SPORTS>> Insert
PROFILES >> PAGE 2
Prewitt, College up a men’s 78-62 and win in front ofbasketball a packed Kaplan Flat HatTarpey Sports help previews thepick 2015-16 women’s season.Arena.
Jamieson Price ‘84 talks science, arts and voicing video game characters.
Back to balling
Vol. 105, Iss. 11 | Tuesday, Novermber 10, 2015
The voice on screen
The Flat Hat The Weekly Student Newspaper
ADMINISTRATION
CONSTRUCTION
GR AP HI C
College creates new CFO role
W AL HO UT /
TH EF LA TH AT
ONE
ELEANOR LAMB FLAT HAT ASSOC. NEWS EDITOR
See CFO page 3
BY AL EX
UNDER
Amy Sebring ’95 accepts post Senior Associate Dean for Finance and Administration at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine Amy Sebring M.P.P. ’95 was selected last month to serve as the College of William and Mary’s first chief financial officer. She will begin working in this new position on Jan. 4, 2016. The College created the position to address changes to the administration. Last February, when former Vice President for Administration Anna Martin retired, President Taylor Reveley merged her position with that of Sam Jones ’75, who was Vice President for Finance. Jones created the CFO position to help with these increased responsibilities. “Since this action significantly expanded my areas of oversight, we decided at that time to create the Chief Financial Officer to provide guidance and support for the areas of Financial Operations, Procurement and Budget Development and Execution,” Jones said in an email. “The College is fortunate to have been able to hire Amy Sebring as our CFO.” Sebring first learned of the CFO role in the alumni newsletter and contacted Jones, who she worked with on the Virginia Senate Finance Committee, to express interest in the job. She applied in April and received the position in mid-October. Her chief responsibilities in this role will be budget development and financial reporting. “The real challenge for higher education is to make sure we can demonstrate a value added,” Sebring said. “The state needs to know its money is used appropriately.” A graduate of Duke University, Sebring earned her master’s degree in public policy from the College in 1995. Currently she works at VCU’s School of Medicine, a position that she has held since 2006. Prior to working at VCU, Sebring served as a fiscal analyst for the state’s Senate Finance Committee, starting in 2003. Director of the Morven Project at the University of Virginia Foundation Stewart Gamage has previously worked with Sebring in two capacities. The Morven Project, which Gamage has been involved with for eight years, is a program affiliated with U.Va. that hosts events regarding global education, science and technology. The programs involve frequent collaboration between U.Va. and the College. Prior to working together in Richmond on the Senate Finance
Flathatnews.com | Follow us:
of The College of William and Mary
ROOF
Health Center
Counseling Center
Campus
Rec.
Health
Promotion
MADELINE BIELSKI // FLAT HAT MANAGING EDITOR
Integrated Wellness Center is slated to be done 2017 The Integrative Wellness Center, which will become the new home for the Counseling Center, Health Center, Health Promotions and a satellite area for Campus Recreation, is in the process of being designed. The IWC, which is projected to be completed in the fall or winter of 2017, focuses on wellness as a multi-dimensional issue. Associate Vice President for Health and Wellness Kelly Crace explained that the concept of integrative wellness looks to teach community members about how to take care of themselves in a way that works best for them. “The center itself just came from the vision for integrative wellness,” Crace said. “It’s an attempt on our part to help students and help our community become active, mature consumers of
health resources and health programs, [so] that they know and learn what it means to take care of themselves in an optimal way.” Crace added that integrative wellness also looks at wellness as a community responsibility as well as a dynamic process for individuals. Furthermore, he said that the IWC looks to be proactive when it comes to health and wellness. “[The IWC] is very positive and affirming,” Crace said. “It moves away from this kind of dichotomized wellness, illness model, kind of an illness based focus on wellness and really encapsulates the full range; that it includes intervention, it includes having a place to go when something is wrong. But it’s not only a building to go to See WELLNESS page 3
ACADEMICS
STUDENT LIFE
Haven volunteers discuss its first year ACTA gives COLL a “D” Safe space created in fall 2014 has changed leadership, hours ERIN MURPHY THE FLAT HAT
The Haven, a safe space for the College of William and Mary students impacted by sexual violence and harassment, has
offered support to those affected by sexual assault during its inaugural year, despite logistical changes. Mallory Tucker ’15 and Hannah Boes ’14 founded the Haven in collaboration with former Care Support Services and
COURTESY PHOTO / WM.EDU
The Haven was created in the fall of 2014 as a safe space for survivors to speak with trained volunteers.
Today’s Weather
Index Profile News Sports Opinions Variety
Senior Assistant Dean of Students Donna Haygood-Jackson in the spring of 2015. According to Senior Associate Dean of Students Vernon Hurte, Haygood-Jackson retired from the College this past summer. “After Dr. Haygood-Jackson’s retirement, I was asked to take over leadership for the continued development of the Haven,” Hurte said in an email. “Currently, we are in the process of hiring a full-time coordinator for the Haven.” Haygood-Jackson had been on paid leave following her arrest March 29 after being charged with driving while intoxicated. She faced a civil violation for her refusal of a blood alcohol test and a traffic violation for improper backing. Her responsibilities for the College’s Sexual Assault Response Services included supervising the Haven. At the recommendation of the College’s Task Force on the Prevention of Sexual Assault and Harassment, the College created a position for a full-time director and professional coordinator of
Cloudy, High 68, Low 50
Judgement based on mandatory subjects AKEMI TAMANHA THE FLAT HAT
The College of William and Mary’s new COLL curriculum received a D from the American Council of Trustees and Alumni’s project What Will They Learn. ACTA was founded in 1995. According to its mission statement, it is a non-profit organization that works with education leaders, donors, alumni and trustees across the United States to ensure that college students are receiving a solid liberal arts education. What Will They Learn assesses the general education curricula of colleges and universities by checking to see whether the college or university requires its students to take a course in seven subjects: economics, mathematics, science, literature, composition, foreign language and U.S. government or history. ACTA assigns letter grades based on how many of these subjects schools require of their students. As are given to colleges and universities that require six or seven subjects. Bs are given to those who require four or five. Cs are given to those who require three subjects. Ds are given to those who require two subjects. Schools that require only one subject are given an F. The College received a D, meeting only the foreign language and mathematics requirements. According to Skip Estes ’17, who worked as a research intern for ACTA this past summer, the grade does not however
See HAVEN page 4
Inside Opinions
See RATING page 4
Inside Variety
The future of the oldest federal student loan
2 3-4 Insert 5-6 7-8
grade for requirements
Students who receive the low-interest, subsidized Federal Perkins loan will begin to see the aid program phase out over the coming years due to the government’s decision to not reauthorize it. page 5
Ireland’s best tenor
Professional opera singer Anthony Kearns to perform at the Kimball Theater. page 8
Listen Up
Tune in to The Flat Hat podcasts to stay up-to-date with campus news and stories.
“
newsinsight “
News Editor Amelia Lucas News Editor Amanda Williams fhnews@gmail.com
The Flat Hat |Tuesday, November 10, 2015 | Page 2
THE BUZZ
That’s the one thing about sports. It’s not about last year, it’s not about yesterday, it’s what you do today. We’ve got a find a way to battle and scrap and fight, and stay in the top part of this league. — Men’s basketball head coach Tony Shaver on the upcoming season
The voice on screen
Check out The Parkway, an investigative podcast series looking into a series of muders from 1986 to 1989 along the Colonial Parkway. A new episode will be out Thursday.
Flat Hat Recap is the best way to catch up on the latest news. Editors and writers quickly recap the top Flat Hat stories each week.
On Flat Hat Sports Talk, Sports Editors Nick Cipolla and Sumner Higginbotham discuss Tribe sports and predict how the Tribe will fare in upcoming games.
Listen in at flathatnews.com and soundcloud.com/flat-hat-online A THOUSAND WORDS
GABBIE PACHON / THE FLAT HAT
CORRECTIONS A story about the Steer Clear app incorrectly named one of the developers as Uli Santos, which should have been Ulises Giacoman. The Flat Hat wishes to correct any facts printed incorrectly. Corrections may be submitted by email to the editor of the section in which the incorrect information was printed. Requests for corrections will be accepted at any time.
