SPORTS >> PAGE 8
VARIETY >> PAGE 5
Taken down
Last-second heave falls short as Towson holds on for 15-9 conference win in last home game.
Vol. 103, Iss. 23 | Tuesday, November 19, 2013
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STUDENT LIFE
TECHNOLOGY
Some say ‘no’ to condom use
EMAILS
COURTESY PHOTO / SOCIETYUPDATE.COM
HACKED COURTESY PHOTO / MICHAELHYATT.COM
Email phishing scams grow
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Email phishing scams are on the rise at the College of William and Mary, with around 60 students facing identity theft since 2011. Around 500 students at the College of William and Mary recently received a scam email attempting to access their private information. The emails were sent using a student’s email account. Experts and administrators are currently investigating the impact of the fraud as well as enacting countermeasures to alleviate it. According to Windows Engineering Manager James Supplee ’70, this is not an isolated event. Similar phishing attempts have occurred frequently since Christmas in 2011, when around 60 students’ identities were stolen. “We’ve been going at it for around 18 months, serious and heavy,” Supplee said. “It’s an endless cycle.” Supplee noted that the primary assailants attempting to infiltrate the College’s system are four to six groups who each possess different scam styles and skill sets. Despite the many filtering mechanisms in place, engineers at the College have found it difficult to prevent all of the phishing attempts. “Our system drops about 90 percent of the emails that hit, and our internal system drops another 50
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students at the College have faced identity theft since 2011
We’ve been going at it for around 18 months, serious and heavy. It’s an endless cycle.
—Windows Engineering Manager James Supplee ’70 on email phishing scams at the College of William and Mary
COLLEGE HAS 9 PERCENT GAP BETWEEN WHITE AND BLACK STUDENTS’ GRADUATION RATES The College of William and Mary has the smallest gap between white and black students’ graduation rates at selective public universities, according to a recent report from the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. Taking into account the number of students who earned a degree within six years, the report showed a 9 percent difference between white and black students’ graduation rates at the College in 2013. Last year, according to the report, 93 percent of white students graduated, while 84 percent of black students did. Overall, the College was ranked 48 out of 58 schools on The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education’s list. Wellesley College holds the top spot, where 89 percent of white students and 92 percent of black students graduated in 2013. In terms of public schools, the University of Virginia and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill were the Ambler second- and third-highest ranked institutions behind the College. Each had an 11 percent gap. “This is one of those moments where it is important to pause and recognize the success for what it is, and it’s significant. We have a reason to be proud,” Vice President for Student Affairs Ginger Ambler ’88, Ph.D. ’06 said in a press release. “At the same time, there’s also a goal for us that’s clear: We need to close the gap. We don’t want any gap for students based on their backgrounds or ethnicity. The demographics of our graduating students should mirror the demographics of our student community overall. We want all students to be graduating at the highest rate.” — Flat Hat News Editor Abby Boyle
Index
Today’s Weather 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
percent,” Supplee said. “It goes through multiple layers, but we can’t stop it all, especially when it’s from an actual student.” In general, students at the College have not encountered any significant problems from these fraud attempts. However, the experience has been unnerving for those subjected to these attempts. “I find it disturbing that so many people in this world are trying to take advantage of others, and it’s scary how easy that can be,” Samantha Cohen ’17 said. The IT administration sent an email to students Nov. 10 explaining what can be done to address the phishing attacks. Some of the tips included ways to identify fraud emails as well as ways to avoid accidentally responding to them. Supplee stated that awareness was key to solving this problem. “The more people can be aware, the better it is,” Supplee said. “We do the best we can with what we have, and we need everyone to use their common sense.” Director of Systems and Support Chris Ward advised students to be mindful of where they place their private information and to always seek help if they were unsure. “Be very careful where you enter your credentials,” Ward said. “If you have the least bit of suspicion, double-check with us.”
Groups encourage safe sex BY HALEY ARATA THE FLAT HAT
At the College of William and Mary, students can get condoms sent to their CSU mailboxes for free. Despite this amenity, some choose not to use this option. A recent study performed by Trojan and the Sexual Information and Education Council of Canada, SIECCAN, found that of the 72 percent of sexually active college students surveyed, about 51 percent do not use condoms during intercourse. Various studies at the College have also dealt with protection during intercourse. A National College Health Assessment survey conducted at the College in 2012 polled undergraduate students on their experiences with sexual activity and protection. Within the 30-day period prior to the survey’s launch, 4.5 percent of male and female students who reported participating in oral sex said they had had used a condom or other protective barrier for oral intercourse. 60.9 percent Garrison who had participated in vaginal intercourse reported using protection and 45.7 percent who participated in anal intercourse had used protection. Health Promotion Specialist Eric Garrison said that, in concordance with the SIECCAN survey, 50.8 percent of students at the College disclosed having used contraception the last time they participated in vaginal intercourse. 49.2 percent answered the question as nonapplicable, while 20.2 percent of students used emergency contraception within the last 12 months of taking the survey. 70.9 percent of students noted using specifically a male condom the last time they engaged in vaginal intercourse; 54.2 percent used a male condom with another form of contraception, also known as the Double Dutch Method; and 26.1 percent used two forms of contraception, not including a male condom. See SEXUAL HEALTH page 3
RESEARCH
College home to 78,000 plant specimens Researchers use information in studying flora, plant diseases, climate change BY KAITLAN SHAUB THE FLAT HAT
WILLI, the herbarium of the College of William and Mary and second-largest herbarium in Virginia, houses a collection of 78,000 different specimens. The herbarium aids in research projects concerning the flora and biodiversity of Virginia, particularly those related to species of the coastal plain. According to Director Martha Case, the herbarium’s specimens help with determining the geographic ranges of species by documenting the variations, both external and genealogical, within a species and identifying plants. “You can actually get all kinds of microscopic and macroscopic information from them because the actual specimen is there, and that includes things like DNA,” Case said. The information gathered from specimens is useful in a variety of projects from creating
COURTESY PHOTO / DAILYPRESS.COM
Herbarium Curator Beth Chambers and Director Martha Case work in the repository.
flora to tracking the distribution of plant diseases. It also can be used to study how climate change affects the flowering, and
Inside OPINIONS
consequently the lives, of plant populations. See HERBARIUM page 3
Inside SPORTS
Please drink originally
The weekly routine of getting dressed up and getting drunk is becoming incredibly boring. page 4 Cloudy High 53, Low 37
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BY SANG HYUN PARK THE FLAT HAT
News Insight News Opinions Variety Variety Sports Sports
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Tribe loses, but receives bid
After dropping the Colonial Athletic Association championship Saturday, the College received an at-large bid to the NCAA championships. page 8
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The Flat Hat
| Tuesday, November 19, 2013 | Page 2
THE BUZZ
When you’re able to talk about sex at all, even initially in as nonsexual a setting as the Sadler breakfast line, you’re more able to talk about it later, when it’s really important, when you’re feeling uncertain with your partner in the heat of the moment. — VOX President Sarah Overton ’14 on sexual health programming on campus
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THE DIGITAL DAY
News Editor Abby Boyle News Editor Annie Curran fhnews@gmail.com
AROUND THE ‘BURG
new edition of “the flat hat insider” Check out the latest edition of WMTV’s “The Flat Hat Insider” at www.flathatnews.com. Host Mary Kate Winebrenner recaps the week of news, including the tight race between state senators Mark Herring and Mark Obenshain for Virginia Attorney General, the recent stabbing on Scotland Street, and the College’s study abroad ranking.
A THOUSAND WORDS
COURTESY PHOTO / THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
An 18th century portrait believed to belong to Sir Benjamin Slade was taken off the auction gallery in Hampton due to disputes about its ownership.
Votes are in for the election of Virginia’s Attorney General
Same-sex married couples push for federal tax benefits
More than 2.2 million votes were cast in the election for Virginia’s Attorney General, and Democrat Mark Herring currently leads Republican Mark Obenshain by only 164 votes. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that, although Herring has already declared victory, Obenshain is not ready to give up. Both candidates have already named transition teams in case of a win. Obenshain explains that, even though he is behind, preparing for transition is “the responsible thing to do.” The election has come down to the 0.01 percentage point. Because it has come down to less than half a percentage point, Obenshain can ask for a recount paid for by taxpayers. If he loses by 0.5 to 1 percent, he must provide the funds for a recount.
