Vol. 110, Iss. 12 | Tuesday, February 9, 2021
The Flat Hat The Weekly Student Newspaper
of The College of William and Mary
Eyes on the dashboard
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Case numbers reach record heights as students return for in-person classes ETHAN BROWN AND PHILIP SCHUELER // FLAT HAT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND FLAT HAT NEWS ASSOC. EDITOR
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ays before the College of William and Mary resumes inperson classes for the spring semester, the College faced record spikes in COVID-19 positive cases on campus, causing concerns among students, staff and administrators. As of Monday, Feb. 8, there were 46 active COVID-19 cases among students in Williamsburg. There were only 16 active cases Monday, Feb. 1, representing an increase of 187% over the previous week. There have now been 72 total cases this semester, in addition to 64 pre-arrival positives. “The numbers are higher than our enviable numbers were in the fall,” Vice President of Student Affairs Ginger Ambler ’88 M.Ed. ’06 said. “That said, our positivity rate continues to be low, especially compared to the region, which is 11%, whereas we are in the one percent range.” The rapid increase in positive tests coincides with the return to campus of sophomores and juniors as part of the semester’s delayed move-in this past weekend. In-person classes are expected to resume Wednesday, Feb. 10.
Through our case management, what we are seeing is exposure and spread among individuals who have gathered in small social settings and therefore want to remind members of the community to not gather in groups of more than 10 — especially indoors, to continue to wear masks, and to practice physical distancing.
— Suzanne Clavet
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College spokesperson Suzanne Clavet said that rising case numbers are concentrated within small clusters of students. She added that positive cases have primarily been detected by students self-reporting test results, not through the College’s prevalence testing. “Through our case management, what we are seeing is exposure and spread among individuals who have gathered in small social settings and therefore want to remind members of the community to not gather in groups of more than 10 — especially indoors, to continue to wear masks, and to practice physical distancing,” Clavet said in an email. The increase in COVID-19 cases has also affected Tribe Athletics. Associate Athletics Director Pete Clawson said that a member of the women’s basketball team tested positive for COVID-19, prompting many students, coaches and trainers to enter quarantine. “During our regular COVID-19 testing within the team (which takes place three times a week), a positive test was confirmed within the Tier 1 of the women’s program (Tier 1 is defined by coaches, student-athletes
and athletics trainers),” Clawson said in an email. “Once any positive test is confirmed within Tier 1, this triggers an automatic response of this entire group of people entering into quarantine.” The Colonial Athletic Association announced Thursday, Jan. 28 that the College had suspended all women’s basketball activities in accordance with COVID-19 protocols. Games against Towson Jan. 30-31 and James Madison Feb. 6-7 were postponed indefinitely. Clawson said members of the Tier 1 community must quarantine for a minimum of 10 days. “Per the campus Path Forward protocol, the affected individuals are isolating for at least 10 days,” Clawson said. “William & Mary is also working with close contacts of those individuals to arrange self-quarantine for 10 days; the university has a dedicated team of case managers to help all the affected parties navigate isolation and self-quarantine.” According to Ambler, the College has prepared 102 rooms in Richmond Hall for quarantine and isolation housing, as well as 150 rooms in off-campus accommodations, including at local hotels. Ambler said that an additional 150 off-campus rooms could be converted into quarantine and isolation housing if needed, providing capacity for slightly over 400 students. While students have speculated that occupancy in Richmond Hall is nearing capacity, Ambler said that as of Feb. 5, Richmond Hall still has rooms open for on-campus students in need of quarantine and isolation housing. “Contrary to some of the rumors, Richmond Hall is not full,” Ambler said. “We have still plenty of space in Richmond Hall, and we also have off-campus space on stand-by should we need it. Based on the numbers that we’re seeing and what we can imagine, we feel confident that we have plenty of quarantine and isolation housing.” When cases began rising last week, the College sent several text alerts and emails to students warning them of their commitment to the Healthy Together Community Agreement and threatening disciplinary action against students who break the College’s COVID-19 conduct standards. Employees and staff members have received similar messages from administration — there now are five active COVID-19 cases among employees. “I must be clear — there will be consequences for violations of the Healthy Together Community Commitment (HTCC),” Ambler said in a Feb. 5 email to students. “I urge you, therefore, to review and fully re-commit to the expectations outlined in the HTCC. W&M remains committed to due process in responding to violations. At the same time, given this global crisis in public health, we cannot permit students to remain on campus and behave in ways that endanger the safety and welfare of others.” Ambler said that on-campus and off-campus students should make every effort to reduce their number of ‘close contacts’ — people they see for longer than 15 minutes without wearing masks or social distancing. When asked whether off-campus students could be penalized under the Healthy Together Community Commitment for socializing in small groups without abiding by COVID-19 safety protocols, Ambler said she was not sure how the College’s conduct processes would handle cases regarding off-campus students, instead urging students to avoid creating close contacts in the coming weeks. “I would much rather that students focus less on ‘Am I going to get in trouble for this?’ and far more on ‘Is this in the best interest of the people I care about, my community and myself,’” Ambler said. “That really should be the question.”
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Notifications
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William & Mary President’s Office Expectations for spring 2021
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Final day of Sophomore and Junior Move-In
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W&M: COVID Updates What you do today impacts everyone in our community and the rest of the semester. Please choose wisely. Keep your masks up, follow social distancing, gathering guidelines and wash your hands! Not doing so results in significant consequences for us all.
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W&M Student Affairs Public Health Requirements and W&M Sanctions GRAPHIC BY CARMEN HONKER / THE FLAT HAT
CAMPUS
Panel honors Martin Luther King Jr., encourages further racial justice Center for Student Diversity, student activists discuss pushing forward King’s legacy PATRICK BYRNE AND MOLLIE BOWMAN THE FLAT HAT
Feb. 3, the Center for Student Diversity hosted an online forum with student activists, professors and College of William and Mary faculty gathered to discuss both the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and ways to advance racial justice in the present day. Panel moderator Alton Coston III ’23 opened the discussion by arguing that King’s beliefs have often been incorrectly characterized. “Oftentimes the legacy of Dr. King is misstated, misinterpreted or skewed purposely by many people,” Coston said. “Although everybody loves Dr. King now, back when he was really popping back in 1968, he was one of, if not the most, hated men in America. He was hated because he let his desire for tension be known publicly.” The other panel moderator, CSD Associate Director Shené Owens, drew parallels between the civil rights movement in King’s time and modern racial issues. Owens pointed to the key role of college students in effecting social change. “If you think back to all the photos you saw
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of Dr. King, these were young men and women that were standing alongside him in these movements,” Owens said. “If you turned on the news throughout 2020, these were young people standing up and saying Black lives matter.” Following Owens’ presentation of young activism in 1960s movements, the panel discussed the role of college students in civil rights movements today, as well as advice for current and future student activists. The panel of four included Dean of the College’s Law School Benjamin Spencer, visiting professor of government Jackson Sasser, student activist Felecia Hayes ’21 and community activist Justin Reid ’09. Spencer, an expert in civil procedure, reminded listeners of their First Amendment rights to speech, protest and assembly and underscored the realities of exercising the right to peaceful protest, often times including police presence. “It’s tricky because the police have a lot of authority and have a lot of discretion,” Spencer said. “That is not authority that is used equitably ... the police have a lot of protection.”