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 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
Áine Cain Editor-in-Chief Madeline Bielski Managing Editor Isabel Larroca Executive Editor Amelia Lucas News Editor Amanda Williams News Editor Emily Chaumont Variety Editor Sarah Ruiz Variety Editor Nick Cipolla Sports Editor Sumner Higginbotham Sports Editor Annie Sadler Opinions Editor Emily Nye Chief Staff Writer Iris Hyon Social Media Editor Richie Thaxton Copy Chief
Kat Turk Copy Chief Bezi Yohannes Copy Chief Caroline Nutter Photos Editor Ashley Richardson Photos Editor Kaitlan Shaub Editorial Writer Julia Kott Online Editor Kayla Sharpe Online Editor Matt Camarda Blogs Editor Brian Kao Graphics Editor Ben Marks Webmaster
Alex Walhout Production Assistant Becca Merriman-Goldring Copy Editor Eleanor Lamb Assoc. News Editor Sydney Rosenberger Copy Editor Quentin Paleo Assoc. News Editor Lillian Waddill Copy Editor Nate Wahrenberger Assoc. News Editor Phoebe Warren Copy Editor Sam Dreith Assoc. Variety Editor Dani Aron-Schiavone Cartoonist Lizzy Flood Assoc. Variety Editor Montana Cone Cartoonist Marie Policastro Assoc. Variety Editor Abby Kahler Cartoonist Josh Luchenbaugh Assoc. Sports Editor Maddy King Cartoonist Lauren Bavis Copy Editor Patricia Radich Cartoonist Hannah Gourdie Copy Editor Christopher Rodrigues Cartoonist Leonor Grave Copy Editor Virginia Strobach Cartoonist Bobby LaRose Copy Editor Sarah Thoresen Cartoonist Bel Kelly-Russo Copy Editor Kristie Turkal Cartoonist Benoit Mathieu Copy Editor Amanda Lutick Business Manager Jenna Staub Business Manager
Page 2 Spotlight
Jamieson Price ’84 talks science, arts, video game characters
The booming voice of Jamieson Price ’84 is a characteristic that has distinguished his professional acting career. He has lent his deep and radiating voice to portray a wide variety of characters in the world of video games, film and anime. “I’ve been an actor my whole life,” Price said. “For as long as I can remember, the exploration of someone else’s mind through a representation of character has always fascinated me.” Price graduated from the College of William and Mary more than 30 years ago as a theatrically immersed psychology major. He is now a Los Angeles-based voice actor and technical director. Price has worked across the country on stage, screen and in recording studios for over 25 years. Growing up during the peak of the Cold War space race, Price said he strived to be a NASA astronaut when he was young. Despite this initial interest in science, Price said the arts always came more naturally to him. Price was involved in many school theater productions, and said people would constantly comment on his voice and his potential. Price also said that his teachers and directors motivated him to keep practicing. He said he persistently pursued the theatrical arts until the real world hit. Entering the College as a freshman, Price said he was planning to major in psychology and minor in science-oriented statistics. Price also worked at the King’s Arms Tavern in Colonial Williamsburg after classes. During the first few months of college, Price was still able to find time to be actively involved in the theatre program on campus. However, as the academic course load began piling on, he said the reality of collegiate time constraints hit him. He said this made him realize that the commitment necessary to perform in theatrical productions was interfering with his academic pursuits. After much contemplation, he decided to stop acting. Price said he missed performing during his period of theatrical withdrawal. “I definitely knew there was something missing from my life throughout that time,” Price said. “I constantly questioned my true intentions. Deep down I wanted to believe in my original career plan, but it was a constant struggle between mind and heart.” Price said he was able to finally understand his passion for performance and psychology because of how much he missed it. “Theatre is a way of exploring psychology,” Price said. “By entering the psyche of another character, you’re allowed to explore various aspects of yourself embodied within them.” Price said that acting on stage was an opportunity for him to utilize his vocal range and projection in an attempt to evoke empathy within the audience. During Price’s senior year at the College, the director of performance for the Historic Triangle offered him a job. He accepted the offer and began working in Williamsburg and Yorktown as a colonial reenactor for the living history exhibit. Price said the primary sources and journals available in Earl Gregg Swem Library helped him in gathering background information to make
POLICE BEAT
MOISES ROMERO // THE FLAT HAT
COURTESY PHOTO / FLICKR.COM
Price has been featured in numerous productions, including The Patriot, Call of Duty: Black Ops and Naruto.
the characters believable. He also credited the theater and history classes taught by professors at the College for allowing him to excel as a realistic representative of a historical character. “My time involved in William and Mary’s student productions allowed me to explore a diverse range of characters and actions,” Price said. “The theatrical immersion, stage work, and exploration of different aspects of myself, which was learned through technical and on stage theater work, allowed me to get my big break and begin my acting career.” After graduation, Price was invited to join the director of performance from the Historic Triangle as she started her own production company in Ohio. He spent a few years doing outdoor drama there, working for her and playing lead roles most years. Price said these years of practice allowed him to perfect his technique. Price was also actively involved in the costume, lighting and technical design aspects of the production’s performances, which he said were skills he learned from the technical director of the College’s theater program during his time as a student. Price eventually moved to Long Beach, California after his time in Ohio and immersed himself in the performing arts culture of the West Coast. He started looking for acting work in Los Angeles, and soon enough he had landed a role as a dancer for a Dylan Thomas show. He met his wife, who
was also an actress for the show, during his time there. They have been married for 20 years and have two children together. Since then, Price has had various roles in movies and anime productions. Some of his most prominent work includes the role of Captain Borden in The Patriot, and Ermac in Mortal Combat X. He has also voiced various other characters in Final Fantasy VII, Naruto, Metropolis, Redline and Bleach. His most recent work includes doing the voice overs for characters in the Call of Duty: Black Ops, Mortal Combat X and Diablo III video games. Price said that he drew on his College experiences in his professional roles. “As Captain Borden in The Patriot film with Mel Gibson I definitely drew from my William and Mary experience as it was set during the Revolutionary War. Although he was a British officer, my Colonial Williamsburg and Yorktown history helped a great deal.” He offered some final words of advice to current students at the College. “Be open to anything and everything. College is the best time to explore,” Price said. “Explore yourself and those around you. There’s always a choice to do something, so do what you’re most passionate about. Don’t be afraid to stretch out from the safety net of what is known because college is a save haven … it is a wonderful time to explore and find passionate personal bliss.”
Nov. 4-6 1
2 3 4
Wednesday, Nov. 4 — An individual was arrested for driving without a license on Richmond Road. Thursday, Nov. 5 — An individual was arrested on a charge of grand larceny on Capital Landing Road. Thursday, Nov. 5— An individual was arrested for violating a protective order on Merrimac Trail. Friday, Nov. 6 — An individual was arrested for assault and battery of a family member on Richmond Road.
The Flat Hat
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Page 3
STUDENT LIFE
Experts discuss water, sustainability, climate Third annual Sustainability Summit includes panels, breakout session, speeches SARAH SMITH FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER
The College of William and Mary’s Committee on Sustainability held the third annual Sustainability Summit Nov. 7. The theme of this year’s summit was “Water.” This year’s Summit leader Anna Klompen ’17 said that water was chosen as the subject because of the broad range of sustainability issues it includes. Some of these issues are safe drinking water, environmental projects, global climate control and the way water affects life in the modern world. The Summit was held at Alan B. Miller Hall from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., featuring a networking breakfast, two panels of guest speakers, breakout sessions and a keynote speech. “I think the lineup was fantastic this year … those that attended learned how to attack water sustainability problems, especially right out of school through employment opportunities,” Klompen said in an email. “I think students not only need that message that they will be able to find something after college, which is a worry of most, but learn how to do it and what kinds of paths they could pursue as a career. This would apply to all students, and can start with some of the projects available right now through William and Mary Sustainability.” Planning for the Summit started months in advance and involved teamwork from the co-chairs of the Committee on Sustainability’s Programs Subcommittee, the faculty chairs, Director of Sustainability Calandra Waters-Lake, and many student volunteers. The last programmed event of the Summit was a keynote speech from Chris Symons, a marine geologist who was a member of the Deepsea Challenge Expedition Science Team in 2012. She currently works as the project’s science coordinator. Her work focuses on the conservation and exploration of the planet, and her keynote speech addressed exploration of the deep sea. Symons addressed how little research has been
done on the oceans in comparison with the amount of research done on the moon. She also addressed harmful practices that are destroying the deepest parts of the ocean, like trawling, a way of fishing that tears up the ocean floor and catches more fish than desired. “We need to know what we are doing to the Earth, we need to know what we are doing to the oceans, we need to know what we are doing to the planet,” Symons said. Symons also addressed how it is important to be aware of sustainability and its relation to the ocean. For example, restaurants should take into consideration where and how they get the seafood that they serve. The Summit’s panel discussions featured topics like conservation biology, physical oceanography and industrial consulting. The student organization Take Back the Tap participated in the Summit and led one of the breakout sessions. “This organization supports the use of reusable water bottles rather than use of non-reusable water bottles, which are not sustainable and support the privatization of water,” Madeleine Fulham ’19 said in an email. “This summit, therefore, was a great way for me to show my support for TBT and to learn more about how I can promote sustainability on campus.” The Summit gave attendees opportunities to network, learn more about sustainability projects on campus and in the real world. According to Klompen, it was designed to give attendees new strategies to make a difference every day. “The goal of the summit was that each attendee could walk away with something they can do as a habit every day to have an impact on the world once they leave, be it a major or a minor, a resource they discovered at the summit, maybe a job opportunity they had not thought about, or simply hope that they can make the changes they want to see,” Klompen said in an email. “If attendees can walk away understanding the importance of water, and share that, I think it was a success.”
MARLY SAUNDERS / THE FLAT HAT
Speakers at the annual Sustainability Summit, held Nov. 7, focused on sustainability issues about water, such as conservation.
As far as the future goes, Klompen foresees possible changes to the Summit such as adding more networking to the event and adding more time devoted to the panel sessions to take more questions from the audience.
“The take away message for me was that sustainability’s appeal is growing,” Fulham said in an email. “It was so inspiring to hear our speakers and see how their jobs in the real world are promoting water reform and sustainability.”