The Virginia Department of Taxation ran into trouble with the state’s ACLU affiliate due to its refusal to give federal tax benefits to same-sex married couples for state income tax filings, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. A representative of the ACLU of Virginia said that “this bulletin reaffirms the commonwealth’s ongoing hostility toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Virginians, including legally married same-sex couples.” These regulations make taxes more complicated and harder to properly file, indirectly forcing same-sex couples to pay much higher fares than opposite-sex couples to have their tax returns prepared.
Less overnight visitors at the Historic Triangle The Historic Triangle has experienced a decrease in overnight visitors, the Williamsburg-Yorktown Daily reported. From 2012 to 2013, there has been a 2.1 percent decrease in hotel rooms booked for nights. Visitors pay a $2 tax to stay in hotel rooms for the night, and the decrease in rooms booked has cost the area significant revenue. The City of Williamsburg saw a decrease of 7.1 percent in overnight rooms booked; this may have been partially due to the College’s purchase of the Hospitality House’s 318 rooms.
Mystery portrait from Williamsburg estate taken off market Retired Air Force Colonel Robert Kittleson died in July, and his Williamsburg estate was set to be sold last Sunday, the Virginia Gazette reported. However, an 18th century oil painting, worth $8,000 to $10,000, was taken off the market just minutes before the estate sale began. Many believe that this disappearance indicates that the painting was stolen from a family in England. The man believed to be its true owner, Sir Benjamin Slade, has not produced any paperwork to prove that it has been stolen. The auction house stated that the painting will either be returned to its rightful owner or will be included in the Jan. 1 sale.
Ling beisecker / the FLAT HAT
CORRECTIONS
CITY POLICE BEAT
Nov. 15 — Nov. 17
The Flat Hat wishes to correct any facts printed incorrectly. Corrections may be submitted by email to the editor of the section in which the incorrect information was printed. Requests for corrections will be accepted at any time.
The Flat Hat
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Friday, Nov. 15 — An individual found property at Armistead Avenue.
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Saturday, Nov. 16 — An individual was arrested for a drug violation on High Street and Richmond Road.
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Saturday, Nov. 16 — An individual was charged with a non-moving violation at Merrimac Trail.
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News in brief Muscarelle chief curator honored Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II appointed Muscarelle Museum of Art’s chief curator John Spikes to the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem — known as the Order of St. John — Nov. 2. The Order of St. John provides ambulance services in various countries and maintains the Eye Hospital in Jerusalem. Spike is an expert on the history of the Order. He also researches two knights who may have worked with members of the Order of St. John in the 11th century. In addition, Spikes also curated a commemorative exhibit of one knight, Mattia Preti, earlier this year.
Wind ensemble to release album The College of William and Mary’s Wind Ensemble will release an album through Centaur Records early next year. The album will feature original works by music professor Brian Hulse performed by the College’s Wind Ensemble and faculty soloists. Music professor Paul Bhasin will direct the album. Hulse’s piece “Villa Stellata” describes Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” using an ensemble and solo trumpet, clarinet and cello sections. Centaur Records has released albums by Mark Zuckerman, the New York Scandia Symphony and Chicago A Cappella, among others. Bhasin plans to take “Villa Stellata” and Hulse’s other compositions on tour in China next year.
Teams compete at case competition Monday, several teams of undergraduates from the College of William and Mary participated in the Deloitte Consulting Battle of the Beltway Case Competition in Washington, D.C. Sophomores and juniors competed in the federal government case competition. At the event, undergraduate teams from eight universities competed and presented case solutions before panels of judges. One of the College’s two teams, which included Meredith Ramey ’15, Chase Jordan ’15, Ellie Berlyn ’15 and Jacob Ramey ’16, was awarded second place in the Beltway competition.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
The Flat Hat
Page 3
STUDENT LIFE
Health Center warns about illness Most common illnesses other than common cold are mono with 31 cases, strep with 21 to 25
BY BAILEY KIRKPATRICK FLAT HAT ASSOC. NEWS EDITOR
The College of William and Mary remains relatively healthy this year as other colleges battle an outbreak of meningitis. Often, College campuses perpetuate the spread of illnesses among students and, recently, the rise in meningitis episodes at Princeton University has forced administrators to import a vaccine from Europe, yet to be approved by the FDA. Officials at the College’s Health Center noted that the outbreak at Princeton might raise concern among students and parents here. “We are expecting to get some phone calls from parents pretty soon,” Nurse Practitioner Karla Beckman, C.A.N.P., said. The College has not reported any cases of meningitis and this year’s cases of mononucleosis have not deviated much from the usual trend so far; there have been 31 cases documented to date this year and there were 33 total cases last academic year. The illness, characterized by fevers, sore throats and swollen lymph nodes, is transmitted from person to person by salivary exchanges. Mono can stick around for prolonged periods of time. Mono tends to make the infected extremely tired and sore. It is during times like finals when students are even more susceptible to infection because of stress and lack of sleep — two factors known to reduce immune function to a certain degree. Exercise, on the other hand, helps to strengthen the immune system. As influenza season nears, the rumor mill perpetuates fear of contracting the viral infections that seemingly “everyone” has on campus. The Student Health Center believes that now is the time to start thinking of what can be done to stop illness in its tracks.
While some sicknesses, such as the flu or pharyngitis, otherwise known as strep throat, are more prevalent in the winter and spring months, some infections such as the common cold, mononucleosis or pink eye caused by an adenovirus, appear throughout the year and can strike at any time. “The answer to ‘Am I contagious?’ is always ‘Yes.’ You have already gotten the sickness from someone or something else and it can often happen when the person is unaware they are sick,” Beckman said. “Especially with mono or influenza, when students come in and we are all careful to avoid spreading it, but when people have lesser symptoms it can be confused as a cold they can then transmit the virus to others.” A common cold is a mild upper respiratory viral infection that can be caused by about 200 subtypes of viruses. Symptoms typically result in congestion, sneezing, snore throats, a cough, headaches or lowgrade fevers. “I felt a little bit off when I woke up at the beginning of the week and it all started with congestion,” Ian Baine ’15 said. “I might have had a bit of a fever, but mostly I was achy and beyond tired. I just slept a lot, used some steam from the shower to clear my congestion, took a little Tylenol and drank a lot of fluids.” There is no cure for a cold, but the symptoms can be treated; a typical common cold will last up to one and a half weeks. There is no proven method of preventing a cold from appearing, but vitamins and healthy lifestyle choices, as well as vigorous hand washing, are recommended. “The biggest way to prevent the spread of illness is to wash hands or sanitize your hands religiously, not just when you use the restroom,” Beckman said. “Staying out of class is also very important. Students need to rest and recuperate, but also need to help
FILE PHOTO / THE FLAT HAT
Health Center officials said that common cold, mono and strep threat are prevalent this time of year.
fight the spread of contagion.” When coughing or sneezing occurs, respiratory particles in the air can spread in a roughly six-foot radius. It is important to cough into your arm or sleeve instead of the hands or directly into the air. To date, the number of cases of strep throat this academic year lies between 21 and 25 cases, which does not vary much from the trends of last year. Sore throats can be caused by viral or bacterial infections and typically resolve on their own. Symptoms of a sore throat can be treated with lozenges or oral rinses. However, strep throat is a very particular kind of bacterium known as group A streptococcus and is typically treated with antibiotics so it clears up quickly. If diagnosed with strep, it is important to stay home from work or school until 24 hours of antibiotics have been taken so contagion is less likely. “I know students are always really concerned about whether or not they will be able to attend class because they feel like they will fall behind, but
rest and proper nutrition are so important to getting better,” Beckman said. Symptoms of strep throat include pain in the throat, fevers, enlarged lymph nodes in the neck and white patches of pus on the side or back of the throat. Symptoms such as coughing, runny nose or irritation or redness of the eyes are associated with a sore throat or the common cold, not strep throat. Mononucleosis, influenza, gonorrhea, human immunodeficiency virus can also cause sore throats, so it is important to be aware of other existing symptoms as well. “We haven’t had any cases of influenza yet on campus,” Beckman said. “We had a late and mild flu season last year and are hoping for the same this year. We probably won’t see any cases of flu until December.” With the flu, the first three to five days are when one is most contagious. The greatest risk to spread contagion is usually when the patient has the most symptoms. Vaccines for influenza are still available at the health center for free.