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Hayes discussed what led to her becoming an activist, recalling the days following the killing of George Floyd this past summer. “I decided that I needed to get my voice heard in some way,” Hayes said. “So, some of my housemates and a professor passing by stood at Confusion Corner and held signs. We just spoke whatever was on our heart.” She said that the goal of protesting was to make Williamsburg residents more aware of racism, emphasizing that the movement is not just about the blatant racism displayed by the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, but also the racism embedded in everyday life. Reid gave a perspective on activism during his time at the College. “The defining moment was when our president at the time, Gene Nichol … was attempting to make change at a rate faster than many conservative alumni wanted, and he was pushed out because of that,” Reid said. “In particular, a major donor revoked a 12 million gift because of a decision the president made to make the campus more inclusive.” Reid was referring to the Wren cross
controversy, in which Nichol made the decision to remove a cross from display at the altar in the Wren Chapel. Reid spoke about efforts by himself and other students to show support for the embattled president. However, following other controversial incidents, Nichol’s threeyear contract was not renewed, making him the College’s shortest-serving president since the Civil War. According to Reid, this episode in the College’s history illustrated that change is not dependent on any one individual. “We shifted our focus and said, look, a movement does not hinge on any one person; there are still goals and objectives that we need to accomplish, and even in his absence, there are things we can push for,” Reid said. Reid continued to express some optimism and addressed Hayes. “William and Mary can get to the point where students like you aren’t constantly having to push the institution to live up to what it claims to care about,” Reid said.
Inside Variety
Snow days allow students to build relationships
Lucas Harsche ’23 says that snow days are becoming a relic of the past during COVID-19, which significantly undermines students’ ability to forge new friendships. page 4
See MLK page 8
Inside Sports
One Tribe?
We looked at the Black Student Organization’s fight for recognition against an unsympathetic College administration. page 5
Reflecting on Super Bowl LV
Nathan Seidel ’22 says that Tampa Bay’s victory Feb. 7 marks a significant achievement for Tom Brady, who clinched his seventh Super Bowl title. page 7
The Flat Hat | Tuesday, Feb.
THE BUZZ
I decided that I needed to get my voice heard in some way. So, some of my housemates and a professor passing by stood at Confusion Corner and held signs. We just spoke whatever was on our heart... It starts with you. Take it upon yourself to make it happen. — Student Activist Felecia Hayes ’21
9, 2021 | Page 2
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News Editor Charles Coleman News Editor Lulu Dawes News Editor Carmen Honker fhnews@gmail.com
FLAT HAT NEWS BRIEF Virginia Assembly passes new legislature abolishing death penalty, legalizing marijuana
Friday, Feb. 5, the Virginia General Assembly passed multiple bills concerning historic use of the death penalty and status of marijuana use. The bill regarding marijuana decriminalizing possession of marijuana for those above the age of 21. In conjunction, this bill eliminates criminal history of anyone convicted of crimes related to marijuana use or possession. The bill will also establish a tax on marijuana and related products. Individuals will not be able to purchase marijuana until 2024. In addition, the legislative body voted to eliminate Virginia’s long-term use of the death penalty. Historically, Virginia has had the second highest use of the death penalty among all 50 states, following only Texas. However, the last death row execution in Virginia took place in July 2017. Gov. Ralph Northam has expressed his support for this legislation. Consequently, two men currently on death row will have their sentences changed to life without parole. BRIEF BY CHARLES COLEMAN AND LULU DAWES / FLAT HAT NEWS EDITORS
COURTESY PHOTO / ZOHA SIDDIQUI
Zoha Siddiqui’s non-profit organization focuses on improving female education and has helped construct 12 libraries in Pakistan and Morocco.
Building bridges to education
Zoha Siddiqui ’23 explores transitional justice, creates non-profit to fund libraries
A THOUSAND WORDS
GRACE OLSEN // FLAT HAT VARIETY ASSOC. EDITOR
CLAIRE HOGAN / THE FLAT HAT
CORRECTIONS
Before attending the College of William and Mary, Zoha Siddiqui ’23 had already cofounded a non-profit dedicated to building libraries for girls at underfunded schools. The company has morphed into an impactful resource that reaches tens of thousands of girls in third world countries. HER has opened many doors for Siddiqui since and put her on the path to pursuing law school. “Through that, I knew that human rights were definitely what I wanted to pursue,” Siddiqui said. “As fulfilling as nonprofit work is, I knew that law was something I was more interested in and feel like I can make a greater contribution to the field of human rights.” HER began in 2016 with the construction of its first library in a government-sanctioned girls’ school outside of Lahore, Pakistan. Since then, 12 more libraries have been constructed — 11 in Pakistan and one in Morocco. “It has been amazing to see how much the students enjoy the books that we send over and how they are able to use the space to finally have a safe space to read, study and do art projects,” Siddiqui said. In order to construct the libraries, HER collects books at schools, libraries and community centers around the
United States. The books are sent for free through the U.S. embassy over to Pakistan, and from there, the Women’s Airforce Association delivers the books to the proper locations. Siddiqui is now working on her own self-designed major in transitional justice and is doing research in various fields. She has published articles in the Monitor, participated in the International Justice Lab at the Global Research Institute and is now working to study declassified government documents. The Monitor is the College’s journal of international studies. Siddiqui serves as the director of public relations and is a regular contributor with articles that frequently tie into her self-designed major. “I started taking more classes on transitional justice and am currently an intern through the national security archive, an independent study where a bunch of us can look at declassified government documents related to Cold War military dictatorships in the southern cone,” Siddiqui said. “We are looking for evidence of human rights abuses.” Last year, Siddiqui came across the Sepur Zarco case while in Guatemala for a class. The Sepur Zarco case features mass rape and murder that occurred during the Guatemalan Civil War. This trip focused
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on how the members of civil society are working to transition the country out of that period of intense violence and to stop the perpetuation of future violence. “I only heard about it very briefly at one of the events we were attending and then when I got back to the States, I decided to do more research into it,” Siddiqui said. Upon further investigation, Siddiqui discovered that the case was more ground breaking than originally recognized. “It set international and domestic legal precedent, it was the first time a domestic court ever prosecuted a case of domestic slavery, and it was the first time that Guatemala prosecuted sexual violence as a tool of genocide,” Siddiqui said. Siddiqui has continued her research outside of the class and now participates as a researching member of the IJL. Currently, she is working on a memorialization project. The project consists of a collection of primary and secondary sources which the research has summarized. When discussing her interest in transitional justice, Siddiqui points to her own privilege. “Growing up, I had a very privileged life,” Siddiqui said. “My parents are both doctors, I have had an amazing education, both public and private. My parents are both from Pakistan, and some of my family there has not been as lucky as I have. Both of my aunts from my mom’s side were deprived of secondary school education and, at the age of 14, forced out of school and into long hours of earning wages for their brothers to attend private school.” Siddiqui has looked to members of the College community like history professor Betsy Konefal and Pre-Doctoral Fellow for Academic Diversity in International Relations Kelebogile Zvobgo for insight and guidance. In addition, she has learned from professors at other institutions. “In terms of other inspirations, there is a professor at George Mason that I have been following, named Jo-Marie Burt, who does a lot of work tracking legal cases in Guatemala,” Siddiqui said. “It’s really cool to be able to be learning from all of these amazing women in the field, and Professor Burt has a lot of really cool work to look at. There are just so many people involved in unique ways, like through the embassies and through research.” In the future, Siddiqui hopes to continue her work in transitional justice and one day make a career out of it. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys exploring her musical inclination and spending time outside. “My main thing during quarantine has been going hikes with friends as much as possible,” Siddiqui said. “I live in Arlington, Virginia so there is not much hiking to do here, but I try my best to get out and get a change of scenery.”
