The Flat Hat April 25 2014 by The Flat Hat

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The history of Blowout

The Flat Hat

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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.

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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

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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

newsinsight “

The Flat Hat | Friday, April 25, 2014 | Page 2

THE BUZZ

People often (and quite surprisingly) forget that cisgendered, heterosexual men … also possess gender identities and sexual orientations and are therefore also allowed to critically reflect and comment upon the issues of gender and sexuality. — Gender, sexuality, and Women’s studies major Jordan Taffet ’16 on men choosing to major in the subject

AROUND THE ‘BURG

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THE DIGITAL DAY

News Editor Áine Cain News Editor Rohan Desai fhnews@gmail.com // @theflathat

A FULL BLOWN HISTORY OF BLOWOUT In honor of the last day of classes, FlatHatNews.com presents a short documentary on the history of blowout. See how the celebration has changed from its origins as a fraternity party to the campus-wide phenomenon that it is today. Visit FlatHatNews. com to watch the video.

CHECK OUT THE FLAT HAT’S SUMMER BLOGS Students will be blog their adventures throughout the summer. Go to flathatnews.com to read them. Stories From Abroad Read about student experiences in Cambridge, England, Galway, Ireland, Toyko, Japan and Israel. Reel Talk Check out movie reviews and discussions of the summer’s top movies from our two bloggers. Summer of 1693 Students detail their time spent taking classes or working in Williamsburg during summer break. COURTESY PHOTO / WYDAILY.COM

Instructors selected as Williamsburg-James City County’s teachers of the year stand with their students. Winners were announced Tuesday at a meeting.

A THOUSAND WORDS

WJCC selects teachers of the year The Williamsburg-Yorktown Daily reported that Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools recently announced their selections for Teacher of the Year for the 2013-14 school year. These teachers were chosen by their peers for their hard work and leadership within the school community. Superintendent Steven Constantino recognized these teachers at a school board meeting on Tuesday. They were chosen from elementary, middle and high schools. One teacher from each of these three levels was also named Teacher of the Year.

Increase in underwater grasses at Chesapeake Bay An annual survey conducted by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science revealed that the underwater grasses in the Chesapeake Bay have increased in abundance by 24 percent between 2012 and 2013, the College of William and Mary’s website reports. This is a complete reversal from the decreasing numbers over the past three years. These grasses are crucial to the ecosystem of the Chesapeake Bay as they providing food and habitat for various marine lifeforms. The plant life resurgence bodes well for the health of the bay. VIMS began charting underwater grass growth in 1978.

Great Wolf Lodge helps Big Brother Big Sisters According to the Virginia Gazette, the Great Wolf Lodge will soon partner with the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Virginia Peninsula in a fundraising event. Big Brothers Big Sisters will sell day passes for the water park, receiving the profit from each $20 pass. General Manager of the Great Wolf Lodge Kevin Furnas stated that this fundraiser was a humble way to help the national organization shape youths inhabiting the Williamsburg peninsula. CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters Ayanna King stated that the organization was thrilled to be a part of this opportunity.

Williamsburg budgets for Apple According to the Virginia Gazette, city employees and council members were issued iPads as a way to reduce printing costs for the city in 2010. Given the resounding success of this program, the city’s proposed budget for 2015 includes $30,000 to upgrade the administration to the iPad Air, at $750 a unit. While the city is receiving a small discount by purchasing through the state’s contract, it is still a significant cost. City employees have been offered the option to buy the original iPads for personal use as a way to offset the expense, although this measure will not extend to new models in the future.

Former student, member of football team charged with rape BY ROHAN DESAI FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR

Former College of William and Mary student and member of the Tribe football team Jaiven Knight was arrested Tuesday, April 22 on charges of rape, according to Williamsburg Police. Senior Athletics Director Pete Clawson

ALLISON SHOMAKER / THE FLAT HAT

CORRECTIONS 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.

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confirmed that Knight was a student in the fall of the academic year, but left during his first semester. He was a recruited athlete who practiced with the team, but never made an appearance during the season. According to the Williamsburg-Yorktown Daily, officers received a report of sexual assault

from Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center on August 26, 2013. The victim, a 20-year-old William and Mary student, was at a party in her home on Lafayette Street when Knight allegedly entered her bedroom and sexually assaulted her. The 18-year-old Knight, a native of Durham, NC, faces one felony count.

Economics, government majors at the College see gender disparity MAJOR from page 1

Hicks added, however, that this gap between genders in the field of economics is closing quickly. In his experience, some of his best students have been women. “I would say the gender gap is getting smaller pretty fast, [especially] at the Ph.D. level,” he said. “My best students — I’m generalizing a little bit here — but if you take the top 10 percent of students, more than half have been female. Some of my best students have been female.” Philosophy, another field that has traditionally seen more male representation, has six female majors on campus, representing 22 percent of all philosophy majors. While this is a low number compared to the total percentage of women on campus, a study from the National Center for Educational Statistics indicates that 21 percent of faculty in the field nationwide is women. Other majors at the College represent an

uneven balance in the other direction. 75.9 percent of those majoring in psychology are female, as are 79.7 percent of English majors, 83.3 percent of anthropology majors and all 14 elementary education majors. Anthropology major Sarah Smith ’16 said she thinks that there may be preconceived notions about the field. “Some males I have talked to think anthropology isn’t … as effective as history, maybe. Perhaps women have a more compassionate view and so they are open to accepting or helping others through an anthropological lens,” Smith said in email. She added, however, that gender might not be the reason for disparity. “It’s really hard to be specific to gender because I feel there must be other compounding variables,” Smith said. “I think there are other reasons that then converge to make it appear to be gender.” Jordan Taffet ’16, a gender, sexuality and women’s studies major, said he believes that, in a major often perceived as feminine,

many miss the true tenets of the major. “I’ve actually found that most of the critiques I face as a male in the GSWS major come from outside of my studies. People, particularly older men and women who pride themselves on their masculinity or femininity, tend to question my involvement in my major. They usually assume I’m either gay or a die-hard liberal,” Taffet said in email. “People often (and quite surprisingly) forget that cisgendered, heterosexual men, just like women and LGBTQIA people, also possess gender identities and sexual orientations and are therefore also allowed to critically reflect and comment upon the issues of gender and sexuality.” The major, he finds, is a label that deters people from understanding how beneficial the study can be. “Education should be open to everyone, especially when it involves concepts that are as universal as gender and sexuality,” Taffet added.

