Vol. 108, Iss. 19 | Tuesday, November 13, 2018
The Flat Hat The Weekly Student Newspaper
of The College of William and Mary
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STUDENT LIFE
Law school talks lead to protests Waggoner, McGlothlin trigger unrest among student groups NIA KITCHIN FLAT HAT MANAGING EDITOR
CLAIRE HOGAN / THE FLAT HAT
Karl Palenkis ’21 said that his respect for the rule of law led him to take part in the protest on Duke of Gloucester Street, one of about 900 which occurred across the country.
‘No one is above the law’
Attorney General resignation elicits anti-Trump demonstration ANNA KRELOVICH // THE FLAT HAT Students, activists and concerned community members alike gathered on Duke of Gloucester Street Thursday, Nov. 8, in the wake of U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ resignation and President Trump’s installment of Attorney General Chief of Staff Matt Whitaker as acting attorney general Nov. 7. The protest, titled Nobody is Above the Law, was organized by Williamsburg resident Heather Kinser, alongside MoveOn Civic Action, a political advocacy group. “We believe that Trump has crossed — Heather Kinser a red line,” Kinser said. “The Mueller investigation is part of our right to know what happened. We are protesting tonight to make sure that [Mueller] is protected by the law, and send a message to Trump that he can’t stop Mueller.” The protest in Williamsburg was one of approximately 900 small protests organized through MoveOn taking place across the nation Thursday in response to Sessions’ removal, according to the organization’s website. Sessions, who recused himself from the investigation into Russian involvement surrounding the 2016 election, resigned after Trump asked him to, according to The New York Times. Sessions’ recusal caused U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod
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We believe that Trump has crossed a red line.
Rosenstein to oversee the investigation in his place. However, after Sessions’ resignation, Trump tapped U.S. Attorney General Chief of Staff Matthew Whitaker as acting attorney general. As the new acting attorney general, one of Whitaker’s roles will be to oversee the investigation led by Mueller. In a 2017 column Whitaker wrote for CNN, he called Mueller’s investigation a “witch hunt,” leading to public concern for the future integrity of the investigation post-Sessions. On its website, MoveOn notes that Whitaker has publicly detailed ways in which to suppress the investigation and demands he immediately refuse to assume supervision of the investigation. Kinser estimated 60 people were in attendance at the protest, with more joining as the protest continued. Because the event was organized within one day, the organizers did not obtain a permit, which restricted groups to marching in packs of 15 through Colonial Williamsburg. Restrictions did not stop the protesters from expressing their voices as they chanted, “We are not a mob, let Mueller keep his job,” and, “This is what Democracy looks like,” as they made their way down Duke of Gloucester Street. Protesters carried signs reading “Save Our Democracy!” “Protect Mueller!” and “Trump — Enemy of the People.” Garrett Autry J.D. ’20 said he doesn’t see himself as a typical person who comes to a protest, but emphasizes that Sessions’ resignation is a bipartisan issue that should be a concern for all. “I’m not super liberal, but I still think it is important that this investigation isn’t [going to] be thrown,” Autry said. “It is important that people realize that the structures of our
government are being used to impede justice in this case. It’s a lesson we will have to learn the hard way, and I hope that this [protest] helps.” Jack Notar J.D. ’20 agreed with Autry, saying the appointment of Whitaker is a significant issue of concern. “We think what’s going on is important, with the appointment of Whitaker,” Notar said. “We knew there was all these rapid response protests planned around the country, so we looked up where this one was because it’s important to come.” Karl Palenkis ’21, who sported a shirt reading “Impeach Trump,” said his values are what drove him to join the protesters. “I came here because I value our democracy and I value the rule of law, and I don’t value anyone who tries to undermine it,” Palenkis said. Among the chants and cries, one group of protesters paused to sing “America the Beautiful.” As Sarah Sheridan M.Ed. ’18 observed young and old alike united in the protest, she felt inspired. “I think it’s powerful to get people of all ages together, united, to show that this cannot happen,” Sheridan said. When asked about her reasons for joining the protest, Sheridan said that she felt it was necessary to show the president that he must be held accountable for his actions. “[I]t’s important to show that people are watching what the president is doing, that his power is not absolute, and that no one is above the law.” Beth Cymerman M.Ed. ’18 corroborated Sheridan’s words. “I think the sign says it all,” Cymerman said. “No one is above the law.”
Monday, Nov. 12, Kristen Waggoner entered a packed classroom at the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William and Mary to find desks draped with gay pride flags and students handing out ribbons in support of LGBTQ individuals. Waggoner was brought to the College as part of the Dunn Speaker Series to present her lecture entitled, “The Free Speech Clause and the Defense of Religious Liberty.” Waggoner is the senior vice president of legal services and senior counsel at the Alliance Defending Freedom, a legal advocacy and training group. The organization aims to fund cases, train attorneys and advocate in court for what it perceives to be key issues of religious freedom, including marriage, family and the sanctity of life. The Southern Poverty Law Center has designated the ADF as a hate group because they use constitutional guarantees of religion and free speech as a basis to deny rights to LGBTQ people. The ADF’s presence on campus was met first with a statement from the William and Mary Equality Alliance, with signatures from the Law School’s chapter of the American Constitution Society, Lawyers Helping Lawyers and the Law School’s chapter of If/When/How, Lawyering for Reproductive Justice. Members of these organizations then staged a protest during the event itself, motivated by their belief that Waggoner’s espoused values are damaging to students. “We believe there is a line between speakers whose ideas challenge our own opinions and preconceptions, and those whose ideas directly harm students,” the Equality Alliance said in a written statement. Law students from these organizations raised concerns about Waggoner’s lecture in the wake of controversy surrounding statements made by Jim McGlothlin, a significant donor to the Law School, during the McGlothlin Leadership Forum Wednesday, Oct. 31. According to Mathew Snarr J.D. ’20, McGlothlin made remarks disparaging children from single-family homes, victims of police shootings and activist and former NFLathlete Colin Kaepernick. According to what Snarr heard online and from friends, faculty members instructed a table of students to clap following McGlothlin’s remarks. Snarr attended a second session led by McGlothlin not of his own volition but because he was specifically instructed by Law School Dean and jurisprudence professor Davison Douglas that he must attend the event, or find someone to attend in his place, in order to create a large turnout. “We were told we had to be welcoming because Mr. McGlothlin was a big donor to the law school and, … if we couldn’t be there, we had to find someone to fill our seat because every seat needs to be filled,” Snarr said. When reports of this behavior surfaced online, including on the Gadfly and “Discourse” Facebook pages, they created public outcry and contributed to the protest against the Law School’s decision to host Waggoner. After distributing ribbons, students hung a large gay pride flag over the desks closest to Waggoner as well as in the back of the room. They did not interrupt her planned lecture but sat up front and used the question-and-answer portion of the event to express their discontent with Waggoner and See LAW SCHOOL page 3
NEWS ANALYSIS
Elaine Luria wins 2nd Congressional District seat following close race Democrats win majority in House of Representatives while Republicans maintain Senate stronghold REID CHAMPLIN FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER
In the first major election since U.S. President Donald Trump’s victory in 2016, Democrats took back the majority in the House of Representatives, and Republicans maintained their hold on the Senate amidst a flurry of close races, upsets and history-making firsts. In Virginia, it was the Democrats’ night to celebrate. Incumbent senator and former vice-presidential candidate Tim Kaine cruised to victory over Corey Stewart, the Prince William County supervisor with hardline conservative beliefs that distanced him from the national Republican establishment. Kaine was widely expected to win and was announced as senator within an hour of polls closing. In the House races, Democrat Jennifer Wexton defeated long-time incumbent Barbara Comstock in the 10th District, the first Democrat to hold Congressional office in that district since 1980, and Abigail
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Spanberger defeated Republican Dave Brat in the 7th District, the first Democrat to hold that seat since 1971. However, none of these elicited such effusive excitement on campus as the result of the congressional race in the 2nd District. Elaine Luria, a former Marine pilot who flew combat missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, entered Tuesday as a three-point underdog to Scott Taylor, the Republican incumbent. FiveThirtyEight Editor-inChief Nate Silver gave her only a 33 percent chance of winning. But as the night progressed, Elaine’s early lead held strong. Taylor resurged toward the end, casting the result into question, but Luria was declared the victor before midnight. It was a shocking win, and along with Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey the first time female graduates of the Naval Academy have been elected to Congress. The College of William and Mary played a part in this result, as many members of the William and Mary Young Democrats interned and volunteered for her campaign by knocking on doors and phone
Rainy, High 58, Low 38
See ELECTION page 4
Inside Variety
Inside Opinions
Griffin statue represents College well
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banking, and organizations like NextGen led voter registration efforts. Each party emerged with genuine claims to victory. Democrats emphasized their reclamation of the House for the first time since 2008 and the governorships of swing states Wisconsin and Michigan, and Republicans highlighted their continued control of the Senate and a gubernatorial win in Ohio, along with a tentative gubernatorial win in Florida, which is still contested due to claims of voter suppression. Democratic enthusiasm, coupled with a record turnout among women and racial minorities, produced what many have termed a “blue wave” of Democrats taking office. “I personally think [the blue wave] happened,” Young Democrats President Cody Mills ’20 said. “The turnout of Democratic voters was overwhelming. … It turned out to the best we could have expected.
