CAMPUS
College announces graudation speaker Melody Hobson to speak at commencement ceremony KARINA VIZZONI AND SARAH GREENBERG FLAT HAT NEWS ASSOC. EDITORS
March 3, the College of William and Mary announced that former DreamWorks chair Mellody Hobson will serve as the 2020 Commencement Ceremony speaker May 16. In addition to speaking at the event, Hobson will be given an honorary degree. Hobson served as President of Ariel Investments for nearly 20 years before being promoted to her current position as co-CEO and chair board of trustees. As co-CEO and Board of Trustees chair, she is responsible for managing the company’s activity beyond research and portfolio management, and also leads their publicly traded mutual funds. In addition to chairing DreamWorks Animation’s board until the company’s recent sale, highlights from Hobson’s career include serving as a director of JPMorgan Chase and Quibi, as well as vice chair of the Starbucks Corporation. Throughout her career, Hobson has used her voice to stress the significance of financial literacy by serving as a contributor for CBS News and ABC’s “Good Morning America”, along with writing at Black Enterprise Magazine. Her charitable pursuits extend to chairing the nonprofit organization After School Matters, vice chairing World Business Chicago and cochairing the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. Hobson received various honorary degrees from accredited universities, including one last year from her alma mater, Princeton University, which awarded her their prestigious Woodrow Wilson Award. She was also previously featured as one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” of 2015. “Mellody Hobson embodies the highest ideals of a William & Mary education: excellence, curiosity and generosity. We cannot wait to hear from her,” College President Katherine Rowe said in a press release. Attorney and supporter of the College Donald Patten as well as artist, performer and writer Faith Ringgold will receive honorary degrees at the College’s 2020 Commencement Ceremony. Ringgold specializes in mixed media artwork and is also a writer, teacher and lecturer, as well as an author of various children’s books. Patten practices law in Newport News, Va., and served on the College’s Board of Visitors 1999 to 2003 and was the College’s rector from 2001 to 2003. “Our honorees are game-changers in their disparate fields, whose vision and leadership serve as wonderful inspirations for William & Mary’s graduates at Commencement,” Rowe said.
The Weekly Student Newspaper
of The College of William and Mary
Flathatnews.com | Follow us:
Students mobilize for primary Straw poll indicates campus Super Tuesday preferences
BAL
LOT
ETHAN BROWN // FLAT HAT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Tuesday, March 3, members of the College of William and Mary community will cast ballots in the 2020 Virginia Democratic Primary. The primary — one of 14 contests taking place throughout the country this Super Tuesday — will determine the allocation of Virginia’s 99 pledged delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee, Wis. this July. College students, faculty and staff in Williamsburg vote during an uncertain phase of the Democratic primary. Following initial contests in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina, numerous candidates possess somewhat viable paths towards the nomination. As of March 2, the New York Times’ Democratic delegate count shows Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders narrowly leading the pledged delegate count with 56 delegates. He is followed by former Vice President Joe Biden and former South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who dropped out of the race Sun. March 1. Biden and Buttigieg both claimed 48 delegates and 26 delegates respectively. A candidate must receive 1,991 delegates to be nominated on the first count in Milwaukee. Given the closeness of early contests, Virginia has emerged as a competitive battleground state in the Democratic primary. Recent polls indicate a close race between Sanders, Biden and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, with a narrow margin separating the three contenders on the cusp of Super Tuesday. In preparing students for the primary, the College’s chapter of NextGen America, a national progressive group, hosted a mock primary Tuesday, Feb. 25. During the informal straw poll, prospective voters cast ‘ballots’ with Skittles, placing one candy in their preferred candidate’s designated jar. After a two-hour voting period with the participation of several dozen students, the final results surprised NextGen volunteers Annaliese Estes ’21 and Maddi Nicol ’21. Estes said that Sanders handily swept the straw poll, winning 38 out of 68 Skittles cast — approximately
SANDERS WARREN GABBARD BIDEN GR AP HI C CB SI OU Y C M RT H PL E AR E. SY LE W IM S IK C IP AG OL ED E EM IA S / A .O FL N / RG IC TH KR E .C FL O AT M H , AT
Vol. 110, Iss. 2 | Tuesday, March 3, 2020
The Flat Hat
BLOOMBERG 55 percent of the vote. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren won second place, earning 17 votes, followed by Buttigieg with 6, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who dropped out of the race Mon. March 2, with 4, Bloomberg with 2 and Biden with 1. Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and philanthropist Tom Steyer, who has also since dropped out from the race, failed to earn any votes in the straw poll. Estes said she was most surprised by Biden’s underperformance. “We were a bit shocked by that,” Estes said. “My personal idea going into it was that when younger votes are choosing between Democrats who are a bit more establishment and older, Biden was usually their first choice … I was surprised that Bloomberg had more.” Beyond the mock primary, NextGen
plans to conduct get-out-the-vote operations Tuesday, encouraging students to vote in the Democratic primary regardless of their individual candidate preferences. Nicol said that NextGen intends to support whoever becomes the Democratic Party’s nominee following the primaries and mentioned that the organization seeks to maximize student awareness about candidates’ platforms on several issues — especially gun safety, the environment, healthcare and student loan forgiveness — in the run-up to November’s general election. While NextGen organizers sought to promote political awareness in the weeks preceding the primary, some students at the College have volunteered as on-campus affiliates of national Democratic campaigns, distributing promotional materials and
garnering support among members of the Williamsburg community. Among these students is Hayley Scheir ’22, who has worked with Warren’s presidential campaign on campus this semester. Scheir said she will vote for Warren in Tuesday’s primary because of her well-developed plans and progressive policy proposals. “I think Elizabeth Warren is the best candidate because she seems to have the most thorough plans for everything, all the policies she wants,” Scheir said. “Also, I would love to see a woman in the White House.” When asked who her second choice was, Scheir said that Sanders would be her preferred alternative. Sam Cooksey ’22, a Sanders supporter, similarly stated that he would be willing to support Warren See PRIMARY page 3
STUDENT LIFE
Coronavirus warnings increase campus concern, halt study abroad programs College announces closure of external programs in Italy, encourages students to limit spring break travel CARMEN HONKER FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR
Saturday, Feb. 29, Italy and Iran joined China and South Korea on the College of William and Mary’s restricted destinations list due to the elevated Centers for Disease Control Level 3 warning and the U.S. State Department Level 3 Travel Advisory concerning the spread of COVID-19, more popularly known as the coronavirus. The decision thus condemned all university-sponsored travel and subsequently prohibited all undergraduate students from remaining in the countries as a part of study abroad programs. By the time the College made the decision to remove all students from Italy, some third-party Index Profile News Opinions Variety Sports
study abroad providers, such as the Syracuse University program in Florence, had already canceled their operations for the remainder of the semester. The College contacted all students in Italy, along with their program providers Feb. 29 with their decision, superseding any pending decision of non-College programs. In the Feb, 29 email from International Travel and Security Manager Nick Vasquez, students were directed to make their arrangements to return home and to notify the Global Education Office of their secured departure date. “We determined that we had already set precedent by putting China and South Korea on the W&M restricted destination list, as well as our own assessment of 3rd party providers pulling out of the country, that we should elevate Italy to our restricted destination list,” Vasquez said in an email.
Inside Variety
Inside Opinions 2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10
According to Vasquez, Italy was the first country to be placed on the restricted destinations list in which a group of over 20 of the College’s students were studying. Managing the travel and transfer credits of the students while communicating with the many third-party providers presents some challenges, according to Vasquez. The GEO will be working with the students to provide support for potential distance learning options and online courses. “… We are working with each provider to see how best to accommodate each student,” Vasquez said. “Some providers are offering students the chance to finish the program with online and distance learning. But ultimately GEO will work with each student to support their efforts to receive credit.” Blair Houska ’21 is among the students who
Political hostility undermines party unity Lucas Harsche ‘22 says that political disagreements have devolved into childish behavior. page 5
will be traveling home in the coming days. Houska was studying in Florence through an SAI program for the semester. Houska said that her program told her that they would attempt to provide reimbursements for recoverable costs, although tuition would likely not be included since the students will continue to finish their courses. Both the College and Houska’s program offered contacts in case difficulties arose in securing a return flight. Given the context of the spread of an international virus and the calls of other U.S. universities to suspend abroad programs in Italy, Houska said she was not surprised by the College’s decision to send all students in Italy home. “I definitely was not surprised about the See CORONAVIRUS page 4
Inside Sports
Confusion Corner: rock around the Wren
Matthew Kortan ’22 recounts the various ideas he’s had for band names based on things he’s seen on campus. page 8
March Sadness
The Flat Hat looks back at the College’s past basketball disappointments as both teams try to make history in the CAA tournament this year. page 10
The Flat Hat
“
newsinsight “
News Editor Charles Coleman News Editor Lulu Dawes News Editor Carmen Honker fhnews@gmail.com | Tuesday, March 3, 2020 | Page 2
THE BUZZ
Being elected as President of this important Association is an honor. The men and women serving as college and university police and security professionals across the Commonwealth are dedicated to making a difference at their respective campuses.
— WMPD Police Chief Deborah Cheesebro
THIS WEEK IN FLAT HAT HISTORY March 5, 1940 — Sports: The College of William and Mary swimmers won fifth place in their conference meet behind North Carolina, Duke, Clemson and North Carolina State. The College placed in almost every event in the 10th annual Southern Conference swimming meet. March 7, 1950 — News The College continued to move forward with construction of a new $300,000 men’s dormitory, set to be constructed between Old Dominion Hall and the stadium (presumably the Bryan Complex). The residence hall was expected to be completed Fall of 1951 and cost students about $80 per semester in rent. March 6, 1970 — News Students prepared to view a near-total solar eclipse to pass over the Williamsburg area the following day. The Physics Department was set to host a viewing event and advises students to build pinhole cameras as to avoid looking directly at the eclipse. March 6, 2007 — News: The College attracted many students transferring from other schools, especially universities which were equally or more academically challenging. The College enticed other students with its professor dedication as well as the involvement and enthusiasm of the student body in academic areas, as well as extra curricular and volunteer activities. HISTORY BY KARINA VIZZONI AND SARAH GREENBERG / FLAT HAT NEWS ASSOC. EDITORS
COURTESY PHOTO / OLIVIA HETTINGER
Olivia Hettinger worked as a camp counselor and volunteer coordinator at Pincrest Camp in Langrane, Tenn. last summer and hopes to this following summer.