The Flat Hat

Friday, April 25, 2014

Page 3

STUDENT ASSEMBLY

Student Assembly passes bills, approves nominees 24 of 26 nominations approved SA resolves to supply ice cream for LDOC BY MADELINE BIELSKI FLAT HAT ASSOC. NEWS EDITOR

Student Assembly senators went through the process of confirming executive cabinet and election commission nominees Tuesday. SA President Colin Danly ’15 submitted his nominations for executive cabinet positions to the senate last week. Over the weekend, one or more senate committees reviewed each nominee. The committee or committees then submitted non-binding positive, negative or abstaining recommendations in terms of confirming the nominee. During Tuesday’s senate meeting, each nominee introduced themselves to the senate. Chief of Staff Drew Wilke ’15 made an executive comment, followed by committee comment, public comment and senator discussion. Senators confirmed a total of 24 nominees out of the 26 nominations presented. According to the SA’s constitution, a nominee needs a two-thirds majority positive vote by the senate to be confirmed. The nomination of Mike Larson ’15 as Chair of the Review Board was voted on by roll call due to concerns raised by Sen. William McConnell ’14. Larson was not present to introduce himself to the senate and McConnell found his absence problematic. McConnell explained that he believed it was important that nominees be present to answer questions that senators may have for them. “I think that there should be some value to senate confirmation, I think we are not here for just no reason whatsoever,” McConnell said. “And I don’t think that confirmations are completely pointless. And if we can’t even talk to someone, then why the hell have we been here for an hour.” Wilke responded to McConnell’s concern by pointing out that the senate had confirmed Hannah Kohn ’15 as Secretary of Diversity Initiatives earlier in the meeting. Kohn is studying abroad in Israel. “I’m just curious if you feel so strongly about senate confirmations and feel so strongly about the person being there, then why the exception for Hannah, but not for Mike?” Wilke said. “If that’s your principle standing right there alone … I think you should take that principle across all boards.” After much debate, Larson’s nomination was voted on by a roll call in which McConnell, Sen. Joseph Scholle ’14 and the law school representative all abstained. Larson was still confirmed as he still received a two-thirds positive majority vote. Edward Linnecke J.D. ’16’s nomination as a member of the review board was not confirmed. Once again, senators discussed the concern that he was not present at the meeting to introduce himself or respond to senators’

questions. His nomination was voted on by roll call. Sen. Michelle Tansey ’16, Sen. Peter Lifson ’16, McConnell and Scholle all chose to abstain. Since the senate was at quorum, meaning two-thirds of senators were present, Linnecke was unable to obtain the two-thirds positive vote to be confirmed. Finally, senators chose to table the nomination of another member of the review board Lacey Coppage J.D. ’16. She was also not able to be present at the meeting. Any nominations not confirmed during Tuesday night’s meeting will be looked at when the senate reconvenes next semester.

CONFIRMED NOMINEES Secretary of Academic Affairs is Dana Holmstrand ’15. Secretary of College Policy and Student Rights is Nathan Heeter ’15. Secretary of Diversity Initiatives is Hannah Kohn ’15. Secretary of Finance is Thomas Obermeier ’15. Secretary for Health and Safety is Andrea Aron-Schiavone ’15. Secretary of Outreach is Nuha Naqvi ’15. Secretary of Public Affairs is Scott Caravello ’15. Undersecretary of Public Affairs to Williamsburg is Braydon Meixell ’16. Undersecretary of Public Affairs to Richmond is Elise Orlick ’15. Undersecretary of Public Affairs to Washington D.C. is Caroline Ramirez-Gaston ’16. Undersecretary of Voter Registration is Jerusalem Demsas ’17. Undersecretary to the Board of Visitors is Megan Brew ’15. Undersecretary to the Board of Visitors is Peter Rechter J.D. ’16. Secretary of Student Life is Shannon Caietti ’17. Secretary of Transportation is Gabe Morey ’16. Chair of the Elections Commission is Ryan Brophy ’15. Other members of the Elections Commission are Zach Naglieri ’17, Carlton Smith ’15 and Kyle Peter McCauley ’16. Chair of the Review Board is Mike Larson ’15. Other members of the Review Board are Thibault Vermeulen ’16, Drew Lanzafama ’15, Sam Glover ’16 and Dylan Vorbach ’15.

BY MADELINE BIELSKI FLAT HAT ASSOC. NEWS EDITOR

The Student Assembly senate wrapped up its last meeting of the academic year Tuesday night, during which four bills were passed. The SA Supports Sustainability Act and the LDOC Ice Cream Act were introduced in new business during the meeting, but moved to old business by unanimous consent. Both these bills were considered time sensitive, as the senate will not meet again until the next semester. The SA Supports Sustainability Act, sponsored by chairman of the senate Daniel Ackerman ’16, allocates funds from the student activities reserve to a banner for DormMania. Although DormMania is not an official club, Sen. William McConnell ’14 said he still thinks it is important to support programs such as this. “I think this is a fantastic bill. … I think this is different, this is a program that deals with dorms, administration, moving-in, moving-out, this is not just something for a club or event,” McConnell said. Sen. James Walker ’15 proposed reducing Ackerman’s initial allocation of $100 for the banner to $60, which was accepted. The bill was passed by unanimous consent. Sen. Chase Jordan ’15 introduced the Ice Cream LDOC Act during Tuesday’s meeting. The bill allocates $600 for the purchase and distribution of ice cream on the Last Day of Classes. Jordan said he sees this as a tradition that the SA should continue. “In the past the Student Assembly has provided for iced dairy goods for the students, to kind of keep everyone full,” Jordan said. The bill, which passed unanimously, charges the Chair of the Undergraduate Council with carrying out this program. Senators also passed two old business bills during the senate’s last meeting: the Code Revision Committee Act and the Closing of Session Act. The Code Revision Committee Act continues the Senate’s recently established tradition of reviewing the SA’s governing documents in order to ensure that they are functioning properly. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Yohance Whitaker ’16, forms the Code Revision Committee for the

322nd senate. Sen. James Walker ’15 voiced his support for the Code Revision Committee, citing its success in the past. “Once again, this is a bill that I think is not too controversial. It was a great service last year and will be a great service this coming year,” Walker said. The Code Revision Committee Act was passed unanimously. The Closing of the Session Act also passed unanimously. McConnell wrote the bill, which renders all pending bills from the 321st senate dead and carries over the New Organization Funding into the new session. Sen. Emily Thomas ’17 will sponsor the New Organization Funding Act. Ackerman also presented a special business report on Tribe Tailgates 2014. He said that 27 organizations applied for spots at the tailgates and all of them will receive spots. Ackerman highlighted the football tailgates’ success this past year. “The 2013 Tribe Football tailgates were … overall quite a success,” Ackerman said. In 2014, Tribe Tailgates will relocate to the area between Kaplan Arena and the Commons Dining Hall, allowing for both parking spots and grassy space. Ackerman mentioned that there might be another application process for nonparking spots at the tailgates. Ackerman also appointed Sen. Seth Opoku-Yeboah ’16 to serve as the senate representative to the Undergraduate Council. He appointed Sen. Eboni Brown ’17 to serve as historian. After the senate adjourned, senators realized they had forgotten to go over an appeal made by the Front Porch Society, so they had to reconvene in a special session. Enough senators were present at the special meeting to reach quorum. The Front Porch Society made its appeal to the senate to reallocate funds provided by the SA in order to pay for two new bands at one of their upcoming events. This reallocation was necessary because the bands the organization had previously booked had dropped out. Whitaker presented the appeal on behalf of the Front Porch Society and the senate approved the appeal to reallocate funds.

