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RESEARCH FUNDING: AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE
Trump's executive order would slash "indirect costs" from NIH grants, threaten research capacity
MARTIN AND SAM BELMAR // FLAT HAT NEWS EDITORS
Friday, Feb. 7, U.S. President Donald J. Trump announced federal research funding cuts for the National Institute of Health. The decrease would impact universities and hospitals nationwide that rely on federal funding to conduct cuttingedge biomedical research.
However, a federal judge in Boston, Mass., blocked the measure Feb. 11, pausing the funding changes and temporarily protecting universities’ research capacity.
The ruling came in response to lawsuits filed by 22 U.S. states, which lambasted the extent to which such cuts would undermine crucial research on conditions like diabetes and heart disease and stifle higher learning opportunities for students.
Specifically, Trump’s executive order called for reducing the “indirect costs” portion of NIH research grants, which covers infrastructural and material needs for research teams, such as lab equipment, facility costs, administrative salaries and utilities.
If allowed to continue, Trump’s order would limit indirect costs to 15% of a research grant. For the 2025-26 fiscal year, indirect costs made up 56.25% percent of the College’s “organized research” funding and 40.7% of “other sponsored activity.”
In 2023, the College received six awards from the NIH totaling $2,474,097. According to the NIH’s Research Portfolio database, the College’s Biology Department received the most funding at $1,713,314. 50.70% of the College’s total NIH funding consisted of indirect costs in 2023.
The changes would most imminently affect universities with partnering hospitals, such as Vanderbilt University and Johns Hopkins University, who rely heavily on NIH support to conduct research and maintain the infrastructural needs of their hospitals.
The College’s website specifies that higher education institutions are retroactively reimbursed for such expenses.
“To calculate the level of federal IDC reimbursement, every 2 to 4 years, the agency responsible for setting a university’s IDC rate (for W&M - the Department of Defense Office of Naval Research, ONR) comprehensively reviews these shared costs to determine the appropriate federal reimbursement rate,” the College’s website said.
Thursday, Feb. 13, in an official joint statement emailed to the student body, Provost Peggy Agouris and Vice President for Student Affairs Virginia M. Ambler ’88 Ph.D. ’06 noted that it’s too early to determine the precise impacts of Trump’s executive orders on the College. They further emphasized the College’s commitment to preserving its well established principles while weathering federal policy shifts.
“This community is justly proud of our values-based approach to teaching, learning, and research – anchored in longstanding commitments to belonging, curiosity, excellence, flourishing, integrity, respect, and service,” they wrote. “At times of uncertainty, we remind ourselves how durable these values are.”
Agouris and Ambler reaffirmed the College’s vigilance regarding any sudden changes that may occur at the federal level, recognizing the unprecedented uncertainty the higher education landscape currently faces under the Trump administration.
“Executive orders from Washington that may impact higher education have proliferated this past month, with confusing stays and reversals,” they wrote. “As they are announced, university leadership works closely with relevant departments
Students host pro-Palestine demonstration, tie 1000
to evaluate any potential impact to W&M. Our priority is to provide timely and accurate information.”
In an update posted on the website of the Office of Sponsored Programs, which is responsible for managing the allocation of federal research funding, the office encouraged faculty to pursue their research as planned by submitting grant proposals and making purchases as if under typical circumstances.
“Please continue to conduct your research and to charge expenses to your projects according to sponsor-approved budgets,” the website said. “Continue to submit your grant proposals as planned, by their posted due dates – while paying close attention to possible changes in submission due dates and in requirements in new funding announcements.”
The Office of Sponsored Programs also instructed faculty to report any communications they receive from the federal government before making any operational changes.
“If you are contacted directly by a federal agency, prime entity or sub-awardee about a federally funded grant or contract, please share that information with your Sponsored Programs (OSP) Administrator as soon as possible,” the website said.
Data purges to the Center for Disease Control website have also been affecting colleges and universities, which temporarily removed thousands of guideline websites and research on issues of public health, such as rates of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. The public health community is especially concerned with Trump’s drastic cut to the United States Agency for International Development funding.
ribbons
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Garden College orders removal of commemorative ribbons Tuesday, citing public display guidelines
Saturday, Feb. 15, Students for Justice in Palestine hosted a protest on Sadler Terrace as part of the national organization’s International Day of Action.
The group advertised the city of Williamsburg protest as a stand against President Donald J. Trump’s ethnic cleansing, specifically Trump’s recent suggestion for the United States to take over the Gaza Strip.
"The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it too," Trump said during a Feb. 5 joint conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In response to the declaration, the College of William and Mary’s SJP chapter wrote in the caption of the post for the protest, “Palestine is NOT FOR SALE!”
Co-president Iqra Ahmad ’26 spoke on Trump’s harmful rhetoric and plans for the region.
“We’re here today to say no to Trump’s plan of ethnic cleansing,” Ahmad said. “The administration is very well aware of what’s happening on the ground of Gaza and the casualties caused by Israel. He plans to forcibly displace the remaining Palestinians.”
Reverend Max Blalock, who formerly worked at the College’s United Methodist Churchsponsored Wesley Foundation, also spoke at the protest. Blalock was replaced in April 2024 after 14 years of service in the campus ministry.
Blalock emphasized the importance of community in divisive times like these.
“I'm a community member and a local pastor, and I've come here to simply stand with y'all and to remind you that you're not alone,” Blalock said. “It’s folks in this community and nation that come together. Folks want to make us feel like we’re alone. Folks want to make us feel like we’re divided
and tell us who to care about, who to not, and who to be in solidarity with, and who to be against. But we know when we come together as people, as humans, to stand for what is right and stand for human rights for all. There’s nothing more powerful than when we do that.”
In a message to The Flat Hat, the SJP board further emphasized their disappointment with Trump.
“For the past two weeks, the rhetoric we've been seeing from the White House has entailed plans to expel the remaining ~1.8 million Palestinians in Gaza off their lands and out of their homes with US military force, relocate them to other Arab states, and have the US take it over and develop it into the "Riviera" of the Middle East,” the group wrote. “We knew going into Trump’s presidency that he would be no ally to the liberation of Palestine or in fact any marginalized people both at home and abroad. However, we also know he doesn't have the authority to carry out any
of these plans: his own team has walked back his initial grandiose statements, legislators of his own base have struggled to support the idea, and heads of multiple Arab nations involved in the process have outright condemned it. Palestine never was and never will be his to play around with.”
Monday, Feb. 17, SJP uploaded a collective statement on Instagram alongside other Virginia collegiate SJP organizations to express frustration on President’s Day with the leadership of their colleges and universities.
“This Presidents’ Day, we turn to the presidents of our own universities—the enforcers of repression on our campuses,” the statement read. “From censorship to arrests, they have actively silenced the Palestinian movement for liberation, weaponizing policies, police, and propaganda to uphold genocide and apartheid. They betray calls for justice, ignore Palestinian grief, and bow
to donors complicit in oppression and violence. We know their socalled ‘leadership’ is nothing but cowardice. We refuse to celebrate figureheads of colonial institutions. We expose them. We condemn them. We demand accountability.”
Each organization in the collective also posted a graphic condemning its college president. For the College’s section, the post describes SJP’s continued disappointment with President Katherine A. Rowe’s perceived lack of support for Palestine.
“Katherine Rowe, leading an institution committed to ‘teaching, learning, and research,’ has spent 16 months showing how little W&M upholds these values,” the post said. “Since the genocide in Gaza began, she has failed to address the needs and safety concerns of Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students and their allies.”
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“Folks want to make us feel like weʼre alone. Folks want to make us feel like weʼre divided and tell us who to care about, who to not, and who to be in solidarity with and who to be against. But we know when we come together as people, as humans, to stand for what is right and stand for human rights for all.”
Friday, Feb. 14, the U.S. Department of Education sent a letter to colleges and universities ordering the termination of all race-based programs in 14 days, intensifying the federal governmentʼs attack on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in higher education.
“Educational institutions have toxically indoctrinated students with the false premise that the United States is built upon ʻsystemic and structural racismʼ and advanced discriminatory policies and practices,” the letter said.
Craig Trainor, the departmentʼs acting assistant secretary for civil rights, warned that institutions who fail to comply risk losing federal funding. His argument for DEIʼs illegality rests on a widened interpretation of the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court case Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which effectively banned affirmative action in admissions.
“Although SFFA addressed admissions decisions, the Supreme Courtʼs holding applies more broadly,” Trainor wrote. “At its core, the test is simple: If an educational institution treats a person of one race differently than it treats another person because of that personʼs race, the educational institution violates the law.”
The College has yet to formally respond to the Department of Educationʼs letter. The board of visitors, who make largescale policy decisions for the College, concluded their quarterly meeting Friday, hours before the letter was published.
Class senator Yasmin Kudrati-Plummer ’28 combines community service, love of music, social activism
Thisarticlecontainsdiscussionsofsexualassualt.
Yasmin Kudrati-Plummer ’28 is best defined by her passion — a passion not restricted to any one thing but encompassing an incredible multitude of interests, experiences and activities. Specifically, she pursues her love for singing and songwriting along with gender-based violence activism, all while working toward a degree in psychology from the College of William and Mary.
Having grown up in Tanzania, her early life in East Africa was a defining experience.
“[Tanzania] is very much like home to my whole family,” Kudrati-Plummer said. “My mom met my dad there, so it’s very core to every single one of us.”
Kudrati-Plummer first discovered her passion for performing at a young age. She recalls writing her first song in elementary school, which became a point of creative pride and motivated her to keep making music.
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“I remember the first song I wrote, still to this day,” Kudrati-Plummer said. “I wrote a song called ‘Love Is All You Need.’ Really basic and horrible, but it was like fifth grade or fourth grade. I don’t know. I was very young. I wrote it in a little book and I was really proud of myself. And then after that, it sort of just continued.”
From there, she branched into performing in her community theater, singing and playing piano.
Later in life, Kudrati-Plummer moved from Tanzania to Fairfax, Va. While the move was a shocking one, music kept her grounded throughout the transition, remaining a constant no matter where she lived.
After the move, her identity as a performer transformed as she began to focus more on her music. When she came to the United States, she began to take voice lessons and felt her singing voice improve dramatically.
“Suddenly, my voice was my strongest asset. And it was the thing I did more than anything else,” she said. “When I came to the U.S., that’s when it transitioned from me loving to sing to people asking me to sing.”
Kudrati-Plummer shared that she was a survivor of sexual assault in high school. She is very open about her experience, which has greatly influenced her music and recovery.
“I’m sort of trying to continue to write songs while I’m recovering from this experience that will hopefully emphasize what it feels like and how it is,” she said. “Unfortunately, so many people experience what I experienced, and I think it’s something that’s really hard to talk about. And I really want to use my voice for some good.”
One of her more popular songs, “Battered Wings,” discusses her feelings about the experience.
“[‘Battered Wings’ is] about how it feels to almost recover,” Kudrati-Plummer said. “Like being broken and battered and then leaving and trying to escape in the real world, and then falling down, and falling down, and then, finally, sort of escaping.”
Her forthcoming song, “Bird’s Eye View,” elaborates on this topic, explaining how she has been able to move past her assault and regain her sense of confidence and autonomy.
“The only two songs I think I would say I’m very proud of are the two songs ‘Battered Wings’ and ‘Bird’s Eye View,’ because they’re the songs that most came from my heart,” she said. “And it’s something that I will continue to want to write about. It’s my most charged experience. And I think because of that, it is something I am constantly wanting to write more about. I’m not done yet. I thought I was done after the first song, and then I was like, ‘I’m not recovered yet.’”
At the College, Kudrati-Plummer continues to focus on her music, while also pursuing a degree in psychology, another one of her greatest passions.
“[Psychology is] just something that I love to study,” Kudrati-Plummer said. “Like I enjoy studying it. I enjoy learning about it. I enjoy understanding the human brain. I’ve always wanted or considered being a therapist, a teacher or a lawyer, and I think psychology can sort of tie into all of those in different ways.”
While Kudrati-Plummer’s ultimate goal is to pursue music full-time, she understands the volatile and uncertain nature of the music industry. Therefore, she is choosing to pursue an academic subject that she loves in the meantime.
Kudrati-Plummer also serves in the Student Assembly as a class of 2028 senator. Her ties to student government began in high school, when she worked as student body president to increase sexual violence awareness in her school system.
