owns guitars autographed by musician Chet Atkins and guitar maker Les Paul. He said that he treasures these instruments but does not view them as the best in his collection. “I’m trying to sell off most of my collection so I can buy back the other D’Aquisto [guitar],” Kambis said. “I have three Les Paul signatures, but two he autographed to me personally, which I can only sell to someone named ‘Ken,’ so we’ll see about that.” Kambis said that mountain climbing gave him some of his best memories of his life. From experiencing spectacular sunrises to looking out across the Colorado landscape, he said nothing can ever compare to being on top of a mountain. “I always tell my friends that the thing about hiking up to high altitudes is that it’s the only way you get to see some of the most spectacular sights in the world,” Kambis said. “You could fly, take a helicopter, but walking up a mountain and getting above timber line exposes you to an entirely new environment. I really encourage people who have thought about it to do it. Safely, of course.”

HENRY BLACKBURN / THE FLAT HAT

Kinesiology professor Ken Kambis researches high altitude sickness at the College of William and Mary.

POLICE BEAT

March 10 - 12 1

Friday, March 10 — A runaway juvenile was reported on Jefferson Street.

2

Friday, March 10 — Sabrina Holt was arrested for defrauding hotels at King Arthur Drive.

3

Saturday, March 11 — Counterfeiting and forgery was reported on Richmond Road.

4

Sunday, March 12 — A simple assault was reported on New Hope Road.


The Flat Hat

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Page 3

GOVERNMENT

Virginia gerrymandering case sent to lower court Students, professors voice concerns about possibility of racial districting in the Commonwealth NOAH PETERSEN FLAT HAT ASSOC. NEWS EDITOR

March 1, the U.S. Supreme Court referred a case back to a lower court to reconsider whether voting districts for the Virginia House of Delegates were unconstitutionally drawn to sequester AfricanAmerican voters. The case, Bethune-Hill v. Virginia State Board of Elections, featured one voter from 12 different districts, challenging whether the General Assembly racially gerrymandered its districts after the 2010 census. The decision concurred with the lower court that House District 75 was unconstitutionally drawn based on race and remanded the other 11 districts to the lower court for further review. Government professor John McGlennon said that he believes the Supreme Court’s ruling sided with the plaintiff’s position that the districts were unfairly drawn. “The contention of the plaintiffs in this case is that what the Republicans did when they drew the lines is that they found as many African-American voters as they could and packed them into the smallest number of districts possible, knowing that they’re the most strongly Democratic voting block of all,” McGlennon said. Delegate Mike Mullin (D-Newport News) said that he views this ruling as a milestone in a growing movement to reduce gerrymandering in Virginia politics and thinks that the issue of gerrymandering crosses party lines. “There is momentum building every day on this issue,” Mullin said. “Only a couple of years ago people

weren’t even aware that this was a problem. Both sides need to be held accountable for this. This is not a partisan issue, it is an ethical one.” All 100 House of Delegates members are up for reelection this year and Mullin said that he believes that redistricting reform should be a crucial issue leading up to November. “It’s a fundamental threat to our democracy,” Mullin said. “I’m sure that there are people who might want to extend it to protect political incumbents, but this is the ethical issue of our time in politics. Every politician should be held to account for whether they stand for free and fair elections.” Republicans currently hold 67 out of the 100 seats in the House of Delegates, which features districts that, according to Mullin, rarely change party representation. “In 2015, 93 out of 100 House of Delegates seats were essentially uncompetitive,” Mullin said. “Either a Republican or Democrat would remain in that seat. The 93 [district], that I represent, is one of the seven that is hotly contested and competitive.” In January, Delegate Steve Landes (R-25) proposed an amendment to the Virginia Constitution designed to ensure fair redistricting measures. A section of the proposed amendment states: “No electoral district shall be drawn for the purpose of favoring or disfavoring any political party, incumbent legislator, member of Congress, or other individual or entity.” “That is the most simple and fair language that could possibly be written,” Mullin said. “I don’t know how anyone could be against that. That is fundamentally good and ethical government in one sentence.”

The amendment died after an unrecorded vote in a House subcommittee meeting Jan. 30. While the decision was released more than eight months before the upcoming election, McGlennon said he does not believe the districts will be redrawn in time. “We’re probably talking about too much time before they reach a decision that would affect this November’s election,” McGlennon said. “So the odds are that it would affect the 2019 House of Delegates election.” As the 2020 census nears, organizations like One Virginia 2021 are seeking to amend the Virginia Constitution and create an independent panel responsible for redrawing districts. State Senator Monty Mason ’89 (D-Williamsburg) supports these efforts and said he believes that objections to its proposed reforms are not strong. “One fairly weak, I believe, argument against that is that you will never get a completely nonpartisan panel,” Mason said. “But, you can certainly have a more impartial panel do a better job of it, taking the politics of the individual body drawing it out of play.” Even though competitive districts are not possible in all areas of the Commonwealth, Mason thinks that reform will benefit Virginia’s elections. “Let’s say you’re not going to be able to draw 100 competitive districts just because the lay of the land and the way people lean in certain parts of the state, but what if you drew 60,” Mason said. “Whatever the number may be, more competition spread out among the state will attract the best and the brightest to run, spread the resources out among the parties so they can’t just bear down on seven or eight seats and try to flip them every time.”

McGlennon said he understands the potential benefits of an amendment but is skeptical that one can be passed. “I think the courts are looking at these decisions now, and they are coming to the conclusion that there is no way that you can get the legislatures to voluntarily give up their control, and so you have to do it through the courts,” McGlennon said. Young Democrats Vice President Greg Akerman ’19 said he believes that students need to learn about gerrymandering because it will affect them throughout their lives. “Gerrymandering as just an issue is probably the one thing that’s going to keep on affecting young people for generations to come,” Akerman said. “Democrats, actually, in Virginia gerrymandered in the [19]60s basically until the early 2000s, and it kept control in Democratic hands.” Akerman said he also believes that the Supreme Court ruling is a sign of progress, but that there is still significant work left. “What the Supreme Court has said is that racial gerrymandering is completely illegal,” Akerman said. “So you’re not allowed to pack large minority populations into districts unfairly and uncontiguously. But what you are allowed to do is take away race and say that ‘I just want to pack all my voters into my district’.” McGlennon hopes that the Supreme Court will remove this ability through future rulings to protect democratic principles in the states. “If you want government to represent the will of the people then you have to have a mechanism in which the people’s voices can be heard,” McGlennon said.

ACADEMICS

House Bill requires institutions to accept American Sign Language

American Sign Language club discusses deaf resources, credit at the College HEATHER BAIER FLAT HAT ASSOC. NEWS EDITOR

Virginia House of Delegates Bill 1512, signed March 3 by Gov. Terry McAuliffe, will require public institutions of higher education to count credit for American Sign Language courses toward completion of the foreign language entrance, placement and credit requirements. This bill will be effective July 1, 2017. At the College of William and Mary, credit is offered for ASL courses if they have been completed up to the equivalent of the 202 level. This credit can be used to fulfill the foreign language proficiency requirement. However, transfer credit is not granted for ASL courses taken outside the College. “We do not offer ASL,” Dean of Undergraduate Studies Janice Zeman said in an email. “If a student enters W&M with four years of ASL in high school or with the equivalent of 202 in ASL from an accredited college, then the student will have fulfilled our Foreign Language Proficiency [but will not receive college credits]. For three specific courses in the Virginia Community College System, we do grant transfer credit as outlined in the Transfer Guide. Otherwise, we have not established transfer equivalencies, so generally there is no transfer credit granted, since we’ve no equivalent courses to grant it for.” Sign Language Club President Jenny Harlow ’17 completed a three-year ASL program at Maggie Walker Governor’s School during high school and said that she had hoped that upon being accepted to the College, she would be able to transfer her credit. “I got accepted to William and Mary in 2012 and I went on their website to see if I could get credit for sign language … I found the website, and they actually had a little section that specifically said American Sign Language is not accepted as it does not fulfill our language requirement,” Harlow said. “This is super problematic

because sign language is a real language … and I kind of just accepted that my three years of sign language would not be awarded any sort of credit.” Harlow said that while students at the College can choose other languages to fulfill their foreign language proficiency, offering credit for ASL courses could potentially attract students who are deaf or hard of hearing. “I talked to a lot of prospective students at Day for Admitted Students, and some of them have actually said I’m interested in William and Mary, but they don’t accept my sign language credit, or I’m interested but there’s no classes here for sign language, and I say well you can come to sign language club,” Harlow said. “I do think that this bill would definitely encourage people with a sign language background to be more interested in William and Mary.” Philp Woodward ’01, J.D. ’04 founded the original Sign Language Club at the College in 1998. He started the club to teach informal sign language lessons to students who were interested in the language, but he also petitioned the College to offer ASL classes. “As a freshman at W&M in 1998, I started a petition for W&M to offer American Sign Language (ASL) as a foreign language for academic credit in 1998, and I submitted the petition with 256 signatures to the Linguistics and Interdisciplinary Studies programs, which decided to offer courses for academic credit from 1999 until budget cuts were required in 2003,” Woodward said in an email. Other Virginia colleges and universities offer ASL courses on campus. Liberty University recently designed an ASL major, and community colleges such as Northern Virginia Community College and Central Virginia Community College offer courses in American Sign Language and ASL interpretation. “In my hometown, Richmond, VA, Deaf culture was a big deal

and in Williamsburg, I saw no space for the celebration of Deaf culture,” co-founder of the current Sign Language Club Merci Best ’17 said. “I also wanted William and Mary to move towards counting ASL language credits as foreign language credits, as I knew other schools in Virginia were doing.” The University of Virginia has a five-semester ASL program that also offers a guest lecture series and Deaf studies courses that cover history, literature and theater. “As a hearing person, I can never identify with the experience of a deaf student, but I can only imagine the isolation that an individual could feel if at the least their culture and identity was not even given credit,” Best said in an email. “By failing to work towards recognizing ASL credits William & Mary may run the risk of turning away potential applicants and the culture they identify with.” During Woodward’s time on campus, the American Sign Language Club worked to promote awareness of the Deaf and hard of hearing communities. Woodward met his wife, Lyla Woodward ’03, after signing while working as on Orientation Aide. He said that he inspired her to join the club, and she later became its president and went to on to become a developmental therapist for children with disabilities. “People who are deaf and hard of hearing make up as much as 10 percent of the population, especially as seniors age and lose their hearing,” Woodward said. “Many children with developmental disabilities and delays can learn to communicate their wants and needs in sign language before they start speaking. So, there are many reasons for students in today’s global environment to learn sign language or learn how to communicate effectively with people who are deaf and hard of hearing and people whose disabilities make them unable to use their voices.”

