The Flat Hat February 12, 2019

Vol. 108, Iss. 26 | Tuesday, February 12, 2019

The Flat Hat The Weekly Student Newspaper

of The College of William and Mary

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Rowe makes history at her inauguration Community gathers to welcome president for 326th Charter Day

RECKONING WITH RACIST HISTORY

SARAH SMITH FLAT HAT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Northern Aggression” themed party which resulted in the fraternity being placed on social probation.

The College has become increasingly cognizant of its legacy of racism and has taken steps to address its past.

This has most notably occurred through the establishment of the Lemon Project in 2009, which studies the College’s role in perpetuating slavery and racial discrimination, as well as the Task Force on Race and Race Relations, which was led by Chief Diversity Office Chon Glover M.Ed. ’99, Ed.D. ’06 and released a comprehensive report regarding its findings in 2016.

“We know that William & Mary has its own troubling history with regards to race and racism,” Whitson said in an email. “Through the Lemon Project and the Task Force on Race and Race Relations, we have made progress over the past decade in understanding and reckoning with our past but there is more work to do.”

Origins of blackface According to theater and Africana studies professor Artisia Green, blackface minstrelsy, which originated as a distinct performance style in the United States in the 19th century, is inextricably tied to a glorification of institutionalized slavery in the United States.

“Blackface minstrelsy in America began as a comic device used by whites to create nostalgia around institutionalized slavery and to shape attitudes about black images and culture,” Green said in an email. “... Blackface minstrelsy as a coerced performance had roots in plantation slavery, where the enslaved were commanded to perform artistically and sexually for the entertainment and pleasure of whites and/or to demonstrate, via the auction block, their marketability.”

Green went on to say that while there is a general consensus that blackface and Klan insignia are symbols of prejudice and intimidation, she believes many people are not aware of how much harm these symbols can cause.

“What continues to surprise me is that there remains an unwillingness to accept the fact that embracing these symbols outside of thoughtfully curated educational contexts will cause harm,” Green said in an email. “Given

This year, the College of William and Mary’s Charter Day ceremony was a little bit different. Beyond the usual celebration of the College’s birthday was the inauguration of College President Katherine Rowe, the first woman to hold the title.

After Board of Visitors Rector John Littel and Chancellor Robert Gates ’65 adorned her with the presidential medallion, Rowe took the stage to share her reflections on the history, traditions and future of the College. Using an idea John Milton explored in “Paradise Lost,” Rowe focused on how the College can reconcile necessary change with 326 years of beloved tradition.

“Now is the moment to reflect on the change that will make us more ourselves and make the Alma Mater of the nation more of the global leader we aspire to be,” Rowe said. “The urgency to engage with change is felt across higher education, not just here. It comes from external forces that we don’t control but must engage with creatively.

Globally, changing demographics and technologies set an imperative for all organizations to raise our standards of equity and inclusion, for universities to recruit the most talented staff and students and faculty in the world.”

Rowe also listed three approaches to change that she already sees in motion at the College. To her, these are passion for experimentation through collaboration, reflection and openness to questioning assumptions.

“326 years ago, we were founded on the impulse to try for the two-point conversion, to expand in unlikely directions, to cultivate surprising ideas,” Rowe said. “Now, on the 100th anniversary of coeducation and 50 years after our first African-American students were in residence, we celebrate each change that makes us more ourselves. Indeed, the promises of innovation, inclusion and partnership have been hallmarks of this institution since our charter, down to the ampersand in our name.”

Celebrating Rowe The Feb. 8 ceremony featured other changes to recognize Rowe’s inauguration. The William and Mary Choir sang a rendition of “Simple Gifts,” a song Rowe enjoyed in her childhood.

Poet Laureate and English professor Henry Hart wrote and read “A Villanelle for the Inauguration of Katherine A. Rowe” and the Reveille’s a capella performance of “Happy Birthday” included a tribute to Rowe.

Additionally, representatives from the Faculty Assembly, the Staff Assembly, the Professional and Professional Faculty Assembly, the Student Assembly and the Graduate Council presented Rowe with gifts. SA President Brendan Boylan ’19 and Graduate Council President Lindsey Whitlow J.D. ’19 presented Rowe with a woodcut print of the Sir Christopher Wren Yard’s trees framed with sycamore wood made from the campus woods.

Matthew Parciak ’19 and Amy Zhang ’19 had made this gift.

Also making history at this year’s Charter Day was the re-investiture of Gates. For the first time in the College’s modern history, a chancellor will serve two consecutive terms. Gates said that he agreed to serve a second seven-year term because he loved the College and was optimistic for its future. He also

See COLONIAL ECHO page 3

See CHARTER DAY page 4

GRAPHIC BY HEATHER BAIER / THE FLAT HAT

As revelations surface of Virginia politicians’ controversial past yearbooks, professors weigh in on College’s own history of blackface minstrelsy LEONOR GRAVE // FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR

T

he discovery of the picture of two men, one in blackface and another in a Ku Klux Klan hood and robe, on Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s medical school yearbook page prompted a mass reexamination of the pasts of the state’s political leaders. The picture was swiftly and widely condemned as racist by Democratic and Republican political leaders.

The College of William and Mary has not been excluded from this reckoning. College President Katherine Rowe released a statement to the campus community a few days after the revelation announcing that Northam would not appear at last Friday’s Charter Day ceremonies as scheduled.

Virginia Senate Majority Leader Thomas K. Norment J.D. ’73, the highest-paid adjunct professor at the College, also faced criticism when reports revealed he was managing editor of a 1968 Virginia Military Institute yearbook replete with blackface pictures and captions, which included racial slurs. The College declined to comment on this incident in Norment’s past.

In response to the recent discovery of racist images in other Virginia university yearbooks, similar to the one in Northam’s edition from the Virginia Military Institute, the College is taking steps to confront its own history by currently conducting an audit of all of its yearbooks.

“We are aware of past yearbooks with racist images,” College spokesperson Brian Whitson said in a written statement. “Earlier this week, President Rowe asked University Archives to perform an audit of all yearbooks for both imagery and content that is counter to our values of diversity and inclusion. That is underway. This review will help inform that deeper understanding of William & Mary’s racial history as we work together as a community to ensure this is the kind of respectful and welcoming campus we want and expect.”

Past indiscretions Less than a century ago, minstrel shows with white minstrels singing and dancing in blackface would not have raised an eyebrow at the College. Colonial Echo yearbooks include College minstrel troupes well into the 1930s. The 1925 Colonial Echo even boasts of the

Index Profile News Opinions Sports Variety

successful creation of a Girls’ Minstrel Troupe, which included a “rag doll dance” and a “colored quartette.” In 1958, the Chi Omega sorority page in the Colonial Echo shows 12 white sorority sisters, four of whom are dressed in full minstrel blackface.

Even after the College admitted its first AfricanAmerican students in residence in 1967, racist pictures continued to appear in yearbooks. When the 1991 Colonial Echo included a picture of a student in minstrel blackface holding a logo for a baking powder company depicting a “mammy” figure and captioned “Gone, But Not Forgotten. The Old South rises again, for a day, through the efforts of Vivek Narasimha,” it provoked a flurry of responses among the student body.

Several editorials were published in The Flat Hat that year in response to the publication of the blackface picture.

A letter to the editor published Nov. 15, 1991 co-authored by four students — Jane Carpenter ’92, Karla Carter ’93, Jenee Gadsden ’93 and Tiffany Gilbert ’93 — condemned Narasimha and the staff of the Colonial Echo.

“Thank you, Colonial Echo,” Carpenter, Carter, Gadsden and Gilbert said in the letter. “Thank you for reminding blacks that a time in our history — that represents pain, struggle, degradation, and suffering — has not been forgotten by you. Seeing that picture in the Colonial Echo gave us an even more acute sensitivity to the racial climate that pervades this campus. Racism exists everywhere. Sadly, this incident has driven home the point that ignorance and racist stereotypes continue to be tightly woven within the mental fabric of many students at William and Mary.”

In January 2015, a “Golfers and Gangsters” themed mixer between Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and Sigma Pi fraternity faced backlash due to costumes that played into negative stereotypes of African Americans.

Witnesses described seeing white students dressing up as “bloods” — the primarily African-American Los Angeles street gang — by wearing costumes made up of tight tank tops, sagging sweatpants, basketball shorts, bandanas and drawn-on face tattoos of teardrops and gold chain necklaces. The same week, Kappa Delta Rho fraternity faced criticism for hosting a “War of

Inside Opinions 2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10

Inside Variety

Virginia leadership major disappointment to voters

Rainy, High 60, Low 42

Ethan Brown ’21 thinks that recently uncovered scandals of top Virginia governmental officials is incredibly disappointing as a young voter. page 6

Behind the Scenes

Sofia Quinteiro ’ 20 explores her passion for theater as stage manager for Sinfonicron and through her involvment with Nu Kappa Epsilon music sorority. page 7

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newsinsight “

News Editor Leonor Grave News Editor Madeline Monroe fhnews@gmail.com

The Flat Hat | Tuesday, February 12, 2019 | Page 2

THE BUZZ

By helping to bring the sophomore class together, it will kind of ride the wave off of freshman year and create more supportive bonds throughout the class as they continue through to their junior and senior year, which could be just as difficult as sophomore year.

— Orientation Area Director Kailyn Gyurickso ‘20 on the added academic and social support that the planned inclusion of a Sophomore Year Experience program will bring to students in their second year at the College

Heart to HEART

POLICE BEAT

Feb. 8 - Feb. 9

Roselyn Buensuceso ’19 talks getting political with FASA, fighting human trafficking

1

Friday, Feb. 8 — Car chaos: An incident of tampering with an automobile was reported at Monticello Ave.

2

Friday, Feb. 8 — Stoned on Second: Mark Rivera was arrested on charges of possession of marijuana at Second Street.

3 4

GRAPHIC BY HEATHER BAIER / THE FLAT HAT

SARAH SMITH // FLAT HAT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Friday, Feb. 8 — Popping pills: Police responded to reports of forgery by prescription at Richmond Road.

Saturday, Feb. 9 — Fighting words: Police responded to reports of a threat of bodily harm at Prince George Street.

POLICE BEAT BY SARAH GREENBERG, KARINA VIZZONI / THE FLAT HAT

COURTESY PHOTOS / ROSELYN BUENSUCESO

A THOUSAND WORDS

I

ALYSSA GRZESIAK / THE FLAT HAT

CORRECTIONS An article in the Feb. 5 issue, “Women graduates take TV,” incorrectly stated the graduating class of Kristin Boos in a pull quote attribution. Boos graduated in 2008, not 1988.