opinions
Opinions Editor Lucas Harsche Opinions Editor Alyssa Slovin fhopinions@gmail.com // @theflathat
The Flat Hat | Tuesday, February 9,
2021 | Page 3
GUEST COLUMN
STAFF COLUMN
“One Tribe, One Family?” Not for the College’s dining staff, where alumni, administrative support is lacking amid global pandemic
Student Assembly Presents: The Word on Reparations, Part 1 Ifeoma Ayika
FLAT HAT GUEST WRITER
Aidan White
FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER
Last week, the College of William and Mary community witnessed a rare bright spot in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Sunday, Jan. 31 marked the end of the WM Dining Workers Fund’s winter fundraiser. After it became clear that Sodexo would not be paying W&M dining staff during the extended two-month winter break — and it became clear that President Katherine Rowe’s administration had no intention of challenging Sodexo — a group of students came together in solidarity with our dining staff to raise money for those in need. Their GoFundMe alone raised more than $23,000, with even more money having been raised through Paypal and Venmo. Seeing that money pour in from across the William and Mary community was one of the first times I ever felt that the College’s mantra of One Tribe, One Family might be true. And then I remembered that this was not the only fundraiser we have seen in the last few months. Last semester, other members of the community rallied around the Tribe 7, the seven athletics programs that the College had announced plans to eliminate for budgetary reasons. There was plenty of support for the Tribe 7, seemingly even more support than there was for the unpaid dining hall workers. Students, parents and alumni created social media pages, published open letters, mounted legal challenges, and called on the administration to reinstate the Tribe 7. Some of them even opened their pockets. The swim team alone raised $1 million in the two weeks following the announcement, according to their Instagram page. They kept raising money until the College announced plans to reinstate the Tribe 7 for another year. At one point in November, the swim team raised $3.6 million in just 36 hours.
These two Tribes are not alike in dignity or in resources. One Tribe needs help, the other does not. One Tribe needs money, the other does not. One Tribe is constantly being pushed aside by the administration, while the other sees the administration bend to their every whim. One Tribe is generous, the other is not. Now compare that to the $23,590 raised in total for dining hall workers over the course of two months. To be clear, the lives and livelihoods of our dining hall staff were on the line. Going almost two full months without pay can mean disaster under normal circumstances. Now add a deadly pandemic, an economic crisis, and an eviction epidemic to the equation. For the College’s dining workers, some of whom have families depending on them and many of whom are BIPOC, this was a matter of life and death. So why didn’t we see the same level of support for dining hall workers that we saw for the Tribe 7? The simple answer is that there is not One Tribe, One Family. There are two Tribes. The first Tribe knows what it means to suffer. This Tribe includes the dining hall workers who were scared of losing their income and being unable to support their families. This Tribe also includes the students who rallied around the dining hall workers because their mounting student debt, their history of being ignored by the administration and their lived experience of life as a student during COVID-19 inspired sympathy for the workers being abandoned by the College. This Tribe saw an injustice and came together to stop it, even if it did not directly affect them. The second Tribe has different priorities. This Tribe includes the wealthy parents and alumni who mobilized millions of dollars when their beloved sports teams were endangered but failed to do the same when the most vulnerable members of our community needed help. This Tribe also includes Rowe, who pocketed a $75,000 bonus in December, as well as the other well-paid administrators who chose to ignore the plight of the dining hall workers. This Tribe only fights injustice when they perceive it to be an injustice against themselves. These two Tribes are not alike in dignity or in resources. One Tribe needs help, the other does not. One Tribe needs money, the other does not. One Tribe is constantly being pushed aside by the administration, while the other sees the administration bend to their every whim. One Tribe is generous, the other is not. Until the most privileged and powerful members of the College community can prove they are willing to use their resources to help those who need them most, we will never be One Tribe, One Family. Aidan White ‘23 is a public policy major and a sociology minor. He is involved in Shakespeare in the Dark and the William & Mary Mock Trial Team, and is also a member of the Young Democratic Socialists and the Sinfonicron Light Opera Company. Email Aidan at amwhite02@email.wm.edu.
The Student Assembly Ad-Hoc Committee on Reparations is partnering with the Flat Hat for a series entitled: The Word on Reparations (or, The Word, for short). Reparations. If you’re like most people, the word provokes a myriad of complex emotions. Emotions like anger, passion, joy contempt, excitement. These emotions are as visceral as the perception of the word. Regardless of your opinion on reparations, a reckoning this summer has propelled the conversation around reparations back into the public eye. And for a word that holds so much and means so much to different groups of people, it is ill-defined.
Perhaps by design, reparations is a slippery eel, evading many intellectuals, who never truly came to a solid, Perhaps by design, the word “reparations” is a slippery eel, evading many intellectuals who never truly came to a solid, digestible explanation. How could they? The word harkens back to a morally murky part of the American past. Unfortunately, reparations and its past seem tied together, and if there’s a word that garners more complex emotions than reparations, it’s slavery — the very thing reparations are meant to atone for. A year ago, the College of William and Mary Student Assembly created an Ad-Hoc Committee on Reparations. The Committee was tasked with looking into the College’s history of oppression, enslavement and discrimination and to determine what we might do today to atone for those past cruelties. As co-chair of that Committee, I’ve had the pleasure of talking ... and talking … and talking about the word reparations. Through discussions with students, faculty, staff and Williamsburg community members, I’ve been inundated with feedback about the meaning, and possibly interpretation of reparations. At times, this can be quite daunting, but I’ve come to appreciate hearing all the ideas each individual has to come together and participate in restorative justice. The many viewpoints of others have helped me better understand reparations. Through these talks and my research, I’ve been able to de-sensationalize the word, make it less slippery and easier to interpret. However, this work continues to be
long and arduous. If you want my two cents : conversations surrounding reparations are not going away. Not any time soon. Why? The issues that continue to plague the Black community — as evidenced by what happened this summer — are not going away either. As long as Black people in the United States continue to be marginalized by institutional power, thought leaders will ponder restitution for those oppressions. Ultimately, we’ll continue to talk about reparations, because we’ll continue to see instances where restorative justice is necessar y.