“I realized that there were a lot of problems within the school system and within high schools about educating about assault, about helping students who had experienced gender-based violence,” she said. “And I just felt like there needed to be more.”
Kudrati-Plummer has continued sexual violence awareness work in SA. One project she hopes to accomplish during her time in the position is changing the name or acronym of Student Assembly to something other than “SA,” which she says can be a major trigger for victims of sexual assault, often shortened to the same acronym.
“I don’t think it’s reflective of Student Assembly’s goals or also the school to have a Student Assembly that is referred to as ‘SA,’” she said. “And personally, that’s something I’m really passionate about and I will be working on more.”
Now that she has found her footing in the organization, she plans on addressing this issue soon.
As for her music, Kudrati-Plummer continues working tirelessly to make singing her professional career. She is currently working on an upcoming album and regularly performs local gigs in the Virginia and Washington, D.C. area.
̶ Rev. Max Blalock
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Kudrati-Plummer has felt drawn to music since her early childho od and uses songwriting as a way to express her feelings.
Student activist groups describe importance of demonstrating
Students for Justice in Palestine protests as part of the national organizationʼs International Day of Action
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The post also describes a series of disagreements between the Palestinian supporters and Rowe since the rise in demonstrations after the events of Oct. 7, 2023.
“In her first statement after October 7, she called the ‘brutal terrorism against Israeli civilians…abhorrent,’ but did not mention Palestine,” the post read. “She rightfully emphasized heightened antisemitism but failed to mention concerns of Islamophobic & anti-Arab sentiment on campus and nationwide, indicating an alarming inability to recognize crucial student populations and their pain.”
Additionally, SJP commented on recent revisions to the College’s code of conduct, per Governor Glenn Youngkin’s orders, to ban encampments on public academic institutions.
“Rowe’s administration cemented its stance with recent silent, but alarming policy changes targeting SJP and affiliated groups,” SJP wrote. “The most notable, a new clause banning ‘camping’ on university property, is an explicit attempt to preemptively suppress solidarity protests such as last spring’s encampments.”
The post concluded with the Virginia collective emphasizing their administrative grievances.
“On Presidents Day, we recognize the collective failure of Virginia university presidents, whose anti-Palestinian racism and refusal to act for justice expose their complicity in oppression,” the organizations wrote. “When university presidents ignore their students’ overwhelming dissent, it is not leadership– it is cowardice.”
Tuesday, Feb. 18, the College’s SJP tied 1000 ribbons on the Sunken Garden to commemorate the lives lost from the increased violence that has occurred in Gaza and the West Bank since Oct. 7, 2023.
In the Instagram post displaying the 1000 ribbons, SJP described the emotion behind this act.
“We wake up today, on Day 500 of genocide, to 1,000 ribbons tied around Sunken Garden, representing 0.5% of the martyrs of Gaza,” SJP wrote.
SJP implored students to take time to honor victims of the conflict as they pass by the Sunken Garden.
“As you go about your day, pass by the area and take a minute to read the names and ages of the martyred,” the statement said. “Think about the hundreds whose lives were stolen from them before their first birthday, the thousands who should’ve been in high school and university with us right now, and the tens of thousands who had lived out their lives but still lost them too soon and in the cruelest of ways. As always, Free Palestine.”
At 12:30 p.m. the same day, SJP reported on their Instagram account that facilities management had mandated and removed the commemorative ribbons.
“By 11 AM, facilities management workers had the order to remove the ribbons,” SJP wrote on their Instagram story. “They contained no offensive or violent messaging, did no property damage, and incurred no financial cost. Instead, all they held were the names and ages of just 1,000 of the 200,000 martyrs of Gaza.”
Assistant Director of Media Relations Nathan Warters
STUDENT ASSEMBLY
responded to The Flat Hat’s request for comment on the ribbons being taken down, forwarding a message from Senior Associate Director of Student Unions and Engagement Trici Rudalf.
“William & Mary’s Policy on Use of University Facilities by Recognized Student Organizations and Individuals requires that all non-traditional displays receive advance approval by the proper scheduling authority for the space where the nontraditional display is to occur,” Rudalf wrote. “Moreover, the policy requires a non-traditional display must clearly display the name of the posting sponsor. Today’s display was removed when it was determined that neither of these requirements were met.”
In the past, SJP has faced sanctions and issues with the College administration for breaking guidelines when demonstrating, hence the group’s probation in 2023.
According to the campus facility use guidelines, updated in 2024, registered student organizations must receive approval before posting any displays on College property.
“Non-traditional displays require advance approval by the proper scheduling authority for the space where the nontraditional display is to occur. Non-traditional displays are subject to the Policy on Use of University Facilities by Recognized Student Organizations and Individuals and are approved based on availability of space where the non-traditional display does
not pose a hazard to university property and/or operations as determined by Student Unions & Engagement,” the College’s website reads.
The SJP board expressed how imperative yet vulnerable the right to demonstration is in the current political climate.
“We’ve already seen a clear crackdown on protestors, especially those at larger college campuses and those who aren’t already American citizens,” the board wrote. “Students and faculty who aren’t permanent residents or citizens have lost their student and work visas, been threatened with deportation, and more, all on top of the heightened levels of backlash they have already been facing just for being involved in campus activism.”
The collective also described how demonstration efforts are more than just the protests that occur.
“It’s important to also note that organizing and activism go well beyond large demonstrations; they’re about establishing strong communities and networks of support, recognizing the intersectionality of a lot of the problems we’re not fighting back against, and working collectively to protect and empower each other,” SJP wrote. No action of this administration will ever be enough to take down activism, especially amongst college students; we’re still here and we’re still fighting for our communities, even if how we fight just looks a little different for now.”
New class of 2026 senator sworn in, Data Science school integration passed
Outlining reserve limits, financial education for senators, possible reintroduction of student wellness event
ALEXANDRA NAKAMITSU AND SUSANNAH POTEET
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Tuesday, Feb. 11, the College of William and Mary’s Student Assembly Senate voted to pass “The School of Computing, Data Sciences & Physics Student Governance Integration Act,” in addition to introducing two new bills.
The chamber also oversaw the swearing-in of a new class of 2026 senator, filling a vacancy.
Review board member Jason Zheng ’26 swore in Peerawut Ruangsawasdi ’26 to replace the vacancy made by the resignation of Senator Spencer Krivo ’25 last semester. The SA Senate took wapplications to fill the vacancy, selecting Ruangsawasdi earlier this month.
Chair of the Senate Sen. Hazel Vineet ’25, Sen. Mathew Hwang ’25, Sen. Jeffrey Gu ’25, Sen. Kyle Lewis-Johnson ’25, Sen. Laayba Tanoli ’25 and Class President Nicolas Giro-Martin ’27 introduced “The
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Meadows Wellness ‘N Chill Act.” The bill aims to reintroduce the event hosted by the class of 2025 senators since 2021, now partnering with the class of 2027. The event would include painting as well as food items such as cupcakes.
Sen. Matt Swenson ’26 introduced “The Strategy Process for Reserves Act.”
The bill would establish the adoption of an Annual Reserves Resolution, aiming to outline reserve limits and educate all senators on the Student Assembly financial process.
The bill states that a goal of the new bill is to “encourage more significant review of Student Assembly spending” and “cultivate a collaborative, careful mindset in the consideration of other matters.”
The SA Senate also passed “The School of Computing, Data Sciences & Physics Student Governance Integration Act.”
The bill will add several amendments to the Constitution of the Student Assembly and the Code of the Student
Assembly to integrate the new School of Computing, Data Sciences & Physics, which will open at the start of the Fall 2025 semester. The bill adds a senate position for the school and provides funding for SA activities.
These changes will take effect at the start of the 333rd Student Assembly, which will begin in the 2025-26 academic year.
Sen. Ryan Silien ’28 asked the other senators about fliers that had been posted across campus without approval from the College under the name of the Committee for the Contextualization of Campus Landmarks & Iconography on Charter Day. The fliers criticized the names of the College’s landmarks and academic buildings.
As CCL&I is a subsection committee in SA, Silien asked for clarification on the unapproved posting process.
“I think that some of the derisive, sarcastic, ironic language in it, especially in the context of Charter
Day, which is something that student assembly was involved in, planning and making accessible to the students, does not reflect well on us or our mission,” Silien said.
Class President Nico Giro-Martin ’27 addressed Silien’s question by providing context on the relationship between SA and CCL&I and the miscommunication regarding the fliers.
CCL&I is currently a subcommittee of SA but is in the process of potentially moving to a reporting structure. This process would facilitate communication and formalize the group’s relationship with the Student Assembly.
Director of Student Leadership Development Anne Arseneau ’89 M.A.Ed ’92 commented on the relationship between the two organizations.
“We don’t have a solid reporting, which is something Terra, Nico and I have not nailed down, but have been circulating around finalizing,” Arseneau said.
Board of visitors renames kinesiology department, highlights student-athletes
2025 audit is currently underway, prioritizing equitable hiring practices, Workday implementation progresses
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Wednesday, Feb. 5 to Friday, Feb. 7, the College of William and Mary’s board of visitors convened for its third quarterly meeting of the 2024-25 academic year and first meeting of the calendar year. In a change from November, the board returned to Blow Memorial Hall after renovations finished.
Seven of the board’s eight committees met individually to discuss matters pertinent to the College’s functioning, and the full board gathered Friday morning to report back on discussions and vote on resolutions proposed in the committees. The committee on Institutional Advancement did not
meet this cycle but will reconvene ag ain in April. The committee on student experience met on Thursday morning to discuss developments related to student engagement and athletics on campus.
Director of Athletics Brian Mann emphasized the continued academic success of student-athletes at the College, noting they achieved the highest graduation rate among Division 1 public universities.
“For the 19th time in 20 years, we led all Division 1 public institutions in federal graduation rates.
Another tremendous, tremendous accomplishment by our studentathletes with the support of our coaches and staff,” Mann said. Mann further highlighted the
attention the College received with the Feb. 3 nationally televised men’s basketball game against the College of Charleston through Fox Sports commentator John Fanta’s viral tweet about the game.
This tweet showed a video of enthusiastic cheering students in Kaplan Arena, with the caption, “This is what college basketball is about: bringing a campus together!!!”
Mann was especially proud this tweet generated over 200,000 views, spreading a positive message about the students of the College.
With the recent success of the College’s basketball teams, the board focused most of its discussion on how to use athletics as a way to achieve national prominence and preeminence. However, board
members like C. Michael Petters
MBA ‘93 emphasized the importance of maintaining high standards for its student-athletes.
“I think William and Mary would do itself a disservice if we go down a path where we are more interested in the win than we are in the opportunity for a William and Mary caliber student to compete,” Petters said.
e committee on nancial a airs met on Wednesday afternoon to discuss developments regarding the college application process and competition in academics and public access.
The board reviewed prior discussions from November, emphasizing the unique position the College is in compared to other elite public institutions and private universities. They noted that while
the College is smaller than many public Ivy League schools, it is less academically rigorous than most private Ivies.
Many board members viewed this unique position in comparison to other colleges as unstable and underlined the need to grow the College.
College President Katherine Rowe emphasized the need to expand without physical disruption and the subsequent objective of preserving an intimate learning process. Rowe also repeated the goal of “National Preeminence” that the board wishes to bring to the image and ranking of the College.
“We must be more attractive,” Rowe said. “We need more demand.”
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Students for Justice in Palestine gather on Sadler Terrace to protest the Collegeʼs stance on the war in Gaza and Trumpʼs proposition to buy Gaza.
Professor John McGlennon discusses current polarization in American politics
Voter Engagement Committee hosts Class of 1935 professor, addressing political divide
CAROLYN REID THE FLAT HAT
Wednesday, Feb. 12, the Voter Engagement Committee hosted a lecture by Class of 1935 Professor John McGlennon, titled “Why are American politics so polarized, and will things ever change?” McGlennon shared his insights into the deepening divisions within American politics and potential paths forward to heal the partisan divide.
McGlennon has taught at the College since 1974, specializing in U.S. politics with a focus on the American South and Virginia. He spent a large part of the lecture identifying the nature of political polarization, tracing its historical roots and analyzing how it has evolved over the years.
“People [today] are affiliating with other people who are more like themselves than like the people who identify with the other political party,” McGlennon said.
He contrasted this present-day political situation with his prior experience in government.