EMMA ZAHREN-NEWMAN / THE FLAT HAT

The College of William and Mary’s Student Assembly Senate held its last meeting of the 2013-14 school year Tuesday night in Blow Hall.

ORGANIZATIONS

Groups promote environmental awareness for campus’ Earth Week Student organizations put on events, including outdoor yoga, movies, trivia, to encourage sustainability

Students gathered to celebrate their home last week. Not the College of William and Mary — but the planet Earth. Various campus organizations held events for Earth Week, which culminated with Earth Day on April 22. Students convened at the Lake Matoaka Amphitheater for an evening of yoga. Erin Faltermeier ’15 is a member of the Student Environmental Action Coalition. She attended the Earth Day yoga session and Saturday’s Earth Day Celebration. “I thought the event on Saturday was really well-organized. It was great to see representation from so many different sustainability-oriented organizations on campus,” Faltermeier said. “Yoga at Matoaka Day was just a lot of fun. I had never done yoga outside before. It was a

really great way to connect these kind of sustainable exercises to the environment.” Earth Week was an Eco-Ambassadors project. The Eco-Ambassadors are interns chosen by the Committee on Sustainability, which is a faculty and student environmental group. EcoAmbassadors Aiyana Bodi ’16 and Katie Thoma ’14 were in charge of planning Earth Week. Bodi and Thoma selected a group of students and worked closely with Sustainability Fellow Patrick Foley to organize the event. The week’s theme was the five senses. Monday’s event, “Taste,” provided a chef demo with free samples on the Sadler Terrace. Students were given Discover Teas on Tuesday for the “Smell” event. On Wednesday, students had the opportunity to “Touch” the earth and pot their own seedlings. Students gathered at Lake Mataoka on Thursday

for the “Sight” event — a screening of Wall-E. The week was capped off with Friday’s “Hear” event. In conjunction with Do One Thing Spotlights, students could answer sustainability-related trivia for prizes. Saturday, working with AMP’s Homebrewaroo, the Eco-Ambassadors

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It’s important to live our lives sustainably everyday, but it’s great to have a day or week to remind ourselves about why sustainability is important. — Erin Faltermeier ’15

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BY ANNIE CURRAN FLAT HAT ONLINE EDITOR

celebrated Earth Day in the Sunken Garden. SEAC members gave out mugs, the Botany Club sold plants, and local businesses talked about various city

recycling efforts. “I think the Saturday celebration went very well,” In-Reach coordinator of SEAC Natatlie Hurd ’16 said in an email. “We had more participation from the Williamsburg community than last year, and a great group of bands performed. Next year I would love to see more of the campus come out.” AMP’s newest committee, Sustainability and Diversity, sponsored a few Earth Week events. Committee Chair Allie Rosenbluth ’15 said the primary objective of the committee is to help students associate sustainability with fun. The committee helped with Movies at Matoaka and the Earth Day Celebration on Saturday. AMP’s Homebrew Committee and Publicity Committee were also involved. Rosenbluth, an environmental science and policy major, said she believes these events are important in bringing attention

to sustainability. “I think engaging students while they’re in college is really important, especially in environmental issues, because I think it establishes that it’s an important thing to support and it really gets them engaged and involved,” Rosenbluth said. “I think it’s a good time to really make sure that people see the environment as something that’s important for the rest of their lives.” Other events during the week included the distribution of free fair trade coffee, a reusable bottle giveaway and a vegetarian picnic in the Crim Dell. Faltermeier also sees the importance in celebrating the environment. “I think it’s important to live our lives sustainably everyday, but it’s great to have a day or week to remind ourselves about why sustainability is important and the ways we can connect with sustainability in our everyday lives,” Faltermeier said.

Students discuss drug use Students purchase tank tops for Last Day of Classes festivities DRUGS from page 1

BLOWOUT from page 1

temporary changes in perception, mood, consciousness and behavior.” For students struggling with drug use and addiction, Gorman recommended resources such as the New Leafe Clinic, a substance and alcohol abuse clinic operated through the School of Education. The clinic offers workshops, support groups and individual counseling. Additionally, Gorman discussed an anonymous referral form offered by the Dean of Students Office. “[The Dean of Students Office will] never say who gave them your name,” Gorman said. “They’ll just check in and say, ‘What’s been going on? I hear you’ve been having trouble with alcohol or drug use.’ They’ll talk about it in a place coming from concern, as a preventative measure. … We want to be a support for you.”

[Blowout] and show [we’re] funny.” The Women’s Club Soccer team, like the Ultimate Frisbee team, also saw a large number of their members partake in purchasing Blowout shirts. According to team captain Sammy Smeaton ’16, 23 of the 28 players ordered tank tops with “Blowout Like Beckham” embossed on the front. The group ordered shirts through the apparel company Bodek and Rhodes.

Smeaton said she likes the way the shirts represent the groups with which students are involved. “I’m a big fan of [the tank tops]. I got four this year,” Smeaton said. “It’s fun to see people wearing the same tanks as you.” Smeaton will have a chance to see many of her peers clad similarly to her. Robusto said that Williamsburg Graphics was screen-printing for about 50 campus groups. Of those, 40 of the groups were celebrating

the last day of classes with their designs. The other orders were not related to Blowout, such as shirts for residence halls and a cappella groups. The on-campus organization that ordered the most shirts was the Student Conduct Council, who gives out shirts to students who are able to blow a 0.00 on a Breathalyzer test later in the day. According to Robusto, they ordered 555. Although April is Williamsburg Graphics’s busiest month,

Robusto said the company makes sure to prepare for the large number of orders. She added that Williamsburg Graphics tells local business to wait for their orders to be completed until after the last week of classes. “We dedicate this entire week pretty much exclusively to [the College],” Robusto said. “We love working with [the College] and doing fun art. Being a grad[uate], I love seeing what students come up with.”

opinions

Opinions Editor Daria Grastara fhopinions@gmail.com // @theflathat

The Flat Hat | Friday, April 25, 2014 | Page 5

EDITORIAL CARTOON

STAFF EDITORIAL

Rule of thumb

BY PATRICIA RADICH AND BRIAN KAO, FLAT HAT GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

What you can’t learn in a classroom

Recently, I sat across from an interviewer for a summer program, speaking about my qualifications for one of the 20 available spots. All was going well, and I talked about the work I had done at my summer internships, as well as my work at The Flat Hat. “Have you had any similar leadership experiences in your classes?” the interviewer asked. It was this question that threw me. Throughout the interview, I had barely mentioned my coursework. I saw no reason to. While the classes I’ve taken have been incredibly valuable — I’ve discovered some of my favorite authors, I’ve been introduced to some of the ideas of history’s greatest thinkers, and I’ve learned more about the world in general — I’ve learned equally valuable things outside of the classroom. And most of those things are skills that cannot be taught in a classroom setting.