If you want my two cents — conversations surrounding reparations are not going away. Not any time soon. Why? The issues that continue to plague the Black community, as evidenced by what happened this summer, are not going away either. The work of reparations is rooted in creating equitable, sustainable practices for those that have suffered injustice. As we come closer to understanding the best way to carry out this work, the closer to one another we become. For such a divisive word, I see it as a massive opportunity to unite. Still, one of the most fruitful exercises I’ve found in coming to better understand this word is hearing opinions and getting perspectives on the problem. So, in an effort to unite the College community, we want to share our opinions and dialogue about the word reparations and what it conveys. The goal is not to change your mind, it’s to get you thinking and talking with others. Ifeoma Ayika ‘21 is majoring in government and minoring in philosophy at the College. She currently serves as Undersecretary of Multicultural Affairs within the Student Assembly. She is also a WMsure student fellow, and serves on the government department’s Student Advisory Board meant to address diversity. Email Ifeoma at Ivayika@email.wm.edu.
INDEPENDENT GRAPHIC
Packing for the semester amid COVID-19 GRAPHIC BY ANGELA VASISHTA / THE FLAT HAT
The Flat Hat
Tuesday, February 9, 2021
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STAFF COLUMN
STAFF COLUMN
Dining options are looking up, but is it short lived or covering up a bigger issue? Caitlin Noe THE FLAT HAT
My last dinner during winter break was bittersweet. I was ready to come back to school, but the thought of eating dining hall food for the next four months was not so exciting. Then, the unexpected happened. On my first day back at school, I walked into Marketplace and was pleasantly surprised to see an abundance of new options: three types of pizzas, many new salad choices and two hot stations that rotate options every week, in addition to all the items I was accustomed to seeing. I was especially excited because Marketplace is the closest dining hall to my dorm, and I go there frequently. Some of my favorite food items now include the beet and feta salad, pepperoni pizza and the quesadilla rotation, as well as my old favorites like the caprese sandwich and croissant breakfast sandwich.
I was ready to come back to school, but the thought of eating dining hall food for the next four months was not so exciting. Although Marketplace is definitely an upgrade from last semester, Commons Dining Hall remains the same. Commons is the place to be for the hungriest students among us. The Caf can get you unlimited food for a swipe. But the taste of the food is not up to par with Marketplace barring a few exceptions — the mosaic bowls and curly fries. Additionally, if you live as far from the Caf as I do, it’s often not worth the far walk. I rarely find myself going there, considering Marketplace and Sadler are significantly closer. But one area where the Caf has Marketplace beat by a significant margin is in options for students with dietary restrictions. Marketplace should have more options for students with dietary needs, especially considering not every student lives close to the Caf. In the winter months, students with restrictions should not need to walk across campus in the cold to have a reasonable number of food opinions. I understand why during these first few weeks of school, students are not allowed to dine inside at any food location. We need to limit the chances of a COVID-19 outbreak. But if we continue with only take-out, there need to be improvements in the dining halls. First, Marketplace must have more options for students with dietary needs, so they don’t have to venture out so far in the cold. Second, there should be more eco-friendly bags, instead of the plastic bags we so often have to use for take-out. Thirdly, we need to have a better system for avoiding the piling up of trash in dorms. If there is going to be more food, there needs to be more places to dispose of it. Dorms can start getting gross quickly as trash accumulates and overflows.
In the winter months, students with restrictions should not need to walk across campus in the cold to have a reasonable number of food options. Those shortcomings aside, I hope the upperclassmen arriving on campus this weekend are pleasantly surprised by the improvement in Marketplace food. Additionally, with Sadler opening soon, I look forward to any improvements and to the opening of one of the best places on campus, Sadler Express. All in all, it looks like campus food is off to a surprisingly stellar start. Caitlin Noe ‘24 is a Government and Psychology double major. She is also a member of Amnesty International and Film Society. She will participate in the DC Summer Institute American Politics program this summer. Email Caitlin at cjnoe@email.wm.edu.
Black History Month fails to commemorate all influential Black figures in American history government wishes to handle racism, so of course they tend to highlight King and his philosophy while shrouding Malcolm X and his achievements in shadow. Another notable slight on true Black History is the complete ignorance concerning the start of the freedom rides and integrated public transport. Claudette Clovin, 15 years old and dark-skinned and incredibly brave, refused to give up her bus seat to a white woman almost an entire year before Rosa Parks did the same exact thing. Clovin’s experience, genuine as it may be, is not the specific portrayal that modern celebrations of Black History Month choose to enhance and utilize. Black History Month slights Claudette each and every year, as she is continuously not spoken up about, and this has much FLAT HAT OPINIONS ASSOC. EDITOR to do with the rampant colorism and racism that pervades even supposedly Black spaces. I would like to preface this article by noting that yes, I am a Given all of this and more, our country and our people need to do white female, and as such, I have a limited worldview concerning much better. It is not enough to merely have a half-a**ed the experiences of Black people across the globe due to my Black History Month, especially when Black men inherent white privilege. That being said, I believe that and women are still being murdered in our Black history, despite the importance that it should streets by the very members meant to protect warrant, is used as a way to superficially appease them. Until a post-racial society is achieved, the country’s ever-growing race problem. if such a thing is even possible, having the Black lives didn’t start mattering in summer government focus on the past rather than 2020, and the same principle stands for the the future only slows progress. month of February, which has only existed as The College itself needs to do better, Black History month as a legislative measure because what good do acts like a since 1996. Black history is important and monument to the enslaved do when a incredibly relevant year-round, so why is it only few hundred feet away, the glorification truly focused upon during this time of year? of colonial and slave-era America exists Even at the College of William and Mary, where in the form of Colonial Williamsburg? we have more than enough money to provide What good does the Black History for inclusive classes and voices, we struggle to Museum do when Black business owners keep the staff and options we currently have. and change-makers are not given voices in The figures focused upon are typically both society? And most importantly, what good white-washed and white-approved choices that fit is Black History Month as it stands other a certain narrative. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was than to distract us from our country’s indeed a powerful and incredibly valuable member of racial shortcomings? the Civil Rights movement — which has likewise always Elaine Godwin ‘22 is an English existed for people of color and minorities — but he and Data Science double was not the only one. Further, Black History major. As a queer person, Month programs typically teach she has a unique that Malcolm X particularly view on the argued for physical selfworld and is protection against white dedicated to hatred, whereas King inclusion for believed in the quiet and the LGBTQ+ peaceful dignity of simply community. taking it. Email Elaine Malcolm X obviously at sgodwin@ does not conform to email. GRAPHIC BY ARIANNA STEWART AND HEADSHOTS BY ANGELA VASISHTA AND KAYLA PAYNE / THE FLAT HAT the way in which the wm.edu.