“I was a candidate twice for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 1980s, and I can tell you at that time the nature of partisan polarization was very different. It was not a polarized political system,” he said.
In addition to contrasting his experience with the current landscape, McGlennon also drew parallels to other similar periods of polarization.
McGlennon takes a lot of comfort from the nation’s ability to get through this similar era of polarization. He holds an optimistic view about the nation’s ability to similarly move past our current one.
“The hopeful thing is that at some point things will become less polarized,” he said.
Many attendees appreciated McGlennon’s unique political insight and extensive historical knowledge.
“I definitely learned a lot,” Zoe Wang ’25 M.P.P. ’26 said. “I didn’t know that America had gone through this period of polarization at the turn of the 19th to the 20th century.”
“He is clearly well-versed,” Griffin Must ’25 M.P.P ’26 said, a student attendee of the event. “He did a really good job of using the past to explain the present.”
Jack Hunter ’26, another student in attendance, echoed these sentiments.
“It’s nice to talk to people who have been on the earth longer and have been through some more things to provide some perspective. Everything can feel just so much more urgent in the moment.”
This diversity of takeaways from the event was evident in the reflections shared by student attendees. For example, Wang expressed concern about the current state of division in American politics.
“People just don’t really see eye to eye anymore,” she said. “I think we need to do more to bring people together.”
Following the lecture, McGlennon opened the floor up for questions from the audience, which allowed attendees to raise areas of concern or doubt. This interactive segment underscored the event’s broader purpose of fostering civic engagement and dialogue.
The Voter Engagement Committee hosted the talk. The group consists of students, faculty and staff at the College who promote “the value of voting by providing information and hosting events year-round that encourage voter education, registration, and participation,” according to its website.
“People hear voter engagement, and they just think
elections, voting. There’s so many other layers of participating,” Sam Houghton ’25, a member of the committee and organizer of the event, said. Rich Thompson, associate director of Civic and Community Engagement and a staff member of the committee, also weighed in on the impact of McGlennon’s lecture.
“I feel that this program aligns with and supports the university’s Democracy Initiative as a cornerstone of the Vision 2026 Strategic Plan,” Thompson said. “As stated in the plan, we hope to ‘rediscover the ideals that make pluralistic democracies strong in a time of great division.’”
When asked what he hopes attendees will take away from the talk, Thompson hoped it spoke to the unique perspectives each student brought to the talk.
“I believe that it is possible that his program might inspire participants to learn more on the subject matter and have constructive dialogue,” Thompson said.
Thompson further underscored the importance of the Voter Engagement Committee’s efforts.
“Offering events such as this reaffirms that the heart of democracy is an ongoing practice beyond one’s ultimate expression of voting which is a yearly practice here in the Commonwealth of Virginia,” Thompson said. “Additionally, when students organize events such as this one, they practice civic leadership skills that quite often carry on beyond their time here at William and Mary.”
The talk offered a unique opportunity for students and faculty to explore the complex issue of political polarization and to reflect on how they, as future leaders, can contribute to building a more united political landscape.
College advises faculty to continue research, awaiting federal update
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In an email to The Flat Hat, Ickes commented that he is most troubled about the impacts of the administration’s significant reduction of USAID funding.
“It’s difficult to pinpoint one area, but I am concerned for countries with weak and unstable health systems that may really struggle to function apart from USAID funding,” Ickes wrote. “Much of USAID’s work is in strengthening health systems — partnering with local governments to establish robust health systems. This is often slow work that is about building infrastructure and human resources.
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These changes could really stimy that work and put many countries on a much different trajectory.”
Ickes further expressed apprehension about what these federal cuts will mean for the United States’ reputation as a leader in global medical research.
“The U.S. has been by and large respected and appreciated as a leader in the global health field,” he said. “These abrupt changes may quickly change our nation’s international perception.”
Abigail Mulhern ’27 is a mathematics major specializing in pre-college math education and plans on conducting
research for an honors thesis. She believes that while federal research funding cuts may be detrimental, they might also serve as cost savings in instances where higher education institutions can cover indirect costs themselves.
“If lab equipment and facility management is something that these research institutions can afford to do on their own, then I would completely understand why the funding should be cut out of that,” Mulhern said.
“But I would want more information on what the direct costs are versus the indirect, how it’s been done in the past, and what the institutions are specifically asking for.”
Norah Myerow ’27, a biology major, noted that she has been having a difficult time finding research opportunities on campus. While she is unsure if this is because of potential federal research cuts, she still finds the possibility concerning.
“I’ve already been hearing some instances from other students that their labs that they are currently in have been underfunded, and for the research that they’re getting paid to do, they are getting paid less or not at all,” Myerow said. “I think it’s probably going to make it a lot harder for students who are looking to do research like myself.”
Board of visitors confirm three new majors, commends basketball teams
BOARD OF VISITOR S from page 3
The board also discussed the financial advantage of degree specialization, as it improves the College’s academic diversity and draws in more applicants. The new Batten School of Coastal and Marine Science was particularly positively noted, as the College is one of the only universities in the commonwealth of Virginia to offer a degree in marine science.
The College is a tuitiondependent university, as more than 60% of the budget comes from tuition. Currently, the College receives 13-15% of its budget from state support and that percentage is unlikely to change with upcoming legislation.
As the College continues its Vision 2026, construction costs continue to increase compared to past years. Many board members opposed a major tuition increase, instead determining that a focus on reimagining philanthropy structures and cutting unnecessary costs would be more effective
The Committee on Academic Affairs convened Wednesday afternoon, passing a resolution to officially rename the kinesiology department to the department of Health Sciences. The change follows the board’s previous approval of new bachelor of arts degrees in human health and physiology, as well as public health.
This decision also comes in response to an external board review which recommended the department’s name change to match industry standards and include newer elements from the growing academic discipline. The resolution specifies that no faculty positions will be lost due to the renaming;
only the internal organization will shift accordingly.
The committee also reviewed responses to a student survey conducted in fall 2024 to ascertain areas for growth in refining the academic experience. Students highlighted four main themes as their foremost priorities: solving real-world problems; commitment to learning; curiosity and critical thinking; rigor and high standards and faculty engagement and support.
Rowe reaffirmed the College’s continued engagement with the four pillars of Vision 2026: data, water, democracy and careers. She also encouraged students to utilize the College’s wide alumni network to gain professional opportunities.
Rowe then reviewed notable campus events from last semester that received national coverage, such as the Bray School dedication ceremony and Jane Batten’s $100 million donation to establish the Batten School of Coastal and Marine Sciences, slated to open next fall.
Finally, Rowe identified common goals across the board’s eight committees, aiming to unify their objectives and work. These priorities included broadened student enrollment from every state, continued alumni engagement with the College’s development and growing the College’s reputation in regions like the West Coast and Northeast.
The Committee on Audit, Risk and Compliance met Thursday to discuss the College’s auditing procedure for the current fiscal year. The College’s audit will take place between January and May, with central goals of developing group financial statements, taking into account the Virginia Institute
of Marine Science and Richard Bland College.
The audit team is composed of 16 experienced professionals who have previously conducted audits and financial research for other Virginia universities as well as federal and state government departments.
The committee distinguished between two main components of the 2025 audit’s central objectives. These include the “required supplementary information” and “optional supplementary information,” both of which screen for errors in the College’s financial tabulations. The committee then laid out its methodologies, which combine quantitative and qualitative methods, as well as detect potential fraud and notify relevant parties.
The committee reviewed the College’s 2024 audit cycle, during which reviews of seven departments were submitted out of a possible 10. The other three, on human resources, athletics Title IX and the RBC IT security audit, were deferred or cancelled.
Committee members then provided a joint update of the progress toward implementing Workday, the College’s new internal management software expected to launch in July. The internal audit team is currently supervising testing to ensure smooth operation of the software, which is being conducted by the external advisory, tax and assurance firm Baker Tilly. Workday is undergoing its second full test of the development cycle. Audit committee members then addressed changes to federal policy regarding affirmative action. They addressed President Donald J. Trump’s recent signing of an executive order, which revoked
President Lyndon B. Johnson’s 1965 order to prevent hiring discrimination on the basis of “race, creed, color or national origin.”
The College’s review determined that “affirmative action staffing has been adequate” and announced the College’s intentions to hire a human resources employee with experience in affirmative action.
The hiring effort comes at a time when diversity, equity and inclusion programs are directly under attack by the federal government, signaling the College’s desire to maintain a diverse workforce and equal opportunity.
Finally, the committee reviewed the Hazing Prevention Consortium which groups 11 colleges and universities in an effort to increase hazing education on campuses. The review reaffirmed the College’s dedication to continuing anti-hazing training for students interested in joining high-risk clubs and organizations.
The College’s anti-hazing faculty includes 15 trained professionals, who have so far delivered training to 4,776 students.
Friday, Feb. 7, the board of visitors met for a final full board meeting. This served as a time for individual committees to update the full board on their meetings throughout the past few days.
Rector Charles E. Poston JD ’74, P ’02, ’06 led the meeting, opening with a remark of gratitude.
“This weekend has been a $100 million weekend for us as well,” Poston said. “We learned about the $50 million gift for the tuition cost for the Batten School of Marine Science. We also celebrated last night the opening of the Muscarelle Museum reopening, which is a $46 million project.
This afternoon, we’re going to celebrate again the gift from the Mackesy family, which will put us well over $100 million this month. This is a phenomenal time, and we’re grateful for all of this.”
The meeting continued with Rowe updating the board on the success of 2024’s Year of the Arts. She remarked on the Muscarelle Museum’s reopening and the board’s approval of three new undergraduate majors: human health and physiology, public health and coastal and marine science.
“Transformations of our curriculum that take the breath of the liberal arts and sciences and direct them at leading areas of interest and employment in this country,” Rowe said about the newly available majors.
Vice-Rector Barbara L. Johnson JD ’84 addressed the board on behalf of the Committee of Academic Affairs. She highlighted the decision to rename the department of kinesiology to the department of health sciences.
Stephen J. Huebner ’76 P ’09, head of the Committee on Audit, Risk and Compliance updated the board on their meetings, as did Petters, chairman of the Committee of Financial Affairs.
Similarly, Committees of Student Experiences, Student Interests, Faculty Representatives and Institutional Advancement all provided updates from their prior meetings that week.
The meeting concluded with the appointment of Huebner, Lincoln Saunders ’06 and Tawanda Johnson to a nominating committee that is tasked with finding a replacement for Johnson, as her eligibility on the board is at an end.
POLITICS
GUEST COLUMN
The futility of twitter activism
To many of us, the general disaffectedness and ultimately blinding individualism that drives neoliberal culture proves to be unsatisfying. We know that there are many interlocking systems that drive the problems that we face today. To be made to bear witness to such atrocities on such scales as genocides puts our moral engines into overdrive — we have to do something. And one of the easiest things to do in a state of moral stress is to start moralizing everything. But this moralizing, apart from being unproductive, ultimately proves to be the alienation of many (but certainly not all) those pointing out the aggravating nature of those who are “chronically online.”
A personal example: Many of you know that J.K. Rowling has created herself as a sort of face for the Trans-exclusionary Radical Feminist movement, a large force driving the onslaught of the transphobia we witness today. Because of this, many transgender people and allies have advocated for the boycotting of the Harry Potter series, as Rowling donates generously to organizations such as conversion therapies for transgender children. To me, a person well-versed in internet spaces where such ideas are discussed, to watch Harry Potter can feel like an admission of transphobia — like I am saying I don’t care enough about this issue for it to affect my behavior. And recently, I found myself in the position where I got into a heated discussion with my friends over watching Harry Potter for a movie night. I was arguing we were serving Rowling’s transphobic ends by watching what was a beloved movie from their childhoods (not mine, I will admit). They were essentially arguing that it wasn’t that deep, and that many movies were “stained,” so to speak, with the hands of bad agents. We ended up watching a different movie after my friends saw how much this was bothering me, but something stuck with me for days after the fact. A dissonance between the notions of morality I had internalized, where I had to avoid anything that could be seen as causing harm in some way, and the very valid point my friends had raised that many a producer and director have questionable morals. And it is here where
we see the breakdown of this kind of moral framework. Should I be avoiding them too?
Should I be doing more research into directors? I probably shouldn’t have that Disney+ subscription for multiple reasons. Am I a bad person for not caring enough?