IWC aims to focus on wellness multidimensionally Project will cost $13.6 million, reallocate 49 housing slots from seven lodges WELLNESS from page 1
when something is wrong. It’s also about health promotion. It’s about prevention. It’s about education.” Director of Campus Recreation Linda Knight said she thinks the focus on wellness on campus is important due to the stressful atmosphere at the College. “We want to make sure that the students … are taking care of themselves,” Knight said. “So that when they leave here, they’re not only smarter than when they came in, but that they’re healthy, and they know how to take care of themselves, and they know how to balance work with life, or they know how to balance all of the other responsibilities they have together.” Crace said that this center will also be conscious of different cultural lenses. The IWC will offer complementary medicines, such as yoga, massage and biofeedback, alongside traditional medicines and therapies. Integrative wellness has been a focus for Crace and the departments he oversees for some time, and through discussion he said people really got behind this idea for an actual space where education about integrative wellness can occur. Director of Facilities Planning, Design and Construction Wayne Boy explained that the IWC will take the place of the seven lodges next to Sadler Center. The Grind will be left intact. The location for the IWC, right next to Sadler Center, was a deliberate choice. In that
area, Crace noted that all students will have to walk by the building, and even if they do not go in, it will serve as a constant reminder about wellness. Boy recognized that some people on campus are upset by the impending removal of the lodges. He explained that while the lodges have served the campus well in housing 49 students, the IWC will serve the College population as a whole. “Truthfully, they [the lodges] have outlived their life expectancy,” Boy said. “They are very expensive to renovate because all the utilities are either in the slab or below the slab. So to replace them you have to actually tear up the floor of the building. … [They have] very limited housing — those buildings house 49 people, whereas [the IWC] is going to benefit everyone on campus.” Boy said that the vacancy in Blow Hall that will be created once the Counseling Center moves to the IWC has not yet been discussed. The current Health Center will be demolished once the move to the IWC is complete. In total, Boy said the entire 28,000 square foot project is funded at $13.6 million. Crace acknowledged that similar centers have encountered issues in assuming that combining different departments would only make them more positive and efficient. He explained that bringing together the different systems and models used by these departments could lead to a rise in tension. In anticipation for this
move, Crace said that the departments have been meeting together to prepare themselves for this change and to ensure that they will be able to collaborate, not just cooperate, in this new space. Director of Counseling Center Warrenetta Mann also addressed the challenge of increased demand for Counseling Center services due to the move. She stated that the Counseling Center is taking the next two years to ensure that they are prepared to meet that demand when they move into the IWC. At the moment, the different departments are already preparing for the change in location. Mann stated that the Counseling Center is looking into the possibility of more mindfulness programs and expressive therapy in conjunction with Health Promotion and Campus Recreation. Knight said Campus Recreation is focusing on how to best expand its services in the new space, including considering new offerings like biofeedback or acupuncture. Assistant Director of Health Promotion Sarah Menefee ’03 said that the IWC overall will help diminish the stigma surrounding health issues. “I also think [the IWC] will help our campus combat stigma or embarrassment that can unfortunately be associated with health issues,” Menefee said. “I can’t wait for the IWC to be seen as a place where students come to be healthy without worry about what specifically brought them
there. I hope we can show students that everything the IWC will have to offer is important for promoting health and that the building is a place students are excited to enter and return to.” In addition to the four different departments moving into the space, there will also be the Center for Mindfulness and Authentic Excellence, which will work to teach students the skills that will help them flourish and be resilient. Crace also stated that the IWC will hopefully include a makers space, which will serve as a hub for the different peer educator groups on campus. Through this centralization in location of student groups dedicated to health and wellness, Crace said the IWC will hopefully foster more collaboration between the different groups. Mann stated that the IWC will help
encourage a cultural shift towards a focus on wellness in the College community. “I think it will help symbolize a culture shift from a focus on what’s wrong to focusing on strength and what’s right,” Mann said in an email. “I think it will allow students to take more responsibility for their own wellbeing by making it convenient to do the things that help keep them healthy and well. Whether you have a mental health condition or not it is important to eat well, sleep regularly, exercise, get sunshine, connect with others and spend thoughtful time internally. The center will help students make this a part of their daily lives in the way that SWEM does with studying, and Sadler does with engaging in co-curricular activities.”
COURTESY PHOTO / WM.EDU
The 2015 Campus Master Plan shows the placement of the Integrative Wellness Center on campus.
New position responsible for College’s financial operations Role created last April after former VP of Administration Anna Martin’s retirement CFO from page 1
Committee, the two women became acquainted at the College. Gamage, who was working as Vice President for Public Affairs and Economic Development, first encountered Sebring as a graduate student. At this time, the graduate program was new, and Sebring worked in Gamage’s office. “[Amy] was very good with numbers. [She] always delivered on time and under budget. She has an incredible gift for analysis and execution,” Gamage said. “[The College] could not have gotten a better person.”
In addition to experience with the Virginia State Finance Committee, Sebring said she gained exposure to the financial world of higher education. In her position at Virginia Commonwealth University, Sebring manages the medical school’s finances. She oversees budgeting, strategic planning and information technology. Before serving on the Virginia Senate Finance Committee, she worked as the finance policy director of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, as a budget analyst for the Department of Planning and Budget and as a research associate for the Education Commission of the States.
“[Amy Sebring] is a great appointment,” Provost Michael R. Halleran said in an email. “She has an impressive depth and range of relevant experience and understands higher education within the Commonwealth. She will be an excellent CFO for W&M.” Sebring has returned to Williamsburg a few times for interviews relating to her new position. Although she received her degree from the College in 1995, she said she has remained close to the school through her work in the state legislature and higher education. “[The College] is a really special place,” Sebring said. “I’m very excited.”
COURTESY PHOTO / WM.EDU
Amy Sebring M.P.P ‘95 received the CFO position in October.
Page 4
The Flat Hat
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
STUDENT LIFE
Swem sponsors open forum on textbooks Creative Commons director discusses information access with College students EMILY MARTELL FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER
The Earl Gregg Swem Library sponsored an open forum on textbook affordability Nov. 6. The event featured a visit from Cable Green, Creative Commons’ director of global learning initiatives. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, textbook prices increased 1,041 percent between January 1977 and June 2015, a rise three times the level of inflation. In late October, during Open Access Week, an annual global event to discuss the importance of free access to information, Swem posted a survey about textbook prices. Featured on the front of the College of William and Mary’s library on a large whiteboard, the survey results included 56 students who noted that high prices of textbooks caused them not to buy the required textbook, and 16 students who said they earned a poor grade as a result. “We had quite a few students say that they didn’t purchase a textbook for a class because it was too expensive, and they thought their grade suffered because of that,” Arts Librarian and Interim Digital Scholarship Librarian Kathleen DeLaurenti said. “I don’t want to see that happening. If there’s something we can do, I want to be there to do that.” Creative Commons is a non-profit that works to address the affordability problem with content by allowing creators to share their resources for free. Green began the forum with a discussion of innovations in educational resources. “We live in a world today where we can build an educational resource, like a textbook, and it might cost a lot to build that book, it might cost a lot to keep it maintained and updated and current and accurate, but once it’s built, it’s digital,” Green
said. “We can share it with everyone on the planet with near zero cost.” Open textbooks are free, openly licensed textbooks under Creative Commons, allowing teachers and students to freely use, adapt and distribute the material. Students can access open textbooks without violating copyright and download them for free. Creative Commons works on an international scale and has teams in 85 countries to work with organizations that want to implement Open Educational Resources). Green urged students to encourage faculty to take an “open textbook pledge,” or to review open textbooks available on their course topic before assigning materials. He also called for students to talk to the administration about marking courses that use an open textbook in the course catalog. “We find when [open textbook courses are marked]; the institution moves quickly to OER,” Green said. “And to be totally honest, the reason why that happens is students vote with their feet. If there’s three sections of English composition one, and every faculty [member] is fabulous, because you’re at William and Mary, and one offers open textbooks, students are going to sign up for that one.” In response to a question about the quality of open textbooks, Green said that any source of information can have errors. However, because open educational resources are free and online, they can be edited quickly, while print edition corrections can take years to resolve. “In many cases [open textbooks] are superior,” Green said. “And they’re superior for a couple of reasons. One is a very practical reason. When you move to an open textbook, 100 percent of the students in the class have 100 percent of the resources on day one. Today at William and Mary,
they’re not the case. Today the national average is that 65 percent of the students in the class don’t have all of the educational resources they’re assigned. They tend to buy some of them, but they don’t buy all of them. So that’s a problem.” Green said the most important thing is for all students to have access to educational resources. Nathaniel Clemens ‘17 talked about the
a few times when you’re able to find the same information online,” Clemens said. DeLaurenti discussed what students can do to get involved with advocating for open textbooks. “The library is really interested in partnering with student groups who want to try to increase awareness of OER with faculty,” DeLaurenti said. “I think we can work alone, but I think we can
COURTESY PHOTO / WM.EDU
The Earl Gregg Swem Library hosted an open forum Nov. 6 about textbook affordability that featured a vist from Cable Green.
importance of free textbooks to him and other College students. “College students’ favorite words are ‘free stuff,’ especially free textbooks or open access to textbooks, because just from a student perspective, it can be very frustrating to have to buy a very expensive textbook and only use it
be more effective together. So we are absolutely interested in partnering with students on this issue too.” Several other events were hosted Friday about implementing OER on college campuses, including a keynote for faculty and a session for librarians and academic technologists.
Support center expands resources for survivors HAVEN from page 1
AMELIA LUCAS / THE FLAT HAT
The Haven is located in Room 166 of the Campus Center, through the Atrium.
the Haven. Hurte said candidates for the position are scheduled for on-campus interviews following the Thanksgiving break. According to the Haven’s mission statement, the space “provides confidential education, advocacy and acceptance for anyone seeking guidance on relational abuse, while understanding that a diverse array of students may walk through our doors.” Lauren Dybel ’17 is a current volunteer at the Haven, as well as a member of the Healthy Relationships and Sexual Aggression Branch
and the membership chair of Health Outreach Peer Educators at the College. “The Haven is a confidential space where people that are dealing with some relationship violence or sexual violence can come speak with a student about their experiences and get help in looking for resources,” Dybel said. The Haven is located in Room 166 of the Campus Center. The space and its student volunteers help students through many types of situations, including medical emergencies, emotional challenges, serious academic concerns, personal issues and sexual assault, and gender-based violence or discrimination. In addition to functioning as a space to simply think or talk to a volunteer, the calming room offers relaxation methods including reading and coloring. Survivors or friends of survivors of sexual assault are welcomed to come for information and resources, or to sit in the calming space. Visitors can enter the room to think or talk without any formal reports, as the Haven is confidential. Resources both on and off campus are made available to visitors, as well as information on how to report an incident to the appropriate authorities if the visitor so desires, according to Hurte. Julia Canney ’16 is a volunteer at the Haven, as well as the vice president of the Healthy Relationships and Sexual Aggression Branch of HOPE. “The goal for us is just making it a safe, inclusive space where people feel they can go as some sort of survivor or as a supporter of a survivor,” Canney said. Every semester, new volunteers for the Haven undergo a twoday training period where they meet with an Avalon outreach representative. Avalon is a center for women and children that is committed to intervening in the event of domestic violence and sexual assault. The representatives talk to Haven volunteers about
topics related to sexual violence and how to support survivors or supporters of survivors. During the training period, volunteers also meet with representatives from the Dean of Students Office, the Counseling Center, the Student Health Center and Title IX Coordinator Kiersten Boyce. “We are going to be meeting with the Counseling Center, and they will be giving us a more detailed view of how we can help survivors of sexual assault,” Canney said. Over the past year, Dybel said the Haven has increased its collaboration with the Dean of Students Office to open up more channels of communication over the past year. “We’ve had a lot of logistical changes because we have a new director, a new coordinator, and now we have a graduate student helping us,” Dybel said. “But our volunteers still have the same values, the same motives. The idea behind the Haven is very consistent.” The number of volunteers has increased at the Haven as well. Dybel said in fall 2014 the Haven only had 10 volunteers because there was no application process. Those who volunteered were recruited because they had previous training in the area of sexual assault. “Last spring and this fall seem to be very consistent with about 30 volunteers,” Dybel said. “There’s more applicants than that too, so there’s a lot of people interested in doing this kind of work and looking out for their peers in this way.” Logistically, the Haven has also changed its hours to adapt to the times volunteers saw people actually come into the space. “We very rarely saw people come in late at night. So we’ve adjusted to the needs we see on campus and when the peak times were,” Canney said.