Elaine Godwin
STAFF COLUMN
Snow days allow students to build relationships
Lucas Harsche
FLAT HAT OPINIONS EDITOR
Wearing our pajamas inside out. Placing a spoon under the pillow. Gluing our eyes to the television screen until we saw our school name on the news station’s long list of closures. We all hold fond memories of snow days from our youth and now as college students. Like a favorite team winning the Super Bowl or learning that a beloved musician is performing in your area, snow days are unexpected but joyfilled respites from the monotony of daily life for communities to gather together and celebrate. Unfortunately, memories might soon be all that we will have left of them. As a result of remote learning’s expansion due to the COVID-19 pandemic, snow days are quickly on their way to becoming extinct. For the good of both present and future College of William and Mary students, we must not allow snow days to disappear in a postCOVID-19 world. All things considered, snow days are understandably not very high on anybody’s priority list in this apocalyptic novel of a world in which we are living. Heck, in a remote learning environment, it probably did not even cross the minds of most students that last week’s winter storm would have most likely resulted in a few snow days. But, as the saying goes, it is the little things in life that matter the most, and one does not have to scrape the bottom of the barrel to find people whose fondest memories coincide with snow days. College students need not be exempt from this beloved phenomenon.
Imagine an alternative February 2021, for instance, in which the pandemic was finally resolved or had not even begun at all. Instead, sleep-deprived students woke up one morning in their dorms to find a New England painting outside their windows and an email from the College confirming, “No classes.” Following a swift return to sleep, imagine the quality time that students could spend with their roommates and their hall community while the turbulence of college life is put on hold. For all of the students who are beginning their journey at the College in the spring, what could be a better way to catch up on getting to know everyone than a Sunken Garden snowball fight or a hot chocolate spree in the kitchen?
GRAPHIC BY HABLO TYLER / THE FLAT HAT
It would certainly do wonders for students’ mental health. According to a study on “daily micro-breaks and job performance” published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 3, “Multilevel path analysis results showed that relaxation, socialization, and cognitive microbreaks were related to increased positive affect at work which, in turn, predicted greater sales performance.” While college students are
not the subject of this study, the benefits of brief breaks in long periods of work are wanting of consideration. It is a long number of weeks between the start of the spring semester and the usual placement of spring break. Readers certainly do not need to be reminded of the consequences which arose from the fall 2020 semester’s lack of academic breaks. If the College has an opportunity to briefly free its students from their mentally taxing obligations, would it not be prudent to do so? Perhaps my own experience on the matter can speak louder than my words. During the fall of my freshman year, classes were canceled for a brief time due to an oncoming hurricane. As a result, my new hallmates and I practically lived in the lounge for hours on end. We played various card games, told entertaining stories about where we were from, and somehow, by some masterful display of persuasion, I even convinced everyone to watch Star Wars. While I cannot remember the name or the duration of the hurricane from which we were sheltering, what I do remember is the borderline familial experience that I shared with my hallmates which, under any normal circumstances, may not have even happened given all of the different lives we led at college. That was exactly what we freshmen needed at that time: a reminder that, even though we were all living in a new place and the expectations for us had never been higher, we still had the rights to friendship and joyful gatherings. What would the cost of our sacrifices have been, in terms of plain social and mental health, if the College had simply instructed us to learn remotely during that time? How many hundreds, if not thousands, of College students will miss the opportunity to create memories such as these if snow days become extinct? Lucas Harsche ’23 majoring in History. In addition to The Flat Hat, Lucas is also the treasurer for both Swim Club and Active Minds, and plays violin in the Symphony Orchestra. Email Lucas at lmharsche@email. wm.edu.
variety
Variety Editor Matthew Kortan Variety Editor Gavin Aquin Hernández flathat.variety@gmail.com
The Flat Hat
| Tuesday, February 9, 2021 | Page 5
One Tribe?
REBECCA KLINGER / THE FLAT HAT
Members of the Black Student Organization explain disparities, lack of resources provided to Black students on campus by administration GRACE OLSEN // FLAT HAT VARIETY ASSOC. EDITOR
F
our years ago, when Loni Wright ’21 attended Day for Admitted Students, she was greeted with premonitions of racial divide. On that day, she read former College President Taylor Reveley III’s statement on his vision of race: “I don’t see color; I just see green and gold.” Today, Wright serves as the copresident of the Black Student Organization at the College of William and Mary . The BSO hosts a variety of events in a typical, non-COVID-19 year. In years past, the Black expo has brought several local, Blackowned businesses to Trinkle Hall. The expo is open to the public and features artwork, clothing, food and other goods produced in the local Black community. This year for Black History Month, the BSO has decided to resume the Black expo festivities, in online format. People will have the opportunity to register for Zoom breakout rooms where they can visit the same artists and vendors, in a safe fashion. Aside from the expo, the BSO also hosts Stomp Fest—a step competition where the Divine Nine Greek organizations compete for $1,000, with $250 going to their charity of choice. “There is a lot of grassroots work being done for events like this,” Wright said. “We go out and put the posters up in the neighborhoods the people we are targeting live in, so they know we are thinking about them and want them there.” Each year, around 400 people show up for the annual Stomp Fest, but administrators are rarely part of the audience. “It seems like no one from administration comes to our events, outside of the people within the CSD,
the chief officer of diversity and Dean Thomas,” Wright said. “Stomp fest is always around 450 people, and none of them have ever really come in the 20 years we have been hosting it. At least in the four years I have been here, I have never seen any of them.” For Wright and for BSO Event Coordinator, Victor Adejayan ’23, this is not the only place where Black students feel unsupported by administration. “I’m definitely not seeing too many of the mental health resources, I am not sure if there are even any for Black students, specifically, or for other minority groups at this school,” Adejayan said. “I definitely know that many people at William and Mary in the Black community have expressed that they have been dealing with a lot of mental issues, especially with the pandemic, and a lot of them have been feeling unsupported by the school.” There are no Black-specific mental health organizations through the school to support Black students. Resources are lacking in this area, proving frusturating to many students. WMPD makes up for the attention administration does not give. At events like Stomp fest, police are in high presence. “When we hold events, especially during non-COVID times, there are a lot of police lurking around the area,” Wright said “it has been schoolsanctioned and we have permission to be there. Sometimes, they’ll walk up and ask a lot of questions, for no reason. Why?” However, members of the BSO have said that in recent years, they have noticed greater efforts by the police department to offer more transparency of arrests. The police department is watched with
a careful eye as trends emerge. Trends emerge when certain student groups are repeatedly targeted for arrests. It has even become part of the interview process at the school to be asked about diversity and inclusivity. However, Black students continue to see themselves underrepresented on campus. “We talk about diversity so much, but we don’t see it, especially with the faculty,” Adejayan said. “When we see Black faculty on campus, for the most part, it’s people in the dining halls, janitorial staff. We don’t see ourselves represented as well among the academic faculty.” Academic faculty and the school’s founders do not represent the school today. There has movement in recent years to eradicate the Founding Fathers ties to the school, by changing building names and removing statutes. When speaking of this recent movement, Wright suggested that the administration is not considering the Black community enough with not moving forward with the eradication. “It’s almost like they lack the empathy to put themselves in a student of color’s shoe,” Wright said. “I don’t think they know what it is like to walk past a statute of somebody that could have owned you. To walk into a building of somebody that could have owned you, and beaten you, and raped you and had it be okay.” While there has been an abundance of performative support, there has been little action. The BSO hopes to continue to tackle these problems in the future and bring the Black community to the spotlight. “If anything, I at least hope that BSO continues to exist,” Wright said.
