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Downsides of Title IX
Greek Diversity at the College
Fraternities and sororities with a minority focus can be a home for students of all backgrounds
A look into how Title IX led to the College cutting Division I wrestling in 1995
The Flat Hat
Vol. 104, Iss. 34 | Friday, March 20, 2015
student assembly
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Introducing the Candidates Claire & Marcell
Yohance & Catie
CAROLINE NUTTER / THE FLAT HAT Senator Yohance Whitaker ’16 (right) is running for President of SA with Catie Pinkerton ’16 (left). The election will take place March 26.
Yohance Whitaker ’16 and Catie Pinkerton ’16 announced their campaign for Student Assembly president and vice president Monday. The planning began months ago. After three years of serving as a senator for the class of 2016, Whitaker said he felt he had a firm grasp of what SA was, how it worked and how it could be improved. Pinkerton said that SA’s ability to turn ideas into reality was what motivated her to run. “Yohance and I met, and he told me that the Student Assembly is one of the only organizations on campus that has a connection to the administration, to the students, [and] to the greater Williamsburg community and has the leadership ability and the ideas with the money to back it,” Pinkerton said. “And so that was what sold me … just the promise and idea of knowing that my ideas would definitely be heard and definitely have the support and the money.” While Pinkerton does not have previous experience with SA, she holds leadership roles in
Camp Kesem and Kappa Alpha Theta. Whitaker chairs a finance committee within SA and serves as a resident assistant in Gooch Hall. “We have the leadership experience, but we also have the ideas behind it so we are able to communicate our platform, and they are all very attainable goals because we have the right advocates in place,” Whitaker said. The pair is running on a platform of three words: connect, engage and inspire. Whitaker and Pinkerton have planned initiatives related to each word for the SA should they win the election. “Connect” is based round the SA’s responsibility to the students to See WHITAKER page 3
CAROLINE NUTTER / THE FLAT HAT Claire Etheridge ’16 runs for SA president with Marcell Crawford ’16 as her running mate, though they have never been a part of SA.
Three years ago, Claire Etheridge ’16 and Marcell Crawford ’16 were elected to the Botetourt Complex’s Hall Council. Next year, they hope to continue their partnership by becoming the College of William & Mary’s next Student Assembly president and vice president. While neither Etheridge nor Crawford has previous Student Assembly experience, both have held leadership positions. In addition to serving on multiple hall councils, Etheridge is secretary of Amnesty International, while Crawford is treasurer of the Residence Hall Association and vice president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. The pair said that they are running not only to
STUDENT LIFE
enact meaningful and real change in the Student Assembly, but also to add transparency to a student government body they feel has become too shielded from the student community. “Last year, I followed the SA elections,” Etheridge said. “The really big thing that I noticed was there was a lack of specifics. They had these big themes for their campaigns, but there weren’t any concrete details, and I thought, ‘What does SA do that is concrete, that is really working for the students?’ I thought, I could do that, I could come up with concrete plans.” Crawford also discussed the lack of visibility in the SA, something he hopes to change if elected. “I realized [that] I really didn’t know what the SA does,” Crawford said. “I started following their website … and trying to figure out what they do. We look at things that SA does, and it’s very vague. They don’t release an agenda beforehand [and] all of their proposals are in super vague language. I See ETHERIDGE page 3
STUDENT LIFE
Chick-fil-A returns as Marketplace option Students respond Grill station to serve Chick-fil-A chicken sandwiches for lunch 2 days a week to brutality at UVa. Eleanor lamb FLAT HAT assoc. news editor
Last fall, the Chick-fil-A option, one of Marketplace’s most popular offerings, was removed. However, starting Thursday, students will be able to return to some of
the fare that was so in demand last year, as Dining Services will be reintroducing Chickfil-A sandwiches to Marketplace. Dining Services announced in a March 17 press release that they are working with the Chick-fil-A located on Monticello Avenue to provide sandwiches to Marketplace on
COURTESY PHOTO / CHICK-FIL-A.COM Chick-Fil-A will return to Marketplace on Tuesdays and Thursdays after leaving the campus this past summer.
Index News Insight News News Opinions Variety Variety Sports
Today’s Weather 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
College students reacts to Wednesday’s arrest
See CHICK-FIL-A page 4
See POLICE page 3
TUCKER HIGGINS flat hat EXECUTIVE editor
African American and black student organizations on campus communicated their support of black students at the University of Virginia in an open letter sent Thursday. The letter came as the university, located in Charlottesville, reels from the March 18 arrest of third-year U Va. student Martese Johnson. College of William and Mary President Taylor Reveley also spoke about the incident, saying in a statement that the incident challenges the College to come together. Johnson was arrested by Alcoholic Beverage Control agents after midnight Wednesday and charged with resisting arrest, obstructing justice without threats of force and profane swearing or intoxication in public. A video of Johnson’s arrest, which shows him bleeding from the face, received national attention and led to protests at the university. The Virginia State Police launched a criminal investigation into the officers’ use of force Thursday. According to Ebony Lambert ’16, who is secretary of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and drafted the letter, the arrest in Charlottesville is indicative of a greater context of oppression directed at black bodies. “Just because [Johnson] was removed from Williamsburg and wasn’t one of our students … doesn’t mean the wound wasn’t felt by all of us,” Lambert said. “The assault was characteristic of historical tensions and things that we are used to. It’s more of
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Tuesdays and Thursdays. The restaurant will deliver pre-made chicken sandwiches to Marketplace, and the sandwiches will be served at the grill station until supplies run out. These sandwiches may be purchased through Dining Dollars or Express Dollars. Resident District Manager Jeff McClure stated that Dining Services will listen to student feedback and gauge the success of the sandwiches to determine whether they should increase the number provided each Tuesday and Thursday. “I think it’s cool to do it twice a week because it becomes a novelty,” McClure said. “I don’t want to get too haywire.” This year, Dining Services has added new vendors in Marketplace, including Qdoba and a sandwich station, which took the places of Chick-fil-A, Capiche, and Zoca. The sushi station remains. In past years, Chick-fil-A was a staple at Marketplace and attracted many visitors for lunch and dinner. Joseph Roth ’15 said he was pleasantly surprised by the reinstatement of the restaurant. “I wasn’t expecting [this]. I really like Chick-fil-A”, Roth said. “Freshman and sophomore year, [Marketplace] seemed
Former Flat Hat editor-in-chief Meredith Ramey, along with her fellow senior staff members, bids the paper goodbye and welcomes a new staff. page 5
Veganism at Sadler
Chef Areem Chambers introduces students to the benefits of veganism page 6
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The Flat Hat | Friday, March 20, 2015 | Page 2
THE BUZZ
Though we shouldn’t have to wait for an event of this level of violence to get this close to our campus, it means that we have to pay attention and be proactive so that it doesn’t happen here, ever. — Student Assembly Secretary of Diversity Initiatives Hannah Kohn ‘15 on the arrest of Martese Johnson March 18 in Charlottesville
THE DIGITAL DAY
Snapchats from Students
In this week’s edition of Snapchats from Students, a snapchat artist proves that her talent is more that just the luck of the Irish while another expresses her enthusiasm for the College of William & Mary’s special snapchat filter. Lastly, Google Maps remains a reliable source for anyone who finds themselves wandering around campus in search of a particular alumni’s statue. To see your snapchats in The Flat Hat, be sure to add theflatchat and check out our album on Facebook.
theflatchat A THOUSAND WORDS
Check out the Flat Hat’s newest blog “Alma Matter” written by Carly Matin. Carly will write about undergraduate scientific research on campus. This week she covers Mark Forsyth’s microbiology lab.
Kayla Sharpe / THE FLAT HAT
CORRECTIONS The Flat Hat wishes to correct any facts printed incorrectly. Corrections may be submitted by email to the editor of the section in which the incorrect information was printed. Requests for corrections will be accepted at any time.
Exeter Study Abroad blogger Annie Curran writes about the joys and dificulties of having a longtime friend visit during spring break.