Data-driven passion for progress
A THOUSAND WORDS
Olivia Hettinger seeks to improve sustainability, inclusion in campus research lab
A
CARMEN HONKER / THE FLAT HAT
CORRECTIONS The Flat Hat wishes to correct any fact printed incorrectly. Corrections may be submitted in email to the editor of the section in which the incorrect information was printed. Requests for corrections will be accepted at any time.
The Flat Hat ‘STABILITAS ET FIDES’ | ESTABLISHED OCT. 3, 1911
25 Campus Center, The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Va. 23185 Editor flathat.editor@gmail.com Managing flathat.managing@gmail.com Executive flathat.executive@gmail.com Magazine editor@flathatmagazine.com News fhnews@gmail.com Sports flathatsports@gmail.com Copy flathatcopy@gmail.com
Opinions fhopinions@gmail.com Variety flathat.variety@gmail.com Photos flathatphotos@gmail.com Online flathatonline@gmail.com Advertising flathatads@gmail.com Graphics flathat.art@gmail.com Blogs fhnews.blogs@gmail.com
Ethan Brown Editor-in-Chief Emma Ford Managing Editor Adithi Ramakrishnan Executive Editor Claire Hogan Digital Media Editor Leslie Davis Data Editor Gavin Aquin Hernández Magazine Editor-in-Chief Maddie Douglas Business Manager Amelia Sandhovel Business Manager
Anna Boustany Operations Coordinator Andrés Bencomo Magaña Webmaster
Charles Coleman News Editor Lulu Dawes News Editor Carmen Honker News Editor Gavin Aquin Hernández Variety Editor Matthew Kortan Variety Editor Zoe Beardsley Sports Editor Nathan Seidel Sports Editor Chloe Folmar Opinions Editor Alyssa Slovin Opinions Editor
Becca Klinger Social Media Editor Kate Lucas Blogs Editor Virgina Wyatt Online Editor Lizzie Brown Copy Chief Cana Clark Copy Chief Lillian Parr Copy Chief Jamie Holt Photos Editor Alexandra Byrne Chief Staff Writer Averill Meininger Chief Staff Writer
Sarah Greenberg News Assoc. Editor Kim Lores News Assoc. Editor Philip Schueler News Assoc. Editor Georgia Thoms News Assoc. Editor Mary Trimble News Assoc. Editor Karina Vizzoni News Assoc. Editor Matt Lowrie Data Assoc. Editor
Ashanti Jones Variety Assoc. Editor Grace Olsen Variety Assoc. Editor Elaine Godwin Opinions Assoc. Editor Lucas Harsche Opinions Assoc. Editor Collin Anderson Sports Assoc. Editor Lexie Hiestand Sports Assoc. Editor Angie Weber Copy Editor
KARINA VIZZONI // FLAT HAT NEWS ASSOC. EDITOR
fter submitting an accidental application over the summer to a student-run geospatial data science lab, Olivia Hettinger ’23 found herself making an impact at the College of William and Mary one experiment at a time as a research assistant for the Geospatial Evaluation and Observation Lab. Between her time in the lab, Hettinger, who is majoring in economics and minoring in math, also acts as a campus tour guide and is a member of Pancakes and Politics, a group that ventures to a different Williamsburg pancake house every Saturday morning to discuss politics over breakfast. Hettinger recently transitioned into the role of lab lead for the geoLab. As the lab lead, Hettinger hopes to provide opportunities to students while maintaining the sustainability of the lab. “My goals for the lab are, number one, to give our students as many opportunities as possible, and number two, to be as sustainable as possible in doing that,” Hettinger said. She pulls on her past experiences as a camp counselor to help assist her in making the managerial and administrative decisions required in the new role. “My specific position doesn’t do research anymore. I only think about a long-term picture,” Hettinger said. “And so, I am trying to expand and diversify the partners that we are working with.” As a young student with such a large leadership role, Hettinger believes she has a unique perspective on how she will influence the lab. “I’m provided the opportunity to improve my skills every year, improve my network every year,” Hettinger said. “I have three and a half years to make this place my own, and I’ve already started. We’re already thinking about how we can branch out. I have the time to foster to relationships and then make sure they’re sustainable … I have time to change the direction of things.” Hettinger’s interests initially were focused on foreign aid, but she has developed a strong passion for data in her time at the College thus far. She is especially fascinated with spatial data and how one can plot and map it to visualize results. “When I was coming into my freshman year, I was really interested in foreign aid,” Hettinger said. “Less so data, more so foreign aid. … Once I got into the lab, I realized that data is so exciting, and it’s such a puzzle because we use one dataset
to back out other data.” When she’s not in the lab, Hettinger immerses herself in her other extracurricular activities. As a tour guide, she has an opportunity to share what aspects of the College she loves, as well as being reminded of why she chose to be a member of its community. “I love being a tour guide,” Hettinger said. “I think it makes you really grateful for where you are. When you, every week, have to voice to group of people for an hour and 15 why you love your school why you chose to come here it makes you exponentially more grateful.” Hettinger said she uses her other activities as a way to better get in touch with the College community, as well as the surrounding community. “I have found that it’s very important for my happiness here to get off campus at least once a week,” Hettinger said. “I am from the city and so I had gone through periods of feeling very trapped during the first semester and so I learned that my happiness here increases exponentially as soon as I started to participate in my greater community.” Although she is only a freshman, Hettinger has already begun to think about potential career goals — although they still change frequently. “I think I want to do management consulting and cut people’s costs for a
living,” Hettinger said. “I love math, it makes me happy and all that extra nerdy stuff. Math is beautiful, and the fact that we can use math at rates of change in graphs to represent human economic truths is incredible.” Hettinger still has plenty of time to decide, however, and to enjoy her time here at the College. Initially, Hettinger said that she felt a strong sense of happiness and community upon her first visit here and is excited for three more years to experience the College. “The first I ever came to campus was Day for Admitted Students on April 13 when I was a high school senior,” Hettinger said. “It was raining, and so they crammed 1,300 people into one half of the gym floor of Kaplan Arena. All the student organizations were tabling, and they were telling you why you should join their organization. People were stopping me like ‘Oh I love your sweater’, and I was like ‘Thank you!’ I looked around and I saw so much happiness and love of school, and I thought to myself that I had to come here, and I had to be that happy.” Hettinger is excited about the work her lab fosters, and that she has time to grow and further develop her passions. “We are training the next generation of data scientists, and data is only growing bigger,” Hettinger said. “We want them to see the full extent of what they can do.”
COURTESY PHOTO / OLIVIA HETTINGER
Hettinger volunteers as a tour guide for the College and is a member of the club Pancakes and Politics.
Page 3
The Flat Hat
Tuesday, March 3, 2020
COMMUNITY
WMPD Police Chief elected president of VACLEA
Deborah Cheesebro seeks to improve colleges' public safety in new role LULU DAWES FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR
The Virginia Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators recently elected the College of William and Mary’s Chief of Police and Associate Vice President for Public Safety Deborah Cheesebro as president. Previously, Cheesebro acted as an at-large board member for VACLEA, but now she will serve in both her current role at the College and her new role as president of VACLEA. VACLEA, an affiliated organization of the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police and Foundation, serves as the state’s leading authority on police and public safety at colleges and universities in Virginia. The organization performs a multitude of roles including professional training and legislative advocacy to maintain security and safety on college campuses. “Being elected as President of this important Association is an honor,” Cheesebro said in an email. “The men and women serving as college and university police and security professionals across the Commonwealth are dedicated to making a difference at their respective campuses. I hope to raise awareness of their contributions and facilitate whatever tools they still need for them to be most effective.” As president, Cheesebro will lead a board of seven elected officers who will work with the association to identify the training gaps, campus safety-measure practices and legislation initiatives for the safety and security needs of higher education. “College and university police and public safety agencies have some very unique challenges and distinct tools that separate us from our municipal colleagues,” Cheesebro said. “This is based on our overall mission, the nature of our population and property, legislative mandates specific to higher education, and campus alternatives to making arrests. Being President of VACLEA allows me to advocate for campus specific police and public safety needs on a statewide basis.” In August 2014, Cheesebro was named the first female police chief of WMPD after previously serving as the deputy director for the department of police and public safety at the University
of Michigan and the senior director of police at the University of North Carolina in Winston-Salem, N.C. Cheesebro succeeded Donald Challis, thereby breaking the College’s 321-year history of all male police chiefs. Prior to her experience in the police force, she earned a bachelor’s and master's degree in criminal justice and a doctorate in organizational behavior. “Deb is ideally suited to provide state-wide leadership in this role and will represent both the law enforcement profession and the university with distinction,” said Vice President for Student Affairs Ginger Ambler '88 in a press release. The president of VACLEA holds a one-year term, during which Cheesebro hopes to promote professionalism across all campus police and improve the overall operation of the WMPD. “My role as President of VACLEA is a distinct advantage to William & Mary,” Cheesebro said. “I will be in the forefront as new public safety issues and practices develop, advanced training becomes available to campus agencies, other agencies share their experiences managing cases or incidents, new security technologies are revealed, and legislative initiatives are implemented. I will hear new ideas and assessments of new programs early in the overall implementation or evaluation process.” Though Cheesebro will have added responsibilities in congruent to her role as WMPD police chief, she believes her new position will help update and improve the WMPD services to the Williamsburg community. In light of these changes, Cheesebro has stated that the WMPD will still continue to conduct their safety mission of police and public safety mission wholeheartedly. “WMPD will continue to provide all police, public safety, emergency communications, and emergency management services in a manner that not only keeps people safe, but also ensures that people feel safe in their environment,” Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration Sam Jones said in an email. “They will strive to enhance the W&M student experience; facilitate faculty and staff efforts; and partner with all W&M community members to solve problems, prevent crime, foster personal safety, protect property, maintain order
COURTESY PHOTO / DEBORAH CHEESEBRO
Cheesebro was named the first female police chief of the WMPD in 2014.
for the normal operation of the College, and effectively address criminal activity.” Cheesbro’s new position for VACLEA will be effective immediately as of February 2020. In addition, the College will host VACLEA’s Summer 2021 Conference. “Most importantly for our W&M community, I can assess our operation and responses against the industry practices I observe,” Cheesebro said. “In this way, I can reinforce our own best practices, make change where it would serve the community better and continually improve the overall operation of WMPD to keep people safe and secure.”