RECREATION
New system for intramural sports sign up Process simplifies team creation, students must be signed up before noon prior to day of play BY VERONIQUE BARBOUR FLAT HAT ASSOC. NEWS EDITOR
COURTESY PHOTO / IMLEAGUES.COM
Students can now sign up for intramural sports using a new process online.
Campus groups promote safe sexual habits SEXUAL HEALTH from page 1
Garrison, who also serves as advisor to the HOPE program on campus, works to advance sexual health education within the student community. “People are not always honest about their answers [on surveys], because there’s so much fear and shame around sex,” Garrison said. A major program within HOPE is “Condoms in CSU,” a service that delivers condoms to student mailboxes twice a week upon request. Garrison said the program delivers, on average, 50-100 condoms each Tuesday and Friday. These numbers fluctuate depending on the time of year, he said. “The condoms are pretty much 100 percent reliable, granted you follow some basic steps to make them work best for you,” Garrison said. Elizabeth Scott ’14 is an active member of HOPE and an advocate for open sexual education discussions. “Teens and young adults are having sex — there’s no doubt about that, but we are not reducing the taboo around sexual intercourse and safe sex to the point where
teens and young adults know their options and their responsibility to have safe sex with consenting partner(s),” Scott said in an email. HOPE also administers both active programming, such as speakers and lectures, and passive programming, such as the Red Flag Campaign and Condoms in CSU. As another group on campus, Voices for Planned Parenthood also works toward promoting sexual health education. “I think that some of VOX’s most important work is trying to de-stigmatize sex or, more accurately, knocking it off the pedestal,” Sarah Overton ’14, VOX’s president, said in an email. From tabling in the Sadler Center, to passing out condoms, to hosting Sexcapades in years past, VOX aims to both inform and involve the student body about safe and pleasurable sexual practices. “When you’re able to talk about sex at all, even initially in as non-sexual a setting as the Sadler breakfast line, you’re more able to talk about it later, when it’s really important, when you’re feeling uncertain with your partner in the heat of the moment,” Overton said.
This semester the College of William and Mary’s Campus Recreation Center created a new online system to allow students to sign up for intramural sports on campus. “This new system allows students to register for their intramural sport teams online,” Director of Campus Recreation Linda Knight said. “It also allows us to see where students are forming teams from. For example, say a large group of students sign up from Yates but not from Barrett, we can target Barrett’s Residence Life to reach out to those in Barrett to sign up.” While the system has made it easier for students to register online, Intramural Supervisor Shelby Ziegler ’13 said it has also made it easier for the staff working with the program. Ziegler said she worked with intramural sports during her undergraduate years at the College, using both the now-defunct paper-based and the new online system. “There is a vast difference between
the online system (imleagues.com) and how everything was done previously,” Ziegler said in an email. “Before, we had all sign ups and information on paper and then had to transfer it to digital form. I remember sitting there one winter break with my big … literally converting all the hand written score sheets to a digital form. Although IMLeagues does have its flaws, it has made the system run so much smoother.” However, with the new system in place, students must sign up before they play. In the past, students could pull friends to play right before their game if they lacked players, but now students have to be signed up online at noon before their next game to be allowed to play. Intramural Supervisor Marcus Starman ’16 deals with the system between playing on several different intramural teams. “The idea behind it is that whoever is on the team is actually on the team,” Starman said. “It allows them to keep stats on the players and how many games they have played in. Also, if a player gets a concussion, we can put that in, and if they
come in the next day, we can put a flag in the system that won’t allow them to play until they get cleared by a doctor.” Ziegler said that, in general, the staff seeks to improve the intramural system as a whole by allowing students to communicate with each other. “[The system] makes it possible for captains to send out messages to their team about games and … staff can send out alerts to captains or everyone on IMLeagues about game changes, rain outs or even when playoff brackets are posted,” Ziegler said. “As a player, you can go back and look at every team you have played on and the records of those teams. Also with our new Fusion system, we will be able to soon take credit cards for entries as well.” The staff also hopes to continue to improve the system as it hashes out any minor problems that may accompany the change in programs, Knight said. “We look to continue to improve intramural sports here at the College so that they are accessible for all students who wish to participate in them,” Knight said.
College studies biodiversity at herbarium HERBARIUM from page 1
“I think it’s really important that people understand the diversity that’s out there,” Case said. “It’s important to convey that kind of diversity so we can make good decisions about land use and good, wise, environmental decisions.” Faculty and students collect half of the herbarium’s specimens. The remaining specimens come from gifts and inter-herbaria exchanges of duplicates, which are specimens collected on the same day, by the same person, in the same species and geographic area. “We’re like Interlibrary Loan,” Curator Beth Chambers said. “They only send out to other libraries, and so we only send a loan out to another herb that’s part of our organization.” Chambers explained how sending gifts to other herbaria establishes credit with them and that the exchange program helps the herbarias grow.
The exchange program is also important because duplicates at different herbaria constitute a kind of insurance in the event of a loss, such as a fire, at one herbarium. Duplicates prevent the loss of the whole sample. “Even though we have this wonderful collection here at William and Mary, the vast majority of people who actually use it are outside of William and Mary. We’ve sent thousands of specimens out,” Case said. The students who work with the herbarium help mount specimens and also help to digitize the collection into a database. Chambers argues that while the database is more efficient in finding specimens, it does not surmount the importance of the collection itself. “There’s kind of a movement to say that we don’t need all this space for maintaining these specimens, we can just look at a picture or something, but you can’t get DNA from a picture. It’s just not the same,” Chambers said.
COURTESY PHOTO / DAILY PRESS
Curator Beth Chambers says scientists outside the herbarium use specimen from their studies and research projects.
opinions
Opinions Editor Zachary Frank Assoc. Opinions Editor Andrea Aron-Schiavone fhopinions@gmail.com
The Flat Hat | Tuesday, November 19, 2013 | Page 4
EDITORIAL CARTOON
STAFF EDITORIAL
Online signups
T BY BRIAN KAO, FLAT HAT GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Realistic GERs the College should adopt social interactions. One of the assignments was to text a friend about your true feelings without taking the time to think about the wording. Spit it out and hit send. According to Towson’s professor Andrew Reiner, the assignment caused quite a bit of distress. We TWAMPs have a reputation for being socially awkward. FLAT HAT OPINIONS COLUMNIST You might say we have the book smarts, but our social skills need work. When we’re meeting people at the bars, we tend to open conversations with basic TWAMP talk. What year I’m about to finish my final GER. It’s GER 3: Social Sciences, are you? What’s your major? What’s your opinion on Kant’s which, for me, constituted a couple of psychology classes that moral philosophy? That’s all fine, but moving on from there is liked to munch on my GPA. As soon as the semester is over, I’ll sometimes tough. cage it up with introduction to philosophy and mathematics of But seriously. Do we really need a class? powered flight, neither of which I will ever use. Do I feel like a To me, a class on social skills sounds comparable to a well-rounded individual? Maybe, but as I look at myself and at my modern language class. The classroom and the real world are fellow TWAMPs, I’m still wondering if the College of William and remarkably different — the only way to become truly fluent in Mary isn’t missing a few required courses. a foreign language is to be completely immersed in a society Let’s start with the basics. that speaks that language. In the same manner, the only way to GER 8: Personal Finance Also known as teaching you how not to go broke, especially in develop social skills is to get out there and be social. Practice. If you make mistakes, fine. It’s a learning the ridiculously overpriced tourist town of To me, a class on social skills experience. You’ll laugh about it later. I Williamsburg, Va. I’m not exactly sure how money works; sometimes I have it, and sounds comparable to a modern know I spend an embarrassing amount of time laughing at my own awkwardness. sometimes I don’t. It would be nice to learn language class: There’s the how to pay bills, balance a checkbook and Of course, a class wouldn’t be classroom and there’s the real do all that other financial mumbo jumbo. entirely without merit. It would certainly world. help us recognize our shortcomings. GER 9: Communing with The Towson class seems to focus on Nature the impact of social media. Big surprise: Those who heavily Pop quiz: Upon seeing a crazy squirrel, you a) feed it, b) pet rely on Facebook and texting tend to have more difficulty it, c) take it home to give to your roommate, or d) walk away. with intimate relationships, whether they involve friends or For some reason, it seems that many students (myself included) romantic partners. As a result of these social media sites, we have some difficulty being one with nature. Potential topics of tend to be oversensitive. We feel as if we’re always on display; discussion during class: Bamboo near the Crim Dell is not a thus, we tailor our behavior to fit the norm, even though in weapon, rabid raccoons are not for hugging, and burning pine doing so, we might miss out on emotional intimacy. needles on the grills is probably not the brightest idea. When it comes down to it, there’s nothing wrong with being GER 10: Developing and Maintaining a bit of an awko-taco. If we’re awkward, we’re awkward, and Relationships there are plenty of others (especially at the College) who will This time, I’m not kidding (Was I kidding before?). Towson happily be awkward with us. University actually offers a course on emotional intimacy, which But taking GER 10 probably wouldn’t hurt. strives to push students out of their comfort zones in order to demonstrate that this generation has some trouble with “normal” Email Samantha Farkas at sbfarkas@email.wm.edu.