And of course the answer is no. We know that the answer is no. But just as liberals find themselves in the pitfalls of placing responsibility for the physical failures of the system onto individuals, leftists find themselves internalizing and often displacing onto others the moral failures of the system.
To me, an anxious person obsessed by the notion of moral perfection, it’s not a problem to accept that the system isn’t working. But, weirdly, a part of me is grieved by the fact that none of this bullshit is my fault. And if I’m a little cynically honest with myself, nothing I’m doing is changing something like the tens of thousands of dollars that Rowling is donating.
I believe that at the core of many a hopeful leftist is optimism. We want to believe that something can be better, that we can have a world without transphobia or racism or genocide or billionaire capitalism. And we should believe that, because it’s hope that spurs us onto action, but the devastating fact of the matter is that we do live in a world with powerful people that are transphobic and racist and genocidal and capitalist. And that it doesn’t do any favors to act like that is caused by ourselves or our neighbors. We are not our own enemies. Indeed, even your angry alt-right grandfather is not the source of the world’s suffering (I know he might be the source of some suffering. And we’ll get to that.)
This moral sensitivity, as I mentioned, also leads to ostracization. “It’s not that deep” culture, in my opinion, minimizes what is often either earnest enjoyment of something or genuine critique. But sometimes, the statement is true. To a frustrated leftist, seeing demonstrations of racism left and right may make one start displacing anger at the system onto anything that might possibly be a symptom of it, even if it is only tenuously related. It is this phenomenon we see criticized in the concept of the “Social Justice Warrior,” a sensitive, angry
person that just needs to calm down.
Do not get me wrong — to be angry or sensitive are not things that I believe should be criticized, especially in the face of marginalization. But we do rightly feel that something is amiss when we see student body elections between two reasonable (not racist) presidential candidates at our college compared to Jim Crow-era racism. Because it really isn’t that deep. And I get why one may feel it’s that deep. There’s so much going on all the time in the world. And sometimes, the straw just breaks the camel’s back. But perhaps this energy is better directed elsewhere.
And that’s where leftists, while successfully acknowledging the futility of trying to bring about change in the minds of those far removed from themselves, can successfully diverge from the detachment from issues that permeates many liberals. It’s by realizing that certain things are in our control. I believe that this is where (as trite and overused this turn of phrase may be) “communityoriented” models of leftism really shine.
You can’t end transphobia by kinda derailing movie night for your friends. But you can make sure that your trans friends know that you support them, and maybe be a little bit more vocal the next time you notice someone close to you use the wrong pronouns for someone. You can donate to that organization that you noticed tabling when you have a minute and dollar to spare. You can’t end capitalism. But you can donate some food to the food bank around you. You can’t end climate change. But maybe you can volunteer at a garden. And in the process of doing this, of talking to people and interacting with the world around you, you find yourself in circumstances where you can do a little bit more — where you’re the one tabling, or you make a homeless friend or you organize a food drive. And then once you can do it, you’ll find that you can actually do it. And you’ll feel so much more satisfied and in tune with your community than any infinite amount of discoursing or moralizing you’d do in accordance with what people on Twitter dictate.
This article is, in some ways, a free pass to stress a little less about the world. But in other ways, it’s an urge to do more that’s actually useful that you know you can do. Not from a place of moral anxiety, but out of a place of wanting to do something concrete for the people around you. It’s small waves like these that pave the way for larger things like campus, city or even bigger change. But even if what you do in the world doesn’t end up creating large waves around the entire globe, you can still go to sleep knowing that you fed someone, made someone’s day a little less hard or pushed back on some prejudice that you saw. And that is, regardless of its size, something.
ShalomAkolatse’26isaMathmajor and Chemistry minor. He is Co-EditorIn-Chief of Black Poets Society, and Internal Vice President for Pi Kappa Alpha. Rumor has it that he can be caughtnappinginhislab’scouchinthe ISC.Contacthimatscakolatse@wm.edu
STAFF COLUMN
For the single people
Since the origin of time, Valentine’s Day has only been fun if Cupid has pierced your heart with a requited arrow. If that lucky moment occurs, chocolates, teddy bears and romance sweep joyfully through the day. Roller skating dates, flowers and serenading are in order. For some, it might even be the time to “pop the question” with flourish: “will you [Insert-Name-Here] go to Chick-Fil-A with me?”
The rest of the general populace is often tossed aside and forgotten when Feb. 14 waltzes onto the calendar. They spend the day listening to Laufey’s stellar ballad, “Falling Behind,” on loop, killing the trees by using three boxes of tissues and tearfully rewatching “La La Land.” This melancholy group of nonlovers is left feeling like loners or losers, when being a singleton is not that. Not this Valentine’s Day.
This Valentine’s Day is for all the single ladies, as Beyoncé would say. That is, all the single people, though the latter term doesn’t have the same lyrical resonance.
You see, although Hershey’s kisses, love notes and fanfare are all well and good, the holiday, at its core, celebrates love. We tend to misconstrue this as only pertaining to romantic love, but that’s a pretty narrow-minded view of one of the most beautiful and powerful forces in the world. You see, although “Romeo and Juliet” endures as a tragic love story, it could just as easily celebrate friendship and be dubbed “Romeo and Mercutio!” Okay, that was pretty weak, considering Mercutio kicks the bucket halfway through, but you can’t win them all.
Anyway, we love each other in a million ways. We love our families and/or found families, we love our friends and you know what? We should also love ourselves! Because it’s trendy and cool (and terribly important, but also trendy and cool)!
So, my dearest STWAMPs (Single Typical William and Mary Persons), let’s put on our Valentine’s Day best, mute Laufey for the day and turn on some totally tubular rock-and-roll. After some hard-core jammin’, it’s time to imagine your dream date. Now, I know what you’re think-
ing. “All-Knowing Alex,” you say, rudely interrupting my article. “Didn’t you just say don’t be a mopey singleton all day? Won’t thinking about dates ruin my Valentine’s Day?” To which I reply, “Stay with me, people!”
Okay, so you’re imagining your dream date. It starts with receiving a mysterious note from your partner, followed by a limousine rolling up in front of your dorm. You emerge from the Green and Gold Village flawlessly sporting the sickest outfit ever. Your partner has to wear sunglasses because of the glare of your awesomeness. Then you both go to Commons Dining Hall, and the heavenly cinnamon rolls (yes, they are real) are on the menu.
Now, let’s make this perfect date happen, singletons. Well, maybe without the limo, since that would be financially unrealistic. And since you don’t have a romantic partner, they won’t be wearing sunglasses. And cinnamon rolls are never a guarantee at Caf. But hey, you can still wear a great outfit and go! What’s more, you need not do it alone. Remember me droning on about your life being full of love, even if your bucket of romance is empty? Yeah, those people. Call your Mom at Caf. I’m with her right now, and she says it sounds great. Gather your friends and tell them to cancel their stupid dates and join you. They might even wear sunglasses in the glare of your awesomeness (see above). Or, you know what? Bring yourself, because you are as iconic as Sue Sylvester in “Glee.”
Maybe Caf isn’t your thing. Maybe a dream-date excursion isn’t your thing. Maybe you would rather spend the day writing notes to your buddies, telling them all to read The Flat Hat. Maybe you want to assemble your favorite people and go on a golden hour stroll through Colonial Williamsburg. Maybe you just want an evening of self-care. Valentine’s Day can be about you, it can be about friendship, it can be about your family. Really, it can be about anything you want. Because love is everywhere. Let’s say you just really love Wawa. Well, guess what? You can celebrate that all day Feb. 14th. You get to decide.
So, dearest STWAMPS, if you gather nothing else from this article, which I pulled out of my … creative spirit … the day it was due, I hope you leave with this: you are as incredible as the astounding album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.” You are full of sunglasses-worthy awesomeness. And most of all, you are loved. So, happy Valentine’s Day! I’m done now. Yep, I should really stop writing. Toodaloo!
Alexandra Hill ’28 is a prospective English major and creative writing minor. She does research at the IIC Conservation GIS lab and is a member of Vox. When she’s not submitting her columnslate,youcanfindheryapping, daydreaming, or dancing really badly. Contact her atabhill@wm.edu.
FLAT HAT OPINIONS ASSOC.
Alexandra Hill
GRAPHIC BY CATHERINE STORKE / THE FLAT HAT
THE FLAT HAT
Shalom Akolatse
GRAPHIC BY HANNAH YANG / THE FLAT HAT COMIC
COMIC BY MICHAEL GABRIEL / THE FLAT HAT
Eva’s Apple #1: The perfect morning routine
Eva Jaber FLAT HAT OPINIONS ASSOC.
We have two questions to answer today. The first is one that I’m normatively expected to answer, and the second is one that I feel morally obligated to answer. I will begin with the latter: who am I, and why am I not Adam Jutt? Well, I guess that’s more than one question, but let’s consider it a 2a and 2b situation.
2a) Who am I? The answer: not Adam Jutt.
2b) Why am I not Adam Jutt? Well, I feel like that’s a bit of an unfair question for me to have pretended that you asked me. If you believe in fate, maybe I was just never meant to be Adam. If you believe in free will, perhaps I could be Adam and just choose not to be. If you believe in other things, but not me, maybe I am just incapable of being Adam or even remotely like Adam (which is not nice of you to say; please take it back).
2littletoolate) Who is Adam Jutt? If you asked this question, shame on you. Go read the last nine issues.
Now that we cleared that up, let me paint you a picture. You, a student at the Alma Mater of the Nation, go to The Flat Hat’s Instagram story seeking advice. You are a regular reader of The Flat Hat (good on you), and you’ve been waiting for your moment to ask a question that Adam will write a witty and enlightening response to. Much to your surprise (and chagrin), however, some random lady picks up your question. And not only that! She’s also claiming divine right to ADAM’S column*** (see below for context; in the hypothetical scenario you read all the way through before passing judgement).
***In the Biblical story about the apple, BOTH Eve and Adam eat the fruit. So why can’t we BOTH share the food of knowledge with campus?
Maybe you argue that my name is Eva, which is not accurate to the story and thus results in an insufficient analogy. How dare you. To that, I retort that the Bible never even says what type of fruit the forbidden fruit is. For all we know, this column could be just as accurate (but perhaps not as alliterative) if it was called Adam’s Nectarine, or Pomegranate or Strawberry available at Sadler when there are certain special events going on. If the fruit could be anything, maybe Eve was a nickname. Any objections? My point stands.
Back to the picture I was so vividly painting for you. Imagine you, a student seeking advice, are quite disappointed that it is not Adam answering your question. I implore you to reframe your mindset. Adam is in retirement for heaven’s sake. Did you expect him to do this forever without respite or reward? Hey, here’s an idea: maybe you should be happy for Adam, which leads me to the first question (the one that you asked, that I was arguably supposed to be answering this whole time).
The question this week is as follows:
“Adam, what’s a good morning routine?”
After spending so much time trying to justify my right to give you advice in Adam’s place, you might be surprised that I didn’t edit his name out of the question. I, dear reader, have journalistic integrity. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d
like to focus my time and attention on answering this question.
The key to any great morning routine is to practice habits that set you up for success. For example, you only have so much brain power you can use in one day. In order to maximize productivity, you shouldn’t think a single original thought before your first class. How does one achieve this optimal state of mind? The answer is simple: watch “Shark Tank”. All morning. I have anticipated your objections to my professional recommendation, and I will now exhaust the rest of my energy proving you so very wrong.
1) Doesn’t TV rot your brain? Keeping with the theme of journalistic integrity, I’m going to list off a few very real statistics that I don’t need to cite because they’re not made up. While shorter videos negatively impact your attention span, watching informative long-form media (e.g. “Shark Tank”) actually makes you, like, 742% smarter. Also, according to someone who watched “Shark Tank” for a prolonged period of time, they now use words like perpetuity and proprietary 17 times more often. The friends they still have left think it makes them sound very cool.
2) Why “Shark Tank” specifically? We’re talking about maximizing productivity here. Shows like “Cocomelon” or “Grey’s Anatomy” might be distracting or entertaining, but they won’t teach you to structure royalty deals like Kevin, think about patents like Laurie or issue ultimatums like Mark. If you’re filling your brain with nonsense, you might as well fill it with financially literate nonsense.
3) Doesn’t the show glorify capitalism and preach American exceptionalism to an excessive, even propagandistic, degree? Sorry, out of words.