Another article in the Feb. 5 issue, “Lila Sugerman works to destigmatize periods in India”, stated that Lila Sugerman was the director of the film, Period.

End of Sentence. The film was actually directed by Rayka Zehtabchi.

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.

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n high school, Roselyn Buensuceso ’19 watched her friends pine after dream schools while she navigated financial aid packages.

When the College of William and Mary made her the best offer, she accepted and started hoping for the best. Now, as she prepares to graduate, she said it’s the best decision she’s ever made, allowing her to bring her heart and HEART—Human Engagement, Awareness and Response to Trafficking — to Williamsburg.

Early on during her freshman year, Buensuceso got involved with the Filipino American Student Association to learn more about her history and culture. She soon became the district representative, connecting the College with universities in Virginia and North Carolina who participate in the Filipino Intercollegiate Network and Dialogue. While she said she really enjoyed getting to plan and create events that drew students from other schools, her favorite part has been serving as FASA’s culture chair.

In this position Buensuceso’s responsibilities include planning FASA’s annual Culture Night, which is the organization’s biggest event each year drawing in over 400 people. She is working to write a script for the show, titled “Sa Pagitan.” While the plot of the show will remain secret until the curtain rises, she said that this year’s theme is much more political than themes of years past.

“I have participated in the show through all of my years here,” Buensuceso said. “My freshman year I was one of the lead actors. We spotlight our new members as lead actors our freshmen year. It’s been a rewarding experience each year and now I am putting on my own show.”

In her first show, Buensuceso was the best friend of a researcher who had just visited the Philippines. The researcher found a relic and consulted Buensuceso’s character about whether or not she should bring it back to put in a major museum. For Buensuceso, this show highlighted a major conflict in today’s society about artifacts, like the show’s fictional relic.

For Buensuceso, FASA not only connected her to her culture, it also connected her to her academic experience at the College. After her first semester, she learned about Asian Pacific Islander American Studies and theatre professor Francis Tanglao Aguas, who at the time was the only Filipino faculty member. She took “Acting Asian American” with him later that year, and said she loved getting to learn about Asian-American history and race relations in the United States. From there, she declared a major in APIA. “During my sophomore year, I took Intro to Asian and Pacific Islander American studies with [APIA and English professor R. Benedito Ferrao], which segued my journey to majoring in APIA,” Buensuceso said. “… For the midterm, we had a group project where we had to create a unit for the class through a creative medium. My group decided to tackle the exotification of the Asian-American body and we thought a sexy magazine like Cosmopolitan was the best way to showcase that. I ended up being the cover girl and it was such an empowering experience to subvert the narrative that Asian-American women are objects to be fetishized.”

Buensuceso said that she had never seen women that looked like her in magazines, so creating a mock magazine cover with headlines like “Exotification of the Asian American Body,” “Getting PC in the Bedroom” and “32 Ways to Smash the Patriarchy” was a powerful experience.

Along with her major in APIA, Buensuceso is also majoring in kinesiology with a concentration in public health. While she now sees

intersections between her majors, she also was inspired to major in kinesiology because of her older sister who works in a public health field.

Through these academic experiences, Buensuceso built the framework to get involved with Health Outreach Peer Educators and founded HEART, the College’s first student organization that addresses the issue of human trafficking. During her freshman year, she went on a Branch Out Alternative Break Trip to the Safe House of Hope in Baltimore, Maryland, where she worked with survivors of sex trafficking.

“That was also a spontaneous decision,” Buensuceso said. “I saw the announcement in a Student Happenings email. I knew little to nothing about human trafficking. I went on a weeklong break with these other amazing women and it was so impactful to meet sex trafficking survivors that were my age. If my situation had been a little bit different that could have been me. Coming back to this little bubble was so weird. No one knew about it, no one was talking about it. William and Mary hadn’t had organizations in the past that addressed human trafficking.”

With a small group of the women who had gone on the Branch Out trip, Buensuceso began the process of creating a new recognized student organization. They wrote a constitution, picked a name and began planning ways they could bring discussions of human trafficking to campus and the City of Williamsburg. Buensuceso said that during the first year, she was HEART’s service chair, acting as the liaison between the organization and larger service groups.

“It’s very surreal,” Buensuceso said. “I admit that I get something like an imposter syndrome because everyone here is so accomplished, and they’ve done so many cool things. … It’s very cool to look back on [founding HEART] and I’m proud. That’s my proudest accomplishment here and I hope it continues after I graduate.”

Buensuceso said that she and the other founders decided to take a step back after the first year to allow new members to take leadership positions, become trained in working with survivors and learn about different factors that contribute to human trafficking. Now, she said the group runs events like Tie Dye Against Trafficking, a fundraiser where people tie-dye clothes and donate proceeds to the International Justice Mission. HEART also has a Valentine’s Day bake sale in the Sadler Center.

The activism that Buensuceso engages in through her roles with HEART, HOPE and the Orientation Aide program are important to her because of her own struggles navigating the College as a firstgeneration student and an Asian-American student at a predominantly white university.

“There have been times I’ve missed events because I had to work, sometimes multiple jobs, and my sophomore year I had to turn down a study abroad opportunity because the scholarship they offered wasn’t enough to offset the financial burden,” Buensuceso said. “That’s why now I try to make myself a visible resource to students.”

Looking forward to graduation, she’s hoping to enjoy meals at The Daily Grind and partake in more spontaneous adventures with her friends. Afterwards, she’s looking for jobs in areas of social justice, women’s health or anything involving APIA issues.

“I’ve definitely become a lot more confident in myself and more opinionated,” Buensuceso said. “… Hopefully I will be somewhere doing activism and social justice work. I didn’t expect to get this involved throughout my time here, but it’s something I have really grown to be passionate about.”

The Flat Hat

Virginia in turmoil

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Page 3

POLITICS

A timeline of the allegations waged against the state’s political figures

GRAPHIC BY Emma Ford and HEATHER BAIER

Fri., Feb. 1

Big League Politics publishes a photo on Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s 1984 Medical school yearbook page that pictures two men, one in blackface and the other wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood and robe. Northam apologizes for being in the photo.

Sat., Feb. 2

Big League Politics releases a story that Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax sexually assaulted a woman during the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Faifax is next in line to become governor if Northam were to resign.

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring admits to wearing blackface at a 1980 party at the University of Virginia when he was 19 to look like rappers he listened to during the time.

At a press conference, Northam now claims that he is not pictured in the photo, but admits to wearing partial blackface dressed as Michael Jackson to a party. Top Virginia Democrats call for Northam to resign.

Sun., Feb. 3 Mon., Feb. 4

Wed., Feb. 6

A second woman, Meredith Watson, comes forward claiming that Fairfax had raped her in 2000 when they were both students at Duke University. Later that evening, Northam says in a statement that he would not resign.

Fri., Feb. 8

Thurs., Feb. 7

Mon., Feb. 11

College of William and Mary President Katherine Rowe announces that Northam will not attend Charter Day Celebrations Feb. 8.

Fairfax denies sexual assualt allegations, stating the encounter was consensual.

The Virginian-Pilot runs a story that Senate Majority Leader Thomas Norment J.D. ’73 was an editor of the 1968 Virginia Military institute yearbook that pictured students wearing blackface and included racial slurs towards Asians.

In response to sexual assualt claims against Fairfax, four of his state staffers, policy director Adele McClure, scheduler Julia Billingsly, the director of his political action committee David Mills, and the fundraiser of his political action committee Courtney McCargo, resign.

Virginia’s racist past visible in College’s history Professors weigh in on historical, cultural factors behind blackface minstrelsy practice COLONIAL ECHO from page 1

that we have access to so much scholarship on these two phenomena, I believe that to blacken-up or impersonate a Klan member is a political choice and an overt display of bigotry, prejudice, and racism. One’s whiteness does not make them a blank slate absent of historical and social markings or a canvas upon which blackness — and faulty interpretations at that — can be drawn upon.”

History professor Melvin Ely studies African-American and Southern history.

He has written extensively about “Amos and Andy,” a radio show where two white actors played black characters. According to Ely, blackface would not have been uncommon during the turn of the 20th century at a place like the College.

“The use of blackface and those tropes were commonplace in American culture generally, not only Southern culture, from the 1840s and through much of the 20th century,” Ely said. “So without having investigated it myself, I would suspect that if you went back through William and Mary artifacts, you’re going to find that sort of thing. What is well documented here is the fact that William and Mary was a college attended largely by slaveholders, the sons of slaveholders, that it as an institution held enslaved people as property.”

Ely said that the reason blackface is offensive to so many people is that it is not merely a costume but an extreme and mocking caricature of an oppressed group of people. While blackface minstrelsy became less popular over time, it continued to be practiced well into the 20th century. Though Ely has largely dedicated his academic career to studying blackface, he admitted he still found himself taken aback by the discovery of the picture in Northam’s yearbook page.

“In the Northam case, whether or not that’s him in the picture, the picture is pretty shocking,” Ely said. “The blackface would already be appalling and shocking and it surprises me in 1984. But the

juxtaposition of that with a Klansman just exponentially makes it worse.”

While the Northam image proved jarring to Ely, he said he would not be surprised to discover many more racial improprieties in Virginia politicians’ pasts.

“

If you are a thinking person, you can’t help but wonder: What does he believe now? And how does this impact my life?

— Jody Allen Ph.D ’09

“Just as when the #MeToo [movement] started, there are plenty of guys who have done this stuff, and a number have been outed by now,” Ely said. “But believe me, there are more out there. And if I were them, I’d be thinking, ‘OK, when does the shoe drop for me?’”

The politics of power While blackface stands out as one of the most visible examples of racist behavior, other College traditions from the past have contributed to a glorification of antebellum, slave-holding Virginia.

In the 1920s, the College offered a slew of eugenics courses, which employed pseudoscientific arguments to argue white racial superiority. The College band performed the civil war anthem “Dixie” at football games until 1969. Through the end of the 1970s, the College’s chapter

of the Kappa Alpha fraternity organized an annual “Southern Ball and Weekend” where fraternity members dressed in Confederate uniforms would parade down Duke of Gloucester street, present a sword to a College administrator and symbolically secede from the College for a weekend.

