The Flat Hat, November 17

SPORTS>> PAGE 10

PROFILES >> PAGE 2

Prewitt, help College pick weekend up a 78-62 front post of a packed Kaplan Arena.

William Tarpey and Mary has a winning aswin fiveinsports five winning results.

Former Flat Hat sports editors impart wisdom from their College days.

Dominant performance

Vol. 105, Iss. 12 | Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Takeaways from stowaways

The Flat Hat The Weekly Student Newspaper

Flathatnews.com | Follow us:

of The College of William and Mary

STUDENT LIFE

GREEK LIFE

Panhell pens letter to NPC NPC withdraws bill support ELEANOR LAMB FLAT HAT ASSOC. NEWS EDITOR

moment to acknowledge the other terrorist attacks committed by the Islamic State group in other countries over the past few days. College President Taylor Reveley also came to the vigil toward the end of the hour to show his support and sign the banner.

People could be seen holding hands, shedding tears and bowing their heads during the vigil. It was originally envisioned by a few students and was quickly supported and expanded by the French House, the residence hall dedicated to French and Francophone culture at the College.

“I was [thinking], we need to organize an event, a silent one, a peaceful event, to remember,” French House tutor Elizabeth Zahoui said.

Thompson Hangen ’17, who helped organize the vigil with several other students, said he believed there was significance in the College

The House of Representatives proposed the Safe Campus Act of 2015 July 29 to monitor how colleges and universities handle allegations of sexual violence. The College of William and Mary’s Panhellenic Executive Board wrote a letter to the National Panhellenic Conference asking the governing body to reconsider its support of the legislation Nov. 9. This past Friday, the NPC withdrew their support of the Safe Campus Act. The Safe Campus Act, proposed by House member Matt Salmon (R-Ariz.), assures that students who have been sexually assaulted would have the choice of pressing for a criminal investigation. If they chose not to pursue a criminal investigation, campus officials would be unable to launch their own investigation into the allegations.

Campus officials would also not be allowed to establish no-contact orders or class and dorm changes without a criminal investigation.

Alexandra Phillips, vice president of programming on the College’s Panhellenic Executive Board and a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority, met with her fellow executive members a couple weeks ago to discuss the implications of the national organization’s support.

Together, they decided to write a letter voicing their concern.

Phillips wrote the initial draft of the letter, which was published Nov. 9.

“We, as the elected leaders of the Panhellenic community, believe that it is also a privilege to have a place on our campus and that the institution has the right to investigate and hold accountable organizations that violate our Honor and Conduct Codes,” the published letter stated.

Phillips said she was particularly upset with NPC’s support because she and her fellow executive officers, as well as student representatives from the Interfraternity Council, had just been working on a task force combatting sexual violence when they found out the national body was supporting the Safe Campus Act. The NPC represents not only undergraduate sorority students, but also alumnae.

In the midst of addressing these issues on sexual violence with the task force, the executive board wanted to alert the NPC that they believed their support was misplaced.

“We thought it was morally wrong to support the legislation,” Phillips said. “We felt that this legislation would have undermined the College’s ability to protect its students. We thought it was important to

See VIGIL page 4

See LETTER page 4

ALL PHOTOS BY AMANDA WILLIAMS / THE FLAT HAT

College of William and Mary students and faculty honored the victims of terrorist attacks committed by the Islamic State group during a candelight vigil.

Vive la France

Students hold vigil in wake of terrorist attacks in Paris LEONOR GRAVE THE FLAT HAT

In the wake of the terrorist attacks committed by the Islamic State group in several locations in Paris this past Friday, Nov. 13, students at the College of William and Mary held a candlelight vigil Nov. 15 to show support for France and honor the victims of the harrowing attacks. The attacks, which left at least 129 dead and 350 wounded, are the deadliest France has experienced since WWII. At 8 p.m. Sunday night, students and faculty alike lined up along either side of the path, illuminated by candles, leading from the Sunken Garden to the Sir Christopher Wren Building. People stood in silence for an hour, interrupted only by a few brief comments from Thibault Vermeulen ’16, a resident of the French House, who thanked the attendees for coming and encouraged people to sign a banner that read “Peace for Paris” with messages of support for France. He also took a

COLLEGE ANNOUNCES $1.5 MILLION DONATION FOR IWC Bee McLeod ’83, MBA ’91 and Goody Tyler have donated $1.5 million to the College of William and Mary’s planned Integrative Wellness Center, according to a press release from the College. The IWC is due to open in fall 2017, and this gift will fund construction and the interior space of the building.

“The health and safety of students are top priorities for the university — and for us — and we hope that our gift can help make the center one of the best wellness facilities in the nation,” McLeod said in the press release. “We fully support plans to house all important aspects of health promotion and treatment under one roof and our investments in this area show our commitment to helping make this a reality.”

Their contribution will go toward the IWC’s recreation center.

“In our eyes, the recreation center is an extension of the wellness center since they are both integral components to improving the health of the campus community,” Tyler said in the press release. “Over 90 percent of students utilize the recreation center and for many it is used to help relieve stress and anxiety, so we are thrilled to contribute to this cause.”

Tyler was made an honorary alumnus in 2011. The married couple previously donated $2.5 million to the College’s library system and $1 million to the Student Recreation Center.

“Bee and Goody’s investment in the health and wellbeing of the campus community is quite wonderful,” College President Taylor Reveley said in the press release. “Their gift provides very welcome impetus to our ongoing efforts to meet mental health needs on campus.”

— Flat Hat Editor-in-Chief Aine Cain

Today’s Weather

Index Profile News Opinions Variety Sports

STUDENT LIFE

FIRE speaker discusses student rights Sevcenko defends free speech, academic freedom in universities NATE WAHRENBERGER FLAT HAT ASSOC. NEWS EDITOR

Catherine Sevcenko, associate director for litigation at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, came to Ewell Hall Nov. 11 to discuss free speech and academic freedom. In Sevcenko’s talk, she provided a legal and moral defense for allowing free speech in public universities and analyzed recent national events at such educational institutions as the University of Missouri, Yale University and the College of William and Mary.

The event was hosted by the Society for the College, an independent association of alumni and friends of the College whose stated mission is to promote good governance at the College.

FIRE is a nonprofit educational foundation whose mission is to defend and sustain First Amendment and due process rights in American higher education.

According to Sevcenko, FIRE spent its first 15 years as a watchdog organization, working with administrators, students and media to encourage colleges to allow free speech.

Inside Opinions

With finals around the corner, there’s no better time to step back and regain perspective on life. page 5 Partly Cloudy, High 67, Low 54

expression to specified areas of campus.

She said that the College has one of the 23 “green light ratings” from FIRE for its speech policy.

In her talk, Sevcenko began by explaining and defending the legal status of free speech in public universities.

“There is no legal definition of hate speech,” Sevcenko said. “I think everybody thinks of it as saying something offensive.

It’s using epithets; it’s saying rude things to people. All of that is true, but all of that is protected by the First Amendment. The purpose of the First Amendment is not to protect nice speech. Nice speech doesn’t need protection … The problem comes with something you don’t want to hear.”

Later in the speech, she went on to criticize Mizzou’s police department, who recently released an email asking students to report hurtful or hateful speech.

“Particularly on a college campus, the idea that one group should be silenced at the will of another group is anathema to everything that a university stands for,” Sevcenko said.

See FIRE page 4

Inside Variety

Too blessed to be stressed

2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10

“At the high-water mark, about 80 percent of colleges had unconstitutional speech policies,” Sevcenko said. “[FIRE’s activities] got the number down but not far enough.”

Thus, in the last year and a half, FIRE has begun a litigation project, filing suits against 10 schools and settling seven cases for around $350,000 in attorney’s fees and damages.

“What we had found is that students don’t know their First Amendment rights; administrators are happy to … interpret legal doctrines in a way that allow them to suppress free speech, and there’s no cost to that,” Sevcenko said.

“So we have decided that if you find a student whose rights Sevcenko have been violated, if that student sues, then the school is facing bad publicity, litigation costs and damages.”

Sevcenko said that many of these cases involved “free speech zones,” where students are required to restrict their public

The artist behind the educator The Muscarelle Museum of Art displays artwork produced by College faculty. page 7

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 17, 2015 | Page 2

THE BUZZ

William and Mary is a community and I think it’s important for communities to come together to show support for tragedies like these around the world.

— Thompson Hangen ’17, organizer of the Paris candlelight vigil

Takeaways from stowaways Former Flat Hat sports editors impart wisdom from College days

Check out The Parkway, an investigative podcast series looking into a series of muders from 1986 to 1989 along the Colonial Parkway.

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/theflathat A THOUSAND WORDS

ALLISON SCHOMAKER / THE FLAT HAT

CORRECTIONS The Flat Hat wishes to correct any facts printed incorrectly.

Corrections may be submitted by email to the editor of the section in which the incorrect information was printed. Requests for corrections will be accepted at any time.

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 Executive flathat.executive@gmail.com News fhnews@gmail.com Sports flathatsports@gmail.com Copy flathatcopy@gmail.com Opinions fhopinions@gmail.com

Managing flathat.manager@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 In light of this past weekend’s huge win over North Carolina State, I was reminded of a story former Flat Hat sports editors Woody Hawthorne ’79 and Rick Platt ’75 told me, about when William and Mary defeated No. 2 North Carolina in men’s basketball. The Dec. 7 matchup in Kaplan Arena took place back in 1977, during Thanksgiving break with few students around to celebrate. After 40 minutes of action, the Tribe persevered in the eventual 78-75 victory over the mighty Tar Heels, arguably the greatest upset in the College’s history.

Like the N.C. State game, the Tribe led for the majority of the contest in the upset, though the 34-minute lead back in 1977 resulted in a far more thrilling finish than the comfortable 17-point margin the Tribe held this Friday. North Carolina, however, was a far greater opponent than the Wolfpack, having lost in the NCAA championship finals the previous year, whereas in 2014 the Wolfpack merely made the Sweet 16 in the same tournament.

Neither Hawthorne nor Platt could believe that I didn’t know about the historic victory, especially as the sports editor of the paper for which they used to write. I’d wager I’m not the only one on campus unaware of such an achievement, but all the more reason to include that fact here. Take note Tribe fans: William and Mary once beat North Carolina in men’s basketball.

As for other things I gleaned from Homecoming weekend, learning how to fully enjoy my role as a sports editor would have to be next in terms of importance. On this subject, Hawthorne was an absolute authority, sharing with me a quintessential story of the importance of taking risks and that the value of a sports ticket is always what you make of it. Especially if that ticket is to see the Washington Bullets (now the Wizards) at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C. The excerpts below are from a 1979 issue of The Flat Hat. Enjoy.

“I’m sure every guy has at least one memorable tale relating to sports that he would wade through an hour of beer stories just to get the chance to tell it, and I guess I’m no exception.

Mine began when gas was no higher 45 cents a gallon and I had acute cases of automobile and Bullets fever. I had just received my license to drive my ’65 Bug that I had picked up that summer for 400 and was looking forward to the day when I would be able to putt up to D.C. to watch the capital round ballers in action. I kept the Volkswagen in good shape all during the fall of my senior year until the time was right, and all three vital prerequisites — permission from my friend Carlyle’s parents to let him ride in my “danger” Bug, a Saturday afternoon game was scheduled, and an “okay” for the trip by my parents — were satisfied.

The game was not as dramatic as the drive, however, as the Philadelphia 76ers won by five, and rookie Doug Collins scored a career high 33 points. It broke a long Bullet win streak and depressed Bullet center Elvin Hayes so much that he gave us his autograph only after persistent prodding.

It was at that point that Carlyle and I realized that we had never seen Ace Bailey (if your first name was Garnet, you’d rather be called Ace too) and the Washington Capitals

POLICE BEAT

SUMNER HIGGINBOTHAM // SPORTS EDITOR

COURTESY PHOTO / COLONIAL ECHO

A 1980 men’s basketball game against Virginia Commonwealth University ends in a loss for the College.

hockey team in action. The telescreen blared that the Caps were facing the Maple Leafs at 8 p.m. but neither one of us had the nine bucks to shell out for a ticket. We concluded we would just wait until either someone threw us out or someone dropped a pick.