College receives unfavorable grade on new COLL curriculum ACTA rates based on number of subjects needed for general education requirements RATING from page 1
reflect the quality of the College as a whole. “One thing that needs to be specified is that it’s not a rating of the quality of the College. It’s a rating of the quality of the general education curriculum,” Estes said. Estes and four other interns put together the report for What Will They Learn. Estes is also a member of the Society for the College Student Association, an advocate for academic excellence and good governance at the College. The organization, which is independent of the College itself, has been critical of the new COLL curriculum. The new curriculum begins with two freshman seminars: COLL 100s and COLL 150s. The COLL 100s focus on big ideas and big questions in a certain subject area, while COLL 150s are meant to teach students how to write and communicate effectively. The COLL 200s are interdisciplinary studies courses that focus on three
knowledge domains: Arts, Letters and Values, Culture, Society and the Individual, and Numerical and Quantitative Reasoning. Students must take one COLL 200 in each of these three knowledge domains. The COLL 300s focus on international studies and can be replaced by study abroad programs. The COLL 400s are senior seminars that take place within majors. SCSA stated that these knowledge domains and requirements are too broad. In an article posted on their website, the organization argues that the new curriculum fails to address the “hard question” of what knowledge students should gain from their time at the College. Estes was personally concerned that the curriculum does not require students to take a science class. Professor Bruce Campbell, a Center for the Liberal Arts Fellow who helped develop the new curriculum, said there should be no specific list dictating what students should learn. “I think the days are long past when we could establish a single list of everything an educated person ought
to know,” Campbell said in an email. “In fact, I teach in some of my courses that this hasn’t been true since the Renaissance. A liberal arts education should teach us to be wary of simple lists. Instead, the COLL curriculum provides for significant breadth, and allows many paths to that end. You simply can’t reduce university-level study to a rigid checklist of discrete facts. If you try, you get … middle school.” According to Dean of Arts and Sciences Kate Conley, the new curriculum has received positive reviews. “The American Association of Colleges and Universities has given us high marks for our curriculum,” Conley said. “The Mellon Foundation, and these are two organizations for which I have the greatest respect, has also given us very positive reviews for our curriculum,” This year, What Will They Learn gave Harvard University a D, while Yale University received a C. “You’ll also find that a few years back they gave the old GER curriculum
something like a C-, while giving Harvard’s and Yale’s curricula Fs,” Professor Eugene Tracy, another Center for the Liberal Arts Fellow who helped develop the COLL curriculum, said. “When that happens, I suspect the measuring instrument used. They simply look at course catalogs. No kind of assessment instrument is used by ACTA.” Estes pointed out that faculty should be wary of assuming that their students know more than they do. Conley He cited a time when only a third of College students could identify a picture of alumnus and former president James Monroe while they were doing tabling for a raffle. “I understand the argument that a lot of deans and a lot of college presidents make is that, ‘Oh, we have a highly educated student body. They already know these things,’” Estes said. “Well,
the fact of the matter is that they don’t.” Other Virginia universities received higher grades than the College. Christopher Newport University received an A. George Mason University and James Madison University both received Bs. Estes said he worries that this grade disparity might make students less competitive. “We have a lot of respect and a lot of prestige, but down the road, who knows? Because these schools are spitting out students who have taken economics, who have taken literature, and who have taken competition courses,” Estes said. “William and Mary isn’t making their students competitive compared to that.” Conley said she did not share Estes’s concern about the College’s ability to compete with other public universities in Virginia. “I think we’re extremely competitive with those universities and that the new college curriculum is more rigorous, more intellectual than the previous general education curriculum,” Conley said.
2015-16 Basketball Preview Men’s preview, page 2; Women’s preview, page 3; Season outlooks and predictions, page 4
Sports Editor Nick Cipolla Sports Editor Sumner Higginbotham flathatsports@gmail.com @flathatsports | Friday, November 10, 2015 | Page 2
Four starters return but no stars
Tribe looks to remain competitive in post-Thornton era Courtesy photo / TRIBE ATHLETICS
Tribe Senior guard Terry Tarpey.
LAST SEASON CAA Final 61 72 After a dramatic buzzer-beating three pointer to win in overtime against Hofstra by Daniel Dixon, the Tribe came up short in the CAA final against Northeastern. Had the Tribe pulled off the win, it would’ve been the Tribe’s first trip to the NCAA tournament.
Key Statistics 2014-2105
Courtesy photo / TRIBE ATHLETICS
Shooting % Rebounds Steals
JOSH LUCKENBAUGH // FLAT HAT ASSOC. SPORTS EDITOR After losing arguably the greatest player the school has ever seen, many teams would look at the next season as a “rebuilding year,” a chance to focus on developing young talent rather than making a run at a conference title. While William and Mary faces that same dilemma following the departure of guard Marcus Thornton ’15, the dream of earning the College’s first NCAA Tournament bid remains nonetheless alive and well coming into the 2015-16 campaign. “That’s the one thing about sports,” head coach Tony Shaver said. “It’s not about last year, it’s not about yesterday, it’s what you do today. We’ve got a find a way to battle and scrap and fight, and stay in the top part of this league.” The Tribe returns practically the entire team that earned the No. 1 seed in the Colonial Athletic Association tournament last season, minus only Thornton and forward Tom Schalk ’15. Four members of the starting five remain, anchored by superversatile senior forward Terry Tarpey, a preseason All-CAA first team selection who averaged nearly 12 points a game in 2014-15. The reigning team leader in rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, Tarpey has already cemented his name in the College record books, as his triple-double against James Madison last season was the first in school history. Flanking Tarpey will be two other double-digit scorers from last season, junior guards Omar Prewitt and Daniel Dixon. Prewitt, selected to the All-CAA second team, should be the new focal
53.6% 268 58
Shooting %
a consistent role in the rotation. Cohn is the most experienced of the three, having played in 31 games his freshman season at Colorado State, but due to NCAA regulations still has not played a minute for the Tribe. Whoever gets the nod to start will obviously take most of the spotlight, but all three should play meaningful minutes throughout the season. Beyond the starting five, the College looks to have a deep and well-rounded bench that will contribute when the starters need a breather. Sophomore guard Greg Malinowski has a strong shooting stroke, connecting on 46.8 percent of his three-point tries last season, and was the only reserve to appear in all 33 games last year. Sophomore guard Connor Burchfield worked his way into the lineup late in the season. Burchfield also possesses a knack for knocking down long jumpers. In the frontcourt, sophomore forward Jack Whitman and freshman Hunter Seacat provide size and athleticism in the post, while redshirt freshman Paul Rowley can spread the floor with impressive shooting range for his position. William and Mary opens its 201516 campaign with an intimidating non-conference slate, including three teams that competed in the NCAA Tournament last season. The season tips-off Friday, Nov. 13 at N.C. State, who upset No. 1 seed Villanova in last year’s tournament to reach the Sweet Sixteen. The game is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m., and will be televised on ESPN3.