WILLIAMSBURG

Virginia senate goes on vacation: Airbnb bill allows localities to regulate short-term rentals Senator, City Mayor discuss challenges of moderating internet-based businesses not required to undergo strict monitoring in the modern age SARAH SMITH FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR

March 13, Virginia Senate Bill 1578 was sent to Governor Terry McAuliffe to await his signature. If signed, this bill would authorize localities, like the City of Williamsburg, to require people using their property for short-term rentals to register themselves or pay fines of up to $500 for failing to comply. For Williamsburg, this would mean that similar zoning regulations would be placed on people renting through Airbnb or similar sites as on owners of bed and breakfasts. The bill, introduced by Senator Tommy Norment (R-Williamsburg) passed in the Senate Feb. 7 and passed in the Virginia House of Delegates Feb. 22. McAuliffe now has until March 27 to take action on the bill. Norment did not respond to a request for comment on his bill. According to Senator Monty Mason ’89 (D-Williamsburg), this bill will allow localities like Williamsburg to have control over internetbased economic activity. It applies to properties rented out for periods of 30 days or less. “I’ll tell you what is of critical importance is that we protect the character of neighborhoods of course, but if you are going to engage in Airbnb activities, that you are properly accounting for and collecting the rooms tax and the appropriate sales tax,” Mason said. “Because you know, I live on the other side of Lake Matoaka, so if I decide to do this for a week at my house when we’re

out of town, let’s say, and then a half mile up the road there’s a bed and breakfast, and they’re collecting the rooms, the overnight occupancy tax and sales tax, we need a mechanism to make darn sure I am doing so as well. I think this balances the registration need.” City Mayor Paul Freiling ’83 said that he thought this bill would be beneficial to traditional business owners, because it would even the playing field. He said that he believes traditional businesses are at a disadvantage because they often lose business to internetbased businesses like Airbnb, Uber and Lyft, but have more regulations placed on them. Freiling compared SB 1578 to a bill introduced last year that was passed in the House and Senate but was shot down by McAuliffe. That bill would have effectively legalized short-term rentals like Airbnb, and gave lawmakers in Richmond the ability to override decisions made by localities. Freiling said that he believes SB 1578 is more so in the best interest of localities than HB 812. “This leaves the decision up to the localities,” Freiling said. “No matter their wisdom, lawmakers in Richmond can’t know the specific needs of communities, a blanket exception of zoning regulations or exception from local control through zoning would be unhealthy for many communities would give unfair advantages to internet-based businesses in a market where they already dominate.” Freiling said that he has seen issues

with internet-based businesses like Uber in Williamsburg. He cited an example of a cab driver he spoke with recently who said he has lost 60 percent of his business. Freiling said that he does not believe it is fair that this man has to go through regulatory procedures such as having all of his cars inspected while internetbased services like Uber and Lyft do not have to, and may be putting this man at risk of going out of business. “I think that both the state and local governments are interested in resolving this,” Freiling said. “It’s not a simple thing. I don’t know the future, but we are going to see more and more applications of internet-based businesses. It’s these traditional businesses that have built our tax base, we have to figure out a way for our economy to migrate there efficiently while not abandoning the traditional businesses that impact our communities. We’re not going to stop it, but we’re going to make sure that we aren’t allowing the internet-based businesses to crush these other business models without creating fairness. With our current regulations, they regulate the traditional, like those who own bed and breakfasts, across all business activities.” Mason said that he thinks this bill speaks to a greater trend of learning to regulate technological services that is relevant nationally and globally. He cited his experiences working for Visa, a

job he held for 13 years, where he said he saw the impact of Uber, Lyft and Airbnb from the standpoint of a payment network. “These modern and new technologies are absolutely changing the ground rules and the game for the economies that we do business with,” Mason said. “And so, in fact, I spoke to the public policy graduates last year, and I told them, I said ‘You Know, there’s an element to everyone of having to work your way up, of having to start somewhere and learn and move up, but you have a unique advantage in that you’ve grown up with technology, and we need your help right now, whether that’s from a governmental standpoint in determining how we regulate new businesses in these new economies or whether it’s a business that’s existed for some time trying to determine how they participate, what impact it’s going to have on them, or whether it’s just you getting involved in a new way to do business.’ So these disruptor economies are aptly named, but they’re coming, and in fact, they’re here, so there’s no reason to resist them. It’s just trying to figure out ways to do business with them to compete with them and to properly regulate them.” Representatives from Cedars Bed and Breakfast, A Williamsburg White House Bed and Breakfast and Colonial Gardens Bed and Breakfast did not respond to requests for comment on how they think this bill would affect them.


Page 4

The Flat Hat

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

WILLIAMSBURG

Shopping center sells for $13.3 million

Broad Street Realty plants to use land for businesses, residential housing

HEATHER BAIER FLAT HAT ASSOC. VARIETY EDITOR

The Williamsburg Shopping Center, located at the intersection of Monticello Avenue and Richmond Road, was sold to Broad Street Realty Jan. 6 for $13.3 million. The shopping center is currently home to ACE Hardware, Virginia ABC, Food Lion and Sal’s by Victor Restaurant. After a foreclosure in 2015, the shopping center passed through many hands before ending up in Broad Street Realty LLC’s portfolio. The original owner, DLC Management Corporation, based out of New York, stopped paying the mortgage, causing its foreclosure. A special servicer company, Torchlight Investors, then handled the shopping center on behalf of its Wall Street owners. The center was then sold to Broad Street Realty LLC by CBRE Group Inc., a commercial real estate company. “When it went into foreclosure in 2015 we knew that it was likely when it was sold to … another private property owner, that they may want to do redevelopment there, not just fill the shopping center buildings like they are now because it’s a prime piece of property in the city,” Economic Development Director for the City of Williamsburg Michelle DeWitt said. Now in the hands of Broad Street Reality, the shopping center’s future is still unknown. There are restrictions on what can be done with the property because Virginia is a Dillon’s Rule state, meaning that local governments are only allowed to do what state governments allow. There are also restrictions on what can be

done based on zoning areas within Williamsburg. Building height restrictions exist and there are limitations on the types of residential living areas that can be built in areas like Midtown, which is where the Williamsburg Shopping Center is located. “We’d like to see retail, entertainment, dining,” DeWitt said. “We think there’s a need for a hotel there and then we think residential [housing] probably is part of the redevelopment but that’s not allowed by the zoning currently.” DeWitt said that they hope to bring in new businesses that will help Williamsburg stand apart from nearby towns. The current goal is to turn the shopping center into vertical, mixed-use property, similar to Tribe Square, across from Blow Memorial Hall. She said they would also like to renovate the roads and sidewalks in the Midtown district. “What they’d like to see is a traditional grid system for the roads, so kind of like a small-town America,” DeWitt said. “So, they’re blocks so people feel comfortable biking and walking and driving and parking in those areas and they also said we’d like people living there in addition to commercial uses there. We’d love to see firstfloor commercial with two, three, four stories of residential above it.” Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration Sam Jones said that redeveloping the shopping center and bringing in new businesses will benefit Williamsburg as well as students at the College. “We’re encouraging anything around the College that would make your life a little bit

easier as a student and just give you some variety,” Jones said. “Williamsburg is interesting in that it’s a tourist town with a top-notch university here and, you now, I think sometimes we struggle with the balance between that, particularly with some of the businesses that are all around us.” Jones said that updating the shopping center could provide new jobs to students and could bring in businesses that offer long-term employment. Currently, the City relies on seasonal employment. “Well, we’re partners, right,” Jones said. “I mean, you know, we sit here within the City and if we are successful as a university it helps the City and if they are successful in terms of what they do in terms of economic development it can’t help but help us. If they’re successful, there are more job opportunities for our students or for graduates than there might be now.” Broad Street Realty is developing a plan for the shopping center, but the City has contacted them to share its vision. Broad Street Reality’s Marketing and Events Coordinator Rebecca Schwartz said it was too early in the planning process to provide accurate details as to its final plan. Schwartz said that it was important to retain certain stores in the shopping center, particularly Virginia ABC, and that she understood how they could be of importance to the City and the College. “We are pleased to become part of the Williamsburg community with ownership of

the shopping center,” Broad Street Reality CEO Michael Jacoby said in a press release. “We look forward to a strong relationship with the City of Williamsburg, our tenants and a solid return for our investors.” City Council member Benny Zhang ’16 said that he remains optimistic about Broad Street Realty’s intentions for the shopping center and that he expects Virginia ABC and Sal’s Restaurant to remain, as they are leading revenue generators for the City. However, he said he had concerns about the company’s interests. “I think our fears are, and it’s a legitimate fear, is that … redeveloping that entire place and making it multi-family, mixed-use apartments on top and retail on bottom — that’s a significant investment,” Zhang said. “There’s no reason to want to do that … Most of these developers just want to flip it in 10 years.” The vision for the shopping center that City officials like Zhang share is one that includes businesses for dining, shopping and entertainment with student and family housing above the shops. This vision expands beyond just the shopping center. “We really see the Williamsburg shopping area as the key to the identity of that Midtown planning area,” Zhang said. “We don’t know what’s going to happen. There’s a lot up in the air right now … It will change the identity of that entire part from Midtown to downtown in the long term in ways that Williamsburg has not envisioned yet.”