History professor Jerry Watkins researches Southern history; this fall, he taught a freshman seminar on Dixie monuments which addressed many of these issues in the classroom. Watkins explained that in many ways the College set the tone for racial conversations in the era of minstrelsy. Lyon Gardiner Tyler — the namesake of the history department — wrote anti-black books such as “Confederate Catechism,” which emerges as an example of the era’s pervasive racist attitudes.

To Watkins, the crux of the issue is not that no one knew that blackface was wrong.

People of color knew that blackface was wrong, and people who worked to advance social justice issues knew blackface, and other demeaning traditions, were wrong.

Yet, Watkins contended, the privileged white student body and administration of the College did not listen to those voices for a long time.

“There were a lot of people who saw minstrelsy, who saw blackface, who saw Kappa Alpha,” Watkins said. “There are lots of people who saw that as a problem — but the ones with the power and the ones with the privilege didn’t.”

In 1971, the Black Student Organization at the College wrote letters to the editor in The Flat Hat criticizing elements of the Kappa Alpha parade as “obnoxious, offensive and threatening to black people.”

The BSO organized counter marches, but the Kappa Alpha march took place annually until at least 1977. Only in 2010 did the executive council of the Kappa Alpha explicitly forbid its members from wearing Confederate uniforms during fraternity events. Watkins argued that what has changed now is not the inherent moral perception of blackface as a racist practice,

but a shift in who is able to command dominant narratives.

“People have been saying for 100 years that blackface is a problem,” Watkins said. “But now we are in a moment where enough people with enough cultural capital and enough power are saying, ‘Yes, that is also a problem,’ and are agreeing with it.”

The hard work of reconciliation History professor and Lemon Project Director Jody Allen Ph.D ’09 specializes in African-American history, including Reconstruction and the Jim Crow Era. According to Allen, blackface minstrelsy used to be the norm, and acted as a method of whites trying to control the black population in the South by projecting stereotypes that mocked them by their clothes, accents and attitudes.

“A lot of this is about maintaining power, and until we become comfortable with giving up some of that power, there are people out there who will do anything and say anything and perpetuate anything to maintain it,” Allen said. “We have to be aware of that and acknowledge it where it is, that these symbols, these ways of being, the blackface, all of that I think boils down to keeping black people in their place. And again, keeping them where you think their place is helps you maintain your power.”

Allen argued that even as the prevalence of blackface minstrelsy has lessened, many attitudes toward and stereotypes of black people have remained present in American culture in different ways.

“I think in this country, we’re still fighting some of these stereotypical notions of who and what black people are,” Allen said. “And a lot of that comes from this time period [of minstrelsy].”

Allen said that when it comes to politicians like Northam, Herring and Norment, who were raised in educational environments where racist depictions of African Americans were alive and well, it is difficult not to consider how those biases might impact their policies today.

“I think that there are definitely those

moments and those opportunities for all of us to learn and grow and become who we are to be, but at the same time sometimes those attitudes don’t change,” Allen said. “So I think that has to be part of the conversation. What if he still has those beliefs but now he’s just been caught? So that’s part of the kind of conversation I think that has to happen. … If you are a thinking person, you can’t help but wonder: What does he believe now? And how does this impact my life?”

While part of the Lemon Project’s mission is to study the College’s past, another is to promote reconciliation efforts. Allen said that she believes the College has been doing this up to now.

To Allen, the letter sent by College President Katherine Rowe to the campus community last Monday explaining the Charter Day speaker change and condemning blackface was an example of the College’s commitment to upholding that mission.

“I think that letter struck the right chord of support for the community,” Allen said.

Rowe’s letter was notable to Allen because it represented an acknowledgment by the administration of how painful Northam’s yearbook image was to black students at the College.

“If he had been allowed to come here [on Charter Day], there would have been people who would decide not to go, would have decided not to participate,” Allen said. “Some would have gone and would have protested it. It would have been clearly communicated that the school really doesn’t care about me.”

While the College is currently taking steps to reconcile with its past similar to many other Virginia institutions in the wake of similar revelations, Allen stressed that awareness of these issues cannot be limited to condemning blackface.

“The work continues,” Allen said. “But I think William and Mary is committed is committed to doing that, and getting the story out … and I think that bodes well for the school.”

Page 4

The Flat Hat

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

RESIDENCE LIFE

FYE, Residence Life target ‘sophomore slump’ Initiative adds advising, two-year residency requisite for 2023 class

LESLIE DAVIS FLAT HAT SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

Director of First Year Experience Lauren Garrett ’02 and Director of Residence Life Maggie Evans introduced the Sophomore Year Experience initiative to the College of William and Mary’s Board of Visitors Thursday, Feb. 7. Beginning this fall, the pilot initiative will provide additional academic and residential support for students transitioning into their second year.

The Sophomore Year Experience includes both programming and housing elements. The new initiative is the first collaboration between the offices of First Year Experience and Residence Life under the title of Campus Living. The initiative incorporates a two-year, on-campus residency requirement starting with the class of 2023. “... Requiring second-year students to reside on-campus will help the university reinforce the support structures potentially lacking for this key population in transition,” Evans said in an email. “It will help us earlier identify students in need of assistance, thereby increasing their likelihood to degree attainment and overall satisfaction with their W&M experience.”

According to Evans, the housing requirement will have no impact on hall designation or housing availability, given that roughly 75 percent of sophomores have lived on campus alongside upperclassmen and graduate students for the past six years.

Along with the housing requirement, the initiative will include “Forming Your Experience” programs, which will structure additional programming for second-year students. These events will focus on topics such as academic and career exploration, health and wellness and community engagement.

Both Garrett and Evans attributed the basis of the program to the “sophomore slump.” According to William and Mary Campus Living, students in their sophomore year experience unique transitional challenges, such as deciding on an academic major, struggling with

the “disconnect between ability and outcome” and navigating less contact with faculty due to bigger class sizes.

“You hear from students that they still do not have a purpose,” Garrett said. “They’ve lost the connection from their Residence Life community, and while they may still have a relationship with their Resident Assistant or their Orientation Aide, they just are not making the connections in the way that they used to because they are in an upper-level building, and they don’t know anybody else on their floor, or maybe they haven’t connected with a faculty member or even chosen their academic major.”

Garrett also found that the lack of programming offered to sophomores when returning to campus was worrisome, especially when compared to the environment provided throughout their freshman year.

“What we were finding is that students were leaving this very high-touch, high-communication environment in the spring and coming back to pretty much nothing in the fall,” Garrett said. “That’s very concerning when your work is about the student transition.”

As an Orientation Area Director and student, Kailyn Gyurickso ’20 has seen the “sophomore slump” manifest at the College and is enthusiastic about forthcoming initiatives.

“At the College, I have personally felt a lack of support for sophomores, so I’m really excited about the implementation for more support for sophomores,” Gyurickso said. “I think that creating a two-year residency requirement can be beneficial for that. I just hope that the school continues to work with students with financial or accessibility concerns with living on campus, but I’m really excited to see what this brings to the campus in general.”

In the cases of financial constraints or concerns over accessibility, Evans said that the two-year residency requirement will not hinder a student’s ability to petition for the termination of their housing contract.

“The two-year residency requirement will not change anything regarding the criteria for contract termination,” Evans said in an

email. “It is rare that we are unable to meet accessibility needs on campus. The housing contract outlines criteria for release, and those conditions have not changed, so the two-year requirement will have no impact upon condition for release.”

Health and Wellness, the Reves Center for International Studies, Student Leadership Development and the Office of Community Engagement are a few of the campus offices that plan to collaborate on the Sophomore Year Experience.

While Garrett said that the initiative’s programming will be wellrounded, she also said that the academic and career components of “Forming Your Experience” will be the main focus for sophomores.

“Especially as you move through the curriculum and are being encouraged to figure out how all these pieces fit into a pathway that works for you, I think you will start to see those academic and career pieces become more relevant [to sophomores], and therefore it will seem to be the focus,” Garrett said. “But we will also be partnering with SLD, Office of Community Engagement and obviously Health & Wellness to think about other things.”

Alongside the academic programming, FYE plans to continue with events like “By the Dozen,” which facilitates a dinner between a faculty member — especially those with larger classes — and 12 of their students.

“Forming Your Experience” will also continue FYE’s “Sophomore Swag and Sweets” event, which offers coffee, desserts and presents to sophomores on the first day of classes, welcoming them back to campus.

Gyurickso is supportive of the initiative’s plans for the sophomore class and is especially looking forward to these.

“From my personal view, I think that the school benefits a lot from programming,” Gyurickso said. “… By helping to bring the sophomore class together, it will kind of ride the wave off of freshman year and create more supportive bonds throughout the class as they continue through to their junior and senior year, which could be just as difficult as sophomore year.”

BOARD OF VISITORS

Board of Visitors approves two new degree programs

Committee accepts linguistics undergraduate major, law doctorate in juridical science SARAH SMITH FLAT HAT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

When the College of William and Mary’s Board of Visitors met at the end of last week, the Committee on Academic Affairs voted to approve a new undergraduate major and a new degree program at the Marshall-Wythe School of Law to meet student interest and industry standards.

Provost Michael Halleran announced the creation of a new Bachelor of Arts degree in linguistics, a program that is currently offered through the Roy R. Charles Center’s interdisciplinary studies program.

Before the major is finalized, it must be approved by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).

English and linguistics professor Jack Martin, who serves as the director of the linguistics program, said that he believes students who complete linguistics coursework deserve to have an official major that reflects that effort.

“Our students take 35 credits of courses in Linguistics: they deserve to have a degree that reflects their coursework,” Martin said in an email.

“Having a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies doesn’t really convey as much information.”

For the last 43 years, linguistics has been an option through the interdisciplinary studies program.

Martin said that after attending Board of Visitors meetings in November, he

learned about the newly approved bachelor’s degree in Japanese studies.

This prompted him to consider the process of creating a new bachelor’s option for students currently pursuing coursework in linguistics.

“All we are doing now is taking that same major and converting it to a B.A. in Linguistics,” Martin said in an email.

“Most students and faculty are not even aware of the distinction.”

To finalize the approval of the new degree, the College must submit a proposal to SCHEV. Martin said that he is currently working with the College’s Office of Institutional Accreditation and Effectiveness to write a 40-page proposal. Six years ago, the program developed its own prefix (LING) for courses, which is a step Martin said lends itself to the creation of the new degree.

If SCHEV approves the new bachelor’s degree, the College will become the first university in the state to offer a Bachelor of Arts degree in linguistics. Rival University of Virginia offers linguistics through a similar interdisciplinary studies program.