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Ellen Wexler

FLAT HAT EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Working on The Flat Hat, for instance, every editor learns how to manage a team, meet deadlines, coach inexperienced writers, and help construct content that’s relevant to our readership. Every editor is working toward the goal of producing a high-quality product that will present meaningful and engaging information to our community. And countless other students in countless other organizations are working toward equally admirable goals — like promoting mental health initiatives or increasing environmental sustainability — that are impossible to work toward in a traditional classroom setting. Often, these goals seem more meaningful, more tangible, than a grade on a paper. Incidentally, they also seem more relevant to bring up in an interview setting. Because in any job or internship, it will be more important to know how to work as part of a team, to be able to throw oneself into a project, than to passively take in lecture material. To the defenders of the humanities who say that a liberal arts education is necessary to challenge one’s beliefs and to deliberately craft one’s identity — don’t worry, I agree with that. All of that is incredibly, ridiculously important. It just isn’t enough. Because while an education teaches you how to think, it doesn’t teach you how to act. Email Ellen Wexler at eawexler@email.wm.edu.

Often these goals seem more meaningful, more tangible, than a grade on a paper.

COMMENTS @THEFLATHAT

In Tuesday’s issue, The Flat Hat reported on the Orientation Aide selection process at the College. In the Opinions section, we also covered the issue with a staff editorial and an opinions column.

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Here are some of our readers’ responses from The Flat Hat’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

Interesting numbers and interesting read. I was an unaffiliated OA and a tour guide (I suspect this group is also dominated by ‘greeks’). I never felt like I was at a disadvantage because I was not greek. I’d buy the ‘overlapping interests’ argument. I’m curious as to what percent of the OA coordinators are greek each year compared to the percentage of greek OA volunteers. Although I never witnessed overt recruitment efforts during Orientation, the fact that many greeks get to know entire halls or dorms of students during the first week of school must have some impact on recruitment efforts. —Drew Laskowski

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t last, Williamsburg’s erratic weather patterns have subsided and summer break is nearly upon us. In keeping with our glorious tradition, we’ll take a look at the good and the not-so-good moments of the semester. Thumbs up to the College of William and Mary for giving College President Taylor Reveley a merit raise. Reveley has fought since the recession to increase College employees’ salaries, which remain frozen. He previously refused a pay increase in solidarity with the faculty. While Reveley needs to continue fighting for faculty, we are glad that he will be rewarded for his years of hard work and dedication to the College. Another thumbs up goes to the Student Assembly for the general conduct of its election. A scandal-free year may feature fewer Flat Hat stories, but it maintains the College’s and the SA’s integrity. We were impressed with the three presidential candidate pairs, who could have all served the student body well as president and vice president. However, we give an extra thumbs up to Colin Danly ’16 and Kendall Lorenzen ’16 for breaking our endorsement curse. We give a thumbs down to the new College Curriculum. Narrowly passed with less than half the eligible faculty members voting, the College Curriculum eliminates General Education Requirements and replaces them with interdisciplinary COLL classes to be taken throughout a student’s four years. While no one loves the current GER system, the new curriculum appears less accommodating and very vague. We hope that in the five years before its implementation, the College addresses these concerns. Thumbs down to Auxiliary Services for closing the Tribe Computer Store. Although it was largely unknown to many College students, it provided a valuable on-campus resource, especially for students with Apple products. It also provided technical and sales experience as well as flexible hours to its employees. Framing the Tribe Computer Store’s closure as a shift to web-based services is misleading because students already had access to those online resources and benefited from a physical location where they could bring their computers. We would like to give a sideways thumb to computer science at the College. TribeHacks was a great success, attracting big name sponsorships like Google and bringing together an often-unrecognized part of the College community. However, the computer science department still struggles to provide its majors with necessary classes. The College must do everything in its power to alleviate this shortage and retain our talented programmers. Finally, we give another sideways thumb to the College’s new five-year contract with Sodexo. We agree that after more than 20 years of Aramark’s inconsistent food quality, it was time for a change. That said, we know very little about Sodexo; it may usher in a new era of high quality campus dining, or students might forget that control of dining services has changed hands. As the year ends, we say farewell to our senior friends and wish them luck on the next chapter of their lives. We hope your time here brought you closer to your dreams. 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, Áine Cain, Matt Camarda, 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.

Fraternities love OA because it helps recruitment. Our fraternity talked about it every year. Great way to dirty rush kids. I think fraternities apply in disproportionate numbers for this reason. That’s because everyone knows that orientation = dirty rush.

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@theflathat I was non-Greek OA for three years -- one of my favorite activities at the College! I was also a tour guide & active on WMT. —@scdissna

Read more comments at

FLATHATNEWS.COM —Christopher G. Scott

The stigmas that surround drug culture — but not alcohol use

Kaitlan Shaub

FLAT HAT ASSOC. OPINIONS EDITOR

If you’ve never been exposed to drug culture, especially by the time you’ve reached college, you’re either lying or your parents are actual saints. Regardless of whether you participate in any sort of drug use or not, you’ve more than likely been put in a situation where drugs were involved. You’ve also probably been exposed to alcohol in underage situations. What’s curious is that people tend to see the two as different. Alcohol is, in fact, a drug. Both impair your body’s ability to function, put you in potentially dangerous situations and, oh yeah, both are equally illegal — at least for those under the age of 21.

