VARIETY >> PAGE 6
The history of Blowout
The Flat Hat
COURTESY PHOTO / SWEM LIBRARY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
Vol. 103, Iss. 51 | Friday, April 25, 2014
The Twice-Weekly Student Newspaper
of The College of William and Mary
STUDENT LIFE
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ADMINISTRATION
Into drug culture:
Powell to lead Career Center Schilling retires after 15 years
Experiences and consequences
BY AINE CAIN FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR
ROHAN DESAI / THE FLAT HAT
While marijuana remains the most popular drug on campus at the College of William and Mary, hallucinogenic substances are in demand due to their rarity.
Drug users cite benefits over alcohol, HOPE warns of risks Marijuana remains the most popular illegal drug in the United States, with as many as 4 percent of American adults smoking pot at least once annually, according to the Web MD website. While users rarely experience healthy repercussions, marijuana is an addictive substance and prolonged use seem to be tied to symptoms of paranoia, aggression and even cardiac issues, according to a small French study. Under conditions of anonymity, a freshman at the College of William and Mary discussed his experience smoking pot on campus. He noted that while he finds that marijuana is the most popular drug on campus, other drugs are gaining ground. “Although they’re difficult to procure, [other drugs] really seem to be popular with a certain group of users,” he said in an email. “I’ve heard a lot about cocaine on campus, but I’ve never actually encountered it, which I expect is due to a large stigma against it in a college setting. Adderall also is another that I don’t seem to see often, and it usually seems to be a study drug rather than a party drug.” Major Greg Riley of the City of
Williamsburg Police Department said his department typically encounters marijuana, methamphetamine and cocaine. Occasionally, heroin, assorted hallucinogenic drugs and even synthetic marijuana surface in the community. According to the anonymous freshman, a recent drug bust in Yates Hall frightened away some dealers. The on-campus arrest involved the sale of a hallucinogenic substance that sent one student to the hospital.
“
Alcohol is really one of the most stressful drugs. … I prefer to use marijuana because... you stay in control of your body — Anonymous drug user
“
BY AINE CAIN AND ROHAN DESAI FLAT HAT NEWS EDITORS
Despite this recent scrutiny, the student described his recreational use of marijuana as relaxing and social. “Alcohol is really one of the most stressful drugs. … I prefer to use marijuana because there’s no hangover, no puking, and you stay in control of your body,” he said. “Also, for those who are under 21, it can be easier to
ACADEMICS
procure drugs than to get alcohol due to the strict regulation. I think that the academic atmosphere of the college really creates a sense of individual stress, and a lot of people want to relax on the weekends or days with low work loads.” Another freshman discussed his experience with drug culture, under conditions of anonymity. He explained that student drugusers typically take a balanced approach to use and thus rarely face substance-related health problems. “I think for most people [the drug use is] infrequent enough that they can focus on [the] recreational values [of drug use] without worrying about its downsides,” he said. HOPE’s Vice President of Substance and Alcohol Abuse Kelly Gorman ’16 disagrees with the belief that casual drug use comes with no long-term health-related consequences. She considers illegal substances like marijuana and hallucinogenic substances to be psychoactive drugs. The Science Daily defines members of this class as “a chemical substance that acts primarily upon the central nervous system where it alters brain function, resulting in See DRUGS page 3
This July, Kathleen Powell will succeed Mary Schilling as the assistant vice president for student affairs and executive director of career development at the College of William and Mary. Powell has worked in higher education for nearly 30 years. She spent a majority of that time working in career advising. She noted that it is difficult to pick just one aspect of coming to the College that most excites her. “The [Gloria and Sherman H.] Cohen Career Center staff are professionally practiced and doing very good work,” Powell said in an email. “I’m looking forward to bringing my energy and professional practice to an established environment and getting to know the team. … The College of William and Mary has rich traditions, a long history and is truly an Powell amazing place. It’s the trifecta for me.” [Powell] currently occupies the post of director of career exploration and development at Denison University. She has served as the director of career centers in Ashland College, Grinnell College, the University of Akron, Marietta College and Knox College. Student Chase Jordan ’15 attended each of the candidates’ lectures and question-and-answer sessions. “She has a thorough understanding of how a liberal arts degree is valuable to the work world,” Jordan said in a statement. “Furthermore, I believe her ideas to improve external relations are exactly what the College needs. She has great promise and I can’t wait to see how the Career Center improves under her stewardship.” Powell will arrive bearing a message for students: Use the Cohen Career Center early and often. “Career development is a process that takes place during a student’s time in college,” Powell said. “I want students to be architects of their education and that includes co-curricular experiences. Take advantage of internships, leadership opportunities, study abroad, community service and map that back to academic goals.” Schilling has worked for the College for 15 years. She expressed confidence that Schilling Powell will bring a new perspective and build on the Cohen Career Center and Student Affairs division’s accomplishments. “I am honored to have been such an integral part of the William & Mary community and to have had the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of students and alumni,” Schilling said in an email. Flat Hat Editor-in-Chief Meredith Ramey contributed to this article.
