The Flat Hat December 3 2019

Vol. 109, Iss. 21 | Tuesday, December 3, 2019

The Flat Hat The Weekly Student Newspaper

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of The College of William and Mary

Three fraternities, two sororities suspended for hazing

25 percent of Greek Life under investigation

GRAPHIC BY EMMA FORD / THE FLAT HAT

AIDAN WHITE // FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER Amid national dialogue about hazing in Greek organizations, the College of William and Mary’s Fraternity and Sorority Life community is experiencing an uptick in reports of hazing.

According to President of the Interfraternity Council Liam McCloughlin ’20, the College has received credible reports of hazing in eight fraternities and sororities this semester, which has subsequently triggered investigations of the respective organizations.

Five Fraternity and Sorority Life organizations have been put on full interim suspension as the remaining investigations proceed.

These include Sigma Chi and Delta Phi, two organizations in the Interfraternity Council, as well as one National Panhellenic Council organization, Delta Sigma Theta.

According to Panhellenic Council President Julia Lantzy ’20, a full interim suspension signifies a hold on all official chapter activities during the investigation’s proceedings.

“That means meetings, philanthropy, everything,” Lantzy said.

“It just ensures that we can fully proceed with an investigation without interference from the chapter meeting.”

Lantzy also said that the university does not take suspension lightly and this measure is only taken if students are believed to be in danger or if it is in the organization’s best interest to halt activity.

In addition to the FSL organizations placed on full interim suspension, other organizations are also being investigated despite currently not being placed under suspension. An investigation into Alpha Epsilon Pi, another fraternity at the College, ultimately led to a verdict of non-responsibility. Reports made against two

other organizations failed to provide sufficient evidence to move forward with a full investigation. As of now, there are still three ongoing investigations on campus.

Two organizations — Chi Omega, a Panhellenic sorority, and Kappa Sigma, a fraternity in the Interfraternity Council — have been found responsible for hazing as a result of these investigations.

The webpage of the Office of Community Values and Restorative Practices details the offenses committed by Chi Omega and Kappa Sigma and also outlines the chapters’ punishments. Both organizations were found to have engaged in hazing, as well as providing alcohol to underage individuals.

According to the incident report, Chi Omega hosted an offcampus event where new members descended a flight of stairs after being given champagne. As punishment for this event, Chi Omega is on disciplinary probation and has lost social privileges until spring 2020. The chapter must also complete both a risk management program and new member action plan.

Kappa Sigma hosted an event dubbed “Beer Olympics” at an off-campus house. At this event, new members participated in drinking games that resulted in multiple new members vomiting. As a result, the chapter is on disciplinary probation with loss of privileges until the end of the fall 2019 semester.

They must also complete a review of the new member education process and a social event planning workshop.

Each chapter member must complete three hours of community service. During the spring 2020 semester, all Kappa Sigma social events must be held in their on-campus house

and an advisor must be present for all new member meetings and activities. administration is treating these incidents

The College’s with severity.

“Hazing, abuse of alcohol and drugs, and harming or threatening others are unacceptable behaviors,” College spokesperson Suzanne Clavet said in a written statement. “We take allegations of such activity very seriously and this type of conduct violates the stated mission and purposes of our student organizations.”

The university’s investigations of hazing reports largely go through the Office of Community Values and Restorative Practices, with Dean Dave Gilbert and Dean April Palmer acting as lead investigators.

Gilbert said that the first thing CVRP considers when receiving a hazing report is whether it presents an ongoing risk to students in the organization, as well as to the campus community as a whole.

“In cases of ongoing risk, we consider conducting a rapid investigation that also informs us as to whether we need to employ interim action such as a suspension of the organization until the matter is resolved,” Gilbert said in a written response.

“We use different strategies when we face no imminent safety concern, such as in the case of a report submitted reporting an See HAZING page 3

CAMPUS

College administration, UVA plans for carbon neutrality by 2030

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Both institutions plan collaborative efforts to decrease greenhouse emissions, use more renewable energy sources AVERILL MEININGER FLAT HAT CHIEF STAFF WRITER

The College of William and Mary has unveiled two major initiatives that will be implemented within the new year to meet standards for sustainability and conservation.

First, the College has partnered with the University of Virginia to reach a goal for carbon neutrality by 2030.

Second, the College has procured funding through an anonymous donation to create the Institute for Integrative Conservation. The IIC will provide a multifaceted, interdisciplinary venue for research and conservation efforts, according to the press release.

The partnership with UVA stems from common goals between Virginia’s public institutions. Director of Sustainability Calandra Waters Lake M.A Ed. ’08, broke down the partnership and said it will enable shared conversations on planning, engagement and support to other higher education institutions in Virginia.

Furthermore, Waters Lake said the concerted effort will expediate action.

“We were both headed towards neutrality dates of 2030 independently and when we discovered that was taking place, it made a lot more sense to collaborate instead of compete against each other,” Waters Lake said.

“Sustainability is really a team sport — you can’t be sustainable alone. Plus, both our universities face a lot of the same struggles. Our largest greenhouse gas footprint is from electricity, same with UVA.” Building off his colleague’s thoughts, Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Public Affairs Henry Broaddus explained that the decision to work with UVA felt natural since both universities already share information regarding wellness.

“There is an existing collaboration with

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Sports

We’re going to begin by reaching out to conservation partners to explain what the Institute is going to be and how we hope to impact conservation and looking for partners that we want to be involved. Involvement now means identifying key projects as well as helping us think about curriculum for students that will best prepare students to work in the conservation field.

— Robert Rose

UVA where we’re trading information about wellness,” Broaddus said. “And Calandra always reminds us, wellness is at the individual level what sustainability is at the macro level. So, in a way, this is a perfect bookend partnership with UVA. This is a starting place for partnership, and it’s not intended that this is an exclusive partnership. Any university that is working on a goal of this sort benefits from sharing lessons and best practices.”

As Waters Lake described, electricity will be the one of the primary focuses as the College progresses toward carbon neutrality. Renewable energy, particularly in the form of solar energy from nearby solar farms, will help reduce the emissions from this source.

A consultant will also be invited to the school next semester for advice and source identification. Engagement with the campus about greener habits will be another important step.

“We can turn all of our electricity to green power, but really, it’s people’s ability to change what their doing on campus that’s also going to influence how fast we get to carbon neutrality,” Waters Lake said. “There will be portions of this surrounding transportation, food and waste that will involve interaction with the campus community. We’re also hoping it will be something that people can take home with them and influence their own personal footprints.”

Waters Lake and Broaddus explained that the goal of carbon neutrality is only one aspect of climate action. This is why the IIC will be a critical asset to the College, in reaching this goal and also taking further steps in the realm of climate action.

Director of Geospatial Analysis Robert Rose described that the purpose of the Institute is to move beyond traditional conservation curriculum and create a vast conservation network.

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See CARBON NEUTRAL page 4

Inside Sports

Space for debate provides insight into College’s capacity for harmony

Partly Cloudy High 53, Low 37

Rose worked alongside biology department chair and professor John Swaddle and others at the College to develop the concept and will bring it to fruition.

“It comes at it from two significant standpoints,” Rose said. “One is to build a whole new curriculum for students that will go beyond traditional conservation science curriculums, that will bring together people from all across campus including the business school, the law school, VIMS and Arts and Sciences, to really develop a new curriculum that looks at conservation broadly and integratively. It will cover the science but it will also cover things like design-thinking, communications, and the business of running NGOs.” As for student involvement in the collaborative efforts, Rose is excited for what comes next.

“We intend to launch some research projects pretty quickly, and we’ll have students involved in those projects,” Rose said. “It’s very heavily student-focused.”

The other “significant standpoint” of the IIC will be its cultivation of a conservation network. As the institute begins its legacy at the College, it hopes to establish many partners to collaborate with.

“We’re going to begin by reaching out to conservation partners to explain what the Institute is going to be and how we hope to impact conservation and looking for partners that want to be involved,” Rose said. “Involvement now means identifying key projects as well as helping us think about curriculum for students that will best prepare students to work in the conservation field. So, we want NGOs’ input on the types of students they want to hire, what sort of skills and expertise they want to see.”

A theme of collaboration throughout and outside of the campus community rings true

Anna Boustany ’21 says the diversity of reasonable opinions at the College is a good opportunity for intellectual growth. page 6

Football is a waste of resources, College should invest elsewhere Gavin Aquin-Hernández writes that the football program’s continued mediocrity is a bad investment. page 7

newsinsight “

The Flat Hat

| Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019 | Page 2

“Demolition of the majority of the old Phi Beta Kappa Hall is complete. The next stage of construction will be foundation and superstructure (steel framing) site work which we expect to begin early in the spring semester. ... Final design and permitting is under review.

Overall project completion is on target for late summer 2021.”

December 5, 1950 - News: The Flat Hat competed to be the best collegiate newspaper in Virginia by the critical staff of the Virginia Intercollegiate Press Association and was judged the winner. The Richmond Professional Institute and Washington and Lee had their newspapers place second and third, respectively.

December 4, 1970 - News: The Board of Student Affairs recommended that the College of William and Mary night clerk system’s “no curfew” policy, applicable to all sophomores, juniors and seniors, be extended to second-semester freshman women. The committee argued that one semester was sufficient enough of an adjustment period for underclassmen to develop enough maturity to determine their own social hours.

December 6, 1991 - News: All fire alarms in Yates Hall failed to sound after three bulletin boards and a memo board caught fire and were severely burned.

William and Mary Police were unable to identify the perpetrators, but investigations did reveal a faulty wire and vandalized smoke detectors behind the fire alarms’ absence.

December 5, 2008 - Sports: The College women’s basketball team defeated Howard University 80-55. The Tribe showcased some of their best offensive efforts to move to 5-2. Five Tribe players were able to reach double figures in the game.

HISTORY BY KARINA VIZZONI AND SARAH GREENBERG / FLAT HAT NEWS ASSOC. EDITORS

A THOUSAND WORDS

NIA KITCHIN/ THE FLAT HAT

CORRECTIONS An article in the October 29 issue, “Breaking the Language Barrier: International Fellows host community events at Language Houses, promote engagement, inclusion, learning among residents and non-residents alike” incorrectly stated Sasha Orlova’s degree. Orlova has a degree in philology, not theology. Additionally, the article incorrectly stated there is a language house for Arabic.

The Flat Hat wishes to correct any fact printed incorrectly. Corrections may be submitted in email to the editor of the section in which the incorrect information was printed. Requests for corrections will be accepted at any time.