So why is there a certain noxious stigma around drug culture that doesn’t seem to exist around alcohol use? For the record, this column doesn’t condone the use of either substance, but it will point out the double standard society holds over drug culture. Look at AlcoholEdu. Why isn’t there a DrugEdu? Underage consumption of alcohol is illegal, yet schools across the country teach incoming students how to safely use it as if it is expected to happen. On the other hand, they provide no such safety toolkit for drug use. The five-minute section of AlcoholEdu on drugs is essentially a neon yellow sign screaming “DON’T DO DRUGS,” and it’s left at that. In comparison to alcohol use, drug use has been downplayed to the verge of taboo, yet it’s just as common. As a result of this odd societal taboo, judgment is diverted away from those who use alcohol and is cast onto those who use drugs. That is not to say that drug users don’t deserve some sort of judgment for their illicit behavior,

but they don’t deserve hypocritical judgment from those who actively use and possibly even abuse alcohol. Somehow, druggies and alcoholics aren’t judged the same way even though they experience many of the same consequences. There are people who think that abusing alcohol and blacking out every weekend is socially acceptable but getting stoned in your basement and playing video games isn’t. In many cases, the rate of consumption of alcohol by underage drinkers actually creates more potentially dangerous consequences than certain drug usage. The emphasis of judgment is misplaced. Alcohol and drugs are both illegal. Both can have dangerous physical consequences. Both can result in severe legal punishment. Alcohol use is no less deserving of critique than drug use, and people who use one or the other shouldn’t be judged differently for doing so. I’ve come to accept the fact that regardless of my personal behavior and beliefs, I will have acquaintances and maybe even friends who actively

use illegal substances. But a friend who uses drugs is no less valuable than a friend who drinks alcohol. Email Kaitlan Shaub at kcshaub@email.wm.edu.

GRAPHIC BY BRIAN KAO / THE FLAT HAT

The Flat Hat

Page 5

Friday, April 25, 2014

Stories that move people

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY / NATALIE WONG

During I Am W&M Week, Movements, a new show coordinated by Anna Wong ’17, gave students a chance to share performances of original monologues and musical compositions, complementing the “One tribe, many stories” theme of the week.

New program Movements showcases stories, musical performances of ordinary students them, and as an audience we want to be moved by things that are accessible to us,” Wong said.

Everyone has a story to share. Movements, a program of original monologue and musical compositions, provided a space for many of these stories. Student-run and produced, the event involved both students of the College of William and Mary and veterans in support of the Veterans Writing Project. The show’s director, Anna Wong ’17, cited the College’s rendition of Marisol as inspiration for the theme of Movements. Enthused and driven to goose bumps by a monologue performed by Jack Reibstein in the Marisol production, Wong sought to illustrate the strength of emotion in her own event. “[The monologue] reminded me of how powerful sheer human emotion can be when put in the spotlight,” Wong said. Intrigued by the artistic composition of the Marisol show and driven by a lasting desire to be involved in theatre again, Wong started implementing her idea a couple of months ago. She teamed up with the Veterans Writing Project, an initiative based on storytelling by those who have served. She recruited participants, many of whom live on her freshman hall, to set the event into motion. “There’s a lot of value in sharing stories, for both the people sharing them and those receiving

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There’s a lot of value in sharing stories, for both people sharing them and those receiving them. — Anna Wong ’17, Director of Movements

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BY HALEY ARATA FLAT HAT ASSOC. VARIETY EDITOR

The monologue topics ranged in emotional intensity from the trials of standing up to a bully to familial influences of personality traits and the reminiscence of deceased loved ones. Liam Bench ’16, who described a close friend who passed away last year, recounted the struggle of fully articulating such strong sentiments about another person. “The worst thing about putting things into words is that I can never feel like I do my friend justice [in those words]. The hardest thing is accepting that what I’m going to say is not going to show how special another person is, no matter how many times I think about it and want to change what I say,” Bench said. Although Bench admitted to the difficulty of staying composed while speaking about his

friend, he appreciated that the event provided an open space to talk about his story. “There aren’t a lot of opportunities to talk about these things in dayto-day life, and they shouldn’t be ignored because they’re a big part of us. Society tends to say we can’t share those things, but I think they’re just a part of who we are,” Bench said. Ryan Goss ’16, on the other hand, closed the program with a side of levity. Wong engaged Goss after seeing his entertaining performance at an AMP Comedy Brew and included his stand-up comedy act to finish out the show. Hoping to balance out the emotional intensity of the show, Goss charmed the audience with descriptions of instances and social norms, or “What Your Mama Never Told You,” and acted out alltoo-familiar stories of awkward encounters with people around campus. “[It is] just as important to be able to laugh together as it is to be able to cry together,” Goss said. The effect on the audience

was particularly significant. Tears and laughter accompanied the soliloquies and musical performances, but the reactions did not stop after the curtain closed. Dan Delmonaco ’17, who spoke about his autistic brother in the form of a “Letter to Autism,” expressed how the messages of the event continued to resonate with the audience after the show. Delmonaco explained that many audience members later shared what their particular monologues might address as part of Movements — travel, pressure, difficulties with friends — and started a dialogue about the deep intricacies of peoples’ lives. “The point of Movements was to show that there is nothing necessarily extraordinary about those who performed. We were just willing to share our stories, but everyone could have shared,” Delmonaco said. The show debuted in tandem with I Am W&M Week, which promoted diversity and multiculturalism throughout the College campus. The theme for the week, “One tribe, many stories,” complemented the Movements event, which illustrated examples of these stories and the diversity of human experience.

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

You know nothing, Jon Snow: rape in Game of Thrones

Explaining the controversy about consent in the popular TV drama series and the book

Kalyn Horn

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS COLUMNIST

If you haven’t heard of “Game of Thrones”, you need to spend more time on the internet and get cooler — or nerdier — friends. Game of Thrones is a medieval drama TV series and adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s book series A Song of Ice and Fire. It’s full of political intrigue, dragons and death, and follows the white upper class as they fight for the throne while the common folk go about their daily, shitty existence. Just like real life! It’s a great show. The actors are fantastic, Peter Dinklage is ridiculously attractive, the special effects are on point, and there are dragons. Any show with dragons is inherently

awesome, especially when dragons are coupled with a give-no-shits strong female character. And now for Kalyn’s Patent Criticism On Why That One Scene Is Totally Rape. For those who haven’t caught up on the fourth season, I won’t be revealing any major spoilers; and for those who are triggered by mentions of sexual assault, you might want to stop reading now and take comfort in the knowledge that I am a raging feminist. In the most recent episode, Jaime and Cersei, two romantically embroiled characters who also happen to be twins, meet up in a church and consummate their passionate love, despite great tragedy and a world bent on tearing them apart. Or at least that’s what Director Alex Graves wants you to think. In reality, Jaime sexually assaults Cersei. He kisses her, and when she pushes him away, obviously repulsed, he calls her a “hateful woman.” (Sound familiar? It’s like every neckbeard

who’s ever been offended by a woman refusing him sex.) The scene progresses with Jaime becoming aggressive, literally tearing her clothes off, and when the camera cuts away, Cersei is still telling him to stop and attempting to push him away as he forces her to the floor. That doesn’t sound too complicated, right? Cersei says no, and Jaime forces himself upon her. That’s rape. However, in the novel, the scene is a little different. Jaime kisses Cersei, and she objects. He kisses her again until she moans and, taking that as consent, lifts her onto the altar, even as she beats on his chest. Yet when Jaime rips her clothes off, Cersei begins to encourage him, urging him onward, until he does the deed. Guess what? That’s still rape. The scene in the novel is perfectly analogous to the scene in the TV series, even if the latter is more violent. The show’s writers most likely decided to amp up Jaime’s physical aggression to make it all the clearer