ACADEMICS

Former U.S. ambassador presents on global youth Shari Villarosa J.D. ’79 returns to Tucker Hall to talk with current students

NOAH PETERSEN FLAT HAT ASSOC. NEWS EDITOR

Wednesday, March 1, former United States ambassador Shari Villarosa J.D. ’79 returned to where she taught law classes 40 years ago, St. George Tucker Hall, to discuss the importance of youth engaging in a global world. Villarosa graduated from the College of William and Mary’s Marshall-Wythe School of Law and served in the U.S. Department of State, eventually becoming the ambassador to the Republic of Mauritius and the Republic of Seychelles. Prior to that, Villarosa was stationed in Burma, and acted in a position similar to ambassador. She spoke at the annual McSwainWalker Lecture, sponsored by the Reves Center for International Studies, on U.S. interaction with other countries. Her lecture was titled “Changing the World: How Today’s Youth Are Engaging Globally.” Villarosa focused on the benefits of globalization, and said that international competition strengthens markets and spreads

cultural traditions across national borders. According to Villarosa, there has been a “rapid” growth in the number of young people across the globe. She says that these young people have a substantial responsibility. “These young people are the future, not only in their countries, but for the world, just like you all are,” Villarosa said. “They can be a powerful force for change or can spark further violence and instability if they see limited prospects of getting ahead.” However, Villarosa said she has faith in the rising generation. “I am optimistic about the future because I have seen how young people, in particular, are curious about the rest of the world and grasp the benefits of information technology to connect across boundaries,” Villarosa said. Programs like the Young African Leaders Initiative, which brings young people from nations across Africa to U.S. universities to learn leadership skills for six weeks, encourage Villarosa. She also highlighted 20 young people she credits with developing their communities in Africa and Southeast Asia.

“I am a baby boomer,” Villarosa said. “We thought we would change the world. We did, but not necessarily only for the better. We also messed up a lot of things — problems we are passing along to you. I know that you will do better.” Before her lecture, Villarosa also met with students at the Institute for the Theory and Practice of International Relations to discuss her work in the Foreign Service. “I was genuinely interested in learning about the countries that I lived in,” Villarosa said. “I’m a history nut, I like going around, I like going to the markets and talking to people, I’ve learned the languages of most of the countries that I’ve been to — so just talking to ordinary people. I love that.” Villarosa said that she believes that engaging with people in other nations builds trust. During the 2002 Bali bombings in Indonesia, she used to walk the streets of the city, looking for potential threats. She still remembers complete strangers who would protect her when she encountered anti-American protesters.

Students such as Mackenzie Neal ’18 said that they enjoyed Villarosa’s positive tone and attended both the meeting and the lecture. “I’m very much an idealist, and seeing her come here and talk to us and spare some of her time and talk about the little things she loved the most — that just gives me a lot of hope,” Neal said. Neal is studying government and international relations and wants to enter the Foreign Service after graduation. She said she believes that meeting people like Villarosa has given her a better idea of how to promote trust. “Travel and meeting other people with different backgrounds and different religions — that is the only thing that is going to promote empathy, in my opinion,” Neal said. Vice Provost for International Affairs Steve Hanson said that the biggest messages in Villarosa’s lecture were her global perspective, shifting demographics and optimism about the future. He said that he believes that the former ambassador helps bridge the gap between higher education and real-world application.

“We talk about theory and method, and we believe in that, but this dimension of bringing it to the real world — that is something she can do better than anybody,” Hanson said. Hanson also said that Villarosa has helped him understand the practical sides of academic material and that he enjoys the balance his position at the College gives him. He said that she was an example of the best of both worlds with international relations. “People tend to debate international relations in the abstract, but so much of the action is actually just, you know, how much [time] you spent in a particular diplomacy program or how much you spent, you know, on setting up the embassy,” Hanson said. “It costs money. I have the best of both worlds. I can do that practical work, but then I am here in the university, which is a wonderful place.” He said that he believes that Villarosa’s hopeful attitude encourages others to feel the same way. “Her optimism is infectious and her view that the world is a better place — I do believe it as well,” Hanson said.

SA presidential contenders focus on inclusivity, representation Class presidents run unopposed, few newcomers join senatorial race for positions STUDENT ASSEMBLY from page 1

in the SA senate. Bel Kelly-Russo ’18 had declared her intention to run, but dropped before campaigns started March 13. Each of these four senatorial candidates is now running unopposed, as there are four open seats for class of 2018 senators. Bowden, a transfer student from Thomas Nelson Community College, said that he wants to represent students who are not currently represented in the senate. During his first semester at the College, Bowden has gotten involved with Ultimate Frisbee, Steer Clear and the Association for Computing Machinery. “I’ve decided to run for many reasons, the biggest being to represent under-heard voices and concerns at the university,” Bowden said in an email. “I transferred to William & Mary after completing an associate’s degree at Williamsburg’s community college, where I was elected Senator and later Vice President of the community college’s student government to represent Williamsburg students … one of the things I feel I may effectively improve amongst others is the transparency and coverage of Student Assembly through greater outreach to the Class of 2018 and the student body.” For the class of 2019, Sen. Alexis Payne ’19, Sen. Shannon Dutchie ’19, Sen. Sikander Zakriya ’19 and Sen. Brendan Boylan ’19 are joined by Alexander Galas ’19 in the race to represent the

class of 2019 in the senate. Payne, Dutchie, Zakriya and Boylan are all currently serving in their second terms as senators and running for re-election for a third term. Galas said he chose to run this year because he is dissatisfied with things at the College. He said that if elected, he wanted to use his position to make changes in what options artists have on campus. He said that while he is not more qualified than other candidates, his platform distinguishes him. He cited his experiences in his high school’s student government and with Model U.N. and Model U.S. Senate as background that prepares him for such a role. “As well as trying to support mental health, transparency, and diversity, I want to support our artists through the creation of a system hiring several artists to serve other students and RSOs,” Galas said in an email. “I would like to reform flex and make it more useful; serving on both the SA and SCC [Student Culinary Council] will give me the connections necessary to assess our opportunities here. Other points include making voting easier for those of us who have class, improving the paths (both in the woods and not) and making certain deadlines more reasonable, such as the two-day move out rule.” The class of 2020 race is made up of Sen. Sarah MacPhee ’20, Clare DaBaldo ’20, Ellie Thomas ’20 and Noah Ferris ’20 and

newcomers John Muchnikoff ’20 and Ben Russo ’20. Muchnikoff said the main areas of his platform focus on sustainability and environmentalism, mental health and student involvement in campus life. “I chose to run because I’ve always been really interested in changing the way that administrations operate,” Muchnikoff said in an email. “I like talking to people, and from that I hear a lot about what they think could be improved or what they’d like to see from the school in general. I believe that these concerns go unnoticed because people get so busy nowadays that they don’t have time to go out and try to make change for themselves. It is my belief that it is any representative body’s job to go out, hear what people have to say and make that change happen … Now that I’ve had some time to absorb what really needs attention on campus, I want to take the campus communities’ ideas and get them implemented.” Elections are March 23 and will be conducted by an electronic ballot that day. “I would love to see more brainstorming and ingenuity in this next session,” Yesowitz said. “The Student Assembly can sometimes limit itself with its own expectations and notions, and I want to see that stay with the 324th session. We need to think bigger, think bolder and focus our attention to how we can use the resources at our disposal to solve the big issues in creative new ways.”


opinions

Opinions Editor Jennifer Cosgrove Opinions Editor Julia Stumbaugh fhopinions@gmail.com // @theflathat

The Flat Hat

| Tuesday, March 14, 2017 | Page 5

STAFF COLUMN

What we can learn from the death of Overheard

Lexi Godfrey

FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER

JENNY COSGROVE / THE FLAT HAT

GUEST COLUMN

The ethics of wearing green and gold

Phebe Meyer

FLAT HAT GUEST COLUMNIST

When you walk into the Barnes and Noble in Williamsburg, do you ever wonder how clothing companies such as Under Armour or Nike produce apparel with the William and Mary cypher and name? Has it ever occurred to you to wonder what determines which clothing is sold through the College, or who made the products on display? I’ve been passionate about social justice issues in the manufacturing industry since high school. But I didn’t know the answers to these questions or about William and Mary’s commitment to ethical manufacturing until a professor told me about the Committee on Social Responsibility in Manufacturing. Now a part of the Committee, I’m proud to say that my school holds the same standards for consumption that I try to hold for myself. The Committee on Social Responsibility in Manufacturing is composed of students, faculty and administrators dedicated to seeing ethical labor practices upheld by the College and its affiliates. We work to maintain the relationship between William and Mary and their licensers, ensuring that any brands that display the school’s name and logo adhere to a certain ethical standard. The standard is set by the Worker Rights Consortium, which conducts research into companies’ manufacturing processes, reports on the factories of major brands, and works directly with employees to protect their rights. These rights include the right to join a movement, to be paid for overtime work, to have a safe and healthy workplace environment and to earn lawful wages. Protection of these rights are enforced by the College Licensing Company to which William and Mary

belongs. I was happy to learn that this affiliation is not a requirement for universities, which means William and Mary is actively committed to defending employee rights. The CLC serves as the middle man between college partners and their merchandising brands, guaranteeing that any clothing brands that want to use William and Mary’s name and imagery legally must first go through a vetting process. So what can we, as college students, do to act against labor abuse and exploitation? While it is good that William and Mary is taking steps to provide ethical product choices, there is a level of responsibility on us as the consumer. Ever wonder why that shirt you bought after searching online for “cheap William and Mary apparel” was only $10? Or why the College asks that student organizations buy gear through approved vendors? Because William and Mary has a strict licensing program, and buying through licensed vendors is one way that you can defend the rights of workers. Clothing items that were made by companies who value their employees cost more because they pay fair wages and ensure safe working conditions. For those intramural teams, student clubs or Greek organizations buying apparel from a separate website, it is worth looking deeper into the vendor’s policies. You can also purposefully support companies that go above and beyond to protect the rights of their employees. League Collegiate Outfitters is one such company found in our bookstore. League is actively committed to ethical labor practices and social consciousness. They have developed a program that cares for workers with disabilities, they give jobs to the homeless and ex-incarcerated, and they provide loans at a fair rate to employees. Through ensuring a safe and healthy work environment and choosing to sell to vendors that ensure the same, League is practicing business that focuses on people over profit. William and Mary spirit wear is a simple place to start, but these practices can extend into all of our purchases. By asking questions about how our clothes are made and purchasing from companies that protect the rights of their employees, we are making a conscious decision to honor the exchange between the clothes we wear and the hands of the person who made them. Email Phebe Meyer at pemeyer@email.wm.edu.