Soon after that implicit decision we were ushered from the players’ television room and into the main corridor. Carlyle was in a wheelchair that had a telltale squeak, so we ducked into the first men’s room and waited there for 45 minutes.

At 5:15, I concluded that the janitor was getting a bit suspicious why we were washing our faces for a half hour and we slipped cautiously into the corridor, only to be greeted by an usher with a French accent. Before we got a minute’s glance of the uncovering of the ice, the man confronted us.

‘Do you have a ticket to ze hockey game?’

‘Uh, no.’

‘Zen you boys are leaving, right?’

‘Well, uh, yeah.’

‘Vell, here is ze exit.’

‘But our car is parked on the other side.’

‘Vell, you can go out ziz exit and valk around to your car.’

‘No, that’s okay.’

‘But all ze other exits are locked except number vun.’

‘Uh, we’ll go out the other exit.’

‘All ze exits are locked.’ He opened the door. ‘If you boys vant to stay you vill have to buy a ticket.’

I felt trapped.

‘No, our car is closer to the other exit.’

‘Oh, you are going out exit number one.’

‘Yeah.’ (We didn’t say when we would.)

‘Oh, okay.’ He walked away.”

Hawthorne elaborated more on this portion of the story over Homecoming weekend than he did in the original Flat Hat article. My favorite portion of the story involved Carlyle and Hawthorne hiding in a janitor’s closet for 30 minutes, and how upon discovery by the bewildered janitor, they explained that Carlyle felt overwhelmed by the noise and atmosphere and needed someplace dark and quiet to calm down.

Hawthorne added that the wheelchair certainly helped their case, as the janitor was less than forceful in requesting them to move on. They soon found another niche in the building.

“At 6:15, the ice was completely uncovered.

We made ourselves inconspicuous by standing in corners, sitting in obscure seats, and walking wherever the ushers weren’t.

At 6:45, we settled into some prize seats and ate cold hot dogs while listening to Hubert Humphrey on the radio denouncing federal programs to help the poor. Surprisingly, no one asked us what we were doing in our seats an hour and 15 minutes before the hockey game started.

At 7 p.m., the doors opened to ticket holders, and at last we had won the battle over inflated ticket prices. I felt a certain sense of victory in seeking both an NBA and NHL game for three bucks.”

Nov. 14-15 1

2 3 4

Saturday, Nov. 14 — An individual was arrested for an assault on Richmond Road.

Saturday, Nov. 14 — An individual was arrested for possession of marijuana on York Street.

Saturday, Nov. 14— An individual was arrested for larceny from a motor vehicle on Richmond Road.

Sunday, Nov. 15 — An individual was arrested for driving on a suspended or revoked license on Richmond Road.

The Flat Hat

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Page 3

RACE AND RACE RELATIONS FORUMS NOV. 9-11

Undergrads share views on campus climate Task force members facilitate discussion on pros, cons of social media SARAH SMITH FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER

College of William and Mary President Taylor Reveley established the Task Force on Race and Race Relations in spring 2015 in response to racially insensitive parties and social media postings on campus, as well as to address larger, racially-charged problems. The Task Force held a community forum for undergraduate students to share their experiences and suggestions Wednesday, Nov. 11.

According to Chief Diversity Officer and Task Force Chair Chon Glover M.Ed. ’99, Ed.D. ’06, the Task Force was charged with investigating multiple topics.

“Once appointing this Task Force, the president’s charge was to explore these three areas, racial climate, recruitment and retention of diverse faculty, education and training, and recording and responding to incidents of racial bias,” Glover said. “At this point, we are ready to hear from you, the campus community, as your feedback is very important.”

Following these forums, the Task Force will brief the president in the spring on their findings and suggestions for solutions to the problems that have been brought to their attention.

Students in attendance were asked to break

up into smaller groups that were each assigned a member of the Task Force as a discussion facilitator.

For 30 minutes, the groups discussed three questions: how they perceived the campus climate in regards to race and race relations, what changes would they like to see regarding the campus climate, and how would they go about making those changes.

In these discussions, students mentioned the lack of diversity in the College’s faculty, the lack of administrative response to national, racially-charged events like those at the University of Missouri, the negativity and racism seen on social media, and the lack of faculty support for students of color within the classroom environment.

Ebony Lambert ’16, a member of the Task Force, explained why she thought having a diverse faculty is important.

“When we talk about a need for a more diverse pool of faculty, staff, and students on this campus, we are talking about a need to ensure that we are adequately preparing all of our students for existence in a multicultural world — a world that does not look like William and Mary in terms of racial composition,” Ebony Lambert ’16 said in an email. “When we talk about a need for diversity, we are speaking of a need to intimately acquaint our students with perspectives,

lifestyles, and cultures that differ from their own, in the interest of not only helping them to become more experienced and more well-rounded, but also help them to become more open and compassionate human beings. When we speak of a need for diversity we speak of the necessity of understanding just how crippling xenophobia and lack of exposure to diverse peoples have been in our past, if we are to create or pave a better future.”

Following the small group discussions, each of the Task Force members shared their group’s discussion with the larger audience. William and Mary Chief of Police Deb Cheesebro focused on her group’s discussion of a lack of school response, as well as the discussion of possible solutions.

“We did talk about a lack of response from the school, just generally speaking, in a timely fashion for any event that could be impacting our students and they could be hurting and need to talk about it, but the school does not have a timely response or a way of facilitating that conversation,” Cheesebro said.

“We talked about ‘One Tribe, One Family’ being sold to everyone and then the realization a year or so later that they do not feel that they are part of the family.”

In terms of solutions, students and facilitators proposed and discussed the possibilities of

adding a required online curriculum similar to Alcohol Edu that would focus on cultural diversity.

Additionally, they proposed extending orientation for freshmen to include more information on racism and discrimination with a focus on extending the conversation beyond the first year.

Many students also shared their experiences of facing negativity and hatred based on their race and shared how they viewed certain social media apps, such as the Facebook page “Overheard at William and Mary” and Yik Yak, as contributing to that open racism. Board of Visitors member and task force member Kendrick Ashton, Jr. ’98 shared his group’s discussion of Yik Yak and how to deal with problems that arise from social media.

“There was a meaningful discussion around the impact Yik Yak had on the climate,” Ashton said.

“Some folks thought that it was quite negative and folks felt like it was just a medium for views to be expressed in negative forms.”

For students like Lambert, the Task Force is part of a transformational measure that can improve the quality of the racial climate on campus.

Students will have another opportunity to share their experiences or propose solutions in the second student forum Nov. 17 in Blow Hall at 7:00 p.m.

Professors address current lack of racial diversity

Forum allowed faculty to talk funding, job search obstacles, campus climate KATIE KOONTZ THE FLAT HAT

The Task Force on Race and Race Relations met with faculty for a second campus forum Nov. 10 to discuss their views on the current racial climate at the College of William and Mary.

Chair of the Task Force on Race and Race Relations and Chief Diversity Officer Chon Glover M.Ed. ’99, Ed.D ’06.

Glover opened the forum by stating the goals of the task force and the reasons for its creation.

“The task force was appointed by President Reveley in 2015, March, after we had a number of incidents, racial incidents, that occurred both in society, but also here on campus,” Glover said. “It really conjured up the discussion of what is the racial climate here on campus?

What is working, what is not working?

And what are the things that we need to be doing to make sure that we increase the atmosphere so that everyone feels that this is a place where he or she can actually work, study and learn, and it is conducive for that.”

Glover stated that in the months following the Task Force’s creation, the team has been studying working practices from other institutions, but will now focus on hearing input from members of the College community.

By March 2016, the Task Force plans to submit a list of recommendations to Reveley for improvement across four core focus areas: campus climate, prevention and education, faculty and staff recruitment, and bias reporting and incident protocol.

After Glover’s introduction, Chair of the Subcommittee on Climate and history professor Jody Allen Ph.D. ’07 led the remainder of the discussion. The faculty attendees were broken into small groups of about seven to eight people to address how they currently perceive the race and race relations climate on campus where they work, changes they would like to see in campus climate, and how to make those changes a reality.

One discussion group was facilitated by the Director of Student Affairs Planning and Assessment, Jodi Fisler M.Ed. ’05, Ph.D. ’11, with Administrative Department Manager Lydia Whitaker as the note taker; both women are Task Force members. The remainder of the group consisted of Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty affairs and Marshall-Wythe Law School professor Susan Grover, English professor Kim Wheatley, President of the Faculty Assembly and law school professor Eric Chason, physics professor Wouter Deconinck, sociology and global studies professor Jennifer Bickham Mendez and psychology professor Joshua Burk.

The group discussed diversity within their respective departments. Deconinck said the physics department was racially homogenous when compared with other departments. He discussed a service provided by the American Physical Society, where a panel of five members of the APS evaluated the diversity climate of the Physics department. Chanson noted that the Faculty Assembly plans to work with a representative from the Task Force to address how to help the Task Force without duplicating their efforts.

In addition to student diversity, a lack of faculty diversity was stressed as a major issue at the College during the forum.

“I just think that the issue of diversifying the faculty across the board is such a huge issue,” Bickham Mendez said. “I mean, what’s the racial climate on campus? … I don’t know how to talk about that except, from a faculty perspective, except to say that there’s so few faculty of color and it’s, I think it’s terrible, and I think that needs to change.”

The group discussed issues that lead to a lack of faculty diversity, including insufficient funding, obstacles with job searches, and the climate of the Williamsburg community.

Group members did point out some positive efforts made at the College, including WMSURE, student support through campus groups and the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity, and courses that address these issues.

However, the group also noted that the presence of specified funding, increased racial diversity backed by numerical results and increased diversity in leadership roles would show that the school was making progress.

Each group’s note taker then shared with all those gathered the main points of each discussion. The overall messages reiterated across the groups were the need for more faculty diversity and funds set aside for diversity initiatives and inclusion. Other points of concern were that diversity was not addressed within the new College curriculum or within the College’s one billion dollar For the Bold campaign.

The floor was then opened up for a large group discussion. Allen asked faculty members of color about their experiences on this campus.

“Being a faculty member of color is to feel, quite often, isolated,” Task Force member and professor of history and Africana studies Robert Trent Vinson said. “Quite honestly I do feel, and I’ll speak for myself here, that I am one of the many unpaid diversity consultants on campus, and that there is a leadership vacuum, and that we are charged, particularly faculty of color, to fill that vacuum, and that’s resentful, because at the end of the day I don’t feel like I am respected as a black man and that my histories, my culture, people that look like me, whether I’m a faculty member or a staff person cleaning the toilets, that me, people that look like me, are not respected on this campus, and it matters little that I come to work every day wearing a suit and tie, I feel that issues that matter most to me as a black man are not a primary concern from our top leadership, and so at the end of the day that’s disparaging, and disappointing, and disillusioning.”

White faculty members were also asked how they perceived these issues from outside of the black community.

Reveley said communication with each other is important to discussing diversity.

“I am certainly aware of the alienation, and the anger, and of the added burden,” Reveley said. “And in my experience we have enormous difficulty actually talking to one another. People simply, as a rule, don’t feel free to say what they actually think, whether they’re black or white,

and if we could ever reach the point in this country that we could talk to each other it would help a lot but as Chon Glover knows one of my main … drums I beat on diversity is, it doesn’t do much good for us just to keep meeting with the converted, and talking to those who already agree, we’ve got to figure out how to meet with everybody, and then actually talk with one another…. So I do think, to the extent you can get it without actually experiencing it yourself, I think a lot of white people get it, including the President and Provost.”

Vinson stated he sees a need for proactive leadership to demonstrate that diversity is one of the key components to the College’s mission. He provided examples of the Dean of Arts and Sciences failing to provide a diversity plan and the For the Bold campaign’s lack of funding for diversity, to explain that he believes intervention from the administration is necessary to send that message.

“The message, over and over again, collectively, is that this issue of diversity, is not core to the mission of the university, and that’s the signal that’s being sent from our leadership on top and that’s the cues that our faculty and various departments will take and so we need, none of this will work, unless our leadership from the top is aggressive and unapologetic and sends that message to the board that this is the direction of this university, come hell or high water, otherwise, we’re just going to be spinning our wheels.”