CAMPUS
Students host National Eating Disorder Awareness Week
Bell, Phillips organize open-dialogue events, workshops to encourage positive self-reflection Feb. 24-27, College of William and Mary students Audrey Bell ’20 and Samantha Phillips ’21 hosted National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, an event series that Bell and Phillips had been planning for months. Back in January, the College’s NEDA Facebook group first shared the week’s theme for 2020, “Come as You Are: Hindsight is 20/20.” The theme was set to encompass the positives of self-reflection and growth. However, the event received some backlash from members of the College community, specifically from those who felt that the advertising for the week was harmful and triggering. At one of the events for NEDA week, Bell addressed the controversy and discussed what NEDA week means in her opinion. “I am so excited to see how many people came out tonight,” Bell said. “However, I must admit that I have heard and received a bit of backlash and commentary regarding the nature of the week. NEDA week is a time to reflect on recovery and progress and has no intention of causing harm to anyone.” Student-run Facebook groups "Swampy Memes for TWAMPy Teens" and "William and Mary Good Vibes" became flushed with comments and concern for the advertising and increased discussion on campus to promote the week’s events with some supporting the week and others critising the events.
“
When people share their experiences with eating disorders, it is raw and emotional. It can be hard to hear and honestly some people are probably not in the proper mindset to hear those sort of things quite yet.
“
GRACE OLSEN FLAT HAT VARIETY ASSOC. EDITOR
— Trever Binau
One of the panelists of the student event Trever Binau '23 spoke on the controversy. “While I don’t personally find the advertising upsetting, I do see the potential for it to do so for someone else,” Binau said. “If someone is in recovery, then everything has the potential to serve as a reminder to their time before recovery began and is indisputably able to serve as a trigger for a flashback.” In addition, some students were upset by what they felt was too explicit of language used in the advertising and believed the wording to be potentially harmful and triggering to someone in recovery. “When people share their experiences with eating disorders, it is raw and emotional,” Binau said. “It can be hard to hear and honestly some people are probably not in the proper mindset to hear those sorts of things quite yet.” However, the backlash had minimal effect on the crowds, with each event attracting a crowd of at least 100 patrons. The week started off with a profit share at Aromas Coffeehouse, Bakeshop and Cafe in Colonial Williamsburg. Sandwiched between the profit share and a self-care fair were two open-dialogue events — the Navigating Diet Culture Workshop and a student panel — where students freely discussed their stories, their recovery and the stigma behind eating disorders. The Navigating Diet Culture Workshop proved to be one of the more successful events of the week. Led by clinician Ashley Kasardo, the workshop
emphasized statistics and facts geared toward shutting down the myths of diet culture. Caroline Rhodes ’21 shared her story and the role her athletic career played in developing an eating disorder. She described how swimming was one of her first loves in life and how over time, she began to find a second love. “Today I am going to talk to you about the two greatest loves of my life,” Rhodes said. “The first love of my life I met when I was five years old and I was thrown into a pool for the first time.” Rhodes detailed her swimming career from summer swim teams through to committing to swim for the College. However, nearing the end of her senior season, an experience between herself and her swim coach left her blindsided. “My coach, Bruce, had always told me, ‘if you want to be successful, if you want to see results, you show up and you get it done. Work works,’” Rhodes said. “I really took this mindset to heart, and that’s where I took it too far. I put an immense amount of pressure on myself, I completely thought in all or nothing terms.” After a swim meet halfway through her senior year of high school, Rhodes’ coaches sat the team down and told them that they were now responsible for managing their body weight. Months later, Rhodes received a call from her doctor while at a swim meet. She was bradycardic and was at risk of a heart attack if she swam. “It was then I met the second love of my life,” Rhodes said. “The second love of my life is my recovery.”
Students organize mock Democratic primary election before Super Tuesday College's NextGen America chapter hosts informal straw poll one week before Virginia Democratic primary PRIMARY from page 1
as his second choice — potentially indicating some grassroots-level support at the College for both progressive candidates. “What she and Bernie Sanders have in common is that they understand the extent to which corporate greed affects our politics,” Cooksey said. “They’re the only two candidates in this race who I’ve heard talk about politics not as though it’s broken, but as though it’s working perfectly for the 1 percent and for the donor class.” Lauren Reffay ’20, intended to vote for Klobuchar before she withdrew March 2. She now plans to vote for Biden despite some misgivings. “I think Amy’s the best because Bernie and Elizabeth Warren are too far to the left, they’re too liberal, they’re too radical, they’re too extreme … they alienate a lot of people, especially voters in the middle,” Reffay said. “And then on the other hand, you have Biden and Bloomberg, who are
just old white guys, they’re not progressive enough and they don’t rile up the base at all.” For College students voting for more centrist candidates like Biden, demeanor on the campaign trail and commitment to ending partisanship appeared as common themes in their decision-making process. Brennan Merone ’22, a Biden voter, referenced the former vice president’s years of working with legislators and foreign leaders as an invaluable asset of his presidential bid. “It comes down to having the necessary experience and know-how and integrity for the job, and Joe Biden’s obviously proven that he’s been able to get things done and be a world leader on the world stage, which is something Donald Trump’s not done well,” Merone said. Editor’s Note: Digital Media Editor Claire Hogan ’22 provided partial reporting for this article. For more detailed interviews with campus supporters of several Democratic presidential candidates, see additional content online at flathatnews.com.
Page 4
The Flat Hat
Tuesday, March 3, 2020
CAMPUS
Discussion connects liberal hegemony, democracy Mearsheimer examines post-Cold War America, stresses individual rights Thursday, Feb. 27, the John Quincy Adams Society and the Global Research Institute welcomed esteemed political scientist and author John Mearsheimer to the College of William and Mary. In his presentation, Mearsheimer discussed both his ideologies and his new book, “The Great Delusion: Liberal Dreams and International Realities,” which covers liberal hegemony and the role of the United States in establishing its control on the world. Known for his advocation for political realism, a theory that examines the role of rational actors in world politics, Mearsheimer discussed the political lens in the context of his new book, which deals with American foreign policy in the postCold War period and the U.S. pursuit of liberal hegemony after the war by attempting to remake the world in America’s image. “My argument is that the reason liberal hegemony failed is that this liberal foreign policy ran up against two other -isms: nationalism and realism,” Mearsheimer said. Mearsheimer explained that the goal of liberal hegemony is to spread liberal democracy across the planet and integrate more countries into the open international economy and international institutions. Although in theory, liberal hegemony intends to better the world by eliminating human rights violations and creating a more peaceful world, Mearsheimer argued that it has unintentional consequences. He discussed how trying to instill democratic ideas in foreign nations is much more difficult and hazardous than expected and sometimes can cause more harm than good. “Once you’re there, you have to do social engineering to replace that regime; especially with liberal democracy, you become an occupier,” Mearsheimer said. “What happens is you fuel nationalism. You get huge resistance. … We used to say it was liberal democracy fighting communism … but we were against nationalism.” He carried on saying that liberal hegemony was thought to be easy in concept because universally citizens in foreign nations would want more rights. However, the U.S., in his opinion, has been overselling this idea in assuming individual rights are a top priority of other nations.
“
“In countries like Iraq, they’re not worried about individual what his conclusions are and what he was trying to display about rights; they’re worried about getting some stability,” Mearsheimer liberal hegemony.” said. “All this to say, it’s a harder sell than anticipated.” In addition to his lecture, Mearsheimer also opened the floor Mearsheimer ended his talk with his own predictions for the to the approximately 350 people in attendance for a questionfuture of the nation. He explained that after the Cold War the and-answer segment. world experienced unipolarity where there was the existence of The event concluded with a reception where students and a singular predominant nation, the U.S. However, now the world attendees alike could purchase Mearsheimer’s book, get pictures is beginning to experience multipolarity due to the rise of power with him and ask him questions more personally. Sophia Kruk in China and Russia. ’23 described the evening as a “unique experience,” particularly “When you only have one great power in the system, it’s a because she has read Mearsheimer’s work in some of her classes. very different world than when you have two great powers,” “We’ve read his stuff and analyzed what he’s said and made Mearsheimer said. “And the world we’re moving into now, with arguments and counterarguments about the logic and validity of three great powers, could be very different.” what he says,” Kruk said. “Now, we can even ask him questions Mearsheimer also gave a foreboding message to the audience, personally and hear what he has to say.” arguing that the change in the U.S. status as the biggest and strongest power to a shared center-stage would prove to cause new problems and a shift in how the world is viewed. “When you live in a bipolar world or a multipolar world, the United States, or the great powers for that matter, have to engage in basic ‘realpolitik’, balance of power politics,” Mearsheimer said. “You have no choice. In unipolarity, that’s not true. The world you were born into, the world you grew up in, it’s going away. We’re going to live in a very different world.” All in all, many students found the lecture interesting and wellconducted. Rustin Abedi ’22 thought Mearsheimer did a good job explaining the role of the U.S. in attempting to establish a liberal hegemony. “It was a very good lecture,” Abedi said. “He’s a very engaging speaker. I found it very hard to ever be dulled or bored. The presentation was very ALEXIS BALLANCE / THE FLAT HAT structured, and it made a lot of sense Esteemed political scientist and author John Mearsheimer presented on his new book and theories Feb. 27.
In both cases, in domestic political economy and regional geopolitics, I see China’s involvement in some ways as destabilizing, making problems that existed there already somewhat worse. — Daniel Markey
“
ALEXIS BALLANCE THE FLAT HAT
Elevated CDC coronavirus warning forces students out of Italy ITRC adds Italy to restricted destinations list, students leave abroad programs email, and I think it was inevitable that I would be sent back home,” Houska said in an email. “There were many other schools who requested that their students return home before W&M did (to the point where last week my classes were half-empty), so I knew it was just a matter of time before we did too.”
“
As unfortunate as it is, it’s probably better to exercise caution and send students home ... because the development of coronavirus is so unpredictable and in the near future travel in and out of Italy could get very difficult and it would be very complicated if the situation were to become even further compromised with transportation restrictions.