Consider this article my official apology to all you Adam loyalists out there. Perhaps, in time, you may learn to appreciate the value of diverse perspectives. Until then, maybe you can find some comfort in asking how to solve some of your life problems in that little box on The Flat Hat’s Instagram story. I dunno… seems like a pretty good idea to me.
EvaJaber‘28(she/her)isaprospectiveEnglishorinternationalrelationsmajor.Sheisamemberofthe Cleftomaniacsacappellagroup,anESL tutorandhopestoencouragepeacemindedadvocacyoncampus.Contact heratehjaber@wm.edu.
With Donald Trump, you get what you pay for
Mollie Shi ett FLAT HAT OPINIONS EDITOR
I knew I was going to end up writing this at some point. I had hoped that it wouldn’t have been this soon, but I kind of had a feeling I wouldn’t have to. It’s been a little over a month since the inauguration, and amongst the barrage of WTF moments — all of his cabinet nominations, etc. — there seems to be some kind of buyer’s remorse among those who voted for him. I guess they didn’t want to read the fine print he was shouting in their faces. When it comes to Donald Trump, you get what you pay for, and some of his supporters should have double checked that price tag.
These issues do not just apply to one sect of Trump’s voting base.
In an article in the Washington Post, Venezuelan immigrants liv -
ing in Miami who supported Trump because — at least in part — they believed that he would help ensure that Venezuela’s dictator Nicolas Maduro was removed from power (which of course hasn’t happened). And now Trump is moving forward with plans to remove the temporary protective status that has kept these Venezuelans in the country. For them to place their trust in a president so deeply anti-immigration, whose racist rhetoric is frequently on display, is baffling to me. But there’s also the school teachers who voted for Trump in Bell County, Ky., a poor county that relies on federal funding from the Department of Education to subsidize the costs of things like pay for teachers, etc. According
to a CNN piece, the 15 states that most rely on federal funding for their schools all voted for Trump. But again, his policies on education have been well known, and they carry on from what he did in his first term, according to a piece in EdWeek. They focus on deep spending cuts to the Department of Education, and on the campaign trail, he even called for it to be dismantled. Did no one who voted for him see this coming?
It also affects those that didn’t vote for him, but chose not to vote at all. In Michigan, according to a CBS article, specifically in Dearborn, one of the highest per capita Muslim populations, Trump won 43% of the Arab-American vote, and Kamala Harris won 37%.
A few of the Arab-Americans interviewed said that their decisions were not a vote for Trump, but rather a vote against Kamala Harris and her perceived role as the heir to Joe Biden’s policies and beliefs when it comes to Israel. The Biden viewpoint on Israel, and especially on continuing to support or deal with Benjamin Netanyahu, was certainly one of, if not the most, deeply concerning aspects of the former president’s policies, but I find it hard to believe that — by this protest or any other like it — any group that chose to not vote for the Democratic Party over Trump is getting a better deal than they would have had under a Democratic presidency. And yes, Trump’s plan
The lethal combo: finding the perfect person
In the wake of Valentine’s Day joy (or suffering), I thought it would be fitting to talk about an ingenious idea that came to me during a casual conversation with a friend over a serious, yet extremely unserious game of pool. The idea, as we came to call it, is the lethal combination, or lethal combo for short and put simply, it identifies characteristics that would make a potential love interest almost unimaginably perfect for you. Three things that, combined in one person, must mean that they are made for you, your soulmate written in the stars or whatever. Is this idea even somewhat true? Does something besides those three main qualities matter? Does anything? Is the idea of a “perfect person” an outdated, unattainable goal that most people just don’t realize is obsolete?
Let’s start with the backstory. The first week back, my friend and I decided to play pool after dinner knowing that inevitably, we would get too busy to do it any time between then and the last day of classes. We’ll see if that prediction turns out to be right in a few months, but what came out of our snail-paced, embarrassingly bad game of pool was this weird idea of the lethal combo.
Listening to her describe someone, I jokingly said, “Oh, he’s got the lethal combo!” which was followed by a few laughs. But then we started thinking aloud… The lethal combo. Some things, in combination with each other, make certain people very attractive to us — and not to get too deep with this, but what are, let’s say, those three things?
Immediately, we came to a problem. “They’ve got to be kind, considerate, clever” etc., etc. The list could keep going with no end in sight. But these are all qualities that you’re supposed to have anyway, aren’t you? You wouldn’t even consider dating someone if they didn’t have some semblance of human decency… I would hope so at least.
Then the three qualities I talk about must be some sort of bonus points. Suppose you are already on good terms with someone, you like them as a person just fine — what would it take to push you
to develop Gaza seems impossible and generally ridiculous. But there was also a point where Elon Musk being involved in government at all seemed ridiculous, just like it seemed ridiculous that anyone would put Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in charge of anything related to health, but here we are.
This is not to say that those who voted for Trump — or chose to vote third party — didn’t have a good reason to vote the way they did (at least in their minds). It makes sense that those who are the poorest and have felt inflation hit the hardest would be looking for any kind of solution, or that voters believed he was more likely to end the war in Gaza (and the ceasefire is there, but tenuous at best), or whatever else they thought, they all seem to have forgotten one small but not insignificant detail: with Donald Trump, anything is possible, and whatever that “anything” is, it normally isn’t good. You get what you pay for, and he made no bones about what you would be getting: a loud, crude, racist rapist who couldn’t care less about what he does and who it hurts or helps, as long as he can come out looking like the winner. So congratulations, we now have to watch piece
over the line of just liking them as a friend? If anything?
As it usually happens, the conversation kept bouncing off every point we made to something a little bit more complicated. Deciding to visualize it a little bit, we came up with the idea of a triangle with one quality at each of the three angles. Now, imagine someone with basic human decency. They’re kind, generous, somewhat smart and generally a good person. It is possible for you to imagine that someone you randomly meet could have two out of three of those qualities. If my lethal combo is being tall, playing tennis and playing a musical instrument, it may not bwwe too surprising if I meet someone who can play tennis and is tall. But somehow, if the person you’re thinking of has all three — it’s so unimaginable, they must be made for you. In other words, it was destined to be. All kinds of things came up, like having a good sense of humour, being of the same religious beliefs, having doe-eyes… I was already back in my dorm when I thought that maybe the lethal combo doesn’t matter at all. You may have an idea of someone perfect for you in your head, and assign to them endless attributes, but if you meet someone you like, none of that would really matter, would it? How often do we end up dating people we’ve always imagined to date? It’s true, there may be non-negotiable qualities we may want in a partner. Yet for the most part, when you meet someone you ‘click’ with, it’s not the lethal combo that makes them the right person for you. It’s them being who they are. Sometimes, the right people happen to be the most unexpected ones, regardless of whether or not they satisfy the criteria for your “perfect person.” Let me leave you with this. There are times when someone seems to be right for us and it breaks us to pieces when they turn out not to be. Other times, we think we won’t be compatible with someone, or it won’t work, and despite our fears, we try something and it leads us somewhere better than we could ever have imagined. Quite often, there is no way to tell whether some interactions will lead to a meaningful relationship — the only way to figure that out is to try. LanaAltunashvili’27isaprospectiveinternationalrelations major.SheisaJamesMonroe Scholar and a member of Club Tennis. Contact her at laltunashvili@wm.edu.
by piece as he does his level best to undermine and dismantle every form of American democracy he can. He will demean women and limit their rights, and continue to attack those populations who are the most vulnerable. I just don’t understand how the people who voted for him — who are suddenly worried about what he’s doing — didn’t spend even a little bit of time to look at the not insubstantial pile of evidence he’s left us of his character and how he handles power, or even just what he’s said.
He will make it us against them until we don’t know who they are anymore and we don’t know who we are anymore. And the worst thing about it is, no matter how much he continues to screw over his base, they will never believe he had anything to do with it. It will always be someone else’s fault. It’s a long road ahead and I hope we’re all still standing at the end of it.
Mollie Shiflett ’26 is a double majorinhistoryandlinguistics,not that she knows what to do with that. SheplaysonWomen’sClubSoccer GoldfortheCollegeofWilliamand Maryandisanavidfanofmost sports—exceptgolf.EmailMollie at mrshiflett@wm.edu.
GRAPHIC BY MICHAEL GABRIEL / THE FLAT HAT
STAFF COLUMN
Lana Altunashvili FLAT HAT OPINIONS ASSOC.
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variety
Bots Go Broadway
Student vocal ensemble The Botetourt Chamber Singers performs m usical theatre favorites
The evening of Saturday, Feb. 15, crowds of Williamsburg’s students, residents and families ducked out of the pouring rain into the warmly lit Concert Hall of the Music Arts Center. The occasion? Boutetourt Chamber Singers’ –affectionately dubbed “Bots” – annual Gala.
Themed “Enemies to Lovers,” the concert’s program featured duets, trios and even quintets of famous Broadway tunes. Songs ranged from “Love is An Open Door” (“Frozen”) and “Dear Theodosia” (“Hamilton”) to “Agony” (“Into the Woods”) and “Come What May” (“Moulin Rouge”).
As the lights dimmed, the choir filed across the stage and, in an unexpected twist, all 23 singers turned their backs to the audience. When the accompanying pianist played the first chords, the entire ensemble snapped their heads around and launched into an elaborately choreographed performance of “The Riddle” (“The Scarlet Pimpernel”).
Dean Waters ’25 has been coming to nearly every Boutetourt Chamber Singers performance since he was a sophomore.
“For one concert a year, Bots not only sings –they dance as well,” Waters said. “It’s always so colorful and bright; it’s true art.”
Leslie Ipock ’26, one of the evening’s soloists, agreed that the Gala was one of her favourite concerts of the year, pointing to the intricate staging, choreographed dancing and different genre of music.
“I don’t get to do this kind of stuff often,” Ipock said, “Usually, we do a lot of chamber music, often a capella.”
Ipock, who sang “A Little Priest” (“Sweeney Todd”) and “For Good” (“Wicked” ), has been in Bots since the beginning of her time at the College of William and Mary.
“I joined as soon as I could. It’s hands down the best thing that could’ve happened to me freshman year,” Ipock said.
Through Bots, Ipock has made many close friends, including Erica White, who she sang “For Good” with. During the performance, both wore long dresses – Ipock’s a dark green and White’s a light pink – perfectly coordinated to their roles of Elphaba and Glinda, although Ipock swore it was
a coincidence.
This year’s gala was particularly special, explained Ipock. Although the Gala is a fundraising event for choral tours every year, this will be the first summer since the pandemic that Boutetourt Chamber Singers will tour internationally.
“All of us are really excited, since we didn’t get to go,” Ipock said.
In October, Bots will also be celebrating its 50th anniversary since its founding in 1974 by professor emeritus of Music Frank T. Lendrim.
The second half of the show featured the only a capella performance of the night, a quartet of The Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows.” This was followed by a jazz performance by Harris Simon and the Student Jazz Combo, featuring instructor and director Simon on the piano as well as three student musicians on the trombone, bass and drums. As he sat down, Simon adjusted the microphone in front of his face and the crowd shifted in their seats. He assured the audience he wouldn’t sing, and instead pulled out a harmonica, an instrument for which he is equally famed as the piano.
The interlude was well received by the audience. After the concert, Ashiya Lawrence ’27 expressed how much she had enjoyed the music.
“The concert was very, very good. Especially the part where it diverged into a jazz performance,” Lawrence said.
The common audience opinion of the concert seemed to be positive. Waters expressed that Bots’ performances are always a delight.
“The Botetourt Chamber Singers is perhaps the best vocal choir or ensemble that William and Mary has. Each singer in the ensemble, what they sing, it turns into gold,” Waters said.
The finale began as the overture had: with the ensemble’s backs to the audience. One by one, the singers turned around and began to sing “People” (“Funny Girl”). After their bows, Natalie Basham ’25 and Alice Pancake ’25, who had introduced each song throughout the night, handed bouquets to the accompanists and the jazz musicians, as well as to the Boutetourt Chamber Singers’ conductor, associate professor of music Jamie C. Bartlett. They reminded the
audience to keep an eye out for the upcoming 50th anniversary CD, and to follow Bots choral performances through their upcoming tour to Northern Virginia and Lancaster, Pa. The Bots’ Spring Concert, should you wish to attend, will be held April 13.