that the disturbing scene in the novel is not up for interpretation. A “no” is a “no,” regardless of context. Yet in Googling the scene to find the specific passage from the novel, I ran across some interesting headlines, like “‘Game Of Thrones’ Team Was Wrong To Have Jaime Rape Cersei” and “The ‘Game of Thrones’ Rape Scene Was Not In Books.” Even some of my favorite feminist-friendly blogs claimed that the scene in the novel is not rape and that the scene in the show is “unnecessary and despicable.” Director Alex Graves, in an interview with New York Magazine’s “Vulture,” said that though initially their sex was not consensual, Cersei wrapping her legs around him and holding onto the table — showing pleasure — made the act consensual. George R. R. Martin, the man behind the books, said that the scene in the novel was meant to be disturbing and uncomfortable to the readers, but that the situation was still complicated.

To Mr. Graves, all I can say is shhh. That is not how consent works. For anyone about to jump on the defensive, shhh. Just stop. Cersei said no. Cersei said no, and later “willingness” does not negate that initial denial. At the risk of repeating myself but in an effort to spell things out clearly, consent cannot be implied. If a woman says no — even once, even uncertainly — that is dissent, and any further action taken regardless of that dissent is, by definition, sexual assault. If a woman takes pleasure during that assault, consent is not reinstated. It is still rape. Additionally, consent is not a default state. If a woman does not say no, she is not consenting, especially if the act takes place in a setting in which there is an obvious power imbalance between men and women, where a woman cannot say no. Kalyn Horn is a Behind Closed Doors Columnist and believes that consent cannot be implied.

variety

Variety Editor Sang Hyun Park flathat.variety@gmail.com // @theflathat

The Flat Hat | Friday, April 25, 2014 | Page 6

LDOC in modern memory

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While based in tradition, there are some notable Last Day of Classes anomalies in recent memory. Including the 2006 bomb threat, which hampered the celebration but also provided an interesting source of amusement for students. “[The bomb threat] was almost surreal. … But people had a lot of fun with the police, that was the strange thing. … People were getting pictures with the state troopers,” Durden said. “That was kind of an odd — but odd in a fun way — Last Day of Classes.” The next year, a less threatening addition to campus altered the usual Last Day of Classes schedule — Queen Elizabeth II. “All the traditional activities of bell ringing and all of that was moved to Thursday instead of COURTESY PHOTO / SARAH ROSS Friday because the Wren Building was the site of the Queen’s visit, so there was a lot of preparation that was being done in advance of her visit,” Ambler said. Although students might prefer to use the term ‘Blowout’ for the last day of classes event, Sadler may be to thank for the administration-preferred ‘LDOC.’ “I worked hard not to use that phrase, [‘Blowout’], because I think that it suggests an excessive drinking that was dangerous,” Sadler said. “So I tried to stay away from that, and I used to call it the Last Day of Classes, which students abbreviated at one point to ‘LDOC.’”

Steadfast traditions While they may not date back to 1693 or even to Thomas Jefferson’s graduation nearly 70 years later, some traditions hold fast as staples of the Last Day of Classes experience on the road to graduation. “[The Class of 1978] started a lot of end-of-the-year traditions, like your [Candlelight Ceremony] that you do the Friday night before graduation. … But some of those traditions that people think have been around since 1693 really haven’t been around as long as you think,” Black said. One tradition that many, if not all, alumni remembered as indicative of their Last Day of Classes is ringing the Sir Christopher Wren bell. “You know, it seems like such a little thing to those who haven’t gone through the College, but it’s such a big deal when you go. It’s just kind of a neat finality to it,” Farrell said. Ambler described her anticipation in ringing the bell. “[It] was very surreal because, before the age of the internet and being able to send photos via cell phones and things like that, it was very mysterious,” Ambler said. “The whole idea of what actually happens when you go to the Wren building and ‘Where is the bell?’ and ‘How does it work?’ … You sort of have this image in your mind of the Quasimodo moment where you’re jumping up and down and swinging on a giant rope and pulling the bell — it’s not quite that, but it’s still very meaningful.” Although he didn’t ring the bell when he graduated in 1964, Sadler partook in the tradition when he retired 44 years later. “Of the alumni that are living — and that’s a large number — I bet you that close to 90 percent have rung the bell at one time or another and most of them on their last day,” Sadler said.

‘Breakout:’ The beginning? In the 1960s, students referred to the final day of classes as ‘Senior Day,’ and the day marked a time when some seniors skipped class and rang the Sir Christopher Wren Bell. “It was a lot calmer and a lot less of a general air of merriment and certainly not the bacchanalian display that it has become now,” Former Vice President of Student Affairs Sam Sadler ’64 said. Sometime after the College went co-ed in 1918 and before the tradition ended in 1975 (old issues of The Flat Hat limit this to the late-1960s), students at the College participated in an end of classes event called ‘Breakout.’ The celebration began as an act of defiance against the limited visitation and curfew rules in place in the gendered halls. “Students figured out that, if everybody denied those rules one night, probably nobody was going to get in trouble because the College couldn’t catch them all,” Sadler said. The ‘Breakout’ festivities began after 11:00 p.m. when the residence halls were considered ‘closed.’ “Men on campus would come to the women’s dorms and ‘break them out’ and charge down to Colonial Williamsburg — [the] Williamsburg Inn — for a big party at the Williamsburg Inn pool,” Van Black ’75 said. When visitation and curfew practices were relaxed and the College introduced self-determination, the tradition continued as a “symbolic campus-wide observance of the eve of the last day of regular classes for the year,” the May 9, 1975 issue of the paper reads. “[There was] no advertising really about it anywhere,” Black said. “Everyone just really knew it was going to happen and, all of a sudden, there’s like a groundswell of people running through campus screaming at all the women in the dorms to get out. And then, more and more and more [people joined] as you went to Landrum and Chandler and Barrett and Jefferson and headed to the Williamsburg Inn.” The Breakout tradition ended, however, in 1975 following the death of a freshman student who died in the pool during the festivities.