Samantha Farkas
The staff editorial represents the opinion of The Flat Hat. The editorial board, which is elected by The Flat Hat’s section editors and executive staff, consists of Abby Boyle, Matt Camarda, Katherine Chiglinsky, Meredith Ramey and Ellen Wexler. The Flat Hat welcomes submissions to the Opinions section. Limit letters to 250 words and columns to 650 words. Letters, columns, graphics and cartoons reflect the view of the author only. Email submissions to fhopinions@gmail.com.
COMMENTS @THEFLATHAT
STREET BEAT
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If the College were to introduce a new GER, what would you like it to be? “Something like self-defense, especially for women, like how to take care of yourself.”
Marriah Binek ’14
“Maybe some cool Adventure Games-y, [kinesiology] type class.”
Lauren Stonerock ’15
“Home Ec.”
Rasik Winfield ’15
— PHOTOS AND INTERVIEWS BY ANDREA ARON-SCHIAVONE
We can all agree that this is a very unfortunate situation but I think to make this headline news and publicly chastise Britt is going too far. The articles tone leaves the reader with a misguided image of Brandon Britt. ... I find it amazing how the Flat Hat praises him when he leads the school in points and steals but is so quick to repremand him when he makes a poor decision.
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he College of William and Mary’s Campus Recreation department has announced that students are now able to sign up online for all of the department’s services and programs, which includes all classes taught at the Student Recreation Center. Apart from the inherent irony (now it’s easier than ever not to walk to the Rec), this is a very good thing. Students use the Internet for practically everything. If every College student is afforded the opportunity to sign up for fitness classes just by virtue of the fact that they have an Internet connection, it’s possible that more students will sign up. Walking all the way across campus after a grueling day of classes in typical Williamsburg weather to sign up for a fitness class is, admittedly, a less attractive prospect than signing up in the (relative) comfort of your dorm. Campus Recreation is reducing the disincentive of signing up to virtually nothing, and, for this reason, it should serve as a model for other on-campus services. Although many of the College’s services allow students to sign up or register online, there a few conspicuous absences. The Dean of Students’ office does not have a system in place for students to set up meetings online. While certain student concerns can be reported online (such as possible honor code violations and concerns for the welfare of a student), signing up for a meeting with a dean or someone from the Dean’s Office cannot be conducted over the Internet. In this vein, students cannot apply for an appointment with an academic advisor over the Internet, either. While this is unlikely to compromise any student’s academic success, contact with an advisor should be as efficient and streamlined as possible. More serious than the lack of online registration provided by the Dean of Students’ office or academic advising is the fact that students are unable to electronically sign up for an appointment at either the Counseling Center or the Student Health Center. Seeking help can be — and often is — very frightening. The fact that these services make the process more difficult by not allowing the anesthetic of online anonymity is a hindrance to student wellness and ought to be rectified. Although it’s already an online process, Facilities Management is reportedly redoing how it receives work orders from students, which will hopefully make the process more efficient. This past August, Facilities Management slowed after receiving over 3,000 work-order requests, which was an increase from previous years. Hopefully the newly redesigned work order system can streamline the process so that Facilities Management can better handle difficulties in the future. For a school that prides itself on the amount of face-to-face interaction students have with their professors, there are areas where a computer can prove beneficial. Campus Recreation’s policy bodes well, but to best serve students, the College’s services need to become more Internet accessible.
—Mr. Walker on “Tribe basketball player indefinitely suspended”
You’re not at a Gatsby party, old sport. It’s time to rethink the way we drink. Jillian Bates THE FLAT HAT
You don’t have to be a college student to know what happens on college campuses on the weekends. Once your phone says it nine, it’s time. Students in groups outside of dorms, outside of bars, short skirts, the glorious smell of alcohol. It’s the weekend and time to turn up. Please tell me how it goes again? First, you get dressed; second, you pre-game with intimate friends; third, you party with alcohol and a lot of “friends” and strangers; and finally, you meet the wondrous fork in the road of turning up. Is it the road to vomiting and crying in the front yard of the nearest home? Or is it traveling as a group with your other intoxicated friends to Wawa, screaming how much you love each other and how many more drinks you had than the girl walking next to you?
My question is: Is there another option? No? Well, that’s a bummer. I have seen this movie so many times — three days a week to be precise: Thursday, Friday and Saturday. These days are the weekend, and my weekends really need to become more interesting. How do people get so hyped about doing the same thing they did last week? How spontaneous can you get? The whole act of turning up has become repetitive and boring. I’m tired of yawning every weekend before 10 p.m. You are in college, so you drink because you can. It is the thrill of freedom, right? You have now broken those chains of childhood and that close proximity to the watchtower of your parents and have easier access to this liquid liver killer. And because of this access, you drink and feel compelled to say whatever you please. Are you feeling bold, my friend? I’m guessing you are. You are no longer required to have a social conscience and you feel free to offend, be weird, and embarrass yourself. No, the boys in your hall do not want to know that you are mad at them for not being physically attracted to you. But thanks for sharing. You don’t see it this way when you are part
of this cliche group. For you, it is just like the party scene outside of Gatsby’s castle, right? Being surrounded by friends and strangers, bottles of alcohol so expensive but so cheap that you can’t even smell the alcohol on your breath after ten sips. Is it a formal? Well, if it is, there must be the shimmering light of glow sticks around their necks, the stumbling and buckling of knees as stiletto virgins click on the bricks and trip into a show that puts a smile on the faces of their equally inexperienced friends. It is funny that some may see this image as their idea of exciting lives on a Saturday night, because I see this picture differently. Leonardo DiCaprio is not going to welcome you to his mansion of glitz, glam and illthought-out choices and then grace you with a toast and call you “old sport.” It is time for college students to change the drinking scenes reminiscent of “The Hangover,” “Superbad” and “Mean Girls.” It is time for students to wear clogs while drinking and make a new sound. It is time to be original. Start a revolution and make drinking cool again. Email Jillian Bates at jabates@email. wm.edu
GRAPHIC BY ALLISON HICKS / THE FLAT HAT
Variety Editor Áine Cain flathat.variety@gmail.com
The Flat Hat
| Tuesday, November 19, 2013 | Page 5
William & Mary View my proflie page
1,693 TWEETS
2,013
FOLLOWING
6,171
FOLLOWERS
Compose new Tweet....
AINE CAIN // FLAT HAT VARIETY EDITOR
W&M Squirrel @wmsquirrel
put them! That’s always the Twitter. A sociable squirrel at Between stashing away food Camille I Hughes @cisobel heart, the W&M Squirrel loves for the winter and causing a problem.” He’s not too busy, however, the interactive side of Twitter. ruckus in the branches of the “[I] love to chit-chat with trees above campus, the W&M to forgo his usual social media Squirrel has had a very busy activities. The W&M Squirrel is other squirrels and W&M folks,” a ubiquitous online presence at the W&M Squirrel said in an season. “Lots of nuts are stored the College of William and Mary email. “I’m a people squirrel.” Despite recently being all over campus,” the W&M — he constantly posts pictures Squirrel said in an email. “Just of himself and his squirrel confined to his tree due to a have to remember where I friends on Facebook and case of the sniffles, the W&M
Squirrel still looks forward to the festivities marking the end of the semester — particularly the Yule Log Ceremony. He plans to participate in the event, alongside College President Taylor Reveley — or TR, as the W&M Squirrel calls him. The W&M Squirrel enjoys his daily chats with fellow
JILLIAN BATES // THE FLAT HAT
WM Griffin @WMGriffin1693 Have you ever wondered what the Griffin says? The word around campus is that it tweets. The Griffin’s Twitter account is one of the most followed College of William and Mary-related accounts. So far, it has acquired 570 followers and become a megaphone for the Griffin to actually say, or hash-tag, the words “GO TRIBE!” According to the Griffin — who is part eagle — it is important that all fowl follow and use the avian-themed social
media site. Buckling under this bird-community peer pressure, the Griffin created an account in order to spread Tribe Pride by posting updates about events going on around campus and educate the public about griffins. “There is such a lack of information about griffins out there today,” the Griffin said in an email. “This is my way of helping out my fellow griffins.” The Griffin does this by having
different games on twitter such as ‘Where’s Grif?,’ a game in which the Griffin’s followers have to guess his location on campus from picture clues and ‘Griffin Trivia,’ a weekly quiz which asks followers questions about him. “Most people don’t know what I do all day,” the Griffin said in an email. “This is my way of letting everyone into my world”. The Griffin’s Twitter allows him to stay connected with the students.