A staff forum will be held on Nov. 23 at 11 a.m.

Graduate, professional students discuss microaggressions Students address need for resources to recruit diverse faculty, attract minorities EMILY MARTELL FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER

The College of William and Mary’s Task Force on Race and Race Relations held a forum for graduate and professional students Nov. 9 to discuss the racial climate on campus. College President Taylor Reveley, Provost Michael Halleran, Chief Diversity Officer and Task Force Chair Chon Glover MED ’99 Ed.D. ’06 and several members of the task force attended the meeting.

Reveley established the task force in the spring semester of 2015 to assess the racial climate on campus, improve recruiting of diverse faculty and senior administration, discuss racial insensitivity, and explore biased reporting.

Glover began by discussing the background of the Task Force and encouraging students to bring their experiences at the College concerning race to the administration’s attention.

Gloria Oduyoye J.D. ’17, said that her experience at the College has been mostly positive, but she has encountered racism and derogatory messaging.

She spoke about a recent party hosted by law students about Hurricane Joaquin.

“They made a Facebook group about it, and

the cover of the Facebook group was a picture of a naked black girl that was part of the [Hurricane] malt liquor ad,” Oduyoye said. “The feeling of isolation — it was so dismally miserable because one, I was the only black person invited to that party, and two, I was the only black woman invited.

And the thing that hit the nail on the head is nobody said anything.”

Oduyoye said the host was a law school student she knew well, and after talking to him about why she perceived the photo as insulting, he apologized and changed it.

Students made the distinction between racial macroaggressions — overt or large-scale acts of racism — and microaggressions — small-scale verbal or physical interactions that may not have malicious intent but can be interpreted as racially derogatory. Several law students said that they agreed that most of the racial adversity they encountered was of the latter group, while stating that overt acts of racism did occur.

“The answer to the microaggressions and the macroaggressions is diversity,” Oduyoye said. “We need to have more diversity. We need to have more minority students.”

Diana Hernandez Ed. ’17, a member of the

task force, discussed her experience as a minority student at the College.

“As the only Latina in my program, I don’t want to graduate as the only Latina in my program and I’m finishing up next year,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez noted the opening of six tenured positions at the School of Education and the importance of recruiting minority professors for the positions. She said that the current lack of diverse faculty impacts the education of diverse students.

“We just recently met with our dean and the message at the School of Education was limited resources,” Hernandez said. “That’s really hard as a student to take in when we are embarking on the Billion Dollar [Campaign] project, and so I don’t want us to deliver an inconsistent message to our outside community.”

Reveley affirmed the need to improve recruiting of minority faculty, acknowledging that minority student recruiting has been more successful than minority faculty recruiting. He went on to discuss the need for resources to bridge that gap.

“There is competition for minority professors because there aren’t as many in the pool yet,” Reveley said. “But it’s something we have to work at assiduously and resources of course would help,

but we need resources on all fronts and we ain’t got a billion yet.”

Willie Wilson J.D. ’17, discussed her experience as a minority student in the law school. She said that she felt extra pressure to contribute during discussions of racial controversy.

“We have to carry a burden or we have to consciously refuse to carry the burden. That’s a whole different thought process a minority student has to go through,” Wilson said.

“And I don’t like it, but when you talk to people outside of law school about it, they say you’ve got to do it.”

Reveley and Glover thanked the students for Glover attending the forum and sharing their thoughts.

“Don’t let this be the last time you reach out to us,” Glover said. “If something else comes up and you want to let us know about it, please do because your voices need to be reflected in our recommendations and our report. You’re feeling the heavy weight and the burden and if there’s any way we can lift it, we want to do that.”

Page 4

The Flat Hat

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

STUDENT LIFE

Students introduce Charter for Compassion Compassion Action Board, inspired by Dalai Lama, advocates for charter QUENTIN PALEO FLAT HAT NEWS ASSOC. EDITOR

A new organization at the College of William and Mary, the Compassion Action Board, is working to transform the College into a “University of Compassion” by signing the Charter of Compassion, a cooperative effort to reestablish compassionate thinking and action in daily lives.

Harika Peddibhotla ’15 talked about the events that led to the founding of the organization and about the importance of compassion to the organization and, ultimately, to the College.

“We were really inspired by the Dalai Lama who visited a few years.

His message to the community really touched on [compassion],” Peddibhotla said. “We realize that William and Mary is a compassionate place, but I don’t think we take the time to recognize that, and we all thought that we should recognize our self as a compassionate place, and we should promote and encourage that. So we wanted to do something where we could sustain dialogue about compassion.”

According to CAB member Matthew Lentini ’16, the Charter of Compassion was created by Karen Armstrong, a religious scholar who teaches about the central role of compassion in many major religions

and its ability to alleviate suffering and bring people together.

Besides their long-term goal of getting the College to sign the Charter of Compassion, Alex Williams ’17 detailed some of the CAB’s short-term goals.

“One of our goals that we want for next semester is to form a panel with different community leaders and religious scholars talking about compassion in different religions and faith organizations and how it’s taught and how compassion fits in with those religions,” Williams said.

The CAB has been spreading their message largely through presentations to various faith and diversity organizations on campus, including HOPE, the College Diversity Advisory Committee and the Sexual Assault Task Force, as well as campus administrators.

Several administrators have joined the CAB, including Associate Vice President for Health and Wellnesss Kelly Crace and Dean of Students Marjorie Thomas. The organization is open to students as well.

According to Lentini, their message has generally been positively received by these organizations, although a few people have criticized the CAB’s mission.

“We have had some criticisms,” Lentini said. “One person said when they think of compassion they see it as a negative. Mostly because they

see it as a condescending action.”

Peddibhotla explained some other criticisms the CAB has received.

“The charter includes something about religion, and we have gotten some criticism about how we might be promoting a certain religion and idea,” Peddibhotla said.

Leslie Revilock, the CAB’s advisor, responded to some of the criticism that the CAB has received concerning its supposed religious stance.

“The Charter for Compassion … doesn’t say anything specific about religion, but it says it’s the basis for all moral, ethical and religious systems,” Revilock said. “So being a state school some might give pushback thinking that it’s coming from a religious point of view, but it’s really not, it’s coming from an all-encompassing philosophic and humanistic point of view.”

Peddibhotla said the CAB has met with College President Taylor Reveley, who encouraged the CAB to reach out to administrators and expand their message to the student body in order to gain more support for their mission.

In the near future, the CAB hopes to join other universities, such as Stanford University, the University of Georgia and Western Connecticut University, who have also signed the Charter for Compassion.

College gathers for vigil Panhell talks Safe Campus LETTER from page 1

VIGIL from page 1

community honoring the victims of the attacks and supporting France.

“William and Mary is a community and I think it’s important for communities to come together to show support for tragedies like these around the world,” Hangen said. “It’s also so that we can set it apart as a special time to honor those victims, the lives that were lost and remember them, hold it in our memory.”

The vigil brought students from different backgrounds together in support of the Paris attack victims. French students at the College in attendance spoke about their experiences witnessing these events far from home.

“It’s very hard when you’re abroad, you’re not able to really see all this, you want to help your friends but you’re not there, you want to be able to hold their hands but you can’t, so it’s very hard in that sense,” Vermeulen, who grew up in Paris, said.

Other attendees mentioned how the support from the College community helped them during this time.

“It’s hard to believe in the 21st century that we are still dealing with these kinds of issues,” Zahoui said.

“I felt a lot of understanding around me here. All the people were asking me if everything was okay, if I knew people in Paris.”

Anne-Claire Courchinaux, a French exchange student from Science Po Lille in France, recalled her experience on the day of the attacks and the support she has received from College students.

“That night was rough, seeing everything that was going on. I think I stayed in front of the TV more

than two hours in the end. I just couldn’t not watch,” Courchinaux said. “I’ve been truly amazed by the response of William and Mary students, some that I know well, some that I almost don’t know, that sent me messages to say that I could talk with them if I needed to, asking me if my family and my parents were okay. The support has been heartwarming and really overwhelming. It may be cheesy to say that, but I really felt the ‘One Tribe, One Community’ at that moment. So even if it’s really hard to be away from France right now and from my friends, I feel like I have support here at William and Mary, and it’s a good thing.”

The vigil also acknowledged the Paris attacks as a part of the larger global epidemic of terrorism led by the Islamic State group, including the recent attacks in Beirut, Lebanon and Baghdad, Iraq.

“We wanted to make sure that everyone could make it their own event, and commemorate what they wanted to commemorate,” Vermeulen said.

Magali Compan, Director of the French and Francophone Studies program and an associate professor of French and Francophone studies, attended the vigil. She spoke on the importance of honoring the victims of attacks in other communities.

“I think everyone’s in shock, after what happened in Paris, and it’s nice to come here and to gather together as a community and show our support, but also remember other events that happened before the bombing in Paris, remember the violence that is happening all over the world,” she said.

The banner will be at the French House for the next few days for those who did not have the opportunity to sign it during the vigil.

FIRE Lawyer talks free speech FIRE from page 1

Sevcenko added that public universities are an extension of the government, and that they are therefore legally bound by the First Amendment. She also discussed the limits of free speech: defamation, obscenity and true threats, which the Supreme Court has addressed in the past. Sevcenko went on to discuss several national issues and themes. She challenged the concept of trigger warnings on the grounds that they allow students to avoid uncomfortable issues.

“Trigger warnings are deeply problematic, from our perspective,” Sevcenko said. “For people that have a diagnosis [of PTSD], shielding them is actually one of the worst things you can do. Avoidance of whatever it is traumatizing them is really considered to be a symptom of the disease, not something that is done to help them. So the basic scientific premise is off … What trigger warnings end up being is ‘Oh, here is a topic that is difficult,’ and it becomes basically an intellectual get-outof-jail-free card.”

This point provoked a response from the audience, some of whom thought trigger warnings should be preserved to warn people about upsetting content, not to let them avoid discussion.

She also mentioned the recent incident at the College in which someone covered the Thomas Jefferson statue with sticky notes.

“I actually think this is kind of fabulous … not so much because of the stickies, although I think that’s kind of humorous, but because of the discussion that it generated on Facebook,” Sevcenko said. “When this picture was put up on Facebook, all sorts of comments came up, and I think this is a real tribute to William and Mary … A really good conversation came out of it.”

Students at the event said they found Sevcenko’s lecture thought-provoking.

“I disagreed with her idea that trigger warnings were against the First Amendment,” Jeff Diamond ’15 said. “I liked her idea about the Thomas Jefferson statue as something that generated discussion, because when I saw it, I just thought it was obnoxious.”

Faculty also responded to the event. Paul Davies, who is on the Board for the Society for the College and teaches philosophy on campus, said that Sevcenko raised important concerns.

Davies said that free speech concerns were relevant to the College’s harassment policy, which prevents students, faculty and administrators from creating a “hostile environment.” Davies argued that this concept of harassment is poorly defined and subjective, and could potentially be used to restrict free speech.

Davies mentioned an incident in the philosophy department in which he felt students and administrators were overly sensitive.

“It can be a slippery slope, so somebody uses the word ‘retard,’ in a perfectly appropriate way [to talk about slowing something’s progress], then all the faculty are sort of being warned,” Davies said. “Presumably at least one student complained because he or she didn’t like the word ‘retard,’ and somebody at the administration thinks that it’s their responsibility to rein us in.

No it is not, in fact, you don’t even have the right to rein us in.”

Davies also weighed in on the sticky-noted Thomas Jefferson statue.

“It was stupid. It was ignorant.

But it was expression of free speech,” Davies said. “I think that public conduct by people that are clearly so ignorant is distasteful, but I sure as heck agree that people have a right to say that.”

Philosophy professor Noah Lemos commented on the importance of free expression in the classroom.

“I teach a course on contemporary moral problems and we discuss very important issues like abortion, affirmative action and immigration, and I think that the professors and student alike need to feel free to express their opinions and to challenge other people’s opinions without any fear of intimidation by groups on campus, by students or by anyone in the administration.” Lemos said. “That kind of freedom to give and assess arguments is at the core of what we do at the university.”

make it clear we did not agree.”