The origins of ‘Blowout’ Following the end of the ‘Breakout’ tradition in 1975, the term ‘Blowout’ is first documented in flyers used by the Psi Chapter of the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity — or “Pi Lam.” “Pi Lam used to have a party called ‘Blowout’ and it was their party. … So it was a Pi Lam function and I was always a little surprised, in some ways, to see that name move over to the other [campus-wide] event,” Sadler, a member of the College’s chapter of Pi Lambda Phi, said. Before going inactive in 2002, posters promoting Pi Lambda Phi’s ‘Blowout’ in the University Archives date to as early as 1982 and Sadler said the event was held in the 1960s. The only poster that references the first ‘Blowout’ is the fall 1984 poster naming that semester’s event the “69th

Annual End of Classes Blowout.” But the timeline of growth for the term ‘Blowout’ into a campuswide celebration remains questionable, and some, like Director of Housing Operations Chris Durden, attribute the 1970s- and 1980s-era term to the fraternity-specific Last Day of Classes celebration that later evolved into a campus-wide phenomenon. John Farrell ’88 recalled the word “Blowout,” but could not place the exact meaning of it in relation to campus celebrations. “I honestly remember that term from the 1980s, but I don’t remember what it originated from or how it came [about],” Farrell said. “But I think I just adopted it like the rest of campus did, but I honestly can’t remember how it originated.”

The evolution and spirit of ‘Blowout’ Although the term “Blowout” evolved in use in the 1980s and 1990s, the spirit of the Last Day of Classes’ festivities remained memorable to alumni. For example, Farrell recounts a biology professor’s penchant for providing his classes with a cooler of beer at the end of every semester. “At the time, you just thought that was cool,” Farrell said. “But, you know, after you leave the College … you realize that the faculty at William and Mary holds you at such high expectations and that’s not the same at other places. And I think they teach you to work so ridiculously hard and really kind of kick your rear end because they know what the world has in store for you — but then they’ll share a beer with you when it’s all over.” “Blowout” has also shifted from primarily a senior-oriented event to a campus-wide one. “I would say, for about 15 or 20 years from my time as a student forward, Last Day of Classes, when it did occur, was really an activity that seniors engaged in,” Sadler said. “It was seniors taking that day off and sort of defying going to class and, then, wise freshmen decided that, if seniors could do it, they could

Seniors: generation to generation

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Despite evolving traditions, the final day of classes remains a poignant moment for one class in particular — the seniors. “That very last day of classes, you’re certainly celebrating the accomplishment of finishing at such a difficult school like William and Mary and, at the same time, realizing that there are people that you will never see again, as much as you consider them contacts and friends,” Farrell said. Farrell, Black and Ambler all spoke to fellow alumni or classmates to remember their final days at the College and to compare anecdotes from the Last Day of Classes. Black reached out to ten fellow graduates and ran into two other alumni before speaking about his last days at the College to The Flat Hat. Ambler spoke to a 2007 graduate and, in the same vein, Farrell spoke to four classmates within an hour after deciding to speak on the subject. “It was fun to reminisce with them about the final days that they had because it was all that same thing, that feeling of the finality of it and, somewhere deep in your heart, knowing that things were never going to be the same. … It’s certainly a toast to those of the past and to the ones who are finishing [their time at the College],” Farrell said. And on the ‘Last Day of Classes,’ or ‘Blowout’ or ‘Breakout’ or ‘LDOC,’ the students at the College participate in a collective event that, while ever-evolving, unites them generationally with 321 years’ worth of College alumni. “A lot of our senior memories, I think, are very personal to us, as it should be, but the collective celebrations are always fun and that’s what ties us from generation to generation,” Ambler said. As seniors ring the Sir Christopher Wren bell today and in two weeks when they proceed across campus and through the oldest academic building in the country, they follow in the footsteps of Jefferson and Monroe, of Stewart, Black, and Farrell, of Marshall and Ambler and Gates and Close — and, whether symbolically or literally, they become the newest generation of alumni connected to the College’s long history. Flat Hat Managing Editor Abby Boyle contributed to this article.

E H T AY D I R F FORE: BE AMSwn EXfull-blory

do it. And more people began to get involved and it just grew of its own momentum.” Today, the Last Day of Classes includes a number of alcohol-free events around campus. Vice President for Student Affairs Ginger Ambler ’88 Ph.D. ’06 said the current activities began as an alcohol alternative for students as ‘toasting’ rose in popularity. ‘Toasting’ occurs when seniors return to their freshman halls to ‘toast’ the current residents. Derivations of this also occur. “[Toasting] was something that, I think, started in the mid- to late-90s as something that students started to do,” Ambler said. “And so we really wanted to make sure the Last Day of Classes remained celebrative but also safe.” Overall, the Last Day of Classes’s festivities offer a time of celebration for students as they finish another year — or in some cases, their last year — at the College. “That calls for cheers and a drink,” Farrell said.

a histo

sports The Flat Hat

Friday, April 25, 2014 | Page 7 Sports Editor Jack Powers Sports Editor Chris Weber flathatsports@gmail.com @FlatHatSports

THE YEAR IN QUOTES

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Flat Hat sports desk reviews 2013-14 Editor Jack Powers takes stock of the year that was, complete with awards

“At the end of the day, we lost and there’s nothing to be excited about. But what we are going to do is we’re going to put this game behind us and work to smash everyone else on our schedule.”

— junior wide receiver Tre McBride

“Obviously, to beat two number ones in a season and to beat two in a nine-day period is almost unheard of. Did I think it was going to happen? No, not necessarily. But, did I think it was possible? Yes, definitely.”

— men’s soccer head coach Chris Norris “My hope is that Tribe fans do listen. I hope that I bring the emotion that they feel, because in the heart — in the very essence of a broadcaster, is a fan. But they have to be a fairly objective fan.”

— longtime Tribe broadcaster Jay Colley “I just think of Nationals. When there are days that I don’t want to run, I just think about how great it’s going to be when I get to Nationals. It’ll be the best race of the season.”

— senior distance runner Elaina Balouris “We sort of hung our hat with these seniors, these upperclassmen over the past year, and they’ve really performed well all year long.”

— men’s basketball head coach Tony Shaver

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“He’s one of those guys in the middle of the lineup who everyone else can take their slots from. He’s a guy that pitchers coming into the series are very much aware of.”

— baseball head coach Brian Murphy on junior Michael Katz

ONLINE

ALISON COHEN / THE FLAT HAT

The student section erupts while senior guard Brandon Britt and junior guard Marcus Thornton look on. The photo won the Flat Hat sports desk Photo of the Year.

Follow @flathatsports and check Flathatnews.com for news and up-to-the-minute updates throughout the summer.

Coach of the Year

Senior of the Year

Rookie of the Year

Game of the Year

Head coach Chris Norris. Yes, the men’s soccer team won two games against No. 1 ranked teams but its overall body of work was even more impressive. Ranked in the top-25 for much of the season, the Tribe finished with an 11-5-3 record and received the program’s first at-large bid to the National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament. Credit Norris for helping to develop several young players into key contributors, especially in the team’s attack. Coming off a disappointing 4-10 season held down by an anemic offense, Norris focused on improving his team’s offense. Junior forward Josh West and sophomore forward Jackson Eskay blossomed into consistent scoring threats. Playing with a freshman goalkeeper could have overwhelmed almost any team, but Mac Phillips became one of the CAA’s toughest goalies under Norris’ tutelage. Look for Norris to lead a more experienced team deep into the conference and postseason play.