Daniel Dixon
Sean Sheldon
45.9%
Three pointers Total Points
33 445
Shooting % Three point % Total Points
44.0% 45.1% 311
Shooting %
64.6%
Offensive Rebounds Assists
Working towards the next level Swanson’s third season focuses on increased teamwork NICK CIPOLLA // FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR
point of the Tribe’s offense, having averaged 13.5 points per game last season, second only to Thornton. Dixon looks to add a new dimension to his game, having primarily been an outside shooter his first two collegiate seasons, and one of the best in the country at that, as he ranked fifth nationally in three point percentage last year. Senior forward Sean Sheldon returns to the starting lineup as well. A good low post distributor, Sheldon racked up 67 assists and led the team in field goal percentage in 2014-15 while functioning as the lone big man in the College’s typical small-ball lineup. The fifth and final piece of the starting lineup puzzle, the point guard, remains a mystery. Not only does Shaver have to fill a role previously occupied by the first Tribe player to be selected in the NBA draft in 30 years, but the list of potential replacements, while technically gifted, lack serious collegiate experience and have battled injuries for a solid chunk of their short careers. “We’ve got three guys battling for the point guard spot, and they’ve all had really good moments, but they’ve all been hurt too,” Shaver said. “So it’s kind of hard to know who’s been the best at that spot.” This trio of potential point guards includes sophomores Michael Schlotman, Oliver Tot and transfer David Cohn. Schlotman is a smart playmaker who has fought through several injuries, most recently a concussion, while Tot had flashes of excellence last season but never found
Omar Prewitt
Terry Tarpey
Page 3
49 67
As head coach Ed Swanson’s third season at William and Mary begins, many people are wondering what the women’s basketball team will look like this year. Only losing one starter, the team has increased its depth and has been stepping up its game in the offseason, preparing to be a force in the conference this winter. “It’s like Christmas again,” Swanson said. “We’re excited.” In 2014-15, the Tribe held a winning regular season record of 15-14 (15-16 overall after the postseason), much improved from the 8-21 2013-14 record. In the Colonial Athletic Association, the Tribe held an even 9-9 record after the CAA Tournament in March, which saw a College loss to Hofstra in the quarterfinals. The Tribe then earned its first-ever postseason tournament berth, attending the Women’s Basketball Invitational, where it lost by a single point 57-56 at Xavier. “[The WBI] was a great reward for a really good season or building season,” Swanson said. “We were excited to be invited to that tournament, obviously not the ultimate goal. The ultimate goal is the NCAA tournament, but before we get there, there’s some steps we have to take.” Now basketball season rolls around again, starting up later this week. And the Tribe appears poised and ready to improve from last year and from the preseason rankings. “We were ranked sixth in the CAA preseason standings so we’re trying to finish higher than that,” junior forward Alexandra Masaquel said. “I think we have a lot of people who can contribute in a lot of ways.” Masaquel, sophomore guard Jenna Green, junior guard Marlena Tremba and sophomore center Abby Rendle are the returning starters, although the team has an additional seven returners and four freshmen. Tremba led the team with an average of 12.5 points per game, while Masaquel led in rebounds per game at 6.4. Rendle broke the program record for rookie blocks with 67 and Green had a team-high 3.2 assists per game. However, statistics are not the only
story for the College this year, but rather the offseason work growing off the relative success of last year. Swanson spoke about intangible improvements from the summer to now. “My biggest message was that I thought we had to become a better team,” he said. “I thought we had a really good year, but I think our strength has got to be our cohesiveness on offense and on defense. You have to have a good team chemistry so we’re trying to work on that as much as possible.” With a host of returners, most of the team has college basketball experience, much different from last year. With one senior, five juniors, five sophomores and four freshmen, the team is young but holds a lot of talent. “I think the biggest thing is that we have a large group back, whether they’re starters or nonstarters, that are familiar with what our standards are and familiar with what our expectations are,” Swanson said. The one senior, forward Brooke Stewart, played in 29 games last year but didn’t start. During the offseason, she worked on hitting three-pointers as well as increasing her defensive presence with hopes of making a larger impact this year. Another returner, sophomore guard/forward Jeanne Gaumont should also be one to watch this season. “[Stewart] made significant strides [on defense] and opened our eyes a great deal,” Swanson said. “[Gaumont] is probably our best passer, the person who has the best feel for the game. Everybody has improved, but really those two players opened up the coaches’ eyes.” Just as last year’s freshman class earned significant playing time and dominated some statistical categories, this year’s incoming class should have an impact on the team’s performance. Bianca Boggs is a new guard from Maryland, Ali Engelhardt is a strong shooter from California who will play as a forward at the College, Misha Jones will be either a guard or a forward and comes out of Northern Virginia, and Chandler Smith is a 6’3” center from Maryland from the same school as
Boggs. Stewart spoke on how the new freshmen are adjusting to playing college basketball. “Every single one of us commanded the game in high school, so the big difference I would say is people are bigger, people are stronger,” Stewart said. While last year’s starters and other returners are building teamwork skills with the freshmen, the main philosophy of the team has been to focus and increase the output in effort and success. Working on shooting range, speed, defense and other facets of play, the team looks even better than it did last year, which ended up as one of the most successful years of the program’s 30 years as a Division I team. The men’s team continues to gain traction, and the women hope to capitalize off that attention this season with home games from November to February at Kaplan Arena. Masaquel expects the team will draw bigger crowds with the improvements to the team. “The fast pace and the way we communicate with each other have adjusted nicely, and this year we should see a great turnout,” Masaquel said. The College opens its season at Mount St. Mary’s Friday in Emmitsburg, Md., with tip-off at 7 p.m. The home opener at Kaplan Arena is Nov. 16 against Grambling, also at 7 p.m.
COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS
The Flat Hat
Senior forward Brooke Stewart
LAST SEASON Head coach Ed Swanson and the Tribe earned the program’s first postseason tournament berth, going to the Women’s Basketball Invitational last March after falling in the CAA quarterfinals to Hofstra. In the regular season, the College finished with a winning record of 15-14. In last year’s Flat Hat Sports Desk Awards, head coach Ed Swanson was named Coach of the Year and sophomore center Abby Rendle was named Female Rookie of the Year.
COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS
William and Mary joins together at the end of pre-game warm-ups during last season.
Stats and Standing
Stats and Standing
PRESEASON RANK
PRESEASON RANK
No. 6 in CAA
No. 4 in CAA
2014
Defense: No. 5, 62.2 avg. scoring
Women’s Schedule * Signifies a CAA conference matchup Home games in bold Fri. Nov. 13 at Mount St. Mary’s Mon. Nov. 16 Grambling Fri. Nov. 20 at Richmond Mon. Nov. 23 at Loyola Wed. Nov. 25 American Tue. Dec. 1 at Delaware State Thurs. Dec. 3 Wofford Sat. Dec. 5 at Clemson Thurs. Dec. 17 Norfolk State Mon. Dec. 21 at VCU Thu. Dec. 29 Old Dominion Sat. Jan. 3 James Madison* Fri. Jan. 8 at Towson* Sun. Jan. 10 Delaware* Fri. Jan. 15 at Northeastern* Sun. Jan. 17 at Hofstra* Fri. Jan. 22 UNC-W* Sun. Jan. 24 Delaware* Fri. Jan. 29 Charleston* Sun. Jan. 31 Northeastern* Fri. Feb. 5 at Elon* Sun. Feb. 7 at UNC-W* Fri. Feb. 12 Hofstra* Sun. Feb. 14 Delaware* Fri. Feb. 1 at James Madison* Sun. Feb. 21 at Charleston* Fri. Feb. 26 Towson* Sun. Feb. 28 at Drexel* Wed. March 2 Elon* March 9: CAA Championship 1st round
Courtesy photos / Tribe Athletics Head coaches Ed Swanson and Tony Shaver
Calling the shots FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR NICK CIPOLLA:
Men’s Team: 19-10, third in CAA, lose in semifinals to Hofstra Women’s Team: 16-13, fourth in CAA, lose semifinals to James Madison
FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR SUMNER HIGGINBOTHAM:
Men’s Team: 16-13, fifth in CAA, lose in CAA semifinals to Northeastern Women’s Team: 19-10, third in CAA, win the CAA over James Madison
FLAT HAT ASSOC. SPORTS EDITOR JOSH LUCKENBAUGH:
Men’s Team: 18-11, third in CAA, lose the finals to Hofstra Women’s Team: 15-14, fifth in CAA, lose in the semifinals against Hofstra
Defense: No. 5 66.9 avg. scoring
2014
Offense: No.2, 73.2 avg. scoring
Offense: No. 4, 62.9 avg. scoring
Men’s Schedule * Signifies a CAA conference matchup Home games in bold Fri. Nov. 13 at N.C. State Tue. Nov. 17 at Liberty Thurs. Nov. 19 Washington Adventist Sat. Nov. 21 at Dayton Wed. Nov. 25 Hampton Sat. Nov. 28 at Howard Wed. Dec. 1 Old Dominion Sat. Dec. 5 at Virginia Fri. Dec. 18 Mary Washington Mon. Dec. 21 High Point Tue. Dec. 29 Central Michigan Thu. Dec. 31 Towson* Sat. Jan. 2 Charleston* Thurs. Jan. 7 Drexel* Sat. Jan. 9 Northeastern* Thurs. Jan. 14 at Charleston* Sat. Jan. 16 at UNC-W* Thurs. Jan. 21 Elon* Sat. Jan. 23 at Hofstra* Thurs. Jan. 28 at Delaware* Sun. Jan. 31 James Madison* Thurs. Feb. 4 at Northeastern* Sat. Feb. 6 Delaware* Gold Rush Thurs. Feb. 11 Hofstra* Sat. Feb. 13 at Towson* Wed. Feb. 18 UNC-W* Sat. Feb. 20 Drexel* Thurs. Feb. 25 Elon* Sat. Feb. 27 James Madison* March 4: CAA Championship 1st round
opinions
Opinions Editor Annie Sadler fhopinions@gmail.com // @theflathat
The Flat Hat | Tuesday, November 10, 2015 | Page 5
STAFF EDITORIAL
Integrating health
BY BRIAN KAO / THE FLAT HAT
GUEST COLUMN
Federal Perkins Loan Program: left in limbo
Emily Martell
FLAT HAT GUEST COLUMNIST
If you are one of the 204 students who received a Perkins Loan during the fall of 2015 after the spring semester, you’re out of luck. If you are one of the 112 who were slated to receive loans for the first time in the spring, you won’t get the loan at all. That’s because you weren’t grandfathered into the dying Federal Perkins Loan program. Established as part of the 1958 National Defense Education Act, the Perkins Loan program is a low-interest federal student loan for students with exceptional financial need. The loan is subsidized, meaning the federal government covers the interest until the student begins repaying, and the loan is distributed through the College of William and Mary. Since its passage, the Perkins Loan program has helped 26 million undergraduate and graduate students receive 28 billion dollars in loans. During the 2014-15 year, the College awarded the loan to 254 undergraduates and 17 graduate students, for a total of $381,000. As the program phases out over the next five years, this number will decline, as no new loans will be awarded to students who did not begin receiving them before June 30, 2015. By 2020, all of the money for the loans will be taken back by the federal government. What happened? Did Congress forget about the Sept. 30 deadline to reauthorize the oldest federal loan program in the country? Although a one-year reauthorization passed in the House without contention, Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) blocked action in the Senate. On the other hand, Virginia Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine strongly support the extension of the Perkins Loan and recently issued an urgent statement calling for action. Because of the current delay, the financial aid of hundreds of students at our school is in limbo. Although there is undoubtedly political posturing involved, it’s worth considering motives before we bemoan our political system and decide not to vote in the next election. Alexander wants to simplify and streamline the government’s
student loans programs and he has a point — the Federal Perkins Loan Program is not entirely equitable. The key is this: the College, rather than the federal government, is the lender. This raises two primary issues. First, the amount each college receives from the federal government is based off of enrollment numbers from over 30 years ago. Although money was reallocated in 1999, it was largely unchanged from the previous allocation in 1979. As a result of the increasing enrollment numbers in other regions, Perkins Loan sums are concentrated in Northeastern colleges and universities that had higher enrollment at the onset of the program. The implication? The money may not be going to the most needy students on the national scale. Everybody who receives the loan has considerable financial need, but there are comparatively poorer students in the United States who are not eligible for a Perkins loan due to antiquated loan allocations. Second, because legislators with opinions similar to Alexander’s or those with other motives have been trying to kill the program for years, no school has received any additional funds since 2009. Because students who go into public service have their Perkins Loans forgiven and people occasionally default on their loans, the pool of each college has been shrinking. In the 2012-13 year, the program served only half the number of students it did in the late 70s. These are issues that need to be addressed. Congress needs to decide whether to simplify federal student loans by extending other larger federal programs, or to reform and update the existing Perkins program. However, students do not deserve to be uncertain about their financial status while lawmakers are mulling over these issues. Inaction is not a viable solution. Perkins Loans on average supply a student only $1,000 per semester, but for 316 of our deserving classmates and students around the country, this could mean taking out a less attractive federal or private loan, or getting another parttime job to cover expenses. It is clear to any student or family paying college tuition that reform of student aid is critical. The reality is that current political gridlock makes this unlikely, if not impossible. Until consensus is reached, existing federal student aid programs must continue to avoid punishing students for governmental deliberations. I support our senators in taking action to pass a one-year extension of the Perkins Loan Program. However, that bill cannot be the end of the discussion. Comprehensive, equitable federal aid programs are essential for students to afford the spiraling cost of attending college and the subsequent crushing burden of debt. Email Emily Martell at eemartell@email.wm.edu.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: This letter to the dditor is in response to “Appropriately allocating funs: athletics against academics.” Matthew T. Lambert ‘99 is the Vice President for University Advancement at the College of William and Mary. A recent op-ed in The Flat Hat raised questions about the proportion of funding being raised for athletics in William & Mary’s recently announced fundraising campaign. We appreciate the questions raised by the student, and want to provide greater clarity on the overall objectives of the campaign and how we reached the goals for each area and department. First and foremost, this is a campaign aimed at supporting our people — faculty and students — and the top priorities reflect this fact. The reality is that scholarships and teaching excellence are priorities across all schools and departments, including Athletics. To that end, nearly two-thirds of the campaign’s overall billion-dollar goal is devoted to scholarships and better support for faculty and staff. In Athletics specifically, more than half of the fundraising goal supports scholarships, coaching positions and other funds to bolster academic support services.