Taylor Reveley III @fakereveley When the creator of @fakereveley first made the Twitter account as a freshman, he had no idea how successful it would become. Three years and 1,242 followers later, @fakereveley has gained quite the following on campus. “I think [Reveley’s] a compelling guy with a compelling sense of humor,” the creator of @fakereveley said in an email. “In the beginning I wanted to
include things that he would usually say, using his unique vocabulary. But as the account evolved, it’s turned into more of a critique of campus life.” The account comments on campus happenings such as Orientation, Blowout and Homecoming, as well as current events and aspects of campus life. “As much as Reveley may not say
some of the things that I attribute to him, I think that he’d agree with most of the sentiments,” the creator said. Although the “unofficial, unapproved, unaffiliated, yet surprisingly succulent Twitter feed of William & Mary President W. Taylor Reveley III” has over 1,000 followers, the account’s inspiration has yet to read it. “I’ve been told ‘fakereveley’ exists,
a seasoned member of the Twitter network. Hughes frequents Twitter more than Facebook because Twitter curbs rants; tweeters only have 140 gripe-filled characters with which to get a point across. A connoisseur of complaint, Hughes uses Twitter as an outlet for protest and recounts of her hectic life.
“I probably tweet most about things I complain about or about ridiculous stuff that happens,” Hughes said. Many of Hughes’ spiels concern her crusade against Williamsburg insects; bugs are not as much of an issue in her 11th floor New York City home. “I get eaten alive here; it’s
insane,” Hughes said. Drawn to both humor and up-to-date news, Hughes’ own Twitter feed is populated mostly by comedians and scientists. Comedian Sam Grittner is one of Hughes’ favorite Twitter users to follow. “The more light-hearted and non-political people can
his spirit still lingers despite his bodily decease on Oct. 15, 1770. Lord Botetourt’s Twitter account describes him as a “Statuesque, ‘greatly loved,’ former Governor’s Palace resident, and occasionally annoyed by squirrels.” He
“There’s a lot that goes into making a good tweet,” Yi said. “A lot of people think that with a 140-character limit they should use as many abbreviations as possible. But what that actually does is frustrates people. If you’re using more than three hash
currently has about 700 followers despite the fact that he is hesitant about Twitter. “I confess that I don’t understand Twitter,” Lord Botetourt said in an email. “It was represented to me that I could communicate more efficiently with
members of the College community through Twitter than by issuing occasional proclamations written by my amanuensis. My current amanuensis reminded me that my last proclamation was issued to mark the reopening of the College following the
tags, you need to slow your roll. Twitter’s less about personal events and more about information. So if I share ‘seven simple ways to dress up your dorm’ or ‘20 quick clue week ideas,’ that will get shared more than ‘How’s your day going, guys?’”
Yi didn’t start using Twitter until interning for Gannett, the owner of USA Today. The employer highlighted the importance of Twitter for establishing a personal brand. “If you’re trying to be a reporter and talk about the
her family and Miss America Pageant friends. “I’m a people person,” Willis said. “I like connecting with people.” Willis said her favorite person at the College is Miss Angie from the Sadler Center because of her kind disposition and uplifting phrases like, “Hi precious,”
e-journals and other news. Swem’s Twitter account is only one component of its social media campaign; a YouTube page, Flickr account and Facebook page also disseminate the library’s news. Swem’s staff has discovered that a larger portion of students at
financial sector, Twitter’s a great place to get involved in conversations that aren’t super intense where you have to go back and forth with these long blog posts,” Yi said. “Many people will see your posts, so that’s a great way to build influence.”
BILL CUSSEN // THE FLAT HAT and “Thank you so much, love.” “If you’re feeling down, go see her,” Willis said. Willis cites chocolate chip cookie dough as her guilty pleasure, “Harry Potter” as her favorite series and “A Walk to Remember” as her favorite movie.
After she graduates in December, she says she plans on moving to Arlington. “Hopefully [I will] work for a nonprofit and continue personal training on the side,” Willis said. If she could leave one lasting legacy or message to the world, Willis urges everyone to “live a life that outlasts you.”
SYDNEY MAHAN // THE FLAT HAT
Earl Gregg Swem Library @swemlibrary Institutions like Earl Gregg Swem Library are changing the way the world connects. Swem established its Twitter account, @swemlibrary, in early 2009 as a way to communicate with students and the public about library events, new resources such as databases and
War of Northern Aggression.” Usually, his tweets pertain to maintaining the College’s traditions and history, although he has recently tweeted about the government shutdown and Virginia’s gubernatorial election.
EMILY STONE // FLAT HAT ASSOC. VARIETY EDITOR
Rosemary Willis @RosemaryGWillis Rosemary Willis ’13 — Miss Virginia, Accidental member, Personal Trainer, Health Enthusiast, and Twitter celebrity — is just your typical College of William and Mary student, contrary to what her Twitter page suggests. She originally made the Twitter for fun, but now uses it to keep up with
be, [the better],” Hughes said. Hughes encourages people to join Twitter. And, as her days at the College peter out, she is considering completing the traditional College triathlon. So watch out, followers, for an exuberant tweet afterwards. “I may tweet about [streaking] ex post facto,” Hughes said with a chuckle.
RACHEL BROWN // FLAT HAT ASSOC. VARIETY EDITOR
Her Campus W&M @HerCampusWM According to Harper Yi ’15, Her Campus’s most popular tweets include links to howto guides or articles which appeal to people outside of the College of William and Mary. Yi runs the Twitter account for the College’s branch of Her Campus.
but I haven’t seen it,” College of William and Mary President Taylor Reveley said in an email. “Given the great creativity and finely grained sense of humor of W&M students, I imagine it does a good job capturing my essence.” Although the creator of @fakereveley is graduating from the College this December, he has yet to choose a successor to the account.
HALEY ARATA // THE FLAT HAT
Lord Botetourt @lordbot The College of William and Mary’s Lord Botetourt statue can be found intently watching Confusion Corner outside of the Sir Christopher Wren Building. Although Lord Botetourt appears as still as a statue, his Twitter account makes it clear that
Because he’s not in class with them on a daily basis, the Griffin uses the student body’s way of keeping in touch: social networking. His favorite part about having a Twitter is getting to chat with all of his friends. The Griffin admits that at times it can be a struggle to use Twitter due to his smart phone being incompatible with his claws. However, he’s still happy to know that he can get out his message using his beak to tweet #GOTRIBE!
ARIEL COHEN // FLAT HAT ASSOC. NEWS EDITOR
Camille Hughes @cisobel Camille Hughes ’14 — a former NYC Prep “Bravolebrity,” current neuroscience major at the College of William and Mary and active Tri Delta sister — began using Twitter her senior year of high school. Reluctant at the time, Hughes begrudgingly jumped on the bandwagon. Four years later, however, Hughes is now
campus fixture, the Lord Botetourt statue. He hopes to convey a message of friendship and togetherness to campus in his continuing posts. “I love my friends,” the W&M Squirrel said in an email. “You make my day. #TribePride. #GoTribe. You’re cool, Aine. #Nutstoyou.”
the College of William and Mary use Twitter as opposed to other social media platforms for daily interactions. “We believe it is a valuable communication tool,” Associate Director of Strategic Communications and Outreach Tami Back said in an email.