Senior distance runner Elaina Balouris. Primed to become the most decorated athlete in school history, Balouris has only improved over four historic years at the College. The five-time All-American paced her team to a 12th place finish at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Cross Country Championships by finishing 11th individually with a time of 20 minutes and 22 seconds. The fast times keep rolling in during track season. Running with sophomore Emily Stites, Balouris finished 14th at the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 5,000-meters with a time of 17:05.30. Balouris edged out Stites by less than a second in their first outdoor 5,000-meter race at the Colonial Relays. Last Thursday, Balouris set a personal record in the 10,000-meters at the Mt. SAC meet in California with a time of 33:31.59. Watch out for Balouris in the 10,000-meters at the Outdoor NCAA Championships this June. Last year she finished ninth and looks primed to be a legitimate contender this year.

Freshman forward Omar Prewitt. The man who inspires many a nickname — “Oboom,” “the Kentucky Long Rifle” and even “Mr. Get Buckets” — delivered one of the greatest rookie seasons in a program history. Receiving seven Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Week awards, Prewitt ran away with the CAA Rookie of the Year award. Prewitt led all conference rookies in six categories, including scoring (11.8), assists (56) and steals (28). Prewitt’s offensive prowess was evident from the start of the season as he scored 33 points in his first two collegiate games. His clutch attitude became more and more apparent as the season progressed. Down double digits minutes into the second half of the CAA Championship game, Prewitt rattled off seven straight points. Most exciting for Tribe fans is Prewitt’s uncanny ability to throw down seemingly inexplicable dunks, which further demonstrates his immense talent. The future looks bright at Kaplan Arena.

The Colonial Athletic Association Tournament semifinal. I felt some kind of way about that game. Towson came into it boasting a regular season sweep over the Tribe, and senior forward Jerrelle Benimon had just claimed his second-straight CAA Player of the Year award. Of course, the Tigers were heavy favorites playing in a tournament game miles from their campus. Many predicted that the game was going to be close, but few could have foreseen just how nerve-wracking it would be. Buried beneath the back-andforth nature of the contest was a basketball game played at an extremely high level. Both teams shot at least 50 percent from the field and from three-point range. Eight Tribe players logged at least 20 minutes and each provided key performances. Senior forward Kyle Gaillard limited Benimon to a relatively modest 18 points while junior Marcus Thornton played like the best player in the conference with 21 points and a crucial steal against Benimon with five seconds left. The win highlighted the College’s season.

Marcus

THE 2013-14 ALL-TRIBE ATHLETE

Hannah

Couplin

Thornton Thornton

Clarke Stites

Landon

Funiciello

Katz

Stites

Emory

Camper

Thornton

Emily

Will

Jerome

Couplin

Thornton

Katz

Michael

Smith

Katz

COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS

The bracket used to only be a symbol of National Collegiate Athletic Association championships. Since then, the bracket has wormed its way into all types of sporting events. The Flat Hat sports desk is no exception. Junior guard Marcus Thornton and

sophomore distance runner Emily Stites put together a complete body of work, earning spots in the second round. Likewise, senior safety Jerome Couplin and Michael Katz helped lead their teams into national rankings and post-season play, respectively.

Thornton provided the College a unique excitement to meet Katz in the final — Katz advanced by virtue of a greater national prominence. Ultimately, the sports desk can’t argue against Thornton’s skill and post-season run.

FEATURE

Underlying storylines, trends provide unique dynamic From facing the nation’s top-ranked programs to suspensions, these storylines shaped the year that was BY CHRIS WEBER FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR What’s printed on the page is rarely the entire story. While it’s not possible to fully detail a walk-off home run at Plumeri Park or a Marcus Thornton crossover, we face an even more difficult problem every issue. We fight the word limit. The pages are only so big and we can only fit so much. While covering a game we often do just that — report on the game being played out in front of us. It’s easy to forget the underlying trends and storylines that affect performances and outcomes. Here are the storylines that, to a certain extent, shaped the 2013-14 year in sports. Playing the underdog

William and Mary faced West Virginia both programs’ season opener.

For the Tribe, the contest marked the fifth time in six years it faced a powerconference Football Bowl Series team. Despite entering as a 32-point underdog, the College reminded Mountaineer fans, coaches and players of the danger a motivated Football Championship Subdivision program presents. Despite losing by a touchdown, look for the College to continue contending with larger programs. The Tribe travels to Blacksburg, Va. Aug. 30 to face Virginia Tech. Toppling No. 1 The men’s soccer program downing No. 1 Creighton was noteworthy, but it turned out to be the start of an even more notable run. The College eased past No. 24 Elon before dropping the new top program, No. 1 North Carolina. Keep in mind the run spanned just nine days, all while the

Tribe remained unranked. Throughout the course of a semester, a handful of programs get a crack at top-ranked programs. There’s excitement, but always tempered with large doses of doubt. Head coach Chris Norris and his squad helped turn that doubt into expectation. Suspension Senior guard Brandon Britt was pegged as a key component of any success the College’s men’s basketball team would enjoy. Surrounded by a crop of highly skilled and experienced players, Britt would help lead the Tribe toward its ever-elusive goal: the Colonial Athletic Association championship. Then came the suspension following a “violation of team rules” and Oct. 25 DWI charge. While Britt’s return wasn’t in doubt — he later worked his way back onto the court Dec. 20 vs.

Goucher — there were plenty of questions about the team. Head coach Tony Shaver turned loose a rotation of freshman and senior guard Julian Boatner en route to one of the most successful seasons in the program’s history. Give Britt credit as well — throughout the suspension, the team captain never wavered in his responsibilities to the program, and returned to form quickly. Excellence across the board Both the men and women’s gymnastics programs turned in historic seasons. From sophomore standout Brittany Stover to senior Landon Funiciello, records fell by the wayside as the Tribe turned in everimproving marks. Funiciello capped the season falling shy of a national title but did earn yet another All-American nod. What’s missed behind the awards and

records is the character of a program that has consistently produced accomplished student-athletes. Elaina and Emily It was expected that senior Elaina Balouris and sophomore Emily Stites would take headlines entering the cross country and track season. What wasn’t expected was the extent to which Balouris and Stites would dominate their competition. The duo helped the College advance to the National Athletic Association Championships in cross country, consistently finished in the topechelon of collegiate runners, shattered school records and qualified for the United States Track and Field National Championships. Despite losing Balouris to graduation, expect Stites to continue the tradition of dominating performances.

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