“
— Gabi Cao
Gabi Cao ’22 was studying abroad in Siena, Italy through the Siena Italian Studies semester program. Prior to receiving an official decision from the College, Cao said that she anticipated the program would be cancelled in the near future for liability reasons and to uphold a good public image. She said that as disappointing as it would be to have to end her time abroad early, it would be wise for the College to tread cautiously considering the complications that could arise from quarantines. “… I think they will end up following the precedent that other programs and universities have set by sending students home, especially after the CDC issued the Level 3 Warning,” Cao said in an email. “Either that, or William & Mary will require that we come home and in that case, we would probably have to adhere to their policy. As unfortunate as it is, it’s probably better to exercise caution and send students home (especially from programs in the North) because the development of coronavirus is so unpredictable and in the near future travel in and out of Italy could get very difficult and it would be very complicated if the situation were
to become even further compromised with transportation restrictions.” Cao’s program began to hold daily meetings for all students and staff about the coronavirus Feb. 25. Cao said that the staff would often reiterate the importance of washing hands regularly and limiting travel to Northern Italy, where a majority of the confirmed cases of coronavirus are located. She explained that the program also recommended that the students gather their information directly from the CDC and World Health Organization to minimize fearmongering and inaccuracies. “Our staff at Siena Italian Studies tells us that there isn’t much we can do to prevent contracting coronavirus other than to wash our hands with soap and warm water, sneeze into our elbows, avoid touching our faces and mouths as much as possible and limit travel to areas with a higher concentration of cases,” Cao said. Students studying abroad and traveling throughout Italy have experienced travel complications due to the growing amount of coronavirus cases in the country. Cao recounted her plans to visit a friend in Rome earlier in February, and how she ultimately decided to cancel her trip as a result of a reported case of coronavirus in Siena. She did not want to be prevented from reentering Siena. “When I got to the train station, I had five minutes to decide if I should still go or not,” Cao said “I decided to be cautious and not go just in case something unpredictable happened with transportation barriers and I ended up not being able to return to Siena. Our program staff had also previously recommended staying close to Siena so that definitely helped me make my decision. … I was really bummed about not being able to visit my friend in Rome at first, but then it ended up being okay because her program decided the next day to send all students back to the United States so now she’s getting ready to go back.” Katie Kasperson ’21 is studying abroad for the spring semester in Copenhagen, Denmark. Kasperson was traveling in northern Italy during her spring break while the confirmed cases of coronavirus intensified there. She flew into Milan Feb. 22, and her temperature was taken at the airport upon arrival. In order to reduce her time spent in the north, Kasperson adapted to the news and altered the itinerary of her trip. “Trains started to get canceled and the fashion show was postponed, so I went to Florence a day earlier than I’d planned,” Kasperson said in an email. “Some people were wearing masks, but everyone seemed relatively calm and not worried about the virus. By Tuesday afternoon, however, deaths had been confirmed in Italy and the northern regions had been quarantined.” In the wake of the confirmed deaths from
the virus, Kasperson recalled the panic she witnessed in Florence. She made the decision to travel back to Denmark before being explicitly advised to do so by her program provider. “Several study abroad programs in Italy had already been canceled/suspended and people were starting to freak out,” Kasperson said. “When I went to the grocery store, some of the shelves were empty (most of the pasta and bottled water was gone). I decided to come home on Wednesday instead of waiting until Sunday — to be ahead of the virus and the travel restrictions instead of getting stuck. While this was disappointing, I’m glad I did what I did. My friends in Italy are now leaving the country, either traveling to other places in Europe or going all the way back to the U.S.” Additionally, students who live in Italy and had planned to travel home during the College’s upcoming spring break have had to change their plans in wake of the elevated travel warnings. Anna Frare ’21 lives in Treviso, Italy in the northeastern part of the country when not attending school at the College. Frare had planned to travel home for spring break and leave on Feb. 27 in order to be at her sister’s confirmation service. However, she ultimately decided the day before not to risk her health and the travel complications that could arise from attempting to reenter the U.S.
“
Paradoxically, if I get the virus here, recovering from it and getting the necessary medical attention will likely be more expensive than if I had gone home and gotten it there. However, as of right now, the risk of not being able to come back to the U.S. to finish my studies is bigger than the problem of paying for health care, which is why I ultimately decided to stay in the U.S. — Anna Frare
“
CORONAVIRUS from page 1
“Last weekend, my dad called me and suggested that I stay in the U.S. instead of traveling to Italy for break,” Frare said in an email. “His motivation was that he didn’t want
me to be risking my health and my possibility to come back to the U.S. Knowing things would have gotten worse, it was better to be safe. The final decision was made on Wednesday, the day before I was going to leave. By then, my sister’s confirmation, the main reason why I would have left campus a week before our actual spring break, had been cancelled, together with all other religious or social congregations.” Frare has no intention of boarding a plane during spring break, but she remains hopeful that the crisis will be under control by the time she is ready to travel home for the summer. “As I evaluate what to do over spring break instead of going home, I realized that I have no desire to get on a plane,” Frare said. “We don’t know where it is going to hit next and it is best to avoid crowded places with poor ventilation. I will not go home in the midst of the crisis, but I hope that by the time the semester ends the situation will have improved.” As a result of the CDC Level 3 warning, Frare said she thinks the College reacted appropriately in restricting travel to Italy. The email detailing the College’s restrictions confirmed the decision Frare and her family had already made a week prior. For Frare, the concern of not being able to reenter the United States and finish the semester at the College was the driving force behind her decision to remain in the U.S. for spring break. “I am sorry for those who had plans to go there, but even more for those students studying abroad who are being sent home,” Frare said. “The reason why that makes sense is that students abroad might not benefit from the same health care that they would receive at home because of different insurance policies. Paradoxically, if I get the virus here, recovering from it and getting the necessary medical attention will likely be more expensive than if I had gone home and gotten it there. However, as of right now, the risk of not being able to come back to the U.S. to finish my studies is bigger than the problem of paying for health care, which is why I ultimately decided to stay in the U.S.” The CDC has since published a “Guidance for Student Foreign Travel for Institutions of Higher Education” stating that universities should consider postponing or canceling all student foreign exchange or abroad programs. Vasquez said that the College’s International Travel Review Committee (ITRC) plans to continue to evaluate each country’s virus outbreak individually, as they view the guidance as too extreme. “We are looking at all options, but we prefer to respond to each country outbreak on a step-by-step basis, utilizing our existing W&M policies governing such issues,” Vazquez said. “…While we think the guidance goes too far, we will take in all sources of information and ultimately the ITRC will make a decision based on our existing policies in place.”
opinions
Opinions Editor Chloe Folmar Opinions Editor Alyssa Slovin fhopinions@gmail.com // @theflathat
The Flat Hat | Tuesday, March 3, 2020 | Page 5
STAFF COLUMN
GUEST COLUMN
Joe Biden presents most practical opportunity for Democratic presidential win Lauren Reffay
FLAT HAT GUEST WRITER
With a tyrannical, and apparently unimpeachable, President Donald Trump in the White House, it is imperative that the Democratic party plays it safe this November and nominates the right candidate. Sen. Bernie Sanders is not that candidate. I didn’t think he was in 2016, and my opinion hasn’t changed. Sanders is an extreme, hyper-partisan, extremely polarizing and weak candidate for President. The fact that Russia has been accused of promoting his campaign — something I have yet to hear his supporters acknowledge — doesn’t sit well with me either. Former Vice President Joe Biden is without a doubt the strongest candidate on the Democratic side to take on Trump and win due to his diverse base of support, broad appeal and strong likeability. Many pundits (and fellow government majors) have argued that the key to success this November will be in firing up and turning out the Democratic base, but I disagree. Why? Because Democrats are already fired up. We’re angry, we’re mobilized and we’re ready to get Trump out of office. So even though Joe Biden might not be quite the level of democratic socialist you were looking for, that’s a good thing. Both as a senator and as Barack Obama’s VP, Joe Biden has proven himself to be a reliable, honest and trustworthy public servant. Besides, Joe’s still plenty progressive — just not so progressive that he alienates everyone to the right of Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Moderate Democrats outnumber progressives by nearly two to one, and now that the field is narrowing, it makes Biden’s path to victory an easier one. He also has something no other candidate in this race has: the support of African American voters, who are essential to any Democrat’s electoral success.
What Democrats need to do this election is appeal to moderate voters and Republicans who don’t like Trump, and yes, they do exist. We counted on the base last time, and it wasn’t enough. What Democrats need to do this election is appeal to moderate voters and Republicans who don’t like Trump, and yes, they do exist. We counted on the base last time, and it wasn’t enough. Now we need to focus our attention on white, suburban working-class voters in the ideological and geographical center of the country. You know, that large swath of land in between the east and west coasts? Joe Biden is someone who can turn out these demographics and beat Donald Trump where it counts: the Electoral College. It does not matter how many “woke” white people Bernie Sanders can turn out in blue states — that will do nothing to help us reclaim the White House. As we saw in 2000 and 2016, there’s no consolation prize for winning the popular vote. Bernie Sanders also has the critical flaw of being a selfproclaimed Socialist. While that’s a label Trump will affix to whichever Democrat wins the nomination, in Sanders’ case, it would actually be true — and that’s a problem. For many Americans, particularly those over 40, the “S” word is a dirty one; one associated with political oppression and instability. That’s not the kind of messaging that would play well in a general election — especially in purple states. Most Americans don’t want to pay higher taxes, have their private health insurance taken away or be made promises that can’t be kept. We’d much rather have practical, feasible change instead. Sorry, “Bernie Bros,” but you can keep your revolution. We don’t want it. Now, for those of you that haven’t voted in a Presidential election before, you need to know that sometimes voting can be like taking medicine. It doesn’t always feel good, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. Do it to be a responsible citizen. Do it because you can’t reasonably complain about the outcome if you don’t. Also, voting isn’t marriage, so don’t let your search for the perfect candidate stop you from coming out in November if they don’t win the nomination. Don’t let your quest for ideological purity blind you to the bigger picture. To nominate Bernie Sanders would be to risk reelecting Donald Trump, and I am not willing to take that risk. That’s why I stand with Joe Biden. Email Lauren Reffay at lereffay@email.wm.edu.