Christian Borio ’22 thinks that the new griffin statue in front of Zable Stadium is a good representation of the College’s athletics. page 5
A capella group releases album Past members continue to influence the current success of all-male a cappella group The Stairwells. page 7
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News Editor Leonor Grave News Editor Madeline Monroe fhnews@gmail.com
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The Flat Hat | Tuesday, November 13, 2018 | Page 2
THE BUZZ
Bob will be remembered as a kind friend and a passionate teacher who always put the interest of William & Mary’s students first. Despite his long battle with Parkinson’s and lymphoma, he did not hesitate to teach in overland so that our B.S. students had enough classes to take and would be able to graduate. — Provost Michael Halleran on the passing of Emeritus computer science professor Robert “Bob” Noonan
‘If you’re not dead, you’re not too old’
POLICE BEAT
Nov. 7-8
U.S. Coast Guard veteran Jack Horner ’21 juggles college classes, fatherhood LAUREN COHEN // THE FLAT HAT
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Wednesday, Nov. 7 — Scream and shout: Police reported a verbal domestic incident at Patriot Lane.
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Wednesday, Nov. 7 — Scam and swindle: Police responded to reports of fraud at Richmond Road.
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Thursday, Nov. 8 — In harm’s way: Police reported threat of bodily harm at Capitol Landing Road.
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Thursday, Nov. 8 — Awry on Richmond: Annette Wilson was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct at Richmond Road. POLICE BEAT BY SARAH GREENBERG, KARINA VIZZONI / THE FLAT HAT
A THOUSAND WORDS COURTESY PHOTO / JACK HORNER
As a business owner, Jack Horner ‘21 did not initially plan on attending college after his time in the U.S. Coast Guard and gave his GI bill to his two daughters.
NIA KITCHIN / THE FLAT HAT
CORRECTIONS An article published in the Oct. 30 issue, titled “Dine to Impress: Students, faculty learn professional skills, dining etiquette” originally stated that the Parent and Family Council co-sponsored the Etiquette Luncheon. The William and Mary Parent’s Fund actually cosponsored the luncheon. The Flat Hat wishes to correct any fact printed incorrectly. Corrections may be submitted in email to the editor of the section in which the incorrect information was printed. Requests for corrections will be accepted at any time.
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After six years serving as a member of the United States Marine After 22 1/2 years of service in the U.S. Coast Guard, Jack Horner ’21 has decided to steer toward a different path. Since his retirement from service four years ago, he has built up his own business as well as taken on the endeavor of being a full-time student at the College of William and Mary. He is also a husband and the father of two college-age daughters. During his time in the Coast Guard, Horner served as a federal law enforcement officer and a defensive tactics instructor. He visited 31 different countries to train other militaries and to perform security risk assessments of international ports. Horner said that his favorite continent to visit was Africa — where he was deployed 11 times — and that these travels were the best part of being in the Coast Guard. However, the constant traveling ended up being the reason Horner decided to leave the Coast Guard after 22 years. He stated that the hardest part of his job came after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, when his job changed completely. From 2001 to 2012, Horner was deployed on average 225 days out of the year. This meant 225 days spent away from his wife and two daughters who were living here in Williamsburg at the time. “I missed Christmases, birthdays, cheering competitions, soccer games,” Horner said. He was finally located in Washington D.C., where it was still too far for him to commute from home every day. A memory that stuck out to him was during an evening after he left work: he listened through the phone while his oldest daughter played basketball. Horner felt in this moment that he had given up enough in the 22 years he served and decided to start a new course. “Why am I missing out on this stuff?” Horner said. “It was time to try something new.” Horner is the owner of his own business called the Bravo Maritime Group in Williamsburg where he teaches self-defense to clients and improves security for businesses and homes. His passion for security and helping people protect themselves stems from his time in the Coast Guard, but he actually got the idea for the business when his oldest daughter was heading off to college. He and his wife wanted to make sure that she knew selfdefense before moving away from home, so he wrote up a course for her and a few of her friends. The work came naturally, and that was the beginning of his business. Horner said he never intended on going back to college. He was content with his business, and because of that, he gave his GI Bill to his two daughters, who now go to school in North Carolina. The GI Bill is a law that provides benefits for soldiers once they retire from the U.S. Armed Forces. These benefits include compensation to attend high school, college and vocational schools, as well as mortgage and business loans. He is thankful that the bill was able to cover his daughters’ college expenses, and knows they will be thankful one day as well. “I don’t think they’ll get it now, but maybe in their 20s and 30s when they’re talking to their friends and they’re talking about their huge college debt, and they don’t have one, that’s when they’ll appreciate [it] the most,” Horner said. Things were running smoothly with his business until about a year and a half ago when he applied for a Federal Emergency Management Agency contract and was unable to get it because he did not have a bachelor’s degree. He decided that he would not miss out on any more contracts like that. “So here I am,” Horner said. Horner decided to apply to the College on a bit of a whim. He was walking around campus one night with his wife, admiring
how pretty it was and how much he loved studying history. Horner has always felt like one thing he missed out on was going to a brick-and-mortar college. He said he remembered his wife telling him, “If you’re not dead, you’re not too old,” and that sold him. He decided to apply to the College in 2017, and is now a part of the class of 2021 as a government major. Horner’s experience at the College has been a unique one. Being a student veteran comes with its own set of challenges on top of the rigorous academic standards. Horner stated that the College doesn’t always necessarily do a great job of dealing with veterans. “That’s one thing that William and Mary doesn’t do a good job of, of how to deal with veterans,” Horner said. “Hopefully [people] can start correcting the misnomers that are out there about vets.” He spoke of how students often don’t know how to interact with him because he is older and comes from a non-traditional background. Connecting with other students has been difficult, especially since he has a family and a business and is also a fulltime student.
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It was time to try something new. — Jack Horner ’21
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Each week, The Flat Hat profiles one person — a student, faculty or staff member, or alum that is deeply connected to the College of William and Mary. This week, The Flat Hat presents its second profile in a series about student veterans on campus.
It can also be challenging in situations where his professors are younger than him, because although he knows he is the student and is there to learn, he often feels as if professors are trying to prove themselves to him. There are a lot of misconceptions about student veterans. For example, one professor told Horner that veterans were the rudest students that he had because of his perception that they always sat in the back of the classroom. However, Horner explained that in his mind, there is a reason for this habit: veterans are often more conscious of the safety of their surroundings, including the location of emergency exits in the back of a classroom. “When the next Virginia Tech shooter comes through the door, it’s my job to protect everybody,” Horner said. There have also been many cases where Horner said he noticed students being rude to him if he was struggling in class, and that this further shows the divide between student veterans and younger students. To bridge this gap, the Student Veterans Association has been working on a training program called Green Zone, which involves an open dialogue between undergraduate veterans and faculty and staff. Horner is very involved in this process, and he is excited about changes that will be made in the near future. Currently, there is one event every semester, and in the future it will be implemented into the First Year Experience programming for new students during Orientation. This semester’s event has already happened, but there will be another in the spring. “We’re here just to be students, just like you are,” Horner said. “I mean it’s a slight difference. I’m 45, but whatever. Trust me, I’m having a lot more trouble with the computer than you are.”
The Flat Hat
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Tuesday, November 13, 2018
STUDENT LIFE
Veterans celebrate armistice centennial
Event intended to raise money for Coast Guard foundation EMMA FORD FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER
From 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 11 on the Sunken Garden, the Student Veterans Association of the College of William and Mary and the Reserve Officer Training Corps hosted the inaugural 100th Armistice Day Celebration Event to commemorate a century passing since the Allied Powers and Germany signed the armistice that ended World War I. Every year for Armistice Day, SVA rings the bell at the Sir Christopher Wren building at 11 a.m. to recognize and celebrate student veterans attending the College. However, because it is the 100th anniversary of the armistice, SVA wanted to create a bigger event that would not only celebrate veterans, but also bridge the divide between student veterans and the rest of the College’s student body. “One of my focal points as president was I wanted to broaden the interaction between the broader student body and student veterans on campus,” SVA President Corey York ’19 said. “A number of our student veterans have come in contact with students who said that they didn’t know [the College] had student veterans.” York hopes the event will become an annual affair that will showcase military activity in a fun way so that students, whether they are veterans or not, can interact with, get to know and understand each other. There was limited turnout for the event, with many attendees representing the five branches of the military.