Although Phillips was responsible for the first draft of the letter, the published message was the result of discussion and collaboration. The students on the Panhellenic Executive Board met again to revise the letter together. They also sought advice from Vice President of Resource Development for the Association of Fraternity and Sorority Advisors Jennifer Leung and Director of Student Leadership Anne Arseneau ’89 M.Ed. ’92, both of whom supported the students in their decision to write the letter.

Leung said this legislation could have a negative impact on members of the College community.

The idea to write the letter came from the students, and she gave them feedback on their drafts.

“There is always more room for members of our community to step up and speak up when they see something they know and feel is wrong, especially when it comes to this issue,” Leung said in an email.

Arseneau was also eager to provide feedback for the executive board members. Early Friday evening, Vice President for Student Affairs Ginger Ambler ’88, Ph.D. ’06 notified Arseneau that the NPC had withdrawn its support of the Safe Campus Act. Arseneau stated that this reversal was the result of many letters of disagreement from Panhellenic groups, individuals and associations of higher education.

“It was gratifying to hear a response to voices that have been raised,” Arseneau said. “Enough people were doing that that it gave [the NPC] pause.”

Phillips stated she and her fellow board members were proud their letter had an effect.

She also stated that the Panhellenic council at the College will stay aware of such issues and remain committed to their cause. The executive board will have a new fleet of members this upcoming semester.

“I hope the next group of women will pick up the mantle and carry it on,” Phillips said.

opinions

Opinions Editor Annie Sadler fhopinions@gmail.com // @theflathat

The Flat Hat | Tuesday, November 17, 2015 | Page 5

STAFF EDITORIAL

Addressing race relations

BY BRIAN KAO / THE FLAT HAT

GUEST COLUMN

Acknowledging the blessings, not the stress

Hannah Strouth FLAT HAT GUEST COLUMNIST

without a challenge, you are not going to grow or learn. However, when the stress that results from being over-committed to academics and extracurricular activities begins to consume and constitute your life, we have a problem.

I really invite you to take a step back for a moment and look at your life. In five years, or better yet, next year or next month, is it really going to matter if you stayed up those extra two hours to study or finish tweaking your paper? And I am in no way saying that you never need to stay up late to study, because there are just some times when you have to forgo much of a good night’s sleep in order to finish everything. It never fails that every assignment, test or event falls in the same week. When those weeks happen, however, I want you to keep just one saying in mind that I think captures my point: You are “too blessed to be stressed.”

You are, believe me. I mean, look at where you are at this very moment: You attend a prestigious university that is going to offer you many opportunities, you are surrounded by lifelong friends and professors that support you in every way possible and you study on a breathtakingly beautiful campus. I am pretty sure that you are blessed, whether you believe it or not.

With Thanksgiving coming up, I feel like now is the opportune time to really evaluate this in your life. I want you to take a few minutes and do one thing that I think will really put it in perspective for you on a personal level. Close your textbooks, shut down your laptop and take out a piece of paper. On that piece of paper, make a list of 10 things you are thankful for in your life.

It may seem hard at first, but it can even be simple aspects of your life.

With all that goes on in the everyday life of a college student, it is easy to lose sight of this concept. So, while there may be very little extra space in your agenda to schedule anything more, try to schedule a little time to simply breathe, because I promise you, you will be okay.

Email Hannah Strouth at hmstrouth@email.wm.edu.

“

If I had to take a guess, the average TWAMP probably has something close to about two midterms, three papers, several club events and a few applications all due within the next six weeks or so. All of this on top of any part-time jobs or volunteering. Oh, and do not forget finals are just around the corner. It seems like the months of November and December are full to bursting with due dates and exams, all while you still are trying to find time to eat, sleep and actually socialize. Your motto for the next two months basically is going to be “Sleep is for the weak.”

It is that time of year. The end of the semester is on the horizon and yet remains so far away — we all are going to have to hurdle a few obstacles to get there first.

We may not make it out “bright-eyed and bushy-tailed,” but at least we will be able to say we finished strong with the help of a few double-shots of espresso. We are part of a group called “generation stress.” The College of William and Mary is one of the most demanding schools in the country, and it really shows in the lives of its students.

The tension that often radiates out of Earl Gregg Swem Library is proof of that. I am not saying that the academic rigor is a bad thing —

We are part of a group called ‘generation stress.’ The College of William and Mary is one of the most demanding schools in the country, and it really shows in the lives of its students.

Over the last week the College of William and Mary’s administration held three separate forums for undergraduates, graduates and faculty to relay their feedback on the campus racial climate to the Task Force on Race and Race Relations. The Task Force was created last spring to address racial climate, the diversification of faculty, education and training on race relations and means of recording and responding to incidents of racial bias.

The forums sought to incorporate community experience into the task force’s evaluation, and will use the feedback in a report, to be released in March, detailing the current racial climate on campus and suggestions for addressing racially-based problems at the College.

It’s worth noting that the Task Force on Race and Race Relations was born out of an inherently reactionary response by the administration to racially-based events during the spring 2015 semester, including racially insensitive parties and the Black Lives Matter campaign die-in held at Earl Gregg Swem Library. At the time, little was done to directly address and involve the campus community in a conversation about race relations on campus. While there was some programming addressing the Greek community after the discovery of racially insensitive party themes by some members, no campuswide event was held to engage the student body in a meaningful conversation about race on campus.

Although the forums may seem a little late, they should not be considered completely reactionary or less valuable.

They were, in fact, scheduled before the University of Missouri crisis took over national news, the most recent of national incidents regarding racial climate on college campuses. The undertaking of communal conversation in an open and inclusive way is still a meaningful start to addressing the complex problem of race.

That being said, effective programming is pre-emptive; it engages the community early on with personalized experiences from community members in an open, honest and realistic manner. One of the forums proposed having students take a class on diversity and race similar to the AlcoholEdu program that incoming students are required to pass. This is an example of an ineffective way to address a highly personal topic such as race — students can mindlessly click through without actually engaging with the topic at hand. Another proposition involved extending orientation activities past the first year of school. While the conversation should not end with orientation activities, a longer orientation will not necessarily be more effective if the topic isn’t addressed directly and early on.

In addition to exposing incoming students to the personal experiences of peers regarding race upon their introduction to orientation activities, campus-wide forums should be held frequently and in a regular manner. The continuation of the conversation with campus leaders and less involved students alike on a regular basis, perhaps annually at the least, allows for measurable progress and will account for changing conditions.

This school should take steps to move away from its reactionary tendencies and towards more proactive programming. The campus forums are a step in the right direction, and if these conversations continue, they can help determine community-based solutions to the deeply complex and personal issue of race relations.

The staff editorial represents the opinion of The Flat Hat. The editorial board, which is elected by The Flat Hat’s section editors and executive staff, consists of Madeline Bielski, Áine Cain, 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.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR An Open Letter to Students of Color at Mizzou, Yale, VCU, and other institutions across the nation: We — students, faculty, administrators of color, and allies — at the College of William and Mary, stand with you in solidarity.

We stand with you in outrage, and to let you know that you are not — are never — alone.

We stand with you in resistance because you are our brothers and sisters, and also because we know that distance does not and cannot quell our fight for justice. We stand with you because the continued oppression, degradation and marginalization you experience on your campuses plague us as well. We stand because we know that our oppressors depend on our silence, and that the only way to seek the equality we were promised is to demand it, fiercely, with our every breath.

Institutional and individualized acts of racism. Lack of administrators, faculty, students of color. Curriculum that paints our cultures and our histories as other, as extra, as additive.

Microagressions and racist comments that roll like amber waves of grain off the tongues of the general populace, and out of the mouths of people with whom we work, learn, sleep and share intimate time and space. Commodification of our bodies, our presence, our culture — the constant consciousness of what it means to be hypervisible and invisible all at the same time. These are our realities, what it truly means to be students of color on campuses built on the backs of our ancestors — campuses that seem to prioritize their reputation and political clout over our needs. These are the

themes that form the bedtime story with which we sleep every night.

The story is old, and we are tired. Outraged.

But in these times we must remember that we are resilient as well. That we will not be silent or complacent. Yes, we were already weary and already afraid, because our Black and brown bodies are inhabiting spaces in which we do not feel safe or know peace. But our ancestors and elders taught us that when we are scared, outraged, broken down — that is when we must speak the loudest. As poet Nayyirah Waheed says: “When I am afraid to speak is when I speak. That is when it is most important.” We must remember: our families, our elders, our ancestors did not train us to place lions in our throats so that our voices could be silenced. And they did not teach us to speak with soul and move with purpose so that we could be still while injustice raged around us.

In times like these, when the tangible and pervasive faces of systematic and institutional oppression threaten our very existence, we must remember the work of the kings and queens who fought before us. We must remember that our speech should always be singed with smoke so our words may carry the warning that as long as there is a spark of life within us, we will not turn a blind eye to the injustices that face us.

We write to you — students, faculty, administrators of color and allies at the College of William and Mary — to embody all of this. To send the message to our family at institutions across the nation that you are not alone. To say that we stand

with you and demand justice and equality on your campuses as well as our own, even as we know this road, this work, is not easy. We write to you to let you know that we know the value of speaking.

Resisting. We stand with you, align our bodies and voices in solidarity with you, our family at Mizzou, Yale and other institutions, to let the world know that an attack on our brothers and sisters of color is an affront to us — one that we will not stand for.

To those who would threaten your sense of safety, of community, of humanity, of the right to your very existence — we are watching. We have been fighting all our lives. It would be foolish to think that we’ll stop now.

Cosigned, Composed by Ebony Lambert, College of William and Mary ‘16 Nu Chi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Black Student Organization William and Mary Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Students of the Caribbean Association African Cultural Society & ACS Dance Team Afsana The Africana Studies Community Asian American Studies Research Initiative Amnesty International African American Male Coalition Asian American Student Initiative E.S.S.E.N.C.E. Women of Color Filipino American Student Association

Hindu, Sikh, and Jain Students Association iPAX: International Performance Arts eXchange Korean American Student Association Middle Eastern Student Association Muslim Student Association South Asian Student Association Lambda Alliance Mason Alliance VOICE Dhamaal Bhangra Alpha Delta Sigma Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Black Lives Matter—Williamsburg Ebony Expressions Gospel Choir National Pan-Hellenic Council Kappa Pi Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. The Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Program VOX: Voices for Planned Parenthood Wesley Campus Ministry Branch Out Alternative Breaks at William and Mary Sharpe Community Scholars Program The William & Mary Science-Fiction and Fantasy Club Student Initiative for Educational Awareness Student Assembly Department of Diversity Undergraduate Black Law Student Association William and Mary Scholars Undergraduate Research Experience (WMSURE) Email Francis Tanglao-Aguas at fjtang@ wm.edu.

The Flat Hat

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Page 6

GUEST COLUMN

A productive debate

James Kunder

FLAT HAT GUEST COLUMNIST

As a society, we should strive to foster intellectual debate that will aid in bringing about change or, at a minimum, deepen our knowledge of any situation. We should not start dialogue that will solely act to affirm previously held beliefs, which keeps change and intellectual expansion at bay.

Recently, several movements regarding racial injustice have started at colleges and universities around the country. The College of William and Mary, as of October, had a small display of some of the greater sentiments that have been moving across our nation. The Thomas Jefferson statue, located on the Sunken Gardens between Washington and McGlothlin-Street Halls, was covered in post-it notes last week. Written upon the small pieces of paper were words or phrases meant to evoke an unheroic view of Thomas Jefferson — words including “rapist” and “racist.”

Posting notes with such moot terms only serves to affirm the beliefs of those who know of the situation. If you believe that Thomas Jefferson should be looked upon in a new light and his statue should possibly be removed, then chances are you agreed with the post-it notes. If you believe that, although Jefferson undeniably had flaws, he still is a hero as a founder of our nation, chances are that you were greatly angered by the notes.

Thus, the intent of the post-it notes must be examined. If the goal of the notes was to bring about dialogue on the topic of Jefferson, then success was achieved. But we must ask ourselves as a community: What type of dialogue do we want?

Do we want dialogue that purely affirms beliefs on both sides, or do we wish to see dialogue that sparks internal debate and respectful academic conversation?