Election infighting, political hostility undermine party unity, common courtesy Lucas Harsche
FLAT HAT OPINIONS ASSOC. EDITOR
Super Tuesday is this week, and I am sure that many students and staff at the College of William and Mary will be participating in the Virginia primaries. With the Republican nomination effectively settled on incumbent President Donald Trump, all eyes are on the Democratic primary as Americans wait on the edge of their seats to see who will challenge one of the most controversial presidents in recent American history this November. One would think that it would be easy for the Democratic nominees to unite their efforts to put one of their own in the White House. I’m sorry, but as I wrote that last sentence, I couldn’t finish with a straight face in light of the Democratic primary debates that have taken place over the last couple of months. The ideological division of our country must now not only take place in childish behavior between the supposed adults who run our nation, but it must now occur on our television sets between those whom some Americans view as the hope for our country’s future. Division is everywhere in this country. Frankly speaking, I’m sick of it. And if you are wondering what my political views are in order to inform your opinion of my qualities as a person, then you should know that they are none of your business and that you yourself are only proving what I am about to say. Read on if you dare. You are going to meet people in life who disagree with you. See, I remember learning that in elementary school, and it was a lesson that I was exposed to on a regular basis. Some kids that I met thought Hot Wheels were better than Star Wars — the horror — but I was told that these kids still deserved the respectful manners that I was taught to offer everyone that I
met. I suppose that I received elementary education at a really unique point in educational history, because I know several adults and many of my fellow students who did not seem to learn that they were going to meet people who disagreed with them, and that those people were no less deserving of the standards of our society. Yes, this also applies to our political beliefs. I will confess that those close to me tend to share, for the most part, similar political beliefs to mine. We tend to spend time with people who are similar to us, but this does not give me the right to be any less courteous to those people who disagree with me. I have met plenty of lovely Republicans and plenty of Republicans who are not so nice. Likewise, I know plenty of lovely Democrats and plenty of Democrats who are not so nice. I do my best each day to judge people by their character, and not by their beliefs. Painting those who disagree with us as evil, or enemies to the people, or whatever dramatic rhetoric wins votes these days, is not merely inaccurate; it also threatens the future of our republic. I use the wording “threatens the future” because very soon, the Democratic primary will narrow down to one person as the nominee, and there are bound to be Democrats who are disappointed and were hoping for another nominee instead. Likewise, the 2020 presidential election is only a few short months away, and only one candidate will walk away as the President of the United States. There are bound to be many more disappointed people throughout the nation regardless of whom wins. But screaming at each other and our elected officials is neither constructive nor civil; the problems we face in this nation will not magically disappear even if our preferred candidate wins the election. Issues such as healthcare, immigration reform and climate change, for example, demand our united collaboration and a healthy and open debate over which ideas are best to solve each problem. If not, then as Ben Franklin wisely warned us, “most assuredly, we will all hang separately.” So on this Super Tuesday, vote for whomever your conscience dictates, and respect your neighbor’s conscience to vote whomever he or she thinks is best for the job. Email Lucas Harsche at lmharsche@email.wm.edu.
GRAPHIC BY SAUMYA SHARMAN AND HEADSHOT BY KAYLA PAYNE / THE FLAT HAT
INDEPENDENT GRAPHIC
Katherine Johnson leaves feminist legacy GRAPHIC BY TARA VASANTH / THE FLAT HAT
The Flat Hat
Tuesday, March 3, 2020
Page 6
GUEST COLUMN
STAFF COLUMN
Students work against Mercury in retrograde during midterms
Lent presents opportunity for God’s forgiveness, purification for sins in preparation of Easter Day Tyler Cox-Philyaw FLAT HAT GUEST WRITER
Alyssa Slovin
FLAT HAT OPINIONS EDITOR
I’m just checking in from the overwhelming whirlwind of a time that is midterm season here at the College of William and Mary. But honestly, when isn’t it midterm season? The first week of classes? Finals week? That’s all I’ve got. Professors are constantly assigning large essays and giving exams which they all confusingly call our midterms, even when there are at least three per semester per class. However, I don’t want to blame my professors for my midterm season stresses. It’s not their fault that I have four other intense classes to study for, and that I would rather watch YouTube for hours and somehow find myself watching clips from TLC’s television show “Extreme Cheapskates” than do my hundreds of pages of reading and my calculus homework. I also wouldn’t blame myself, though. As much time as I might waste every day, I still put in hours upon hours of work in order to just barely keep up with everything. So, if I cannot blame my professors or myself, who else is there? Who should I blame for the intense struggle of midterm season? The answer is becoming increasingly obvious to me every day: I blame the fact that Mercury is in retrograde. Now, I know that this is ridiculous. What does a planet’s placement in space have to do with my life as a student on campus? To be honest, I have absolutely no idea. My only knowledge about astrology comes from Instagram posts that assign 12 current memes to the 12 zodiac signs. All I know is that when Mercury goes into retrograde, people who study astrology start using Mercury as their excuse for why their life isn’t turning out how they planned. Also, apparently Mercury enters retrograde about three times a year for about three weeks each time. This year, Mercury was in retrograde during the middle of both the fall and spring semesters, also known as midterm season. I’m not saying I believe in a planet causing problems for students worldwide, but I also don’t think that there’s anything wrong with stepping back from the situation at hand, taking a deep breath, realizing that life isn’t going your way and accepting certain issues as something out of your control. I don’t think you should give up, but I do think that students here at the College in general are guilty of stressing about issues over which they have no control.
I don’t think there is a problem with embracing this quasiscience as a means to relax and enjoy your life a little more. Life shouldn’t be so deep that you cannot have a little fun and embrace silly things like astrology. For example, if you have three tests and two essays due in a week, instead of blaming your professors for slamming you with work or blaming yourself for not getting ahead of your work previously, there’s nothing wrong with accepting that “the universe” dealt you a bad hand and just trying your best to get through it until it’s over. I don’t think there is a problem with embracing this quasiscience as a means to relax and enjoy your life a little more. Life shouldn’t be so deep that you cannot have a little fun and embrace silly things like astrology. It doesn’t hurt anyone to believe, or at least pretend to believe, in a special property that the universe has over society. It’s not like astrology is the same as essential oils or holistic medicine, two money-grabs that are not supported by science and that hurt people who actually need medical attention. Personally, I think it’s hilarious, and it lightens the mood to yell, “Ugh, I can’t wait until Mercury isn’t in retrograde anymore” with your friends in your harder times. Maybe, when Mercury leaves retrograde March 10, you can have a little celebration. I suggest, during this stressful week before spring break, as well as for future reference, to take a step back and not put too much weight on stresses that arise. I know that it’s hard to just let go, and I am not suggesting that you do so 100 percent. Just let go of whatever surplus or extraneous stress that you have and blame Mercury for being in retrograde. Email Alyssa Slovin at amslovin@email.wm.edu.
What is Lent and what is its purpose? For those of the Christian tradition, Lent is a time of penance, originally designated by the Catholic Church as the preparatory liturgical season before Easter Sunday. Its use as a preparatory season is twofold. Firstly, the season resembles the 40 days and nights of Christ and His temptations in the desert. The phrase “forty days and forty nights” in scripture did not always mean exactly 40 days and 40 nights. It was a phrase used to express a long period of time. In the same way, the “forty days” of lent are not a literal 40 days from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday. Sundays and Solemnities, such as the Feast of the Annunciation and the Feast of St. Joseph, are not counted among the 40. Secondly, Lent is a season of purification and penance. Lent’s physical burdens traditionally consist of fasting and personal penance. Abstinence from meat on Friday, although typically associated with Lent, is actually required by the Catholic Church for the entire year as a way of remembering and repenting for Christ’s death (Code of Canon Law 1251). Fasting in the Catholic tradition occurs on two days in Lent: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, the day of Christ’s death.
Personal penance is private and, therefore, does not have guidelines. However, some common examples are cold showers, praying a certain amount of time every day, etc. Although these two penances, fasting and personal penance, on the surface seem to be a burden with no benefit, they have a twofold goal. The primary goal of these is the “honoring of the suffering death of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Father James E. Goode, OFM, President of the National Black Catholic Apostolate for Life). The secondary goal is the building up of a resistance to sin. Fasting and personal penance increase one’s willpower and therefore, increase one’s resistance to the temptations of sin. So, what is Lent to me? Lent is a way for me to humble myself before the Lord Jesus and ask Him for the graces needed for salvation. As a Catholic, I know I will forever be unworthy of Christ’s abundant love. However, I ask, through my fasting, penance and spiritual exercises, that He has mercy on me, the lowliest of His servants, and I echo the prayer of the penitent thief: “Lord, remember me when Thou shalt come into Thy kingdom” (Luke 23:42). I hope this Lent is penitential for you all, and that when the light of Easter morning peaks over the horizon, you shall be awakened to the true power and grace of God. Email Tyler CoxPhilyaw at tlcoxphilyaw@ email.wm.edu.
GRAPHIC AND HEADSHOTS BY KAYLA PAYNE / THE FLAT HAT
STAFF COLUMN
Dining Services ignores student needs by neglecting to serve kosher food, incurs unfair dining fees to students
Gavin Aquin Hernández FLAT HAT VARIETY EDITOR
March 2, 2015 — my fifteenth birthday — I promised myself that I would try my very hardest to make sure that everything I put into my mouth was as kosher as humanly possible. At the time of publishing this article, the five-year anniversary of that “covenant” that I made with myself to be more conscientious of the covenant made between Moses and G-d as told in the Torah is now passed. I’d like to think that I’ve been 99.9 percent successful with it — at least with what I have knowingly consumed. With that in mind, I will admit one thing: it has been exponentially more difficult to follow the demands of kashrut while living on campus these past two years. I’m not even talking about how the Charedim think of kashrut with their strict notions of ritual slaughter, only eating at kosher restaurants, supervised preparation of food by a religious official, etc. I’ve realistically limited myself to the rules that I know are mostly possible on a college campus: no pork, no shellfish and don’t mix dairy with meats. Did I mention that even following those rules strictly has been really difficult? No, I don’t have these secret cravings for shellfish and pork — to be honest, I have an aversion to the smell of seafood, and it all looks too “slimy” for consumption. However, food preparation in dining halls is shockingly, surprisingly and absurdly treyf, or the Yiddish word for things that aren’t kosher. Whenever I look at the allergen
disclosures on the food at Marketplace, a surprising amount of it at the entrée box lists shellfish. Which is a bummer because that is the closest thing to variety you see at Marketplace. Even breakfast at Marketplace has been a struggle for me because pork products are always so obviously commingled between non-pork products at the grill. It’s difficult to be blissfully ignorant when you can see it all happening in front of your face. My “petty” complaining aside, there are really simple solutions to the shortage of Kosher options on campus here at the College of William and Mary — and we don’t even have to be creative either.
restrictive set of dietary laws. It’s not like this is so far outside of the capabilities of Sodexo either; they are the official dining company of a lot of universities where they are able to accommodate the needs of Jewish students through special Kosher options. As it stands now, I’m currently living off my $400 a semester flex allowance that as of today only has about $35 left. How did that happen? I eat the majority of my meals outside of dining halls, yet I’m forced to spend thousands on my meal plan. I know I’ve been told that it’s expensive to be an observant Jew, but I didn’t realize just how expensive. The Mediterranean Station in the Sadler Center is a step in the right direction, but it is inconsistently open and is only treated as halal — which as I mentioned, is similar to kosher but far less restrictive. My friend told me this joke when we were getting dinner a few weeks ago: If the both of us were sent to prison tomorrow, at least we would be guaranteed kosher dining options. Even though we live in “prison-like” conditions in dorms like Jefferson Hall, the College didn’t even have the decency to live up to the dining standards set by prisons. Yikes. Even though she twisted the proverbial “certified kosher, Rabbi approved, Orthodox Union approved” fork and added insult to injury by making reference to the fact that I live in Jefferson as a sophomore, her poignant point struck a C-Major chord within the confines of my soul. Hopefully, the College can take some strides, any strides, to improve the dining experience of Jewish students on campus — we pay tuition too, you know — so that I never have to hear that joke again, but more importantly so that I can actually eat. Email Gavin Aquin Hernández at gaaquin@email.wm.edu.