“Scientific research is not carried out in bleak, bland, secretive nooks far, far away by a gang of dusty codgers. Scientific research hardly looks like this anywhere in the world, but it especially does not look like this within the College. Our nooks are brimming with new ideas. Particularly near and dear to me is Mark Forsyth’s Helicobacter pylori microbiology lab. I have been involved with Dr. Forsyth’s work for about a year and a half, and the experiences I’ve had have cultivated my love of scientific pursuit; I’ve come to understand how personally fulfilling scientific collaboration can be, and what a social venture it actually is. Dr. Forsyth has been an incredible mentor throughout my scientific career, and I’ve appreciated having a principal investigator who can fold a joke into the most obscure and complicated scientific explanations.”
“While hosting friends is a generally entertaining experience, it can be taxing. In the eloquent words of Benjamin Franklin, ‘Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days.’ I love my friend a lot, but I was definitely burning out by the end of the visit. Our days were nonstop as I tried to fit in the best that Exeter has to offer in only a week. Our final day together began at 7 a.m. with a rainy walk to the Quay, which is the city’s riverside and my personal favorite place in Exeter. Then, within our last 30 minutes in Exeter together he lost his bus ticket, locked us out of my flat and arrived at the bus station only to realize that he had left all of his money in a drawer in my room. Needless to say, in that last panicked moment I was ready for him to return to America. I spent Saturday recovering from our week together by doing absolutely nothing besides binge- watching Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt...Of course, I miss having my friend here, merging my home life with my study abroad life.”
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WILLIAMSBURG POLICE BEAT
March 14-17
The Flat Hat incorrectly stated in the print edition March 17 thirty students are running for seventeen positions in the Student Assembly. Thirty students are actually running for twenty-two available Student Assembly positions.
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Saturday, March 14 — A student was arrested for driving under the influence on Monticello Ave.
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Tuesday, March 17 — An individual was arrested for a hit and run and property damage on Richmond Rd. and Lafayette St.
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Tuesday, March 17 — A runaway juvenile was reported on Richmond Rd.
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College reacts to arrest of Martese Johnson from U.Va. POLICE from page 1
the same.” College president Taylor Reveley applauded efforts by the state to investigate the arrest and said the impact of the incident will not be limited to U Va. “What just happened at UVa is bound to have an impact on race relations beyond Charlottesville, including on our campus, just as other events far from Williamsburg have had an impact on us,” president Reveley said. “At William & Mary it makes all the more important that we come together in ways that allow us to talk openly about race and about how we can do better in our own community.” Chon Glover, who chairs the President’s Task Force on Race and Race Relations and is
co-chair of the Committee on Diversity, said that she was deeply troubled to learn about Johnson’s arrest. “Although I do not know all of the information, it is my hope that the state investigation will provide the facts,” Glover said. “This is a difficult time for our colleagues and friends at University of Virginia, and we must keep them and Martese in our thoughts.” Hannah Kohn ’15, Student Assembly director of diversity initatives, said the incident is a reminder for students at The College to be proactive. “We need to spend time having these challenging conversations, being honest with ourselves and with others, and being willing to listen when people say that they’re hurting, even if we don’t feel the pain personally,”
Kohn said. “And though that will take time out of our busy schedules, we have to decide that is worth it and that we will commit to using our voices for good, to speak out for others so this doesn’t happen again, and especially not in Williamsburg.” William and Mary Campus Police Department chief Deborah Cheesebro, who sits on the President’s Task Force on Race and Race Relations, is away from campus this week and could not be immediately reached for comment. The task force will have its first meeting Thursday, March 26. Williamsburg Police Department spokesman Greg Riley declined to comment on an incident that did not involve members of the Williamsburg Police Department and which is currently under investigation.
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The Flat Hat
Student Assembly
Senate discusses fiscal concerns, allocating funds Senators support WCWM Fest, unable to fully fund event; partially funds Someone You Know request amelia lucas flat hat assoc. news editor
During the Student Assembly Senate’s Mar. 17 meeting, the legislative body heard requests from WCWM — the College radio station — and Someone You Know, the sexual assault prevention branch of HOPE. Although the Senate voiced support for these two groups, they ultimately could not pledge the full requested amount because of the weight
of past spending this year. WCWM appealed a denied activities and events request for $18,700 to fund the WCWM Fest, a music festival held once a semester. WCWM initially submitted its request Feb. 7 for the April 25 event. During the meeting, WCWM amended the request to $10,000. Senators expressed support for the WCWM Fest, but fiscal concerns dictated the discussion. Sen. Chase Jordan ’15 asked if WCWM considered asking for
ASHLEY RICHARDSON / THE FLAT HAT
Senators passed the Richard Cornish Speakers Act, the Money Transfer Act and Vans Vans Baby Act.
funds from the Media Council, which provides guidance and financial support to student media groups. WCWM station manager and Media Council representative Sarah Henry ‘16 said the Media Council did not respond positively to past requests for funds for the music festival. However, the strong student attendance at past WCWM Fests encouraged the senate to consider paying a portion of the requested $10,000. “Keep in mind that we have this conversation every single year,” Chief of Staff Drew Wilke ’15 said. “Yes, we have a month and half left, but at the same time, how much is really coming up still? This event, to me, is probably going to be more successful and have more student attendance than anything else happening in the next six weeks.” Sen. James Walker ’15 proposed giving WCWM $3,000. Sen. Chase Jordan ’15 countered this with an offer of $6,500. “I strongly, strongly recommend $6,500,” Jordan said. “I think that we would be splitting hairs to battle between $6,500 and $6,000, and we should especially give them that $500 because they have been waiting since February.” $1,500 would be taken from the activities and events fund and the remaining $5,000 would be from the SA reserves. The senate unanimously
passed the motion to provide WCWM with $6,500. Someone You Know, in partnership with the Healthy Relationships branch of HOPE, also submitted an activities and events request. The group asked for $5,500 to bring Nancy Donoval, an award-winning storyteller and sexual assault educator, to campus April 1 and 2. Donoval also spoke here last year and Someone You Know expects that approximately seventy-five people would attend. “I do think this is a great event, and this is a cause that is worth our attention and our promotion, but that’s not why I’m about to say what I’m about to say,” Sen. Danny O’Dea ’18 said. “I could not, in good conscience, vote for this bill at $73 per perspective student attending … because I don’t think that there are many events worth justifying that cost per student.” Chairman of the Senate Dan Ackerman ’16 motioned to provide Someone You Know with $1,000. The motion passed with unanimous consent. The Senate also practiced frugality with its own bills. The Richard Cornish Speakers Series Act, which originally requested $2,900, passed by unanimous consent after a friendly amendment cut $250 from its advertising budget. The Student Assembly Reserve has
$15,087. The activities and events fund held $661 at the start of the meeting. However, the unanimous passage of the Money Transfer Act allows $5,000 from the service fund to be transferred to the activities and events fund. The Vans Vans Baby Act also passed by unanimous consent. The bill funds $800 from the Student Activities Reserve to pay for vans to off-campus baseball and lacrosse games. Additionally, Sen. J.C. LaRiviere ’17 introduced the Honor System Policy Accountability Resolution. The resolution addresses the relationship between the Senate and the Undergraduate Honor Council and calls for a reform of the Honor Council’s policymaking authority and its method of selecting its members. Ackerman assigned the resolution to all of the committees. Walker introduced the Equal Representation Committee Act. The bill will create a standing committee to determine how to improve communication between the Graduate Council and the Senate and how to ensure the Student Assembly represents the Graduate Council’s interests proportionally. Ackerman assigned the bill to the public affairs, policy, student life, finance and outreach committees.