Down the line, Martin said he, along with other linguistics faculty members, hopes for linguistics to become a department instead of a program.

“Okay, so I’ll say that I don’t honestly know all the ins and outs and logistics of changing the major from an interdisciplinary major/minor to a Linguistics major/minor,” Cameron

REBECCA KLINGER / THE FLAT HAT

Board of Visitors members sit in the Blow Hall boardroom discussing approval of an undergraduate major in linguistics and law degree track.

Shifflett ’20 said in a written statement.

“That being said, I would definitely like for my degree to reflect precisely what I studied. I don’t see why we shouldn’t have our own major.”

During the Feb. 2019 meetings, the BOV also approved the creation of a new degree track at the Marshall-Wythe School of Law. Currently, law students can obtain a Juris Doctorate, a standard three-year law degree that also prepares students to pass the state bar exam.

Starting in Aug. 2019, the law school will also offer an S.J.D. or a Doctorate

of Juridical Science degree. These degrees emphasize independent research and writing, unlike J.D. degrees. In the United States, these degrees are sometimes considered the equivalent of a doctoral degree in law and would be attained after completing a J.D. degree.

According to the BOV, adding an S.J.D. track would make the College’s law school more competitive and help it keep up with industry standards. In addition to emphasizing research, an S.J.D. is also useful for lawyers who

want to practice global business law or practice law internationally. The BOV’s resolution said there is increased demand for such practice within the law industry.

After approving the resolutions creating a new bachelor’s degree in linguistics and an S.J.D. track at the Marshall-Wythe School of Law, the Committee on Academic Affairs said that it would be presenting information about a proposed bachelor’s degree in education to the rest of the Board during the April 2019 meetings.

Rowe makes history at inauguration as College’s first female president

“

College community gathers to celebrate Rowe, re-investiture of Robert Gates ’65 at Charter Day CHARTER DAY from page 1

said that after learning that Rowe would be president, his excitement to work with her partially contributed to his decision to stay in his position.

“I’m incredibly enthusiastic about our future with Katherine as our president,” Gates said.

“Not to mention that after 326 years, we’re a little overdue for a woman at the helm. I can only imagine how proud Queen Mary must be as she turns to King William and says, ‘It’s about time.’ I truly look forward to working with her during my second term and I will do everything I can to support her.”

In the Wake of Northam While there was much to celebrate, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s blackface scandal and the allegations of sexual assault against Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax were not far from the minds of those at Charter Day. Feb. 4, Rowe announced in a campuswide statement that after conferring with the governor’s office, Gov. Northam would not

attend Charter Day. The College selected Virginia Supreme Court Justice William Mims ’79 to speak in his place.

Justice Mims, representing the commonwealth of Virginia, said that these are troubled times in Richmond and in Washington, D.C. He said that the commonwealth’s citizens are happy to have Rowe in office as president and believes that her vision and passion are right for the College.

“The commonwealth and indeed the nation is bruised today,” Justice Mims said. “These are troubled times, in Richmond, and in Washington. Yet, we can gather in Williamsburg and look forward to the future with hope. While our gaze is firmly fixed on the future and the bright promise of the Rowe years, it is right and proper to look back as well for enlightenment.

One of William and Mary’s scholars from antiquity who served the commonwealth and who can light our path is George Wythe.”

Wythe was the first law professor at what is now the Marshall-Wythe School of Law, making him the first law professor in the nation. Over

the course of his personal and professional life, Wythe’s views on slavery changed.

He freed his slaves after much deliberation and then used his position as a lawyer to advocate for others to do the same. He also tried to make it illegal to own slaves in Virginia.

“President Rowe, during your — College administration, Chancellor Robert may the College send forth many Gates ’65 young women and men, imbued with the spirit of Wythe, to serve the commonwealth,” Mims said.

Not to mention that after 326 years, we’re a little overdue for a woman at the helm.

100 Years of Women Another theme present during the Charter Day festivities was the College’s recognition of 100 years of coeducation.

One way that this theme was included was in the remarks of Charter Day student speaker Jacqueline Keshner ’19.

Keshner began with the story of Queen Mary, who was half of the royal couple responsible for signing the College’s charter.

Keshner said that she believes Mary is often overlooked in the story of the College and that most students do not know very much about her life.

She also called on the audience to think more critically about what the language of the founding charter means and how it should be applied today.

“One century after we first admitted women to the College, we are still reflecting on the past,” Keshner said. “Yet, we are inaugurating a president who is asking us to think forward. A legacy is not just a story of the past. It is a story of implications or the future. It is a story comprised of stories, and it is written in the present.”

opinions GUEST COLUMN

Opinions Editor Ethan Brown Opinions Editor Katherine Yenzer fhopinions@gmail.com // @theflathat

The Flat Hat

| Tuesday, February 12, 2019 | Page 5

GUEST COLUMN

Lodge One doors hazardous to students ResLife treatment unfair

at a time. However, as the doors open outward, they remove usable space in the room. As a STEM major, I was able to calculate the area removed by the opening doors. I measured the radius of the doors to FLAT HAT GUEST WRITERS be 2.5 feet, and the area they remove from the room to be 9.81 square I feel at home at the College of William and Mary. From the feet. Thus, I was able to subtract the area the doors impede upon welcoming brick architecture of our academic buildings to the from the area of the room. Factoring out the area of the doors, the resplendent green spaces such as the Sunken Garden, this vestibule has only 27.19 square feet of free space. This campus has something for everyone. Walking about is only enough space for six adult-sized humans, campus, I always feel a great calm, as if the a far cry from the colossal room mentioned very ground I tread upon is soothing me. before. It would be preposterous of me to However, there lies one locality on this write about this issue and not propose campus that causes my heart to tremble a genial and helpful solution. So how in fear. There is only one such place: do we fix this problem, you ask? the exterior doors to Lodge 1. What Simple: I propose we reverse the else could cause such a shiver in direction of the doors, so they my spine as the doors to Lodge both open inwards.

1 ruthlessly unhinging into my This way, they will face? not open into my face I will make my case with as I enter Lodge 1 and a story: It was a cool autumn they will not clutter the day, and I was on my way vestibule upon opening. to Cosi to enjoy a delectable I believe this will remove bowl of Butternut Squash the stress of navigating Soup. I approached Lodge the Lodge 1 area, and 1 from the outside, already will relieve the cluttered smelling the freshly baked and claustrophobic multigrain bread from the environment in the oven. Then it happened: vestibule. Thus far, I have the doors were violently had countless friends opened into my body. agree with me on this Someone leaving the Lodge pressing issue. I think explosively opened both this would improve the doors into my direction, Lodge 1 area, and thus knocking my coffee and help William and Mary laptop onto the floor. It was become the number disastrous. I’m sure whoever one public university in did this was a good person, Virginia as it deserves to and I forgive them because be. By making this area I understand now this more traversable, we can calamitous occurrence is make William and Mary not their fault. a more welcoming and Those doors are a safety inclusive environment for hazard. Entering Lodge 1, all members of the Tribe. the vestibule may appear Email Michael Cairo spacious at first, with its and Jonathan Silberstein imposing six-foot square at macairo@email. walls able to process up GRAPHIC BY ANGELA VASISHTA/ THE FLAT HAT wm.edu and jmsilberstein@ to 10 adult-sized humans email.wm.edu.

Michael Cairo, Jonathan Silberstein

STAFF COLUMN

Jefferson provides suitable housing Suzanne Cole

FLAT HAT VARIETY ASSOC. EDITOR

Flashback to freshman Orientation: you are hot, sweaty, dehydrated and altogether exhausted by a long day of mandatory activities.

You trek back to your dorm room, expecting an oasis, but no such relief awaits. Your room is stiflingly hot. You’d like a glass of water, but you have to walk down the hall each time you need to get a refill.

No air conditioning. No in-room sink. Located on the outskirts of campus, whether by the swampy banks of Lake Matoaka or the cobbled streets of Colonial Williamsburg. These phrases might describe most freshman halls on campus, but they do not apply to Jefferson Hall.

Many students were dismayed when Residence Life announced that Lemon Hall would become a freshman dorm and Jefferson Hall would become an upperclassman dorm.

This may have been in part due to the reputation of freshman dorms on campus. Currently only three freshman dorms are fully air-conditioned and their locations are typically less than desirable. The prospect of living in a former freshman dorm as an upperclassman can make people squirrelly. But as a current (and possibly future) resident of Jefferson Hall, I think Jefferson deserves more respect.

The prospect of living in a former freshman dorm as an upperclassman can make people squirrelly.

But as a current (and possibly future) resident of Jefferson Hall, I think Jefferson deserves more respect.

Jefferson isn’t the first freshman hall to be converted to upperclassman housing. Current upperclassman dorms Barrett Hall and Dupont Hall were freshman halls before being changed to upperclassman housing, and Green and Gold

Village previously functioned as fraternity housing. And as recently as the 2010-11 academic year, three of Jefferson’s four floors were occupied by upperclassmen (the basement was occupied by freshmen).

Jefferson is one of the three freshman dorms that are fully air-conditioned (the others are Reves and Yates), and it has a great location.

It’s closer to Marketplace than any current upperclassman dorm, and it is mere steps away from Ewell and Washington Halls. For students who have most of their classes on the Sunken Garden, the location is arguably better than living in Dupont, the Randolph Complex or (god forbid) Richmond Hall.

The aesthetic of the building and its surroundings are other positive factors.

Jefferson’s brick exterior contributes to the architectural atmosphere of Old Campus. And while the green space between Jefferson and Washington Hall is currently surrounded by chain-link fencing, it was open during most of the fall semester, giving residents space to grill, toss a frisbee around or just enjoy the weather.

The amenities don’t stop once you enter Jefferson. As soon as you walk in the building, you can feel the cool rush of central AC. According to the Residence Life website, the average size of a double in Jefferson is 160 square feet, which is larger than the average double square footage in any other freshman dorm.

However, Jefferson isn’t necessarily the best option when it comes to housing for upperclassmen. Several other upperclassman dorms boast similar locations (Barrett, Chandler and Landrum are close to the Sunken Garden on the south like Jefferson, while the Bryan Complex and Old Dominion Hall are situated to the north) and similar, if not better interiors featuring larger rooms and suite or private baths.

Still, there are also upperclassman dorms with worse locations. Dupont Hall is on the far west end of campus, which makes for a long trek to ISC or the Sunken Garden. Richmond Hall is closer to the School of Education than the Sadler Center or Swem according to Google Maps.