I know I’ve been told that it’s expensive to be an observant Jew, but I didn’t realize just how expensive. Other colleges with larger Jewish populations have implemented whole kosher dining halls. For logistical reasons, I doubt the administration would approve such an endeavor for a relatively small Jewish population. However, a reasonable ask is that of a kosher meal plan and a kosher dining restaurant on campus. If I’m unable to eat a large part of what’s served on campus, should not the price of my meal plan reflect that through a discounted rate? Additionally, a kosher restaurant would be accessible to everyone on campus and would not just serve to benefit the College’s Jewish population, but also Muslims who adhere to halal — a similar but less
variety
Variety Editor Gavin Aquin Hernández Variety Editor Matthew Kortan flathat.variety@gmail.com
The Flat Hat
| Tuesday, March 3, 2020 | Page 7
ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN / THE FLAT HAT
Charging Up William McNamara harnesses solar power for sustainable energy ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN // FLAT HAT EXECUTIVE EDITOR
GR AP HI CB YG A
IN
/T H
T
T
Professor William McNamara is filtering water from Lake Matoaka through a T-shirt to produce renewable energy in a matter of minutes. It’s a mission that is eight years in the making for his research lab and is powered by one of the earth’s biggest energy hotspots: the sun. McNamara, an associate professor in the chemistry department, was inspired by plants’ natural energy-making processes to find a way to harvest solar energy. “The thing that’s good about solar energy is that it’s the most abundant renewable energy source,” McNamara said. “More energy strikes the earth in the form of sunlight in an hour and a half than we use in a year.” McNamara explained that many modern applications of solar energy involve storing it in batteries that are expensive and not energy efficient. Rather than using batteries, he chose to pursue storing the products of solar energy in a fuel that is produced by splitting water into its individual parts of hydrogen and oxygen. “If we split water to give ourselves oxygen gas and hydrogen gas, you can HA burn hydrogen directly to get energy LA EF and water,” McNamara said. “If you U can take some dirty water from AQ N VI a pond or a river, dump it in this reactor and split the water — now, you’ve got clean water from that reaction and energy. It’s kind of solving two problems at once.” The production of clean water as part of the reaction to create hydrogen gas is a component of the system that McNamara has not studied specifically, but it could be helpful for developing countries. “If we can take water or dirty pondwater, something that’s abundant to people, turn it into energy and then also be able to give them clean drinking water, that is such a big win,” McNamara said. “So that’s a nice side bonus of our energy emission and powering the planet : maybe we can do this in a way that would give us clean water, too.” McNamara and his lab developed a working system that takes in solar energy, uses it to split water into hydrogen and oxygen and stores the resulting energy as hydrogen gas. Hydrogen energy fuel can be detected from the working model in as early as 10 minutes, and the energy lasts for up to 10 days once produced. McNamara tested the system using water from Lake Matoaka with successful results. The energy-creation process begins when light strikes a dye on the system called a chromophore that is able to absorb that
light. The chromophore then hands over a charged particle called an electron to jumpstart a miniature machine called an enzyme that helps split the water into hydrogen and oxygen. Enzymes are biological boosters that are used to speed up chemical reactions for living things. The particular enzyme chosen by McNamara, iron hydrogenase, uses iron to accomplish its mission. “Your blood, right now, is carrying oxygen around your body using iron,” McNamara said. “Our idea here was, why don’t we use an earth-abundant metal that is all around us, because then we are going to be able to do it on a wider scale and drive down costs?” The enzyme is held steady on a solid support provided by titanium dioxide — a material also found in white paint, sunscreen and Doritos. This support system means that the enzyme is held still and stable for the duration of the water-splitting reaction and can be recycled for future reactions, as opposed to a one-and-done model. “Once it’s done, you can take it out of solution and you can put it in another solution and use it again,” McNamara said. “It’s really wonderful.” McNamara and his lab paid attention to sustainability during the process of developing the system, meaning that its individual parts are inexpensive and abundant in the environment. The energy production system might be useful in developing countries that do not have the ability to widely distribute costly energy-production devices. The system’s dependence on solar energy, a renewable source of power, is friendlier to the environment and could reduce human dependency on nonrenewable energy sources. “The amount of energy we’re using as a globe is rapidly increasing as nations are getting more developed,” McNamara said. “Our current energy infrastructure is not sustainable for us for an infinite amount of time.” Members of McNamara’s lab will be presenting research on the project at the American Chemical Society’s annual meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in late March. McNamara is excited about the future of the project as well as the thrill of discovery during the research process. “That feeling you get when you’re the first person to observe something — there’s nothing better than that,” McNamara said. “It’s like, no one else has ever made this. No one else has even seen this. It’s crazy; that’s crazy.”
The Flat Hat
Tuesday, March 3, 2020
Page 8
CONFUSION CORNER
Rock Around the Wren Campus provides students with ample opportunities to take first steps toward musical expression, cultivating creativity and drive MATTHEW KORTAN // FLAT HAT VARIETY EDITOR
S
trange days have descended upon breeding ground for this sort of thing — stay us. The symbol of our generation corny AMP. All it takes is some creativity and is the Juul and its voice belongs maybe a dash of ignorance and any of these to the former hero of Degrassi one-to-three world blurbs is easily flipped High. Will we vote Bobo the into a legendary band name! No talent? Clown in for another four years Don’t sweat it. Just spread the word and or give Barack Obama’s salamander-jawed somebody will inevitably run with it all the sphincter puppet a smack on the a— and tell way to the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame. him to get in the game before it’s too late? Maybe that last bit was somewhat of a And, last but not least, the alternative rock stretch. Although seeing your own creative charts continue freewheeling around on an contributions immortalized for something exponentially intensifying joy ride through you hardly had anything to do with would be the land of utter disarray. In other words: quite gratifying, if not one hell of a missed it’s essentially pop music for kids who like to opportunity. Let’s unpack some examples. wear tie-dyed hair in their face and shop for Fish Rotation; a few months back, I was oversized recycled wool sweaters. Touché, wolfing down a bowl of Lucky Charms at Billie Eilish — who wouldn’t want their the Caf like a barbaric halfling when my fifteen minutes of fame as the world crashes free hand instinctively glommed onto the and burns? napkin dispenser. Not that Billie “Eyelash” deserves All of the sudden, my friend sitting next vilification. Who else would “Bi Tri Delt” to me fell under a spell of hysteric cackling. lifting fraternity brothers “Captain Curl” When I asked what the deal was, my gaze and “Whey Warrior” turn to in the throes was redirected toward said almighty napkin of their darkest hours? One sing along with “Bad Guy” is all it takes to wipe those testosterone tears away, leave the greasy imprint of an abnormally vascular forehead behind on the mirror and return to swiping through Tinder over yet another plate of unseasoned panseared chicken breast and Uncle Ben’s instant brown rice. That said, it still feels like the indie scene is being force fed “emo edge” now more than ever. You heard that correctly, folks: depression is cool these days. It makes me wonder: how did The Smiths make living well beyond the bounds of GRAPHIC BY REBECCA KLINGER / THE FLAT HAT social acceptability look so damn natural? dispenser. A schedule was embedded behind Ladies and gentlemen, please return your the clear plastic. The title of this schedule seatbacks and tray tables to their full upright was “Fish Rotation”. Its purpose was to and locked positions; we hope you enjoyed inform students where they’d be able to track your time in the preface and welcome to the down some thawed faux flounder on any thesis of this “Confusion Corner” soliloquy. given day of the week. But really, who gives I’ve thought it through thoroughly in the a damn? My friend continued to giggle at the days since writing the first few paragraphs, silly headline until it hit me: “Fish Rotation” and well … absolutely nothing has changed. would be a kick-a— band name. It implies a That’s because — believe it or not — I knew sloppy, grimy sort of raw energy that doesn’t what I was going to write about this entire compromise rhythmic versatility. I daydream time, so here goes nothing. In the 16 score about a punchy bassline and a loose-lipped and seven years since the ink dried on the vocalist that sprinkles a mouthful of Pabst charter for the College of William and Mary, into a crowd of thumb-tacked facial piercings students have scratched, spit and gouged and acrylic-stained black denim. Chaos, I’d just to stand out. All this aberration has like to introduce you to poetry. culminated in our campus appearing to an Thus, the list was born. Whenever I’m outsider as if we’ve coordinated matching struck by this same type of “inspiration via Mac DeMarco Halloween costumes and alias,” I write it down. Another instance forgot to take them off. required an excursion to the chalk-colored Basically, both the alternative music city a few hours north of here. I had a industry and students’ means of selfhot date in Dupont Circle. A running gag expression at the college are crumbling at naturally developed thanks to my on-campus the seams thanks to a sore lack of originality. residency in a hall bearing the same French But things need not be this desolate. It just name. If you live in or around The District, so turns out that one issue holds its solution you might know what’s coming next. in the other. Have I lost you? Allow me to Enter the gigantic red flight of steps explain. It’s all over campus, but you have to displacing the straight shot of the sidewalk in have an eye for it. Namesakes, phrases, puns, favor of a downward dive. Along the banister, peachy excerpts from class assignments white spray-painted stencil etches out the — you name it. Promotional flyers are a words “The DuPont Underground”. Color
me dazzled. Yes, I understand this could be taken as a cheap play on “The Velvet Underground”, just bear with me. Upon first interaction, Velvet is soft, fuzzy and elegant. But it also oozes with sexual undertones. In many ways, DuPont Hall is the antithesis of these things. Not only does a healthy irony serve as a songwriters’ best friend, but the contrast would also essentially force the group to divorce themselves a decent amount from the Velvets’ textbook merger of rock and avant-garde that so many subsequent acts have tried to emulate. If you really thought that Lil Nas X straddled his disgusting horse across music’s last frontier, then you better look alive for the DuPont Underground. Of course, none of these bands actively play, record or even exist beyond the hormone-polluted imagination of a college student. On the bright side, nobody could really could ever put a deadline on this sort of thing. But hey, what time like the present. I would do it myself, but the extent of my musical dexterity reaches somewhere around “Hallelujah” on the ukulele and no further. But that’s alright, on account of being dubbed “the dude who walks around campus with the teddy bear fastened to his backpack” my look doesn’t exactly scream “rockgod” anyway. Still, since rock ‘n roll instilled itself as the voice in my head as a kid — a shiver trickles down my spine every time today’s artists slander its name through gritted teeth, awkwardly unaware of the shoulders they’re standing upon. So please for the sake of the scarce beauty and dignity this world has left, somebody — anybody — steal my idea and do something cool with it! I promise I won’t knock down your door pleading for compensation, even if I need to buy a new Mr. Bear for my backpack. Besides, the culture at the College could definitely use it. Other band names on “the list” considered for a spotlight in this article include: Gene of Interest, Roses of the Unborn, Goat Guardians, Smooth Jiff, Spellbound Mound, The Heartless Horns, The Physics Boys and The Hemichordates. All embezzled from somewhere or someone on or around the College’s campus. Lastly, keep in mind that any day now, Jeff Bezos’ army of cyborg clones will descend upon us and eliminate half the human race by forcing excessive quantities of Botox serum down our throats while the survivors are left to slug it out over bags of robotic liposuction waste just to keep warm at night. In short, hurry the hell up. The end. Matthew Kortan is a Flat Hat Confusion Corner columnist who is not interested in seeing Car Seat Headrest with you simply because he goes to the College of William and Mary, stating that “mumbling a prepubescent rendition of a Serbian orthodox hymn set to Modest Mouse back catalogue instrumentals and topped off by lyrics pulled from a top hat without a rabbit just doesn’t turn me on.”