Whitaker, Pinkerton talk textbooks Etheridge, Crawford discuss mental health Candidates propose plan aimed at lowering textbook prices
Candidates focus on improving Counseling Center policies
WHITAKER from page 1
ETHERIDGE from page 1
around the SA’s responsibility to the students to be more accessible and relevant and act as a resource. Whitaker and Pinkerton would push for their “One Tribe, One Click” idea to increase transparency within both the SA and College’s websites so that resources are more easily found — in just one click. An alumni and upperclassman mentor program and an initiative to ensure students’ voices are heard are also under the “connect” umbrella. The pair’s emphasis on engaging students focuses on two topics: the affordability of college and health services. Whitaker and Pinkerton plan to offset the rising textbook prices by creating an SA-sponsored rental and buy-back program. The pair has also considered encouraging the SA to purchase textbooks for large, introductory courses that would be housed in departments and be available for student use. “The way we are envisioning that program is that rather than having students sell their books back to the bookstore or back to the vendors who stand outside of the Crust and Wawa and things like that, students would be able to sell-back their books to the Student Assembly,” Whitaker said. Whitaker “The Student Assembly would be able to rent or be able to sell those books at a cheaper price because we’re not in it for the money.” Currently, the College bookstore also has a rental and buy-back program, but Whitaker is not concerned about potential push back from administration due to the competition this program would create. “In the conversations that I’ve had, it has been an idea that is well received because the administration wants students to be able to come here, and they want students to be able to flourish here and stay here, and they want to decrease the obstacles and the
access to education,” Whitaker said. The pair also believes the SA should be focused on ensuring resources for mental, physical and emotional help are available and accessible. They plan to continue the subsidizations providing for STI testing and flu shots but also would like to partner with the Student Health Center to provide rape kits for students in the event of a sexual assault. Whitaker and Pinkerton’s third tenet — inspire — promises a focus on sustainability for the College going forward, as well as an emphasis on recreating “One Tribe, One Family.” With their “Open Ears, Open Hearts” platform, the pair said they plan to lead in an inclusive and respectful to all students, thereby encouraging a more inclusive College community. To encourage creativity, the pair has developed a Kickstarter campaign that would support and fund student organizations with promising missions to ensure proper resources. Primarily, the pair hopes to effect lasting change through the opportunities granted as president and vice president of the SA. “One of the reasons that I’m really excited about [running for SA president] is that the Student Assembly is that organization that can create meaningful change, that can start conversations, that can connect students to resources, that can advocate and engage for them at William and Mary and off-campus and that can lead in the way that puts meaning back in one tribe, one family, and that inspires them,” Whitaker said.
Flat Hat Associate News Editor Amelia Lucas and Flat Hat Copy Chief Amanda Williams wrote this story.
Student Assembly Debate 2015 The two presidential candidates will participate in a debate March 23 5-6pm in Commonwealth Auditorium.
of their proposals are in super vague language. I don’t like that. I want people to know what is happening.” Crawford and Etheridge have four main problems they hope to tackle if elected: diversity, community engagement, transparency and physical and mental health. “We didn’t want to do a three-pronged approach, a three buzzword type of campaign,” Crawford said. “We really wanted to emphasize…[that] you can’t progress unless you work with the community around you and it is a collaborative effort.” In terms of community engagement and transparency, Etheridge and Crawford discussed the SA’s handling of the dissolution of the Undergraduate Council. Etheridge “The changes don’t change the day-to-day operations of SA, but what really concerned me was the lack of communication with the Graduate Council before [the dissolution],” Crawford said. “[The SA] should make sure [to communicate] before making drastic changes, maybe by doing a climate survey of the campus to see how they would feel about a change like that happening.” If elected, Etheridge and Crawford said that they plan to increase transparency by holding weekly office hours and placing a suggestions box in Sadler Center or Earl Gregg Swem Library. They also said that they hope to speak with students in person more than via social media as it only reaches a set number of followers out of the thousands of students on campus. As for physical health, Etheridge and Crawford have several goals: Increase the presence of a newly founded bike initiative on campus, create a minigym in the basement of One Tribe Place and put up
maps showing exercise trails. Finally, when it comes to mental health at the College, the Counseling Center is at the top of Etheridge and Crawford’s priorities. “There has been a big SA push to get people to go to the Counseling Center, to de-stigmatize the Counseling Center,” Etheridge said. “But the thing is, our Counseling Center is not that good. I consistently hear from students who have mediocre or bad experiences at the center. I think that a lot of that is policy. I think with improved policy, we could have students having a much more positive experience.” Crawford agreed with Etheridge, pointing out that practices such as having a graduate student record counseling sessions can make students uncomfortable. He hopes to hold public forums regarding the center and discuss issues with the counseling center and the administration directly. Moving forward, Etheridge and Crawford said that they plan on reaching out to students by visiting organizations, tabling and holding campaign events to target those who are still undecided. “We are more focused on the details than on the flash and bang,” Etheridge said. “We both have leadership experience, and I think that would transfer well. I think that not having any SA experience could actually benefit us because a lot of the time when you come into a system from the outside and you ask, ‘Why do we do it this way?’ people say, ‘That is what we have always done.’ I think that we could see potential gains in efficiency.”
Flat Hat Associate News Editor Quentin Paleo, Flat Hat reporter Allison Rohrer and Flat Hat Associate Meilan Solly wrote this story.
Flat Hat Election Coverage 2015 For continued information about this year’s Student Assembly candidates check back with The Flat Hat.
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The Flat Hat
Friday, March 20, 2015
student life
Mock Trial earns 2 bids to national tournament First time team has received two bids; students to compete at Furman University this weekend Amanda williams Flat Hat copy chief
The College of William and Mary’s undergraduate mock trial’s recent performances at two regional tournaments earned them two bids to the American Mock Trial Association’s Opening Round Championship Series Tournament. The College sent two teams to a regional tournament at the University of Richmond Feb. 14-15, where one placed eighth, earning it a bid to compete in the first round of the national tournament. That team accepted its bid and will go on to compete at Furman University in Greenville, S.C. this weekend. The College also had teams qualify in 2011 and 2013.
This year, the program added three new coaches: attorney Brandon Harper and two College graduate students, Jacob Dominy M.P.P ‘15 and Laura Worden J.D. ‘17. Tara Burns ’15 said he believes there were a number of factors that contributed to the program’s success, including the new coaches, more focused motivation and a great amount of Burns practice. Burns competed with the winning team at the Richmond Tournament. “This year we got amazing coaches, which definitely helped. Brandon has
kind of changed everything for the program just because he has really great insight on what makes you successful in competition,” Burns said. “We went in really trying to polish our public speaking skills in a way that we hadn’t before and I think though, the one thing that really helped at Richmond was we prepared a lot in advance, much more than we had in the past so when we got to the competition we were able to kind of relax before rounds, have fun with it, and do what we had already prepared.” The College also sent one team to compete at the University of Maryland’s regional tournament Feb. 21-22. This team also earned an open bid, making it the first time in history that two teams from the College have qualified for the first round of the national tournaments.
Chick-fil-A sandwiches at Marketplace CHICK-FIL-A from page 1
like it was crowded all the time. I think more people will come now.” Paige Bermudez ’15 has eaten at Marketplace several times a week for the past two years. She said she has noticed a drop in students at the location this year. She stated that the implementation of the popular chicken restaurant would stimulate more traffic at Marketplace. “I think when they reopened Marketplace it lost a lot of appeal to a lot of students,” Bermudez said. “Reintroducing Chick-fil-A would only make it more popular.” In addition to implementing Chick-fil-A as a biweekly option, McClure said the food trucks are now up and running once more. Wholly Habaneros will be available during lunch on the Terrace, and the food trucks will also be available outside the Commons Dining Hall in the evening to provide late night service. McClure said that Dining Services expects the weather will make
the food trucks a more popular option. “We’ll keep listening to feedback. The most important thing is that [we] give students options,” McClure said.
MOLLY MENICKELLY/ THE FLAT HAT Food trucks will be available as a late-night option outside of the Commons.