LELIA COTTIN-RACK // THE FLAT HAT
Buddies With Big Hearts
Volunteers from Alzheimerʼs Buddies provide companionship to patients
ELLA
GREENE // CHIEF FEATURES WRITER
Combining compassion, communication and creativity, members of the College of William and Mary’s Alzheimer’s Buddies Club volunteer with residential facilities throughout Williamsburg. The club’s goal is to improve the social cognition of residents by inviting them to play games, read, craft or make music with volunteers.
A chapter of the larger national organization, the College’s Alzheimer’s Buddies Club is relatively new. Five executive board members who realized they shared a passion for helping their communities decided to start the club together in spring 2024. After spending that spring semester planning, going through the process of becoming a Recognized Student Organization at the College, getting affiliated with the national organization and forming partnerships with local memory care facilities, the group was able to begin volunteering in fall 2024. The club has grown exponentially since it began.
“20 to 30 people signed up spring semester,” Vice President Emily Garloff ’27 said. “Then we had around 60 to 70 last semester, and then we have almost 100 this semester.”
With such a large group of members, the club is able to offer a wide range of activities to residents. Katarina Love ’27 finds joy in chatting with the residents while she volunteers.
“I love yapping with the old ladies there,” Love said. “Once you hit a conversation gold mine, they kind of just go off. We talk about religion, we talk about our childhoods, we were talking about traveling the other day. It’s nice. I like to let them dictate the conversation and just see whatever they want to talk about. I think it’s just important to listen and follow through with it.”
Lu Caudle ’27 has found a different way to connect with residents: through their music.
“We do conversations, performances, singalongs, activities, things to engage with the patients or the listeners and to hopefully liven up their day, put a little bit of energy and a little bit of love in their day,” Caudle said. Within each shift, there’s a requirement of adaptability. Whether it be games, conversations or music, volunteers must be ready to pivot their activities to better cater to the wants and needs of the residents in the moment. Secretary
Rehoboth Mesfin ’27 makes sure to highlight this core part of the job during training, especially for musical performances.
“I always tell my volunteers never to practice before coming in, and to play when they get there, because it makes it more interactive for the residents, and they can collaborate,” Mesfin said.
Caudle takes this advice to heart, constantly evaluating the energy in the room while playing. They consider whether the song should continue, change, or if a volume adjustment is needed, as well as the residents’ familiarity with the tune and the enthusiasm they bring to each song.
“Maybe people know the words of the first verse,” Caudle said. “So we’ll just do the first verse again. It really is about feeling the energy of the room and engaging people in any way possible. So, if I have to sing the first verse of ‘Amazing Grace’ eight times, I will do it.”
This level of adaptability can be challenging, especially with residents in an environment that can sometimes be unpredictable.
“It’s hard because they can’t talk and express how they’re feeling, but you can tell and you can see how visibly upset they are, and it hurts to see, and there’s nothing much you can do in that moment besides just be like, ‘Hey, I’m still here. I’m still listening to you,’ and just kind of sit with them through that moment,” Love said.
Despite the challenges, club members find their participation incredibly rewarding. By showing up regularly, they’re able to form meaningful connections with residents.
“There was a moment when a patient that is typically very quiet, very reserved, sort of began to hum along,” Caudle said. “That was really special, and I couldn’t stop and reflect on it. I had to keep playing because I was in the middle of the song, but she sort of looked at me, and I felt like we connected in that moment, and that was really cool. I didn’t know I had the power to do that in any way. But, you know, music is medicine.”
Not only are club members incredibly adaptable in the moment, they are constantly working to improve what they offer to deepen connections and provide more options to residents. At meetings, the executive board creates space for meaningful reflection and
opportunities to provide feedback for what the club might improve upon in the future.
“I would be so thrilled if we could go outside together, and I guess have a kind of a sensoryfocused day,” Love said. “I think it’d be really fun to do a nature scavenger hunt. Let’s look for flowers that are beautiful, find your favorite rock. These are simple things that they do that form pathways between our brain and our body and the world around us.”
While Love focuses on initiatives she can introduce within the facility she works with, Garlo is hoping to build collaborations with other clubs at the College, and club President Ananya Gomatam ’27 has her sights set on a large event that will o er opportunities for the public to educate themselves about neurodegenerative diseases.
“Not many people know about the early onset signs, and a lot of people can’t get the care that they need,” Gomatam said.
Alzheimer’s Buddies at the College has positively influenced its members beyond what they initially expected.
“People talk about a lot of the highlights about their experiences, but each day is so different,” Garloff said. “You honestly get such a unique experience, and each volunteer, they have such a unique perspective that they bring. The ways we connect with volunteers is really special, and anyone you talk to in the club will talk about how rewarding it is and how much it’s helped them process their own stuff.”
The club has also strengthened members’ relationships outside of their own campus community.
“It’s a really, really good way to also feel connected to the Williamsburg community at large,” Love said. “I think students on this campus, we get a little bit isolated. We’re very much in our bubble at William and Mary, and that’s great, because it’s a beautiful, happy bubble. But it’s important, I think, as a college, to also look around at the community around us and think, you guys do so much for us. What can we do for you?”
Alzheimer’s Buddies club is always willing to take on more excited volunteers. If you missed them at the club fair, check out their TribeLink or Instagram (@wmalzbuddies) to get involved.
Breaking Down the Breakdown
Generally, one watches the Super Bowl in support of one team or the other. However, if you were not rooting for either the Kansas City Chiefs or the Philadelphia Eagles Feb. 9, you were likely more interested in Kendrick Lamar screaming “Mustard.” With shots at Drake, themes of the African American experience, and special guest appearances from SZA and Mustard, this halftime show was the most viewed in Super Bowl history. So what did you miss? Are you curious about the themes at play? Didn’t understand that one phrase? Well squabble up — here’s the breakdown of the breakdown.
“Mr. Lamar — do you really know how to play the game?”
Samuel L. Jackson took center stage as Uncle Sam, representing the soul of America and wearing her stars and stripes. And what did he do? He ragged on Kendrick and criticized his music for being “too loud, too reckless, too ghetto!” He represented the
CASSIDY JONES // THE FLAT HAT
criticism of those who don’t understand (and fear) hip-hop, who have misunderstood it as a representation of danger and dissonance. He portrayed the idea that this music by, for and of the Black community of America is fundamentally un-American.
The layout of the halftime show was relatively simple — a floor plan that could be interpreted as a game controller or a street depending on how you viewed it. Considering the themes and messages of the show, this likely represented African Americans playing the rigged game of America. Many easter eggs back up this line of thought, foremost being the American flag made of Black men. African Americans were the backbone of building the country — literally — making it up the same way the performers made up the flag. Another major point is Kendrick’s lyric “40 acres and a mule, this is bigger than the music,” reflecting the promises made and broken to those formerly enslaved.
“Say, Drake, I hear you like ‘em young.”
Now this is what most of y’all are here for. Kendrick performed “euphoria” and teased “Not Like Us” throughout the night, until finally putting the nail in the coffin by performing the infamous diss track on one of the biggest stages in the world. Just one week after being awarded five Grammys for the song, Kendrick has undoubtedly defeated Drake (and J. Cole?). A few hidden digs came up, such as during the “a-minor” lyric, Kendrick’s backup dancers shifted formation to spell out “PEDO.”
While you likely noticed Serena Williams Crip walking, you may not have registered that the dance was something she was previously criticized for and that she dated Drake between the years 2011 and 2015. At this point, the only thing Drake has going for him is his line “Kendrick just opened his mouth, someone go hand him a grammy right now” from “Family Matters.” Scorekeeper! Deduct one life.
“The revolution ‘bout to be televised; you picked the right time but the wrong guy.”
In 1971, Gil Scott-Heron released a song titled “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” which quickly became a battle cry of how social change will not be sensationalized through media but rather operated by people going out and causing it. Kendrick countered by saying it will be televised; we live in a time of decentralized media control where we produce messages freely, therefore it is the right time. And the wrong guy? Probably the top dog in the audience that we Americans picked: President Donald Trump.
Not all the political messaging was up front and obvious, so, in case you missed it, Kendrick has a lot to say about modern society. After performing “DNA.,” the back half of the stadium lit up saying “WARNING WRONG WAY,” reflecting America moving backward, presumably with recent events in mind. While performing “HUMBLE.,” he stood in the middle of the American flag of performers, notably split down the middle. During “Not Like Us,” everybody fell down during one verse, and the only people left standing were all dressed in white. I’ll leave whether or not that’s a stretch up to you.
“MUSTARD!!!” A fair amount of easter eggs were hidden about the show, many with more straightforward meanings than the game controller theme reflecting the game of America. The show started with Kendrick standing on top of a 1987 Buick GNX, which his most recent album is named for. The dancers throughout the show were dressed in patriotic colors, but also represented the Crips and Blood gangs, especially when examining the streetwear style of their costumes. Kendrick himself wore a lowercase “a” on his chain, part of the pgLang logo (a creative company Kendrick co-founded), and his jacket said “Gloria” on it — a reference to a song, but also translating to “glory” in Spanish. Kendrick made a conscious effort to recognize the Spanish influence in Los
Angeles, using multiple samples in his recent GNX album. There are a few more references just niche enough to possibly be a stretch, but, if we know anything about Kendrick, it’s that he loves his symbolism. A reference was made at the beginning of the show where the stage “controller buttons” lit up in a specific sequence, translating to the cheat code for body armor in GTA V. In the opening track of GNX, “wacced out murals,” a line goes “I done lost plenty friends, 16 to be specific.” Lo and behold, Uncle Sam is wearing 16 stars on his jacket, literally pinning them on Uncle Sam. In an unscripted moment ironically reflecting the “right time/wrong guy” lyric, one of the backup dancers hoisted a flag in support of Sudan and Gaza, before quickly being taken away by security.
“It’s a cultural divide ‘ima get it on the floor” There’s a cultural divide, and Kendrick certainly tried to get it across on the stadium floor; whether or not the message was received is in the eyes of the beholder. America’s misunderstanding of his culture and music reflects the overall treatment of African Americans and the backward movement of modern society, which is at the right time with the wrong guy. After “man at the garden,” Uncle Sam said “the old culture cheat code,” reflecting another American sentiment that Black people use the term “culture” to validate acting “ghetto” (which is only one of many interpretations). Uncle Sam made it plenty clear that America is not the place for this expression of the lives and experiences of African Americans. America wants clean, beautiful singing — as long as you conform, we’ll accept you. America is a game; you can’t cheat by calling yourself culture, even though the game is rigged against you. While we’ve come a long way with civil rights, now we’re going the wrong way, and it’s time for revolution — but we picked the wrong guy. Oh yeah, and then there’s Drake. And his ghostwriters. Game Over.
GRAPHIC BY MICHAEL GABRIEL / THE FLAT HAT
Deep dive into symbolism of Kendrick Lamarʼs Super Bowl halftime performance
COURTESY IMAGES / EMILY GARLOFF
sports
New-look Tribe drops opening series of Rob McCoy era
Green and Gold comes out on wrong side of historic offensive
Friday, Feb. 14, William and Mary baseball (1-2, 0-0 CAA) dropped a nail-biting home opener 10-9 to Rhode Island (2-1, 0-0 A-10) at Plumeri Park in Williamsburg, Va. In the seven-inning second game of that day’s doubleheader, the Tribe evened the series with a hard-fought 5-4 victory. The Green and Gold lost the final game of the series 36-22 on Sunday.
Heading into Friday’s opener, the Tribe looked to start the season off strong under first year head coach Rob McCoy. McCoy brings experience from a 16-year career at Niagara University, where he is the all-time win leader. Before the Tribe’s opening series, McCoy emphasized culture, core values, and a transition to new approaches as the keys to the team’s success.
“Our culture is really important to us: our core values, how we play the game, sort of our philosophies within the game, offense, defense, pitching,” McCoy said. “So it’s not [about] major physical changes other than mental changes and approach, and we’re really big on the mental game and things like that.”
McCoy also noted that while previous William and Mary coach Mike McRae found success with an outcome-oriented approach focused on bringing experienced talent through the transfer portal, he brings a different coaching perspective to the table. For McCoy, long-term player development and a focus on the mental game will be instrumental in establishing a more process-oriented philosophy. While optimistic that his own philosophy will translate into long-term success for the Tribe, McCoy emphasized that patience and trust will be
key in the short term.
“We’re going to invest more in high school players and long-term players that we can grow up together, and so that’s gonna take a while. When we made roster decisions this fall, we made decisions based on our future, so some older guys ended up losing out to some younger guys that we know longterm are going to benefit us. So we’re going to have growing pains,” he said.