“Many students tweet to us regarding building issues, general questions about the library or just to say ‘hi.’ We try to respond promptly and really enjoy interacting with students. We appreciate the feedback we receive from students because it helps us identify what areas
we need to focus on, what improvements we can make, and what we’re doing right.” Swem’s sub-accounts like Special Collections, the Media Center and the Music Library allow the library to target audiences with specific interests.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Page 6
The Flat Hat
Wormtongue: The horror within
One unsuspecting professor’s battle with a parasitic foe ALL PHOTOS COURTESY / JONATHAN ALLEN
BY KATIE SEIFERT THE FLAT HAT
Imagine sitting in class one day and discovering that you have a rough patch at the back of your mouth. Now, imagine it is three hours later and you notice the rough patch has moved. Biology professor Jonathan Allen of the College of William and Mary has been in that situation — and he knew exactly what was happening. Allen is approaching the one-year anniversary of the discovery and removal of a parasitic worm from his mouth. He initially discovered the worm at the beginning of the fall 2012 semester. Allen noticed a rough patch in his mouth that would move around throughout the day. He wasn’t sure what it was until he was giving the final exam to his Invertebrate Biology class. “I felt this sensation in my mouth that had been happening but not in a place I could see it,” Allen said. “In the middle of the exam, though, it finally moved to the front of my lip.” After the exam, he ran back to the Integrated Science Center to take some pictures of the newly discovered parasite. He quickly narrowed the parasite down to a particular worm: Gongylonema pulchruma. “It was very exciting once I could actually see it,” Allen said. “When I saw the sinusoidal curls of it, I knew it was a nematode. When I looked into it, there [was] basically only one kind of worm [of this phylum] that it could be. Turns out there are very few worms that can live in your mouth.” After Allen discovered the parasite, he called his doctor who referred him to an oral surgeon. “I went there and brought papers and pictures of the worm as well as myself with the worm still in my lip,” Allen said. “I thought I was pretty convincing.” However, the doctor’s opinion was different from what Allen envisioned. “He looked at papers, he looked at the pictures, he looked at my mouth and basically told me that he didn’t see anything,” Allen said. “He simply brushed it off as a normal discoloration of the mouth.” Allen began arguing with the doctor that the worm was actually there, but he soon left the office disappointed and frustrated. Not only did he feel that the parasitic worm was an interesting find, but he thought that it was something that needed to be reported. After being woken up at midnight by one
of his sons, Allen noticed the worm was at the front of his lip again and decided to remove it right then by himself. “I grabbed these fine-tipped forceps, a scintillation vial, filled it with alcohol and had my wife hold the flashlight in the mirror while I pulled out the worm,” Allen said. At this point, Allen knew he was correct, but he didn’t want to lose his proof — the parasite. “My worst fear was that I would pull it out and drop and swallow it and it’d be gone and nobody would believe me,” Allen said. “I got it out on the third try, dropped it in the vial, and came over to [the College] still in my pajamas and started taking pictures.” Between his visit to the doctor and his removal of the worm, he had emailed his neighbor, a professor at Eastern Virginia Medical School who works with nematodes. Allen gave her the worm to run tests and confirmed that it was, in fact, Gongylonema pulchruma. They then proceeded to write a paper and publish it in a medical journal. Allen still has the worm in his refrigerator at the lab. He and his neighbor are planning on doing a full genome sequencing of the worm. “We’ll have the whole genome of it so that other people could compare different genes to this organism,” Allen said. “It’s actually pretty abundant in livestock, so those worms have been sequenced before, but never one that was found in a person. So we can compare it to the ones that we think are the same species.” Allen thinks that many people may be hosts to this parasite and not even know it. Allen and the professor from EVMS received a grant to run tests on the source of the parasite. They concluded Allen probably received it from eating or drinking something with bug particles. “You don’t have to go to, like, Mongolia and eat a rare insect dish to acquire this,” Allen said. “Anybody could have it.” He offered some advice to rising premed students, as a result of his experience. “When I talk to students, I talk about two things,” Allen said. “One: There is a lot about the world we live in that we don’t understand. Two: Keep an open mind. There is a tendency, and I’m as guilty of this as anyone, to just stick with what we think we should see. It’s critical to be willing to be surprised and to not dismiss it when something unusual happens. I thrive on being surprised.”
Upon finding a parasitic worm living inside his lip, Professor Jonathan Allen was less disgusted and more excited by the scientific discovery.
Gongylonema pulchruma, a nemotode, is one of the few worms that could actually survive an extended time living inside a person’s lip.
CONFUSION CORNER
No, we don’t know how to use a phonebook
Millennials use Google to answer all of their questions — but there’s nothing wrong with that
Zoe Johnson
Confusion Corner Columnist
It’s hard being in your twenties, right? I have been in my twenties for about six months, and I am already over it. The second I turned 20, my ambition waned, I lost my ability to wear pants every day, and I now spend most evenings on Jezebel while watching “Sex and The City” re-runs and wondering why I am so alone. These are the side effects of being 20 and a millennial, according to viral websites such as Buzzfeed, Upworthy and Thought Catalog. Is this decade of our lives really that difficult? Most people go through it, and plenty make it out mentally sound. I am not just saying that to comfort you; there are billions of people
over the age of 29. Sure, some of them could probably benefit from seeing a psychologist once they emerge from their twenties, but so could teenagers, and definitely a few in the seven to 10 bracket. What I’m saying is, I’m not sure being in your twenties is any harder than being in your thirties, forties, fifties or so on. Everyone just wants you to assume that it’s futile and depressing all the time. It’s like if you’re not complaining about the struggle that is your twenties, you can just get out. We don’t need your positivity here. For starters, everyone on the Internet thinks millennials are useless and in need of guidance. If you don’t know what a millennial is, what kind of accommodations do you have under your rock? Do you have room for one more? It seems impossible to escape this overused term. By definition, millennial is another term for Generation Y and is a term that describes anyone born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s. This means you hardly remember a world where “Google it” was not a common expression. To me, a millennial, that is incredible.
I love the convenience of having the answer to all of my mundane questions only seconds away. Can you imagine having to go to a library to find a book about vegetables that time you wanted to know whether or not there are eggs in an eggplant? I am annoyed just thinking about that, and older people on the Internet see something intrinsically wrong with me because of that mindset. Something is wrong with our generation because we love Google and iPhones? Okay, Judgmental Judy, relax. Recently, Buzzfeed created a list called, “13 Skills Your Grandparents Had That You Don’t.” The “you” here refers to millennials, and thus, everything on the list was an implication of our apparent overdependence on technology. For example, one of the skills listed was “the ability to use a phone book.” What? Who cares? That doesn’t make my grandparents any better than me. Remember your last job interview when you were asked about your critical phonebookuse skills? Yeah, me neither. It is interesting to consider how times have changed, but too many discredit millennials for being so willing to use
new technology. There is no doubt that we should value advice from those who have lived through their twenties. It’s good to have some guidance, but no one is Raven Symone; we can’t predict the future. This could be the best decade of our lives — if there was less pressure to be so miserable throughout it. We should mostly ignore articles that tell us “10 things you must do in your twenties or you’ll live a life of regret” or “10 things you should never do in your twenties or you’ll live a life of regret.” The authors of articles like that aren’t living your life and granted, neither am I, but the difference is that I’m not trying to make you feel guilty or anxious that you’re missing out on “real life” because you’re 22 and you enjoy live tweeting episodes of “Scandal.” You’ll be okay. We’re millennials; we’ve been cyber-bullying before it was illegal. We’re tough. We’ll make it through okay. Zoe Johnson is a Confusion Corner columnist and knows you need to break a few eggplants to make an omelet.
sportsinside
The Flat Hat | Tuesday, November 19, 2013 | Page 7
MEN’S SOCCER
Tribe shut down in Philly College fails to score, falls in conference championship to Drexel 1-0
MEN’S SOCCER
Tribe to host A-10 Champs First round on Thursday BY JACK POWERS FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR
COURTESY PHOTO / CAA SPORTS
Junior defender Michael Teiman replaced injured senior defender Roshan Patel for the final two games of the tournament, earning a spot on the All-CAA tournament team.