sportsinside
The Flat Hat | Tuesday, March 3, 2020 | Page 9
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Tribe beats Elon, locks up 2-seed in CAA CAMERON BRAY FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER
In its regular-season home finale and Senior Day game, William and Mary (21-10, 13-5 CAA) vanquished Elon (11-20, 7-11 CAA) Saturday, Feb. 29 at Kaplan Arena. The Tribe entered its final game before the Colonial Athletic Association tournament following a recent upswing of four straight wins after experiencing a low point of three straight losses in early February. With a hard-fought 86-79 victory over Elon, the Tribe won its 21st regular season game. The last time the Tribe won 21 regular-season games was in the 1950-51 season over 70 years ago. The victory allowed the Tribe to clinch sole ownership of second place in the CAA rankings. Before tip-off, the Tribe honored its senior class players. For Senior Day, the College recognized senior managers Bobby Oldfield and Alex Waltman and celebrated senior players Tyler Hamilton, Bryce Barnes, Andy Van Vliet and Nathan Knight, who have played a combined 386 games for the Tribe. The lone fourth-year member of the Tribe, Knight, who has 2,117 career points and is second on the Tribe’s all-time scoring list, received a long ovation from a crowd of 5,180 spectators before tip-off. Later in the evening, Knight received another ovation when he stepped onto the court with 13.5 seconds left in regulation, the Phoenix all but beaten. “It’s been a blessing,” Knight said. “This school’s given me so much on so many fronts. Just a humble kid from Syracuse, and the school has put so much trust in me as a student and as a player.” In the final home game of his career, Knight led the Tribe in scoring with 20 points, shooting 13-of-16 from the free-throw line and finished with five rebounds and three assists. With Saturday’s win against Elon, the Tribe tied the 2018 senior class as the winningest class in Tribe history with 44 CAA wins. The Tribe’s second-leading scorer, Van Vliet, posted his 10th doubledouble of the season with 17 points and 12 rebounds. He shot 6-of-14 from the field, including 3-of-6 from three. A two-season player at Wisconsin who had to sit out last year as a transfer, Van Vliet said he found playing on the College’s Senior Day well worth the wait. “I was getting excited last year to be able to play here this year, and I’d say it went pretty well,” Van Vliet said. “I think we have amazing people here to take care of us as players and take care of us as students, and I’m just happy and thankful for this place.” Fans in the student section chanted, “A-V-V, A-V-V!” as Van Vliet stepped onto the court for Senior Day. Barnes finished his Tribe career with 15 points, six assists and three steals against Elon. He ended the game as the
Tribe’s leading passer and third-highest scorer. “There’s no substitute for having guys on the floor that have played at this level for a number of years and have been in those situations,” head coach Dane Fischer said. “Even though it’s a new team, we’ve got guys who have been in those spots.” In the first half, the Tribe caught fire and came out playing hot, the crowd fired up from the first possession. The College hit eight of its first 12 shots to bring the score up to 24-10, before Phoenix guards Marcus Sheffield and Hunter McIntosh began heating up. Knight shot two free throws, hitting the first, and Van Vliet hit another three off an assist by Barnes to finish the 10-point run and bring the lead back up to 11 at 41-30. At halftime, the Tribe led 41-32. The Tribe outshot the Phoenix from both long and mid-range during the first half. The Tribe shot 59.2 percent from the field, including 54.5 percent from three. Meanwhile, Elon shot 42.9 percent from the field, including 31.5 percent from three. Coming off the bench for Knight, sophomore forward Quinn Blair made a big impact in the first half. Blair, the Tribe’s fourth-leading scorer with a career-high 14 points, scored nine of his total points in the first half and put up four defensive rebounds in 12 minutes of play. He shot 3-of-4 from the field in the first half, including 1-of-2 from three, and made both of his free throws. Blair left the game with 14 points and six rebounds. He shot 4-of-5 from the field, 1-of-2 from three and converted all six of his free throws. In the second half, the Tribe turned up the heat. From a narrow 63-59 ballgame, the Tribe went on a 13-6 run and took a 76-65 lead with little more than a minute left. Elon shot 4-of-5 from three with less than a minute remaining, but the Phoenix played with fire and got burned as it sent man after man to the free-throw line. Elon fouled four times, and the Tribe shot a perfect 8-of-8 from the line. Playing his first game since Feb. 8, Scott put up six free throws and finished with 10 points. Knight added two free throws, finishing 13-of-16 from the line and reached 20 points. During the second half, the Phoenix outshot the Tribe in field goals and in threes but fell well behind it in free throws. The College shot 44 percent from the field, including 16.7 percent from three, and made 88 percent of its free throws. Meanwhile, Elon shot 51.4 percent from the field, including 45 percent from three, and made only 50 percent of its free throws. Overall, Elon outscored the College 41-21 from three, but the Tribe outscored the Phoenix 31-5 from the free-throw line. The Tribe shot 51.1 percent from the field, including 41.2 percent from three, and converted 79.5 percent of its free throws. Elon shot 47.6 percent from the field, including 38.9 percent from three, and converted only 71.4 percent of its free throws. After Saturday’s win against Elon, the Tribe will travel to Washington,
JAMIE HOLT / THE FLAT HAT
Andy Van Vliet scored 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the Senior Day win.
D.C. to face either Elon or James Madison in the CAA Quarterfinals Sunday, March 8. “Our big thing this week is to try to get a little bit better each day,” Fischer said. “Be mindful of preparing ourselves for what we may see in the first round. The most important thing is that we this thing one day at a time, get ourselves a little bit better, and get ourselves in a good place to go up there and play as well as we can.” The No. 7 Phoenix and the No. 10 Dukes face off Saturday, March 7, to determine who will advance past the First Round and play the Tribe.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
20 wins set school record
The game began with the Tribe charging ahead to an early lead, which Elon soon caught. Reynolds and Hodgson sank back-to-back jumpers on their first two possessions to bring the Tribe ahead 4-0, before Phoenix guard Brie Perpignan sank a jumper to make it 4-2. Hodgson made two free throws, and redshirt sophomore guard Sydney Wagner, coming off the bench for Reynolds, added another two to make it 8-2 for the Tribe. But Phoenix forward Jaylin Powell made two straight layups and guard Saadia Munford made two free throws to bring Elon back 8-8 in the single tie of the game. Then on a fast break, with an assist by junior center Gabby Rogers, Hodgson made a driving layup and drew the foul on Phoenix forward Micaela Ryan, sinking the free throw to make it 11-8 for the Tribe. After shooting the free throw and finishing the three-point play, the Tribe stayed ahead of the Phoenix for the rest of regulation. During the rest of the first quarter, the Tribe outscored the Phoenix 12-4 to bring the lead to 23-12. Wagner, junior guard Nyla Pollard and freshman guard Chiniqwa Gillam all sank threes late in the period. JAMIE HOLT / THE FLAT HAT In the second quarter, the Tribe kept its lead Friday’s win moved the Tribe one win shy of achieving its winningest season in 100 years of Tribe women’s basketball. as the Phoenix began heating up on offense. The Tribe stayed ahead with 16 points, shooting CAMERON BRAY 58.3 percent from the field, while Elon scored 15 FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER points and shot only 26.7 percent. Coming home after an overtime loss against Drexel (20-7, 13-2 CAA) and a With less than two minutes left in the period, the Tribe took its largest lead of bounce-back win against Delaware (10-16, 6-9 CAA), William and Mary (20-7, the night. Reynolds scored a jumper and junior reserve Bailey Eichner added a 11-5 CAA) outfought Elon (12-15, 7-9 CAA) in a promising start to its three-game layup, with an assist by Hodgson, to bring the lead up to a game-high 17 points. homestand Friday, Feb. 28 at Kaplan Arena. With an energizing 74-61 win, the Elon scored the next five points off of free throws and a jumper. At halftime, the Tribe set a school record with 20 regular-season wins, maintained its third-place Tribe led the Phoenix 40-28. spot in the Colonial Athletic Association and clinched no worse than the No. 4 seed In the third quarter, the Tribe struggled to contain Elon as the Phoenix caught in the CAA Tournament. fire and turned up the heat. The College took a 16-point lead with about eight “It’s a big accomplishment for us as a team,” senior forward Victoria Reynolds minutes left, but Elon went on a run and came within five points of catching the said. “I just hope that we can get better and get 21, 22 … And I want the younger Tribe late in the period. A second-chance layup by Reynolds stopped the run and players to continue that throughout their career.” brought the lead back up to seven, 50-43. During the third quarter, the College With Friday’s win, the Tribe moved one-win shy of having its winningest season scored five fewer points than Elon, shooting only 33.3 percent from the field and 50 ever in 100 years of Tribe women’s basketball. If the College earns one more win in percent from the free-throw line. either of its two remaining home games, it will pass the 20-win record set in 1993-94 The fourth quarter opened with a 6-0 run from the Tribe that brought the and 2016-17, and will break the school record of 11 CAA wins. In addition to team lead back up to 13. After a back-and-forth battle with Elon, the Tribe increased its accomplishments, the Tribe also saw a record-setting individual performance by lead to 16 with a jumper in the paint by Reynolds. The Phoenix never burned out sophomore guard Eva Hodgson, who led all scorers with 27 points. With about completely and continued to bring some heat on offense, but the College iced Elon seven minutes left in the second quarter, Hodgson broke the Tribe’s single-season from the free-throw line, shooting 87.5 percent. Hodgson and Reynolds combined record of 537 points, set by Lynn Norenberg ’81 when she sank a 12-foot jumper in for 11-of-12 free-throw shooting. The Tribe ended the period with a 13-point lead the paint. to win the game, 74-61. “It’s cool,” Hodgson said. “But I think the 20th win meant more to me. And I The Tribe saw major production from its reserves in the win, the team’s seventh know that we still have a lot of history we can make this year, so I’m more excited in its last eight games. Wagner finished with 11 points as the Tribe’s third-leading for that.” scorer and Eichner brought a strong versatile performance with five points, nine During the rest of regulation, Hodgson added 16 more points beyond what she rebounds and three assists. needed to set the record. She finished shooting 8-of-14 from the field, 1-of-4 from The Tribe will face Towson (14-12, 9-6 CAA) Thursday, March 5, and James three and 10-of-11 from the free-throw line. Part of the winningest class in program Madison (22-4, 13-2 CAA) Saturday, March 7 to finish its three-game homestand history, Reynolds added 20 points as the Tribe’s second-highest scorer, shooting and conclude the regular season. 6-of-10 from the field and 8-of-9 from the free-throw line. With one more win against either team, the Tribe will record its best season in During the game, the College kept its lead locked up against the Phoenix, its 100-year history, but neither win will come easy, head coach Ed Swanson said. dropping to a tie only once early in the first quarter. The Tribe never trailed and James Madison sits tied with Drexel atop the CAA rankings, and Towson, although withstood runs by Elon in the third quarter to keep its lead well ahead of the ranked No. 4 in the conference, still poses a threat as the reigning CAA champion. Phoenix. In the fourth quarter, the Tribe iced the Phoenix to win the game, shooting But Swanson added that he thought the Tribe still had a good chance to make 87.5 percent from the free throw line. Outpacing and outplaying the Phoenix on history as the regular season ended. offense, the Tribe scored 14 points off fast breaks, while Elon scored only four. The “I think the hard work is paying off,” Swanson said. “And I still think this team College also scored 20 points off turnovers, while Elon had 16. hasn’t reached its ceiling yet … I still think we have a long way to go.”