The Flat Hat ‘STABILITAS ET FIDES’ | ESTABLISHED OCT. 3, 1911

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—College spokesperson Suzanne Clavet

Studying history, ensuring smiles Colleen Rodgers ’22 shares embracing character of the College, building community KARINA VIZZONI // FLAT HAT NEWS ASSOC. EDITOR Colleen Rodgers ’22, a history and American studies major from Northern Virginia, fell in love with the College of William and Mary after her first visit to campus. Now, after having applied to the College as an Early Decision candidate two years ago, she has both pursued her passions for history as a Spotswood Society tour guide and explored new extracurricular engagements on campus.

In addition to her work as a tour guide at the Sir Christopher Wren Building, Rodgers is also a resident assistant in Landrum Hall, the co-coordinator of Campus Kitchen and a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority. Furthermore, she is the creator of the Instagram account “@ frogsofwm”, which documents unique and friendly frogs spotted around the College’s historic grounds.

Beyond photographing amphibians, Rodgers is especially devoted to her work with the Spotswood Society, which she discovered during a visit to the Wren Building during a class her freshman year.

“For my COLL 100, freshman year in the fall, we went to Wren for a class, and then Susan Kern, who’s in charge of the Wren Building, came and talked to us about it,” Rodgers said.

After that experience, Rodgers applied for a position in the spring semester and became a Wren Building tour guide.

She is passionate about sharing history with different audiences, ranging from students on the College’s campus to tourists interested in the campus’s history.

“Being a history and American studies major, it really combines both of my favorite interests, and I really like talking to people, so it’s a really fun way to get to know the tourists that come into William and Mary,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers enjoys hearing about the various aspects of history and the characteristics and stories of the Wren Building that different people are interested in, and delights in seeing peoples’ reactions to historical tidbits she shares on her tours.

“One of my favorite things that’s happened is one time, around Parents’ Weekend, I had a couple come in and they said, ‘Oh our daughter’s a freshman here, and she has a class in here, I want to see what’s it like,’” Rodgers said. “So I brought them into the classroom that their daughter had, and they were so excited.”

The Wren Building is Rodgers’ favorite building on campus. She is especially fascinated by the crypts lying underneath the Wren Chapel, given the permanence

COURTESY PHOTOS / COLLEEN RODGERS

Rodgers is involved with many organizations across campus including Campus Kitchen and Phi Beta Pi.

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It kind of shows a lot about how William and Mary is in general. It makes me feel good to sit down after a busy day and write this stupid frog post, but people are going to enjoy that and its going to make people happy, and it makes me happy.

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THIS WEEK IN FLAT HAT HISTORY

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THE BUZZ

News Editor Charles Coleman News Editor Leslie Davis News Editor Emma Ford fhnews@gmail.com

— Colleen Rodgers

and significance of those buried there.

Even more interesting than the crypts is the Wren Building’s vast record of destruction and rebirth, notably its tumultuous experiences of being burned down several times.

“It’s such a living building; it has experienced so much over the years,” Rodgers said. “You can see the Civil War bullet holes that are in the brick and see the actual progression of the bricks as it changed, and what fires happened. I think it’s so cool to observe all that history, and I get to share that with people.”

Rodgers also enjoys sharing her passion for frogs with others through her Instagram account.

“I had already had, coming into freshman year, an album that was ‘cool frogs of the summer’ because I would see so many frogs and snap photos,” Rodgers said.

After recognizing how many frogs there were on campus, she followed a suggestion from her roommate to expand her personal collection of frog photos into a public account to share with the College’s community.

“It kind of shows a lot about how William and Mary is, in general … ” Rodgers said. “It makes me feel good to sit down after a busy day and write this stupid frog post, but people are going to enjoy that and it’s going to make people happy, and it makes me happy.”

Rodgers considers her page to be a useful form of stress relief and happiness,

as well as a fun form of social media for students to engage with. She said she receives plenty of submissions from the community of funny frog photos to share with her followers.

“With the frogs, that’s a thing that I think is well received among students, so I guess I’m impacting them in that way by bringing a little light into their social media times,” Rodgers said.

While sharing frog photos is a lighthearted way Rodgers spends her time, she is also heavily involved in Campus Kitchen, where she aids efforts to maximize food security at the College and the surrounding Williamsburg and James City County communities.

Despite the many roles she holds at the Spotswood Society and “@frogsofwm,” she is confident that her time at Campus Kitchen has been most influential in helping other people.

“I think the most impactful thing I do is with Campus Kitchen, and I’m actually helping to feed the community,” Rodgers said.

Ultimately, Rodgers feels that Williamsburg’s rich history and unique identity, in comparison to other historical sites in Virginia, allow her to commit herself to so many different diverse roles on campus.

“The efforts of Colonial Williamsburg to preserve the history of the area is definitely a huge draw for people like me who are into that sort of thing, and I think throughout Virginia you get that, but it’s different in a way,” Rodgers said.

COURTESY PHOTOS / COLLEEN RODGERS

Rodgers joined the Spotswood Society her freshman year as a tour guide of the Wren Building. Rodgers is pictured with Thomas Jefferson’s portrait in the Great Hall of Wren.

Page 3

The Flat Hat

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

CONSTRUCTION

PBK construction project receives new contractor

Theater department, College report varying projected completion time CARMEN HONKER FLAT HAT CHIEF FEATURES WRITER

Following the demolition of Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall in Aug. 2019, a change in the contractor handling the project has prompted communication shifts between the Facilities Management team and the department of theatre, speech and dance. The next stage of construction is scheduled to begin in early 2020.

Holder Construction was initially chosen as the contractor for the addition and renovation, and the company completed the demolition portion of the project prior to the start of the fall semester. The Facilities Project Management team and Holder were unable to agree upon a contract and pricing in order to continue working together. As a result, Whiting Turner was selected as the new contractor through a bidding process.

“Holder Construction completed the demolition portion of this project and did so satisfactorily.” College of William and Mary spokesperson Suzanne Clavet said in an email. “This was simply a situation where we were not able to reach agreement on continuing contractual terms, namely price.

Currently, we have a contractor for the site preparation work that is necessary before the foundation and superstructure site work can begin. We anticipate that same contractor will also do the foundation and superstructure site work but have to wait on the permitting process to finalize that contract.”

Theatre, speech and dance department chair Laurie Wolf said that the new contractor, Whiting Turner, possesses the necessary contract to complete the work started by Holder and is now operating on site. However, according to Wolf, little progress has been made, and large delays have ensued because of backups with the College’s Code Review Team and ongoing budget issues.

“Now, they are on site, but as you can see nothing is happening,” Wolf said.

“The reason for that is because there are a lot of backups with the William and Mary internal Code Review Team and budget squeezes. That is caused from the rising costs of both materials and labor. So, what they are going to do is move some of the jobs from the William and Mary Code Review Team back to Richmond, and apparently this is a good thing because our working drawings have been with our review team for quite some time, and there are still no comments. Or at least as of the middle of October, there had been no comments. This was the last time I was updated. Apparently, the liaison in Richmond tries to have comments back on plans within 14 to 21 days of receipt. We are hoping to have the building permit by the end of the year.

There is still a significant budget issue.”

In March 2019, the department met with the architects and made cuts to their original budget plan. Wolf said that the department has worked diligently to abide by budget cuts and achieve project approval.

“We went through and made a number of cuts in the original plans, and apparently there are more cuts,” Wolf said. “They have been putting together a new sort of proposal with the understanding that the pricing has gone through two contractors now, the market conditions are driving the

costs, and we have done the maximum amount of value engineering and cost cutting without sacrificing legislative intent and performance teaching requirements. So, we have done everything right, what can they do for us?”

According to Clavet, the project is expected to meet its target completion date for summer 2021.

“Demolition of the majority of the old Phi Beta Kappa Hall is complete,” Clavet said in an email. “The next stage of construction will be foundation and superstructure (steel framing) site work which we expect to begin early in the spring semester. … Final design and permitting is under review.

Overall project completion is on target for late summer 2021.”

Wolf said she is skeptical about the renovation timeline suggested

by Clavet.

“I have my doubts because that is looking at 18 months, and it is sitting empty and unused and unworked on,” Wolf said.

Arts and Sciences Facility Coordinator Arthur Knight acknowledged the unexpected slowdowns and complications that arise during construction projects but said that he believes that the College’s targeted completion date is feasible.

“In terms of the completion date, I think that that’s doable,” Knight said.

“But building stuff is always complicated.”

Throughout the project’s duration, Wolf said that the department has kept engaged in the decision-making process but indicated that regular communication with project management has become stagnant this semester. Wolf said that she finally received an email update from Knight in mid-October, marking one of relatively few messages between the offices this fall.

“We used to have regular meetings with project management,” Wolf said. “That hasn’t happened for a while, our liaisons are Arthur Knight and Eric Bradley, both teaching faculty. They are arts and sciences faculty facilities coordinators, and their job in addition to teaching, is to act as liaisons between us. … Finally, I got this email from Arthur, because it was just radio silence.”

According to Wolf, the uncertainty and lack of clear, consistent communication from the project heads has posed challenges for the department. Wolf said that it is particularly difficult promoting the College’s theater and dance programs to prospective students given the project’s uncertain standing.

“It is hard because one of the quandaries that we have is ‘What do we tell prospective students? And when are we opening?’” Wolf said. “Can they expect to be in the new PBK when they enter the College, depending on if they are rising juniors or seniors? Will they be in their sophomore year?

The students that came in this year, will they be in there by the time they graduate? It is very, very difficult. Recruitment is a lot, and we do not know what to tell our current students. Our current students have been fabulous about this considering that at the moment the department is split up into six separate locations.”

According to Knight, communication between project management

and the department has stalled especially following the completion of the demolition stage in August, and that the flexible nature of coming renovation stages foreshadows more uncertainty in communication.

“There have been much longer gaps in communication since the demolition started because that was straight forward, and everybody knew what was going on,” Knight said. “Then, we have gotten communications … of the sort ... ‘there’s a transition and contractor, and we’re working on getting the new contractor in place and getting everything rolling again.’ But I think that that is because facilities was first in the process of working with the previous contractor and now in the process of working with a new one. In a lot of ways, human curiosity, one wants to be ‘oh what's going on,’ but I’m not sure that that would be very useful, to have that kind of level of involvement in those kinds of processes.”

Knight said that he thinks decreased levels of communication are appropriate given the current mechanical demands of the project.

“It is not unusual when you get to those levels of projects, for there to be meetings every other week, and it’s not appropriate for everybody to be involved, but a representative or some representatives from the department,” Knight said.

Knight said that as the renovation enters later stages of the project, the department should expect regular communication and to enjoy further involvement in the decision-making processes.