As we think about campaign priorities, it is important to remember that William & Mary does not decide where the gifts are used. Donors decide. We do encourage them to support priorities of the campaign, but they choose where they want their gifts to have impact. A number of donors felt strongly about remedying the state into which Zable Stadium had fallen, and they gave the funds to pay for the work. Our university leadership worked collaboratively with faculty, students, staff and alumni to determine fundraising goals for each school and department, and to help ensure that the most pressing needs of the university can be met. It is now the responsibility for all of us to raise private funds from donors and to explain how that philanthropy can improve the student experience. It is worth noting that after graduation, Tribe athletes remain very committed to our alma mater. They serve in leadership roles for the university and give frequently and generously. Despite representing only 12 percent of the total alumni population, athlete alumni accounted for 29 percent of all undergraduate alumni gifts.
Unlike many other departments at the university, Athletics receives no funding from the state. For this reason, private support is essential for our varsity teams to exist. William & Mary has a varsity program that sets the standard for excellence on the field and in the classroom. Our scholarship athletes have the highest graduation rate of those at any public university in the country, and our athletes have won more conference championships than those at any other university in the Colonial Athletic Association. William & Mary is striving to build a strong alumni community, to achieve 40% alumni giving participation, and to raise one billion dollars to support the entire university, not just one segment of our community. This campaign will benefit the William & Mary academic experience for everyone, particularly for students and faculty. This will be a campus-wide effort that will require us to strengthen our already robust culture of engagement and philanthropy so that all areas of the university can have a brighter and more sustainable future. Email Matthew T. Lambert at mtlambert@ wm.edu.
The College of William and Mary is currently designing its up-and-coming Integrative Wellness Center, which will be completed in 2017. The IWC will incorporate the Counseling Center, Health Center, Office of Health Promotion and a satellite office of Campus Recreation into one central building, which will be located where the lodges currently stand. The most notable aspect of the Center is its goal of holistic health that incorporates mental and physical health. By taking a rounded approach, the IWC is promoting self-care through community education and involvement. Wellness then becomes more than treating an illness — it becomes a routine in which self-care is prioritized in all aspects, both mental and physical. This holistic approach to wellness can eradicate the stigma that often surrounds sensitive topics, especially mental health. Moreover, the central placement of the IWC on campus will also combat the stigmatization of mental health specifically by incorporating the Counseling Center into an openly organized building, rather than a highly isolated corner of Blow Memorial Hall. By placing the Counseling Center in a large building central to campus, it affirms that health, and notably mental health, is a priority that students can feel comfortable addressing openly. Given all of this potential, integrating student health and wellness services is not enough to overcome any current problems each department currently faces. Internal improvements within the departments are still necessary to bring students a higher level of care. Without internal efforts, the integration of services will not result in a holistic approach at all, and would cause tension between branches within the IWC. In order to reach the IWC’s holistic goal, each center will need to address its own internal problems before the move into the IWC. Most notably, the Counseling Center should have a fulltime psychiatrist hired by the time it moves its office. The other centers should likewise be sure that their basic services are at the highest possible level of provision. Incorporating alternative medicines such as yoga, biofeedback and acupuncture is a great idea, but if basic treatment and education services are not met, these new provisions will have little positive effect. The staff editorial represents the opinion of The Flat Hat. The editorial board, which is elected by The Flat Hat’s section editors and executive staff, consists of Áine Cain, Emily Chaumont, Isabel Larroca and Kaitlan Shaub. The Flat Hat welcomes submissions to the Opinions section. Limit letters to 250 words and columns to 650 words. Letters, columns, graphics and cartoons reflect the view of the author only. Email submissions to fhopinions@gmail.com.
“
COMMENTS @THEFLATHAT
We may need to remember why W&M has historically not been a sports school, and why we choose decades ago to massively defund athletics. William and Mary was once at the center of one of the largest studentathlete cheating scandals in American history. In the late 40s and early 50s, W&M had one of the top football teams in the nation, but professors were forced to change grades to keep academically underperforming students on the field. Since the early 50s, we have kept academics higher than athletics, but in the last decade or so, I fear we may have forgotten this lesson. — “William Gaskins” on “Appropriately allocating funds: Athletics against academics”
The Flat Hat
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Page 6
GUEST COLUMN
Sustainable service
Talia Schmitt
FLAT HAT GUEST COLUMNIST
Can you imagine living miles away from the nearest grocery store? It is hard to even wrap my head around not having a Food Lion or Safeway nearby. While our standards for grocery stores may range from Trader Joe’s to Whole Foods, the reality is some people are relying on gas stations for their dinners. According to Feeding America, a national non-profit dedicated to eradicating hunger, about 12 percent of Virginians are food insecure — residents who lack access to nutritional food. Many of these residents live in food deserts or large geographic areas that are missing mainstream, affordable grocery stores containing healthy produce. So why should you, College of William and Mary student living comfortably off a practically unlimited meal plan option, care? Think about the consequences of 48.1 million Americans living in food-insecure households. What does that mean for our national healthcare system when people don’t have access to healthy food? What does that mean for your taxes when there are more needs for social programs? What does that mean for our education system when kids can’t perform optimally because they can’t concentrate? What does that mean for our future? Nothing good. That is evident. Over fall break, I joined a dozen College students on one of the Office of Community Engagement Branch Out service trips to Shalom Farms. The farm is based right outside Richmond, where the percentage of food-insecure residents is at a whopping 20 percent. The problem of food insecurity is not an easy one to solve. And often the solutions that are thrown at it involve canned soups and processed sweets. Fortunately, I was able to learn about alternative solutions through Shalom Farms. The minute I stepped out of the car and gazed out at the lush green fields filled with Saturday morning volunteers, I knew I was in for a treat. This treat exceeded the homegrown sweet potatoes and rainbow chard we had for dinner. I learned about a model that can be used to provide environmentally sustainable produce to food insecure areas. Shalom Farms grows about 110,000 pounds of produce a year, but sells only 5 percent of its products for profit. The rest is donated to food banks and community partners. The biggest key I found to their success was direct outreach and communication with the community. In their program, the Youth-Run Farm Stand, Shalom Farms provides children the opportunity to run their own produce stand and keep half the profits. In another initiative, the Prescription Produce Plan, families from food insecure areas meet with someone from Shalom Farms to come up with the right amount of produce for their family for the week. From there, the family members can take their food “prescription” to the Shalom Farms food stand to retrieve their fresh fruits and veggies. Lastly, the farm’s Healthy Corner Store Initiative works by selling their produce in existing corner stores and gas stations that do not sell fresh produce. Even with their numerous projects, quality is not sacrificed. Everything from the rainbow-colored Swiss chard to the bright red bell peppers have remained untouched by chemical pesticides. Instead, Shalom Farms uses various methods to deter insects and enrich the soil. For example, they use compost and rotate their crops to help rejuvenate the soil. On our last day of work, we snagged bunches of dark green collards, rubbed the dirt off sweet potatoes and prepared them for the week’s distribution. So alas, a healthy sustainable cycle is not only possible — it is happening. How are we going to solve these large issues of food insecurity? It won’t be easy, but initiatives like that of Shalom Farms are fighting the problem one vegetable at a time. Could a similar concept be applied here in Williamsburg? According to a 2008 census data, 20.7 percent of Williamsburg is food insecure. The USDA defines food insecurity as meaning “access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources at times during the year.” We live in a privileged bubble here on campus. Next time you start to complain about the Sadler Center’s meals, remind yourself that people all around us are struggling with this very real problem. We should all take a step back and look at the topic of food from a systemic lens. Ask yourself what kinds of food you are eating and how those food choices effect the environment and community. Who doesn’t have access to food and what can we do to help? In addition to educating yourself about the issue, take individual actions or join in on events organized by on-campus clubs working to fight food insecurity. Campus Kitchens and Food Justice in the Student Environmental Action Coalition are just two of your options. Brainstorm with students around you about how you can go about solving such a complex problem. Start following your questions and you will never see food the same way again. Email Talia Schmitt at talia.schmitt2@gmail.com.