At this time in our lives here at the College of William and Mary, we have a unique opportunity that may never again be afforded to us. We are in a community surrounded by inspired people, who are all here to learn and to expand. We have the ability to start meaningful dialogue and for people to actually listen, for people to genuinely care. But for such dialogue to arise, topics need to be brought up in ways that bring us in as a community. That is not to say that we should hide our beliefs, but rather that we should have productive debate; debate that allows for all sides of an argument to be expressed openly and in a dignified manner. And though our personal beliefs may never change, at a minimum we will learn others’ perspectives and have greater understanding of our own beliefs.

Challenging our current beliefs and striving for greater dialogue, knowledge and new perspectives is a lesson that we should take with us throughout life, no matter what the time or issue. As humans, we inherently have strongly held beliefs formed by our experiences, cultures and numerous other factors. Beliefs individual to each and every one of us.

But what do the majority know of different cultures?

Different perspectives? The brightest and wisest people to ever live could still learn more, and yet as humans we, by 18 years of age, hold a set of beliefs that we believe are correct. So firm are we in our beliefs that, often times, we grow angry when they are challenged.

“Who are they to know my experience? Who are they to tell me what to attempt to influence me?”

They are your fellow members of the Tribe from 49 states, 57 countries, from every culture and group across our world.

And they are all here to learn, to grow, to change and to foster change.

And so again I ask: What is the intent of a movement? Is it to preach to the choir, or to speak out respectfully against those who differ from you?

I understand that some people may not want to come to a formal debate, might not want to sit down face to face, look a person in the eye and say, “I respectfully disagree.” These are hard actions, they take time, they take effort, and furthermore they take interest to want to go forth and act.

And so this is what I challenge students at the College, and at other universities and Americans in general to do: bring forth constructive arguments and discussion — for that is where the greatest rewards will be found for individuals and for society.

Email James Kunder at jrkunder@email.wm.edu.

BY BRIAN KAO / THE FLAT HAT

GUEST COLUMN

Reaction should be based on the facts

Miguel Locsin

FLAT HAT GUEST COLUMNIST

Recent important events have taken place at the University of Missouri that have reinvigorated the discussion of race equality in America. After racist attacks and symbols, numerous protests, a selfstarved graduate student, a football team on strike, a resignation from the university’s president and a continuing Black Lives Matter movement, among others across the country, it is important to take a step back and analyze these past events, especially as they have greatly affected our College of William and Mary.

Walking down old campus this past week, I saw the statue of Thomas Jefferson covered in sticky notes insulting him and his legacy. I later discovered the school-wide discussion that was already taking place on social media.

An extremely similar situation took place at the University of Missouri, with anonymous students demanding the removal of Jefferson’s statue (which resembles the other Jefferson statue in Colonial Williamsburg).

I found myself perplexed, not because someone dared to insult one of America’s greatest founders, nor because I found myself outraged that Thomas Jefferson, a racist slaveholder, has a prominent statue in our school. I found myself perplexed because I simply could not take a side, even though I felt like I should have easily been able to.

On one hand, yes, maybe Thomas Jefferson’s statue should be removed. He fathered a child with one of his own slaves, Sally Hemings, owned numerous slaves and was racist, at least according to modern standards. On the other hand, Jefferson was a great inventor, a true polymath, one of the better founding fathers, former president of this country and subjectively one of the greatest figures of the 18th century. People today might not even be able to post such messages on Jefferson’s statue as they did without the right

“

... like the statue situation for example, it is hard to pick a side, as no side truly emerges as prominent. It is in these complex, muddy situations where we must reserve anger, reserve judgment, add perspective and wait for the facts.

GUEST COLUMN

A historical perspective of Thomas Jefferson

COMMENTS @THEFLATHAT

“

Yes, it might give you an interesting take, and yes, it might be useful at times to know what the general public perception of something is, but the fact remains that in general, primary sources are the most valid, and uninformed guessing should make way for accounts by people [who] actually know through firsthand experience about the things under discussion.

— “Johnathan Swift Jr.” on “It’s a hookup culture, not a rape culture”

to freedom of speech that anti-Federalists like Jefferson pushed for.

Just thinking about which side to take boggles my mind. Should I take the side of the posters and insult a great founder, or should I take the side of the anti-posters and possibly be labeled a racist? I needed help.

Which side would you take? The answer isn’t that simple, is it?

There is no truly right side to the statue situation, as both sides have extremely legitimate, important and powerful arguments. There is extreme nuance to the Thomas Jefferson debate when both sides are taken into account. That degree of nuance is entirely subjective, as it is dependent on one’s perspective at any given moment.

It is important now to use the statue situation as a basis for the ongoing discussion on race relations and the fight against inequality in this nation. Although the majority of the movements at the University of Missouri are well-intentioned, many of them, on a micro level, have become far too complex and extreme. Numerous videos have emerged on the internet. In one of them, an Asian woman interrupts a protest, eventually asserting that black people too can be racist. She is then silenced by one of the protesters. In another, protesting students from Yale argue against a professor who is advocating for freedom of speech.

Watch these videos, and it will become apparent that some situations no longer have a “right” and a “wrong” side. It is important then that we take a step back, analyze and pick out the “good” elements from each nuanced idea, stand by them and use these ideas to better today’s society.

Yes, in our school, in America’s schools, in our neighborhoods, on the internet, in the nation, racism exists — this is a fact disputed by a very small and misinformed minority. Unfortunately, a discussion on race anywhere is extremely emotionally and intellectually complex. In many situations, such as own regarding the Jefferson statue, it is hard to pick a side, as no one truly emerges as prominent. It is in these complex, muddy situations where we must curtail anger, reserve judgment, add perspective and wait for the facts. Other times, we would be better off directing our attention and energy towards something of more relevance, something that would make more of a difference, rather than getting stuck on matters that will make only the most minute difference in our lives.

Email Miguel Locsin at malocsin@email.wm.edu.

Jenny Cosgrove

FLAT HAT GUEST COLUMNIST

Discussion is one of the most powerful, effective and necessary components of a progressive society. Individuals must challenge preconceived notions, break through barriers of concrete morality and shape a future for humanity. This all involves a high level of open-mindedness, which I deem absent from a current protest on campus. Recently, the Thomas Jefferson statue was covered in notes saying “rapist,” “bigot,” etc. Upon seeing this, I could not help but become overwhelmingly irritated at the aggressive and onedimensional manner of the protest. The notes effectively sparked discussion, yes, but their message is entirely a product of a society that sees the world as black and white; you’re either politically correct, or you’re wrong.

Thomas Jefferson indeed committed humanitarian crimes. I am not negating that, nor am I downplaying the gravity of his heinous actions. What I will do is put these actions into proper context.

Thomas Jefferson lived in an America where privileged white males had servants and slaves, and where women were bound by rules of the patriarchy. He lived at a time when African Americans were considered 3/5 human. This was an age where abuse, ownership and cruelty were not thought twice about. These were the sins of his society: the darkness contrasting the revolutionary light, a collective wrong.

That all being said, does this mean his reverence, his statue, his status as a founding father should be removed?

No, it does not.

If you peruse a history textbook, or simply walk around campus, it should be clear to see that humanity’s past has built upon itself to give us our present day. Every single event in history has contributed to what our society is, and what it will be. Our country’s history is a multi-dimensional realm of stories and lessons; one that requires open-minded discussions to be made useful for our modern day world. Calling for the removal of a statue because a white male lawyer in the 18th century owned a slave is not logical, nor does it make us a progressive society.

Progression results from understanding all aspects of who Jefferson was. It is looking at his statue and comprehending the evils, revering the intellect and combining both into a lesson for a better tomorrow. Just as we do not tear up the Constitution (which happened to be written by white, bigoted male lawyers), we do not remove a symbol of America’s founding. It is certainly not just to turn a blind eye on the evils of the past, but it is not right to ignore the greatness that might have dwelled in the same century, and even in the same man.

Email Jenny Cosgrove at jrcosgrove@email.wm.edu.

variety

Variety Editor Emily Chaumont Variety Editor Sarah Ruiz flathat.variety@gmail.com // @theflathat

The Flat Hat

| Tuesday, November 17, 2015 | Page 7

NOAH WOODRUFF / THE FLAT HAT

The Muscarelle’s faculty exhibition presents a combination of paintings, photographs and sculptures from professors.

An educational exhibition Muscarelle showcases faculty artwork JOHANNA FLASHMAN THE FLAT HAT

Facing out onto Jamestown road, the multicolored windows of the Muscarelle Museum of Art are hard to miss. The full array of art on display inside the building, however, rivals the window art. Currently, the Muscarelle is housing the 13th College of William and Mary Faculty Art Show, which features a variety of media, including paintings, sketches, sculpture, architecture, woodwork, ceramics and photography.

This year’s show consists of 17 faculty members’ work and provides a view into the life of the artist beyond just teaching. For this reason, assistant professor John Lee, whose paintings are featured in the exhibit, said it is important to show faculty work. “[The show] helps the faculty see each other and it helps students see who they’re working with, […] it’s important that the faculty have this opportunity to show what they’ve been up to in the last two to three years in the studio,” Lee said.

This year, photography plays a new role in the show, highlighting the newly developed photography program in the art and art history

“

department with pieces by visiting professor Eliot Dudik. Dudik said that his works in the show, coming from his larger series “Broken Lands,” portray Civil War battlefields.

“They’re done with an antique, hundred-yearold 8x20-inch view camera which I’ve loaded with two sheets of 8x10 color film,” Dudik said.

“So both sheets of film are exposed in the camera at the same time, and then they’re separated afterward and processed separately, and I digitized them separately, and then to bring them back together again on the computer and print digitally.”

Dudik said he enjoyed the show once he saw it all put together.

“Going into the show, for the first time I’ve seen a lot of my colleagues’ work and [I’m] thoroughly impressed,” Dudik said. “All of it.”

Additionally, the show displays several pieces of porcelain and stoneware pottery by assistant professor Mike Jabbur, who said that his work is based around more utilitarian pieces.

“I started thinking conceptually about … larger work next to smaller work and how it implied things like abundance: social gatherings, dinner parties, potlucks,” Jabbur said. “So I make big functional pieces that talk about that type of

[The show] helps the faculty see each other and it helps students see who they’re working with...

— Assistant Professor John Lee

NOAH WOODRUFF / THE FLAT HAT

The exhibition provides faculty the opportunity to share their personal work with both their colleagues and students.

food and gathering experience and then I make smaller pots that I think talk about the more intimate experiences [...] most of the pot forms I make have a food associated with them like a coffee mug, an oil cruet, a bread plate.”

In reference to the exhibit, Jabbur said the importance of this show to him was showing off a bit of his work and his passion for that work.

“You know I obviously want to show my best work, and then I also want to show a range of the concepts and types of forms I’m exploring and the pieces,” Jabbur said. “The form types I submitted were the forms I’m most excited about … some of those are newer ideas, some of those I’ve been working with as long as I’ve made pottery, but they’re the things I wake up and want to make.”

Associate professor Nicole Santiago has a number of paintings in the show. She said she forms her paintings through a series of observations and experiments with color in Photoshop.

“Sometimes I take the paintings and I’ll take a photograph of the painting and put it in

Photoshop and move stuff around to see how it would look or change the color to see how that would look and then go back in and … [see] what I need to do to edit it,” Santiago said.

Santiago said her favorite piece in the show was Kathleen Hall’s Portrait of a Male Figure.

“I mean there’s so many that are so good but I think that one stuck out in my mind as one of the more beautiful pieces,” Santiago said.

The Muscarelle is free to the College’s students, faculty and staff and the faculty show will be up until Jan. 17, 2016.

CONFUSION CORNER

Christmas time: A fun holiday or a Hallmark hell?

Don’t settle for cliche, prefabricated seasonal traditions; create your own customs

Emily Gardner

CONFUSION CORNER COLUMNIST

I am a Grinch. I hate to say it, but I despise the holiday season. The appearance of peppermint bark on store shelves twists my stomach faster than the vile phrase “group project.”

The bleak winter months are filled with expensive, hollow displays of love and prosperity that leave my heart and wallet glaringly empty. The worst thing is that I hate myself for having these feelings. Why is that?

Why doesn’t my Thanksgiving table look like the centerfold of a Martha Stewart magazine? Why do we torture ourselves every single year?