While it might not be able to fill the absence of One Tribe Place or Lemon Hall, Jefferson is a respectable dorm with plenty to offer. The rooms might not be palaces, but you’ll have a decent amount of room, a sink and air conditioning. The location is great for students with classes on both Old and New Campus. Living in Jefferson Hall has been a great experience for me, and I think it could the same for you.

Email Suzanne Cole at sycole@email.wm.edu.

Isaac Mantenelli FLAT HAT GUEST WRITER

Here is a series of facts: I was, until recently, a resident assistant for Ludwell Apartments. My friend and I made the choice to leave bottles of alcohol in a small, empty lounge in Lemon Hall one Saturday night. No alcohol had been consumed, even though both of us are over 21. The RA on duty discovered these bottles in the lounge and, when we confirmed they were ours, wrote a conduct report as his job required. We complied fully with the aforementioned report. Three days later, my area director asked to see me and to hear an explanation of what happened. We have a strong relationship, and he did not believe extreme measures needed to be taken. Later that evening, he called me and said that Holly Alexander, the associate director for community development, had decided to terminate my employment. No warning was given. I was denied the possibility of an appeal. No discussion occurred between Holly and me before she made her decision.

The only three reasons given to me for the decision in a later conversation with her were that another resident was involved, another RA was involved and I broke a rule that I was supposed to enforce. On page 26 of the Student Staff Handbook, it says, “Residence Life reserves the right to terminate or request the resignation of a staff member whose work or behavior is judged to be unsatisfactory.” When I compared my situation with other residents who had the same conduct violation and were simply given a warning (as I was as well when I met with the Dean of Students Office), she said that I cannot compare their decisions to employment at ResLife. In that same conversation, she asked me what she was supposed to hypothetically say to a resident who came in with the same conduct violation and claim that an RA got away with a similar infraction.

I had been an RA for three semesters for both freshmen and upperclassmen. In that time, I had four area directors — in the later conversation with Holly, she explicitly said that no one ever had anything negative to say about me. I had developed a relatively strong community within my buildings and even throughout Ludwell, especially during the power outage in December 2018 when I spent five hours in the cold helping residents get into their buildings with the master key. The conduct violation, which the Dean of Students Office defines as a minor offense, was my first and only violation, and therefore not representative of my nature and ability as a student or employee. While I was admittedly a more relaxed RA, I did my job well and provided for my residents. We all know RAs who ‘got away’ with nefarious acts. Take these facts as you will, and if you are considering applying or reapplying for ResLife Student Staff, please be aware of unhealthy policies that deny personal and professional growth and that have no place at a progressive liberal arts college like ours.

Email Isaac Mantelli at imantelli@email.wm.edu.

The Flat Hat

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Page 6

STAFF COLUMN

STAFF COLUMN

Virginia leadership major disappointment to voters

Ethan Brown

FLAT HAT OPINIONS EDITOR

I urge whoever is reading this to take a deep breath and determine if they can smell anything particularly rank in the air. Given the chaos of the previous two weeks, I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re able to discern a whiff of smoke and ash from 52 miles away.

The figurative scent engulfing your nostrils right now is the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, as the political hierarchy of our beloved state comes crumbling down in an incredible spectacle of shame and embarrassment.

Since the beginning of February, the commonwealth of Virginia’s three top elected officials have become embroiled in scandals, all of which sample broader national discussions about misogyny and racism.

The revelation that Gov. Ralph Northam wore partial blackface as part of a Michael Jackson costume in the 1980s, coupled with the troubling discovery of his appallingly offensive yearbook page in graduate school, has severely undermined his governing credibility. Furthermore, his refusal to step aside is a severe moral failing and reveals his prioritization of personal interests over the demands of his constituents.

However, even if Gov. Northam were to step aside, Virginia’s options for progressive governance remain woefully sparse and imperfect. Vanessa Tyson, a professor at Scripps College in Claremont, California, alleged Feb. 3 that Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax sexually assaulted her at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Fairfax responded by unequivocally denying claims of sexual assault while simultaneously acknowledging his sexual encounter with Tyson. Since then, a second woman, Meredith Watson, has come forward alleging Fairfax of assault while he was an undergraduate at Duke University.

Some commentators argue that the timing of these claims

Virginians voted overwhelmingly for progressivism in November 2017, yet now face the very real possibility of conservative governance. is spurious. Rumors immediately floated that Gov. Northam orchestrated the allegations in a plot to discredit Fairfax as an heir apparent. While I do not doubt that it would be an excellent subplot for a “House of Cards - Richmond” reboot, these theories are idiotic. Tyson came forward because her assaulter appeared poised to become governor, and she did the commonwealth a great service by informing us of Lt. Gov. Fairfax’s character when we had insufficient time to do so ourselves. I afford Tyson the same trust that I gave to Christine Blasey Ford last autumn — Lt. Gov. Fairfax should resign.

Next in line is Attorney General Mark Herring, who announced Feb. 6 that he too wore blackface in the 1980s.

While I commend Attorney General Herring for addressing his misdeeds with genuine remorse instead of scornful indignation, I sincerely question his ability to legally advocate for Virginia’s vulnerable communities with such paralyzingly poor judgment.

If all three men suffer the consequences of their actions head on, it remains entirely plausible that Virginia will soon enter an unfamiliar terrain of executive vacancies. Should Gov. Northam abdicate the governorship, Lt. Gov. Fairfax and Attorney General Herring are theoretically capable of becoming chief executive. If they also resign, Speaker of the House of Delegates Kirk Vox, a Republican, will be elevated to the state’s top office.

Virginians voted overwhelmingly for progressivism in November 2017, yet now face the very real possibility of conservative governance until Northam’s term expires in January 2022.

As a liberal who eagerly cast my first-ever ballot for a straight Democratic ticket 15 months ago, I am sorely disappointed in (and embarrassed by) my choices.

However, worst of all is that the people Gov. Northam, Lt. Gov, Fairfax and Attorney General Herring swore to protect stand to lose the most from a potential era of Republican government. That fact, coupled with the shock and embarrassment of their actions, makes for a startling era of Virginian politics.

Email Ethan Brown at ewbrown@email.wm.edu.

Editor’s Note: Ethan Brown’s portrait is by Kayla Payne. This graphic will be reproduced in all of his following columns.

Complaints ruin Valentine’s Day celebrations couples, but that does not mean that friends and families cannot take the opportunity to share their love for each other.

“Galentine’s Day” has become a popular phrase in recent years, and there is absolutely nothing wrong in showing love to gal pals instead of a significant other.

Because guess what? Friends love chocolate just as much as romantic partners love chocolate!

There is nothing wrong with celebrating however it fits your own life. To me, Valentine’s Day is really about finding a reason to celebrate with during a time of the year that is rather dull

Alyssa Slovin FLAT HAT OPINIONS ASSOC. EDITOR

I am a strong believer that Valentine’s Day is the most underappreciated holiday.

Countless people, frequently college-aged students, groan when February comes around, unable to see the greatness that is right in front of them.

These people need to get over themselves on Valentine’s Day, whether or not they are celebrating with a significant other, and allow themselves to let go of their negativity, relax and enjoy.

Valentine’s Day may be a commercial ploy, but that does not make the holiday off limits for enjoyment.

Plenty of other holidays, such as Christmas, Hanukkah and Easter, have also become commercialized over time. However, those holidays do not face nearly as much resentment when their season comes around.

Valentine’s Day acts as an annual reminder to show loved ones how much they mean to us, whether that be through gifts, heartfelt messages or simply spending time together.

Buying gifts may benefit big businesses, but that does not mean that the public cannot enjoy the sentiments behind the idea.

But the main reason that people complain is because of the inevitable public displays of affection, both in person and on social media.

Obviously, PDA can be annoying after a certain point.

However, most of this hatred is simply bitterness some individuals feel because some people are in relationships while others are not.

I am here to propose the utterly crazy idea that no one needs to be in a relationship in order to have a fantastic Valentine’s Day. First of all, Valentine’s Day may be targeted at

Most of the hatred is simply bitterness some individuals feel because some people are in a relationship while others are not. due to the lack of holidays and cold weather.

It is a little mental break for us students, and no one should feel as if they need to keep up a tough front and hate on the holiday when they could be eating chocolate and having some fun.

There is nothing wrong with Valentine’s Day, and everyone should be able to celebrate.

Just enjoy the opportunity to relax on a random day in the middle of February.

Don’t spoil the fun for you and everyone around you.

Email Alyssa Slovin at amslovin@ email.wm.edu.

Editor’s Note: Alyssa Slovin’s GRAP HIC B portrait is by Y MEG CUCA Kay la Pay n e. / THE FLAT This graphic will HAT be reproduced in all of her following columns.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: MONTY MASON AND PI LAMBDA PHI

Ms. Kitchin, My name is Richard Owens. I am an alumnus of the College of William and Mary, (Class of 1989). I am an African-American man, who is also a proud member of the former Virginia Psi Chapter of Pi Lambda Phi Fraternity at William and Mary.

I have known State Senator Monty Mason, ’89 since we pledged Pi Lam together as freshmen in 1985.

I want to express my displeasure with the article about Senator Mason and our fraternity, written by you and Leonor Grave, and published in the February 7, 2019 edition of the Flat Hat. First, I feel that you have completely mischaracterized the pledge or “slave” auctions as you called them.

This was an annual event which every pledge participated in, and we were “sold” to the highest bidder.

But to imply that there was some sort of racist theme to this is totally off base.

No one was led around in chains, nobody inspected our teeth or bone structure, and there were certainly no racial epithets directed at me or any other pledge.

I understand the painful history of slavery and race relations in Virginia.

The first slaves in the colonies landed in Jamestown.

There are very few places you can go in Virginia without seeing a historical marker about the Civil War. While I was in college, there was no holiday for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the state. Thanks to the efforts of then State Senator Douglas Wilder, Dr. King’s name was begrudgingly added to the

Lee-Jackson holiday, which honored Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson.

I also experienced racism while I attended W&M. During my freshman year, I vividly remember visiting a merchant on DOG Street who acted like I was invisible and tried to refuse to wait on me.

I also witnessed a classmate proudly wave a Confederate flag in the stands during a home football game versus Delaware.

After reading your article, I spoke with several of my fraternity brothers.

