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Tribe falls flat in Charleston The College lost to last place College of Charleston, 80-72, Thurday night.
Around the world and back Students choose prolonged time for studying abroad.
The Flat Hat
Vol. 104, Iss. 28 | Friday, February 6, 2015
The Twice-Weekly Student Newspaper
campus
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of The College of William and Mary
alumni
Student found dead
Discovered in Ludwell Abby boyle Flat hat managing editor
Saipriya Rangavajhula was found dead at the College of William and Mary early Tuesday morning. Although the cause of her death is unknown, the police do not suspect foul play. The cause and manner of death have not yet been confirmed. In an email to members of the College community sent at 4:01 a.m. Tuesday, Vice President for Student Affairs Ginger Ambler ’88 Ph.D. ’06 said Rangavajhula was found in a Ludwell apartment. According to the email, Rangavajhula was a sophomore but was not enrolled at the College this semester. She had not yet declared a major. “According to her friends, Saipriya was ‘a deep-thinker and a deep-feeler,’” Ambler wrote in the email. ‘“She loved to laugh and bring laughter out in others.’ Her friends also remember her as being a great storyteller. More than anything, relationships were important to her — she was there for others and did all she could to help others feel good about themselves.” Rangavajhula’s viewing was scheduled for Feb. 4 from 2:30-4:30 p.m. in Virginia Beach, Va. The College arranged for a bus to transport 30 students from campus to the funeral home. Counselors are on call on a 24-hour basis. The Dean of Students Office, the Counseling Center, Residence Life staff, campus ministers, and Ambler are all also available on a priority basis. “This is a heartbreaking time for the Rangavajhula family and for all of us who are part of the extended William & Mary community,” Ambler wrote. “I know you join me in extending our deepest sympathies to Saipriya’s family and friends.” Flat Hat News Editor Aine Cain contributed to this article.
Making a mountain out of a molehill COURTESY PHOTO / KENNETH KAMBIS
The peak is located southwest of Denver, Colo. The proposed name would replace the unofficial name of “South Elbert.” It is a 14,141-foot sub-peak of Colorado’s highest peak, Mt. Elbert.
Alumna applies to name Denver peak “Mount William and Mary” amanda williams the fLAT HAT
Colorado native Marilyn Brown, a 2007 honorary alumna of the College of William and Mary, submitted an application Jan. 7 to name a peak located southwest of Denver in honor of the College of William and Mary. This is the second attempt to do so. If the proposal is approved, “Mount William and Mary” will replace the peak’s current unofficial name, “South Elbert.” South Elbert is a 14,141 foot sub-peak on the southern side of Colorado’s highest peak, Mt. Elbert, in Lake County, Colo. Kinesiology professor Ken Kambis, who has done
extensive fieldwork in the area, submitted a similar request to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names in 1998, but the application was rejected due to a lack of connection between Colorado and the College. Kambis’s argument relies primarily on the connection between two of the College’s most famous alumni — Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe — and the state. That connection was forged through the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. “William and Mary trained these illustrious alumni to think and to use critical thinking processes and learn how to be excited about exploration and public service. All of those things were part of the education that Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, George Washington and John Tyler learned at
William and Mary,” Kambis said. “Therefore, when William and Mary is well known as the alma mater of a nation because of the work that Thomas Jefferson did on the Declaration of Independence, how can you not agree that [the College] is the alma mater of Colorado because Thomas Jefferson also, along with James Monroe, conceived of and concluded the Louisiana Purchase — which makes up all of Lake County, Colorado, where Mount William and Mary is located, and most of the entire state.” Geology professor Chuck Bailey ’89 disagrees. The geology department has also done fieldwork in Lake County, but Bailey said he does not consider that, or See MOUNTAIN page 3
student assembly
student life
Undergrad close to dissolution
HOPE hosts mental health info panel
Council introduces two bills to remove itself as Student Assembly branch Madeline bielski FLAT HAT Assoc. NEws Editor
In its meeting Tuesday, Undergraduate Council passed
the the
Constitution Restructuring Code Restructuring Act in to 1. Together, these acts Undergraduate Council as the Student Assembly. Both
Act and the a vote of 12 dissolve the a branch of the Graduate
Proposed Structure for Class Representation Under the new proposal, each class will receive:
4
senators
1
class president with same responsibilities and voting rights as senators
GRAPHIC BY AINE CAIN / THE FLAT HAT
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Council and the senate must pass the bills for the changes outlined within them to go into effect. Senators introduced the Constitution Restructuring Act and the Code Restructuring Act in new business at Tuesday’s Senate meeting. The bills will go through the senate’s committee process on Sunday and they will reappear for a vote under old business in next week’s senate meeting. Chairman of the Undergraduate Council Giorgio Caterini ’17 credited the four class presidents with spearheading the bills. Student Assembly Chief of Staff Drew Wilke ’15 cited Class of 2015 President Joe Foster as the leader of the restructuring movement. Under the new structure proposed in the two acts, there will be five representatives per class: four senators and one class president. The offices of class vice president, secretary and treasurer will no longer exist. The class presidents will be given the same responsibilities and voting rights as senators, meaning they will serve on two senate committees and have voting rights in those committees and on the senate floor. However, class presidents will not be
Quentin paleo flat hat assoc. News editor
More than 50 College of William and Mary students attended a HOPE-sponsored panel on the Counseling Center. The purpose of this event — held Feb. 3 in Commonwealth Auditorium — was to both “destigmatize” students’ perceptions of the Counseling Center and encourage students in need to seek help from counselors. The event began with hosts Marisa Paipongna ’17 and Thomas Le ’17 of HOPE asking audience members about their comfort level regarding help from the Counseling Center. Next, the two revealed statistics about the Counseling Center. Paipongna and Le’s presentation included the number of students who go to the Counseling Center every school year. The most common reasons behind student visits are binge drinking and suicidal thoughts. “From the 2013-2014 school year, over 1,100 students made initial appointments, and also take note that since 2008, there [has] been a steady increase in students going to the Counseling Center for a variety of purposes such as individual counseling, couples counseling and others,” Le said. “People have had various experiences and gone through various things before they go to the Counseling Center, so not everyone has gone through the same struggles or same issues.” In the second half of the presentation, students Victor Garcia
See UNDERGRADUATE page 4
See HOPE page 3
Inside Variety
Inside Opinions
Between immunity and personal freedom
Partly cloudy, High 46, Low 27
Event seeks to to remove stigma
As measles cases spread across 14 states and non-vaccination rates are on the rise, where do we draw the line between personal beliefs and public safety? page 5
Colonial history on the small screen
After filming in Colonial Williamsburg, the College hosts AMC’s “Turn” panel in PBK Hall with stars and producers. page 6