FIVE DECADES Page 6
The Flat Hat
Tuesday, February 9, 2021
SHARPS AND FLATS
Sharps and Flats Columnist Ashanti Jones explores decades of Black excellence in music on love
OF LOVE
ASHANTI JONES // FLAT HAT VARIETY ASSOC. EDITOR
T
o me, Valentine’s Day is one of the best holidays of the year next to Christmas. I just adore all the pink and red heart-covered decorations, the teddy bears and chocolates goodies covering the aisles of almost every grocery store and the obscene amount of romantic comedies played on the Hallmark Channel. This year, Valentine’s Day will not be quite the same as it usually is which may be a blessing or curse to some but there are still ways to celebrate and love one another from a safe (social) distance in this COVID-19 era. Although we cannot share sweet treats, we sure can share some sweet tunes. Music has always been a way for people to connect both near and far so in honor of both Valentine’s Day and Black History Month, here is a playlist with some throwback songs that will fit all your Valentine’s Day needs featuring Black artists exclusively.
Starting off the playlist are some sweet singles from the 1960s by greats such as Marvin Gaye, Mary Wells, The Temptations, Frank Wilsons, Percy Sledge and the Four Tops. “I Can’t Help Myself” by the Four Tops tells the story of a lover so infatuated with their sweetheart they cannot help but follow them wherever they go making it a perfect song to let that special someone know just how much you love them.
Sweet Singles from the '60s: My Girl - The Temptations My Guy - Mary Wells I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) - Four Tops How Sweet It Is - Marvin Gaye When a Man Loves a Woman - Percy Sledge Do I Love You (Indeed I Do) - Frank Wilson Next up are some groovy tunes from the 1970s by artists Al Green, Teddy Pendergrass, the Stylistics, Barry White, Roberta Flack and Al Wilson. Pendergrass’ “Turn off the Lights” is about a lover preparing a sensual night of pampering and love for their partner making it a great tune to get you and your Valentine in the mood for whatever the evening may bring.
'70s Tunes for When You're in the Mood: Let's Stay Together - Al Green Killing Me Softly With His Song - Roberta Flack Turn off the Lights - Teddy Pendergrass Can't Get Enough of Your Love - Barry White You Make Me Feel Brand New - The Stylistics Show and Tell - Al Wilson This segment of the playlist includes some smooth numbers from the 1980s by the likes of Sade, the Isley Brothers, Anita Baker, the Gap Band, Al B. Sure and Marvin Gaye. Baker sings of her new found love in “Sweet Love” making it an excellent song for confessing your affections to that special someone in your life.
'80s Ditties of Affection: The Sweetest Taboo - Sade Sweet Love - Anita Baker Sexual Healing - Marvin Gaye Nite and Day - Al B. Sure Between the Sheets - The Isley Brothers Yearning for Your Love - The Gap Band
This part of the playlist features some passionate love ballads from the 1990s by charttoppers Usher, Mary J. Blige, Tamia, Whitney Houston, Color Me Badd, and Faith Evans. “Real Love” by Blige is a song about searching for someone worthy of all your love making it perfect those still looking for that real thing.
Valentine's Day Bops of the '90s: You Make Me Wanna - Usher Love Like This - Faith Evans I Wanna Sex You Up - Color Me Badd Real Love - Mary J Blige I'm Your Baby Tonight - Whitney Houston So Into You - Tamia Closing the playlist are songs from the 2000s by vocalists Keyshia Cole, Mariah Carey, Jill Scott, Ashanti, Erykah Badu and Beyoncé. Scott’s “A Long Walk” details the evening plans of herself and her date which follow CDC guidelines making it a great plan to implement yourself this Valentine’s if you and your partner are short on ideas.
Lovey Dovey Jingles from the '00s: Foolish - Ashanti Love - Keyshia Cole In Love With You - Erykah Badu A Long Walk - Jill Scott Dangerously in Love 2 - Beyoncé Touch My Body - Mariah Carey COURTESY IMAGES / SPOTIFY AB
sports
Sports Editor Zoe Beardsley Sports Editor Nathan Seidel flathatsports@gmail.com @FlatHatSports
The Flat Hat | Tuesday, February 9, 2021 | Page 7
Reflecting on Super Bowl LV
Tampa Bay Buccaneers capture second title in game altered by COVID-19
In an anticlimactic end to an unprecedented season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers knocked off the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 to claim their second Super Bowl title in franchise history. Super Bowl LV unfolded at a precarious time for the country’s continued efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, which reduced audience capacity and altered the game’s halftime show. Even more discussed was the near-flawless performance from the now-inarguably greatest quarterback of all time Tom Brady, who threw for three touchdowns with only eight incompletions and no interceptions. Historically clad in Patriots blue and red this time of year, Brady’s seventh ring came decked out in the Bucs’ red and silver, finally putting to bed the tired narrative of the Brady and coach of New England Bill Belichick “divorce.” The stars shined on the Tampa Bay offense Sunday, a hodgepodge of big names from the last 10 years in the NFL, like Rob Gronkowski, Antonio Brown, Leonard Fournette and LeSean McCoy. But it all came together by fitting those pieces with already established Buccaneers like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Fans from the Steelers, Jaguars, Eagles and more got to watch as their former heroes graced the big stage in different colors, and impacted the victory. Brady threw for 201 yards and three scores, and Fournette established dominance in the running game with 89 yards on 16 carries as well as 46 additional yards through the air. Gronkowski caught six passes for 67 yards and 2 scores and Brown contributed 5 catches and a score. On the losing side, Mahomes delivered a very un-Patricklike 270 yards and three interceptions while posting a shaky 52.3 passer rating. Rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire posted 64 rushing yards and Mahomes added 33 more yards on the ground. The offense’s lone bright spot was tight end Travis Kelce, who amassed 133 yards on 10 catches, and wide receiver Tyreek Hill who posted seven catches for 73 yards. The Chiefs went 3
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The game might not have been dramatic — it might not have been the nail-biting, holdyour-breath finish that football fans across the country and the world were hoping for. But the fan in all of us should be grateful that we even got a game. Grateful for the consistent entertainment all season that seemed just a couple contact traces away from disaster.