Ever wonder why that shirt you bought after searching online for “cheap William and Mary apparel” was only $10?

COMMENTS @THEFLATHAT

Personal growth and resume building are the rewards for internships. Especially at the business school, you won’t get a job without one. Participation trophies are not also required. — Amy Katancick Jordan on “Business school denies credit for student internships”

I hope everyone had a relaxing spring break. I’m here to remind you just how ridiculous things got the week before the break because I’m assuming it’s probably been placed on the back burner for most people. Overheard is officially dead. Yes, it’s true. The classic William and Mary Overheard page is now archived on Facebook as of March 2, 2017. No one can like, post, share or comment anything in the group, but all previous content is still viewable. Within the several minutes after the archive of the group, three to four knock-off versions cropped up almost immediately claiming to be the next “real” Overheard. The debacle started with a post from member Megan Sonner, in all caps, demanding an overhaul of the current administrators of the page, a vote of what should be allowed in the group, and “collective affirmation that we will not tolerate bigotry.” The “we” Sonner is referring to in the situation is unclear, and was

Overheard is not a soapbox — it’s a place to laugh and cooperate. left unidentified, even in the comments. Shortly after Sonner’s post, another member, Michael Darr, posted a 30-minute response video of himself eating Sonner’s rant shirtless, in a minion hat, with Enya playing in the background. To say that things spiraled out of control from this point would be an understatement. There were mixed reactions to Darr’s video. Many people thought it was a hilarious and outrageous response to Sonner’s post, and others found it childish and offensive. The comment section of the video absolutely blew up with various arguments, comments expressing confusion and relevant memes. Regardless of whether you agree with either Sonner or Darr, I think we can all agree that Overheard has turned into more of a politically-charged announcement page than its original purpose: to post funny or shocking comments overheard around campus. In light of the recent election, it’s important to have continual discourse and conversation about social, economic and political issues, but Overheard should not be the place. Yes, it’s important to hold people accountable for what they post and comment, especially if it’s bigoted or extremely offensive, but censorship only leads to larger divides between groups and much more hostility and ignorance. The importance of civil discourse is at an all-time high, and with the immediate availability and anonymity of social media, things can get very heated with seemingly no consequences. But there are consequences, and they include anxiety, resentment, radicalization and even fear. To scream at and degrade each other on the internet is in no way helpful, coming from any point of view, and it only leads to bitterness and increased stubbornness on all sides. The Constitution protects free speech. Cases that attempted to outlaw hate speech have failed, all having being deemed unconstitutional. To censor hate speech and to condemn or hold people accountable for it are two very different things. One’s freedom of speech is not infringed upon if someone calls you out for your bigotry or ignorance, but it is infringed upon if the law censors you. So if a Facebook group bans you because you’re posting racist comments, your freedom of speech is not infringed upon, because you are not being persecuted by the government; people in the group just don’t want to hear your malarkey anymore, and that’s perfectly legal. In the light of the newly created Overheard pages, we should all recognize that the groups’ purposes do not include providing a place for politically charged arguments and debate. Maybe there should be a separate group specifically for that purpose. These pages are simply for funny or silly remarks that have been overheard around campus. If you want to post about the political or social climate on campus, do it on your own time, because Overheard is not a soapbox — it’s a place to laugh and cooperate. But don’t be afraid to politely hold people accountable, because that is where growth and collaboration start. Email Lexi Godfrey at algodfrey@email.wm.edu.


The Flat Hat

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Page 6

STAFF COLUMN

Making your spring break about service

Alfred Ouyang

FLAT HAT ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Students around campus are returning from their spring breaks. According to the National Center for Education, more than 11 million students in the States take advantage of this annual migration, the most favorable destinations being Florida, California and Mexico. Next year, instead of spending your break in these hot tourist spots, how about doing a service trip? There is nothing wrong with letting break just simply be a break. Nonetheless, spending at least one of your spring breaks on a service trip would be a life-changing experience. There are a lot of things we take for granted as college students, and it is hard to see them if we do not get out of our bubbles to have a taste of the real world. For example, we enjoy top-notch education here at the College of William and Mary.

The first step to being a leader is to learn how to give and sacrifice for others. Thus, we presume everyone else has the same, or at least similar, experiences. This is not exactly true compared to what I have seen during my service trips to Tibet and Cambodia, when I saw students who were forced to work at an early age. You may think that students have similar experiences here in the United States, at the very least? Wrong again. I spent my last spring break in Washington, D.C.’s infamous Anacostia area. It was simply shocking to me to see the extreme social inequalities in our beloved national capital, in the so-called strongest country in the world. To see is to believe, and we need to see more. Students at William and Mary are certainly smart and ambitious students who seek to make real changes in the world. Nonetheless, we usually don’t confront reality. We take classes in school that are considered useful for us to secure competitive internships; through internships we find our dream jobs and begin our glorious “yuppie lives.” Later in life, we marry someone from the same social stratum and send our own kids to elite colleges just like the one that we attended. This whole thing seems like a vicious cycle to me. How many times in your life are you able to give up a whole week to make some real changes to places in need of urgent help? The answer is: not many, and spring break is absolutely one of the best times for you to take this adventure. A service trip might not carry the magical power to change your career path or the trajectory of your life, but it could absolutely awaken some consciousness toward the real world and the imbalance of development. Sometimes it feels good to just do something and expect nothing in return, and even if you don’t gain some reward, at least you are offering real help to people who are in need. Moreover, it is not only about helping; the service trip also comes with fun. You will gain invaluable friendships through working together with your buddies. You will find real joy in your own work, and when you see the achievements you have made during the short span of one week, you will retain a sense of confidence in how you could change the future. This is something that you could not normally get from your classes or internships. The College has some work to do. It needs to advocate the importance of participating in a service trip and in the meantime, offer more opportunities for its students. William and Mary overall strives to prepare its students as the future leaders of the nation and the world. The first step toward being a leader, in my eyes, is to learn how to give and sacrifice for others. For your next spring break, will you consider attending a service trip instead of going to beaches in Cancun? I hope the answer is now clearer for you. Email Alfred Ouyang at souyang@email.wm.edu.

JULIA STUMBAUGH / THE FLAT HAT

STAFF COLUMN

Work ethic vs. self-care: A student’s dilemma

Sarah Smith FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR

TheFiverr, a global online marketplace that offers users tasks and services beginning at a cost of $5 per job performed, launched a campaign “In Doers We Trust.” One of the images for the campaign went viral on Twitter and Facebook earlier this week, featuring the words “You eat a coffee for lunch. You follow through on your follow through. Sleep deprivation is your drug of choice. You might be a doer.” While Fiverr is just promoting their website where it is beneficial — ­ in terms of moneymaking — for people to do more work, I’ve seen many people lauding this mindset. Sure, it seems great to prioritize doing your work and trying to be the top student or top employee, especially at high-pressure institutions like the College of William and Mary. I’ve spent many a day (or night) stressing in Swemromas over what seems to be hundreds of assignments and even made the mistake of priding myself for going a day or two without sleep. When I go to my classes the next day, it’s inevitable that I’ll hear others talking about their late nights or early mornings too. It almost seems like this “doer” mindset is perfect to handle the stress of college. However, I’ve learned that this mindset, however useful it is for getting work done, is mentally and physically unhealthy. I’ve always prided myself on my work ethic and always made sure to turn in my assignments. I’ve also fallen into

that all-too-easy trap here at the College of trying to do more than is humanly possible. I think about taking a step back, but the pressure kicks in and I feel myself raising my hand to volunteer for another committee position or to help a friend with a time-consuming problem. I fill my color-coded planner with meetings, assignments and deadlines for Flat Hat articles, but I’m bad at giving myself time to eat and sleep. I praise my friends for going to sleep early and taking care of themselves, but it seems like no matter how much I preach “new year, new me” or say I’m prioritizing self-care, I still feel the need to compete with my talented, hard-working peers. Inevitably, a few weeks into the semester, I get sick. Instead of taking time to get better and spending a day or two in bed, I feel the need to keep going, keep staying up until 3 or 4 a.m. Now, after spring break, I’m still sick and the chances of me beating this cold anytime soon seem slim. When will I learn that my need to compete and achieve more needs to be reined in for my physical health? The stress I feel from doing more and more only subsides when I take a step back. While ads like this don’t necessarily encourage me to go for that second — our fourth — cup of coffee or sleep less, they reinforce this unhealthy mindset that I already feel surrounded by at the College. Do more, sleep less, add things to your resume or LinkedIn profile. I wish companies would realize that something as simple as one advertisement in their global campaign still has the potential of going viral and getting taken out of context. I can’t make any promises that I’m going to go to sleep any earlier, but taking a step back to analyze the message of ads and campaigns like this remind myself to be a little gentler to myself. I need to learn to appreciate that I do enough and learn how to forgive myself for failing to meet the unrealistic expectations I set — I need to learn to celebrate that a few semesters into my time at the College, I’m really finding my rhythm and doing a few things that I love, and that’s more than enough for me. Email Sarah Smith at sesmith01@email.wm.edu.

Instead of taking time to get better when I’m sick, I feel the need to keep staying up until 3 or 4 a.m.

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variety

Variety Editor Katie Koontz Variety Editor Akemi Tamanaha flathat.variety@gmail.com // @theflathat

The Flat Hat | Tuesday, March 14, 2017 | Page 7

Ten Shows, Ten Cities,

Two Bands AKEMI TAMANAHA // FLAT HAT VARIETY EDITOR

COURTESY PHOTO / COLIN GINSBERG

Caleb Ramos Dudte, lead singer and guitarist performs with his band Swete Dreams at Rutgers University’s The Bomb Shelter in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Ramos and his bandmates travelled nearly 1500 miles on their 10 show tour.