There are dueling perceptions of the holiday season. The first view is

that of the Hallmark season. People who hold this view attempt to fill their holiday with all of the innocent, conflict-free trappings of a Hallmark movie that is so sappy-sweet you have diabetes by the end of the opening credits.

The opposing view is, at best, framed as pragmatic and, at worst, said to be the symptomatology of a family life that Freud would kill to get his repressed hands on. This view paints the Hallmark hiatus as an unrealistic ideal imposed on us as children, with powerful visual representations given by whitewashed superficial movies and fairytales used to sell us crap we do not need.

The belief holds that the Instagramfiltered depiction of holidays has created an unattainable ideal that causes a perpetual sense of inadequacy. This most “miraculous” of times is an unfortunately overinflated and over-commercialized cyclical hell of forced family fun time, mall trips, awkward silences over dinner and having to explain your theater major to an uncle who will

never understand.

Unfortunately, a lot of people hold both views. We hate the holidays, but we all secretly long to have a winter wonderland. The consequence is a pervasive internal torture that manifests itself in an array of bizarre, stress-induced behavior. For example, when my mom makes sugar cookies at 1 a.m. It’s not strange that you have mixed feelings about having dinner with your rampantly racist grandfather and the aunt that never fails to hone in on the status of your “cute little love handle.”

Extended family is, by its nature,

“

weird. These are people who you are obligated to love but only come into contact under the unnatural pretenses of special occasions like Thanksgiving. Don’t blame yourself for being creeped out by an uncle; the real issue you should be focusing on (besides never being alone with that uncle) is what you can do to minimize the anguish of the season. If you find yourself dreading the holidays like me, don’t aim to enjoy them. Hallmark is a lie. Instead, make more realistic goals, like getting to know one of your relatives a little better, or teaching a younger cousin a cool skill.

This most “miraculous” of times is an unfortunately over-inflated and over commercialized cyclical hell of forced family fun time ...

If you feel buried by the avalanche of all the shopping you need to do, talk to your family to see if you can have a less commercial holiday where you have to make some presents. It also helps to have at least one sane member of your family that you can confide in. My sister and I like to go for nice, long walks after we witness some of the world’s most passive aggressive fights about proper potato-mashing form.

If you become so fixated on making a memory fit for the cover of a greeting card, then it is easy to miss the whole holiday. My favorite tradition is hanging out on the couch and making fun of classic holiday movies with my family.

Invent your own traditions. The people who make silly movies have no idea what they are doing either, so don’t conform to their arbitrary definition of what the holidays “should” look like.

Emily Gardner is a Confusion Corner columnist who has a complicated relationship with the Hallmark Channel.

The Flat Hat

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Page 8

A taste of autumn

Historic Triangle celebrates fall

IRIS DUAN THE FLAT HAT

Menokin House

COURTESY PHOTO / GEOFF WADE

Since its off-Broadway premiere in 2003, Avenue Q has won three Tony Awards and is now being presented by William and Mary Theater.

Provocative puppetry Avenue Q excites audiences at PBK KAYLA SHARPE FLAT HAT ONLINE EDITOR

What do you do when you’re a broke college graduate with a useless degree, zero job prospects and no purpose in life? William and Mary Theater presents the answers to some of life’s most challenging dilemmas in their upcoming production of “Avenue Q” playing at Phi Beta Kappa Hall Nov. 12 through 22.

Since its off-Broadway premiere in 2003, Avenue Q has won three Tony Awards — including Best Musical — and has enjoyed two national tours. This snarky musical follows the residents of Avenue Q as they search for success, love and acceptance in an often unforgiving world. Through vibrant choreography, songs and, of course, Sesame Street style puppet characters, the show presents themes of race, homelessness and sexuality in a manner that is essential for college students struggling to coming to terms with the unknown, but ready to embrace their futures.

The cast of Avenue Q didn’t miss a beat during this fast-paced performance and portrayed a vast array of personalities with humor and finesse. The challenges of acting with puppets were not apparent in the slightest, as the actors demonstrated great skill in breathing life into their inanimate counterparts. Never missing a chance to showcase their strengths, the dynamic group forged believable connections with each other and with the audience. Despite the fact that the cast was often overpowered by the orchestra, their collective strength was apparent in numbers such as “It Sucks to Be Me” and “The Money Song.”

The adaptable ensemble made the most of their time on stage, showcasing their vocal dexterity and enthusiasm in “Purpose” and other numbers. Mary Turgeon ’18 and Cat Grundy ’17 stood out as the Bad Idea Bears, a persistent twosome who excelled in giving bad advice. Both Turgeon and Grundy fully embodied their characters and were a highlight of the performance.

The cast featured many dynamic voice actors. Tom Kalnas ’17 played Trekkie Monster, the unsavory upstairs neighbor with a great deal of exuberance. Tyler Bell ’16 tirelessly embraced his character’s struggle to accept his sexual identity and proved his vocal skill during the songs “Fantasies Come True” and “My Girlfriend Who Lives in Canada.” Bell played well across from Conor Wilson ’19 who portrayed

Nicky, a lovable but messy roommate, with excellent comedic timing. Gillian Gidice ’17 played Lucy the Slut with a remarkable stage presence only matched by that of Keaton O’Neal Hillman ’16, playing Gary Coleman, who exuded boundless energy with his strong singing voice.

Andrew Perry ’16 and Madeline Murphy ’16 led the cast as Princeton and Kate Monster, respectively, with commendable chemistry in several scenes. Brittany Liu ’16 proved to be an adaptable actress in both comedic scenes and more serious songs such as “The More You Ruv Someone.”

The bright and bold set breathed life into the space and allowed for spontaneous entrances that kept the audience guessing, while precise lighting cues directed the audience’s attention during asides. Each actors’ costumes and hair gave a subtle nod to the character they portrayed.

With a multitalented cast of actors and their puppet counterparts, William and Mary Theater presented this snarky show with wit and energy. Whether it’s the friends you love, the roommates you hate or the bills you just can’t pay, Avenue Q serves as a reminder to embrace your flaws and enjoy life’s unexpected twists.

COURTESY PHOTO / GEOFF WADE

Locals flocked to get a taste of the Historic Triangle last week during the Williamsburg Harvest Celebration, which promoted locally grown produce, drinks and Virginia cuisine. The Celebration, which lasted from Nov. 11-15, featured 30 different culinary events, highlighting the talents of different Virginian restaurants, breweries and wineries, as well as guest chefs and food and drink aficionados.

The event was organized by the City of Williamsburg, York County, Williamsburg Winery and James City Council in order to celebrate the history and food of Virginia. Seven additional sponsors and seven partners also helped bolster the event.

The Williamsburg Farmers Market was also included in the Harvest Celebration with vendors selling food, produce and a variety of products. The Harvest Festival sponsored a tent hosting demonstrations by different culinary talents throughout the day; featured chefs included Justin Watson of Busch Gardens, Amy Brandt of Amy B. Catering and Sam McGann of The Blue Point.

Sponsor James A. Burden, D.D.S. and Associates had an information table at the Farmers Market. Marketing coordinator of James A. Burden, D.D.S. and Associates Tiffany Reagan-Davis helped get the dental practice involved in sponsoring the Celebration.

“We like to sponsor a lot of events here in Williamsburg; we also like to give back to our community,” Reagan-Davis said. “This came about and was presented to me and I proudly became a sponsor. We were able to set our table up and give information to everyone who attended today. We’re giving out stadium cups the whole weekend at the different events.”

The College of William and Mary was contacted in order to get students more involved with the event. The Harvest Celebration collaborated with the College’s Student Marketing Association in order to get word out to the student body.

SMA President Alicia Howard ’16 coordinated the College’s involvement with the Harvest Celebration.

“What they really wanted was a way to just kind of get a student’s perspective on what should happen with the event,” Howard said.

“

One of my goals was to get a student event to happen as a part of the Harvest Celebration, and to get student discounts for a lot of the other events because, while a lot of them are under $100, students are not going to pay $50 to $80 for events. ­— Alicia Howard ’16

The SMA formed a committee of students who helped promote the event through social media. However, Howard hopes to get the student body even more involved with the event throughout the next couple years to come.

“One of my goals was to get a student event to happen as a part of the Harvest Celebration, and to get student discounts for a lot of the other events because, while a lot of them are under $100, students are not going to pay $50 to $80 for events,” Howard said.

The Celebration this year was considered a success, with several events, such as the DOG Street Tapas Crawl, selling out quickly.

Hair of the Dog Bottle Shop, along with The Cheese Shop and Berret’s Seafood Restaurant and Taphouse Grill, were stops on the three-part Tapas Crawl. Pub Manager Lauren Davidson was key in the Bottle Shop’s involvement with the celebration. “[The Harvest Celebration committee] was super cool; they did so much for us. They did the tickets, they did the events, the timing and all that, so all we had to do was super easy for us: decide what small plates we wanted and what beers we wanted to pair with them,” Davidson said.

The Bottle Shop’s focus on locally-brewed beers made it an appropriate fit for the Harvest Celebration.

“One of our goals when we opened was if it was a Virginia beer that was distributed in our area, we were to carry it,” Davidson said.

The Tapas Crawl featured unique plating selections at each store, allowing event attendees to experience different tastes wherever they went.

“We wanted all of the guests to have a completely different experience at all the places,” Davidson said.

According to Berret’s manager Emma Dickinson, Berret’s is dedicated to serving locallycaught fish and seafood, in order to reflect the purpose of the Celebration.

“For the most part everything is locally caught for the Harvest Celebration and our restaurant in general,” Dickenson said. “As much as we can, we try to be local.”

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

‘Bi’ the way, Carrie Bradshaw got bisexuality wrong

Sexual orientation falls along a colorful spectrum, beyond just straight and gay

Mallory Walker

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS COLUMNIST

When I open up my computer and start drafting up a column for Behind Closed Doors, I like to think of myself as the College of William and Mary’s black, hip and young version of Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw. But today, I happened upon an episode that made me rethink seeing the fictional sex columnist as my mentor. And no, I’m not talking about the one with the politician who wants Carrie to pee on

Behind Closed Doors

him. I’m talking about the episode that explores Carrie’s relationship with a bisexual man. Let me tell you, our friends in Manhattan are in serious need of a sexual orientation education, and I’m willing to give it to them.

I’m hoping that, as a society, we’ve come a long way since this painful episode of Sex and the City in which Carrie says she “doesn’t know if she even believes in bisexuals.” Regardless, bisexuality deserves a moment in the limelight to dispel a myth or two.

Bisexuality is very real, despite what Carrie and other naysayers may believe. For some reason, people love to make the claim that once a guy touches another penis, he is swept away to — as Ms. Bradshaw says — “gaytown,” even if he’s attracted to both men and women. And for women, an interest in other women is seen as a college phase that’s only put on for the male gaze. Am I alone in thinking that these assumptions are not only incorrect, but archaic?

The early 2000s, and the cancelled Sex and the City, are a part of the past.

Carrie also totally missed the point that one’s sexuality certainly isn’t set in stone. It’s important to remember that sexuality is a spectrum.

If that’s not exactly clicking for you, think of it this way: on one end there’s pink and the other there’s blue. In the middle, you have purple.

Some people might be a little more blueish purple, while others might fall further over to a more purplish pink. Not only that, but sexuality is also fluid; sometimes your shades might change in hue, and that’s totally cool too.

Think that’s the only thing there is to say about bisexuality? Think again. Apparently, there’s an assumption that when you’re a guy dating a guy, you’re gay. Then, when you’re a guy dating a girl, you’re straight. By these widely incorrect standards, to be considered bisexual, you need to be dating a guy and a girl — at the same time. Not only does this assumption not add up, it erases the bisexual identity. Your sexuality isn’t defined by who’s in your bed at the current moment.

For a society where LGBTQIA identities are making their way to the forefront of discussions, I think a lot of us make the same mistake as our dear friend Carrie. We often forget that sexuality is nuanced and complex. It’s easier to assume things are black or white — or in this case, straight or gay — instead of diving into a deeper discussion on sexuality.