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NATHAN SEIDEL FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR
GRAPHIC BY CLAIRE HOGAN / THE FLAT HAT
out of 13 on third downs and even out-gained the Bucs 243195 through the air, but the two interceptions and 120 yards in penalties proved punitive and neutralized each Kansas City
offensive effort. But the Tampa defense was an equal, if not bigger, storyline of the night. They took full advantage of the Chiefs being without their two starting offensive tackles and pressured star quarterback Patrick Mahomes on, it seemed, nearly every play of the game. Defensive linemen Shaq Barrett and Jason PierrePaul had a field day with the second-stringers, securing three sacks and crunching Mahomes a dozen times, forcing hurried and rushed throws — two of which turned into interceptions. Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles outsmarted exemplary offensive minds Andy Reid and Eric Bienemy for the Chiefs and deserves the coaching MVP as much as Brady deserved the player’s one. The game provided very little drama, completely absent of the comeback effort that had become emblematic of the Chiefs’ growing dynasty, in which they were compared to the Golden State Warriors of a few years ago, meaning they could score in bunches and get back into a game in a flash. But no such effort took place Sunday, and the Buccaneers’ lead only grew. This lack of second-half drama did lead the casual sports fan to pause a moment and take stock of the remarkable feat the NFL accomplished this year to somehow finish a season amidst the nationwide crisis. The fact that a game so riddled with close contact, so constantly pushing people right in each other’s faces, managed to finish a full season with only minimal interruptions and no “bubble” format — like the NBA used last summer — is truly staggering. It makes a fan grateful for the distraction from the troubles of today’s world, at least leaving Sunday football as a little blip of normalcy. The game might not have been dramatic — it might not have been the nail-biting, hold-your-breath finish that football fans across the country and the world were hoping for. But the fan in all of us should be grateful that we even got a game. Grateful for the consistent entertainment all season that seemed just a couple contact traces away from disaster. Hopefully next year’s football season looks a whole lot more like what we’re accustomed to, but for now, this season was all a fan could have asked for and more.
TOM BRADY’S PREVIOUS WINS 2002
ST LOUIS RAMS VS. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 17-20
2015
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS VS. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 24-28
2004
CAROLINA PANTHERS VS. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 29-32
2017
ATLANTA FALCONS VS. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 28-34
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES VS. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 21-24
2019
LOS ANGELES RAMS VS. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 3-13
2005
Page 8
The Flat Hat
Tuesday, February 9, 2021
ADMISSIONS
College recieves record number of undergraduate applicants Prospective students submit more than 17,000 applications for incoming class of 2025
2025 2022
15,000 14,800 14,600 14,400
2020
14,200 ETHAN BROWN FLAT HAT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
After an unprecedented admissions cycle conducted almost entirely online, the College of William and Mary received a record number of applications from students seeking to join the College’s class of 2025. According to Associate Provost for Enrollment and Dean of Admissions Tim Wolfe ’95 M.Ed ’01, the College received almost 17,400 applications from prospective students, an increase of 23% from last year’s admissions cycle of approximately 14,200 applications. Wolfe said that this was the first time the Office of Undergraduate Admission had received more than 15,000 applications, and he noted that the cycle likely saw the largest single-year increase in the College’s history. The College hopes to matriculate a class just shy of 1,600 students. “We believe, as far as we can tell, it’s the largest single year increase, both in terms of volume and percentage increase, at least over the last few decades that we’re aware of,” Wolfe said. “It’s definitely a significant jump.” Applications were up across the board,
both among in-state and out-ofstate students, as well as from firstgeneration students and students of color. While the College’s two early decision options saw modest increases in application numbers, the bulk of this cycle’s increased activity came from regular decision applicants, who will hear back about their application status by April 1. The record application numbers came as somewhat of a surprise to the Office of Undergraduate Admission. Wolfe said that during the spring and summer, he and his colleagues were concerned that the continued effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the college admissions process — most significantly, students’ inability to visit campus in-person — would result in fewer students submitting applications than in previous cycles. However, as the fall semester began, Wolfe said that things started to change and that the College’s application numbers instead projected positive news. He said this may be due to his office’s successful push to host virtual tours, information sessions and interviews in lieu of in-person visits. “We really didn’t know what to expect,” Wolfe said. “We certainly had some concerns that without students being able to get out and visit colleges that we might not have the volume of applications that we ended up with. As the fall moved forward and we started seeing the applications coming in … those numbers were all pointing up and clearly were showing that we were running ahead.” Nationally, application numbers appear to have increased at other selective universities
2023
like the College, though there has not been a consistent trend across all higher education institutions. Wolfe said that some universities have even experienced significant declines in application numbers. Wolfe partially attributed the College’s success in attracting applicants this cycle to the College’s provisional test-optional policy, which enabled prospective students to apply without submitting ACT or SAT exam results. The test-optional policy was introduced in spring 2020 in response to widespread accessibility concerns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, but Wolfe said the College had been planning to introduce the policy even before the pandemic. The test-optional policy is currently being used as part of a three-year pilot program. “We made the announcement last spring that we were going to move to a test-optional process,” Wolfe said. “... While the path in that direction may have been sped up as a result of the COVID pandemic, it was not solely because of that. It was something we were already considering and if we were going to go that route, we wanted to be able to do it over multiple years so we could evaluate that.” Wolfe said that the College’s test-optional policy marked a significant step forward in improving access to the application process. “I’m very glad we did, because I think without a doubt, it is very clear providing that f lexibility and option was absolutely necessary
2024
GR BY AP CO RN HIC SO LE E A BY FL UR MA ND AL AT CE N / CH EX HA : W TH AR AN TN M E L D EW .ED FLA ES RA S . C U, T H AT OM
2021
Applications
and beneficial to students this year,” Wolfe said. “I think even postpandemic, that is a clear step for access and allowing, enabling and empowering students to be able to apply with the testoptional process.” Applications from prospective firstgeneration college students and students of color also rose during the 2020-21 cycle, which Wolfe linked to the College’s provision of fee waivers to first-generation applicants, as well as its partnership with the Posse Foundation. The College and the Posse Foundation announced the partnership last October, which will provide scholarships to a diverse set of students. The College hopes to welcome its first cohort of Posse scholars soon. With so many competitive applicants, Wolfe said that the College will have to make some challenging decisions about which students to admit in the coming months, though he is confident that the class of 2025 will be among the most diverse and wellqualified classes yet. “We’re happy to see that because it means we have a fantastic applicant pool in front of us,” Wolfe said. “We also recognize that it means we’re going to be very, very busy in the coming months, as we try to read through all the applications and know that we’re going to have to make some very difficult decisions.”