“But I expect that once the project really gets underway, especially as it heads towards the more the mid-level, the structure is up and those sorts of things, and then decisions have to be made about final finishes and refinements of certain features of design, there will be super regular communication then,” Knight said.

Because the theater and dance department is specialized and cannot be easily housed in a spare arts building, Knight said that they have had to navigate many different levels of the PBK renovation, including displacement from the building. He said that while the project does seem to be experiencing a lapse in consistent communication, this pause would have occurred even without a change in contractor since the project is currently at a transitional point and those involved with construction prepare for foundation and superstructure site work.

“They had to deal with figuring out with facilities and upper administration appropriate buildings that would house them; that’s complicated,” Knight said. “Then they had to deal with moving. … Then just dealing with working in those different spaces, making sure they have what they need, which is harder to do when you’re decentralized, you’re not all in the same building. And then the fourth thing is of course the new building and making sure that they are in that process as it goes forward. So now we’re in this pause, which in some ways I think we would be regardless whether there were switches in contractor just because this is a very infrastructural basic level of construction.”

CAMPUS

Panel discusses potential addition to COLL 300 curriculum New course requirement seeks to enhance students' social, political awareness PHIL SCHUELER THE FLAT HAT

A panel discussion was held Wednesday, Nov. 20 in Tyler Hall to discuss the COLL curriculum and ongoing efforts by the College of William and Mary to improve diversity and intercommunal dialogue on campus. Professors Christine Nemacheck and John Parman, both affiliated with the CLA, led the discussion.

The panel was hosted by the Center for the Liberal Arts, a faculty group comprised of 10 fellows and a director.

The discussion centered on the introduction of a new part of the COLL curriculum, which is being referred to in its development stages as the COLL 199/COLL 350 requirement. The new course label is designed to help students connect their area of study with contemporary political and social contexts in the United States. Parman explained that this new part of the curriculum has been being discussed among the faculty for some time.

“In the past three or four years, the faculty started discussing that there’s still a component here that we’re missing,” Parman said. “Some of this came

from the protests in Charlottesville, some of this came from thinking about campus climate here at William and Mary, but one of the things that wasn’t adequately emphasized through this curricular development was thinking about the relationships between different groups in the contemporary United States, and also thinking about how we communicate with each other about that, inside and outside the classroom.”

The new course requirement was also a recommendation of the College’s Race Relations Task Force, which was established in March 2015 by former College President Taylor Reveley. Key issues to be discussed by the new COLL 199/350 courses include justice, equity and the workings of power and inequality. For their course work, students will be encouraged to focus on race and at least one other systemically disadvantaged demographic group in the United States.

The panel also described the Pedagogical Partner Program, which is planned to be introduced alongside the new COLL requirement. The partnership program is designed to provide student feedback to professors on how they are handling the sensitive issues being discussed in their classes.

Student Pedagogical Partners will be paid employees of the College and will help faculty know more about their classroom environment and provide feedback on specific aspects of that environment.

“We see the ideas and thoughts that you all might bring to this process as being really important and valuable, and we’re hoping some of you might be interested in working with us to make your classes as welcoming and as quality inclusive as they can be,” Nemacheck said.

Emma Shainwald ’20 and Milka Mered ’20 participated in a trial of the Pedagogical Partner Program and described their experiences working with their assigned professors.

“I think it’s really good getting to work with a professor,” Shainwald said. “I think working with professors directly is really helpful because then you kind of understand the different constraints that they’re under and how to most effectively appease both what the professors have to do but also what the students want and learn how to navigate between those two things.”

Lorielle Bouldin ’23 attended the discussion and said that she was encouraged by the efforts of the CLA to improve and incorporate more diverse

perspectives into the COLL curriculum.

“I was most interested in the fact that there are faculty that really try to make a change, that they’re not just ignoring [the problem]," Boudin said. "The fact that they’re getting students involved and trying to make sure that this campus is really something that’s comfortable for everyone."

Dejah Robinson ’23 also attended the panel and said she appreciated that instead of avoiding difficult conversations, the CLA is attempting to confront them directly through the COLL curriculum.

“I found it interesting that the faculty is trying to make a change and not have repeated situations such as what happened in Charlottesville,” Robinson said. “At William and Mary, even though there’s 6,000 students, it’s 6,000 students from different areas and different aspects of life.

Someone who comes from a rural area might meet someone who lives in a city, and they probably would have never had a conversation otherwise, and if they did ever have a conversation about their communities, they wouldn’t be able to really relate. Having that type of conversation is not bad; it’s just educating people about their cultures and expanding their knowledge.”

FRATERNITY AND SORORITY LIFE

Fraternities, sororities suspended following increased hazing reports Credible hazing allegations within eight FSL organizations prompt extensive investigation, disciplinary action HAZING from page 1

incident that occurred in the distant past.”

Gilbert also said that CVRP deals with every hazing investigation differently depending on situational contexts, and outlined that the office takes several factors into account when deciding how to move forward, including risk levels associated with the reported behavior and report credibility.

Lantzy said that when CVRP opens an investigation into a Fraternity and Sorority Life organization, the chapter’s national organization has the option to step in and conduct a parallel investigation. This appears to be the case with Sigma Chi, as Sigma Chi’s international executive director Michael Church said that the national organization of Sigma Chi is investigating the College’s chapter

alongside the administration.

“Sigma Chi International Fraternity placed the chapter on interim suspension pending the results of an investigation as soon as we were made aware of the allegations,” Church said. “The chapter is cooperating with the investigation of both the international fraternity and William and Mary.”

In addition to the investigations being run by CVRP, there are a number of steps being taken by the Fraternity and Sorority Life student leadership to fight hazing.

“We’re doing everything to make sure that all the students on campus are safe and feel comfortable,” National Panhellenic Council President Elisa Featherston ’20 said.

McCloughlin, Lantzy and Featherston recently held an emergency meeting of all outgoing and incoming presidents of the

organizations that make up the College’s three Fraternity and Sorority Life councils.

“Liam, Elisa and I stood up in front of them and basically poured our hearts out about how hard this has been for us to see happen,” Lantzy said. “We had a really tough conversation about the fact that this is unacceptable. I think that it really struck a chord with a lot of the presidents, realizing the state that we really are in.”

According to McCloughlin, he and other student leaders who are currently finishing up their terms are working closely with their incoming successors to make sure that they are aware of how serious this problem is.

There are multiple anti-hazing resources available to students. These include the anonymous hazing report system on the Fraternity and Sorority Life website and the Hazing Prevention

Coalition, a group of students and faculty members who work to prevent hazing in all of the College’s student organizations.

“One of the big things we’re focusing on this year is making people aware of hazing,” Hazing Prevention Coalition member Cèline Zalamea ’22 said. “It is so important that people acknowledge whether or not they feel uncomfortable in a situation, and to acknowledge that it’s okay to stand up when they feel that way.”

Lantzy said that the increase in hazing reports could signal that students are becoming less tolerant of unsafe behaviors and are taking advantage of the anti-hazing resources available to them.

“We think that given the number of reports that we’ve had, the threshold at which other students are willing to witness this happen is getting lower and lower,” Lantzy said. “People are really, I

think, picking up and taking a stand.”

The administration also said that the uptick in hazing reports likely has to do with the students deciding to report incidents of hazing.

“The reporting we are seeing is a sign that members of the community are hearing this message and standing up to say it will not be tolerated on this campus,” Clavet said.

McCloughlin stressed that these activities do not reflect the values of the College’s community.

“All three councils are very firm that hazing is not a part of the fraternity and sorority experience,” McCloughlin said.

“I’m thankful that people have reported them and I’m thankful that we can be addressing these things proactively so that we can make sure that people are staying safe.”

The Flat Hat

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Page 4

CAMPUS

APIA studies plans inaugural graduation

New program makes commencement ceremony cultural celebration

In May 2020, one year after the creation of the Asian and Pacific Islander American Studies major, the College of William and Mary will host its first Asian/Pacific/Middle Eastern graduation ceremony.

The ceremony follows in a long line of cultural graduation celebrations, from Donning of the Kente, which is a ceremony for students of African descent, to Ceremonia Raices, which is designed for Latin American students.

Director of APIA studies Francis Tanglao Aguas said that the APM graduation ties into his personal experiences with cultural celebration.

“I’ve long wanted our W&M students from the Asian Pacific Islander and Middle Eastern communities to experience cultural graduation as I did years ago at my own alma mater of UCLA where we had all the cultural graduations,” Aguas said in an email.

“Particularly for the parents, the milestone becomes more significant as it incorporates cultural celebrations that resonate deeper into family narratives. So in many ways, the graduation of our students become new segments of their families’ traditions as their cultures in turn are imbedded into William & Mary’s traditions.”

Aguas also pointed out that this celebration was inspired by the graduation ceremonies for other students of color.

“It’s crucial to note that Professor Jody Allen and the Lemon Project always included and welcomed APM students at the Donning of the Kente,” Aguas said. “In fact, we can say that it was the Donning that inspired our APM students to organize in order to more personalize a ceremony for themselves.”

Aguas hopes that the new ceremony will shed light on the history of Asian students at the College.

“The APM-grad also is an opportunity to commemorate the history of Asians/Asian Americans at W&M in the earlier years including the recently found materials on Pu-Kao Chen, ’23 who so far is the first student of color at W&M on record,” Aguas said. “We will also honor the experience of faculty like Professor Travis L. Summersgill who was pressured to resign from W&M in 1956 because his wife was from Japan and therefore in violation of Virginia’s Racial Purity Act disallowing mixed marriage. That same law complicated visits from the parents of Art Matsu, ’28, W&M’s first Asian American student and famed quarterback. We will also honor the memory of the Hatsuye Yamasaki ’37, the first Asian American woman on record at W&M who was a trailblazing student leader from her enrollment in 1933 to her graduation in 1937.”

The idea for the ceremony was spearheaded by students in the Asian American Student Initiative. Jamelah Jacob ’21 serves as the APM graduation committee co-chair along with Patrick Canteros ’20 and said that her ideal graduation ceremony is one that brings many students together.

“I think my biggest thing personally is that I want a lot of people to be there,” Jacob said. “I want it to show how diverse the student body is, I want it to bring together Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, international students — everyone who feels like they have a space in that ceremony. I’m hoping that it’s reaching as

“

The indigenous community does not get a lot of publicity especially on this campus because the population is smaller.

It is crucial, especially with Native American Heritage Month, to celebrate these voices and center them in these discussions and especially with the intersections between these various identities.

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ÇLAIRE HOGAN FLAT HAT ONLINE EDITOR

— Alexia Kaelber

many people as possible.”