If there’s anything we can learn from Carrie Bradshaw’s faux pas, it’s that choosing to remain ignorant only limits one’s experiences. Think of what may have happened if she hadn’t fled from the embrace of her bisexual boo thang. At the very least, it would have given her an insight or two on how to liven up her very heterosexuallyfocused column.

While Williamsburg is much quainter than Carrie Bradshaw’s home in NYC, a little knowledge of sexualities can go a long way no matter where you are. It’s that kind of knowledge that can keep you from making heteronormative assumptions and potentially alienating a peer.

And while I am in no way the best resource for the ins and outs of sexuality, there are so many people on this campus — and beyond — who are. Take a gender, sexuality and women’s studies class. Wander into a Lambda Alliance meeting. Check out the wealth of info out there on the internet. And whatever you do, remember that, while Carrie is usually right — when it comes to bisexuality she’s got it all wrong.

Mallory Walker is a Behind Closed Doors columnist who disagrees with Carrie Bradshaw only when it comes to her outdated assumptions about bisexuality.

sportsinside

The Flat Hat

| Tuesday, November 17, 2015 | Page 9

Tribe trounces Tigers, stays perfect at Zable Wolfpack routed by College FOOTBALL from page 10

Williamsburg, Va., the College (8-2, 6-1 CAA) entered as the front-runner of the Colonial Athletic Association with a five-game win streak. Towson (6-4, 4-3 CAA) was tied with several teams for second place before the game and had a four-game win streak.

The last Towson visit to Zable saw a 15-9 loss for the College when the Tigers were ranked No. 10/7 and the Tribe was ranked No. 16/20.

However, history was not to repeat itself for the Tigers.

Towson began with a three and out, giving the College its first possession on its own 3-yard line. In sharp deviation from conservative play-calling early in the season, junior quarterback Steve Cluley utilized his receivers on the deep ball, throwing a 51-yard pass to sophomore wideout Daniel Kuzjak to reach Towson territory. Cluley fired downfield again on a 19-yard pass to sophomore wideout DeVonte Dedmon to enter the red zone. Unfortunately for the Tribe, Cluley was hurried and threw an incomplete pass intended for Kuzjak on 3rd and 3. William and Mary began with a 3-0 lead after sophomore kicker Nick Dorka, Jr., completed a 22-yard field goal midway through the first quarter.

With Towson tailback Darius Victor and quarterback Connor Frazier, the Tigers marched down the field with rushing plays, but the College stopped the drive short, holding the visitors to a successful 34-yard field goal to tie the game at 3-3 early in the second quarter.

On the second William and Mary drive, junior tailback Kendell Anderson entered the game for some rushes, but the passing game continued to shine as Anderson caught an 11-yard pass in Tiger territory, his biggest play of the drive. On the next play, Dedmon took the handoff on a jet-sweep for a 25-yard rush to the 7-yard line. Junior receiver Kevin Hart then added his second touchdown reception of the year and his career with a 5-yard pass at the back of the end zone as Cluley passed through blown defensive coverage for the easy catch. With the Dorka PAT successful, the Tribe led 10-3.

As time ticked down for the first half, Towson burned six minutes, 15 seconds and was forced to punt on 4th and 16 on the Tribe 38-yard line. The Tigers did have a 3rd and 8 at the Tribe 30 before back-toback penalties for illegal formation pushed them 10 yards in the wrong direction. William and Mary received its punt and looked to be going forward with 1:34 remaining, but a holding penalty aborted any plans for late plays, and halftime began with the College up 10-3.

The first drive of the second half proved to be ill-fated for the Tigers.

On a third-down conversion attempt on the Tigers 40-yard line, Frazier fumbled on what was ruled a backward pass, leaving the ball alive for senior linebacker Zach Fetters to scoop up for a 36-yard Tribe touchdown, giving the College a 17-3 lead six minutes into the third quarter after the extra point.

“I just heard no whistle,” Fetters said. “We preach that everyday you go to the whistle. I saw the ball on the ground and just had to go get it and finish the play. … I thought if [the ref] isn’t going to blow they whistle, might as well go get it.”

Towson found the end zone with Victor rushing 13 yards to bring the game within seven again at 17-10.

However, while not giving up the lead, the Tribe did give up the ball

in a huge turnover at midfield. Dedmon caught a pass for eight yards across the 50, but Towson forced and recovered a fumble. On the following drive, the Tigers looked poised to score, but as the fourth quarter began, sophomore safety Mike Barta locked eyes with Frazier and intercepted the ball in the end zone.

“We were in our jumbo package,” Barta said. “I read run at first, I was on the left side and went up to the right to fill my gap. I felt someone run by me — a Towson guy — I remember backing up and looking at the quarterback and he was looking at the guy behind me, I was begging him to throw it and as soon as he threw it I was right there.”

Hart’s number came up again on the next drive as Cluley fired a 35yard touchdown pass for his second touchdown reception of the game on a seam route to Hart, as Cluley had all day to throw. The College led 24-10 with 11:22 remaining in the game.

Towson punted on 4th and 13 after Frazier was sacked by junior linebacker Stephen Lubnow, but William and Mary fumbled again on the subsequent drive as senior tailback Mikal Abdul-Saboor rushed for 12 yards, losing possession. Towson scored again with a short rush by Victor, but the Tribe answered again with a classic Anderson rushing play to bring the score to 31-17. Time expired for the Tigers as Frazier was sacked to end the game, giving the Tribe its 5-0 home record for the regular season.

Cluley was named CAA Offensive Player of the Week as he went 21 for 23, a 91 percent in passing completion, and threw two touchdowns.

Abdul-Saboor and Anderson both hit over 70 yards apiece rushing, and Kuzjak led the receivers with four receptions for 88 yards. Senior safety DeAndre Houston-Carson led the defense with 12 tackles.

“As we’re getting down the stretch here I definitely want to make sure that, since we’re in control of our destiny at this point” Cluley said.

Already holding at least a partial claim on the conference title, the Tribe travels to archrival Richmond (7-3, 5-2 CAA) this weekend, where the College seeks to claim the outright title and Football Championship Subdivision playoffs first round bye in its regular season finale. Kickoff is scheduled at noon and will be broadcasted on Comcast SportsNet.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TRIBE ATHLETICS

Junior quarterback Steve Cluley threw a pristine 91 percent completion rate.

Now let them Tremble: Tremba hits career high 26 points WBB from page 10

Tremba nailed a three pointer after the Tribe worked for an offensive rebound on a missed free throw. The triple gave William and Mary a little bit of breathing room by the end of the quarter, as they led 20-16.

The Tribe picked up right where they left off to start the second quarter, as junior forward Alexandra Masaquel scored and was fouled, finishing her three-point play at the line. Masaquel was solid all night for the Tribe, scoring 14 points to go along with eight offensive rebounds.

The Mountaineers fought back in the middle of the second quarter with a run of their own to take the lead, but the Tribe quickly regained it.

A late 7-0 run to close the first half pushed the Tribe to a six-point halftime lead, 46-40.

One key to the College’s first-half success was their accuracy from the three-point line. As

a team, the Tribe shot nearly 50 percent from behind the arc, finishing 6 of 13 for the half.

In the third quarter, the Tribe broke the game open with a 10-0 run sparked by sophomore guard Jenna Green. Green scored twice in a row, followed by baskets from Tremba and junior forward Kasey Curtis to balloon the Tribe lead to 16.

The Tribe led comfortably for most of the fourth quarter, but they almost let their guard down too early. With under three minutes to go, the Mountaineers began to climb back into the game for the improbable comeback, rattling off seven straight to cut the William and Mary lead to two with under 20 seconds to go.

Despite facing full-court pressure, the Tribe successfully advanced the ball past half court and ran out the clock before Mount Saint Mary’s could foul enough to put them in the bonus.

Sophomore center Abby Rendle controlled the paint and nearly finished with a double-

double, recording eight points and nine rebounds.

As a team, William and Mary had a distinct advantage in second-chance points, outscoring the Mountaineers in this category 22-7. The Tribe also had an advantage in their depth, holding an edge over Mount Saint Mary’s 43-32 in bench points.

Tribe head coach Ed Swanson used his depth to keep his players fresh, as eight Tribe players played more than 10 minutes.

Looking forward, the Tribe offense looks strong, especially in spreading the basketball and working the offensive glass for secondchance opportunities, although closing games looks to be a weakness. They were outscored 21-11 in the final period, and barely avoided relinquishing a 16-point lead.

The Tribe faces Grambling State in their home opener at Kaplan Arena at 7:00 pm Monday, Nov. 16.

MBB from page 10

“can win them now…We know we have to play well to do it, but we believe we belong.”

The College (1-0) proved it belonged from the tip-off, storming out to a 23-5 lead within the first six minutes, causing NC State (0-1) to take a timeout at the 14:10 mark. The Tribe got out in transition and made the Wolfpack pay, scoring 13 fast-break points in the first half while shooting a scorching 53.3 percent from the field to claim a 51-35 halftime advantage.

A big reason behind the early success for the College was the strong play of sophomore point guard David Cohn, a transfer from Colorado State playing in his first game for the Tribe. The major question facing Shaver and his staff coming into this season was who would take over at point for superstar point guard Marcus Thornton ’15. With sophomore guard Oliver Tot sidelined due to injury and sophomore guard Michael Schlotman still limited after Cohn suffering a concussion a few weeks before, Cohn stepped into the starting lineup and immediately made an impact.

After both teams failed to convert on their first two possessions, Cohn grabbed the rebound following NC State guard Anthony Barber’s missed jump shot and sprinted up the court. He blazed past Barber and finished with a nifty underhand layup, giving the Tribe the initial advantage and setting the tone for the Tribe’s effective transition game. Cohn finished the night with nine points, seven rebounds and five assists, impressing Shaver with his performance.

“David really gave us a great spurt,” he told Tribe Athletics. “He’s a really explosive player, and I think you saw his quickness tonight against Barber, who’s one of the quicker players in the country.”

The College’s offensive attack was spearheaded by the team’s two juniors, guards Daniel Dixon and Omar Prewitt, a predictable development given their offensive contributions last season. Dixon led the way with a team-high 19 points, 14 of which came during the Tribe’s dominant first half. Primarily an outside shooter for his first two collegiate seasons, he not only showed off his three point stroke but also an improved ability to finish inside, hitting three of his four field goal attempts from inside the arc. The rest of the team followed Dixon’s example of driving to the basket, outscoring the Wolfpack in the paint 40-28.

Prewitt finished with 17 points, scoring inside, outside and at the free throw line, hitting five of six from the charity stripe. He also made his presence felt on defense, grabbing five of his six rebounds on that end while recording two steals.

William and Mary created 10 steals total on the night, five of which were credited to ever-reliable senior forward Terry Tarpey.

Tarpey stuffed the stat sheet, scoring 11 points and leading the team with eight rebounds while dishing out three assists. After the game Shaver lauded his captain’s play.

“Every time tonight they made a little bit of a run at us and we needed a stop, it seemed like Terry got his hand on it, got a rebound for us,” Shaver told Tribe Athletics. “He helps us win in so many ways.”

The supporting cast chipped in as well, with Sheldon adding eight points to his eight-rebound performance, while sophomore guards Connor Burchfield and Greg Malinowski tallied eight and six points, respectively. Sophomore forward Jack Whitman slammed home two dunks in the second half to help maintain the Tribe’s double-digit lead, and freshman forward Hunter Seacat scored the first three points of his collegiate career. When the final buzzer sounded, the scoreboard read 85-68 in favor of the College, an unthinkable score two hours prior.

William and Mary continues its season-opening road trip Tuesday night at Liberty against the Flames in Lynchburg, Va. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 7 p.m.

85

WILLIAM AND MARY TRIBE

N.C. STATE WOLFPACK

68

PKs send College to NCAA second round Tribe miraculously enters CAA tournament at 6 seed SOCCER from page 10

VOLLEYBALL from page 10

late header. Senior midfielder Barbara Platenberg saved the Tribe by clearing a shot off the goal line after a corner kick scramble.

The College had its own chances to win with their 17 shots, but the College’s offensive keystones could not find the net. Senior forward Katie Johnston saw her fierce header saved by Knights keeper Vera Varis and junior defender Clara Logsdon had two shots blocked.