COMMENTS @THEFLATHAT
“
... University life is much more about inculcating students with a laundry list of nostrums and slogans and attitudes — ones that are seldom questioned — few of them seem to have any sort of perspective, either geographical or historical. — “Johnathan Swift Jr.” on “It’s a hookup culture, not a rape culture”
BY BRIAN KAO / THE FLAT HAT
GUEST COLUMN
Rape culture exists as a culture of fear
Rachel Merriman-Goldring FLAT HAT GUEST COLUMNIST
Author’s disclaimer: this piece discusses rape and may be triggering for some. Last week’s guest column, “It’s A Hookup Culture, Not a Rape Culture,” made the factually unfounded claim that rape culture exists only in Saudi Arabia, India and Pakistan. “But everywhere I’ve looked [in America], I cannot seem to find it,” the author wrote. According to RAINN, almost 300,000 people are raped or sexually assaulted in the United States each year. Everywhere I look (in America), I find examples of rape culture. When I say rape culture, I use the Marshall University Women’s Center definition: “an environment in which rape is prevalent and in which sexual violence against women is normalized.” According to Marshall University Women’s Center: “Rape Culture affects every woman. The rape of one woman is a degradation, terror, and limitation to all women. Most women and girls limit their behavior because of the existence of rape. Most women and girls live in fear of rape. Men, in general, do not. That’s how rape functions as a powerful means by which the whole female population is held in a subordinate position to the whole male population, even though many men don’t rape, and many women are never victims of rape. This cycle of fear is the legacy of Rape Culture.” Fear is an integral but largely invisible part of rape culture. While men can also be survivors of rape, sexual violence
disproportionately affects women. As a result, women end up living in a culture of fear that men are often unaware of. Even though I am not a survivor of sexual assault, I, as a woman, fear because of rape culture. I fear for the women I know and love. Before she went to her first college party, I had to talk to my 17-year-old sister about the “red zone.” The sexual assault of freshman and college women during the first six weeks is so common that we needed a term for it. If that’s not normalization of rape, I don’t know what is. I fear for my own safety. In the last three months, every time I have walked down Jamestown or Richmond Road by myself or with a group of female friends at night, I’ve been yelled at out of a car at least once, often several times. As a woman, I walk past men who aren’t forced to confront my presence. I am always forced to confront theirs. I’ve discussed the issue of catcalling and street harassment with male friends, almost all of whom seem baffled by its prevalence. My male friends don’t see me street harassed because it doesn’t happen when they are around. Their presence prevents other men from harassing me; the same isn’t true for the presence of my female friends. My behavior has changed as a result of this harassment, in ways that often go unseen. I won’t go places I have to walk to by myself and I won’t leave until I find someone to walk me home. My mobility is limited by fear. I fear being raped. I fear being a survivor or not surviving. I don’t only fear the physical act of rape or the emotional trauma it would inflict on me. I fear the effect it would have on my family. Last year, I lost one of the people I most care about. I remember seeing her name in the headlines, reading articles about her abduction, rape and murder. I’ve never felt more acute pain than when I saw her mother’s grief broadcast on national television. I fear my mother grieving like her mother did. Email Rachel Merriman-Goldring at remerrimangold@email. wm.edu.
“
While men can also be survivors of rape, sexual violence disproportionately affects women. As a result, women end up living in a culture of fear that men are often unaware of ... I, as a woman, fear because of rape culture.
GUEST COLUMN
White, male, cis and straight: everyone has a say
Liz Wolfe
FLAT HAT GUEST COLUMNIST
brutality or affirmative action (although please pay attention to the ways your experience might differ). Be aware of where you come from — your privilege, as some might call it — and be aware of your own potential fallibility, but don’t try and filter some people out of the conversation. It doesn’t do much good. In my understanding, feminists, social justice warriors and people on the far left are fundamentally concerned with ending oppression and encouraging diversity — principles that I, too, value. So why do those values often stop short when dealing with white, cisgendered, heterosexual males? Perhaps they come from places of more privilege and greater wealth, but does that invalidate their thoughts and opinions? I’m afraid that to many, the answer is yes. When you attack people based on their demographics, you turn the conversation from one of productivity and education to one of hostility. Stop discrediting the experiences and opinions of others. It’s a bad tactical move, and it’s also diametrically opposed to the values you claim to hold. There’s a way to have a conversation about demographics, privilege and differing experiences without alienating your audience and inciting hostility. In the context of Briggs’ article, I can understand why people — women especially — would be more sensitive to the differences between their lived experiences and his. Perhaps we have a communal responsibility to expand his view, to contribute more stories, to share more experiences so the nuances of sexual assault can be better understood — but I don’t think it is empathetic or useful for us to filter certain demographics out of the conversation. Email Liz Wolfe at elwolfe01@email.wm.edu.
“
Thomas Briggs’ article, “It’s a Hookup Culture, Not a Rape Culture,” was misguided on a few levels and his core argument could certainly have been represented better. But I’m astounded by the number of people who feel justified in attacking his piece not based on its fallacies, but rather on his status as a white, cisgendered, heterosexual male. As a matter of principle, no voice should be excluded from this discussion on the basis of their demographics. Recognizing the differences in experience between males and females on campus is important, but invalidating the opinions of some will only erode discourse until we only exist in echo chambers. We should all be able to speak to experiences and concepts that we have not lived, while maintaining a reasonable awareness of where our positions come from. Just because someone doesn’t have a uterus doesn’t mean they can’t have an opinion on abortion; “whiteness” doesn’t preclude one from having opinions on police
Be aware of where you come from ... and be aware of your own potential fallibility, but don’t try and filter some people out of the conversation.
variety
Variety Editor Emily Chaumont Variety Editor Sarah Ruiz flathat.variety@gmail.com // @theflathat
The Flat Hat
| Tuesday, November 10, 2015 | Page 7
Students thrown into the shark tank Tribe Tank event showcases students’ entrepreneurial ideas GABBIE PACHON THE FLAT HAT
Ideas were abundant at the College of William and Mary’s Tribe Tank, an event where students of the College seeking investments in a product presented their ideas to a panel of judges who have experience in the business world. The event is a take on ABC’s television show Shark Tank. 12 students presented their ideas to five judges — Danny Mastronardo, Graham Henshaw, Laura Markley, Wouter Deconinck and Josh Erlich — in the Mason School of Business on Nov. 3. The students competed for first and second places as well as a separate opportunity to work in the Small Hall Makerspace, where they can begin the process of turning their products into a reality. The joint efforts of the Student Marketing Association and the Innovation and Design Thinking Club made this event possible. President of SMA Alicia Howard ’16 came up with the idea of hosting Tribe Tank after a guest speaker whose product was to be featured on Shark Tank spoke in one of her business classes. “For students, we are hoping that they will find this a valuable experience that they can both talk about on a resume and in interviews, as well as providing them
with skills for interviews themselves,” Howard said. “We are hoping that this will be an annual event.” Each contestant presented their products, business models, projected revenue and grant requests to the judges and audience. It was done in a formal fashion: participants dressed in business casual attire and spoke professionally. The judges and the audience said they were impressed with the students’ professionalism and preparedness. Danny Mastronardo flew from Florida that day to be present as a judge. He appeared and won a grant on Shark Tank. “The students were very well prepared. It was inspiring to see young minds taking strides like this to make a brighter future,” Mastronardo said. Following all of the presentations, the judges gave constructive criticism to the participants, discussing the positive and negative aspects of the presentations overall. First place winner Ryan Metzger ’18 said that the ability to present these ideas before a panel of judges who, like Mastronardo, have significant experience in entrepreneurship and business in general, was a valuable opportunity for the participants. “The most rewarding experience was just all of it coming together, and obviously you meet these
COURTESY PHOTO / CORTNEY LANGLEY
The students competed for first and second places as well as a separate opportunity to work in the Small Hall Makerspace.
“
COURTESY PHOTO / CORTNEY LANGLEY
Each contestant presented their products, business models, projected revenue and grant requests to the audience.
amazing resources and everyone else — experiencing the entrepreneur spirit,” Metzger said. “The most impactful part of this was turning the idea into the reality, like getting it coded and assembling a team of people who can help me build this vision.” Metzger won with his idea for an app called Owler that would enable students at a college to find and host parties on campus. It would allow students to communicate with each other about what parties are happening and where they are occurring. The app would also have an interface with Steer Clear, allowing for a safer partying experience. But the event didn’t just benefit the participants; audience members — fellow students and prospective entrepreneurs — said that they learned from watching their peers as well. “It taught me just to be confident in what I want to do,” Jennifer Albarracin ’18 said of watching the contestants present their ideas. Almost every seat in the room was full as students watched their peers advocate for their innovations. “I think it went really well,” audience member Michaela Seaton ’19 said. “It was very interesting and I think there is potential for some really cool ideas and products to come out of this.”
It was inspiring to see young minds taking strides like this to make a brighter future. — Danny Mastronardo
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
Making your mark: Why hickeys may not be for you
Using a hickey to mark your partner as your own shouldn’t be the ‘necks’ big thing
Katelyn Reimer BEHIND CLOSED DOORS COLUMNIST
Whether you told somebody you ran into a tree, discreetly covered it up with a scarf or wore it proudly, many of us have dealt with a hickey at some point in our lives. My first girlfriend was very into hickeys. She gave me several at homecoming my senior year of high school. I rocked the pixie cut back then, too, so I had to wear a scarf to school the entire following week. Trying to hide the massive hickeys on my neck did not really do me much good in the end. I am very, very bad at hiding my emotions, so it did not take long for my friends to figure out the reason behind my sudden affinity for scarves. So why did I bother to hide them in the first place? Well, at the time, I was embarrassed. Allowing my hickeys to be seen felt like admitting: “Whoops, I spent way too long letting my girlfriend suck my neck this weekend,” which was not information I particularly felt like sharing with everyone. I’ve grown a lot since senior year of high school (thank goodness), and I do not think that having visible hickeys would embarrass me too much anymore. I have not received any hickeys since that memorable homecoming week, however. That is not by any means a result of having an inactive sex life. It is simply a result of the fact that at this point in my life, I do not find receiving or giving hickeys particularly enjoyable. Have you ever thought about what a hickey is? It is a bruise. That is why it takes so long for them to finally disappear. Your partner has popped blood vessels in your skin, causing discoloration. I personally do not want to give my partner a bruise. That is not what loving someone is about for me. I am not out to shame anybody; if you find sucking and biting someone’s skin until they bruise to be sexy, that is great for you. Here is my question, however: What are you trying to achieve by giving someone a hickey? Sucking and biting your partner’s skin can be very sexy and arousing. After all, your skin, especially on your neck and breasts (for both males and females), is pretty sensitive to oral stimulation. You can, however, suck and/or bite someone’s skin without bruising them in the process. Now, I have to admit, I have given some accidental hickeys in the past. They were a result of spending too much time gently sucking and tugging with my teeth on one particular spot of skin. It is fairly easy to pop blood vessels this way, even if you are being gentle. However, I have found that I can avoid causing a bruise as long as I spread out the area of skin I am stimulating, or at least take breaks from stimulating any specific area of skin. Accidental hickeys, however easy to give, are pretty few and far between. Usually, they are intentional. My ex-girlfriend was definitely intending to make those massive marks on my neck. This is where I get confused. Why would somebody be into this? First of all, it can be painful to cause hickeys like that, so it is absolutely critical you make sure your partner is okay with receiving them if you want to give them. That is enough of a problem in and of itself; hickeys are often intentionally given but unintentionally received, and that is not okay. As always, I am a huge proponent of using effective communication with partners, so please, if hickeys are your jam, make sure your partner is down.