While planning the ceremony, Jacob said she hopes to incorporate views from all students who identify as Asian, Pacific Islander and Middle Eastern.

“The way we structured the committees, we reached out to different multicultural organizations,” Jacob said. “So we have representatives from organizations like CSO, SASA, we have an international student on our committee, and then we are also working with the Center for Student Diversity.”

Associate Director of the Center for Student Diversity Shené Owens said that her role is to connect students with the College’s resources, including ones designed to support students during their graduation.

“The Center for Student Diversity serves as an advisor to the students who have formed a committee to plan this ceremony,” Owens said in an email. “I personally sit in on every planning meeting and serve as a liaison between the students and the university’s commencement planning committee.”

Owens hopes that the ceremony will incorporate familial legacies while honoring the diversity of Asian, Pacific Islander and Middle Eastern experiences.

“The goal for this upcoming ceremony is to recognize and celebrate the unique traditions that the Asian diaspora,” Owens said. “There is not one specific tradition that represents all the cultures within the diaspora, but as a committee we will do our best to make sure everyone is represented. Within the committee, one common theme has been the importance of celebrating and honoring their families.”

While the ceremony was partially inspired by the new Asian and Pacific Islander American Studies program at the College, the graduation ceremony also specifically includes students of Middle Eastern descent. Jacob says the decision to include Middle Eastern students in the ceremony was driven by inclusion.

“At first, it was the Asian Pacific American graduation, from the Asian and Pacific Islander American Studies, that was kind of where the idea was from,” Jacob said. “But we wanted to make it as inclusive as possible, so we wanted not only to invite students who identified as Asian/Pacific American, but we also wanted to invite international students, and we also wanted that inclusivity to be reflected on the name of the actual ceremony.”

Aguas argues that Middle Eastern students should be also included in traditionally Asian ceremonies.

“As our esteemed professors in AMES: Asian & Middle Eastern Studies teach, the Middle East is a construct of western imperialism and colonialism (particularly Orientalism) so geographically speaking, we are not including something because it presumes exclusion because the so called Middle East is actually in Asia, specifically South West Asia,” Aguas said. “The sad irony is that the forced moniker has stuck in the United States. People outside the US, especially in Asia, know that from Palestine to Israel to Lebanon to Jordan to Iraq, that all these countries are in Asia. Our hope is that the ceremony becomes a celebration of our students’ achievements alongside a decolonization and humanization of academia’s most important pomp and circumstance.”

As the planning process evolves, students can look forward to the graduation ceremony as an inclusive cultural celebration.

For Jacob, seeing people excited about the ceremony is rewarding in itself.

“I think people are really excited that this is happening for the very first time,” Jacob said. “I get email notifications for every registrant, so I just love seeing everybody who is registering for it; I love seeing the number go up.”

SPEAKER

Lecture discusses historical writing, Japanese literature University of Minnesota professor examines American bias found throughout Japanese books Saturday, Nov. 21, the College of William and Mary welcomed professor of Japanese literature and cultural studies Christine Marran from the University of Minnesota to give a talk entitled “Biotropes: Interpreting the Non-Human World in Japanese Literature.”

Marran was brought to campus in honor of the inauguration of the new Japanese studies major at the College with funding for the event stemming from the Wendy and Emery Reves Center for International Studies, the Asian and Middle Eastern Studies Department and Environmental Science and Policy Department.

Her presentation primarily focused on her 2017 book “Ecology Without Culture,” which she discussed at length.

In his introduction, professor of Japanese studies Michael Cronin commented on the new Japanese Studies major.

“Dr. Marran’s work is exactly a model of what we want to encourage in our major,” Cronin said.

“To do the kind of work that explores Japan’s relevance — not its uniqueness, but its cultural and economic relevance to broader global concerns.”

To elaborate on those themes, Marran spoke about the intersection of Japanese literature, literary criticism, ecology and environmental disasters.

Marran’s work focuses on the 1956 Minamata disaster, when organic mercury spilled into the Minamata Bay in Japan, causing illness in humans and animals alike. In response, Japanese writer

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With the growing climate change discussion now, I think connecting with ecology and the environment is at the forefront of our minds.

— Geleila Yonas

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MARY TRIMBLE THE FLAT HAT

Michiko Ichimure wrote her book, “Paradise in a Sea of Sorrows.”

“The power of the novel was that it wove together a fabric of different languages that creates a universalism,” Marran said. “People came in the hundreds.”

This incident prompted political changes and scientific research on the concepts of biomagnification and bioaccumulation of toxins.

In describing the process of how literature can address environmental concerns, Marran highlighted the work of two literary critics who helped shape her thoughts about her tool of literary criticism, which she calls a “biotrope.”

Timothy Morton and his book “Ecology without Nature” — which inspired Marran’s own book title — and Amitav Ghosh’s “The Great Derangement” argue that Western literature creates perceptions of nature that defy its agency and make it easier for readers to deny issues like climate change.

“There are certain concepts of nature, particularly those in British romantic literature, that make it hard for us from an ecocritical perspective to see or document or understand the environment,” Marran said. “While this can be true, it could be an argument that could be conceived as unwittingly Eurocentric.”

With concerns of Eurocentrism in their interpretations, she turned to explorations of early modern Japanese literature, where she discovered strains of the same phenomenon.

“Early modern Japanese literature colludes in disregarding planetary health,” Marran said.

She argued that “biotropes” as a construct allow ecocritical literary critics to examine both the actual history of the biological factor and the “trope,” or how it is being used as a tool for metaphor or allegory. This is her way of responding to descriptions of nature and the environment in Japanese literature.

French and Francophone studies professor

Giulia Pacini, who researches trees in 18th century French literature, questioned Marran, suggesting that the idea of a “biotrope” asks us to read on multiple levels.

Pacini wondered if it therefore contradicted Ghosh and Morton’s claims that classic literature should be read monolithically.

“Ghosh’s claim in ‘The Great Derangement’ is problematic because there, too, he’s reading a literary tradition monolithically without opening up alternative possibilities for reading, I would argue,” Pacini said. “The ‘biotrope’ might be precisely what allows you to do that alternative reading.”

The discussion between the two women illustrated the interdisciplinary back and forth of Marran’s topic, as history, literature and ecology collided across national boundaries and produced knowledge.

Geleila Yonas ’23 appreciated the interdisciplinary nature of the talk.

“I think the holistic aspect of this talk and of all of our liberal arts education opens up our worldview,” Yonas said. “We aren’t seeing any piece of literature one certain way, and we can see how it all connects. I love the international aspect of it. We are going past the American bias, which I really find valuable in this day and age. We have to open up our mindsets.”

Yonas also said that literature addressing environmental issues was necessary in contemporary conversations.

“With the growing climate change discussion now, I think connecting with ecology and the environment is at the forefront of our minds,” Yonas said.

CAMPUS

College establishes partnership to ensure sustainability goals for 2030 Collaboration with UVA decides goals to reduce carbon emissions, tackle large areas of environmental CARBON NEUTRALITYw from page 1

as the College works both toward carbon neutrality and advancing conservation curriculum.

The College’s commitments to

carbon neutrality and the development of the institute highlight its values and the action it is taking to see them through. Both announcements follow the Board of Visitors’ endorsement of the College’s new vision, mission

and values statement. As Broaddus explains, the school’s engagement with sustainability efforts demonstrates its committal to the statement.

“I think it’s really neat that this is one of the first actions to come out in

the aftermath of [the statement] that is clearly acting on those values. There’s a line, ‘We create conditions that ensure William and Mary will thrive for all time coming,’ and this is very clearly taking action in that regard,

showing that we’re going to live up to the ethos of the student culture and the campus culture here,” Broaddus said. “We’re going to show that green is more than a school color at William and Mary.”

opinions

Opinions Editor Anna Boustany Opinions Editor Chloe Folmar fhopinions@gmail.com

The Flat Hat | December 3, 2019 | Page 5

GUEST COLUMN

International Justice Mission highlights dangers, frequency of human trafficking Jerry Hu

FLAT HAT GUEST WRITER

During the first week of November, the International Justice Mission at the College of William and Mary launched a weeklong campaign against human trafficking. This campaign, which included Pop-up Thrift Shop Against Trafficking and a Global Night of Prayer, sought to raise awareness about human trafficking and support International Justice Mission’s rescue missions around the world.

The Pop-up Thrift Shop Campaign was started by a group of students at Texas A&M and Baylor University. Over the last five years, students at both schools have raised more than $1,000 per year for the International Justice Mission. The International Justice Mission at the College adopted this idea this year and raised more than $200 for the IJM headquarters’ new rescue missions. More importantly, this campaign reached hundreds of students, faculty and staff members at the College.

Human trafficking is one of the top human rights issues in the world. According to the International Labor Organization, 21 million people around the world were trapped in slavery in 2012. This number reminds us we still have a long way to go to end slavery, a practice that has plagued human society for thousands of years. Fighting human trafficking may sound like a daunting task for college students, but there are many ways to be a part of this global fight as college students.

The pop-up thrift shop is a good example of what college students can do — raise awareness on campus and promote ethical consumerism. The fast fashion industry always seeks out the cheapest ways to keep up with fashion. Unfortunately, this

demand trickles down the supply chain and leads to harsh working conditions for textile workers, many of whom are victims of labor trafficking. College students, who are not affluent enough to purchase high-end designer brands, are often the most loyal customers of fast fashion brands. The popup thrift shop offers students a more ethical alternative to fast fashion brands. Lightly worn donations from students for this campaign are just as fashionable as the ones displayed in shop windows of Bershka or C&A, but they were much cheaper and help lower the demand for fast fashion brands.

With the tags attached to all donations, the pop-up thrift shop helped students learn more about the global issue of human trafficking. Every single tag tells the story of a victim of human trafficking. These tags remind all of us that every single decision we make in our daily life affect the lives of those who are still trapped in slavery.

Other than purchasing and donating to thrift shops, there are other ways to support this great cause as college students.

Participating in the annual Walk for Freedom in Colonial Williamsburg, supporting local anti-slavery organizations by donations or volunteering and avoiding watching pornography, which fuels sex trafficking, are all great ways to start your fight against this great evil.

At the College, students raise awareness about different social justice issues, but human trafficking is one of the issues that deserve more attention. This is a cause every student on this campus can support through their choices. It is also a cause everyone should and can raise awareness about by conversations, activism and articles in The Flat Hat like this one.

Email Jerry Hu at jhu01@email.wm.edu.