ROTC, SVA members, and active-duty U.S. Coast Guard members were also present at the event. Many veterans brought their families and, during exercise breaks, stories of many of the attendees’ experiences in the military were shared over cupcakes and coffee. SVA Student Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Jack Horner ’21, who served 22 years in the Coast Guard, said that he was actually surprised by the turnout and was expecting a lot less people to attend. Next year, Horner hopes to increase turnout specifically among the College’s general student body as well as increase funding for the event. “We’re not sponsored yet by the College, so we don’t get funding like other groups on campus do, so we’re really looking for donations this year,” Horner said. The event hosted its first annual Colonial Warrior Challenge, which consisted of five stations of militaryoriented physical activity. Participants were led in a warm-up before the exercises began. Two rounds of the Warrior Challenge occurred with different members of ROTC participating in each round. Active-duty members and SVA members participated in both rounds. Participants would partake in the activity at each station for a total of three minutes. Station one was titled “Burpee Blowout,” and in round one, participants were required to complete both normal burpees and half-raised burpees, which required participants to enter a squat position after completing a push up. In round two, participants had to complete a
standard burpee and burpees that included a diamond pushup. Station two, “Water Jug Cone Competition,” required participants to run between cones carrying massive military water jugs. Station three, titled “Core Mania,” had participants doing a variety of core exercises, including V-ups, flutter kicks and planks. Station four, “Buddy Drag and Litter,” consisted of two different teams racing against a clock to carry a Mr. Orange dummy that is designed to simulate carrying the weight of a body. Lastly, station five, “Squat Burnout,” had participants squatting for the entirety of the three minutes. ROTC member Thomas Harwood ’19 said the event encouraged participants and observers to remember the work and sacrifice of veterans. “This day is very important to me because it reminds us of the sacrifices that people have made in the past for us,” Harwood said. “It is a really good opportunity for us to show our support to student veterans. I am looking forward to the Mr. Orange man station. It’s an orange dummy filled with sand that you have to carry around.” SVA also hosted its 100th Armistice Celebration to raise money for the Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Foundation. T-shirts and 550 cord bracelets were sold with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the organization. The t-shirts for the event were donated for free from an anonymous donor. A total of $350 was collected for the foundation from t-shirt and bracelet sales. Horner selected the foundation as the recipients of the funds due to his
service with the Coast Guard. According to Horner, the Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Foundation is an organization that he trusts and donates to. According to Lt. Coast Guard Maritime Security Response Team and Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Foundation representative Brian Hills, the SVA plans to rotate and donate to a different nonprofit each year. “Being the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, I think there is kind of a unique understanding of the lineage of this day,” Hills said. “People know it as Veterans Day, so it’s unique to reflect on the history. It’s nice coming out, get in a workout, do some challenging things and meet new people who have similar but different experiences.” As a finale to each round of the event, a tug of war took place between active-duty members, ROTC and SVA. In round one, active duty and ROTC squared off, with the active-duty members defeating ROTC members in less than 10 seconds. Active-duty members then squared off against SVA members, with the former taking home the victory in round one. In round two, active-duty members defeated ROTC again, but lost against SVA. “It was just kind of friendly competition to see if it was the old broken-down vets or the young new bucks that are coming up who’s going to win and give some trash talking rights for a year,” York said. York said that he hoped the student body walked away from the event with a better understanding of the veteran community.
POLITICS
Activists push to ratify Equal Rights Amendment VA ratify ERA visits College campus, works to rally student support for amendment CLAIRE HOGAN THE FLAT HAT
Friday, Nov. 9, the Marshall-Wythe School of Law hosted “A Place in History: Should Virginia Become the 38th and Final State Needed to Ratify the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution?” In this symposium, legal scholars, students and activists joined together to discuss the importance and implications of the ERA, an amendment prohibiting sex-based discrimination, and how the Commonwealth of Virginia could make history by ratifying it. Since its approval in Congress in 1972, the ERA has generated support and controversy. Originally advocated for by feminist activists intending to combat gender inequality, the ERA faced severe backlash at the time it was introduced. Arguments against it were plentiful: Some stated that the 14th amendment already implied gender equality, while others argued that the ERA would eliminate preferential legislation for women. Despite the controversy, the ERA passed in Congress and was ratified by 35 states. However, the ERA momentum fizzled out in 1982, when it fell just three states short of the 38 states required to become a constitutional amendment. Despite ongoing support from women’s rights activists, the ERA had stopped just before the finish line as the deadline for ratification came and went without any further action. Decades later, in 2017, Nevada became the 36th state to ratify the ERA, 36 years after the deadline had passed. Soon, Illinois followed, leaving only one more state needed to reach the required 38.
CLAIRE HOGAN / THE FLAT HAT
A bus representing the VA ratify ERA group stopped at the Sadler terrace.
Now, Virginia is facing increasing pressure to be the 38th and final state to ratify the ERA. This push for ratification was the main focus of the symposium, which was co-hosted by the interest group VA ratify ERA and the American Constitution Society at the law school. The symposium itself consisted of panels of lawyers and women’s rights activists, all of whom discussed the ERA and its implications. On campus, the Center for Student Diversity also hosted an event where VA ratify ERA advocates handed out buttons and stickers to educate students about the push for ratification in Virginia. “I think if this can work in Virginia, it can work anywhere,” Center for Student Diversity Student Organizer Alexa Mason ’19 said. “For Virginia, there’s such a mix of political values and such a mix of, I guess, just different viewpoints on gender equality that if we can all come together and make this work here, it can really work in any state.” Virginia still has not ratified the ERA, although there have been attempts in the past. Between 2011 and 2016, the Virginia State Senate attempted to ratify the ERA five times, only to be shut down in the House of Delegates each time. VA ratify ERA is urging the Virginia General Assembly to pass the ERA and to do it this year. “Why now is because … we’ve got momentum from 2016 and 2017,” 100th Anniversary Committee Co-Chair Jayne Barnard said at the symposium, during a panel titled “The ERA: Why Now?” Recent resurgence of women’s rights campaigns such as the #MeToo movement and anger about sexist comments from political figures have fueled the fire of the pro-ERA campaign. With the recent election of female Democratic candidates like Elaine Luria and Jennifer Wexton in Virginia, some argue it’s the perfect time for Virginia to ratify the ERA. “It’s the week after midterm elections where a historic amount of women candidates have been elected to office, which I think gives momentum right now for promoting gender equality,” George Townsend J.D. ’21, a law student attending the symposium, said. Although support for the ERA has grown in recent years, there are still legal issues involved. The original amendment was introduced with a deadline for ratification, a deadline which passed in 1982. At the symposium, however, there was a clear optimism about extending the deadline, as the text of the
deadline is not included in the amendment itself. “The deadline is in a statute — the statute can be changed,” Managing Partner of Chicago law firm Winston and Strawn Linda Coberly, the managing partner of Chicago law firm Winston & Strawn, said during the panel titled “A Path Forward: If Virginia Ratifies the ERA, What’s Next?” Questions of timing and legality weren’t the only issues on the table. The law symposium addressed a wide range of problems, from women’s professional lives, to female incarceration to gender discrimination. All of the issues had a common theme: they could be improved under the ERA. Many anti-discrimination practices in the United States are implicit in certain parts of the Constitution, such as the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment. However, the ERA would make these rules explicit, which some argue would decrease gender-based inequality in the United States. “Existing constitutional protection is weaker than it could be,” Gender, sexuality and women’s studies and law professor Vivian Hamilton said. “… An Equal Rights Amendment would give Congress that broader authority to better address sex discrimination.” The symposium attendees and ERA activists reflected on their personal connections to the fight for equal rights. Many at the symposium have fought for the ERA since its approval in the ’70s, whereas others were newcomers to the cause. “It’s definitely a topic that I didn’t know a lot about before today, but with so many different speakers, so many different perspectives, it’s been a great learning opportunity,” Townsend said. Despite its long and tumultuous history, the ERA, according to some, some say the ERA is now just a few steps away from becoming the 28th amendment to the Constitution. For many, the promise of an amendment specifically prohibiting gender-based discrimination signals a brighter future. “For me, it means being able to have the equal rights and privileges in the workplace and just generally that are afforded to men in this country,” Mason said. “I think making sure that women have equal access to fair pay, equal educational opportunities and really kind of opening those doors for women is really what the ERA is all about, and making sure that that’s a legal precedent is something that’s really important for us.”