The team did not place in the top eight, but had a high enough overall score to be added during the open bid process, after the earned bids had been awarded. The College did not accept the second bid, however, due to financial constraints. Harper attributes the teams’ success to cohesiveness and hard work. “People are working hard, but the reason they are working hard is because they like and respect their teammates,” he said. “It’s like any team where people do better when they are part of a team and are working toward a common goal.” Dominy has been on the team since his freshman year at the College and now coaches it. He said he was impressed with the
competitors this year and remains hopeful that the team will advance to the second round of nationals. “I think the biggest thing that we’ve been able to pull off this year as opposed to previous years was just having Dominy a very consistent level of quality and performance and presentation that we certainly didn’t have last year and that just kind of comes with [practice],” Dominy said. “As long as everyone remains confident in themselves and maintains their composure and presence, I think everything will work out fine.”
College student arrested for soliciting underage girl online According to The Staunton News Leader, police in Staunton, Va. arrested five young men who were attempting to solicit underage girls online. One of the young men was Joseph Corrigan, a 21 year-old College of William and Mary student. Corrigan, originally from Vienna, was denied bond last week in Staunton Circuit Court. Officers from the Staunton Police Department conducted the sting over the past two Corrigan weeks by entering online chat rooms and imitating 13 and 14-year-old girls looking to meet older men. Corrigan was charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties with a minor after arriving in Staunton March 9. He is
currently being held at Middle River Regional Jail. At the hearing, Corrigan was revealed to have recently entered the apartment of a female student while she was sleeping. Corrigan removed a sock from her foot before she woke and told him to leave. Two years ago, Corrigan was diagnosed with pre-schizophrenia, which was later labeled as an undiagnosed mood disorder. The other men arrested were Michael Boupharak of Timberville, Va., Christopher Hughes of Ridgeway, Va. and Kevin Hitt and David Good, Jr., both of Grottoes, Va. All five of the men had come to Staunton to meet teenage girls. The arrests took place over a two-week period.
— Flat Hat Assoc. News Editor Eleanor Lamb
FH
For more on this developing story check back with The Flat Hat.
opinions
Opinions Editor Isabel Larroca Assoc. Opinions Editor Annie Sadler fhopinions@gmail.com // @theflathat
The Flat Hat | Friday, March 20, 2015 | Page 5
STAFF EDITORIAL
Promoting inequality
T
GRAPHIC BY MADELEINE KING / THE FLAT HAT
The sounds behind a fond farewell Though she moved to her position in the last days of her first semester at the College of William and Mary, Isabel Larroca ’18 has demonstrated her talent at running the most controversial section of the paper — opinions. She will continue in this position and I look forward to seeing the pieces she can pull from her columnists. Nick Cipolla ’17 and Sumner Higginbotham ’17 have taken over the time-honored sports desk and its much-loved Twitter handle (@ FlatHatSports). They will continue to cover Tribe games, matches and tournaments despite rain, heat or lack of audience members. SENIOR STAFF WRITER Taking over the spiciest section of them all are Emily Chaumont ’18 and Sarah Ruiz ’18. Together, they’ll ensure that the features stay fun, the Growing up, I was never all that into music. To this day, I listen to profiles stay meaningful and Behind Closed Doors stays sexy. whatever is on the radio when I’m driving and am usually fine working And in my first Flat Hat home, KJ Moran ’18 and Madeline Bielski in silence. But in the basement of the Campus Center lies a place where I ’17 serve as the new sultans behind the news desk. Chasing stories can’t help but define things by the sound leaving the speakers — and it’s throughout the day and night, these two bring the excitement and drive not the WCWM recording studio. needed in the craziest and most nocturnal of sections. When you walk into the Flat Hat’s unassuming office, you’ll see white Rounding out the 2015-16 Flat Hat staff are Annie Curran ‘16, Rohan walls, big wooden desks and half-broken chairs, sticky notes and Game of Desai ‘17 and Daria Grastara ‘17, all of whom managed their sections with Thrones crests taped to the walls alongside aged awards and previously dedication during this past year and are either abroad or continuing with important 1960s front pages. But what you hear is what defines the The Flat Hat in a noneditorial position. eclectic nature and life of this newsroom. Like I said, a lot of youthful glints in this new staff’s many pairs of eyes. Sometimes, it will be Kanye, rapping or singing alongside Rihanna. But with the newfound structure of a staff comes a contingent of tired — More often, Fleetwood Mac or Creedence Clearwater Revival will make its and bar-frequenting — seniors. way to your ears. There was a Les Mis phase, followed by Beyonce-day. If Emily Lowman ’15 and Rachel Neely ’15 have been essential to it’s after 2 a.m., you might have the misfortune of Kidz Bop or luck out with the success of the paper this past year. As copy chiefs, they caught the some Justin Timberlake. The elusive REO Speedwagon comes and goes mistakes of fast-moving journalists, covering our rears many a time. alongside ABBA and Taylor Swift — even Jason Derulo (though less so). But one graduating journalist never really seemed to need the help of Obviously our office is musically spastic. It jumps DJ to DJ, resting her editors or copy chiefs. Grooming her writing talents as Variety Editor, moments on some and hours on others. Editors sign-off their nights with Sarah Caspari ’15 moved to cover some of the most nuanced of stories as chosen singles — ranging from “Take Me Home Tonight,” to “Bootylicious,” Chief Staff Writer, and I will miss seeing her name in the bylines of this to “Let’s Get it On,” to N.W.A.’s most famous protest song. paper. What makes the musical environment of this newsroom great, Though she only joined the core staff of the paper this past fall, Devon though, is that it changes — not alongside announced Ivie ’15 has added a new and exciting element to our and unannounced dropped albums — but with the newspaper community. With a music taste that rivals individuals who live here four nights a week. The year Aine’s, Devon brought a classy spice to the Variety section of “Bootylicious” ended in 2014, and “Take Me Home during her tenure. Tonight” the year before that. “Let’s Get it On” lasted Moving to the digital world, Zachary Frank ’15 until fall 2015, while N.W.A. phased itself out last month. When you walk launched a new era in the online section of The Flat But what will the new tides bring? With that youthful Shifting seamlessly from Opinions editor to the into the Flat Hat’s Hat. glint in their eyes, the new Flat Hat staff is bright-eyed, video-and blog-oriented section, Zachary added multiple unassuming bushy-tailed and every other clichéd phrase you can new podcast features to our site while also building the think of for excited. It’s their turn to take hold of this office, you’ll see artistic visuals of our video content. Alongside him, Molly century-old paper and turn it into their own. With it, they Menickelly ’15 came in as social media editor, helping white walls, big us launch The Flat Chat and continuing to drive users take over this flood-zone of an office, with its dusty walls and musical roulette. to our content with Facebook and Twitter postings. Both wooden desks At the captain’s helm, we have Áine Cain ’16, who and Molly add a special flavor to this staff that and half-broken Zachary bears all mispronunciations of her name and can swap will be impossible to recreate. chairs ... But history facts with the best of them (and only the best Still recovering from two short-falling CAA of them). It’s an honor to hand off to such a passionate championship the golden trio of sports are hanging what you hear is up their press runs, and enthusiastic individual and I know she can take this passes. Chris Weber ’15, Mick Sloan ’15 what defines the and Jack Powers ’15 rotated through their lineup as sports paper into the future without forgetting its traditional roots. eclectic nature editors over the last two years. All I can say is, while Second in command is Tucker Higgins ’17, moving the office arguments will be fewer and Kanye will see a and life of this from Variety editor to executive editor. Though a featuredecrease in Spotify listens on the office computers, I know man by nature, he has a keen sense for news and knows these three will continue to #workuntil. newsroom. how to chase down a story — even if it involves some Last up are my right and left hands, the two people I intense Facebook stalking. May he continue to chase leads when at home relied on most this past year — Ellen Wexler ’15 and Abby Boyle ’15. and abroad next year. As a two-year executive editor, Ellen has seen it all. She’s managed six Supporting their every grammatical need, Kat Turk ’16 and Amanda different variety editors, persevered through learning Adobe Illustrator, Williams ’16 will take over the reins of their formidable section as copy and battled column after column about last year’s Sigma Chi email. chiefs. Two dedicated individuals, they connived to elevate the copy Anyone who meets Ellen would say that she doesn’t say much — and section to the highest of honors — assassins champions of 2015. she won’t deny it — but when she does say something it’s incredibly In the visually exciting world of photography, Caroline Nutter ’18 important to listen. Her opinion and insight has saved me from many a will join Ashley Richardson ’17 as photos editors, combining their mistake or rash judgment and I know there were moments when it would extraordinary talents. have proved wiser to listen to Ellen rather than going with my gut. Former associate Variety editor Emily Nye ’16 will take over as chief Balancing Ellen’s affinity for Ayn Rand and Johnny Cash, Abby brings staff writer this spring. After two years and change covering essential the liveliness – and catchiness – of the mainstream into our office, and stories, Emily will be a great addition to the new writer training program. she’ll always defend her right to do so. Though her heart will forever live Associate opinions editor Kaitlan Schaub ’17 is shifting to editorial writer, with the Variety section, Abby’s sense for news is one of my favorites — where she will undoubtedly prove a strong voice and even stronger writer mainly because it is coupled with a love for Ginger Ambler. In her year as she supports the paper’s editorial board. as managing editor, Abby has led the news and sports sections through After moving to online editor last fall, Kayla Sharpe ’17 will continue wordiness and sterility (how else could you describe the lack of news on in the position alongside her new co-editor Julia Kott ’18. The pair will this campus sometimes?). continue to bolster the print content of the newspaper with multimedia Graduating with these seniors are a collection of playlists, Pandora content ranging from videos to Snapchat stories while adding their accounts and YouTube histories. And while the traditional strongholds personal creative touches. Iris Hyon ’18 will join them as social media will never quite leave — everyone needs to listen to “Rumours” once or editor, taking her Twitter talents to the next level, and Matt Camarda ’16 twice a day — the music of the new staff will fill in the gaps and absences will move from editorial writer to blogs editor — further expanding the as easily as they filled in the chairs behind those big wooden desks. online section. Email Meredith Ramey at maramey@email.wm.edu.