GRAPHIC BY JORGE CONDA / THE FLAT HAT

STAFF COLUMN

Failure to use bike lanes endangers student body

Anna Burns

FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER

Like many students who live along Richmond Road, I have a little bit of a trek to campus each day. The walk is usually not too bad. I use the sidewalks to get where I’m going, and it’s often very peaceful. In the early morning, I can walk through the bright cold and see the sun rising through the trees. And at night, the streets are so glowing and empty that it feels like I’m the only person on earth.

That is until a bicycle zips past me, and I have to jump off the sidewalk, out of its way.

I’ll never understand why people ride their bikes on the sidewalks along Richmond Road. Sometimes, I’ll drift along the road, lost in some deep and interesting thought, and I’ll hear, “On your left.” I’ll snap out of my mind and look to see someone bounding on their bike towards me. I don’t understand why I’m the one who’s expected to move. If they move their bike over just a couple inches, there’s literally an entire bike lane available to them.

I used to think I was overreacting when things like this happened, and maybe I am. But I have to say, it feels terrible to have someone scream “move” or “get out of the way” at me, especially when I’m already having a bad day. My personal favorite is when people don’t say anything to me at all. They just slam their bells or horns, expecting me to move as if I’m a bird sitting on the hood of their car.

Not only is this rude, it’s actually dangerous. I wear my headphones a lot while I’m walking to class before my day starts. I have a very hectic schedule — what student at the College of William and Mary doesn’t — so this is often the only part of my day when I have time to relax and listen to music.

So, if someone riding their bike yells at me to move over, I might not realize it, which could be dangerous.

But even when I’m not wearing headphones, there’s a decent chance I won’t hear the cyclists riding behind me. I have a genetic hearing impairment. Because of this, I often miss middle speech tones, which are what people typically use while communicating with each other. This means that if I’m not looking at someone’s lips, I probably don’t know what they’re saying. There have actually been several instances when I didn’t hear a cyclist behind me, and they almost hit me as a result.

For these reasons, riding bikes on the sidewalks is not safe, especially when there is a clear bike lane available. Sound is not a foolproof measure against collisions. Many people listen to music while walking to class, and if someone has hearing issues like I do, they won’t hear cyclists whether they’re using headphones or not.

So, if you’re a person who frequently rides their bike on the Richmond Road sidewalks, or any sidewalks for that matter, please start using the bikes lanes. Try thinking about how you’d feel if a random stranger yelled at you to move.

Also, consider the risks. What if the person walking in front of you doesn’t hear you? What if they simply don’t want to move? What if you’re going too fast to stop abruptly? Trust me, it’s not worth it — just use the bike lanes.

Email Anna Burns at acburns01@email.wm.edu.

STAFF COLUMN

Lack of empathetic resources available at Counseling Center harms student body Naomi Gruber

FLAT HAT ONLINE EDITOR

Every so often, a new meme about the College of William and Mary’s Counseling Center shows up on Facebook, and with each post the negative haze surrounding our primary mental health resource on campus seems to grow. It was easy enough to ignore these cautionary tales when they were accompanied by pixelated images and sarcasm — until it happened to me too.

Without sharing too much information, I sought out the Counseling Center to receive help for a mental health issue not listed in the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-5 manual in order to hopefully get accommodation for the spring semester. For those of us who steered clear of psychology courses, the DSM-5 is the most current manual used by clinicians and psychiatrists to diagnose psychiatric illnesses. Because my issue is not yet official, I knew getting help would be a challenge, but that’s what the Counseling Center is here for, right? According to their mission statement, the Counseling Center offers services that include, “the provision of mental health practices intended to reduce psychological distress, treat clinical conditions, and enhance well-being and personal growth.” To make things even better, these services are “free,” paid for by me and the rest of the student population as part of our hefty tuition bill. Everything sounded great; I booked an appointment — one three weeks away, but hey, my mental health

issues weren’t going anywhere — took a seat in that beautiful new waiting room and finally sat down with my assigned therapist for an initial assessment.

To start, my therapist went through my forms before asking about why I came in. I quickly asked if she knew anything about my specific issue — she admitted she didn’t, and just like that I knew we were off to a rocky start. Soon after I began explaining my issue and how it was hindering my everyday life, she informed me that the Counseling Center could not help.

My therapist’s explanation was that the Counseling Center cannot diagnose students and counselors cannot help me find new accommodations without an official diagnosis. The catch? My specific issue isn’t in the DSM-5, meaning it can’t be diagnosed at all, anywhere. My therapist went on to mention outside providers — who of course also cannot provide a diagnosis for this issue that “doesn’t officially exist”— without making any effort to connect me with those providers.

I can understand all that red tape, but just because my issue isn’t “official” doesn’t mean it’s not real, and it doesn’t mean I don’t need help. So, I told her I understood, and I waited, tearfully, for her to continue with the session. I don’t know what exactly I was waiting for — an offer to find another therapist who understood what I was going through, or maybe a plan that didn’t involve accommodation but provided support anyway. At the very least, I waited for compassion. I waited for her to talk to me about how I was feeling, to tell me how else the Counseling Center could help even if the official doors were

closed. I waited to hear that she, and by extension, the Counseling Center, acknowledged me as a student who needed help, who was upset and frustrated and swimming under the devastation of opening up only to be shot down. I waited, crying, and my therapist said nothing. I kept waiting. Eventually, when I realized she couldn’t help me, and from my perspective, didn’t want to help me, I mumbled something about having things to do, and I got up. I

It’s not my goal to discourage others from trying to get help from the Counseling Center, but it is my goal to caution.

couldn’t just sit there in front of a therapist who not only couldn’t help me, but didn’t try. Her final words were to point me towards the bathroom, presumably to pull myself together before making the shameful, tearful walk through the waiting room. I want to hope it was my reputation she was looking out for.

I walked into the Counseling Center tentatively hopeful. Twenty or so minutes later, I went away from the Counseling Center utterly hopeless.

It’s not my goal to discourage others from trying to get help from the Counseling Center, but it is my goal to caution. I can easily say that the Counseling Center helps some of its patrons some of the time.

Maybe most of the time — it’s hard to judge when negativity is louder than satisfaction. But from my own experience as a student struggling with a misunderstood and still unofficial mental health issue, I can also say that unless you arrive at the Counseling Center with a cookie-cutter case of college stress or a previous diagnosis in your back pocket, the Counseling Center can cause more harm than good. It can promise you help and compassion and leave you crying and turned away from their gleaming glass doors.

So, what do you do? You text your friends to remind yourself that someone on this campus cares.

You post a scathing meme on Facebook to empathize with peers who’ve also been turned away. You write an article while your eyes are still puffy from crying because you don’t want to forget what it feels like to ask for help and have the door slammed in your face.

Email Naomi Gruber at ncgruber@email.wm.edu.

The Flat Hat

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

STAFF COLUMN

Page 6

STAFF COLUMN

Political debate in Virginia neglects substance, blindly panders to establishment

Gavin Aquin Hernández FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR

Having friends from across the political spectrum at the College of William and Mary, I have tended to absorb the anxieties that many students here are feeling about the rapidly changing political climate here.

Shocking for a college student not to voluntarily subject myself to an echo chamber, I know. However, two words in particular have stuck out to me in all of these conversations: “dream” and “sanctuary.”

Obviously, these words are more relevant than ever, but they mean vastly different things for different swaths of Virginians — and I’d like to dispel the notion that any one person’s interpretation of these is more important than another’s interpretation.

Let’s not silence each other without hearing each other out.

For one, as a second generation American, I highly empathise with those who want to implement wide-ranging protections for illegal immigrants — especially for children brought to the country at a young age and who should especially not be held legally culpable for immigration crimes. It is not very morally ambiguous at all: Americans should protect “Dreamers,” or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients, at all costs, and I’m honestly surprised that this idea does not have more bipartisan support.

Law-abiding immigrants, for the most part, are positive contributors to their communities.

They bring diversity to homogenous areas; they help the economy and they even pay taxes. Imagine not being forced to pay taxes to your state, local and federal governments, but still choosing to do so. I would never.

They are entrepreneurs, they are your neighbors, their children play with your children, and in certain cases they can join the military and die for this country.

So why the xenophobic rhetoric about their origins?

People could have gone anywhere but chose to come to the United States and pursue the American dream. That has to mean something.

I know that was my grandmother’s motivation when she brought my mother from Guadalajara, Jalisco to Los Angeles, California in the 1970s. I’d like to think that they are both amazing examples of the potential of Latinos here.

I’m not going to tell you what you should do for immigration reform, since I refuse to be a partisan hack — but I implore your to follow your convictions and keep in mind that the people whose future you are deciding upon are just that : people.

They aren’t “members of DACA,” or some abstract nameless, faceless force descending upon this country like some sort of “infestation.” You don’t need a medieval style moat with alligators to protect yourselves from them. They are people and that’s a quintessentially important fact to always keep in mind.

Likewise, why is there all this hatred for the American dream, our country and the Constitution? Do you know what my family sacrificed to get to this country? Do you know what your ancestors, whether they were above or below the deck of their ship, sacrificed to arrive in this land? What about the indigenous peoples who were gracious hosts before betrayed and murdered by colonizers?

Are we really so jaded that we think this is the worst country that ever existed, and that no one could ever possibly be successful in 2019 in this land? I refuse to believe that.

I’m thankful that I was born in the United States of America instead of somewhere else.

The United States as it stands today is the culmination of the history of both our impressive successes and our abysmal failures, and the time we live in now is really the most egalitarian period of time our country has ever had.

Now imagine if Martin Luther King Jr. or Susan B. Anthony were truly stripped of their First Amendment rights. Just how different would our world be?

How much longer would it have been until civil rights, suffrage or even the Stonewall riots could possibly have happened and been successful?

From what I understand, MLK recognized the First Amendment as the only thing standing between him and his persecutors silencing him.

Food for thought : maybe Virginians should go back to “sic sempering their tyrannuses” — first by dumping toxic partisanship and actually working together for the common good — for everyone, not just the people you agree with.

Maybe start by getting rid of your Dixiecrat governor. Let’s not silence each other without hearing each other out. Isn’t that what Commonwealth means, after all?

Email Gavin Aquin Hernández at gaaquin@email.wm.edu.

Improvements at College’s Post Office quell student complaints

Alyssa Slovin

FLAT HAT OPINIONS ASSOC. EDITOR

The post office here at the College of William and Mary is infamous for being incredibly slow and disorganized, taking forever to process packages and sometimes even losing them.

Recently, I was talking to some of my friends who are freshmen, and they had no idea that the post office ever suffered from these issues. How is that possible?

Have they just not ordered many items yet?