One of them reminded me of an incident when he addressed me as “boy”. Even then, I knew he did not mean it in a derogatory manner; but it was a teachable moment for both of us.

The story also reminded me that I challenged more than one person on campus to a fight when they used that word to demean me.

So I am not a man who would have ever let my brothers host an event with even the slightest hint of racism to it.

I also have a problem with your research efforts for this article.

You included a group photograph in our house, and I am dead center in the picture. You cannot say you didn’t know I existed.

You could have easily found me on social media. In fact, Monty and I are friends on Facebook.

I would have gladly spoken with you about my experiences in the fraternity.

However, I never heard from anyone at your newspaper.

The other Pi Lam alums I’ve spoken with were not

contacted by the paper either.

I am particularly upset that you tried to portray Senator Mason, and our entire fraternity as racists.

Yet you made no effort to speak to someone who might have firsthand knowledge of any racist behavior by him, or the organization.

We were not choir boys at Pi Lambda Phi. We did some things that would be unacceptable by today’s standards.

But my brothers and I respected each another. We never did anything to demean or insult one another because of different backgrounds, ethnicities or races.

Furthermore, Monty Mason earned the position of chapter president because we respected his character and leadership. He was also well-liked by students from a variety of backgrounds all over campus.

His personality and character are qualities that got him elected as a delegate, and later State Senator, and he seems to be respected and liked by his constituents of all races.

It appears you have written the article in an effort to break the next “big story” in the ongoing political drama in Virginia.

However, it comes off as a reckless and irresponsible, and a hasty attempt to smear a politician and a good man.

I hope that you will do the right thing and dig a little deeper to get the truth and I thank you for allowing me to share a different viewpoint of this story.

Respectfully submitted, Richard B. Owens. Jr. ’89 rowens27@comcast.net

variety

Variety Editor Heather Baier flathat.variety@gmail.com

The Flat Hat | Tuesday, February 12, 2019 | Page 7

R E T N CE E G A T S

FIA / SO TOS PHO Y S E RT COU

.EDU , WM EIRO T IN QU

Sinfonicron stage manager Sofia Quinteiro ’20 blends leadership, artistic vision ISABELLA MIRANDA // FLAT HAT VARIETY ASSOC. EDITOR As an assistant stage manager for Sinfonicron productions such as “The Sorcerer” and “The Grand Duke,” and as stage manager for Sinfonicron’s latest performance, “The Drowsy Chaperone,” Sofia Quinteiro’s ’20 love for theater is evident.

From a young age, Quinteiro felt called to the stage. At five years old, her grandmother took her to see a performance of the musical “Oliver!” When the song, “As Long as He Needs Me” started, musical theater immediately meant something more than just entertainment to Quinteiro.

“Even when I was little, I understood, just from the orchestration, the emotions and the voice that there was something there,” Quinteiro said. “Something about music is very empowering [and] moving to me, and that was probably the first song I heard that I was like, I want to know more.”

Quinteiro’s curiosity for playwriting began at age nine, and she started acting at age 11. When Quinteiro arrived at the College of William and Mary, she knew she wanted to major in theater, and quickly searched for activities on campus that could supplement her theater experience.

“I went to auditions, which was a little hard because I also went to school, and I didn’t have an agent, so it really wasn’t my main priority, but I spent a lot of time going to summer camps and doing training,” Quinteiro said.

Quinteiro’s interest in stage management culminated as a teenager. It became the field that she wanted to focus on as she moved forward.

“I wondered if there’s a way to combine theatrical leadership with the artistic side of creating a show, and I sort of realized that I wanted to go in the direction of being an artistic director, and that’s what I came into college knowing...I wanted to do,” Quinteiro said.

Knowing that stage management was the area she wanted to specialize in, Quinteiro asked stage managers in the theater, speech and dance department if they needed students to help with their productions, but no positions were available. Through open houses sponsored by the theater program, Quinteiro was able to build a network that would lead her to Sinfonicron. Quinteiro rushed Nu Kappa Epsilon, the music sorority at the College, and one of the sisters at the open house introduced her to Sinfonicron and helped her become involved in the organization.

Although she is invisible onstage when attending a Sinfonicron performance, Quinteiro plays a big role in making sure the production runs smoothly.

“The stage manager is … the person who’s in charge of managing the actors, making sure they are where they are supposed to be for

every part of the rehearsal process,” Quinteiro said. “[The stage manager] sits in on every single rehearsal and takes notes in the form of a report and sends it out to all of the departments to make sure people are communicating with each other and that nothing goes unsaid.”

Quinteiro recognized the importance of representation in musical theater at a young age, and it continues to be a key priority for her.

“I could tell that there was a certain type of person that theater stereotypes,” Quinteiro said. “[It] expects women to be [a certain type], especially in musical theater, which was what I was most interested in. Everyone expects everybody to look and sound exactly the same, and people tend to be almost interchangeable in a lot of ways, and I didn’t really like that.”

The main message Quinteiro wants to spread is inclusiveness and representation on campus — both of which are important to her, especially among the Sinfonicron community.

“The thought of a company where everyone’s role matters, is something that matters to me a lot, and making people feel welcome in that environment, and trying to make it something that is more accessible is something that is really important to me,” Quinteiro said.

Quinteiro recently received a rose from the Ladies of Alpha, a secret society at the College for the work she does with Sinfonicron.

The Ladies of Alpha gives roses to women from the College for the various achievements, leadership and contributions they bring to the College.

“I knew that I had to go pick it up, and it was shocking at the beginning because there are so many amazing women involved in Sinfonicron, I would have thought they would have picked our producer, or one of the lead designers who are women or any of those girls who have been with Sinfonicron for a long time and are about to graduate,” Quinteiro said. “I just sort of expected they would have picked somebody else.”

Receiving the flower from the Ladies of Alpha was an honor to Quinteiro — one that shocked her, but put her role as a leader on campus into perspective.

“What’s keeping me going is making sure that other people feel like they are important, and they are being spoken for, and comfortable and happy, that’s something that is important to me,” Quinteiro said.

The Flat Hat

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Page 8

Ewell Concert Series presents:

'Fiançailles’ Laura Strickling, Joy Schreier bring musical performance to Ewell Hall

ING

in 2009, Strickling commented that the two had an instant “musical chemistry,” and that the fluidity of their own talents balanced the other’s celestially.

Strickling and Schreier have been working on a CD together since early 2017, which had to be put on hold due to the hurricanes that year. While in Williamsburg, Strickling and Schreier will put the final touches on the CD which will be released later this fall.

After Strickling and Schreier, the next installment of the Ewell Concert Series is Ensemble Schumann and the VSO String Quartet, who will take the stage through mid-March and into early April. The series manager hopes that the success of Strickling and Schrier’s performance will attract more attendees to the final concerts of the Ewell Concert Series.

“I think it’s a terrific and wonderful opportunity for the students, but also the community,” Marcus said.

ST RIC KL

oratorios. As she is classified as a soprano, or classical singer, it is unique that Strickling rarely takes part in opera.

Next month, she will be flying to Seattle for the world premiere of “Music of Remembrance,” which will feature work composed by melodists of the 20th century and earlier.

“The concert, recital and chamber music experiences are what I find most fulfilling as a singer,” Strickling said.

Strickling’s talent has brought her all around the continent, including Mexico, New York, Chicago and Boston.

“I am a freelance singer, meaning that I am not attached to any one group,” Strickling said. “If I am working, I am traveling.”

Mady Wright ’21 was one of the attendees of the event, and as a young college student she stuck out in the sea of elderly community members around her. Wright is pursuing a degree in voice and took immediate interest in the event. She has attended other events in the series and plans on attending more.

“It’s really amazing to have professionals come and perform, and also to be in such an intimate environment with them,” Wright said.

Marcus also commented on the intimate scene of the recital.

“Unfortunately, because we had to reschedule this one, we didn’t have quite as large of an audience as I had hoped,” Marcus said.

Despite Strickling being a well sought-after soprano, the size of the crowd had not been as extensive as expected. Marcus reported that the average attendance of the previous concerts in the series had boasted upwards of 100 attendees, while Strickling and Schrier had only attracted around 50.

After the performance, Marcus commented once more on Strickling’s talents. The versatile range of Strickling left lasting impressions on the event manager, who hopes that the same impression was left on the audience.

“I found it astonishing, and I don’t think I am the only one,” Marcus said.

Strickling and her pianist Schreier have been working together for 10 years now. Having first performed together

RA

Saturday night in Ewell Hall, soprano Laura Strickling, accompanied by pianist Joy Schreier, graced the stage with her performance of “Fiançailles.”

The performance was comprised of renditions pieced together by 20thcentury composers Francis Poulenc, Benjamin Britten and Libby Larsen.

Following the recital, Ewell Concert Series manager Richard Marcus hosted a reception in Ewell Hall where attendees were able to meet the performers and enjoy refreshments and hors d’oeuvres.

Originally from Chicago, Strickling currently resides with her husband and two-year-old daughter in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

When the U.S. Virgin Islands were left in ruins following the landfall of both Hurricanes Irma and Maria, Strickling and her family fled to the mainland of the United States. There for seven months, Laura brought her friends and family together to present a recital at the Opera America Center in New York City to benefit the island’s recovery effort. Just over a year after the storms, the family finds itself back home in St. Thomas, where life has resumed as normal.

“I’ve always sung,” Strickling said. “I can’t remember a time where I didn’t find great joy in it.”

Strickling’s first memories of performing date back to singing “Away in a Manger” in her father’s church at the age of two. From there, she continued to pursue her passion for music, eventually obtaining a degree in voice at Chicago’s Moody Bible Institute. Following graduation, she continued her education at The Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and graduated with her master’s.

Strickling recently performed “Poulenc Gloria” in Asheville, North Carolina, with the Asheville Symphony.

Being a soprano, Strickling has had the ability to work with an extensive range of other performers.

“The opportunity to perform with such a wide variety of musicians is incredible,” Strickling said.

Strickling mostly does recitals, but she also does concert work, or

, GR ACE O LSEN

GRACE OLSEN // THE FLAT HAT

P SY RTE COU

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CONFUSION CORNER

Ecapism, expression via pop music

Dreams of musical stardom stem from verging on burnout, living in lonely world

Ellie Moonan

CONFUSION CORNER COLUMNIST

The College of William and Mary is full of studious, liberal arts-minded students who all share a deep passionate secret — everyone wants to be a pop star. It is rooted in our subconscious, the desire to make a living out of selling generated feelings.