Progressive groups at law school raise concerns about conservative speakers Lawyer who represented Masterpiece Cakeshop in Supreme Court case stands by Christian marriage views LAW SCHOOL from page 1
the ADF’s views and question her reasoning. “Unlike how LGBTQ+ voices have historically been silenced, we do not wish to ‘shout down’ or silence Ms. Waggoner,” the Equality Alliance said in a written statement. “We encourage our fellow students who feel comfortable doing so to attend Ms. Waggoner’s lecture, to respectfully listen to opposing views, and to challenge her in return.” President of the Equality Alliance Colin Neal J.D. ’20 said that it was important to him that they protest civilly but also in a way that would call attention to these issues of equality. “We didn’t send out questions or things for people to say,” Neal said. “… We wanted to make sure that we were civil and that we respected that everyone should have free speech, but not everyone has always had equal access to the levers of power that advocates of free speech like to act [as though] have always been equal,” Neal said. During her lecture, Waggoner discussed her Supreme Court fight and narrow win in the Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission case. In the case, Waggoner argued that it is within the rights of a Christian baker to refuse to bake a cake for a same-sex couple’s wedding. The basis of Waggoner’s argument lay in her assertion that no one should be forced to violate their Christian principles because this could set a dangerous precedent. Waggoner used a hypothetical example of a democratic speechwriter being forced to write for
United States President Donald Trump, reasoning that this scenario would be permissible under the same law that would force bakers like her client to bake for gay couples. Waggoner called proponents of exceptions to conscientious objection for protected classes inconsistent. “Speech and religious freedom help us with progress and contribute to intellectual freedom and pluralism,” Waggoner said. Waggoner also emphasized the importance of historical context in the unique institution of heterosexual marriage. In order to differentiate interracial marriage from gay marriage, she argued that the former is legal while the latter should not be because marriage has always been between a man and a woman, while marriages between different races have existed in the past. “Context matters in the free speech context — the message changes when the context changes,” Waggoner said. During the question-and-answer portion of the event, students and professors debated vociferously with Waggoner over these views. Students questioned her insistence on the systemic nature of heterosexual marriage and refuted her arguments with examples from the Bible about Abraham engaging in polygamy. In response, Waggoner said that Abraham had “screwed up.” When fielding questions about her organization’s designation as a hate group, Waggoner said that she did not agree with this designation. She said that it’s easy to “slap names on things” but that the ADF considers each case individually. Following a heated exchange with a professor
about the cynicism expressed in her views, Waggoner expressed to the crowd her hope that this disagreement will lead to increased engagement in the future. “If you want to go out and speak on our group and how much you like it and disagree with it, then go ahead,” Waggoner said. “We believe you should have the right to do that. One of the greatest contributions to our nation is ability to disagree civilly.” Christian Law Society President Nick Thompson J.D. ’20 drew the open forum to a close after the allotted hour had passed. In regard to the effectiveness of the event, Thompson said that he considered it to be a constructive conversation, and while he disagreed with the categorization of the ADF as a hate group and some of the comments made at the event, he still appreciated the open discourse. “Discourse is a good thing,” Thompson said. “…A good healthy amount of conflict leads to the highest production.” However, students involved in the protest disagreed with Thompson’s assessment of the productiveness of the event. President of Lawyers Helping Lawyers Ryan Walkenhorst J.D. ’19 expressed her concern that the oncampus presence of a group attempting to deny rights to LGBTQ people was threatening and disturbing to students. She said that it appeared hypocritical that the Law School claims to represent the citizen lawyer and create a diverse community yet still invited Waggoner to speak. “I think there is a difference between diverse viewpoints and organizations and speech that actively harm their students and their students’ mental health,” Walkenhorst
said. “There are documented, over and over and over again, consequences of people that are affected by these speeches.” Neal said that he wanted to protest the event in order to make it very clear that Waggoner’s values are not shared by everyone at the Law School. Emphasizing the importance of standing up to hateful rhetoric, Colin said that standing up for marginalized groups on campus is critical. “We thought that we needed to at least make our voices heard and show that there is support within our law school for queer people,” Neal said. Despite the contention apparent during Waggoner’s lecture, afterward she said that this impassioned debate was essential in order to gain a shared understanding. “I think it’s important to hear views that you disagree with and to have civil dialogue about them,” Waggoner said. “I welcome hostile questions; I thought it was very respectful. And I think it’s important to emphasize that in other settings, when you’re a lawyer and not a law student, we have debates all the time with groups that oppose us, [like] the ACLU and other groups, and that helps civil dialogue. It helps us to understand each other. It may help us to rethink our proven positions, and it can help with social progress.” Despite Waggoner’s dedication to dynamic debate for the sake of opening minds, her response to student questions about the validity of her argument acknowledges a certain amount of adherence to her own proven positions.
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The Flat Hat
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
POLITICS
Students flag down voters in exit polls
Government class experiments with patriotic wear to attract survey responses WILLIAM ALLEN FLAT HAT CHIEF STAFF WRITER
Students at the College of William and Mary participated in the midterm election Tuesday, Nov. 6 in more ways than simply voting. Every year, students in government professor Daniel Doherty’s Political Polling and Survey Analysis class have the unique experience of conducting an exit poll after voters leave the voting booth. With this particular exit poll, Doherty made a concerted effort to promote methods of achieving a representative sample. “There’s a common problem of trying to get a representative sample: certain people are more willing to do exit polls than others,” Doherty said. “In fact, we have people who want to do the exit poll, and we have to tell them no so we can get a representative sample.” To tackle this problem, this year, Doherty conducted this experiment in a unique manner. He took the idea from one of his former students, David King ’19, and decided to have certain groups of students conducting the exit polls wear patriotic American flag hats and shirts while others wore more nondescript clothing. “In today’s political climate, those who are less likely to do exit polls are often people more likely to be affiliated with [U.S. President Donald] Trump,” Doherty said. “And Trump expresses a bit of disdain or at least [is] not a big fan of the press, and most people associate exit polls and polling in general with the press. So in order to try and minimize that problem, in order to try and make those people more willing to participate in our exit polls, we conducted an experiment in which half of the students were randomly assigned to wear flag attire.” Doherty assigned students in groups of two to six different voting precincts between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. — two in Williamsburg and four in James City County. Selecting every third person, students asked
voters to fill out a questionnaire. Selected voters shared information about who they voted for in the House of Representatives and Senate races as well as who they voted for in the 2016 general election. “We tried to keep the surveys completely anonymous, so we gave people the survey and stepped away and put it in a folder once they were done so they wouldn’t feel it was possibly biased,” Patrick Salsburg ’21, one of the students conducting exit polls, said. While conducting their polls, there was a noticeable difference in partisanship between voting precincts. Williamsburg precincts leaned more Democratic while precincts in James City County were more Republican. According to Doherty, students wearing American flag clothing did in fact attract more Republican voters. “The flag surveyors definitely got more Trump supporters, more conservatives, Republicans,” Doherty said. “… They seemed more willing to say ‘yes’ to someone wearing flag attire.” While the sample size of the data did not achieve statistical significance, Doherty said that the data of around 460 voters suggested a positive correlation between wearing patriotic clothing and voters agreeing to take part in the survey. In James City County, there was a 10 percent increase in responses, from 34.4 percent to 43.1 percent, when the student conducting the poll was dressed in flag attire. The exit poll found 70.1 percent of voters voted for Sen. Tim Kaine while 26 percent of voters voted for Corey Stewart in the Senate race. 67.1 percent of voters voted for Democratic candidate Elaine Luria in the House race while 32.3 percent voted for the Republican candidate Rep. Scott Taylor. In the 2016 race, the class’s exit poll data showed 26.6 percent voted for Trump, 57.2 percent voted for Hillary Clinton and 10.4 percent of voters did not vote at all. Students who conducted the polls reported that voter response was mixed. Some voters accused students of collaboration with “fake news
media,” while others simply wanted to talk. “I might have had a few negative responses,” Salsburg, one of the surveyors clad in American-flag attire, said. “No one said anything negative to me in rejecting the survey request. One girl gave me the middle finger, and a bunch of people aggressively said ‘no.’” Students who participated in conducting the exit polls said they thought the experiment was a unique way to engage with the voting process. “I was kind of surprised by some of the people’s votes because I just didn’t know who people had voted for,” Salsburg said. Other students described the exit poll experience as providing a window into the core of the democratic process. “It was great,” Brian Connolly ’19 said. “It sounds so corny, but I don’t know. This is the corny part, [but] it’s a very beautiful process. … watching people vote for the first time or they are 85, ready to get up and go vote.”
JAMIE HOLT / THE FLAT HAT
Daniel Doherty randomly selected students in his class to wear flag apparel.
STUDENT ASSEMBLY
Review Board mandates new Class of 2020 election Provisional ballots, technical issues lead to three complaints questioning validity of Nov. 2 results SARAH SMITH FLAT HAT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
After reviewing its first case in over a decade, the College of William and Mary’s Student Assembly Review Board has ordered that the special election for the class of 2020 senatorial seats be held again. The Review Board arrived at this decision after hearing one case that questioned the constitutionality of provisional ballots and the accuracy of the special election, considering technical difficulties with TribeLink during the day of the election, Friday, Nov. 2. “During deliberations after the hearing, the Review Board unanimously agreed with the remedies suggested by the petitioner and respondent — that a new special election take place before Thanksgiving break,” Review Board Chair Henry Blackburn ’20 said in a written statement. “The circumstances of the case were clear: the issues present in the last election were caused by human error with no intention to hurt anyone affected, be them (sic) candidates or voters.” The formal hearing was held Sunday, Nov. 11
in Blow Memorial Hall. Angela Tiangco ’20, who initially lost the race by two votes, brought her case against Elections Commission Chair Sarah Baker ’19. Blackburn emphasized that before the hearing began, both Tiangco and Baker wished for the same resolution: a new election. Review Board member Charlie Balaan ’19 recused himself from the case due to his friendship with Tiangco. Earlier this semester, after three senators announced their resignation from the Student Assembly senate, the class of 2020 planned a special election for Nov. 2. During the day of the special election, class of 2020 President Kelsey Vita ’20 alerted the class of 2020 that some students were having difficulties accessing their ballots on TribeLink, and that those students could email their votes to Baker. These votes were then treated as provisional ballots. That night, Baker certified that Cody Mills ’20, JonDavid Nichols ’20 and Zie Medrano ’20 had won the election. Later that weekend, three cases were opened with the Review Board. Sen. Jack Bowden ’19, Vita and Sen.