Meredith Ramey
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he National Collegiate Wrestling Championships continue into semifinals this weekend, but, unfortunately, the College of William and Mary will not compete. The Tribe’s exclusion from the tournament is not for lack of talent or interest. Instead, the Tribe will not participate because of two misguided interpretations of a law passed in 1972. The law, commonly referred to as Title IX, is a portion of the United States Education Amendments of 1972. In theory, Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex in college athletics. However, two reinterpretations of this law distort its original intent. The first, by the Office of Civil Rights in 1979, claimed that “intercollegiate level participation opportunities for male and female students are provided in numbers substantially proportionate to their respective enrollments,” meaning that if enrollment is 60 percent female, then 60 percent of athletics scholarships should be allocated to female athletes. Then, in 1996, a further assessment concluded that roster spots should be equally divided between men and women. These reinterpretations, which were never voted on by Congress, have real, unintended consequences for small sports teams. In 1995, the Tribe’s varsity wrestling program and fencing team were axed because of them. These interpretations sounded the death knell for sports teams around the country. Because men’s sports programs include large teams like football, which can have a roster of as many as 90 students, spots must be cut from other men’s sports. Such was the case for the College’s wrestling team. In canceling the team, The Board of Visitors cited gender equality and savings as reasons for cutting both the wrestling and fencing teams. The logic doesn’t seem to add up. While the spirit of the law — ensuring equality — is commendable, these interpretations don’t make sports more equal: They play a numbers game which ignores practicality and real-world consequences for certain male athletes. The law also goes far beyond ensuring equality of funding. The totality of funds from the College’s cut of the wrestling and fencing teams were not saved at all, but were instead redistributed among the remaining athletic programs. The meager $62,000 split between both wrestling and fencing pales in comparison to the $800,000 that constituted football scholarships at the time. Even more problematic, while the College cannot maintain a wrestling team, we continue to be allowed to build a $27 million dollar football stadium, only $22 million of which have been raised by private donors. The letter of the law is being followed, but the spirit seems to have been lost a long time ago. Despite not being a varsity sport, the club wrestling team sent Captain Gavin Oplinger to the club wrestling national tournament last week, and continues to compete at a high level. In their annual tradition, former wrestlers will travel with former coach Glenn Gormley to watch the NCAA wrestling tournament this weekend — as the Tribe looks forward to the day the spirit of the law returns, and can compete at the varsity level again. The staff editorial represents the opinion of The Flat Hat. The editorial board, which is elected by The Flat Hat’s section editors and executive staff, consists of Madeline Bielski, Áine Cain, Tucker Higgins, Kaitlan Shaub and Kat Turk. The Flat Hat welcomes submissions to the Opinions section. Limit letters to 250 words and columns to 650 words. Letters, columns, graphics and cartoons reflect the view of the author only. Email submissions to fhopinions@gmail.com.
STREET BEAT
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How do you feel about Chick-fil-a coming back to Marketplace? “I’m a vegetarian so it doesn’t apply, but I’m upset with the school for bring back a company that has such inflammatory and discriminatory public opinions about religion and sexuality.” Megan Heim ‘16
“Oh my gosh, I’m so excited that Chick-fil-a is back because they took it away on the down-low.” Charlotte Alan ‘15
“I’m just hoping they bring the fries back, but we’re taking baby steps.” Cindy Centeno ‘16
— PHOTOS AND INTERVIEWS BY ANNIE SADLER
variety
Variety Editor Emily Chaumont Variety Editor Sarah Ruiz flathat.variety@gmail.com // @theflathat
The Flat Hat
| Friday, March 20, 2015 | Page 6
No meat, no cheese, no problem
COURTESY PHOTO / MEAGAN PHILLIPS
According to Chambers, a quinoa scramble, made with onions, dried cranberries and kale is a good source of protien.
TALIA SCHMITT / THE FLAT HAT
Vegan Chef Areem Chambers, prepares a Turkish chickpea recipe for students in Sadler.
Chef Areem Chambers shares the benefits of veganism with students TALIA SCHMITT FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER
Are you a fan of leafy kale salads topped with a light vinaigrette? Or those fluffy vegan breakfast pancakes drizzled with 100 percent Vermont maple syrup? If you find yourself frequenting the vegan section in Sadler, it is about time you meet its Papa — Chef Areem Chambers. After suffering from obesity and diabetes, Chambers transitioned to a vegan diet free from animal meat, as well as animal by-products like milk and butter. Two and a half years later, he has lost 68 pounds and has been taken off of his heart medicine. “I feel better than ever before, and I think clearly now,” Chambers said.
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I feel better than ever before, and I think clearly now.
— Chef Areem Chambers
William and Mary dietitian Julie Nance says Chambers is not alone in feeling the positive effects of a vegan diet. “Veganism has amazing health benefits. There is a decreased risk for cancer, type two diabetes and obesity,” Nance said. For those interested in making the switch to veganism, there are numerous websites that provide detailed lists of what to eat as a vegan or vegetarian. Maintaining an adequate amount of calcium, vitamin B12 and protein are among some of the key components of a healthy diet. Since these nutrients are traditionally found in animal products, finding alternate sources is crucial. B12 can be found in fortified B12 products like soy milk, nutritional yeast and certain cereals. Protein can be addressed through beans and nuts, as well as calcium through greens. According to registered Dietitian Reed Mangels, there is as much or more calcium in 4 ounces of firm tofu or threequarter cups of collard greens as there is in one cup of cow’s milk. Students for Animals President Megan Phillips ’17 said that, contrary to the opinion that veganism limits intake of important nutrients, the constant focus on what they eat actually makes vegans more aware of what is healthy and what is not. “People often criticize vegans for not eating enough protein or calcium, but often vegans are much more aware of what consists of a healthy diet than the average American,” Phillips said.
COURTESY PHOTO / MEAGAN PHILLIPS
A vegan banana split can be made by substituting soy ice cream.