Swete Dreams and Talk to Plants return fro a spring break tour Early Sunday afternoon, as students slowly began arriving on campus, eight young musicians sat around a small table in a Ludwell Apartment sipping coffee to cure the exhaustion created by 10 days and 1,500 miles worth of travel. The eight musicians in question were members of two bands, Talk to Plants and Swete Dreams, that toured the East Coast over spring break. Swete Dreams is a four person band made up of lead vocalist/guitarist Caleb Ramos Dudte ’18, vocalist/ guitarist Thor Vutcharangkul ’17, drummer Brendan “B man” Helm ’18 and bass guitarist Dave Ernyey ’17. Talk to Plants is a five-person band made up of vocalist/guitarist Ben Chase ’19, vocalist/ guitarist Ben Fox ’19, keyboardist Sam Wiles ’19, bass guitarist Collin Ginsburg ’19 and drummer Samir Tawalare ’19. Tawalare, the band’s drummer, was not among the eight that Sunday, but was a big presence on tour. Before winter break, Chase and his bandmates began discussing a potential tour. According to Chase, the band wanted to push themselves further and try and play something over spring break. “None of us had plans for spring break, and then we very quickly united with Swete Dreams because they wanted to do the same thing, and it turned into a mothership,” Chase said. Both bands began to reach out to friends and contacts they had in different music scenes along the East Coast to begin organizing shows. As is the case for most young bands, booking venues was difficult at times. “The process of this is you say like, ‘I want to play Philly on this dates or these couple dates,’ and end up sending out, it might be 20 emails and text messages and Facebook messages and you might here back from like two or three and then one might work out,” Chase said. “That’s totally like the process of it, you just got to keep rolling through the rejections.” The bands booked a total of 10 shows in 10 different cities and drove between 1,000 and 1,500 miles. They traveled as far as Providence, R.I. to play at Brown University. “That Brown show was crazy because we had played the night before in New Jersey at Rutgers and stayed at Samir’s house, but then we drove all the way up to Providence, Rhode Island from there and then played a show, woke up at 6:30 a.m. the next morning and drove 555 miles down to Charlottesville to play our final show,” Fox said. The tour kicked off Thursday, March 2 at the Meridian Coffee House in Williamsburg, a student run coffee house at the College. From there, the bands traveled north and played at different houses and venues. One of Ramos’s favorite venues was the Whytestone Creative in College Park, Md. “We walked up to this place and the guy was wearing a fur coat and a red beret, which I didn’t think anything of at the moment because I was like , ‘Alright, yeah we’re hanging out with esoteric dudes,’ whatever, and then we walked around the back and opened the door, which smoke promptly billowed out of, and everybody inside was also wearing fur coats and red berets,” Ramos said. “It was like, ‘Oh that’s what we’re doing.’ There were also a bunch of beds set up around the floor. It was spooky.” The venue also channeled the energy of Burning Man by shooting up giant flames in gasoline

contraptions behind the buildings, an activity reminiscent of the famous festival Burning Man. “All of them lived and died by Burning Man,” Vutcharangkul said. The bands also played at a venue called The Meatlocker in Montclair, N.J. True to its namesake, the building was previously used for storing meat until the ‘80s when it was converted into a practice space. Chase enjoyed playing in his hometown of Westminster, Md., where he was reunited with friends, family and his old high school band. He added that one of his favorite parts of the tour

Tour mishaps were for the large part few and far between. The bands were grateful for the opportunity to tour with one another. “Even though our music is somewhat different, like our approaches are different, they compliment each other really well,” Vutcharangkul said. “This tour was really serendipitous, you know as much as like these two clashing bands or like bands of different sounds playing together.” Like many of the greats — Pink Floyd and The Strokes to name a few — both bands got their start in college, but each has its own unique origin story. “Me and Thor had been jamming together for

COURTESY PHOTO / ADAM HOWARD

Ben Fox, vocalist and guitarist for Talk to Plants, performs on their spring break tour at a houseshow in Richmond, Virginia.

was getting to know the family members of his bandmates and fellow tourmates. “My favorite part was getting to meet all of our families, some of which it was the first time, and getting to stay in some of each others houses and just like becoming closer to all of each other,” Chase said. The tour, like many long road trips, was filled with both adventure and misadventure. A bubble tea shop ran out of bubbles. Wiles and Tawalare dug through the snow with their bare hands to look for Wiles’s lost wallet, which turned up in the car. Then there was Jimmy, a 20-year-old grey GMC, which gave the bands some trouble on the tour. “To be very clear, in no time did the Jimmy break down,” Ernyey said. “There is a loose wire, and when it’s not loose the thing works.”

awhile my freshman year and then he studied abroad with Brendan and after they studied abroad decided to form a group and we needed a guy to play base, so we scooped Dave and that was kind of the inception of Wet Dreams, or Swete Dreams fka Wet Dreams,” Ramos said. The former band name, Wet Dreams, was pulled from a magazine that listed good, two-word combinations. The band chose Wet Dreams because it was provocative. “We wanted to spark shock and interest so we could play shows,” Vutcharangkul said. The name changed when the band started to become more serious and honest with one another about why they were in the band. Ramos describes the band’s style as being reminiscent of the garage psych movement in

the 2000s. They also take a lot of inspiration from surf rock and surf punk and try to emulate bands like Waves and Together Pangae. Vutcharangkul, Ernyen and Helms give Ramos credit for most of the songwriting, mixing and mastering. Then there’s Talk to Plants, who refused to disclose any information behind the origin of their name. They label themselves as “herb-wave” or “avant gourd.” Some of their music is influenced by psychedelic rock. “On the note of psychedelic rock, we do not like the connotation of it. However, we very much so agree with the idea of consciousness expansion through music,” Chase said. The band also cites the structure of Indian classical music as an influence on some of their songs. Several of the bandmembers are also members of the College of William and Mary Indian Music Ensemble. Other bands that have influenced the group are Pink Floyd, Animal Collective and Car Seat Headrest. Ginsburg said that Car Seat Headrest, whose frontman Will Toledo got his start at the College, was not just a music influence, but also a scene influence. Fox also added that learning about the origins of Car Seat Headrest was an inspiration to him. “It’s so cool because when we were coming in for freshman year, Car Seat Headrest had been around for a long time, but I had just heard of him the summer before and it seemed like his popularity was soaring and then when I got here I realized he went here,” Fox said. “So to see someone who just existed in the same music space that I was getting into actually making it showed me that it was possible. Both bands praised the College’s music scene and said that it offered them a tremendous amount of assistance and encouragement. Talk to Plants would not have formed if it had not been for a student-run jam session called “Free Beer.” “It wasn’t until we got involved with Free Beer that Talk to Plants formed,” Chase said. “Aaron Staple is the godfather of Talk to Plants. Going to this place called ‘The Brewery’ every Friday, Aaron Staple’s house, we were able to experiment with sounds.” The bands also thanked various on-campus music organizations, like Front Porch Society, the Meridian and Radio, for helping them along the way. “All of us owe our musical careers to various musical organizations on this campus,” Ramos said. As both bands reflected on the tour, they frequently expressed their gratitude to their friends, family and the College community. They estimated that around 10 to 20 William and Mary students came to their Charlottesville show and that there were William and Mary students at six of their shows. “And that was something we were all super grateful for,” Chase said. “That meant a lot to all of us.” Both bands said they would like to plan another tour in the future. Next time, they hope to conduct a longer tour that will give them more time to rest and explore the cities in which they play. As far as current projects go, both Swete Dreams and Talk to Plants will be releasing their new albums in the upcoming weeks.


The Flat Hat

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Page 8

Shoot for the Movie Stars Small Cast, Big Message The real Hidden Figures of NASA Langley

“Asuncion” defies racial and gender norms

who, you know, I grew up in the South, I grew up in the era of segregation, I came to Virginia from Georgia, and in that environment of segregation, but my recollection is when I came into the group at NASA, the people I knew and worked with including people like these people in the movie who to us appear to be heroic, and the big name people like John Glenn, to me they were just ordinary people. I didn’t see them in a historic perspective.” While the film’s themes and lessons were appreciated, some attendees felt that it came up short in its timeline and cinematography. “It was okay,” said attendee Paul Zatyko, who was working at Ford during the year in which the film is based. “There should’ve been more facts and it was too drawn out. It was like it was make-believe in parts, you know, with her family, because that’s not how it was.” After the film, Levine gave a presentation that provided the audience with a timeline of NASA history and a look inside the main characters’ journeys through NASA. “I spent 41 years at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton and I had the privilege to work with a number of the so-called computers at NASA Langley ... I’m still working with NASA as a consultant planning the first human mission to Mars,” Levine said. Each of the women in the film played a key role in different departments at Langley. Johnson, the film’s primary character, worked as a computer specializing in analytic geometry within the all-male flight research team. Her resilience was portrayed in the film as she sprinted to and from the colored wing of Langley and her research division, which were over a mile apart, to use the colored restroom. Starring alongside Johnson were Vaughan and Jackson. Jackson worked as an aspiring engineer in the wind tunnels. She struggled in the film to become an official engineer, even though her proclivity for the trade far surpassed that of her white, male colleagues. Vaughan fought to be the supervisor of the West Area Computing Unit, the group of female, African-American mathematicians at NASA Langley. She served as a pioneer of computer science within Langley and worked to teach the members of the computing group how to use NASA’s new International Business Machines, or IBM’s. “I thought that this is a very important part of history — both social history and the history of the space program,” Levine said at the