Alec Friedman ’19 and Tiangco all brought forward concerns about whether or not such ballots were permitted in the SA Constitution, and about whether the technical difficulties had interfered with electionday outcomes. Bowden, Vita and Friedman withdrew their two cases as Tiangco’s was nearly identical to theirs and presented a greater challenge to the validity of the election. After the hearing, Blackburn said the special election would need to be held again before Tuesday, Nov. 20. Additionally, the Review Board has charged the Elections Commission with ensuring that these technical difficulties do not occur again. “Although it wasn’t an optimal situation, the electoral process was clearly compromised due to a mistake in the list of eligible voters in the class of 2020,” SA President Brendan Boylan ’19 said in a written statement. “I’m proud of the Review Board’s commitment to institutional integrity, the adaptability of the Elections Commission, and the patience of the fine candidates running for senate.” Boylan said that before the SA senate meeting
Tuesday, Nov. 13, he will be meeting to discuss the date of the next special election. He said that he anticipates that the election will be held before the end of this week, and that candidates will not be allowed to campaign further. However, he said that SA plans to continue to publicize the election via email and social media. Mills, Medrano and Nichols, along with the rest of the candidates, will now be up for election once again. Medrano said that when he found out about the Review Board’s decision, he was relieved to hear that they were working to make sure that the election was run properly. “As we vote for the second time to elect our senators, I am optimistic that the class of 2020 knows the importance of this re-vote,” Medrano said in a written statement. “The other candidates and I have already made our cases to the voters, but this second election is an important opportunity to ensure that the junior class may select its best representatives for Student Assembly. I want to express my gratitude to the class of 2020 for their consideration and attention for the voices of all of our qualified candidates.”
FACULTY
Computer science department founder Noonan dies at 74 Dedicated professor served as leader in academic, administrative positions during time at College SARAH SMITH FLAT HAT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Robert “Bob” Noonan, an Emeritus computer science professor at the College of William and Mary who is credited with founding the department, died Thursday, Nov. 1, following a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was 74 years old. College Provost Michael Halleran confirmed his death with a message to faculty Nov. 6. Noonan had worked at the College since 1976 as a faculty member in the mathematics department. Soon after, he and two other colleagues persuaded the College administration to establish a stand-alone computer science department. In July 1984, such a department was founded, offering both bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Furthermore, in 1986, the computer science department became the third at the College to offer doctoral degrees. “Bob will be remembered as a kind friend and a passionate teacher who always put the interest of William & Mary’s students first,” Halleran said in a written statement. “Despite his long battle with Parkinson’s and lymphoma, he did not hesitate to teach in overland so that our B.S. students had enough classes to take and would be able to graduate. His students have fond memories of his mentorship as well as the annual graduation parties at his
home. His support for his department and his colleagues was also unwavering. He did not hesitate to sit in every single lecture of junior colleagues for an entire semester to provide constructive advice as how to improve their teaching.” Noonan was born June 4, 1944, in Rahway, New Jersey. He received his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Providence College in 1966 and his master’s and doctoral degrees from Purdue University in 1968 and 1971, respectively. Noonan was the 22nd student to receive a Ph.D. in computer science from Purdue. Soon after graduating, he joined the faculty of the University of Maryland at College Park as an assistant professor. During his time at the College, Noonan took a lead in several academic and administrative positions. He chaired the Information Technology Advisory Committee, a position in which he convinced the administration to wire campus for internet access. Then, he served as the acting associate provost for information technology. He also served as the computer science department’s longest-standing undergraduate director. Noonan later joined the Liberal Arts Computer Science Consortium representing the College and was a long-standing member of the Association for Computing Machinery and the Special Interest Group for Computer Science Education. He also co-authored a textbook, “Programming Languages: Principles and Paradigms” that has been used to teach
programming languages across the country. “Despite his many accomplishments, Bob was humble and dedicated to others,” Halleran said in a written statement. “He would always speak his mind but extremely thoughtfully and considerately. As a leading figure in our Department for decades, he has nurtured an egalitarian, good stewardship climate which we identify as one of the biggest strengths in our department and try to maintain to this day.” When both he and his wife, who was also a computer science professor at the College, retired, the computer science department established the Bob and Debbie Noonan Award that is now given to an undergraduate student with a high GPA and active participation in computer science-related extracurriculars. Noonan is survived by his wife, son, three brothers, numerous nephews, nieces, grand-nephews, grand-nieces and his in-laws. Halleran said Noonan will be greatly missed by his students, friends and colleagues. Visitation hours were held Wednesday, Nov. 7 at the Nelsen Funeral Home in Williamsburg. A celebration of life service was held Thursday, Nov. 8 at the Wellspring United Methodist Church. Halleran said that in lieu of flowers, Noonan’s family has asked that donations be made to the Williamsburg Players or to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
Leading Democrats hope to use newly-gained majority to enact executive oversight One hundred women, including first Muslim, Native candidates, won House races, the highest number in Congressional history ELECTION from page 1
The House of Representatives gain we got was way more than I expected. This is what the blue wave was.” However, Republicans have been quick to point out that the net gains for Democrats have been well below the historical average for the opposition party in midterm elections, questioning the extent to which liberals truly rallied against an embattled President Trump in the face of historic trends. “Even though we lost 29 seats in the House, I don’t think that’s the massive blue wave that a lot of leftleaning outlets were talking about,” Young Republicans member Kellyn McKee ’22 said. “It’s pretty standard for the president’s party to lose seats in the midterms.”
Democratic party officials have promised to use their newly gained power to more closely oversee the actions of the Trump administration, including the Special Counsel’s inquiry into Russian collusion, the separation of migrant children at the border and the investigation into Trump’s tax returns. A politically divided government offers both a real possibility of political gridlock and a chance at effective oversight by an opposition party. At the gubernatorial level, Democrats will gain either seven, eight or nine seats depending on final vote counts and recounts. Stacey Abrams, the Democratic candidate running to serve as governor of Georgia — who would be the first black woman to serve in that role — is facing a possible runoff with Georgia Secretary of State Brian
Kemp, who was lambasted throughout the campaign for possible conflicts of interest regarding racial culling of voter rolls. In Florida, Andrew Gillum initially conceded to Republican Ron DeSantis but has since withdrawn his concession and is demanding a recount. Democrats won solidly in Nevada, New Mexico, Maine, Illinois and surprisingly in Kansas, Wisconsin and Michigan. Tuesday was also a victory for underrepresented groups. 100 women won races for House seats, the highest tally to date. Democrats Sharice Davids, a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, and Deb Haaland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo people, will become the first Native American congresswomen. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar will become the first Muslim congresswomen. Jared Polis will become America’s first
openly gay governor in Colorado, Veronica Escobar and Sylvia Garcia will be the first Hispanic women Texas has sent to the House and Marsha Blackburn will become Tennessee’s first female senator. Ballot initiatives also produced civil rights advances, as Florida restored the voting rights of 1.4 million felons, Colorado forbade prisoners from being forced to work and Arkansas and Missouri raised their minimum wages. Members of the Young Democratic Socialists of America chapter on campus emphasized that these election results are largely due to the efforts of local community organizers. “The organizers and communities who fought to empower marginalized people, against all odds, deserve to be recognized as heroes,” YDSA member Josh Messite ’20 said in a written statement.
opinions
Opinions Editor Ethan Brown Opinions Editor Katherine Yenzer fhopinions@gmail.com
The Flat Hat | Tuesday, November 13, 2018 | Page 5
STAFF COLUMN
STAFF COLUMN
Griffin statue represents College’s athletics well
Christian Borio THE FLAT HAT
GRAPHIC BY SARAH BRADY / THE FLAT HAT
Planned campus blackout causes safety concern
Kimberly Lores THE FLAT HAT
The entire College of William and Mary campus community was sent into a tizzy Oct. 30 upon receiving an email that there would be intermittent power outages Halloween night, due to the need for transformer repairs on campus. The repairs were subsequently rescheduled to occur during the night of Nov. 7 and early morning of Nov. 8. Although it was ultimately a smart decision to move the repairs to a date after Halloween, it was still quite inconvenient and dangerous to have power outages occur during a weeknight at all. My main issue with these repairs is that they were scheduled to happen the night before the class of 2022 was supposed to register for classes for the spring semester. In fact, the email that students received from Residence Life stated that these power outages would continue until 6 a.m. — just an hour before registration. That was a poor plan, considering many students — myself included — need an alarm clock to wake up any time before 7 a.m. As someone who has a tendency to sleep through alarms, I have a digital alarm clock next to my bed which blares a siren noise into my ear each morning (ask my roommate — she loves it). This alarm clock needs to be plugged in, and whenever there is a power surge, it resets. I went to sleep Wednesday night completely fearful that it would reset due to the power outages and would therefore not go off in time to wake me up so that I could register for classes the next morning. Luckily, my roommate made sure I was awake and able to snag seats in my Interpreting Literature class — but the situation could have easily turned into a disaster. It would have been unpleasant, but understandable, if there had been unexpected power outages the night before registration — but it makes absolutely no sense that the
school planned to have a blackout during that time. Although that is obviously not the world’s most dire problem, there are some more serious issues with this power outage occurring when it did. The repairs were scheduled to begin at 11 p.m., a time that is somewhat early for busy college students who are trying to finish up their work on a long Wednesday night. I have spent quite a few nights working on papers in Swem or walking back from a friend’s dorm past 11 p.m. on a weeknight. It makes little sense to plan power outages (which affect streetlamps) beginning at this time. Some students even took to Facebook to write posts about having to walk down streets where there was no lighting at all. This is simply unsafe.