Phillip’s club is challenging students to take a vegan or vegetarian pledge for the month of April. Chambers plans to teach a free monthly vegan cooking class to increase student interest in healthy eating. “Each one, teach one: That’s my motto,” Chambers said. “I want to teach simple, inexpensive vegan meals that students can try at home.” As for Chambers’s next step in Sadler, he said students can look forward to vegan mac and cheese.
Reaching for the stars on the roof of Small Hall
Astronomy club attracts experienced stargazers and amateur scientists alike BAILEY KIRKPATRICK FLAT HAT SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Last semester, Eve Chase ’16 and Ethan Voytko ’17 noticed a lack of astronomy-related extracurricular offerings at the College of William and Mary and decided to create a new club to rectify the situation. On the roof of William Small Hall, the Astronomy Club was born. “I think astronomy was the first subject I was ever passionate about in high school. I was president of the astronomy club at my high school and wanted to do the same thing here,” Chase said. “William and Mary is very behind other colleges in terms of astronomy, so I think we needed this.” Before there was a club, many students interested in astronomy had already been meeting within the physics department to stargaze. However, Chase and Voytko decided to turn the meetings into an official club. According to physics professor Wouter Deconinck, the decision to create the official club will help instill a long-lasting interest in the subject. “This is going to ensure that it has a longer lifespan than just the particular students, and this club will provide some way of students doing that and getting leadership training,” Deconinck said. “It also gives the club a bit more legitimacy, so when they want to work with other organizations or have access to the telescope, it is easier to coordinate.”
The club meets on Wednesday evenings to discuss current astronomy news — new investigations, updates on space missions — and to discuss the logistical aspects of upcoming events and trips. Occasionally, Chase and Voytko will give a short presentation, or the group will watch a video on astronomical topics. “We have been trying to do a trip jointly with U.Va astronomy to the Greenback radio telescope in West Virginia. There were conflicts and really bad weather the weekend we tried to go, so we are going to reschedule it,” Voytko said. Often, the group goes to Lake Matoaka to stargaze. Sometimes the stargazing sessions take place on the roof of Small Hall, where there is an open area to set up telescopes for stargazing. The roof of Small also houses the Thomas Harriot Observatory, which the club sometimes uses for special events. “I really like when we have big observing
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sessions, or star parties as we call them,” Voytko said. “We talk to people in a local stargazing association in the area, and they will also come out to William and Mary to set up telescopes on the roof of Small. We get a lot of people out there, and it is really enjoyable.” The Virginia Peninsula Astronomy/Stargazers (VPAS) often joins with the Astronomy Club to stargaze together. VPAS brings the telescopes, and the club helps to coordinate events. Together, they observe the moon, planets, galaxies and stars. However, the Astronomy Club eventually hopes to be able to purchase a telescope of its own. According to club secretary Jacob Gunnarson ’17, astronomy is a field that relies on contributions from amateur scientists. “Unlike a lot of other things, people at the amateur level can actually do some real science in astronomy. You can help organizations map
... people at the amateur level can actually do some real science in astronomy. —Jacob Gunnarson ’17
craters on Mars or the moon, and you can get involved with programs that analyze telescope data,” Gunnarson said. “Students can make actually meaningful contributions to astronomy.” While the club does have many physicsoriented members, they are not the only students involved. The club encourages students with all skill and experience levels in astronomy to come to a meeting. Member Divya Bathey ’16 said one of the nice things about the group is watching the sky with other astronomy enthusiasts. “It is a really great group of people, and it is so nice to hang out at night and go outside and look up at the stars because a lot of people don’t even think about it,” Bathey said. Member Karin Lehnigk ’16 said the club is attempting to diversify activities in addition to members. “The direction of astronomy club is intended to be very tailored to what members want to do. Many clubs on campus, especially science and engineering clubs, have specific projects they’re working on,” Lehnigk said. “We have a few projects we’ve been tossing around, but the main purpose of the club is to give the William and Mary community outlets to explore whatever aspects of astronomy interest them most.” Chase made it clear that the club wants to continue having regular stargazing sessions, purchase its own telescope, set up lectures from astronomers and find ways for the club to go on more trips. People of all experience levels are welcome, she said.
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Friday, March 20, 2015
Fraternity, Sor ority, Diversity COURTESY PHOTO / BETA DELTA CHAPTER OF HERMANDAD DE SIGMA IOTA ALPHA, INC.
Women of Sigma Iota Alpha have to take on several leadership roles because of the group’s small size.
COURTESY PHOTO / MU UPSILON CHAPTER OF DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, INC.
A historically black sorority, Delta Sigma Theta now includes women of many different backgrounds.
Minority-focused Greek groups home to all backgrounds EMILY CHAUMONT FLAT HAT VARIETY EDITOR
The phrase “Greek life” often brings to mind stereotypical associations with Lilly Pulitzer dresses, salmon shorts and partying all weekend. Contrary to popular belief, however, the organizations with on-campus housing are not the only Greek organizations on campus. The College of William and Mary is also home to several fraternities and sororities with a minority focus. Several of these groups are a part of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), a group of historically African-American Greek lettered fraternities and sororities, while others are independent organizations. Quetzabel Benavides ’16, president of the Beta Delta chapter of Hermanidad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc., said that minority Greek organizations stand out because of their commitment to diversity and the promotion and inclusion of culture. “We center around the empowerment of women, like a lot of sororities do, but we also focus on expanding Latino cultural awareness and giving an accurate representation of what Latino culture is,” Benavides said. She said that the women of Sigma Iota Alpha are experts at multi-tasking, often having to take on a number of leadership roles because of the chapter’s small size. She also emphasized that members come from varying backgrounds. “We’re Latin-based but not Latin exclusive,” Benavides said. “Around half our members aren’t Latina and don’t speak Spanish. You don’t have to be a certain type. The most important thing is that your values align with ours.” Benavides made a point to outline the sorority’s aim for their role at the College. “We want to serve as a medium for women who want to find sisterhood and leadership opportunities but who don’t want to constrain themselves to being around just one type of people,” Benavides said. Seriah Brown ’16, president of the Xi Lambda chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., expressed a similar regard for diversity in her organization. “Don’t think you have to be ‘chocolate’ to be a part of us. We love ‘vanilla,’ we love ‘caramel,’ we love ‘mocha,’ we love everybody,” Brown said. “Every girl has that special personality, that special gift that can contribute to us.” Minority-focused Greek organizations can provide dedicated brotherhood or sisterhood to students on campus who may have difficulty finding a place where they feel at home. While sororities in the NPHC are historically black, they are very diverse today, Brown was careful to note. Many nationalities and ethnicities are represented. “If I’m trying to choose a prospective member, her color doesn’t mean a hill of beans to me,” Brown said. Brown emphasized that values — like Zeta Phi Beta’s emphasis
on sisterhood, scholarship, service and finer womanhood — are of primary importance to most Greek organizations and are even more important than racial and ethnic diversity. “We’re looking for driven women, women that have scholarship, women that believe in teamwork,” Brown said. “We are proud of our history but we aren’t around to discriminate. You join an organization because what it stands for speaks to you. You join an organization that feels like it fits best for you.” Like many of the other minority-focused Greek organizations on campus, Zeta Phi Beta has concerns about its small numbers. “We’re small right now, but we definitely plan on growing in the future,” Brown said. “Our goal is to get our numbers up, to let people know that we’re here and we’re here to stay.” Miguel Vasquez ’15, president of the Kappa Pi chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., said that he is also looking to promote greater awareness of his organization. “I wish more people knew we existed,” Vasquez said. “We’re never really above 10 members. Currently, we have six members.” However, Vasquez explained that there are some benefits to having a smaller organization. “When you have large amounts of people, it’s hard to get to know everyone in your fraternity personally. With the small number of members, everyone has an important role,” Vasquez said. Felicia Bowins ’16, president of the Mu Upsilon chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., also said that small organizations offer a greater opportunity for individual members to take on important leadership roles. “Because our chapter is so small, everyone wears many different hats and everyone plays a big role,” Bowins said. Rae-Mischel Thompson-Cooper ’16, a member of Delta Sigma Theta, said that the sorority’s history is very important to its members. “We were founded in 1913 back when segregation was still very real in this country,” Thompson-Cooper said. “We were formed at Howard University as a group for educated black women in the United States, but now women of all ethnic backgrounds are members.” However, history is not the only thing that is important to the women of Delta Sigma Theta. “We’re very social justice oriented,” Bowins said. “We talk a lot about the magnitude of what being a member means. It’s not just ‘stepping and strolling,’ though, we also do a lot of service and giving back in the community.” Even more than focusing on history, service, activism or diversity, the heart of Greek life is brotherhood, sisterhood and finding a group of supportive best friends at the College. “My favorite thing about being in this sorority is the sisterhood,” Thompson-Cooper said. “It’s amazing having a group of women who support you so fully and so completely.”