Under the direction of theatre and Asian Pacific Islander American studies professor Francis Tanglao-Aguas, the cast took full advantage of the studio theater’s intimate setting to make every joke Roommates Edgar and Vinny might be a lot of more obscene, every expression more absurd and things — disorganized, crude, obnoxious — but every cringe-worthy plot point more outrageous they’re not racist … right? The College of William and Mary Theatre challenges notion of race, gender than the last. While it took some time for the show to gain momentum, once the members of the and overall bias in its production of “Asuncion,” cast reached their strides, they gave tireless and which begins its second week at Phi Beta Kappa committed performances with few exceptions. Memorial Hall March 15. Jeremy Lawrence ’18 as Edgar proved well-versed Written by Jesse Eisenberg (yes, that Jesse in physical comedy, often sprawling across set Eisenberg), “Asuncion” premiered in 2011 at New pieces, gesturing wildly and bounding across stage York City’s Cherry Lane Theater and presents at a moment’s notice. Bradley Riehle ’17 as the the complexities of Orientalism and fetishes older, but questionably that are frequently, wiser Vinny held the if unknowingly, cast together with his replicated in society confident performance and in the experiences and unshakable of the Asian women delivery. Perhaps the living in this society. most natural actor, When Vinny’s older Jolene Mafnas ’18 brother appears worked well with unannounced with his every member of new Filipina bride, the the cast without ever-so open-minded allowing herself to roommates jump to be overshadowed alarming conclusions by their abundant about the origins of the eccentricities. couple’s relationship Sound design and commit COURTESY PHOTO / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS by Tanglao-Aguas themselves to getting to introduced distinctive music selections and the bottom of it. strikingly relevant radio newscasts during and Bizarre in its presentation, yet overwhelmingly between scenes, adding yet another layer to the simple in its teachings, the four-person cast presented a peculiar story, but one with a universal show’s pertinent themes. Despite several shadowy spots, the stage was well-lit with occasional lighting message: even the most well-meaning, “woke” or effects that added dramatic flair. tolerant person is capable of perpetuating racist The cast of William and Mary Theatre’s norms. A robust and unnervingly familiar set production of “Asuncion” proved small yet complemented the cast. Eclectic posters, hastilypowerful, rolling with the punches and seizing hung decorative lights and a sign on the bathroom its audience with an exhausting and entertaining door reading “fart zone” made the space feel performance. While audiences will eventually authentically lived-in and further accentuated the characters and their personas. While the show’s few depart the show’s world of messy apartments makeup effects were lacking and even distracting at and crass comedy, they are left with a disquieting question of how we see ourselves and others in a times, its costumes succeeded in emphasizing the world that is increasingly connected yet stratified. production’s message.

HEATHER BAIER FLAT HAT ASSOC. VARIETY EDITOR

Just three days after the Oscars, the Kimball Theater held an evening screening of nominated film “Hidden Figures.” After the film concluded, College of William and Mary Research Professor of Applied Science, Dr. Joel S. Levine, gave a presentation on the history of civil rights at NASA. “Hidden Figures” follows three main characters — Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson — as NASA’s Langley Research Center races the Soviet Space Program to the stars. Not only does the film highlight the struggles of these women as African-Americans in a white-dominated career field, but it also acknowledges the struggles of women in a male-dominated society. The film is based on the book of the same name, written by Margot Lee Shetterly and published in September 2016. The film premiered two months later in December 2016 and was nominated for two Oscars. The audience at the Kimball’s screening included students and community members alike. Some of those in attendance had worked at NASA alongside the women portrayed in the film. Roy Harris, an attendee at the showing, started working at NASA in 1958 and stayed for 40 years. He graduated from Georgia Tech and began his career as an aeronautics research engineer at Langley. He eventually served as Director of Aeronautics at Langley from 1985 to 1995. He worked closely with Jackson, one of the film’s main characters, in the Langley wind tunnels. “To me, the movie is inspirational, it really is,” Harris said. “And I think somebody like me

COURTESY PHOTO / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

KAYLA SHARPE FLAT HAT SENIOR STAFF WRITER

... the cast of William and Mary Theatre’s production of “Asuncion” proved small yet powerful ...

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

Having a change of heart: How to minimize the breakup heartbreak

Putting an end to painful breakups by shifting the focus from “dumpees” to “dumpers”

Elizabeth Barto

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS COLUMNIST

Here we are, halfway through the semester already. It seems like only yesterday that we all returned from winter break, brighteyed, bushy-tailed and dreaming of the snow days that happened in Williamsburg without us. Maybe it’s just the crushing weight of the reality that in less than a year I have to commit to a full-time job, but right now I’m waxing nostalgic on the parts of our lives that end, it seems, just as they’ve begun to pick up speed. Those of you who have gone through either side of a breakup know what I mean. One day it’s butterflies, sweaty palms and the feeling that the other person could do nothing wrong if they tried, and the next day you’re saying, “It’s not you it’s me,” and lip-syncing to Sarah Bareilles breakup ballads. When we talk about breakups, we tend to focus on the emotional trauma and healing of the individual on the receiving end of the breakup. As a result, a simple Google search can tell you all about the effectiveness of aspirin in numbing the pain of heartbreak, a theoretical equation that the recovery time for a breakup is equal to half of the time spent in the relationship, some psychological studies supporting the emotional benefits of rebound relationships, and of course, the best movies to watch after a breakup (for the record, I recommend “Beaches” if you’re looking to have a good cry). All of this is just a roundabout way of saying: we talk a lot about “dumpees” rather than “dumpers” because, most of the time, they’re the people that it sucks the most for. But I think that if we earnestly consider the most tactful way to break up with someone, we can ease a lot of pain and discomfort on both sides of heartbreak. Taking into consideration the complications of our often-ambiguous modern relationships, we’ll talk about how to break up with someone you were never in a clear, committed relationship with as well. Breaking up with a committed partner: When it comes to breaking up with a committed partner, the etiquette is relatively clear: if you feel physically and emotionally safe talking to them, you should. If you were committed to

receiving their love, be committed to their closure and growth after you’re gone. Explain why things aren’t working and resist attacking them for past wrongs or miscommunications. Even if you no longer find yourself willing or able to stick out the relationship, giving the other person reasons why the relationship ceased to work for you will give them a starting point for reflection and growth. Hopefully, you can prevent them from making the same mistakes again in their future. At the very least, you will spare them the distressing limbo of not knowing what they did wrong, which could cause them to dwell on the breakup even longer. Breaking up with someone you were involved with but weren’t in a monogamous relationship with: It doesn’t matter if you went on one date with someone or have been hooking up with them for months. If you’ve put forth the effort to open channels of communication with this person, take the time to close them. It doesn’t have to be a big emotional ordeal, although, depending on the intimacy of the connection, it may be. Personally, if someone is open with me, I am rarely insulted by incompatibility. Regardless of your situation’s particular complexities, if you feel safe enough to talk to the other person, be honest and be open with them. Yes, confrontation can be ridiculously uncomfortable, but putting it off or forgoing talking to the other person is just rude. Don’t leave them hanging, don’t do the slow fade, don’t agree to continue seeing them or stretch things out for longer than you have to, because that just wastes everyone’s time and emotional energy. You don’t have to go into detail; you just have to be clear in your intentions to end your current patterns of interacting. If you haven’t been seeing the person long, I think that a simple text or Facebook message is a completely acceptable method of breaking things off. You probably barely know them, and neither of you owe each other anything. That being said, you don’t even have to say exactly why you don’t want to continue seeing them. It’s not unreasonable to say simply that you don’t see the relationship going anywhere and leave it at that. For longer, more ambiguous relationships, you two have taken

the time to get to know aspects of each other and form some sort of attachment. Whether you’re looking to end a friendswith-benefits situation, a period of dating that never became “a relationship,” or even a friendship, it’s in both of your best interests to have some kind of conversation with them. Do it in person. Depending on the level of intimacy of the attachment and the level of understanding of both parties, you may even feel the need to communicate as thoroughly as if you are breaking off a clear, committed relationship. Even if you haven’t defined the relationship in words, the two of you at the very least had an understanding. Treat the person with the respect of someone who shared part of themselves with you, no matter the context. Reflecting on the end of love: Regardless of the status of the relationship you’re ending, make sure to give the person space following the breakup, whether it’s to hate you, forget you, or reflect on the positive aspects of the relationship rather than its unfortunate end. You’ll need the space, too. Try not to get too bitter. Allow yourself to reflect if you need to, talk with your friends about where you both went wrong, especially taking your own failings to heart, and then move on. It’s natural to want to place blame and to ease the discomfort of separation by pretending that the other person was never worthy of your love in the first place — whether you’re leaving or have been left yourself. But keep in mind: few relationships end with one hero and one villain, or one person broken and one person laughing. I’m all for cathartically ranting about old flames with friends, but make sure your villainizing doesn’t go too far. Most people that initiate breakups aren’t actively doing so to hurt anyone — they’re just looking after themselves. The end of love doesn’t have to mark the beginning of hate. The reason we love is to find a connection, striving to understand someone else, and hope that they understand us, too. Sometimes, when two people cease to understand each other, it’s not good or evil, it’s just a necessary change. Elizabeth Barto is a Behind Closed Doors columnist who knows love means never having to text you’re sorry.