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The repairs were scheduled to begin at 11 p.m., a time that is somewhat early for busy college students who are trying to finish up their work on a long Wednesday night. I understand that these repairs cannot be done during the day on a college campus, as doing so would interrupt important class time and mess with the computer labs as well as the lighting in classrooms across campus. But perhaps repairing this transformer Friday or Saturday night and starting much later in the evening/early morning would be a better solution. This way, most students would be indoors, and they would not have to worry about making sure their alarm clocks will go off on time to make it to registration or class the next morning. Email Kimberly Lores at kmlores@email.wm.edu
Our beloved College of William and Mary has recently placed, or in the words of my colleagues, “erected,” a large statue of the Griffin outside of Zable Stadium, causing noticeable confusion and dismay before promptly being turned into a meme (as happens to most things nowadays). But memes aside, this bronze statue seemingly portrays Tribe sports in a light which they are striving to abandon: namely, as a joke. However, I’m here not only as the devil’s advocate, but as a wholehearted believer in the sanctity of this statue as a symbol for our school pride and a representation of our insatiable desire for excellence. Here’s why the Griffin statue is exactly what we need. The statue is absolutely magnificent. Perfectly sculpted, expertly designed to promote its most striking features, and strategically positioned to drive fear into the hearts of our enemies, our griffin should find endearment where instead it finds ridicule. Like the impressive figure of a stoic Roman emperor, our griffin stands before our own Field of Mars, leading our faithful troops into battle after battle, rebounding from our lowest losses and relishing in our greatest triumphs. Indeed, with features chiseled akin to Michelangelo’s David, our Griffin represents the tenacity of the Tribe spirit in the face of many a terrible Goliath. But with this conscious emphasis on classical interpretations of the perfect form, why is the College looking to the past when it should be looking forward? While the College’s taste in sculpture is commendable and reflects a deeper respect for the arts that has potential to propel it into a golden age, we have to think about the future and the effects of our current actions. You see, this statue was not made for the College specifically but was produced for a separate institution. How could we live with ourselves if we let a fellow Griffin fall by the wayside, lost and abandoned and forsaken by its own people — the very same people who simultaneously confess their undying loyalty to it and don’t have the courage to do what is right? A people who can’t rely on the strength of their convictions to act justly, fairly and righteously toward a fellow Griffin. It is our civic duty to harbor this homeless griffin and to give it the community he never had. But to do that, to truly give this lost imaginary creature the home it deserves, we must welcome it with open arms. Instead it is scorned and mocked, the victim of a childish and school-wide derision that is costing us our dignity. It should be seen as a holy symbol of virtue and athletic prowess, not as an outlet for our insecurities. It should be seen as an example of our appreciation for the arts and higher culture, not as a whipping boy for a juvenile student body. In this day and age, our administration must understand that anything can be turned into a meme. Few on this campus will appreciate the chiseled form of our magnificent Griffin, each of the artisan’s masterful strokes contributing to an elegant and fierce masterpiece. I, for one, will kneel before our saintly Griffin and sell him my eternal soul, but that’s just me. Email Christian Borio at cmborio@email.wm.edu
STAFF COLUMN
Class registration should not be severe source of student stress, anxiety
Isabella Miranda THE FLAT HAT
With registration on our minds, thinking about which classes to take and maybe considering majors, it seems that there is no time to slow down. Registration should be an exciting time, because we are looking for classes that interest us. Instead, when I am talking to my friends about registration, the phrase, “I’m trying to get my life together,” usually pops up. The pressure placed on registration is unhealthy and removes the potential joy that can come from being enrolled in classes that we are excited about. Registration shouldn’t be a “make-or-break”
moment in our lives as students. Although your number-one choice for a class may be full and you can’t receive an override, some other classes may end up making a greater impact on your life. At this age, I don’t think we should strive “to get our lives together.” I don’t know one person my age who knows exactly where they are going to be in the next 10 years, let alone what they are going to do tomorrow. College is the time for experience, making mistakes and testing out the waters. I came into college with no idea what my plan for the future was. Actually, that’s not completely accurate; I thought I was going to be pre-med. In the fall semester of my freshman year I took BIO 225, and let us just say I am now an English major. When I first arrived at the College of William and Mary, I had no idea which class to take to fulfill my COLL 150 requirement. I love to read, and I thought taking a class that would require me to read would be a refreshing break from biology, so I enrolled in an English course
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Don’t disregard your secondchoice classes, or the ones the that seem ‘weird’ and ‘unimportant,’ because they could possibly make the deepest impact on your life.
called Englishwomen Artists. To say the least, it became my favorite class of that semester, and, thinking of it, my entire time at the College so far. I felt engaged with the texts we were reading and realized that this is what I love to do. I decided to ditch the pre-med track and follow my passion. As cheesy as it sounds, I am not exaggerating when I think about how much that class meant to me. Don’t disregard your second-choice classes, or the ones the that seem “weird” and “unimportant,” because they could possibly make the deepest impact on your life. Registration is important because it helps guide you on your college career path, but it does not define it. If you don’t get one class you want, it does not mean that you won’t graduate or get your degree on time. Even when Banner crashes, there are always alternative options, and it is important to be open to them. Email Isabella Miranda at immiranda@email.wm.edu
The Flat Hat
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
Page 6
STAFF COLUMN
STAFF COLUMN
Divisive political dialogue damaging, increasingly toxic
Chloe Folmar THE FLAT HAT
Friday, Nov. 9, 85-year-old Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was hospitalized after fracturing three ribs in a fall. Naturally, this resulted in political tension. Many far-right Twitter accounts failed to show proper respect after the incident. Unfortunately, it feels as if disregarding the humanity of political figures is the norm. Degrading and even violent rhetoric seems to reign in today’s political climate. At the end of October, mail bombs were sent to a number of Democratic politicians and donors, including former United States President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. For many, such an extreme incident seemed inevitable as a result of the rhetoric so often used in politics today. After all, our own President Donald Trump constantly dehumanizes others through name-calling and ad hominem attacks, including those in his own party. This is evidenced by Trump’s comments about Republican candidates who lost midterm elections in his recent postelection news conference. However, threatening rhetoric toward political figures is not by any means one sided. The night of Wednesday, Nov. 7, a group of anti-fascist protesters rallied outside the family home of Tucker Carlson, a Fox News personality who generally supports Trump, chanting, “Tucker Carlson, we will fight! We know where you sleep at night!” They also hung signs on his property. This sort of threatening intrusion into the personal lives of public figures has become a pattern over the last couple of years.
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Degrading and even violent rhetoric seems to reign in today’s political climate. Now, however, the same rhetoric used against public figures is being extended to whole groups. In the midterm elections, the majority of white women voted for Republican candidates including Ted Cruz, Ron DeSantis and Brian Kemp and against progressive Democrats including Beto O’Rourke, Andrew Gillum and Stacy Abrams. A storm of explicit tweets immediately poured in, cursing the white female demographic and claiming that these women are being used as “tools of the patriarchy.” Actress Heather Matarazzo used violent language, telling white women to “choke to death” on the patriarchy. Not only is this rhetoric alienating to the population Democrats need to win elections, but more importantly, it suggests that women do not have brains of their own and, therefore, should be wiped out of existence. This idea is undemocratic, anti-feminist and shows a disregard for the value of human life. Here at the College of William and Mary, there are a wide variety of political groups encouraging strong stances and activism. We should fight hard for the causes in which we believe, but we should take the recent trend of violent political rhetoric as a warning of what happens when politics become all-consuming. The other side using violent tactics does not excuse one’s own; rather, rational discussion can bring consensus or at least a peaceful agreement to disagree. As the Declaration of Independence says, all humankind is created equal — each of us should treat others with equal dignity and respect, regardless of political affiliation. Email Chloe Folmar at csfolmar@email.wm.edu.