Hodgson breaks single-season scoring record in win
WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS
Tribe earns fourth at Maryland meet
Strong effort leads to secondhighest team score of the year NATHAN SEIDEL FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR
Despite finishing fourth out of five teams at the Sunday, March 1 meet in Maryland, William and Mary posted its second-highest point total of the year amid several strong individual performances. A key component of the high scoring came in the vault with the Tribe setting a new season high of 48.775, tying the fourth-highest mark for the program all-time. Senior Erika Marr and junior Mary Graceyn Gordon set new career highs with scores of 9.825 on their attempts and senior Taylor White also set a new career mark at 9.775. Junior Katie Waldman rounded out the strong Tribe performance with a season-best of 9.800. Waldman also shined in the all-around, posting a 39.000 to finish third overall in the event. White added a 38.875 and Gordon posted a 38.375 to round out the squad. The College also had strong individualperformances in the other events, with senior Evan Pakshong and Waldman each earning a 9.775 on bars to earn a tie for ninth place, and White contributed a 9.725. Senior Caroline Caponi paced the College on beam, earning a 9.700, and White again posted a strong showing, totaling 9.675. The Tribe posted its third-highest event team score on the floor routine, with Waldman earning a tie for seventh place with a 9.800 and senior Elizabeth Snoddy achieving a season-best 9.775. Caponi also scored well in the floor section, earning a 9.750. The Tribe will travel to a five-team meet at George Washington next Sunday, March 8 with a start time of 1 p.m.
JAMIE HOLT / THE FLAT HAT
Sophomore Taylor White competed in the all-around in regionals this past weekend, placing among the top 20 in the competition.
sports
Sports Editor Zoe Beardsley Sports Editor Nathan Seidel flathatsports@gmail.com @FlatHatSports
The Flat Hat | Tuesday, March 3, 2020 | Page10
March Sadness H
TH EF LA T HO LT /
IE JA M
AT
UR
CO
The Flat Hat looks back at the most devastating losses in the College’s long basketball history as both teams enter the CAA Tournament with renewed hope
TE SY
PH OT OS /
TR I BE A THLE TIC
S
ZOE BEARDSLEY FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR The life of a William and Mary basketball fan is a difficult one. The College, never known for its excellence in sports, has experienced decades of basketball disappointment on both the men’s and women’s side, with both teams seemingly cursed by the basketball gods to get close but never win that elusive championship. The men’s team holds the sad label of being one of the four original Division One teams to have never qualified for the NCAA tournament, more commonly known as March Madness, going 0-9 in NCAA Tournament berth-clinching games. The women’s team, who moved to Division One in 1984, has also never made the NCAA Tournament, having lost its only conference final appearance, but can at least say that it hasn’t had as much time as the men to qualify. This year though, both Tribe basketball teams have defied pre-season expectations, playing spectacularly and bringing hope once again to a fan base that hasn’t had a lot to cheer about in the recent years. The men’s team won its 21st regular season game Saturday — the first time that has happened in 70 years — while also clinching the No. 2 seed in the Colonial Athletic Association tournament. The night before, the women’s team set a school record with its 20th regular season win, assuring that it will have no less than a No. 4 seed in the CAA tournament with two regular season games to go. For many Tribe basketball fans though, the success of a season is defined in the postseason, an area where the College has struggled, to put it nicely. For history to not repeat itself, history needs to be remembered first, so in the spirit of exorcising demons, here are some of the most excruciating playoff losses suffered by the basketball program of William and Mary. Mar. 12, 1983 men’s ECAC Tournament Final: James Madison 41, Tribe 38 The College scored just three points in the last 11 minutes of the game, as the Dukes came back from a nine-point deficit to stun the first place Tribe. Neither team shot particularly well, but JMU was able to take a one-point lead with around five minutes remaining, and since there was no shot clock, the Dukes were able to take lots of time off the clock during each possession. The College tied the game up eventually, but with four seconds left, JMU’s Derek Steele converted a three-point play to win the game for the Dukes. The Tribe would make its first National Invitational Tournament that year but would go on to lose to Virginia Tech in the first round, 85-79. Mar. 13, 1993 women’s CAA Tournament final: Old Dominion 65, Tribe 51 As of right now, this stands as the only time the College has made the CAA finals in women’s basketball. This loss doesn’t hurt as much because of how unexpected it was for the Tribe to even be playing in the final. Coming into the tournament as the seventh seed, the College had an abysmal 11-17 overall record, going 3-11 in the CAA. In the tournament though, they were a completely different team. They first pulled off a huge upset against JMU in the first round and then crushed American to advance to the finals against Old Dominion. It was a close game for the most part, but the Monarchs were able to take a big lead late after the Tribe went cold from the floor, which proved to be fatal for the College’s championship hopes. “We had a dry spell when we were down by four,” junior Marilyn Gayton said. “And then ODU took the momentum and turned it into a double figure lead.” Mar. 11, 1994 women’s CAA Tournament Semifinals: Old Dominion 88, Tribe 66 After breaking multiple school records and dominating Richmond in the game before, the College was unable to keep up with eventual tournament winner ODU. Coming into the tournament as a No. 4 seed, the Tribe had multiple all-CAA players on the roster and the CAA Coach of the Year. The game was close in the first half, but the Monarchs went on a 15-2 run to end the half and established a dominating lead that the Tribe could never recover from. Despite four Tribe starters scoring in double digits, ODU’s offense was too much and the College saw its best season yet go up in flames. Feb. 27, 1998 men’s CAA Tournament quarterfinal: American 71, Tribe 66 The College came into the postseason with high expectations and a seven-game winning streak, having just won its first ever CAA regular season championship, tying with UNC-Wilmington. Because of the tie, a coin was flipped, and the Tribe came away as the No. 2 seed in the tournament, and a seemingly easy matchup against American, who had only won five games in the CAA and came into the matchup having lost its last seven games. Then two starters for the College were sidelined with ankle injuries, and the Tribe was unable to compensate for the losses, losing by five to the underdog Eagles. “It’s not like you’re at Kentucky, where you bring in another All-American,” Tribe head coach Charlie Wollum said. After its early exit, standout freshman guard Bill Phillips transferred and the Tribe lost 13 of its 16 CAA games next season. Mar. 10, 2014 men’s CAA Tournament final: Delaware 75, Tribe 74 Heading into the 2014 CAA Tournament as a three seed, the Tribe did not disappoint. Junior Marcus Thornton lead a talented team all the way to the championship, defeating 6-seeded Charleston and 2-seeded Towson en-route to a showdown against the one seed Delaware. After being down 12 in the second half, the College fought back, taking a one-point lead with 25 seconds left. Delaware scored to take back the lead, leaving the College with 10 seconds to win the game. Thornton, who had been electric all night, dribbled to the top of the key, got separation from his defender and put up a three. The ball hit off the rim, and the Tribe’s best shot at breaking its March Madness drought ended in heartbreak. “I thought I got a pretty good look,” Thornton said. “Pull-up three that I thought was a great look; just missed it.” Mar. 17, 2015 men’s NIT First Round: Tulsa 70, Tribe 67 The College missed two potentially game-tying three-pointers within the final 15 seconds and was ultimately unable to overcome a 21-point deficit in its third NIT appearance. The Tribe shot 33 percent from the field — 15 percent below its season average — as Tulsa shot almost 50 percent, well above its regular season numbers. Senior Marcus Thornton added 23 points in his last game as a student of the College, but it wasn’t enough to give the Tribe its first NIT win. “We weren’t good enough for 40 minutes tonight to win this game on the road against a really fine basketball team,” coach Tony 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.” This year could be the year the postseason losing streak is broken, or it could simply become another addition to the long list of missed opportunities for the Tribe basketball program. Either way, it’s exciting to have the possibility of a breakthrough on the horizon. All we can do now is watch, hope and cheer on the Tribe.