STUDENT ASSEMBLY
Student Assembly hosts special presentation by Dean of Arts and Sciences Maria Donoghue Velleca meets with student leaders, discusses NTE faculty contract renewals
Tuesday, Feb. 2, the College of William and Mary’s Student Assembly hosted Dean of Faculty of Arts and Sciences Maria Donoghue Velleca to discuss ambiguity surrounding the contracts of non-tenure employees at the College. Due to financial constraints brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the College informed each of the university’s different schools that for fiscal year 2022, all academic programs must reduce their budget by 5%. These cuts originate from the College’s current budget deficit of $40 million during FY21. Arts and Sciences, the university’s largest school, has a budget of around $80 million. A 5% budget reduction requires cutting over $4 million in spending. According to Velleca, 97% of the Arts and Science budget goes towards faculty and staff salaries, meaning that a 5% budget cut must affect staff salaries and employment in some form. “There have been times in my career that I just remember times of heartache, and this is absolutely one of those for me,” Velleca said. Velleca began her presentation breaking down the different faculty under the Arts and Science umbrella, including around
400 tenure or tenure-eligible faculty and 100 non-tenure eligible faculty. Within the first category, tenured faculty hold their position for life or until retirement, while tenure-eligible faculty receive two, three-year contracts with the College. If tenure-eligible faculty complete both those contract periods with high marks, they are accepted onto a path toward tenure. Velleca explained that these guidelines necessitate all salary-based cuts need to come from NTE staff, who instead sign a year-to-year contract with the College. Of those 100 NTE staff, around 50 had their contracts end for this fiscal year with 34 receiving contracts again, 12 being told they were unsure if their contract could be renewed and the remaining faculty being told their contracts would not be renewed with the College. “If there’s any way we can avoid across the board personnel action, so that is, salary reductions or furloughs, that’s what people really want to do, because that can be super destabilizing,” Velleca said. The decisions regarding which faculty contracts to renew were made based upon many factors, including student interest, unique skill sets, their involvement in teaching the COLL curriculum and interdisciplinary programs, resources available to their departments and diversity, both in personal backgrounds and their
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There have been many times in my career that I just remember times of heartache, and this is absolutely one of those for me.
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EMMA FORD AND KIMBERLY LORES THE FLAT HAT
— Maria Donoghue Velleca
areas of study. Velleca added that before cutting salaries, other aspects were exhausted, such as reducing any new faculty hires from the usual 20 to only one, a $1.4 million decrease, as well as reducing their MNO budget by 30% that covers any office expenses. Additionally, Velleca explained that recent,
unexpected retirements opened the budget to all contracts to more of the NTE faculty waiting to hear their employment status. Velleca then discussed the options for Arts and Sciences students for this semester regarding pass/fail. Currently, the College is operating under the standard pass/fail policy, in which junior and senior students can take one normally-graded class as pass/fail, so long as those classes do not fill major/minor or COLL requirements. Some students have advocated for a return to last semester’s pass/fail policy, which allowed students across the College to take any two classes on a pass/fail basis. Velleca expressed her concern with this approach, saying that students who choose to take a class pass/fail now may not realize how that decision could impact future applications for law school, medical school or internships. However, she welcomed discussion about the future of pass/fail options for this semester and encouraged students to reach out to her. Later in the meeting, Senate Chair Meghana Boojala ’22 introduced the Naming & Renaming Referendum Act, which would authorize a referendum regarding the naming and renaming of future campus spaces, buildings and iconography. The referendum will ask students to identify a balance between “glorification and representation.” This
referendum follows the College’s creation of a working group tasked with a similar purpose last June. Currently, the bill includes a suggested preamble for the referendum that discusses the Founding Fathers’ valuable contributions to our nation as well as their views on “race, gender and sexuality” that have been ingrained into our national institutions and cause “violence and turmoil” today. The referendum will include questions regarding whether there should be a cap on the number of spaces or awards named after one individual, if that cap should apply to the Founding Fathers and if spaces and awards currently named after Founding Fathers should be included in the naming/renaming evaluation. The referendum also includes a question about whether the name of a space or award should commemorate an individual or their actions. The bill will be sent to committees for discussion this week, where senators will discuss the language and wording of the preamble and questions. It will be voted on by the Senate next week. Also at this week’s meeting: Geri Beamer M.Ed. ’21 and Abbey Sisti Ph.D. ‘22 were confirmed as the new senators for the School of Education and Virginia Institute of Marine Science, respectively.
CAMPUS
Campus memorial panel centers around teachings, legacy of MLK Jr. Speakers evaluate discrimination found at universities, consider ideas for budget, academic reform Spencer, who began as dean of the Law School in July 2020, said that the time for old policies is over. “We are asking … and begging for things to happen,” Spencer said. “We have to put some energy into becoming insiders.” Spencer spoke about his work and policies to stifle discrimination and racism within the Law School and the College community. Spencer called out the Board of Visitors many times on the
numbers of Black students and professors at the College. “Our numbers in terms of Black students are abysmally low,” Spencer said. “It is disgraceful ... same thing with faculty numbers. It is a disgrace.” Following their discussion, the panelists answered questions from the audience. In response to a question about the possibility of reform within the system as it currently exists, Spencer and Reid discussed the influence of donors on the College’s policies and priorities.
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Our numbers in terms of Black students are abysmally low. It is disgraceful ... same thing with faculty members. It is a disgrace. — A. Benjamin Spencer
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MLK from page 1
“We have to understand the fact that higher ed in this country is a capitalist enterprise,” Reid said. “When someone who has a considerable amount of wealth disagrees with what the institution is doing, they have the power to shape that institution.” Spencer concurred with Reid, and said that budget cuts by state legislatures to public higher education institutions has caused an increasing reliance on alumni donors. “It’s a small minority of people that is giving the
majority of the money, but that shouldn’t give them a majority of the voice in what’s going on at the school,” Spencer said. “What about the silent majority?” In commemoration of King and his work in the advancement of civil rights, the four panelists and two moderators encouraged and called on listeners to take personal action to fight racism and discrimination. “It starts with you,” Hayes said. “Take it upon yourself to make it happen.”