That goes both ways: f you want to receive a hickey, make sure you ask your partner if they are comfortable giving you one. I think the other reason I do not personally find hickeys desirable is because of their visibility. I am very open about my sex life. As I’ve mentioned before, I do not think there is anything to be ashamed of if you are actively having sex, making out with people or whatever you may be doing or not doing. It is not that I think having hickeys is something about which to be ashamed — because it isn’t — but someone leaving a very visible mark on me almost feels possessive. They have physically left their mark on me in a way that other people can see. That makes me very uncomfortable. I do not care to feel possessed by anyone. I am a strong, independent woman who chooses to be with someone of my own free will. I may give myself to my partner, but I absolutely belong to no one other than myself. So, I choose not to indulge in hickeys. It is possible that you have no motivations of possession when giving someone a hickey. It is possible that having a hickey is empowering for you. Both of those things are great; keep doing your thing. Just please, do not try to give me a hickey. Katelyn Reimer is a Behind Closed Doors columnist who will not be hooking up with a vampire this weekend.
variety
Variety Editor Emily Chaumont Variety Editor Sarah Ruiz flathat.variety@gmail.com // @theflathat
The Flat Hat
Lend me an Irish tenor
COURTESY PHOTO / KIRSTEN FEDEWA
Kearns visited Williamsburg to accept the honor of Ireland’s Best Tenor at William and Mary’s Phi Beta Kappa Theater.
Anthony Kearns to perform at Kimball ERIKA BOSAK THE FLAT HAT
Anthony Kearns, known to the world as Ireland’s Best Tenor, has toured all around Ireland and the United States with the internationally recognized Irish Tenors trio. Having performed for several U.S. presidents as well as Pope Francis, Kearns will now sing for the City of Williamsburg in a solo concert at the Kimball Theater on Nov. 13. Kearns is known for his versatility and will be singing an eclectic selection of songs at his upcoming concert. The concert will feature his voice accompanied only by Jon Laird on piano. “The Kimball Theater is a beautiful venue … they have a lovely setting for an intimate concert with a singer and accompanist,” Kearns said. “You can hear the raw instrument of the voice and piano together performing great songs that have been around for hundreds of years that we want to keep alive, and the music is entertaining. It’s from musicals, opera, Irish sounds, great ballads, some powerful uplifting
| Tuesday, November 10, 2015 | Page 8
songs, some comedy … it’s a roller coaster of music.” According to Kearns’ publicist, Kirsten Fedewa, variety is an important aspect of his performances and career, which has included all kinds of different styles. He has performed both in groups and solo, in various cities throughout the United States and Ireland, and for all types of audiences. “Whatever that voice sings, people love,” Fedewa said. Kearns said that his hometown of Wexford, Ireland had strong musical traditions, so he was exposed to traditional Irish music from an early age. He had a few teachers who were instrumental in inspiring him to pursue a musical career, particularly a conductor who taught Kearns in secondary school. “I grew up in rural Ireland, so it was a little more difficult than those born in the city who have access to music teachers, particularly in classical music,” Kearns said. “[It] was a great help to have a conductor who was renowned throughout Ireland for conducting shows, musicals, operas and concerts and working with one of the national orchestras …
We are still friends to this day, years after finishing school, and I’ve worked with him [in] a professional capacity.” His professional career got its unorthodox start with Ireland’s Search for a Tenor singing competition, which he won. “I started late in the music business; I was 23 years of age before I started taking lessons in earnest, so this competition pointed me in the right direction,” Kearns said. “It introduced me to singing teachers and singing coaches and the world of classical music and opera, and took me away from the traditional roots but opened up a another world for me.” After the competition, Kearns began working with professional vocal coaches. For the next few years, he added technique to his natural talent. Then he got an invitation to perform with The Irish Tenors, who achieved rock star status in Ireland. Kearns has visited Williamsburg before. In fact, he was awarded the international honor of Ireland’s Best Tenor at the College of William and Mary’s Phi Beta Kappa Theater, Fedewa said. College students and alumni have helped Fedewa promote his upcoming show around campus and Colonial Williamsburg. Nour Aburish ’17 and Maddie Doherty ’17 have been promoting the upcoming concert by putting up posters at local businesses throughout Williamsburg. “We got a very friendly response — the Cheese Shop started putting up the posters before we even left the venue,” Aburish said in an email. Aburish said he got involved with Kearns’s shows through the alumni network, which gave them the opportunity to help at another one of Kearns’ concerts that benefited veterans and K-9s for Warriors. “[Kearns has] done a lot of work helping military
charities that support veterans and their families … people just love the causes that he chooses,” Fedewa said. Alumna Nancy Velasquez ’12 has been working with Fedewa since graduating with a major in government and a minor in sociology. She met Fedewa through the William and Mary in DC program. “Our theme was media as a fourth branch of government. Kirsten has an incredible career in media in publicity and she came to speak to the class,” Velasquez said. “I got in contact with her and I was helping her soon after.” While the publicity helpers’ main job is to promote Kearns’ concerts, they all got opportunities to attend Kearns’ shows and even meet him in person. “I got to go and work with publicity and take photos at [Kearns’ performance at the final mass of Pope Francis’s visit to the United States] … I actually saw Pope Francis walk by,” Velasquez said. “I got to stand on stage while different performers were singing and it was a really awesome experience and I was very fortunate to be able to go because of Kirsten and Anthony.” Kearns said that he never gets nervous, even when performing for such a prestigious audience as the Pope. He applies lessons learned from his performances to all aspects of life. “You have to go out and face your audience head on like the toreador wrestling the bull … and know you’re good at what you’re doing, you’ve put the years of work in and you just stand up and do what you have to do and then enjoy it … in anything, not just music, the sun will shine the next day, and you get up and you start all over and you start with a fresh tablet,” Kearns said.
COURTESY PHOTO / KIRSTEN FEDEWA
Kearns’ career began with Ireland’s Search for a Tenor competition, after which he was invited to perform with the Irish Tenors.
CONFUSION CORNER
Friend goals: who will be your “tropical fish”? College friendships can last for a lifetime if you put in the time and effort
Cameron Murphy
CONFUSION CORNER COLUMNIST
“Wormy,” one of the greatest SpongeBob episodes of all time, features a song called “That’s What Friends Do.” The lyrics read, “A friend is a friend till the end of the end / That’s forever and a day.” Hannah Montana — relatable teen by day, pop star by night — sang something similar in season two of the eponymous show: “You’re a true friend / You’re here till the end.” Why so sentimental, you may ask? Well, during homecoming, I witnessed the reunion of my parents with dozens of the friends they made here at the College of William and Mary. Although my mom and dad — both alumni — frequently refer to college as the greatest times of their lives and their college friends as the best they’ve ever had, it’s entirely different to see said great times and friendships play out in person (especially when your mom has had quite a bit of Chardonnay). During homecoming, my mom’s Chi Omega sorority sisters ate brunch together in Sorority Court and complimented each other on their minimal forehead lines. My dad and his Kappa Sigma
big brother grilled food together at an epic homecoming tailgate (my dad in cargo shorts, I may add — his wardrobe is another thing that hasn’t changed over the past 30 years). Everywhere on campus, I saw reunions of old friends and the creation of new ones. There was laughter, love and lots and lots of homemade Bloody Mary’s. My dad’s tailgate in particular, full of ex-football players and fraternity brothers and their wives, could have been a scene from the 80s, only with higher quality alcohol and more receding hairlines. Seeing friendships of 30-plus years granting my parents so much joy made me reflect on the friendships I’ve made during my own time at the College. Which friendships are worthy of an epic montage featuring sappy music, a la SpongeBob? With which “true friends” would I share the secret of my celebrity status if I were actually a pop star and could pull off a blonde wig with straight bangs? Although I have many surface friends, with whom
“
Which friendships are worthy of an epic montage featuring sappy music a la Spongebob?
I converse about celebrity gossip and Netflix recommendations, the number of people I see as a constant presence my life 30 years down the road is decidedly smaller. At the same time, this reflection has increased my desire to put more effort into the friendships I have. Which surface friendships are simply waiting for a night of deep conversation over chips and queso to make the transition into real, meaningful and rewarding relationships? Which ones are worth the extra time and commitment? Sometimes it’s not clear until you’ve really reflected. We’re talking Adele “Hello” music video deep, as you stare off into the distance with the wind swirling around you. The point is, friendship is hard. It’s hard to grow and even harder to build, especially at a college where students have so little time to spare. Creating friendships to rival Ann and Leslie’s in Parks and Recreation is a challenge in such a busy environment, but as my parents have shown me, finding your own “beautiful, tropical fish” is worth it. If you choose friendships thoughtfully and work on them purposefully, you may find yourself at your own homecoming tailgate in a few decades, showing off your new hover car and sharing pictures of your genetically-engineered dogs (hey, who knows what the future may hold?). As for me, I plan to continue creating lasting friendships and putting effort into the ones that I have and value. If you haven’t found your school of beautiful, tropical fish quite yet, not to worry — there are many fish (and sponges who live in pineapples) in the sea. Cameron Murphy is a Confusion Corner columnist who continues to hope that Miley will return triumphantly to her Hannah Montana role.