CONFUSION CORNER
Even in defeat, Tribe Pride unites the College In a shocking turn of events, students at the College got excited about sports over spring break
Zoe Johnson
CONFUSION CORNER COLUMNIST
Welcome back from spring break. While it was hardly “spring” weather — and, if you took a break from schoolwork, you’ve by now realized the error in your ways — nine consecutive days without class were still relatively enjoyable. Some of us went to Panama City Beach, where self-respect goes to die, some of us went home to boss our parents around for a week, and some of us stayed on campus and bonded with the squirrels. No matter where you went, or what you did, we were all connected this spring break by the College of William and Mary’s basketball program. No, that’s not a joke. I didn’t know it was possible to experience Tribe Pride so far removed from campus, let alone through an athletic program. This was truly a dynamite and record-breaking season for both the men’s and women’s basketball teams. I won’t talk stats because frankly, I don’t know them and the specifics are not important. What’s more important here is that the majority of the College’s community was standing behind a collective goal for what seems like the first time in a while. The racial climate survey? “Necessary and
important,” said one half of the student population. “This is dumb, I don’t see race,” said the other half. Another snow day? “Finally a day of relaxation,” said 42.3 percent of students, while the remaining percentage was outraged: “No, Swem is closed! Where will I study?” We are a community often divided on issues ranging from the serious to comical, but when it was announced that the men’s basketball team was the top seeded team in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), everyone could agree that was a proud moment. Even members of our community who don’t know the difference between a basketball and a hockey puck felt the Tribe Pride surge inside of them. Even if you are over the College and can’t wait to graduate, there’s no denying that, even if only for a moment, the pride welled up inside of you, like the Grinch’s heart. For once, our sports program was the talk of the town. Everyone knows that the College has an outstanding academic
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reputation filled with passionate professors and brilliant students, but did you know that we’re also a Division I school with incredible athletes? Now you do. Something equally great about this magical basketball season is that whether in victory or defeat, the College retained our position as a highly respectable and proud community. In 2014, when both the men’s and the women’s basketball teams at the University of Connecticut won March Madness, a riot broke out on their campus. Yes, an actual riot featuring flipped cars, destroyed buildings, and, inevitably, the police, who probably had real crimes to solve instead of dealing with students rioting. While school was not in session when Daniel Dixon ’17 scored the game winning shot in the tournament’s semi-finals game, I’m confident that students would never even dream of burning cars in Colonial Williamsburg for the sake of excitement. On the flip side, when we ultimately lost both the
Sometimes Tribe Pride is hard to define ... when we are bogged down by midterms and the impending allergy season.
men’s and women’s tournaments, messages of support for our team poured out over social media from students, alumni and faculty alike. Instead of pushing the weight of our broken dreams on our team, we sought to lift them up. We’re a smaller Divison I school; we understand that it’s not all about wins and losses, and that our players probably had six essays due that same week they tried to take home first place. For us, it’s more about the experience and watching our teams get more competitive year after year. We know and deeply understand the old saying, “there’s always next year,” because we have had to live by it. That’s nothing to be ashamed about either; humility in Division I athletics is rare to come by, but is nonetheless very valuable. Please do not get the wrong impression. My views of Tribe Pride aren’t so myopic as to only focus on our athletic programs. Believe me, I know many of you would feel it if you tripped over a brick on your way to the Sir Christopher Wren Building. You were on the way to Wren after all, and that brick is part of history. I do recognize, however, that sometimes Tribe Pride is hard to define and even harder to bring out when were bogged down by midterms and the impending allergy season. This basketball season, however, I felt a universal definition and source of Tribe Pride, and while athletics aren’t everything, they certainly should not be counted out either. Zoe Johnson is a Confusion Corner Columnist whose heart grew three sizes the day it was announced that the basketball team was the top seed in the CAA.
sports
Sports Editor Nick Cipolla Sports Editor Sumner Higginbotham flathatsports@gmail.com @FlatHatSports
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| Friday, March 20, 2015 | Page 8
FEATURE
COURTESY PHOTO / SWEM SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
Grappling with Title IX
COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE WRESTLING CLUB
LEFT: Rob Larmore ‘80 works a half-nelson armbar combination against his opponent of George Washington University. RIGHT: Gavin Oplinger ‘16 ties up with his Bridgewater Universty adversary in the home match in Adair Gym. Oplinger won 6-3.
Tribe Wrestling: The fall of the College’s premier, NCAA Division-I program SUMNER HIGGINBOTHAM FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR By itself, the 1972 Title IX of Education Amendments looks not only harmless, but absolutely necessary. Passed in 1972 on the coattails of a great decade of strides toward equality, the bill appeared to set a golden standard for a society against discrimination. Coming off their fourth consecutive Southern Conference championship, the wrestlers of William and Mary had no idea that the bill would one day be blamed for the death of the Tribe wrestling program. Such blame, however, is misplaced. Only slightly misplaced, and by seven years to be precise. A 1979 interpretation by the Office for Civil Rights within the Department of Education determined that a quota based on the proportion of student athletes was the best method to prevent gender discrimination at state colleges. The ruling states that scholarships must be available on a “…substantially proportional basis to male and female athletes.” It goes on to say that “… effective accommodation means that if an institution sponsors a team for members of one sex in a contact sport, it must do so for members of the other sex” under circumstances such as “the other sex’s opportunities historically being limited.” Another stipulation adds that “intercollegiate level participation opportunities for male and female students are provided in numbers substantially proportionate to their respective enrollments.” In plain English: If 44 percent of a school is male, then 44 percent of the school’s athletic opportunities and scholarships should be allocated toward men. No member of Congress ever voted on this interpretation. Former Tribe wrestling coach Glenn Gormley ’80 shared his thoughts on the law and its interpretation. “I’m not a lawyer, but there’s no way every major is divided equally between men and women, and I don’t know why that would tie into sports either,” Gormley said. “Proportionality doesn’t affect class, band or choir; why should it
affect athletics?” With no direct female counterpart to offset the scholarships so crucial to collegiate athletics, college wrestling has been on the ropes fighting over its right to exist since the 1979 requirement. In 1982, there were 362 National Collegiate Athletic Association wrestling programs throughout the nation. By 2001, only 229 programs were left standing. Ironically, the National Federation of State High School Associations reports wrestling has been growing steadily since 1993, and ranks as the fifth most popular sport among male high school athletes. With an arm propped on the worn wood of Williamsburg’s Green Leafe, a local bar, Gormley recounted stories of his days coaching at the College from 1984 to 1989, and of the greats of William and Mary’s proud past. And to be sure,
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garnered 128 career wins. A January 1978 issue of The Flat Hat bears the headline, “William and Mary Thrashes Virginia, 37-3.” In 1979, the Indians prevailed over Virginia Tech 21-12. Nowadays, both the Cavaliers and Hokies field nationally-recognized programs. Virginia Tech is ranked No. 9 and the University of Virginia, the surprise 2015 Atlantic Coast Conference champions, at No. 18. Meanwhile, the Tribe’s club wrestling team sets up a table at the student activities fair. “The problem with Title IX is that it limits opportunities for men’s sports rather than providing more opportunities for women” Gavin Oplinger ’16, captain of the club wrestling team, said. “Wrestling is definitely not suffering from a popularity issue. The National