McCoy acknowledged that the differences between his own approach and McRae’s may require adjustment in the short term.
“I’m more of a process-oriented coach, and staying in the game, keeping your cool, understanding that it’s a game of failure, and working through breathing routines and all that stuff, I think that’s one way that we would probably disagree — we’re both good at what we do,” McCoy said. “So I think that that’s been a little bit of a difference for the guys to kind of get used to how I coach and how I want them to view the game.”
Graduate student pitcher Zack Potts took the mound for the Tribe to kick off Friday’s game, burning out of the gates with a high-velocity first inning. From the opening innings, though, the Tribe found themselves fighting back against a persistent Rhode Island offense. In the top of the first, sophomore shortstop Reece Moroney opened the scoring for the Rams with a sacrifice fly that plated senior third baseman Anthony DePino. In the bottom half of the inning, junior designated hitter Charlie Iriotakis was able to scratch home the Tribe’s first run on a ground ball to second base, but Rhode Island quickly retook the lead in the top of the second inning on an RBI single to left from DePino.
The Tribe gave Rhode Island junior pitcher Jeremy Urena trouble in the bottom of the third
inning. With a runner on first and no outs, freshman shortstop Jamie Laskofski lined a hard single into center field for his first collegiate hit, putting a runner in scoring position. Graduate student center fielder Ben Parker took full advantage, launching an outside pitch 372 feet to right field for a three-run blast that marked William and Mary’s first home run of the season.
However, the Tribe’s 4-2 lead didn’t last long. With runners on first base and third base, Rhode Island sophomore second baseman Scott Penney turned on a changeup from Potts, lifting a high fly ball to right field that just cleared the wall. Just like that, the Tribe relinquished its lead, going down 5-4 to the Rams. The visitors extended their lead to 7-4 over the next two innings behind a ground-rule double from Moroney and a solo home run from graduate student infielder DJ Perron.
In the bottom of the fifth, William and Mary again showed some life behind a 2-RBI triple from Iriotakis. With runners on first and second, Iriotakis drove a line drive deep to center over senior Brody McKenzie’s head, scoring both runners and bringing the Tribe within striking distance of Rhode Island.
The URI offense continued to give the Tribe problems in the top of the sixth. In his second inning of relief work, senior pitcher Carter Lovasz ran into trouble, surrendering an RBI single to junior designated hitter Jack Hopko. A following bunt from Perron pushed the Rams’ lead to 9-6.
Despite Rhode Island’s tenacious offensive performance, the Green and Gold didn’t go down without a fight. Freshman third baseman Matthew Kosuda smacked his first career home run in the bottom of the sixth, giving the Tribe its muchneeded seventh run. Meanwhile, Lovasz stayed in the game until the top of the eighth, allowing Perron to hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth that drove home the Rams’ 10th run.
In the bottom of that inning, the Tribe’s freshmen took matters into their own hands, mounting a twoout rally that again brought William and Mary within one run. After Kosuda smacked an RBI double against the left field wall, Laskofski stepped up with Kosuda on second base and lined a hard grounder down the middle of the infield, just sneaking under the diving shortstop Moroney’s glove. Kosuda scored easily, and with Laskofski on first, Rhode Island’s attention turned to Parker, who represented the go-ahead run. Parker worked the count full, but couldn’t hold back his swing on sophomore Joe Sabbath’s sixth pitch, striking out to end the inning. In the bottom of the ninth, the Tribe put runners on first and second, but Sabbath was able to shut the door for the Rams, striking out graduate student second baseman Henry Jackson to end the game.
After the game, Coach McCoy emphasized the team’s commitment to playing hard and grit during tough moments, and took responsibility for the outcome in a game that was decided on several tough breaks for the Tribe.
“Like I told the guys after the game, I botched that game. I managed it very poorly. I managed it based on expectations that I had about guys, instead of more so having feel inside the game of what was actually happening,” McCoy said. “And so that’s where the problems started, and then after that, the guys themselves showed a ton of grit.”
McCoy pointed to the team’s strong defensive showing as a clear bright spot that the Tribe can build off of going forward. Meanwhile, he underscored
showdown
that the team showed a promising commitment to process and mental resilience throughout the game, even though the tally didn’t favor William and Mary after nine innings.
“While we didn’t come through at the end, we talk about winning each breath and we talk about playing pitch-to-pitch, and I thought even though the situation sped up, I thought each guy took good deep breaths and played pitch-to-pitch, and that’s gonna pay off over time,” he said. “It didn’t happen tonight, but it will pay off over time.”
The Tribe looked to split the afternoon’s opening doubleheader with Rhode Island in the following seven-inning nightcap, but fell behind its opponents 2-0 in the first inning. The Tribe offense was quick to climb out of this hole, as a bases-clearing double from senior right fielder Christian Rush gave William and Mary a 3-2 lead. Rhode Island reclaimed its lead in the top of the third inning on an RBI single and a sacrifice bunt, but two innings later, junior catcher Jerry Barnes III laced a triple to deep center field before Kosuda brought him home to tie the game on a sacrifice groundout.
With the score even at four runs apiece in the bottom of the sixth, Jackson ripped an RBI single that scored senior left fielder Lucas Carmichael and catapulted the Tribe into the lead. This run would prove to be decisive, as junior reliever Owen Pierce shut down the Rams offense in the seventh to secure the win.
Sunday’s matchup was the finale of the series, and offense was the name of the game. The Tribe answered a three-run opening frame from Rhode Island with a four-run inning of their own. The Rams came right back with a three-run second inning, but Rush launched a three-run home run to keep the Tribe in business.
William and Mary kept up the high rate of scoring, sending ten runs across the plate in the second inning before adding three more in the fifth and five in the seventh. Barnes III launched a pinch-hit three-run blast in the fifth inning, while Carmichael had a five RBI day with four hits. Iriotakis notched four RBIs of his own, and Parker had an impressive three-hit day, scoring four runs and driving one home. Laskofski continued to make an impact in his first collegiate series, reaching base in all four of his at bats. Fellow freshman Kosuda did the same, driving in a 2-RBI base hit and scoring two runs. The Green and Gold offense produced a remarkable 22 runs in total.
However, Rhode Island mounted an offensive onslaught that the Tribe couldn’t match. The visitors never took their foot off the pedal, scoring in every inning, a showing punctuated by a wild 17-run fifth inning. They combined for seven home runs and five doubles, with DePino, Penney, graduate student first baseman DJ Perron and senior right fielder Eric Genther logging one of each. Freshman center fielder Adonis Medina slugged two home runs of his own. When it was all said and done, the Rams had scored 36 runs. The 36-22 final scoreline amounted to 58 runs in total, which is tied for the fourth-highest single game run total in the history of DI baseball. Hindered by five errors, the Tribe went on to lose a Tuesday, Feb. 18 midweek game to in-state rival Richmond (4-0, 0-0 A-10) by a score of 12-3. The Green and Gold will look to get back in the win column Friday, Feb. 21, when it hosts Marist (0-4, 0-0 MAAC) for the first leg of a three-game series at Plumeri Park in Williamsburg, Va.
William
Friday, Feb. 14, William and Mary women’s basketball (10-13, 7-5 CAA) lost in heartbreaking fashion against Drexel (13-9, 9-3 CAA), falling 59-58 in overtime at the John A. Daskalakis Athletic Center in Philadelphia, Pa.
The Tribe, which entered Friday’s Coastal Athletic Association matchup fresh off of a Feb. 9 overtime win over Hampton (6-18, 2-11 CAA), got off to a hot start against the hosting Dragons. After falling behind 6-2, William and Mary scored five straight points to take its first lead of the game, powered by a crafty steal and score from sophomore guard Cassidy Geddes and a successful layup and free throw from senior guard Bella Nascimento. Nascimento was an offensive weapon all game, finishing the night with 23 points on 22 shot attempts. The guard, who had racked up
20 or more points in two of her previous three outings, showed no sign of slowing down against Drexel, scoring five of the Tribe’s 14 first-quarter points.
After graduate forward Rebekah Frisby-Smith made a deep three-pointer with 49 seconds left in the opening quarter, William and Mary extended its lead to 14-10, an advantage it preserved until halftime. Sophomore center Jana Sallman opened the scoring for the Green and Gold after the break, knocking down a contested jumper in the paint. Two minutes later, Geddes converted on another layup, extending the Tribe’s lead to 18-11.
The Dragons responded with five unanswered points, but a layup from junior forward Kayla Rolph and two free throws from Geddes kept William and Mary in front. The hosts continued to claw back, cutting the Green and Gold lead to two. However, two more timely threes from FrisbySmith extended the Tribe’s lead back to four heading into the half.
Drexel graduate guard Cara McCormack came out firing
after the break, quickly knocking down a jumper and four free throws to keep her team within striking distance. McCormack struck again as the clock ticked down, making a three to tie the game at 38-38 before converting a buzzer-beating and-one to give the Dragons a 41-40 lead at the end of the third quarter.
The fourth quarter was a defensive battle. Only eight total baskets were scored in the final ten minutes of regulation, preventing either team from pulling away from the other. Sallman converted on a tough layup with just over two minutes left, giving the Tribe a 48-46 lead, but Drexel immediately responded, knocking down a layup of its own to even the score at 48. Neither team managed to put the ball in the basket in the final one minute, 37 seconds of regulation, and the Tribe entered overtime for the second consecutive game.
The stalemate continued until
the final seconds of the extra period. After Nascimento made two jumpers, senior forward Anahi-Lee Cauley finished a layup in the paint, giving the Green and Gold a three-point lead. McCormack drilled a three in response, but Nascimento struck again, scoring her twentythird point of the game and giving the Tribe a two-point lead with 40 seconds left in the game. After 39 scoreless seconds, Cauley was charged with a late foul, giving Drexel graduate forward Chloe Hodges three free throws to seal the game. Hodges drilled all three, and with no time left on the clock, the Green and Gold found itself one point short, losing 59-58.
The Tribe jumped back into action on Sunday, Feb. 16, losing to Delaware (9-14, 6-7 CAA) 82-59 at the Bob Carpenter Center in Newark, Del.
The Green and Gold was outmatched by the Blue Hens from the opening whistle. The Tribe found itself in a nine-
point deficit by the time the first quarter ended, a deficit it would fail to make up. From the beginning of the second quarter onwards, William and Mary never got within a possession of its opponent. Delaware outscored the visitors 37-25 in the first half and 45-34 in the second half.
The Blue Hens made eight of their 16 three-point attempts while holding the Green and Gold to 1-17 three-point shooting. UD also won the rebounding battle 33-27 and the turnover battle 1614. Nascimento scored a teamhigh 22 points, but the only other William and Mary player to break the double-digit point threshold was Geddes, who scored 10 on 1-8 shooting.
Despite the disappointment of Sunday’s game, the Green and Gold will look to turn the corner as it begins a four-game homestead on Friday, Feb. 21, when it hosts North Carolina A&T (14-9, 10-2 CAA) in Kaplan Arena in Williamsburg, Va.
MAX GRILL
CHIEF SPORTS WRITER
RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT
Graduate student outfielder Ben Parker racked up eight hits, seven runs scored, four runs batted in and one home run over three games against Rhode Island.
RYAN
sports
BASKETBALL
Crowd support catapults Tribe to consecutive victories
Green and Gold remain undefeated at home, surge to a third-place CAA tie
William and Mary men’s basketball (16-11, 10-4 CAA) strung together back-to-back victories during last week’s two-game homestand, defeating Coastal Athletic Association rivals Hofstra (12-15, 4-10 CAA) and Drexel (13-14, 5-9). With the wins, the Tribe snapped its two-game losing streak and moved into a three-way for third place in the CAA standings.
The Green and Gold now sports a 12-0 record in games played at Kaplan Arena this season, making it one of just 15 teams in the nation that remains undefeated at home. William and Mary is one victory away from matching the program’s singleseason record for home wins, which is currently held by the 2016-2017 team.
The Tribe’s success has been bolstered by vigorous support from the Williamsburg community. The Hofstra game drew 2,855 fans, while the Drexel game drew 5,103 fans, the largest crowd to witness a William and Mary basketball game since 2020.