Have they not had to deal with the stress of awaiting a book that they desperately need for a class, or a dress that they desperately need for an upcoming formal night?

“No,” is the answer. These freshmen are not uneducated: the post office has recently made changes that have massively increased productivity for students.

Before, if a student ordered a package off Amazon that had a one-day shipping time, they would be lucky if it arrived after three or four days. Apparently, this was because the packages were delivered to the Williamsburg Post Office before they were then delivered to campus. It’s not a huge, ground-breaking issue, but it still causes problems and delays for students, which make them fall behind in classes. Now, it seems as if that is all completely different, and I noticed this shift about halfway through this semester.

I ordered a book online that I was planning on reading just for fun, so I wasn’t worried about the time frame in which it arrived. However, the very next day, I received an email from

the post office that my package was ready. I could not believe it. I was in absolute shock, and I showed the email to several friends who were shocked, as well. When I went to pick up the book, the process of retrieving packages was a little different as well. Instead of just giving the worker the package slip, I also had to give them my student ID. This does not seem like that important of a change, however, it does signify a change in some way or another. Honestly, though, I just thought this was a fluke, and that maybe I caught a slow day at the post office.

Since then, I have ordered several packages, ranging all the way from a holiday garland to a financial calculator. All of these orders promised one day shipping, and all of them have lived up to that promise.

Now, you may be asking yourself: “Why do I care that you received your package in the expected amount of time?” It’s important because people are still criticizing the post office for an issue that it has addressed and seems to have fixed.

Something that many of my articles here focus on is giving the College a chance; students are very quick to complain, but then they do not care when actual changes are made for their benefit.

It reminds me of the everpresent “Cancel Culture” that exists online, where a celebrity is “cancelled” and “over,” also known as when their fans decide to no longer be their fans because of something uneducated that they said or did. Of course, that celebrity should change their ways, and of course second chances are not always relevant, but they often are.

People should be able to learn and grow, instead of being thrown away before they even have a chance to correct their actions for the better.

In the same way, students should give the post office another chance, despite its past mistakes. What is the point of complaining if students never expect or look for change?

Email Alyssa Slovin at GRAPHIC AND HEADSHOTS BY KAYLA PAYNE / THE FLAT HAT amslovin@email.wm.edu.

STAFF COLUMN

Space for reasoned debate provides insight into capacity for harmony at the College

Anna Boustany

FLAT HAT OPINIONS EDITOR

I have spent the last two semesters working as an opinions editor at The Flat Hat. From being interviewed by a local newspaper about my favorite new statue in front of Zable Stadium to sparking controversy on “Swampy Memes for Twampy Teens,” I have learned a lot in my time working with The Flat Hat. Now, as I prepare to study abroad next semester, I reflect on many of the things I’ve learned during my editorship at the paper.

First and foremost, Creative Cloud Suite products, including our beloved InDesign and Photoshop, will crash when you need them most. If you haven’t saved your work, you will regret it.

Most importantly and on a more serious note, receiving opinions from all across campus has given me a lot of insight into the student population at the College of William and Mary, and I’m incredibly thankful for that unique perspective.

Students at the College clearly have a diversity of opinions, and being opinions editor means my email is often full of the latest campus hot takes. Whenever a slightly divisive event happens on campus, our section’s inbox frequently floods with various responses. What I have seen in these responses is how valuable thoughtful discourse can be.

After all, reasonable people here at the College can disagree on trivial and serious things alike, and they often do.

I honestly think I have learned the most from the well-written, thoughtful articles that didn’t align exactly with my own views — even more so than the ones that have been more in line with my personal perspectives.

There is an important line to walk

been so impressed with the grace so many with our community have been able to handle the difficult discussions.

Some might say that the opinions section of a college newspaper holds little value, but I would disagree. I have seen the opinions section provide a voice for students who aren’t sure that they’ll be listened to.

And I have seen people in power make meaningful change as a result of articles written in the opinions section. Ultimately, words have power. Over the past year, I have seen firsthand both the positive and negative effects of that power, and I have learned a great deal from both.

The only time I have seen words lack power was in my complaint about the tiny plates in the dining hall. I still have seen no change in Sadler, and every day that I balance multiple plates to eat one meal hurts my soul. Despite this personal sadness, I have greatly enjoyed my time as opinions editor. Learning from this passionate community is an incredible opportunity, and I am proud to have done my best to foster a section where students felt welcome to make their voices heard and to have reasoned, kind and thoughtful debate.

Email Anna Boustany at aeboustany@email.wm.edu.

What I have seen in these responses is how valuable thoughtful discourse can be. when it comes to disagreement. Some people have views that are incredibly harmful, and I understand that no matter how well thought out your disagreements may be, it will rarely be a complete or even partial resolution to someone with toxic views. But as a community at the College, I have seen the benefits of our ability to have reasonable discourse and have seen the divide that emerges when we resort to personal attacks. I have often

sportsinside

The Flat Hat | Tuesday, December 3, 2019 | Page 7

FOOTBALL

JAMIE HOLT / THE FLAT HAT

Senior linebacker and captain Nate Atkins made decisive defensive plays that gave the Tribe the game at the end of regulation; once the College regained posession, freshman QB Hollis Mathis and junior wideout Zach Burdick sent the ball into the end zone.

College prevails in Capital Cup, finishes season 5-7

Tribe exhibits stellar play against in-state rival Richmond in overtime MATTHEW KORTAN FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER It was the end of the beginning. William and Mary head coach Mike London ended his inaugural season as the head coach in Williamsburg in style Nov. 23, as the Tribe (5-7, 3-5 CAA) prevailed in the 130th clash for the Capital Cup against fierce rivals Richmond (5-7, 4-4 CAA) by a score of 21-15. It was the Tribe’s second gut-wrenching overtime victory of the month.

The battle was born under punches delivered by devastating defenses hailing from each sideline. Tribe senior safety Miles Hayes set the tone; he forced a fumble on the opening possession. However, the offense couldn’t muster a march out of the momentum and punted after just three plays. The Tribe defense saw this as no sign to call off the dogs. Senior defensive back Corey Parker kept his foot on the throat of the Spiders struggling offense when he snagged a ball that bounced off the hands of Richmond receiver Charlie Fessler to generate the second defensive turnover in as many outings. After that, the first quarter ended in a ping-ponging of punts. The war over field position raged on.

Something had to give, and the stalemate was broken with an exciting sequence. Fessler botched an early second quarter punt and sophomore safety Gage Herdman plopped on top of the loose ball. This time, the Tribe finally capitalized by converting a turnover into points. Freshman running back Bronson Yoder surged through a gaping hole for a 13-yard touchdown. Instead of kicking the extra point, London elected to go big instead of going home. Deploying an unorthodox formation that spread the offensive line across the entirety of the field, junior quarterback Ted Hefter took the snap at the center of it all. What happened next was equal parts comical and heartwarming. Senior nose tackle Bill Murray — who had lined up along the sideline — made a break for the center of the field, where Hefter flung a pass in his direction. Murray corralled the

pass and tucked the ball away before plunging toward the goal line, wearing the mask of a seasoned ball carrier along the way.

The celebration was just as epic as the play itself; teammates swarmed Murray as he pounded the ball against his facemask.

He then bridal carried freshman linebacker Trey Zgombic back toward the sideline. The Tribe moved ahead 8-0.

The Spiders refused to be squashed under the weight of the Tribe scoring. Quarterback Joe Mancuso led a field-goal drive that cut the lead to 8-3. The College then turned the ball over on downs — although they were inside the red zone. The Spiders made easy work of the long field, embarking on a 10-play, 87-yard drive that produced a touchdown for the lead. Fessler looked like a completely different player than the turnover-machine he was in the first quarter when he hauled in a 17-yard bullet for the score. The extra point gave the Spiders a 10-8 lead at halftime.

The Tribe started the second half in the exact opposite way it had started the first: turning the ball over. Filling in for a possession for banged-up freshman quarterback Hollis Mathis, Hefter negated a big 33-yard kickoff return by senior safety Cal Kee by forcing a pass into double coverage where Spiders defensive back Trent Williams made a juggling interception.

The teams swapped punts. The Spiders tuned it over on downs and the Tribe missed a field goal. When the Spiders came knocking on the door again, senior safety Isiah Laster snagged an over-thrown Mancuso pass. The interception gave the Tribe the ball back, but its own end zone loomed ominously close behind. unable to traverse the field, the Tribe were forced to punt. Williams, though, had other plans for the Spiders. He burst through the line of scrimmage and slapped the ball off the foot of the punter past the back of the nearby end zone, resulting in a safety. Then, a pass interference penalty against Hayes transported the Spiders back into field goal range, where the kick was good. The five-point swing extended the Spiders lead to 15-8.

The Tribe desperately tied any hopes for a victory to the unlikely event of a big play after the offense stalled repeatedly

as the fourth quarter clock grinded away. Freshman linebacker Isaiah Jones, who seemed to have spent all afternoon in the Spiders backfield, delivered a forceful blow off an edge blitz that forced Mancuso to lose his grip on the football. The teams fought to secure the fumble as it skidded across the turf like a hockey puck on solid ice. Unluckily for the Spiders, it looked like the ball had somehow become magnetically attracted to their end zone as it skipped along. Finally, somebody was able to grab hold of the rogue pigskin. It was senior defensive lineman Darius Fullwood that stumbled into the nearby endzone to complete the scoop and score. Senior kicker Kris Hooper defied the pressure cooker and nailed the extra point to knot the score at 15. Regulation ended in a rainstorm and in a tie. Thus, the game proceeded to overtime.

Fate aligned itself with the Tribe again when it won the overtime coin toss. Senior linebacker, and captain, Nate Atkins elected to send his defense out to the front lines first. The decision proved wise when the Spiders lined up for a 32-yard field goal attempt to take the lead. They failed to recognize that Murray was about to do what he has done best over his spectacular Tribe career: block a kick. Murray bullied a hapless blocker on his way across the line of scrimmage. He then raised a massive paw toward the sky where the rain-soaked football skimmed off his soaring fingers. Thanks to Murray’s heroics, the kick was no good.

The Tribe offense went on to seal the deal on the subsequent possession. Mathis slung the ball over the head of a straggling Spider right into the number nine stitched to the front of junior wideout Zach Burdick’s jersey. Burdick secured the slippery ball as he hit the soaked red turf that spanned the end zone to clinch the victory and the Capital Cup. The Tribe improved its all-time record against Richmond to 63 wins, 62 losses and five ties. Following the season, Parker and Murray earned All-CAA honors along with junior fullback Tyler Crist, junior punt returner Jordan Lowery and senior offensive lineman Mark Williamson.