No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. — 1972 Title IX of the Educational Amendments
there were many. Rob Larmore ’90 achieved AllAmerican status and a NCAA semifinal berth in his time with the Tribe. Larmore transferred to the College from the University of Tennessee after the Volunteers announced the cutting of their wrestling program, drawn to Williamsburg on the strength of his relationship with Gormley and his staff. Ten wrestlers stand in William and Mary’s Hall of Fame, as well as a coach of the once-proud program. From 19681971, the Tribe claimed four Southern Conference titles, defeating the likes of Virginia Military Institute, the University of Richmond, and The Citadel. Even wrestlers outside the hall distinguished themselves: Max Lorenzo ’78 finished eighth in the 1978 NCAA tournament at 150 pounds, while Tom Dursee ’78
Collegiate Wrestling Association [hosts] our national tournament with 162 teams. Most teams present are clubs that lost their program.” At the College, the program survived the first Title IX wave of program cuts before the equal scholarship requirement whittled the team down to a single scholarship by 1990 and eventually removed the team from national contention. Still, the team won the Virginia State Collegiate Championships that year. Yet wrestling hardly received recognition from the athletic department. Of the 25 sports offered, the football program claimed 38 percent of the scholarship budget alone in 1994. The final season arrived all too soon in 1994-95. The Strategic Plan from the College’s Board of Visitors described
their intent to downsize the athletic program to 23 sports by dropping wrestling and fencing. As soon as the BOV published the Strategic Plan, then-junior assistant editor of The Flat Hat and varsity wrestler John Encarnacion wrote an impassioned article titled “Wrestling put in a Chokehold.” “It is absolutely unnecessary and unproductive for the school to cut the program to try to meet its strategic goals,” Encarnacion said in the article. “The major reasons given for the move are gender equality, lack of endowment, and of course, saving money ... The savings of cutting both teams is estimated at 62,000, and will be distributed to other programs. Why would the money not simply remain with the wrestling and fencing team?” To put $62,000 — the combined budgets of the two programs — in perspective, the football program’s scholarship money amounted to over $800,000 in 1994. Encarnacion, in other articles of the same year, pointed out the sacrifices made by the wrestling team to reduce their already-miniscule budget. “We traveled in tightly packed vans, left for all-day tournaments the day of [rather than get a hotel], our locker space became more constricted with three other sports relocating into it … and our equipment is over a decade old,” Encarnacion said in the article. Budgetary rationale for axing the program doesn’t add up. With the exception of the top eight percent of football programs (such as Alabama and Texas) and some basketball programs, no sport at the NCAA Division I level nets a profit. “We were the most profitable team on campus because we had the smallest budget,” Gormely said. “No team makes money.” Even if the Tribe received donations to cover the entirety of a varsity wrestling program’s expense, the team would not be allowed exist. “Most teams can’t even accept walkons,” Oplinger said. A 1996 further interpretation of Title IX determined that all roster spots had to
be equally allocated to men and women. Limiting a college football program, to say nothing of cutting one, is akin to sacrilege. Football is a sport that has no female equivalent and nearly 90 roster spots. This ruling is a death sentence to small men’s sports that now can’t field a NCAA team. Multiple wrestling programs and associations have filed suit. Selina Fuller ’17 swims at the Division I level for the Tribe. She said that Title IX is valuable for emphasizing women’s sports. “Not me personally, but I think it encourages girls to compete because they know they have the opportunity at a higher level,” Fuller said, when asked if Title IX helped her career. “If there’s a way to fund and promote girls’ sports without cutting so many guys’ sports, that would be ideal.” It would not be characteristic of wrestling to go quietly. A 19-17 victory over the Hokies marked the last varsity home match in 1995, in which Encarnacion preserved a two-point lead by refusing to be pinned in the final match. Currently, the club wrestling team, captained by Oplinger, continues to carry the Tribe wrestling tradition and remain competitive. The team hosted Eastern Carolina University and Bridgewater College Feb. 22 in the team’s first home meet in four years. Three wrestlers advanced to regionals the year before, as Oplinger placed fifth and Austen Brower ’14 placed second. Each qualified for the National Collegiate Wrestling Association championship tournament last year, where Brower took seventh. Oplinger advanced to nationals once again this past season. Tribe wrestling dominated in the late sixties and seventies before any restrictions came to pass, distinguishing itself as one of the College’s stronger athletic programs. Though well-intentioned, Title IX and its interpretations effectively killed off a sport as old as the Olympics at the collegiate level. As long as Title IX stands, the College’s wrestling team will remain on the club level, all too aware of the program’s storied history.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
College unable to top Tulsa in NIT first round game Season ends in Oklahoma, Tribe’s second half performance not enough to stop the Golden Hurricane TYLER SHAW FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER In a close first-round National Invitational Tournament matchup, No. 7 William and Mary lost on the road to No. 2 Tulsa 70-67. The Golden Hurricane led by as much as 21 points before the Tribe whittled away at their lead, closing the gap to as few as two points. The Tribe was unable to finish off Tulsa, missing two potentially game-tying threes in the last 15 seconds. The Tribe (20-13, 12-6 CAA) held its only lead early on as the first basket of the game was a three-point jumper by sophomore guard Daniel Dixon. Tulsa (23-10, 14-4 American) immediately answered with five points of its own. The teams exchanged buckets until the score was 10-10, but then Tulsa went on an 11-5 run, giving the Golden Hurricane a narrow six-
point lead that was enough to force the Tribe into playing catch-up for the rest of the game The College neither tied nor led again. A pair of threes by guards sophomore Omar Prewitt and freshman Connor Burchfield closed the gap to 29-32 with just over two minutes left in the first half, but Tulsa ended the half strong, entering halftime with a 39-32 lead. Tulsa came out strong in the second, jumping to a 57-36 lead. From the end of the first half to the beginning of the second half, the Golden Hurricane went on a 23-4 run. The 21-point deficit was the largest of the game. The Tribe kept their heads up and slowly but surely started to eat away at Tulsa’s 21-point lead. Several factors played into Tulsa’s run. The run kicked off after the Tribe earned a technical foul. Head coach Tony Shaver had questioned the referee’s decision not to call a foul when junior forward Terry
Tarpey appeared to have been fouled while shooting a lay-up. Another catalyst to the run was the College’s switch to a 1-3-1 zone defense. The Tribe normally uses a 3-2 zone, and the strategy change gave Tulsa fits offensively. The Golden Hurricane was held to six points in the final eight minutes largely due to the defensive switch. “We played [the 1-3-1 zone] some late in the season, but it’s not a staple of ours,” Shaver said. “We have worked on it a lot lately, and it obviously bothered [Tulsa] a bit today, and our guys played it well.” As well as the Tribe played down the stretch, it was unable to completely overcome the 21-point deficit. The College ended the game on a 31-13 run but wound up three points short. The Tribe shot two three-point shots in the final few seconds, but neither went in, failing to send the game into overtime.
“We weren’t good enough for 40 minutes tonight to win this game on the road against a really fine basketball team,” Shaver said. “I’m very proud of our effort, and how we battled in a tough situation. Wish we hadn’t got down 20 but we showed a lot of character battling back.” The Tribe shot just 33 percent from the field, about 15 percent below its season average, while the Golden Hurricane shot almost 50 percent from the field, about 10 percent above its season average. Senior guard Marcus Thornton led all players in scoring with 23 points. Tarpey and Prewitt also finished in double digits; Tarpey scored 15 points and added six rebounds, while Prewitt finished with a double-double at 14 points and 11 rebounds. The Tribe is now 0-3 in all-time postseason games, but it is the first time it held back-to-back 20-win seasons in the past couple of decades.