BY JACK POWERS FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR William and Mary’s Colonial Athletic Association season ended just as it began — with a loss to Drexel. After a six-goal explosion in the tournament semifinals against North Carolina-Wilmington, the No. 21 Tribe (11-5-2, 4-2-1 CAA) fell short in the CAA Championship, as Drexel (9-7-4, 4-1-2 CAA) shut out the College 1-0 in Philadelphia, Pa. The outcome of the match gave the Dragons an automatic bid to the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament, while leaving the Tribe unsure of its status. The uncertainty morphed into jubilation Monday when the Tribe received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. The College will host former-CAA rival George Mason (12-2-5) Thursday. Despite the sting of Saturday’s defeat, the strength of the College’s resume — which includes three wins against ranked opponents — shined through. The selection marked the third time that head coach Chris Norris has led the Tribe to the NCAA tournament and the program’s 15th selection all-time. Most recently, the College advanced to the third round of the tournament
in 2010. In the conference championship Saturday, the Tribe outshot the Dragons and forced Drexel goaltender Tyler Afflerbach to make four tough saves. The difference in the match came down to a corner kick that resulted in an unlikely goal. In the 26th minute, Drexel midfielder Michele Pataia whipped the ball into the box, where it bounced around a scrum of green and yellow shirts before defender Jameson Detweiler found the ball at his feet. Detweiler slammed it past freshman goalkeeper Mac Phillips, finding the back of the net. A momentary lapse of focus ended up costing the Tribe the championship. The College took several close cracks at an equalizer but could not find an answer to Drexel’s firm backline. In the 36th minute, junior forward Josh West’s shot from just inside the box bent toward goal but bounced off the goalpost and landed safely out of bounds. Coming off his first-career two-goal game against UNC-W, sophomore forward Jackson Eskay contributed three shots and tied for the team lead with freshman forward Reilly Maw. The Tribe made Drexel work to maintain its defensive edge by controlling possession; however, the College’s forwards were often forced to take improbable shots from outside
the box due to Drexel’s cohesive backline. Senior forward Chris Perez came close to an equalizer eight minutes into the second period. Junior midfielder Chris Albiston crossed the ball into the box where Perez tracked it down. Perez’s header was goal bound, but Afflerbach recorded the save. In the waning minutes of the game, the Tribe pushed frantically for a goal to send the game to overtime and to keep its aspiration of an eighth CAA championship alive. Drexel’s defenders, led by CAA Championship Most Outstanding Performer Tal Bubill, stymied the Tribe over and over, forcing costly turnovers. With all of the College’s players huddled inside Drexel’s box in the final seconds, a hopeful corner kick was cleared away to end the match. Three Tribe players were named to the all-CAA tournament squad — Perez, senior defender Will Smith and junior defender Michael Tieman. Senior defender Roshan Patel did not play in the final two games of the tournament due to a hamstring injury but will likely be cleared to play for the first round of the NCAA tournament. The College hosts George Mason Thursday at Martin Family Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m., with the winner advancing to face 14th-seeded
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Tribe offense sputters against East Carolina College shoots 39 percent from the field and 14 percent from three BY MICK SLOAN
FLAT HAT ASSOC. SPORTS EDITOR
William and Mary dropped its second straight game Friday evening, falling to East Carolina, 69-57, in Greenville, N.C. The Tribe (0-2) trailed by just a single point at halftime but fell behind early in the second half and could not catch up. “I thought their defense wore us down a little bit,” head coach Ed Swanson told Tribe Athletics. “When you’re not scoring the basketball consistently, sometimes it takes away your edge on defense.” Senior forward Kaitlyn Matheiu led the Tribe with 13 points and six rebounds while shooting 43 percent from the field. Freshman guard Marlena Tremba came off the bench to add 13 points, three rebounds and three assists to help keep the game competitive. The College, however, was unable to keep pace with the Pirates as the second half progressed. The Pirates jumped to a 6-1 lead in the opening minutes,
holding the Tribe without a field goal in the first five minutes of the game. But junior forward J a z m e n Boone and freshman g u a r d Alexandra Boone Masaquel each notched two lay-ups to close the gap and tie the game at 11-11 with 12 minutes left until halftime. The teams matched scores for the remainder of the half, with the Pirates’ lead never exceeding four points. However, by the end of the first half, the Tribe proved unable to take the lead. The Tribe registered 20 points in the paint in the first half and held East Carolina to 38 percent shooting from the field and just five free throws. The game shifted against the Tribe shortly after halftime, however, as the Pirates opened the second half with an 8-0 run to extend their lead to 40-31.
The College fell behind further as its shooting betrayed it; the Tribe missed 9 of 11 shots in the first six minutes of the second half as the team fell behind 4735. Through the second half, the Tribe stopped getting into the paint almost entirely and mustered just four free throws. The College simply could not challenge East Carolina once the deficit swelled to double digits. The Pirates led by as many as 19 in the second half and did not let the Tribe within 10 points of them in the final 14 minutes of game play. In the second half, the Tribe scored just eight points in the paint, three second-chance points and zero fast break points. The College shot a feeble 14 percent from beyond the arc and 58 percent on free throws. The Tribe was also out-rebounded 49-31. To the Tribe’s credit, the defense largely kept the Pirates away from the basket, surrendering just 26 points in the paint and forcing the hosts to rely on threes and long jumpers. However, the Pirates hit 7 of 17
threes, a crucial factor in the team’s strong second half. The Pirates also capitalized on 16 of 18 free throws, another crucial advantage. The loss keeps the Tribe in search of an elusive first win. The squad has played decent defense out of the gate, but the offense still needs to find an identity. It is still early in head coach Ed Swanson’s tenure, so a period of adjustment, especially after the Tribe lost so much senior production, is expected. Swanson took several positives from his team’s development. “I’m really happy where our defense [was]…against a very explosive team in East Carolina,” Swanson remarked. “We just have to settle down and offensively just trust a little bit better, and that will come in time.” The Tribe will return to action against High Point Tuesday night at Kaplan Arena. The home opener will tip off at 7 p.m.
No. 21 William and Mary will host former conference rival George Mason Thursday at Martin Family Stadium for its first National Collegiate Athletic Association match in three years. The first round match pits Colonial Athletic Association runner-up, the Tribe, against Atlantic-10 champion, George Mason. The Patriots are on a 13-game unbeaten streak stretching back to Sept. 25 against the University of Maryland-Baltimore County. The Patriots enter the match as the winners of four straight games, including a tight A-10 championship victory over Saint Louis, and the team went undefeated through conference play, allowing three ties. The Tribe poses the Patriots’ hardest test to date. At no point in the season has George Mason been ranked in the national polls, while the Tribe came in to Saturday’s loss to Drexel ranked No. 21. The College also has the 10th best Ratings Percentage Index. The Patriots and the Tribe have arrived at this point in the season through very similar means. Both teams achieved nine shutouts. The College features a backline stocked with veteran experience, including CAA Defensive Player of the Year Will Smith, while George Mason boasts the A-10 Tournament Most Outstanding Player. Besting All-CAA rookie goaltender Mac Phillips’ goals against average of 0.95, the Patriots goaltender Steffen Kraus has averaged just 0.64 goals against. On offense, forward Jannik Eckenrode leads the Patriots’ attack. Eckenrode totaled five goals and 13 points during the season. The Tribe’s top two attackers are sophomore forward Jackson Eskay with seven goals and junior forward Josh West with six goals. The College has been feast-or-famine this season, illustrated by its six-goal outburst in the CAA semifinal followed by its shutout in the final. Both Tribe head coach Chris Norris and Patriots head coach Greg Andrulis are in their ninth years with their respective teams, and Thursday’s match will mark the third time that both coaches have taken their programs to the NCAA tournament.
COURTESY PHOTO / CAA SPORTS
Junior forward Josh West has scored six goals so far this season.
Tigers end Zable streak FOOTBALL from page 8
fourth-and-ten from the Tiger’s 43 yard-line with 1:33 left in the game. Flushed from the pocket, Caprio rolled to his right and launched a pass to an open McBride. Falling backwards and with Towson’s defensive back Jordan Love closing, McBride bounced off the turf and failed to make the catch. McBride laid on the ground, seemingly in disbelief, while the Towson bench stormed the field. “It was fourth down, couldn’t take a sack; I tried to buy as much time as I could and throw it up and try and make a play,” Caprio said. “It just didn’t work out.” McBride finished with six catches for 88 yards and compiled 41 yards on two kick returns. Towson dominated time of possession, 34:15 to 24:14, while converting all three of its fourth-down conversions. In contrast, the Tribe turned the ball over on downs on three fourth-down conversion attempts. “It was a tough game, it was a physical game. I thought both teams played very, very hard.