OUT OF THE PARK

Football is a waste of resources, the College should invest elsewhere Disproportionate treatment of football despite lack of proven success causes other sports to be unfairly neglected

Gavin Aquin Hernández FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR

Three cheers for sportsball?

As the sports editor for The Flat Hat at the College of William and Mary, my tenure this past year has been a touch dismaying. I mean sure, I have had the chance to cover the men’s swimming team being the Colonial Athletic Association champions, and my esteemed colleagues in the section have followed the highly decorated cross-country and the perenniallystrong field hockey team. Heck, in spite of a tense and ultimately unfruitful season, I still enjoyed every men’s soccer game I went to and had the privilege of covering.

So, why am I sitting emotionally at the sports desk in the Campus Center basement, writing this article?

Tribe Athletics, outside of these very clear outliers, has been very lackluster. Maybe the issue is that we pay too much attention to “cash cows” that really aren’t producing that two percent milk that we’re all looking for — not me though, I’m lactose intolerant.

Yes, “American football,” I am very clearly

looking at you.

Before I go on my diatribe — or dare I say it: manifesto — about why we should absolutely cancel football as a culture, or the very least as a college, know that I respect our players. They work really hard and already have numerous bodily injuries to worry about in their lifetimes. But let’s face the facts, any little freshman with a calculator who’s spent a day in an economics class knows that the cost-benefit analysis just isn’t adding up in the football team’s favor. Or maybe they don’t pay enough attention in class.

The apathy of current students toward the “Friday Night Lights” experience is very well documented.

In fact, it seems like sometimes the only people who actually go to the games are my writers and alumni with tribal feathers coming to relive their glory days.

Questionably offensive apparel aside, students would rather immerse themselves in the Crim Dell than in the third down bell.

So, what can Tribe Athletics spend our tuition and taxpayer money on instead? The short answer is literally anything else.

For starters, our field hockey team is kind of great. As of Dec. 1 however, their game facility had no bathroom, no concessions, no covered area, a failing speaker system — and the project to rectify this is mostly coming straight from a $2.4 million donation.

Compare this to a $20 million renovation from Tribe

Athletics on the football field. Even the field hockey uniforms had to come from out of pocket. Yes, you read this correctly, Tribe Athletics is barely helping to pay for it.

In my vast imagination, I can only infer that if the football team had these same issues, then people would fight over who would have the privilege of paying for it.

Likewise, perhaps Tribe Athletics would be better off funding varsity sports that are actually popular with students. I don’t exactly have the power of divination necessary to scry into the future. However, I can recognize trends at other universities in the region.

One big thing surprised me when I arrived in Williamsburg. I had this stereotypical vision of East Coast life and I had this image of prep-school educated rich white guys, donning their Vineyard Vines collegiate Shep Shirts carrying their lacrosse sticks everywhere. So where are these elusive lax bros? Literally everywhere else. They are at Virginia, Johns Hopkins, Duke, Richmond and Marist. Funnily enough, these are colleges that the Tribe regularly competes against… except in men’s lacrosse. Yes, I know it’s not ideal to have another “toxically masculine” sports culture at the College, but men’s lacrosse does deserve to be given a fair shake. At least we have a women’s team to represent the College in this milieu — and we should be grateful, because

they have actually brought honor to this College. I have a feeling, that given how popular this sport is in the mid-Atlantic region that the College could attract some serious regionally grown talent that would bring the College some championships that aren’t just swim or cross-country related.

Likewise, I could make similar arguments about the possible inclusion of varsity softball or sailing teams. Christopher Newport, Navy, Georgetown and Old Dominion all take to the seas with their programs, and they’re not particularly the worst — especially not the Midshipmen or the Hoyas. Softball is also just plain fun to watch as well and apart from an obvious lack of venue, I imagine that the College’s potential softball squad would definitely be magnificent.

It’s time to face the music. The College is not a football school. We aren’t Virginia Tech, or Ohio State or Alabama. The sooner we get over our delusions of grandeur, the sooner we can move on and pretend that it never happened. Then maybe we could take care of football’s neglected, less mediocre siblings who deserve more of our attention.

However, I could also argue that the College paying for Disney+ for every single student would be a better investment — because people would at least be entertained. High School Musical? Troy Bolton got buckets. Tribe Athletics? Not so much.

Email Gavin Aquin Hernández at gaaquin@email.wm.edu.

sports

Sports Editor Gavin Aquin-Hernandez Sports Editor Avery Lackner flathatsports@gmail.com @FlatHatSports

The Flat Hat

| Tuesday, December 3, 2019 | Page 8

MEN’S BASKETBALL

College drops to 5-3 record with 88-77 loss

JAMIE HOLT / THE FLAT HAT

Senior center Nathan Knight recorded yet another season-high stat line in against the Bulls; as one of two remaining players who saw regular action last season, Knight is a centerpiece of the team as a scorer, on defense, and off the court as captain.

Despite Knight’s 30 points, 10 rebounds, Tribe can’t close on road against Buffalo NATHAN SEIDEL FLAT HAT SPORTS ASSOC. EDITOR Despite a season-high 30-point, 10-rebound effort from senior forward Nathan Knight, William and Mary (5-3) fell 88-77 to Buffalo (5-2) Saturday.

The team took an early 14-11 lead by way of three triples, two of which were from Knight, but the Bulls responded with a 7-0 run to take the lead, 20-15, with 12 minutes, 56 seconds remaining in the first half. The College responded with four points from Knight and a layup from graduate transfer Bryce Barnes, but a second Bulls run 9-0 opened up a 10-point lead with less than seven minutes before halftime. Buffalo kept building the lead to 41-27, but a brief Tribe rally led by junior guard Luke Loewe fought back to 4332 at halftime.

Building on the slight momentum before the break, the College came out firing in the second half, earning a 9-3 run of its own to reduce the lead to five, courtesy of Knight and Loewe.

The game became more back and forth after that, with a bucket from graduate guard Tyler Hamilton making it 51-47 with under 15 minutes remaining. However, back-to-back Buffalo threes opened up an 8-0 run that pushed the lead all the way back to 12 with 12 minutes, 54 seconds to play.

Not to go out easily, the Tribe mustered a comeback attempt, with Knight earning an andone and senior forward Andy Van Vliet nailing a three to bring it back to 63-58. Buffalo then proceeded to go on a 14-3 rip to close the Tribe out for good. The teams traded baskets until the

final whistle marked an 11-point loss.

The Bulls had a strong shooting night, converting 7-of-13 three pointers in the second half and shooting 55 percent from the field. They also forced 18 Tribe turnovers and turned them into 22 points.

After the game, head coach Dane Fischer stressed a need for improvement on the defensive side of the ball.

“Offense wasn’t the issue other than the turnovers obviously, but even with that we scored 77,” Fischer said. “You give up 88 points, you’re not going to win a lot of basketball games and we need to have much more of a commitment to the defensive end of the floor.”

Fischer praised the mental toughness of his team throughout the contest, stringing together

runs to keep it close until late in the second half.

“I really like the way that this group just continues to compete,” Fischer said. “I thought we did that for pretty much the entire game today; I thought there were a decent amount of times we could have just kind of folded, but I like the way this group has shown resiliency and think that just needs to carry forward to more of a defensive mindset, which we’re going to work on.”

Fischer also noted that Knight’s leadership helped keep the team grounded and focused throughout the contest.

“I thought he did a really good job of trying to lead us today and just trying to keep us fighting,” Fischer said. “And I thought the other guys were into that as well, and I thought that that was really good.”

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Tribe tacks on third straight win against Delaware State College showcases endurance; balanced scoring, fast-paced play powers College to 72-51 victory COLLIN ANDERSON FLAT HAT SPORTS ASSOC. EDITOR Saturday, Nov. 30, in Dover, Delaware, William and Mary (6-1) captured its thirdstraight victory against Delaware State (3-4), 72-51. Four Tribe players scored in double figures in a balanced attack led by junior forward Gabby Rogers with 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting.

The College dashed out to a quick start in the first quarter, quickly racking up a 12-6 lead midway through the quarter. A clutch three pointer from Hornets guard Lyric Turner cut the lead to 12-11 with just over five minutes to play in the quarter. The Tribe then got a few consecutive buckets to extend the lead to seven points, 18-11, with two minutes to play. At the end of the first quarter, the College led the Hornets by five, 18-13 and this matchup looked to be a close one throughout the game.

However, the Tribe had other plans.

It stretched its lead to eight points off a layup from sophomore guard Sydney Wagner to make it 23-15. The two teams continued to trade baskets and the Tribe maintained its eight-point margin until freshman guard Bre Bellamy capitalized off a missed jumper from the Hornets.

The rookie from New Jersey darted down the court on a fast break and scored on a layup off an assist from Rogers with

COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS

four minutes, 17 seconds to play in the second quarter to give the College its first double-digit lead at 31-21. Sophomore guard Eva Hodgson stretched the lead to 35-23 on a pair of made free throws with three minutes left before the half. In the last minute before the half, the two teams traded buckets and a free throw from freshman guard Chaniqwa Gilliam at the buzzer gave the College its largest lead of the game at halftime, 40-27. At the half, the Tribe was outshooting Delaware State 59.3 percent to 41.4 percent and had forced 10 Hornet turnovers.

After halftime, a trio of buckets extended the lead to 19 points as the Tribe began to pull away from the Hornets. After a layup from Delaware State, Hodgson scored on a bucket in the paint off an assist from junior guard Nyla Pollard to again stretch the lead to 19 with 5:37 to play in the third quarter. A pair of three-pointers from Lyric Turner kept the Hornets alive in the waning stages of the third quarter. Turner ended up with 26 points in the game, including six three-point buckets.

Four-straight points from Delaware State to open the fourth quarter cut the lead to eight, 52-44, with nine minutes to play. However, the Tribe turned to its two most productive players for points when they needed them most, and Rogers and Hodgson each recorded a

JAMIE HOLT / THE FLAT HAT

basket to extend the lead back to 12.

Down the stretch, Rogers, Hodgson and senior forward Victoria Reynolds led the way for the Tribe to put away the Hornets for good. An 8-0 run that stretched four minutes late in the game included four points for Reynolds and several clutch defensive efforts from Hodgson. Rogers sealed the deal with 39 seconds left on a pair of free throws to give the Tribe its largest lead of the game at 21 points, en route to its sixth victory on the season.

Counting Saturday’s win, the Tribe has not lost in seven consecutive matchups against the Hornets. Hodgson continues to shine in her second season in Williamsburg as Saturday afternoon continued her string of double-digit point performances.