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COMMENTS @THEFLATHAT
I never felt it was appropriate to vote in my college town. Besides national and state races, there are local races and issues that wouldn’t affect me for the long term the way they do “real” residents of the area. – Caroline Wren Martin on “Despite living in Williamsburg, out-of-state students should vote in home district”
Yay Bee & Goody for making a difference for all the students at W&M
– Beth Sala Covin on “More than a 5k: McLeod, Tyler contribute to College campus’s physical, mental, spirtual health”
GRAPHIC BY KAYLA PAYNE / THE FLAT HAT
Art courses deserve additional academic credit
Alyssa Slovin THE FLAT HAT
The cinematic masterpiece, “Lemonade Mouth,” is about a ragtag group of friends who meet when they are each given detention. They are tasked with cleaning the new classroom of the music department, as it has been exiled to the dingy basement of their high school. Here at the College of William and Mary, our arts programs may not be confined to the basement, (although our newspaper office is), but the unfair treatment still holds true. Instead of being shunned to the basement, arts classes are worth less credit than conventional classes, even though they demand more class time. I might not be great at math, but even I can calculate the number of hours a course takes a week and notice that credits are lacking for students who work hard in the arts. I am currently enrolled in Modern Dance I. The class meets for almost four hours a week, yet it is only worth two credits. Similarly, the COLL 100 class that I chose for this coming spring semester is an art class. In order to match all the other COLL 100 classes and be worth four credits, the class meets for almost six hours a week. How is it fair that each of my arts classes cheats me out of two credit hours that I rightfully deserve? All of my other classes meet for almost three hours a week, and
— you guessed it — they are all worth three credits. Most science, technology, engineering and mathematics classes have a lab that is also graded, so those students receive four credits for the 4 1/2 hours of graded class time. This balance may not be perfect either, but it is definitely much more balanced than the arts programs. I’m not even an art major, but I am still passionate about this issue. If I was majoring or minoring in one of the arts, I don’t know how I would ever graduate. In order to graduate on time, I would have to take at least six or seven classes a semester once I started taking classes focused in my field of study as an upperclassman. I have a cousin who graduated from the College of New Jersey with a Bachelor of Music with concentrations in education and the oboe. He has told me about how challenging it can be to create a schedule for a major in the arts, as most of his classes only count as one or two credits each. Also, the ensembles that he was a part of met for three hours a week, yet he only received half of a credit for them. Those who study other subjects often argue that this is a shame for those who major in the arts, but they believe that nothing can or should change. They believe that arts classes are ultimately easier and less serious, so they should not be held to the same level as classes in their own area of study. And isn’t this what the system is implying? By allotting these classes less credits — by literally discrediting these classes — the system robs them of their value. The arts may utilize different elements and techniques of learning, but that does not mean they are lesser. Students should not be punished by being told that the subjects they are studying are less valuable than the subjects that others are studying. If one science class was granted less credit than another simply because the latter was a more respected field in science, there would be outrage at the College. Email Alyssa Slovin at amslovin@email.wm.edu.
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I might not be great at math, but even I can calculate the number of hours a course takes a week and notice that credits are severely lacking for students who work hard in the arts.
STAFF COLUMN
Georgia’s gubernatorial race exposes risks of voting absentee, demonstrates importance of youth political engagement
Emma Ford THE FLAT HAT
Monday, Nov. 5, I drove back to my hometown of Richmond, Virginia, woke up early Tuesday morning, went to my polling place, voted and drove all the way back to the College of William and Mary before my first class of the day. My decision to not vote absentee was influenced by an article I read about Georgia’s government discarding a high number of absentee ballots because of “mismatched” signatures. I am privileged to attend a school an hour away from my hometown, which enables me to return and vote in person. Yet, for many of my fellow college students, voting absentee is their only option in order to participate in this democratic process. During election night, it was revealed that the Republican gubernatorial candidate and Georgia’s Secretary of State Brian Kemp held
50.33 percent of the vote, while the opposing Democrat Stacey Abrams held 48.72 percent of the vote. In response, Abrams refused to concede to Kemp, citing the fact that a large majority of absentee ballots had yet to be counted as well as reports that upwards of 53,000 voters were turned away at the polls by Kemp’s office. If these votes are counted, Georgia could enter a runoff election that will take place in December. A higher number of college students voted absentee in the 2018 midterm elections in comparison to the 2014 midterms. According to TargetSmart, a Democratic political data services firm, Georgia saw a 362 percent increase in youth early votes in this year’s election. “We are investigating multiple cases from students who believe they timely and properly submitted their absentee ballots but when they checked the Secretary of State’s website, it appears those ballots have not yet been accepted,” Abrams’ team said in a press release. This issue raises concerns about the validity of the United States’ democratic process of voting. If absentee ballots are being overlooked, then a large section of the electorate is as well. Because the youth vote has been historically minimal, issues concerning young people have continually been pushed to the side.
However, this election’s increase of youth voters gives me hope that more of my generation will participate in elections. Thus, issues concerning a large portion of young people will be heard in Congress and among those elected in each state. In a Pew Research Center study, it was found that a majority of youth voters are liberal and more likely to vote for the Democratic candidate. The Center also found in a study that millennials are beginning to rival the baby boomer generation in the electorate, giving the youth vote more importance. Georgia’s elections may demonstrate how this increasingly Democratic youth vote can be suppressed. Furthermore, Kemp’s office controlled the organization of the election despite Kemp being a candidate, which raises concerns about the credibility of the election. When votes are not counted, voices are suppressed and the stability of democracy is called into question. For me, I will continue to return home each election to ensure my voice is properly considered. But what about my college friends who are not as fortunate? What about my friends who must vote absentee? What will happen to their voices? Email Emma Ford at erford@email.wm.edu.
variety
Variety Editor Heather Baier Variety Editor Carmen Honker flathat.variety@gmail.com
The Flat Hat
| Tuesday, November 13, 2018 | Page 7
Stairwells alumni continue to play role in a capella group’s success ZOE BEARDSLEY // THE FLAT HAT
BETWEEN
Stairwells used is called Guest Room Recordings and is run out of Williamsburg by a former Before Oct. 20, The Stairwell, Clayton Perry ’12. Stairwells’ Spotify page “He runs it out of his house,” Anderson said. “He has a studio in his house, and he hosts featured three albums to us. He does a really good job, and he knows our sound and what we want, so he can mix it listen to. One of their songs, all properly to make it sound the way we want. We started recording in early February of last “Cocoa Butter Kisses,” has over semester, and we didn’t finish until about April. We were going every Tuesday, and we would 6 million streams, and they record on Sundays as well.” have almost 100,000 monthly When they recorded in the studio, the whole group wouldn’t sing at the same time. listeners. Visit it now, though, Instead, out of the four or five different parts included in a song, the two or three people who and you can see that The sang each part would record them separately. According to Hubbard, the quality of each Stairwells have released their recording would change frequently. fourth album, entitled “Push “Probably in total we’d record the same part like 10 to 15 times,” Hubbard It Further,” for people around said. “Sometimes, if there was one take that was really good, we’d do a couple the world to hear. more just to make sure, but it just depends on how on our game we were that Before The Stairwells, day.” one of the College of William and Mary’s many a capella groups, could even start In the past, The Stairwells have paid about $500 or $600 dollars to record, thinking about the recording process, they but for this album they were able to pay more because they had made enough had to come up with a track list. “Push It money off of their previous album. The extra money meant better equipment Further” features covers of other artists’ and a way to show their gratitude to Guest Room Recordings. songs, but the group likes to make them Once they finished recording each part, the parts were combined and mixed unique. Some arrangements on the album by Perry to create each song on the album. When they had the finished product, combine songs to create new mashups the next step was to publish it. and put a twist on well-known melodies, “There’s a service that we use where basically we send the while others change the key or give the album in to them, and you can set a release date for the album to song a new sound. go up,” Hubbard said. “We pay them a certain amount of money, Alex Hubbard ’20 emphasized the and then they publish the album on Spotify for you.” group effort that went into choosing the Now that the album is on Spotify, each time a song is played The songs the group wanted to sing on the album. Stairwells earn about .007 cents. This may seem like a miniscule “Any of our members are encouraged to write number, but it adds up. Another benefit of the album being arrangements of literally whatever song you want,” released on Spotify is that Spotify will include The Stairwells’ Hubbard said. “It just depends on what people want music in its algorithms for personalized playlists, meaning anyone to arrange. Once people have arrangements finished, could get introduced to the group’s music. we turn them in to the group, and when we’re ready to President Ben Fox ’19 was studying abroad while the album was learn a new song we take all of the arrangements that being recorded but still managed to make an impact. we have available to learn at that time, and then we’ll listen to them and vote on which one we want.” “I got elected president of The Stairwells from afar But how is an album recorded? Stairwells member and then helped facilitate this album being put up on Quentin Andersen ’21 described what the group had to various digital distribution services,” Fox said. “I also do before even stepping foot in the recording studio. made the album artwork, which is really fun.” “Before we actually recorded the album, we all went to Swem Overall, the process and eventual product is for three or four Tuesdays in a row to record our scratch track, as a something the members of The Stairwells really group, and when we have that we put that into the computer that he’s loved and are proud of. [Clayton Perry, the man who runs the recording studio they used] “The entire recording process has a fond place recording with, and that channels to your headphones while you’re in my memory,” Hubbard said. “Even while I was in the recording studio, so you can sing into the mic but also hear there, and it was stressful during school to have to the other people singing and hear the actual starting note and the take six hours out of a Sunday to record, it was a lot melody,” Anderson said. of fun.” Without the scratch track, it would be extremely difficult for those The Stairwells newest album, as well singing to know where they were in the song. as their previous ones, is available on Once they completed recording their scratch track, it was time to Spotify, Apple Music and Youtube. actually go to the recording studio. In this case, the recording studio The