STUDENT LIFE
Data highlights major Blowout boosts tank-top revenues April brings increase in apparel design company revenues gender disparities Some majors dominated by single gender
BY ELEANOR LAMB FLAT HAT ASSOC. NEWS EDITOR
BY ROHAN DESAI FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR
The Last Day of Classes is recognized as a time for Sunken Garden festivities, debauchery and brightly colored tank tops. Each year, members of sport clubs, fraternities, sororities and other campus organizations design, order and raise funds to procure matching tank tops. However, campus groups are not the only entities that are busily working through this Blowout tank-top-ordering process. Locally and across the country, t-shirt and screen-printing companies are inundated with orders from College students celebrating their Last Day of Classes. University Tees, a screenprinting company based in Ohio that produces garments for schools across the country, conduct 17.8 percent
Last fall, 56 percent of the incoming class at the College of William and Mary was female. Campus-wide, 55 percent of students on campus are women. While the gender breakdown within majors is typically proportionate to larger campus patterns, many majors that are traditionally seen as dominated by a single gender buck this trend. Majors that do not represent the majorityfemale campus, however, often fall in line with uneven representation nationally.
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Numbers from the Office of Institutional Analysis and Effectiveness at the College of William and Mary indicate that the economics, finance and government majors have the least female representation in comparison to men. According to the data, 28.6 percent of declared economics majors are female, 34.2 percent of declared finance majors are female and 38.7 percent of declared government majors are female. According to Margaret L. Hamilton Professor of Economics Robert Hicks, this gender disparity is seen not only in the major, but in the field of economics, too. “If you look at the Ph.D.s, it’s been the case for a number of years. … [Economics is] perceived in the social sciences to be the most quantitative,” Hicks said. See MAJORS page 2
We often forget that alcohol is a drug and has a large presence on campus. page 4 Sunny High 68, Low 48
with drinking and debauchery, many groups try to make the slogans on their tank tops sound innocuous. “A lot [of the designs are] innocent,” Robusto said. “[It’s] interesting considering the reputation Blowout has, [but] many people are wearing [them] for the group mentality.” Nick Hoffman ’16, a member of the Men’s Ultimate Frisbee Club, shares this sentiment. Hoffman placed the order for his team and said that 18 out of 21 people purchased the shirts. Although he said the team did not order tank tops last year, many group members participated and shared ideas for the shirts. “[The tank tops] are a good way to show you’re a part of something bigger than yourself,” Hoffman said. “It’s a really good way to participate in See BLOWOUT page 3
Inside SPORTS
Inside OPINIONS
Drug stigmas at the College 2 3 4 5 6 7
of their yearly sales in April alone, according to Business Development Leader Lindsay Beile. By the end of this month, they will have printed over 80,000 garments. “April is definitely our busiest month,” Beile said. “We definitely see a spike. We’re working long hours.” Both national and local screenprinting companies experience these long hours. Williamsburg Graphics is a custom t-shirt store on Mooretown Road. Like University Tees, Williamsburg Graphics experiences the most traffic during the month of April. Graphic artist and campus representative Kelsey Robusto ’11 said Blowout tank tops account for $25,000 of the company’s $47,000 revenue for this month. This figure is nearly as much as the store’s total January profit, which Robusto said was $28,000. Robusto noted that, although Blowout is typically associated
From the Flat Hat Sports Desk
It’s not easy to encapsulate an entire year of Tribe sports into one page, but we give it a try. Rewind through one of the most memorable athletic years on page 7