“[The support] helps us a lot,” senior guard Matteus Case said. “It’s fun. I mean, it’s stuff that you dream of as a kid, having the big crowds when you make a big play. It’s been great. The students, they see us on campus, they talk to us about the games.”
“[The support] is definitely fun. It helps us a lot,” senior guard Gabe Dorsey added. “It’s our sixth man. Like [Matteus] said, when you make a big play, big shot, or big rebound, it pumps us up.”
Thursday, Feb. 13, William and Mary knocked off Hofstra 61-60 in a back-and-forth matchup that was contested until its final seconds. The thriller marked another chapter in a hard-fought rivalry: of the programs’ last 31 meetings, 18 have been decided by single-digits. Both the Tribe and the Pride entered the afternoon on losing streaks, with the latter seeking revenge for a Jan. 2 loss it suffered at the hands of the Green and Gold.
Catalyzed by eight quick points from Dorsey, the Tribe jumped out to a 15-6 lead. A scoring spurt from Hofstra sophomore guard Cruz Davis briefly put the Pride back in the game, but buckets from senior guard Chase Lowe, graduate student forward Malachi Ndur, and freshman guard Ryan Jackson slingshotted William and Mary back into control. With 6 minutes, 37 seconds remaining in the half, Dorsey was fouled on a threepoint attempt and drained all of his foul shots, extending the Tribe advantage to nine points.
With fewer than four minutes left on the firsthalf clock, the Green and Gold led by ten. It was then Hofstra turned on its defensive pressure, forcing five Tribe turnovers over a three-minute span. The visitors capitalized on William and Mary’s sloppiness and surged in front. Davis nailed two threes, senior guard TJ Gadsden tossed in another triple, and the Pride took an improbable 34-33 lead into the locker room.
Although the hosts rattled off a 17-10 run after the break, they couldn’t find a way to put their opponents away. With his team trailing 51-44, Hofstra senior guard German Plotnikov connected on a triple to bring the Pride within striking distance with eight minutes left in the game. Lowe and Case responded with buckets of their own, but Davis finished two fast break layups and Hofstra junior guard Jaquan Sanders hit a triple. Suddenly, the visitors led 56-55.
William and Mary wasted no time seizing back the momentum. Less than a minute after Sanders put the Pride in front, Case split two defenders and threw down a ferocious one-hand slam that Tribe Sports Network announcer Andrew Phillips described as “the dunk of the year,” igniting the Kaplan Arena faithful. Moments later, Lowe banked in a layup to give William and Mary a 59-56 lead at the 1 minute, 36 second mark.
However, the Pride refused to go down without a fight. With 1 minute, 14 seconds remaining, Gadsden connected on a jumper that cut the Tribe lead to one point. Senior forward Caleb Dorsey proceeded to turn the ball over, and Hofstra sophomore guard
Jean Aranguren backed down William and Mary freshman guard Isaiah Mbeng to muscle in a goahead layup with 13 seconds left on the clock.
Although the Tribe had one timeout left in its pocket, head coach Brian Earl elected not to use it, instead trusting Lowe to bring the ball up the court and run the offense himself. The senior guard navigated a maze of Hofstra defenders and finished a difficult twopointer, putting the Tribe back in front with fewer than five seconds left in the game. Case stole the Pride’s subsequent inbounds pass and threw it into the air, sealing the 61-60 William and Mary victory.
Saturday, Feb. 15, William and Mary men’s basketball (16-11, 10-4 CAA) defeated Drexel (13-14, 5-9 CAA) 72-59. The game started slow for both sides, with each team committing a turnover in its first offensive possession. The Tribe drew first blood after a driving Lowe kicked the ball out to Boothby for a three-pointer at the 18 minute, 29 second mark.
Case notched 2 points on a reverse layup, after rejecting the screen. Factoring in an earlier Boothby free throw, the Tribe started the game on a 6-0 run.
William and Mary began the game in zone defense, challenging Drexel to make their shots. Junior guard Jason Drake did just that, draining Drexel’s first score of the game in the form of a three-pointer.
Lowe responded on the other end with a tough drive leading to a layup. At 6’5”, 200 lbs, Lowe presents as an oversized guard in the CAA, and his physicality on the court certainly reflects that through his rebounding ability, as well as offensive skillset.
Gabe Dorsey started the game cold, missing his first three-point attempt and both his free throws that resulted from a foul committed by Drexel junior forward Cole Hargrove.
With the Tribe still in zone defense, Drexel players began to find their rhythm from range with two consecutive three-point shots from junior guard Kobe MaGee and sophomore guard Shane Blakeney. Drexel took their first lead of the night on Blakeney’s three, leading the home side 11-8.
The Green and Gold tied the game with Gabe Dorsey sinking a wing three-point shot, his first points of the night. Senior forward Caleb Dorsey also got on the scoreboard for the first time with a smooth pump fake and drive to convert a contested layup.
The Tribe began to implement a press, hoping to force turnovers from Drexel. The Dragons in large part were able to navigate through the press, exemplified by another Blakeney three to give Drexel the lead again 14-13.
Gabe Dorsey found more success from behind the arc, nailing his second three pointer of the night following multiple swing passes from his teammates.
While implementing the press, the Green and Gold also changed to man defense and adopted a switch everything approach. Despite defensive hustle and good rebounding effort from the Tribe, Drexel players still found offensive success with Blakeney converting a mid-range elbow jumper and Magee draining a three-pointer.
Case answered by driving into the paint and kicking the ball out to Ndur for a three-pointer to tie the game at 21-21 with 8:13 left in the first half.
Working a two man game with freshman guard Isaiah Mbeng, Boothby free for his second threepointer of the match.
The Tribe, now back in zone defense, conceded shots on the interior to Drake and senior guard Yame Butler. Drexel extended their lead, 29-24.
Lowe showcased his physicality, once again, fighting for an offensive rebound and subsequent score off a Caleb Dorsey missed layup. Coming alive after his cold start, Gabe Dorsey drained his third three-pointer of the game on what was a broken up offensive possession, forcing him to heave a deep three as time expired on the shot clock.
Butler answered for Drexel on a contested layup, drawing the and-1 call. Converting the free throw, Drexel strengthened its lead at 33-29 with 3:19 left in the half.
On the next possession, Lowe found Case
cutting baseline for the easy score to close the score gap. It was clear that having Lowe facilitate the ball to cutting players was an area of focus for the Green and Gold with many offensive sets run in this manner.
After a three from Blakeney on the other end, Gabe Dorsey worked off a Caleb Dorsey screen to open up for a wing three-pointer, his fourth of the day. Drexel once again responded with a three of their own from MaGee.
Like he did earlier in the half, Case rejected a Caleb Dorsey ball screen to drive in for a reverse layup, closing the lead 40-36.
Following a pair of free throws from Lowe and an and-1 layup by Butler, both teams entered the locker room for halftime. Despite good effort on both ends of the court, the Tribe found itself trailing 43-38.
Out of the locker room, Case got the scoring started cutting to the basket for the easy two points. With Drexel failing to score on their first possession, Lowe found Gabe Dorsey on the wing. After a pump fake caused the defender to fly by, Gabe Dorsey took one dribble and nailed his fifth straight threepointer of the game.
Drexel’s first points of the second half came from Hargrove posting up Ndur and getting to the cup for two. Drake doubled up with a layup of his own, increasing the lead to 47-43.
Clearly with the hot hand, Gabe Dorsey shot a top of the key three that missed a little long. This was his first miss since the 15:51 mark of the first half.
Early into the second half, rebounding was an area of concern for the Tribe. Many Drexel scores resulted due to second chance points from offensive boards. Drake and Blakeney both capitalized off offensive rebounds from Butler.
Case continued his high-scoring day, breaking down his defender to get to the basket for 2 points. His presence on the defensive was also felt, drawing an offensive foul on Hargrove the following possession.
Both teams went scoreless until the 13:46 mark of the second half when Mbeng found Ndur on the pick and roll. The big man went up to score the layup, also drawing the foul for an and-1 play. Though he missed the free throw, the Tribe were now within one possession of Drexel 49-47.
Drexel answered with sophomore guard Villiam Garcia Adsten finishing over Lowe for the contested bucket. Case’s aggressiveness near the rim paid off again after drawing a shooting foul on an inbounds play, making both free throws.
With 10:23 remaining in the game, Case drove to the basket for a layup and tied the game at 51-51.
The Tribe were finally in striking distance after not holding a lead since the 12:26 mark of the first half. After a Drexel three-point attempt airballed, Case pushed the ball down the court where it went out of bounds on a blocked layup attempt. On the inbounds, the ball was swung to Caleb Dorsey at the top of the key where he laced a three-pointer, taking the lead 54-51.
Drexel calls a timeout, looking to regroup as all of Kaplan Arena erupted out of their seats with momentum swinging Green and Gold.
The Dragons retook the lead after a steal and score by Drake, as well as another solid drive by Butler.
The back-and-forth scoring continued with a Tribe three-pointer from junior guard Kyle Frazier after he was freed up on an offball screen. William and Mary lead 57-55 with 7:37 to go in the game.
Drexel tied the game again when Caleb Dorsey fouled Blakeney, sending him to the charity stripe, making both his free throws.
Caleb Dorsey made up for it on the other end with a wing three-pointer to once again put the Green and Gold in the lead 60-57.
As time dwindled on the clock, both teams went scoreless for a couple minutes as respective defenses forced turnovers from the other side.
Ndur broke the deadlock at the 4:15 mark after he was sent to the free throw line off of a foul on MaGee. The forward converted one of two free throws to extend the Tribe lead by one.
Following a good defensive possession, Mbeng found a lane to the hoop before passing the ball back out to a wide open Ndur on the wing where he
drained the three-point dagger. These clutch three points put the Tribe up 64-57 with 3:39 to go.
Drexel brought the ball up and called a timeout, once again hoping to stop the William and Mary momentum. Kaplan once again erupted as many fans could foresee the coming victory. Out of their timeout, Butler attacked the basket for a layup, putting two points on the board for Drexel.
Both teams were unable to score until a Caleb Dorsey three-point miss resulted in an offensive rebound for Lowe, who went back up to the rim for 2 points and the foul. Lowe’s physicality and effort on the offensive glass is once again felt when it matters most.
Lowe converted the free throw, putting the Tribe up 67-59 with 1:57 left in the game.
The following Drexel possession resulted in an offline three-point attempt. The Tribe looked to put away the game on the following offensive possession, putting the ball in the hands of Case.
After a few dribble moves, Case hit an electric side step three-pointer to all but secure the win for the Tribe. The Green and Gold went up 70-59, and it proved too much for Drexel to overcome with 1:05 left in the game.
Accounting for some late game free throws from Gabe Dorsey, the Tribe finished with a 72-59 victory against Drexel. This win propelled William and Mary to fourth in CAA rankings, as well as improving the team’s undefeated home record to 12-0 on the season.
“It’s a good win,” Earl said. “I thought our guys did a great job especially in the second half. Drexel keeps testing and testing you, and our guys held up today.”
Case led the team in scoring with 19 points, tying his career-high. With the team’s second-leading scorer senior forward Noah Collier out, making up for some of that production has been a point of focus for Case.
“We’re missing a lot with Noah [out], that’s 12 points right there,” Case said. “I feel like if I can put pressure on the rim, it kind of relieves the team and helps out a lot.”
Gabe Dorsey finished with 17 points, shooting 5-8 from three-point land. Four of his three-pointers came in the first half, keeping the Tribe in the game when the offense was not completely clicking.
“It feels pretty good when the shots are falling,” Gabe Dorsey said. “Especially when teammates are finding each other and we’re clicking like that as a team, it’s super fun.”
The Tribe looks to go undefeated with the final matchup of its three-game homestand against UNCW (21-6, 11-3 CAA) Thursday, Feb. 20 at Kaplan Arena in Williamsburg, Va.
ETHAN QIN AND CHARLES VAUGHAN THE FLAT HAT
KIMBERLY McCANN/ THE FLAT HAT
Caleb Dorsey reverses for the layup over Drexel defenders.
JONAH PETERS/ THE FLAT HAT Hofstra players watch as Chase Lowe lays it in at Kaplan Arena.
JONAH PETERS/ THE FLAT HAT Matteus Case elevates for the “dunk of the year” over Hofstra.
KIMBERLY McCANN / THE FLAT HAT Guard Isaiah Mbeng sizes up a Drexel defender. The freshman finished the game with four assists in 18 minutes