She has led the Tribe in scoring in all seven games this year and finished with 16 points to go along with six rebounds and assists.

Reynolds again performed well, and the senior is second on the team in scoring and rebounds. The College will look to these two in the coming weeks to bolster the squad as it heads into conference play.

Up next, the Tribe returns to Kaplan Arena to host Old Dominion Thursday before taking on Virginia Commonwealth in Richmond Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.

JOURNEY DESTINATION The

and the

Kibiriti Majuto ’21 discusses journey from Congo to college campus

ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN // FLAT HAT VARIETY EDITOR

KIBIRITI K

ibiriti Majuto ’21 ate his first apple in Tanzania.

Majuto was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo but fled as a refugee with his family due to violence in the country.

Majuto and his family traveled from Congo to Cape Town, South Africa, and eventually they were granted safe passage to the United States. He spent time in a number of different countries during his family’s journey.

When Majuto picked up a green fruit in Tanzania, partway through his path to safety, he didn’t yet know the English word for it.

“It felt foreign, it felt very strange,”

Majuto said. “I just ate a random fruit, and I never knew what it was. … I liked it.”

Only when Majuto reached Cape Town, where English was more commonly spoken, did he learn the English name of the fruit he had eaten — and encounter an abundance of it.

“When I arrived in Cape Town, there were so many apples that we couldn’t believe it,” Majuto said. “Then, the word apple came to my vocabulary.”

Majuto’s father had to flee Congo when Majuto was very young due to violence in the country; Majuto did not see him for several years,

until he made the journey with his mother and siblings to Cape Town in 2008.

“The whole journey, in a way, was to reconnect with our father,” Majuto said. “When I was really young, we got separated with our dad, and then we found out he was in Cape Town.

He sent money for us to come, and then we started our journey.”

Memories of Majuto’s journey are colored by the crossing of borders; his family passed through Burundi, Tanzania and Mozambique to reach South Africa. He and his family hitchhiked, bused and walked, searching for places to stay and

sleep along the way.

“It can be very dangerous; we stayed out most of the time, sleeping out,” Majuto said. “Some places, we had people we knew, so we could stay with them, but some places, we didn’t.”

One experience in particular jumps out at Majuto: his family was stopped by border patrol while crossing from Mozambique into South Africa.

“We were so close to crossing the border to enter South Africa, but we got stopped,” Majuto said. “They were telling us to go back; we’d come so far, and we were like, ‘No, we can’t go back, why are you telling

ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN / THE FLAT HAT

MAJUTO

us to go back?’”

In Majuto’s situation, the kindness of a stranger ended up being his saving grace. A man also passing into South Africa intervened, telling the border patrol that Majuto and his family were allowed to go through.

“This random person was like, ‘No, these people are with me, they can come with me,’” Majuto said. “He took us to his village, where we stayed for a couple of nights, and he fed us everything. It was a phenomenal experience.”

Reuniting with his father after several years was an interesting experience for Majuto since he had very few memories of their relationship.

“I didn’t know him, so I don’t know how I would describe the feeling,” Majuto said. “I just didn’t feel any form of emotion, like when you see a stranger. But I could tell it was my dad because he looked just like me; it was definitely my spitting image.”

Once in Cape Town, Majuto and his family went through an interview and medical exam as part of the resettlement process. Then, they participated in cultural training to learn about life in America.

“That’s how I knew that Americans drive, American kids take the bus to go to school, that’s how I knew about snow in America,” Majuto said. “This was all in Swahili; you learn about your typical American culture things — like, if you are trying to come to America, here are the things you would have to be aware of to resettle into this country.”

Majuto spoke to the importance of perseverance throughout resettlement.

“People who are refugees have patience,” Majuto said. “If you’re going to go through this whole process, you need to stand in line for a long time. Standing in line at the Department of Home Affairs

in South Africa, the line stretched for miles. People were just waiting in line to see if they could get through the gate, not even having an appointment with an immigration worker. You need a lot of patience to be a refugee, and determination.”

A representative from the International Organization for Migration was present on the day of Majuto’s flight from Cape Town.

Majuto and his family were given a bag from the IOM to carry during the flight so that representatives could identify them at each stop on their journey and bring them to the next gate. After flying from Cape Town to London and then to New York, Majuto’s family met representatives from the Department of Homeland Security who completed their paperwork for them.

The next day, they flew from New York to Charlottesville, VA — their new home. Majuto and his family resettled in Charlottesville in November, 2012.

Majuto thinks that Charlottesville’s smaller size made his family’s transition to life in America slightly easier.

“I feel like Charlottesville is a really great size where you can build or find a community,” Majuto said. “I really feel like being resettled in Charlottesville is not the same as being resettled in Seattle or New York for so many reasons. I’m sure you can find that community in New York, but it would be much harder in a massive city.”

The International Rescue Committee helped Majuto’s family once they arrived in Charlottesville, providing aid with schooling and answering any remaining questions.

Most importantly, they played a pivotal role in creating connections between Majuto’s family and other Congolese refugees.

“The first day at the airport,

they had a Congolese family come that welcomed us at the airport,” Majuto said. “Just being able to have that family that greets you at the airport and can also connect you to different members of the community and can help you find things that you might need, whether it’s trying to find a mosque or just trying to find a place to buy food … that was very important.”

Joining a community of Congolese people in America allowed Majuto to find a sense of familiarity in a new environment.

“Finding that community of Congolese people who can speak Swahili was really helpful and beneficial because it allowed for, you know, somebody who can relate, who has been in the same shoes,” Majuto said. “When you can speak a language, and you move somewhere, and somebody can speak that same language, it’s much easier to transition and understand what you got yourself into.”

One of the largest shifts Majuto experienced in Charlottesville was the change in language. Due to the amount of time he spent in Cape Town, Majuto can speak English, as do some of his siblings, but he had to help his parents with some of the translation work.

“Helping translating papers, being at doctor’s meetings and helping them with that, … trying to help your family navigate institutions as a whole was always challenging,” Majuto said.

Majuto noticed differences in the education system once he began middle school in Charlottesville, particularly when it came to standardized testing.

“I wouldn’t say it was hard compared to many of my other foreign friends who came to the

WHAT IS IT? A fund used to provide emergency financial assistance to students with refugee status at the College of William and Mary.

HOW WAS IT CREATED?

Student Assembly passed a unanimous resolution attempting to make the College more accessible to refugee and asylee students.

WHO IS INVOLVED?

Student Assembly and Amnesty International.

WHY WAS IT MADE?

To combat financial, social, emotional, and educational adversity that these groups may face in higher education.

The Flat

a refugee have been very supportive.

He wishes that people understood that becoming a refugee or asylee isn’t a choice; for many people, there is no other option.

“I didn’t decide to become a refugee; my parents wanted me to be safe, so they moved me out of an unsafe situation,” Majuto said. “It’s not a choice that most people make; you have no other option but to leave, so what can you do?”

Majuto feels that the current political climate has led to the spread of misconceptions and misinformation surrounding refugees.

“Especially under the time we’re in, I think one cannot hide the fact that there is a lot of anti-refugee, anti-asylum-seeking sentiment going on and especially at the federal level,” Majuto said. “That’s COURTESY PHOTO / KIBIRITI MAJUTO something that cannot be ignored, when this administration is killing the asylum process for people to come to the United States through the proper channels.”

The current administration recently changed the application process for the diversity visa—a program that makes a certain amount of immigrant visas available annually for countries with low immigrant numbers in the last five years—, now requiring applicants to submit a passport in order to apply for the diversity visa lottery. Majuto feels that this new restriction sets limits on the immigration process.

“That’s literally saying, ‘We don’t want specific people to come to this country,’ because so many people do not have access to a passport,” Majuto said. “Just imagine, if you are Congolese living in Uvira, it’ll be nearly impossible to get a passport, because one, how are you ever going to find transportation to go to Kinshasa? Having a passport, that’s a very privileged thing for many people around the global south especially.”

Majuto says that students looking for ways to support refugees should donate Majuto in Burundi, part of the way along in his journey from Congo to Cape Town, South Africa. to grassroots organizations that work with United States, but things like the SOLs, just getting used to the way the institution worked was, at the beginning, very challenging,” Majuto said. “I guess that’s with everything, when you move from one place to another.”

Majuto attended Charlottesville High School and went to Piedmont Virginia Community College for two years before transferring to the College of William and Mary. Similar to the city of Charlottesville, the size of the College appealed to Majuto, motivating him to apply.

“I wanted to apply here because of the academia, but it was a small school too, and I wanted to go to a small school,” Majuto said. “I didn’t want to leave the state, and a lot of the state

schools are massive.”

When asked if he feels that the College provides a welcoming environment for students who are refugees, Majuto says he isn’t sure, because his refugee status isn’t an aspect of his identity that is openly visible to others.

“That’s a hard question for me to answer, because in a way, being a refugee is not an identity that is shown; you cannot see it,” Majuto said. “It is not the first thing that you would know about me when you see me. You can be visibly Muslim, and people can see that identity, whereas being a refugee, you can hide that identity, and nobody would ever figure it out.”

Majuto says that people he has talked to on campus about his experiences as

Variety Editor Zoe Beardsley Variety Editor Adithi Ramakrishnan flathat.variety@gmail.com Hat | Tuesday, December 3, 2019

migrants to provide aid, as well as support the William and Mary Refugee Student Support Fund. He also encourages students to advocate for refugees seeking asylum.

“Being on the frontline, in solidarity, with people who are either being deported or not gaining access to the proper channels when the proper channels are made impossible to be accessed, and voicing that anger that that shouldn’t be the case, is a very important thing,” Majuto said. “Supporting migrants, whether it’s on the southern borders or abroad, is very critical.”

Majuto emphasized the importance of support for refugee and asylees at an institutional level, especially because of the power dynamics that exist in many largescale organizations.

“Somebody in the street telling me to go back home or somebody in the shop telling me that I don’t belong here does not have as much power as an institution, where there’s a lot of power relations at play,” Majuto said.

At an administrative level, Majuto feels that the College can support refugee students by taking a more public stance of support, particularly in the case of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients.

“Advocating for in-state tuition, for instance, for DACA recipients, is something that I could see the administration being active players in,” Majuto said. “When the school is backing something, that’s very, very powerful. I could see the administration playing that role.”

Majuto feels that issues regarding immigration are highly current and it’s important for both students and institutions to take a firm stand.

“There’s kids being locked down at the southern border — what’s the school’s stance on speaking against injustice like that, when it’s happening right at our backyards?” Majuto said.

“These aren’t things that happened a century ago; this is happening now.”