Why else would the majority of campus walk around with headphones in if it weren’t for the fact that we are all quietly planning our fantasy sold-out world tour?

If you think about it, making millions of dollars selling cheap bops would make a degree in English unnecessary.

Art history is a precursor to creating your new cover art.

Who needs the business school when you have Instagram and YouTube to make you famous?

As pop stars, we could immortalize significant moments in our lives and scream out our feelings to millions of people who would scream it back. Therefore, we would be able to translate confusing and difficult moments into

COURTESY PHOTO / AMP HOMEBREW COMMITTEE

simple, radio-friendly tunes.

Every breakup and heartache is condensed and pushed into a neatly packaged album. Once the song is released and the money starts rolling in, you can push that song into the forgotten past and begin to create your image for the next record.

The more people who listen to you, the more validated your experiences are, as if you are proving your humanity by sounding like a robot. If pop stardom is really this easy, then why are there still 6,000 undergraduates walking around Old Campus?

The argument can be made that we are living a pop culture life already — after all, the success of pop comes from the ability to never stop exporting, and nobody knows more about the ugly side of burning out than students.

As students, we have to perform our best efforts every single day, even when it seems impossible. Our self-worth is based on how the College perceives us. The minute we stop producing work for them, money is wasted. With all the intense training we are put through and the obstacles we face, it is no wonder our deepest desire is to scream into a microphone.

We are lucky, though, because all we need to do to escape this pop culture life is change the station every now and then.

Try to walk around Old Campus without headphones on and just breathe — because not every experience we have is made for a pop song.

sportsinside

The Flat Hat | Tuesday, February 12, 2019 | Page

9

Tribe takes 4-0 loss to Brown

MEN’S TENNIS

College loses doubles point, five of six singles matches GAVIN AQUIN FLAT HAT SPORTS ASSOC. EDITOR

Doubles teammates and fellow freshman Jack Kelly and Oren Vasser dropped their match 6-3 at the No. 3 spot.

William and Mary hosted Brown at the McCormackNagelsen Tennis Center Feb. 10. Despite competitive singles matches, the Bears ultimately beat the Tribe 4-0 to secure victory.

Opening the match, the Bears took the doubles point when Ben Collier and Peter Litsky won 6-3 over Tribe freshmen Jack Kelly and Oren Vasser at the No. 3 spot.

Senior Tristan Bautil and sophomore Finbar Talcott, the number 45 nationally ranked pair, suffered a 6-4 upset against the Bears’ Roger Choi and

MEN’S BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

JAMIE HOLT / THE FLAT HAT

Tribe loses nailbiter to No. 1 Hofstra

Knight scores career-high 39 points, earns double-double AVERY LACKNER FLAT HAT SPORTS ASSOC. EDITOR William and Mary (9-16, 5-8 CAA) closed out a taxing road trip Feb. 9, with a close 93-87 loss to Hofstra (21-4, 11-1 CAA) following a defeat at Northeastern Feb. 7.

Offensively, the College veered away from the jumpers and three-pointers it has favored of late, opting instead to drive the ball to the basket. Ten minutes in, the Tribe had yet to hit a three but made 73 percent of its two-pointers, compared to just 41 percent for the Pride.

The Pride allowed its slow offensive start to translate into a lackadaisical defense, which the Tribe took advantage of immediately.

Despite struggling with turnovers yet again, giving up 11 points off eight turnovers in the first half alone, the College’s defense remained strong inside, frequently forcing Hofstra into outside shots that didn’t fall. In fact, the Tribe did so well at keeping the Pride out of the paint that it only tallied one block in the half, by junior forward Justin Pierce.

A long three from redshirt junior guard Matt Milon and an answer from Hofstra with 10 seconds on the clock made the score 44-40 at the half, maintaining the lead the Tribe had held for nearly the entire game.

The College continued to force the Pride defense back on its heels in the second half, as Pierce turned a steal into a huge dunk a few possessions in, forcing Hofstra to call a timeout.

In addition to contributing points, Pierce was unselfish with the ball throughout the game, leading the team with eight assists and making it possible for junior forward Nathan Knight to score a career-high 39 points, shattering his previous record of 32.

However, the Pride refused to be counted out, and its offense came back with a vengeance midway through the second half. Hofstra guard Justin Wright-Foreman hit two threes in as many possessions to tie the game with just under nine minutes left.

Undeterred, redshirt senior forward Paul Rowley hit a three from the corner, but Wright-

Foreman, who finished with a school-record 48 points, answered with yet another three, making it 73-71 and giving the Pride its first lead in 27 minutes.

The College looked shaken, slowing a bit offensively. It allowed a drive to the basket that put the Pride up 75-71, its largest lead of the game. Knight responded with a massive dunk, but cracks began to appear in the Tribe’s defense, allowing the Pride to push inside and continue to score in the paint.

Sophomore guard Luke Loewe, who had scored just two points in the game, hit a jumper and then a layup to keep the Tribe in it, but with just under four minutes left, the Pride led the College 81-77.

Pierce sunk two free throws to cut the Pride lead to two, but the Pride responded with a basket. Knight scored from the block but missed the tying free throw, making the score 82-81 in favor of the Pride.

Missed free throws continued to plague the Tribe in its effort to tie the score, and the teams traded shots with varying degrees of success until the Pride led 89-83 with a minute left.

A final dunk from Knight narrowed the margin to 93-87, but the Pride was able to run out the clock and secure a tight victory.

Noticeably quiet throughout the game was Audige. The three-time Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Week, who averages double-digit scoring, tallied just six points, and his defensive presence was lacking. In spite of this, the College’s scoring finally returned to the level seen in previous seasons; the Tribe sunk 58 percent of its field goals.

Though Pierce’s playmaking and Knight’s outstanding performance, which earned him his seventh double-double of the past 10 games, weren’t enough to help the Tribe hang on, the razor thin margins of both this defeat and the earlier loss to Northeastern prove that the College can hang with the top teams in the CAA when it is shooting well and keeping the defensive pressure on its opponent.

After a bye on Thursday, the Tribe will travel to Elon Saturday, Feb. 16 to take on the Phoenix.

CAREER HIGHS REACHED AGAINST HOFSTRA PRIDE NATHAN KNIGHT: -39 POINTS

-7 DOUBLE DOUBLES IN THE PAST TEN GAMES

JUSTIN PIERCE:

-EIGHT ASSISTS

CHASE AUDIGE: -FIVE ASSISTS

TRIBE: -SEASON HIGH 58.1 PERCENT SHOOTING FROM THE FLOOR

Charles Tan in the matchup at the No.1 spot.

Entering singles, the Bears narrowly won five of the six first sets, with Jacob Walker increasing the Bears’ lead to 2-0 with his 7-5, 6-4 win against sophomore Sebastian Quiros at the No. 3 slot.

Junior Brenden Volk and Talcott were able to make comebacks in their singles matches at the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, respectively.

Though Volk dropped his first set by 7-5, he matched the score against Bears opponent Litsky. Talcott took his second set from Bears foe Ching Lam, 6-4, and came up with a 1-0 lead in his third.

Unfortunately, both matches were abandoned upon the team result being announced.

At the same time, Vasser had been in his match against the Bears’ Collier at the No. 5 spot when the match was decided.

Vasser took his opening set with 7-5 before Collier responded with a 6-4 win. Vasser had been ahead 2-0 in his third set when it was stopped.

The Bears made the victory final with Robert Siniakowicz’s 6-4, 7-5 win over freshman Daniel Pellerito atw the No. 6 spot.

The Tribe will travel to compete against its Big Ten foe Penn State Feb. 15 before heading to Liberty Feb 16.

College drops fourth straight to UNCW Hodgson notches personal best 24 points in 66-58 loss NATHAN SEIDEL THE FLAT HAT It was a tale of trajectories for William and Mary Sunday, as it lost its fourth straight contest 66-58 to a UNC-Wilmington (15-7, 8-3 CAA) team that earned its fourth straight victory. Despite a career-high 24 points from freshman guard Eva Hodgson and a double-double from senior guard Bianca Boggs, the team’s 19 turnovers and late-game scoring drought proved too much to overcome, dropping the Tribe (11-11, 4-7 CAA) to .500 on the year.

The College controlled the tempo early, forcing the Seahawks to miss their first seven shots and turn the ball over twice. Even so, the Tribe only hit three of its first 10 shots to tie the game at six with 4 minutes, 31 seconds left in the first quarter.

The Seahawks earned 13 points off 10 Tribe turnovers in the first half while shooting 47 percent from the field and 45 percent from long range. On the other side, the College managed 40 percent shooting but only hit three of 12 from beyond the arc. Each team managed 18 rebounds in the first half, an element of the game head coach Ed Swanson planned to focus on throughout the remainder of conference play.

Defense characterized the next stretch, making scoring hard to come by until the Seahawks scored four in a row to increase their lead to 53-44 with 1:30 left in the third. Two free throws and a three

by Hodgson established some Tribe momentum, reducing the deficit to four, 53-49, heading into the final period. The College outscored UNCW by five in the third quarter and two free throws by junior guard Victoria Reynolds made it a one-possession

game with 9:24 left in the fourth . A three by guard Ahyiona Vason from the left wing broke another scoring impasse, and the Tribe countered with a Boggs layup to keep it within three, 56-53. The College then forced the Seahawks’ 14th turnover of the game, and Reynolds converted a layup to pull within one. Redshirt sophomore guard Harper Birdsong then notched a steal, which led to another Hodgson triple to give the Tribe its first lead since the first quarter, 58-56.

A layup by guard Gigi Smith snapped the Tribe’s 7-0 run to knot the game at 58-58, and Swanson called time to plan the last 5:32. Each team stepped up the defensive effort, preventing all scoring until a Vason free throw gave the Seahawks a one-point advantage with 3:01 to play. Bell then made one out of two free throws on two consecutive trips to the line to extend the UNCW advantage to three, 61-58, with under a minute left. Next, Smith made one foul shot on the Seahawks’ 20th attempt of the day to make it a two-possession game with 48 seconds remaining.

The teams traded turnovers, but the final one by the College all but sealed the game, which finished 6658 in favor of UNCW. The Tribe was held scoreless in the last 6:21 during the Seahawks’ 10-0 run to close it out.

Hodgson led the College’s scoring effort with a career-high 24 points, and Boggs added 16 with 10 rebounds and five steals. Reynolds also contributed 10 and Krause had six. Suggs carried the Seahawk offense with 18 points, with Smith and Bell both notching double-doubles. Vason added 13 and five assists.