... one day it’s butterflies, sweaty palms and the feeling that the other person could do nothing wrong if they tried, and the next day you’re saying, “It’s not you it’s me,” and lip-syncing to Sarah Bareilles breakup ballads ...


sportsinside

The Flat Hat

¦ Tuesday, March 14, 2017 ¦ Page 9

BASEBALL

Tribe goes 6-2 in spring break stretch

College dominates Irish Classic, Virginia Tech, Yale, falls to St. Joseph s, Maryland KEVIN RICHESON THE FLAT HAT William and Mary baseball had a busy schedule over spring break, going 6-2 in eight games from March 3-12. The Tribe opened the break with three games in Cary, N.C., at the Irish Classic against Monmouth, Dayton and Rhode Island. It won all three games at this event. March 3, the Tribe (4-4) took the field against Monmouth (1-6) at 2 p.m. for first pitch. The game was tightly contested throughout, but the College pulled off a 6-5 win. Trailing 1-0 in the top of the fourth inning, the Tribe took its first lead with a three-run inning. Freshman left fielder Brandon Raquet singled, stole second, then scored on an error to tie the game. A two-run home run by sophomore shortstop Kyle Wrighte put the Tribe up 3-1. The College held the lead for the rest of the game, despite the Hawks matching the two Tribe runs in the seventh inning and one in the eighth. Senior pitcher Nick Brown pitched for six innings. The Tribe (5-4) returned to action March 4 against Dayton (3-5), notching its second straight win with a 7-0 shutout. Junior second baseman Cullen Large gave the College an early 2-0 lead on a first inning home run that also scored Raquet, who led off the inning with a single to right field. The College added one more run in the inning to take a 3-0 lead to the second inning. After scoring one run in each of the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, the Tribe capped off its scoring for the game in the seventh inning when senior center fielder Charles Ameer crushed a solo shot to left field stretching the William and Mary lead to 7-0. The College (6-4) concluded its play at the Irish Classic against Rhode Island (5-6) March 5, finishing the weekend with its third straight win in a 2-1 comeback. The Rams got on the board first in the pitcher’s duel, taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Third baseman Matt O’Neil came through

with the RBI single, his only hit of the game. The Tribe responded in the top of the eighth inning, still down 1-0. Large had another big hit, a game-tying double

the season. The Tribe came home for the rest of the break for four games at Plumeri Park. It played against Virginia Tech and Saint Joseph’s before finishing up with

inning, stretching the lead to 5-2. The Tribe led by as many as five runs before Virginia Tech came back to take the lead again. Hokie designated hitter JD Mundy hammered a three-run home

COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS

Senior Ryder Miconi and his Tribe teammates relied on strong batting and base running to come back from behind to beat Virginia Tech 19-10.

that scored junior right fielder Ryan Hall and advanced senior designated hitter Ryder Miconi to third base. Miconi scored the eventual game-winning run on a one-out RBI single by sophomore catcher Hunter Smith. The College held on for the 2-1 victory, with junior pitcher Charlie Fletcher picking up the win in relief. After a day off, the Tribe returned to the diamond in College Park to take on Maryland. The College (6-5) came up just short in an offensive battle, losing 9-8 against the Terrapins. With the loss, the Tribe fell to 0-5 in away games for

two against Yale. The Tribe went 3-1 in these games. March 8, the College bounced back from the close loss to the Terrapins by trouncing Virginia Tech (9-6) by way of an offensive explosion. The Tribe (7-5) trailed early on but rallied for a 19-10 victory. Down 2-0 early, the Tribe put up five runs in the bottom of the first inning. With the score tied 2-2 and men on base, Ameer doubled to center field, scoring Large and advancing Smith to third base. Both Smith and Ameer were brought home before the end of the

run in the top of the fifth to put the Hokies back up 9-8. The Tribe put up five more runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 13-9 lead that the College would not relinquish for the remainder of the game. The five-run fifth inning was capped by a two-RBI double to left center by Smith, plating both Large and Hall. March 10, the College (7-6) suffered its first home loss of the year by way of a 3-2 defeat to Saint Joseph’s. In the first game against Yale (3-4) at Plumeri Park March 11, the Tribe (8-6) claimed a 10-3 win.

The College opened the scoring in the bottom of the first when Large singled home Raquet to give the Tribe a 1-0 lead. The College went on to add another two runs in the inning, giving it an early 3-0 advantage over the Bulldogs. Yale was trailing 4-0 going to the fourth inning. In the top of the fourth, the Bulldogs cut the Tribe’s lead in half with two solo home runs by third baseman Richard Slenker and designated hitter Griffin Dey. The College bounced back in the bottom of the inning with three runs of its own, with Large once again accounting for one of the RBI’s on a single to center field. The Tribe pushed the lead to as many as eight runs before Yale got one back in the ninth. The College was able to close out and rebound from the previous night’s loss to St. Joseph’s with a 10-3 victory. In its final game of spring break, the Tribe (9-6) welcomed Yale (3-5) to Plumeri Park again March 12. It claimed a 7-6 comeback win over the Bulldogs. The College trailed early after giving up two runs in the first inning, but it seized a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the second on a two RBI single by Ryan, who was later brought home by senior third baseman Matthew Tilley’s single. The Tribe held a 5-3 lead going into the ninth inning. Yale orchestrated a two-out rally in the ninth, loading the bases with two singles and a walk. The College retaliated when junior pitcher Robert White walked three straight batters with a run scoring on each walk. Yale took a 6-5 lead to the bottom of the ninth inning. The College sparked a rally of its own in the bottom of the ninth. Hall led off with a single and advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Raquet. Large stepped to the plate looking to continue his strong start at the plate this season. He smashed a walk-off two-run home run to right field, giving the Tribe a 7-6 comeback victory at home. The Tribe looks to add to its twogame winning streak when its season continues this week with a midweek game March 14 against Norfolk State at Plumeri Park before hosting Rhode Island for a three-game weekend series from March 17-19.

GYMNASTICS

Tribe men top Navy, women fall to UNC on road Men use strong performances from Gliozzi and Meyer to key a 394.3 to 393.5 home victory EMILY CHAUMONT FLAT HAT MANAGING EDITOR William and Mary defeated Navy by a narrow margin in a home meet on Friday, March 3. Although the Tribe led the scoreboard the whole meet, the largest gap in the running scores was 3.95 points. The teams entered the final event, high bar, with the College leading by just 0.85 points. In the end, the Tribe scored 394.3 points to top Navy’s 393.5. The College had a team member on the podium in all the events but parallel bars. The team placed first on vault, pommel horse and rings. Freshman Tim O’Neill scored a career-best 14.55 points on vault, and his first-place finish helped the College to a season-high score of 70.55 points on that event. On pommel horse, sophomore Jacopo Gliozzi’s 14.4-point, first-place finish matched a career high, and teammate junior Griffin Antle followed in second place with 13.35 points. The College posted an overall score of 61.45 points on pommel horse. Senior Rob Meyer led the way for the Tribe on rings, scoring 13.7 points and placing first. Junior Jeremiah McReynolds placed third, with his 13.4-point score helping the College to a 66.2-point score on rings. Meyer also led the way for the Tribe in the only event that the College did not place in, with his score of 13.6 on parallel bars contributing to the Tribe’s 65.75 points in the event.

The Tribe scored 64.95 points on floor, with freshman Tomas Palma placing third with his 13.5-point score. Senior Aria Sabbagh tied for second on high bar. His 13.5-point score helped the College to a score of 65.4 points. Sabbagh also competed in the allaround, where he placed second with 77.95 points. The lineup for each event in the competition is composed of the top five team members in each event; in order to qualify for the all-around competition, a gymnast must rank in the top five in at least three events. The all-around gymnast competes in the other three events to contribute to his or her own all-around score. Those three scores are not counted toward the team’s overall score. Sabbagh said that these are the most challenging events to compete in. “Those are the hard ones to do because you know it’s not counting for the team; it’s just counting for yourself,” Sabbagh said. “You’ve still got to save energy for the events you’re going to count on, so that’s the challenge there.” Senior Neal Courter was the last member of the Tribe to compete at Friday’s meet, when he posted a 13.3-point score on high bar. Courter said that the pressure is certainly riding high at that point in the meet, but he tries to focus on doing his best on his events. “It is a lot of pressure, and I do feel the most nervous before high bar especially because it’s just one of those events you

could fall off really easily,” Courter said. “But I know the team is behind me 100 percent, and you know that you put in the work for those hours every single day, day in, day out, weeks in, weeks out. So I just rely on the work that I’ve put in and my teammates behind me, and the rest just happens.” The Tribe will continue the season March 10 at a tri-meet hosted by Navy, including Air Force. After the College lost to Navy in January and beat them by a narrow margin in this home meet, head coach Mike Powell said it’s important to stay focused for the team’s third face-off against Navy. “We need to focus on basically hitting routines,” Powell said. “All we can control is what we do, so we’ve just got to worry about executing excellent gymnastics and let things work themselves out.” On the women’s side, William and Mary put up a fight against North Carolina Saturday. Although the Tribe lost 192.875 to UNC’s 194.075, the College’s score was its second best of the season on senior day at home at Kaplan Arena. Seniors Briana Gironda and Olivia O’Connor competed in all four events, placing first and second in the allaround with scores of 38.750 and 38.650, respectively. Gironda reflected on her time with the Tribe and said that the team has been an important part of her college experience. “I think what I’m going to miss most is having this close-knit group of girls

that’s like my second family,” Gironda said. “They’re with me through it all, my ups and my downs. They have my back 100 percent of the way and they help me through everything and it’s been amazing.” Gironda’s best showing was on beam, where she tied for first place and matched her career-high score of 9.850 points. Her score contributed to the College’s 48.275. The Tribe’s top performance was on the uneven bars, the only event in which the College edged out North Carolina with 48.500 points. O’Connor tied for first, matching her season-high score of 9.775. Freshman Erika Marr posted a career best with her third-place score of 9.750. O’Connor also led the way for the Tribe on vault, where she scored 9.650 points toward the College’s 47.825. Freshman Caroline Caponi also contributed 9.625 points to the total. Like Gironda, O’Connor said she will miss the team after graduation. “I think just having a team out there with you when you’re doing gymnastics is amazing. Before you get to college it’s a very individualized sport and then all of a sudden you’re on a team where you don’t feel like you’re alone up on the equipment so I’ll definitely miss having everyone rally behind me when I’m my best, when I’m my worst,” O’Connor said. “Just having people there for you at all times is amazing.” O’Connor said being a part of the gymnastics team has added more than just an athletic component to her college

experience. “It’s just made me so grateful to have such close relationships, it’s made me more confident, and it’s made me more outgoing in all different settings and really just appreciative of all the blessings that I have in my life,” O’Connor said. The Tribe also competed on floor, where the team posted a score of 48.275 points. Sophomore Aaliyah Kerr led the way for the College, placing fourth with 9.750 points. Gironda and freshman Taylor White posted matching 9.700 scores, which was a career high for White. Head coach Mary Lewis said that she will miss O’Connor and Gironda for more than just their prowess on the equipment. “They have grown so much and these two are the same age as my son so I think it’s a little bit more emotional for me in those respects because it’s like seeing your own child graduate,” Lewis said. “I think they’ve been good leaders and they have gotten stronger every year with their mental toughness and their competitiveness.” Although the Tribe lost to North Carolina on senior day, Lewis has a plan for where the team can improve in the future. “I think we’re going to have to get after landings a little bit more,” Lewis said. “And then a little bit of cleaning up here and there but overall I think this was probably the most solid performance so far this season.” The Tribe women returned to action to face Temple at home March 10.


sports

Sports Editor Alyssa Grzesiak Sports Editor Chris Travis flathatsports@gmail.com @FlatHatSports

The Flat Hat

| Tuesday, March 14, 2017 | Page 10

MEN’S BASKETBALL

COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS

COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS Senior guard Omar Prewitt led the Tribe offense in both CAA games, scoring 20 points against Elon in the quarterfinal and 24 against UNC-Wilmington in the semifinal. 18 of the 24 points were scored in the second half against the Seahawks.