I thought we competed and played well, but we made a few mistakes — things we just don’t do,” Laycock said. “I thought we had a shot there at the end, and we couldn’t do it. Again, I can’t fault our guys’ effort. We had a number of guys get banged up and go out. I thought our guys gave a heck of an effort.” The loss likely means the College must win Saturday’s regular season finale at rival Richmond (5-6, 3-4 CAA) to keep alive its post-season hopes. The Tribe has six days to shake the disappointment of Saturday’s loss. The Spiders are coming off a morale-boosting victory over No. 21 Delaware, “You can’t really look back and say we didn’t play hard. Ever yone on the team fought, fought to the end. It Rhodes just didn’t go our way sometimes — that’s just how it works,” sophomore middle linebacker Luke Rhodes said. “We were tired there, we were getting worn down, but nobody ever quit. We played till the end.”
sports
Sports Editor Jack Powers Sports Editor Chris Weber flathatsports@gmail.com
The Flat Hat | Tuesday, November 19, 2013 | Page 8
ASHLEY RICHARDSON / THE FLAT HAT
FOOTBALL
Missed opportunity
College fails to capitalize on last drive as Towson escapes with 15-9 win in home finale BY CHRIS WEBER FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR In a match featuring the Colonial Athletic Association’s top offense in Towson and the nation’s No. 1 scoring defense in William and Mary, something had to give. The College (7-4, 4-3 CAA), facing its fourth nationally ranked opponent in as many weeks, largely kept Towson (9-2, 5-2 CAA) off the scoreboard but failed to produce offensively, falling 15-9 in its regular season home finale. “We knew they were going to be a good team. We knew what they were going to try to do is run the ball, and we knew it was our job to stop the run,” senior safety Jerome Couplin said. “We expected it. We prepared for it. We just gave it the best effort we could.”
Couplin, named to the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List Friday, recorded 13 tackles as the Tribe’s defense held Towson’s highoctane offense to 342 yards and a season-low 15 points. Still, Tiger’s Couplin tailback Terrance West rushed for 160 yards and two scores, topping 4,000 yards in his threeyear collegiate career. “First, I want to tip my hat to [the Tribe’s] defense. They have a great defense, and then I want to give a shout out to my offensive line, they played a hell of a game. It starts up front,” West said. “Today, we just wanted to win. It was a tough crowd, a tough place to
play, they were 5-0 at home, and we came in and came up with the win.” While the College’s defense dealt with West and Towson’s quarterback Peter Athens, who accounted for 133 yards through the air and on the ground, senior quarterback Brent Caprio and the Tribe offense struggled to finish drives. Despite scoring on three of its first four possessions, the College managed just nine points, all in the first half. Junior placekicker John Carpenter finished the day 3 for 3, with field goals from 43, 30 and 31 yards. Carpenter’s 30-yard field goal with 30 seconds remaining in the first half sent the Tribe into the break with a slim 9-7 advantage. Towson resorted to trickery for the go-ahead score late in the third quarter.
Stites, women advance
No. 18 Tribe finishes second, qualifies for NCAAs
The ten-second gap between sophomore Emily Stites and the rest of the field at the Southeast Region Championships secured Stites’ place in William and Mary history in more ways than one. Stites’ 19 minute, 57 second 6,000-meter run marked the first individual regional win in the women’s program history, while also helping the College secure a No. 2 finish, ensuring the Tribe would return to the National Collegiate Athletic Association Championships for the second consecutive year — another first in school history. “When I finished the race, I thought ‘Did that really just happen?’ I had no intention going into the race of breaking a record or anything,” Stites said. “It was just a ‘go from point A to point B as fast as you can’ kind of thing. When I found out afterwards … that I had broken the record … I was just like, ‘Oh, that’s just a cherry on top.’ It’s a nice surprise when you hear that.” Stites’ time bettered that of Olympian and former Villanova runner Sheila Reid, who posted a 20:13 mark in 2009. Overall, the women’s program finished behind meetfavorite No. 11 Virginia by just 12 points. “The women ran great. They came on really strong at the end. They gave U.Va. a challenge — it was on their course, they were the favorites,” Director of cross-country Stephen Walsh said. “I wouldn’t consider it a loss. I think we put some fear in them coming into nationals.” Senior Elaina Balouris, stride for stride with Stites at the beginning of the race, finished sixth overall with a time of 20:12. Balouris
two-point conversion. Couplin came up with the football after a Towson fumble, but then fumbled on a return attempt. Frazier, hero of the fake field goal, fell on the ball in the end zone to put the Tigers ahead 15-9. Towson’s placekicker Drew Evangelista then dinged a 25-yard field goal attempt off the left upright, giving Caprio and the offense 2 minutes and 42 seconds to complete a gamewinning drive. Caprio, who finished 13 of 27 for 167 yards and an interception, completed passes to junior wideouts Tre McBride and Sean Ballard before finding junior tight end Bo Revell for a first down in Towson territory. Caprio’s next three passes all fell incomplete, setting up a See FOOTBALL page 7
BASKETBALL
CROSS COUNTRY
BY CHRIS WEBER AND MICK SLOAN FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR AND ASSOC. EDITOR
Facing a fourth-and-nine from the College’s 13-yard line, Towson’s holder Connor Frazier set up for the field goal attempt. Instead of going for the field goal, Frazier took the snap to the right before planting and heading up field for the first down. West punched it in from three yards out for the go-ahead touchdown on the ensuing play. “Surprise me? I don’t know, not much surprises me out there anymore, to be honest with you,” head coach Jimmye Laycock said. “I think it surprised our defensive players. They weren’t quite ready to react to it like they should have. I don’t think they reacted well enough, obviously, because they picked it up. That was a gutsy call.” Towson head coach Rob Ambrose made another gutsy call on the following snap, electing to go for the
finished half a second out from the top-5 runners. Sophomore Meghan McGovern and senior Michelle Britto rounded out the top25 finishers, crossing the line 12th and 17th, respectively. “We knew she was capable of doing that. [Balouris] ran a strong race; she pushed the pace a little bit too early,” Walsh said. “The onetwo punch we have there, at the next level, is going to be very impressive.” On the men’s side, senior Joshua Mercado paced the College with a 29:57 10,000-meter run, good for 29th overall. As a team, the Tribe finished sixth, upsetting three higherranked teams. “The guys improved a lot, and we finished a lot higher than our ranking. That was huge,” Walsh said. “I think we had some very good performances with a very young team.” The men’s program heads for the Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America in New York, N.Y., Nov. 23. Stites will lead the women’s program to the NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Ind. Nov. 23. “Obviously, only being a sophomore, qualifying for nationals is a great tradition to establish,” Stites said. “I’m really excited for all the years to come.” For Stites, the challenge entering the NCAA Championship is two-fold. As conditioning won’t add much value so late in the season, the emphasis shifts to shorter runs to ensure fresh legs. Mentally, however, the trick is to keep the meet in perspective. “Mentally, I think it’s just to remember that this is the most fun meet of the season,” Stites said. “We’ve put in all the hard work, and this is where it gets to pay off.”
SHAVER ANNOUNCES THREE SIGN NATIONAL LETTERS OF INTENT Head coach Tony Shaver announced the signing of guard Connor Burchfield, guard Greg Malinowski and forward Paul Rowley to National Letters of Intent; all three will be eligilble to play under National Collegiate Association of Athletics in the fall of 2014. “All three possess high skill levels and great work ethic, and their unique abilities will make us a stronger team both on and off the court,” Shaver told Tribe Athletics. “Our staff has found three young men that are great fits for William and Mary basketball, academically, socially, and in basketball.” Burchfield, who hails from Concord, N.C., has averaged
19.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists during his high school career. Shaver looks forward to utilizing Burchfield’s shooting ability. “[Burchfield] has deep range from the perimeter, which will fit our system well. [Burchfield] has a knack for scoring,” Shaver told Tribe Athletics. Malinowski, out of Chantilly, Va., was ranked as highly as No. 9 by Virginia Preps, shooting 52 percent from the field. Rowley, from Purcellville, Va., rounds out the group and will improve the team’s versatility. Shaver’s newest signings average 187 pounds and six feet, six inches. — Flat Hat Sports Editor Chris Weber