The Tribe really found their feet in overtime, pushing the pace and drawing several fine saves out of Varis. Senior forward Leci Irvin, a catalyst for William and Mary, hit the target but could not beat the goalkeeper. Sophomore forward Sami Grasso’s shot was also stopped by Varis.

UCF could not find the groove offensively after the full-time whistle. The Knights’ offense failed to even push into the Tribe’s attacking third and Casey was carefree.

When the full-time whistle blew, the Tribe ratcheted up the intensity for the extra period. Coach John Daly’s choices to take penalty kicks were intriguing. Three of his takers, Logsdon, senior midfielder Nicole Baxter and sophomore midfielder Rachel Moore, are experienced veterans and both recently received well-deserved places on the all-CAA first team.

The fourth taker, freshman midfielder Mackenzie Kober, saw time in all 21 games but only started 12.

Kober and Moore did score in the Tribe’s loss to James Madison earlier in the week, which may have inspired Daly’s decision.

Daly’s choice paid off. Logsdon and Kober converted the first two spot kicks. Baxter could not score her shot, but Casey saved two Central Florida penalty kicks and one missed the target, leaving Moore to plant her penalty sweetly into the top-left corner. After a beat of her foot to the ball and the referee’s whistle, the Tribe rushed the field, mobbing near the center circle.

The spotlight once again fell on Casey. After earning the CAA’s Defensive Player of the Year award earlier this month, Casey made four saves during regular time, and put on a dominating performance in the shootout. It was her 11th shutout of the season.

Daly was optimistic about the Tribe’s chances going into the next round, where they will face No. 2 seeded Florida (18-3-1).

“I thought we had the better of things,” Daly told Tribe Athletics. “I’m very proud of our effort tonight.”

The Gators will be a tougher test than UCF. Florida swept the SEC regular season and tournament titles and is currently ranked sixth in the nation. The Gators edged Western Michigan 1-0 in the first round.

William and Mary kicks off against Florida in Gainesville Nov. 20. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

stretching to five twice, at 19-14 and 22-17. The Huskies called a timeout to try and slow the Tribe, but this backfired and William and Mary pulled ahead to win the set 25-17.

The second set was back-and-forth until a timeout where the Tribe found itself down 20-15.

A quick Tribe run seemed to close the deal, with Kemp and Koleva having three aces each in the set.

However, Northeastern rallied and scored the final four to win and bring the match to 1-1.

In the third set Northeastern took an 18-15 lead before the College capitalized on a mistake by their opponents and never let up. Off of an out-of-bounds serve and possession transfer came a pair of kills by sophomore Sydney Biniak, an ace from sophomore Austyn Ames, and sophomore Paige Humphrey winning the set with a kill at 25-20.

The marathon fourth set was played 18 points beyond regulation, and saw some of the strongest play by the Tribe this year. The College stormed to a comeback with a 9-1 run to even the set to 2019. Koleva carried her team to victory in a fantastic finish, putting the match away at 34-32. She ended the fourth set with 13 kills including the final four that sealed victory.

“I think it’s been an amazing example of their leadership … and how important winning is to them, and wanting to end on high notes,” head coach Melissa Shelton said.

Koleva hit five aces, which had not been done by a Tribe player since 2011. Kemp had 21 assists

and 10 digs while Ames had 23 assists and 9 digs in the victory.

Going into Sunday’s match, Delaware had already lost and William and Mary held a CAA tournament berth for its senior day game against Hofstra.

The Tribe found itself down 12-6 early in the first set before amping up its defense and battling back to a 1510 deficit until senior Mallory Brickerd went down with an ankle injury before eventually losing the set 25-21.

“It was tough because she’s hurt her ankle a few times [before],” Albright said. “So that definitely shook up the team a little bit, but we ... just used that as motivation to play better.”

In set two, the Tribe charged out the gate, up 8-1 before any answering points. Koleva ended the set with an ace at 25-23 to tie the match 1-1.

“We played really well, and so much better than we played them last time,” Albright said. “I think that that’s going to carry into the conference tournament, I am really, really excited to see what we do.”

Set three was a solid exchange of points. A late Pride push put Hofstra up 20-16. The Tribe brought it back wto 20-19 but the comeback fell short as Hofstra took it 25-22.

In the fourth, Hofstra began to pull away with two scores for every Tribe point. The Pride was up 9-4 before the College fought back in a 5-2 run to make it 11-9. Despite further rallying, Hofstra won the fourth set 25-20 and left Williamsburg with the 3-1 match win.

The College earned the sixth and final seed for the tournament. The postseason begins against No. 3 seed North Carolina - Wilmington 7:30 p.m. Friday night for the CAA quarterfinals in Harrisonburg, Va.

sports

Sports Editor Nick Cipolla Sports Editor Sumner Higginbotham flathatsports@gmail.com @FlatHatSports

The Flat Hat

| Tuesday, November 17, 2015 | Page 10

Winning weekend

Tribe dominates its competition with five wins in five different sports over two days

COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS

COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS

COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS

COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS

COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS

The Tribe defeated North Carolina State 85-68.

The College won a close game to open its season.

Tribe football extended its winning streak to six.

The College moves to the NCAA second round.

The Tribe earned a CAA tournament berth Friday.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

FOOTBALL

WOMEN’S SOCCER

VOLLEYBALL

JOSH LUCKENBAUGH FLAT HAT ASSOC. SPORTS EDITOR

CHRIS TRAVIS FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER

NICK CIPOLLA FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR

HENRY TROTTER THE FLAT HAT

DOMINIC BURKETT FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER

With 14 minutes left in William and Mary’s Friday night matchup against Atlantic Coast Conference opponent North Carolina State for both teams’ season opener, the scoreboard read 66-43. Simply looking at the names of the teams most would assume the Wolfpack, who made the Sweet 16 last season, held a commanding advantage.

However, in a stunning turn of events, it was the visiting Tribe who were blowing out the hosts in Raleigh, NC, ultimately pulling the non-conference upset 85-68.

“I’m really proud of our competitive spirit tonight; we really competed hard,” head coach Tony Shaver said to Tribe Athletics. “We used to play these games for a check honestly, and we think we

Holding a six-point lead about halfway through the third quarter, the Tribe needed a spark to put away Mount Saint Mary’s. A quick 10-0 run blew open the game and gave William and Mary (10) enough of a cushion to hold off a late Mountaineers run in Emmitsberg, Md. Friday night.

William and Mary opened the season with a 76-74 road win against Mount Saint Mary’s for a strong start to the 2015 season, improving to 5-7 in season openers since the 2003 season. The Tribe was led by junior guard Marlena Tremba, who scored a career high 26 points on 9 of 12 shooting from the floor.

The game started out with the teams trading baskets. With a slim 15-14 lead,

Saturday at Zable Stadium, William and Mary accomplished the feat it could not in the 2013 season: defeating Towson to seal a perfect regular-season home slate at 5-0. Although the game was tightly contested, the No. 7 Tribe broke away from the Tigers in the fourth quarter for the 31-17 victory.

“We knew heading into this that this was going to be a test … but I think our guys were up to the challenge,” head coach Jimmye Laycock ’70 said.

“I thought we played hard, I thought we competed like crazy … if we hadn’t had two turnovers it wouldn’t have been close.”

In the senior day showdown in

For a team that last failed to score Aug. 30 at Duke (11-5-4), taking penalty kicks was not where William and Mary (14-4-3) expected to find itself Saturday night in Orlando against Central Florida (12-6-1). Yet the Tribe proved that anything can happen in knockout tournaments, as it gritted out a 3-1 penalty kick win over the Knights to advance to the NCAA second round.

There was little to separate the teams during regular time. The College defense held resolute despite UCF’s 15 shots. Senior goalkeeper Caroline Casey made four saves, including a superb sprawling stop on Carol Rodrigues’

Friday’s match against Northeastern (6-24, 3-12 CAA) was a must-win for William and Mary (10-19, 4-11 CAA), which entered the weekend with a chance to make the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament. Conditions for entry included a Tribe win Friday and Delaware losing its weekend matches. Both happened, and, despite a loss against Hofstra (21-10, 12-4 CAA) on senior day Sunday, the College’s season stays alive.

Down 4-1 in the first set Friday, the Tribe fought to even the set after an ace by freshman Katie Kemp. With a combined block by senior Carolyn Albright and senior Dessi Koleva, the College went on a deep run, its lead

See MBB page 9

See WBB page 9

See FOOTBALL page 9

See SOCCER page 9

See VOLLEYBALL page 9

COMMENTARY

Pass pocket full of sunshine Cluley, offensive line shine bright over Towson

Sumner Higginbotham FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR

Going against a hot Towson team, I was pretty concerned about William and Mary’s first drive starting at its own three-yard line. Senior running back Mikal Abdul-Saboor gained a couple on first down, but it didn’t look like the Tribe could escape its own red zone by rushing against the tough Towson defense anticipating a handoff.

Yet throwing out of the end zone just seemed too risky.

Head coach Jimmye Laycock ’70 didn’t think so, as sophomore receiver Daniel Kuzjak took off down the near sideline on a fly route, a defender in his back pocket. Junior quarterback Steve Cluley took a three-step drop and fired the long arcing pass against near-perfect coverage.

But the flawless throw dropped into Kuzjak’s arms at the 50-yard line, the receiver catching it in stride as the cornerback jumped for the ball just beyond his reach. Right then I knew the College could trust its gunslinger to win the game.

The most acclaimed position of the sport had received the least credit for the Tribe’s five-game winning streak. All that changed in the brisk November wind at Zable Stadium, as Cluley led the way to the sixth-straight win and eighth-overall victory for the College in a pristine performance, finishing 21 of 23 for 262 yards and two touchdowns.

For his stellar day in the pocket, Cluley received Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week honors and set a program record for single-game pass percentage at 91.3 percent.

As the first full two-year starter under center for the College since Jake Phillips ’09 led the Tribe offense from 2007-2008, Cluley’s experience has paid dividends in his second season as quarterback, as the Tribe has been able to open up the playbook with more passes down the field.

With one more game to play in the regular season, the Tribe’s passing attack already has 159 yards more than the 2014 season. Cluley has two more touchdown passes than he did in 2014 and two fewer picks to make for an impressive statline: 182 of 282 for 2,223 yards and 13 touchdowns versus just a pair of interceptions.

His 64.5 percent completion rate in 2015 is a major upgrade from his 57.1 percent completion rate last season. Add in his nine rushes for 42 yards and three touchdowns and you’ve got yourself a talented weapon at quarterback.

Cluley’s ability to limit turnovers is a major piece of the Tribe’s No. 1 rank in the CAA with the turnover differential of positive 12, seven turnovers greater than the No. 2 team in the conference. Combine ball security with the No. 3 passing attack and you’ll see a big reason why the Tribe is the top team in the conference heading into Richmond next week. Of the six passers in the CAA who have played 10 games, Cluley has the fewest picks, while his Richmond counterpart Kyle Lauletta has tossed 10 interceptions.

Of course, the other big reason the Tribe finds itself in first may receive less credit than Cluley has, although flattery of the quarterback has not historically been in vogue. This other under-appreciated reason is actually five reasons; sophomore left tackle Chris Durant, sophomore left guard Connor Hilland, senior center Andrew Jones, junior right guard Domenic Martinelli, and junior right tackle Jerry Ugokwe. The Cluley Tribe offensive line has allowed the fewest sacks in the CAA and pushed defenses around for the third-most rushing yards in the conference.

Call it a bold prediction, but I call it common sense — all five of these guys will get All-CAA accolades of some sort at the end of the season; Jones and Ugokwe at least should be first-team.

With all day to throw, Cluley found junior receiver Kevin Hart first along the backline of the end zone, and later up the seam for two touchdowns. Cluley never ran, but he also never had to, as the Tigers couldn’t so much as lay a finger on the quarterback.

The running game is still good; don’t get me wrong. And the defense, although maybe not as good as some would’ve hoped, deserves a lot of credit for that victory over Towson (still want to see more of a pass rush though). But Cluley and the offensive line should be that differential advantage that no other team in the CAA can match, and, pending the Richmond game, perhaps the class of the conference.

William and Mary is currently No. 1 in the CAA. Cluley and the men blocking for him are a huge reason why.