Tribe narrowly loses CAA semifinals

College falls 78-69 against UNC-Wilmington after defeating Elon

ALYSSA GRZESIAK FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR

The Tribe (17-14, 10-8 CAA) headed to Charleston to take on Elon (18-14, 10-8 CAA) March 4 in its Colonial Athletic Association quarterfinal match. The College defeated Elon 71-66 to advance to the semifinals for the fourth year in a row. Senior guards Daniel Dixon and Omar Prewitt dominated on offense, each scoring 20 points. The winningest duo in school history combined to secure over half of the College’s total points. Sophomore forward Paul Rowley trailed with 11, and junior forward Greg Malinowski added nine. The game began with a three by Prewitt in the first 30 seconds, followed by a fast-break layup from Dixon, putting the Tribe up 5-0. A seven-point run dominated by the two seniors followed with the College keeping the lead for the majority of the first half. The Tribe led 27-26 until a layup by Elon’s junior forward Brian Dawkins put the Phoenix up by one with just over three minutes left in the half. A good three by Malinowski put the Tribe back in the lead until Elon sophomore guard Dainan Swoope made three free throws,

stealing a 31-30 lead for the Phoenix. The Tribe went into the second half down 3330. Junior forward Jack Whitman scored the first points of the second half with a layup assisted by Dixon. Moments later, a Prewitt layup put the College back in the lead. With 17 minutes, 13 seconds remaining, Elon stole the lead back with a good three by sophomore guard Steven Santa Ana. The Phoenix held on to the lead until a three by Rowley tied the game up 50-50, six minutes later. Elon stole the lead yet again and held onto it until a three from Malinowski put the Tribe up 62-60 with less than two minutes on the clock. The Phoenix could not keep up with the College’s momentum as it increased the lead to eight points with six seconds left in the CAA quarterfinal matchup. With 33 seconds remaining, Prewitt drilled a clutch three, pushing the Tribe lead to four, 6763. Dixon nailed all four of his free throws in the last 20 seconds of the game to seal the victory for the Tribe. Elon did not hit a shot in the final six minutes, save a three-point shot with two seconds remaining by junior guard Dmitri Thompson. The Tribe’s shooting improved dramatically in the second half. After shooting just 31.25

percent in the first half, the College improved to 53.85 percent in the second period. The College shot 61.9 percent at the foul line, 31.3 percent from three and 41.4 percent overall from the field. The Tribe continued to the semifinals to take on UNC-Wilmington March 5. The Tribe took on UNC-Wilmington March 5 in the CAA Semifinals. Despite its fight, the College fell 105-94 to the Seahawks. Prewitt led the Tribe offense with 24 points, followed by junior guard David Cohn with 18, freshman forward Nathan Knight with 15 and Dixon with 10. UNC-Wilmington’s sophomore forward Devontae Cacok scored the first points of the game with on a driving layup. The Tribe quickly took the lead with a layup and good free throw by Whitman to complete an old-fashioned three point play. Scoring was back and forth throughout the first half until the two-minute mark. The Seahawks, up 42-36, scored four quick points to increase a six-point lead to 10. The run was only broken by one foul line shot by Prewitt just before the half. Cohn dominated Tribe scoring in the first half with 15 of his 18 total points. Rowley

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

followed with nine. UNC-Wilmington’s defense keyed its first half effort, as the College had no steals at the end of the period, while the Seahawks had three. The Tribe went into the second half down 47-37, a ten point lead for the Seahawks. Prewitt started off the second half with a good shot in the paint after a strong drive. Despite the Tribe’s efforts, it never saw a lead in the half. The closest the College came to UNCWilmington was with 16 minutes left in the second half when the Tribe closed the Seahawk lead to six with a Dixon three, assisted by Cohn. Prewitt took over the offense in the second half, scoring 18 of his 24 points. Knight stepped up for the Tribe following halftime, scoring all 15 of his points after the break. As the game came to a close, the Tribe simply didn’t have the firepower to match the Seahawks. Two good free throws each by Knight and senior guard Michael Schlotman marked the final points of this CAA semifinal match. The Tribe fell just short of the Seahawks with a final score of 105-94. The Seahawks defeated Charleston March 6 in the CAA championship 78-69 to earn an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament, where they will face Virginia.

NEWS

College falls to Elon in CAA semifinal Athletic director

Tribe finishes with most wins since 2006-07 season New athletic director hired

BRENDAN DOYLE FLAT HAT ASSOC. SPORTS EDITOR

Thursday, William and Mary traveled to Harrisonburg in hopes of winning the Colonial Athletic Association tournament and claiming the automatic bid to the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament. In the quarterfinal, the No. 4 seed Tribe met with the No. 5 seed Delaware (16-14, 10-8 CAA), powering past the Blue Hens 59-44. Friday, the College clashed with No. 1 seed Elon (27-6, 16-2 CAA), attempting to spring the upset in one of the two semifinals to advance to the championship. However, the Phoenix easily dispatched the Tribe (20-11, 9-9 CAA), capturing an 88-60 victory and ending the College’s season. The Tribe took on Delaware in the quarterfinal, a team with whom it split its two meetings in the regular season. Taking a 12-3 lead early, the College appeared to be in control. However, the Blue Hens were able to close the gap to 15-10 by the end of the first quarter. Halfway through the second quarter, the Blue Hens cut the College’s lead to one twice within a minute but were not able to overtake the Tribe. With 4 minutes and 17 seconds to go, the College led only 24-23. A 7-0 run helped the Tribe regain a comfortable lead. After a Delaware bucket, the Tribe led 31-25 at the half. In the first half, senior guard Latrice Hunter led the way for the Tribe with nine points, while senior guard Marlena Tremba trailed with six. On the Delaware end, guard Erika Brown had eight points and forward Nicole Enabosi racked up seven. The third quarter saw Delaware cut the Tribe lead, tightening the game. A 5-0 run concluding with two Brown free throws put the Blue Hens down one, but Tremba got a layup to go, extending the Tribe advantage to 40-37 at the end of the quarter. The Tribe put together a strong fourth quarter to pull away and secure the victory. It outscored Delaware 19-7 in the quarter, resulting in a 59-44 win. Tremba exploded in the second half, scoring 17 of her 23 points on the day to help the Tribe take control. Junior guard Jenna Green added 12 on the day. For Delaware, Brown finished with 15 and

forward Makeda Nicholas had 10. The Tribe matched up with Elon in the semifinal game of the CAA tournament, looking to get to the championship game for the first time in the modern CAA era. However, the game did not go as planned for the College. Right out of the gate, Elon took a sizable lead over the Tribe. A 10-0 spurt about halfway through the first period put the Phoenix up 18-7. Elon guard Lauren Brown had six points during the stretch to help extend the margin. Elon held a 23-15 advantage at the end of the quarter. The second quarter kept the Tribe in the game. The Phoenix gradually added to their lead early in the quarter, eventually going up 16 on a jumper from forward Meme Garner. The College chipped away at the lead, getting as close as eight with just over a minute left in the half, when Green got a layup to go in transition. Following two Elon free throws, the Tribe trailed 42-32 at halftime. Quickly in the third quarter, the Phoenix built a much more comfortable lead. Following a jumper by senior guard Alex Masaquel for the Tribe, Elon went on a 10-1 run, going up 5235 and forcing Tribe head coach Ed Swanson to call a timeout. Although it did stop the bleeding for the time being, the Tribe was not able to draw any closer to the Phoenix, who led 65-46 at the end of the third. Elon ran away with the lead in the fourth quarter, despite the best efforts of Masaquel and senior guard Latrice Hunter. With 2:36 left in the Tribe season, Swanson took out his four seniors — Tremba, Masaquel, Hunter and forward Kasey Curtis — for the last time in their respective careers. The Phoenix won 88-60 to advance to the final of the CAA tournament. The Tribe finished up the year with its most wins since the 2006-07 season, when the College won 20 games. It will lose its four seniors, including its two all-CAA second team honorees, Masaquel and Tremba. Green, a captain and starter, will return for her senior season. Elon beat No. 2 seed James Madison in the CAA championship game and will head to the NCAA tournament. The Phoenix will find out their first-round matchup Monday night.

BRENDAN DOYLE FLAT HAT ASSOC. SPORTS EDITOR Monday night, William and Mary announced the hire of Samantha Huge (Hue-Ghee) for the position of Director of Athletics. The position is currently held by Terry Driscoll, who will be stepping down June 30 after 21 years at the helm of Tribe Athletics. Driscoll announced his retirement Oct. 4, 2016. Huge graduated from Gordon College in Massachusetts in 1992. She also earned a law degree from Campbell University in North Carolina in 1997. Most recently, Huge served as the Senior Associate Athletics Director at Texas A&M. Before that, she worked at the University of Delaware, a Colonial Athletic Association counterpart of William and Mary, in many roles, including interim director of athletics in 2012. William and Mary will announce the hire and introduce Huge at a press conference at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS Senior guard Latrice Hunter led the Tribe with nine points against Delaware.


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