After a bye on Friday, the Tribe will travel to Elon to take on the Phoenix Sunday.

JAMIE HOLT / THE FLAT HAT

Junior forward Victoria Reynolds scored ten points for the Tribe, and freshman forward Emma Krause added six points on Sunday.

sports

Sports Editor Brendan Doyle Sports Editor Julia Stumbaugh flathatsports@gmail.com @FlatHatSports

The Flat Hat | Tuesday, February 12, 2019 | Page 10

SWIMMING

JAMIE HOLT / THE FLAT HAT

The Tribe took home several silver medals over the weekend in an impressive display, shattering multiple personal bests and adding many swimmers to the College’s all-time lists. Saturday night, the men earned six lifetime bests for all six swimmers.

College breaks records in strong meet

With many swimmers breaking personal bests, Tribe seeks CAA Championship

GAVIN AQUIN FLAT HAT SPORTS ASSOC. EDITOR The William and Mary men’s and women’s teams traveled to Chapel Hill, North Carolina from Feb. 8-10 to compete at the Janis Hape Dowd Nike Invitational. Shattering several lifetime bests and even placing several athletes on the all-time lists, the College put together a standout performance.

Starting out the first day, all six of the Tribe’s men swimmers advanced to finals. In the 500 free, sophomore James Mostofi placed fifth overall with a time of 4:35.03, advancing to the A finals.

In the 200 individual medley, freshman Ryan Bebel improved his lifetime best by half a second, swimming 1:52.56 and finishing third overall, allowing him to proceed to the A finals. Freshman Ian Cobb followed with a 1:56.45, earning his lifetime best and bringing him to the B finals.

Rounding out the first day, senior Ramzy Ali placed sixth in the 50 free with a 20.91, followed closely by sophomore Aristides Speres with a 21.04 — both men advanced to the A finals.

The women advanced three members of their team to finals in six events. In the 500 free, junior Yuka Kuwahara completed her event in 5:01.65, placing fourth overall with her lifetime-best time, which qualified her for the A finals. Sophomore Tess Ruona swam a 5:21.79, placing 10th and qualifying for the B finals. In the 200 individual medley, senior Abby Jones finished third overall with a 2:10.08, allowing her to advance to the A

finals, while freshman Rebecca Rogers was on pace to earn a lifetime best before she was called for a technical infraction and disqualified. In the 50 free, senior Nina Lesser, junior Emma Herold and senior Emily Shroeder were able to qualify for the B finals with scores of 24.50, 25.03 and 25.05, respectively.

Improving upon their morning performances, the men earned four top-five finishes in the first day finals. Finishing fifth overall, Mostofi swam a lifetime-best 4:33.35 in the 500 free, cutting more than 1.3 seconds off his previous best. In the 200 IM, Bebel broke his morning record, improving to 1:52.12 and placing second in the event. Ali and Speres earned close scores yet again, with Ali clocking 21 and Speres swimming 21.08, taking second and fifth places, respectively.

The Tribe women were able to build upon their progress. In the 500 free, Kuwahara swam 5:02.04 to earn third overall. Jones cut two seconds from her 200 individual medley and brought herself to third overall with a 2:08.43. Rogers, despite having been disqualified, time-trialed the event after the session and swam a lifetime best of 2:06.74. Finishing the finals, Lesser stopped the clock in 24.51 seconds in the 50 free, earning seventh overall.

Saturday morning brought more victory for the College, recording five more lifetime bests for the men. In the 100 breast, sophomore Devin McNulty tied the Colonial Athletic Association’s best time this season, earning a time of 54.99 and

placing second overall. Additionally, McNulty’s time was the seventh-fastest in school history and 0.02 seconds off his lifetime best. In the 100 fly, freshman Jack Galbraith swam 49.15 for third overall.

Four of the six women competing earned topsix finishes. In the 200 medley relay, Schroeder, Jones, Lesser and Ruona took sixth overall with a time of 1:52.33. Following this, Kuwahara finished sixth in the 100 fly with 57.20, followed by Lesser with a 1:01.04. Rogers, despite her setback the previous day, finished second overall in the 400 individual medley with a 4:29.63.

Not to be outdone by their earlier performances, the Tribe men earned six lifetime bests in six swims Saturday night — five of which landed in the Tribe record books. Galbraith swam 49.00 for third overall, improving upon his bests from the prelims. In the 400 IM, Mostofi finished second overall, dropping below four minutes for the first time. His time of 3:59.22 is the 15th all-time among Tribe athletes. In the 100 breast, Cobb and Bebel took fifth and sixth with 56.41 and 56.43 — ranking them 11th and 12th all-time.

Finishing out on day three, the Tribe continued its impressive display, with two performances ranking on the all-time top-16 athletes list. In the 200 back, Galbraith swam 1:48.97 for second place overall, earning his lifetime best and improving by a third of a second. In the 100 free, Speres improved his lifetime best by 0.09 seconds in order to swim 45.76 and take eighth overall. In the 200 breast,

Bebel destroyed his previous record by a second, giving him fifth with a 2:02.42.

Wrapping up day three, the College took three silver medals. Additionally, it totaled 25 lifetimebest swims over the weekend. In the 1,650 free, Mostofi touched the wall in 15:50.13 to earn fourth place overall and ranking him 11th alltime at the College for the event. In the 200 back, Galbraith wrapped up the weekend by earning second place with a 1:49.42. Speres earned his own silver medal in the 100 free, having stopped the clock at 45.93 seconds.

Finishing out the night, Bebel took second place in the 200 breast with a 2:03.37, followed closely by Cobb who took fourth with a 2:04.22. The women picked up four more personal bests. In the 200 back, Jones finished third overall in 2:07.16, followed

by Ruona’s 2:10.93. Improving her lifetime-best time by almost half a second, junior Julia Bland completed the 100 free in 53.39 seconds, for eighth place overall. In the 200 fly, Kuwahara continued her impressive streak by swimming a 2:02.34, a lifetime-best time by more than 1.5 seconds. She finished fifth in this event and performed the sixth best in school history among Tribe athletes.

The Tribe will return to action when it travels to the CAA Championships in Christiansburg, Virginia, Feb. 20-23. Having won the past four conference titles in a row, the men seek to earn their fifth CAA Championship overall while the women aim to win their third conference title in four seasons after finishing second last year.

BASEBALL

Baseball preview: What’s in store for spring season Promising debuts along with returning players spells auspicious season for Tribe JULIA STUMBAUGH FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR

Smith’s nine home runs and 54 hits were career highs, but his .254 batting average, a team best, was the lowest of his time at the College. After batting a .283 in 53 games his freshman year, he’ll look to rebound toward that number as the College tries to improve its overall offensive production; in 2018, they were outhit handily by opponents, with opposing teams averaging 9.22 hits per game compared to the Tribe’s 7.31.

Most of the starting lineup is returning, minus the notable loss of Ryan Hall ’18, so senior outfielder Owen Socher, sophomore infielder Matt McDermott and junior outfielder Brandon Raquet will all see regular time in the starting rotation.

New additions to the batting order to watch include freshman outfielder Matt Thomas, who was named an All-Region player of the year after a .532 batting average and .619 onbase percentage his senior year at Lake Braddock High School, and freshman infielder Hunter Hart, who comes into the year as one of the highest-rated third-basemen in Virginia’s prospect rankings.

The Bottom Line To get into playoff position, the Tribe has some adjustments to make. The team will look for more offense overall as it also begins to solidify a new pitching rotation.

Although projected to once again finish last in the conference by the College Baseball Daily CAA season preview, the team can use its influx of new players and return of seasoned vets to make a splash in the conference and re-enter the playoff picture in 2019.

COU

RTESY P

HOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS

William and Mary’s 2018 run ended against Elon in a game that felt like a microcosm of the season. The Tribe struck early with two runs in the first inning but was unable to sustain offense throughout the game. With Elon slowly leeching hits from a leaky College defense, the lead was erased, and the Tribe ended the season in an 8-3 loss that was the team’s 16th loss in a row.

That brutal final month of the season dropped an overall record that had been 15-23 halfway through April to 15-39 by the end of May. Having gone 3-21 in conference play, the team fell to eighth in the Colonial Athletic Association and missed the postseason.

It was a frustrating end for a team that had, just the year before, finished third in the conference and advanced to the second round of the CAA playoffs. Roster turnover and pitching uncertainty, as well as offensive struggles — no player on the team posted a batting average of above .260 — kept the team in the basement of the conference.

The 2019 team will look to turn that around. The Tribe is debuting a new, young lineup; out of the 32 players on the roster, only 14 are upperclassmen.

It will be looking for bounce-back years from some of the seniors on offense. It will want to establish a reliable rotation of starting pitchers. It has everything to prove after a tough 2018, and it will all start Feb. 15 at Plumeri Park as the team opens its season with a four-game series against Marist. Here’s a glimpse at what to expect as it prepares for first pitch.

On the Mound Both of the Tribe’s top pitchers from last season will be on the roster for the 2019 run. Junior Wade Strain and senior Bodie Sheehan, who led the 2018 team in innings pitched, will both return.

In addition, junior Jamie Sara, sophomore Jacob Haney, redshirt junior Chris Farrell and senior Nick Butts, all of whom pitched at least 30 innings and received multiple starts last year, will be back to pitch at Plumeri Park.

Last year, Sheehan led the team with 86 innings pitched, 14 starts and 62 strikeouts, finishing the season with a 4.50 ERA. Sheehan, recipient of multiple CAA Athlete of the Week honors, allowed career lows in earned runs, home runs and walks in 2018. The College is likely to lean on him and hope for further growth as he throws for a final season with the Tribe.

Meanwhile, the rest of the pitching corps will slot in with the returnees as the team looks to piece together a solid bullpen. After struggling with relief pitching in 2018, one arm that will likely be finishing out tight games will be Strain’s. He played 18 games in relief and was the only College pitcher to pick up multiple saves in 2018, ending with six on the season.

With eight new names in the mix of pitchers, you can expect to see some debuts on the mound in the early days of the 2019 season. One player to watch will be freshman Jack Cone, who was one of the highest-ranked right-handed prospects heading into the season.

At Bat Three of the Tribe’s top performers at the plate in 2018, senior catcher Hunter Smith, senior infielder Zach Pearson and senior infielder Colin Lipke, will lead the offense this season. In 2018, they topped the team with 54, 52 and 41 hits, respectively.