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Teaching the greed, cruelty, generosity and goodness that shaped our world.
The Wizards and Muggles Club organizes new members into Hogwarts houses during Wren Hall sorting ceremony.
Welcome to Hogwarts
Harmonizing history
Vol. 103, Iss. 11 | Tuesday, October 1, 2013
The Flat Hat The Twice-Weekly Student Newspaper
STUDENT Assembly
Phoebe Galt wins elections
57 percent voter turnout
of The College of William and Mary
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Alumni
Up Close and personal
Alumna speaks on career, time at College, concept of celebrity
By Claire gillespie FLAT HAT ASSOC. News EDITOR
With the highest freshman election voter turnout in the last four years, 57.49 percent of the class of 2017 voted yesterday and elected Phoebe Galt ’17 as president of the class of 2017. “I’m still kind of shaking,” Galt said. “I feel relieved and very happy.” Kelvin Abrowka-Johnson ’17, Jacqueline Zhang ’17, Shannon Caietti ’17 and Emily Thomas ’17 won senator seats. Emily Heath ’17 won class secretary, Giorgio Caterini ’17 won class treasurer, John Yoest ’17 won vice president of Advocacy, and Eboni Brown ’17 won vice president of Social Affairs. Matt Ernesto ’14 won vice president of Social Affairs for the senior class. Galt won the presidency with 264 votes, or 31 percent of the vote. Augustine Haam ’17 came in second, with 209 votes, at 25 percent. Galt’s campaign focused around six words: open, honest, committed, organized, vivacious and ready. Galt put photographs of these words on a Facebook page and used posters to publicize her bid for president. As the only female candidate of the nine presidential hopefuls, some of Galt’s posters featured herself in the one armed flex of Rosie the Riveter. “Do you see this level of diversity?” Secretary of Diversity Dylan Frendt ’14 said. “I think that it is a strong testament to our freshman class. I am absolutely ecstatic that so many women won.” Besides running as the solo female presidential candidate, Galt is the only female president elected by freshmen in the past four years. Additionally, Caietti, Thomas and Zhang end the era of this year’s all-male senate. “My R[esident] A[ssistant] … had told me there was a lot of males,” Thomas said. “I definitely tried to incorporate that into my campaign to get females elected.” Caietti was unaware that the senate was completely male. “I’m excited,” Caietti said. “I’m glad that there’s finally some women in leadership.” Galt, who has moved around throughout her life, calls China home when not attending the College of William See ELECTION page 3
ALL PHOTOS BY ANNIE CURRAN / THE FLAT HAT
Glenn Close answered questions during the Arts and Entertainment Festival.
ARIEL COHEN FLAT HAT ASSOC. News EDITOR
About 40 years after graduating from the College of William and Mary, Glenn Close ’74 returned to mentor theatre students and speak with members of the College’s community. During her visit to campus to accept the Cheek Medal Award as part of the Arts and Entertainment Conference, Close held an open conversation in the Sadler Center. “I think it was really great that students had the opportunity to ask questions,” Arts and Entertainment Council Board of Directors
Member Jimmy Finn ’00 said. “Glenn was once in the same position that all the students here are in. She really serves as a great role model.” As an undergraduate, Close starred in numerous productions, acted in supporting roles, and worked in costume design and production. To Close, focusing on the craft of acting is more important than the celebrity aspect of her work. “When I started, people talked about wanting to learn to act,” Close said, “Now people talk about wanting to be famous and walking the red carpet and ‘What am I going to wear?’ And I really think that it is a strange
Faculty
state of affairs for our culture.” Although Close had many starring roles at the College, she was not immune to failure. She recalled one of her theatre professors referring to her as “a big fish in a small pond” while at William and Mary. “I came to William and Mary to do theatre — I knew what I wanted to do,” Close said. “In the beginning there were many rejections, but you have to get up. You have to get up and keep going.” Close began her freshman year at the See CLOSE page 3
Board of Visitors
Nelson’s book on John Henry inspiring play Full BOV passes Professor’s book, play explore historical figure’s life, legacy in folklore myths
Funds three endowments
BY Annie CURRAN Flat hat news editor
Professor Scott Nelson expected nasty reviews when he published “Steel Drivin’ Man: John Henry, The Untold Story of an American Legend” in 2006. He says he broke many rules of history books by discussing his research process, his sources and what he was thinking when he did the research. Instead, the book received rave reviews, spurred a rapper to get a tattoo, and got Nelson invited backstage at a Bruce Springsteen concert. His book is now being incorporated into a stage production in Pittsburgh. The Hiawatha Project is producing a play with the working title “JH: Mechanics of a Legend.” It incorporates parts of the book, which argues that Henry was a real man and not just folklore. “[The play] deconstructs the converging events of the 1870s that destroyed the historical man John Henry and gave rise to an iconic folk hero,” said the Hiawatha Project website. The goal of the Hiawatha Project is to create “original performances exploring specific social questions through myth, free association and movement.” “It was very exciting,” Nelson said. “I’ve
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BY KATHERINE CHIGLINSKY Flat hat editor-in-chief
because it’s a “tragic” and “ugly” story. “It didn’t seem like play material or musical
The full Board of Visitors convened Friday to pass resolutions regarding new endowments, construction funding and changes to the Board’s bylaws. The Board’s Committee on Development discussed the three new endowments during their meeting Thursday and the full Board approved the new scholarships Friday morning. The Board also approved changes to their bylaws, following new laws passed by the General Assembly regarding Board of Visitors at public universities in Virginia. During the meeting, Rector of the BOV Todd Stottlemyer ’85 briefed the Board on his recent visits to campus, saying that conversations about the William and Mary Promise, EVMS and partner benefits dominated his visits. He cited a strong freshman class and praise in national rankings as contributing to the overall positive feeling on campus.
See HENRY page 3
See BOV page 3
COURTESY PHOTO / SCOTT NELSON
Professor Scott Nelson and his family had the opportunity to meet Bruce Springsteen, who endorsed Nelson’s book.
always liked that book. I’ve written a bunch of books, but that one meant a lot to me.” Nelson says that he was initially surprised to find out that the book was being made into a play
Inside VARIETY
Inside SPORTS
College tops James Madison 2-1
Head coach John Daly and squad haven’t lost in eight games. Rutter and Camper find the back of the net in road win in Harrisonburg, Va. page 7
Sunny High 83, Low 61
A life in costume
Muscarelle’s Glenn Close exhibition features costumes from the actress’s Hollywood hits and student productions at the College. page 5