ALBUMS
The Flat Hat
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Friday, Nov. 9, the College of William and Mary assistant professor of music David Dominique performed music from his new album, “Mask,” with a seven-piece jazz ensemble in Ewell Hall as part of the Ewell Concert Series. The performance kicks off his upcoming tour, which includes shows in Washington, D.C.; New York City, New York; Boston, Massachusetts; Los Angeles, California and Baltimore, Maryland. Dominique’s first album, “Ritual,” was released in 2013 to critical praise. This year, Dominique released his new album, “Mask,” which he described as a quasi-surrealist musical dreamscape and said at its best gives the listener a window into his musical stream of consciousness. Dominique said that “Mask” is an opportunity to use many of the ideas and inspirations that he has accumulated throughout his career. “I’ve sought to create coherent musical forms by juxtaposing these elements that might seem disparate if you were to describe them verbally, but if you hear it, it makes sense,” Dominique said. Dominique said the difference between “Ritual” and “Mask” falls in the five-year gap between the two albums. He said there was not only a difference of maturity, but a difference of style, technology and method as well. “‘Ritual’ was recorded to analog tape, so I think ‘Ritual’ for better or worse is a bit more rough around the edges,” Dominique said. Dominique said that “Ritual” was also written over a period of five years, before he had refined his compositional approach and aesthetics. Dominique said that “Mask” is more smooth, nuanced and detailed. “They represent different eras of output, though I think they still sound like they came from the same composer,” Dominique said. While many of the songs on “Ritual” underwent multiple stages of development, as they were performed and collaborated on over several years, Dominique said that “Mask” was written mostly in solitude with just his piano or horn and was workshopped very close to recording. “Mask” was recorded in Pasadena, California with engineer and co-producer Nolan Shaheed, who had previously worked with Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross. Shaheed also makes a cameo on “Mask” playing the trumpet. Dominique said that at first, it was intimidating working with Shaheed. Despite Shaheed’s impressive repertoire, Dominique said he is a humble, generous person. “It was, but I mean, you kind of have to forget about that and do what you’ve been
working towards,” Dominique said. Much of the inspiration for “Mask” comes from Dominique’s personal struggles, including loss of several relatives, moving around the country and an upheaval of musical identity, partially stemming from being in graduate school for music. “There was a lot of upheaval in my life during the time that I was writing that music,” Dominique said. As a result, Dominique said he felt compelled to mold his tastes to what was supported and promoted by the academic institution. “That [graduate school] can be kind of a head-spinning process to subject your creative output to academic scrutiny,” Dominique said. “I had to begin a kind of reeducation process of myself, trying to understand more honestly, deeply and authentically who I am and what kind of music makes most sense to come out of me and is most fun and engaging for me. I’m still going through that process.” As a result, Dominique said that “Mask” is an exuberant expression of relief. “Realizing I can make music for myself and it’s just as valid in multiple forums, including the academic forum,” Dominique said. Additionally, Dominique said that teaching, especially at the College, has influenced his view on composing and songwriting. “When I’m in that seat as a professor I have that power of persuasion over people’s musical tastes and emotions,” Dominique said. “It’s a position with a lot of responsibility. There you are, sort of appointed to evaluate the validity and level of accomplishment they’re demonstrating.” Dominique said that his tactics of teaching are less about trying to instill certain tastes or stylistic choices in his students and more about passing along his process of self-critique. “I want to teach students how to be thoughtful and critical about their composing,” Dominique said.
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I want to teach students how to be thoughtful and critical about their composing. — David Dominique
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S N O I S S A P E D I L L CO
David Dominique releases album, inspires students
At the same time, Dominique said he wants his advice to be heartfelt and authentic. “I wouldn’t suggest anything to them that I wouldn’t do all the time,” Dominique said.
Dominique said his students have shown passion and dedication to composing, covering a wide range of genres, from rock to EDM to hip-hop. “I haven’t really addressed this, but I’ve been so surprised, I’ve been so heartened and encouraged by the depth of engagement of all my students,” Dominique said.
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He’s very classically trained, but he also has this huge passion for experimentation and other modes of music, and you can — defiSh Retdif nitean er ’20 ly no feen l tha in his work.
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— Ethan Shelburne ’21
On the night of the Nov. 9 concert, the audience was filled with faculty, students and people from the Williamsburg community. One student, Ethan Shelburne ’21, who had been taught by Dominique, expressed excitement at getting to see him perform. “He’s very classically trained, but he also has this huge passion for experimentation and other modes of music, and you can definitely feel that in his work,” Shelburne said. Dominique and his ensemble gave passionate and invigorating performances that demonstrated not only their skill as musicians but as entertainers. Between songs, Dominique would frequently pause to tell a story about the origin and personal meaning of the composition, which ranged from comical to tragic. After one performance, Dominique paused to address the members of the College community in the audience, thanking them for their support, kindness and creativity as students and colleagues. “One of the most important things I’ve learned throughout my career as an artist is the importance of being yourself, and it’s really inspiring to see a community that really encourages and allows people to do that,” Dominique said. At the end of the performance, audience members crowded out to the lobby and got the chance to purchase a copy of “Mask” as well as speak to Dominique and other ensemble members. The response of audience members was highly enthusiastic. “Professor Dominique is amazing,” Steven Pitt ’21 said. “So ambitious, super experimental, but everything felt really intentional.”
Riding into lifelong passion
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The College of William and Mary has almost every club, team and organization a student could ask for. Tour guides talk about the infamous Cheese Club and the spirited Quidditch Club during tours of the College. However, that is not the full extent of what the College has to offer. Perhaps less known to the campus community William and Mary Equestrian. “Our club is about 50 people, and then within that there is a competitive team,” Equestrian Co-President Matthew Parciak ’19 said. “Our team goes through tryouts and they ride twice a week and compete at horse shows throughout the school year, whereas our club just rides once [a week].” The team is a tier-one sport which gives it a huge budget, but comes with a rigorous training schedule and more mundane tasks like budget meetings. “I organize — with Emily, [my Co-President] — our lesson schedule with our coach a lot,” Parciak said. “Also, there’s a lot of rec sports requirements that we have to do. We are a tier-one sport, technically, so we are at the highest budget level, so there’s a lot of standards we have to meet to maintain that every year. We also do our budget presentation and a lot of stuff like that. Emily and I also drive the van when it comes to horse shows.” Their list of duties seems to be never ending, especially considering that they must also balance other activities and academics. “We have two lessons a week as a team member, and they’re three hours [each], so that’s six hours,” Co-President Emily Peairs ’20 said. “We have a show on the weekend so that’s all day, which is usually eight to nine hours. And then just two to three hours of planning and organizing.” Team Captain Logan Bishop ’20 explained her own role in the organization. “I deal with a lot of forms I got through Rec Sports,” Bishop said. “I have to submit event forms and van requests. I’m in charge of making sure everyone is organized and ready to compete. I host team dinners, I’ve been working on doing team workouts this season. Mainly just trying to make the team bond.” Bishop continued by describing the dedication that Equestrian Club requires. “I would say that a lot of people don’t consider it a sport, but you have to consider that it takes not only a lot of physical strength — like core strength — but it’s a mental game as well,” Bishop said. “You’re constantly thinking about your position, the horse’s form, your pace, your horse. There are so many things that you have to think about. Not only do you have to think about yourself and your nerves, but your horse does pay attention to how you’re feeling. They can detect nerves, so you do have to control your own horse.
Bishop said the equestrian team is often underrated as a sport. “Most of the riders on the team could compete in other sports,” Bishop said. “I used to run track and I could do something like that. This sport is underrated. We are athletes just like everyone else who plays other sports.” These students are willing to spend countless hours at work with their teammates and animals, but many study history, biology and business — all subjects completely unrelated to horseback riding. The team members are not simply a part of the team in order to gain job experience; they devote their time to this organization because they are passionate about it. Despite the long hours, the majority of the student body and faculty are unaware of the club’s presence. “It’s like any club, you just hear about things as you’re here,” Peairs said. “We try to do a lot of promotional stuff and tabling and the Activities Fair to get our name out there … Yeah, I think it’d be fun to have a bigger club. But also, I love the people involved now, and the people who do know about it are very committed and really like to [ride] because it is pretty intense.” Parciak does not seem too bothered by the small following either. “I think a lot of team members’ friends and boyfriends and girlfriends attend [competitions], but I don’t think we get a lot of recognition on campus,” Parciak said. On a more serious note, Bishop disclosed that William and Mary Equestrian is still not recognized by most students. “Regular sports teams get recognized as varsity athletes and we don’t, which is something that I’m kind of used to now,” Bishop said. “In high school it was kind of the same deal, right — it wasn’t recognized as much. It is a varsity sport, technically, through the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association. We are nationally recognized. Unfortunately, the school does not recognize us as a varsity sport. … So, no, I don’t get a lot of recognition here, but I get recognition within the association, and that’s all I need.”
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The Flat Hat | Tuesday, November 13, 2018 | Page 9
PROFILE
Serving across continents COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS
Toni Bickford was named head coach of the Tribe women’s tennis team in September of this year. Before getting the head coaching job at William and Mary, Bickford was the associate head coach at Old Dominion for the last seven years.
After journey from Europe to Virginia, Toni Bickford takes reins in Williamsburg ALYSSA GRZESIAK FLAT HAT EXECUTIVE EDITOR It’s a long way from Plovdiv to Iowa, and from Iowa to Williamsburg. When head women’s tennis coach Toni Bickford left her home in Bulgaria for the United States, she had nothing but tennis in her heart and on her mind. She would eventually find a home on the East Coast as the head coach of the William and Mary team following her own successful American college career, all because of a love for the sport she developed at a very young age. “One day we walked by a tennis court, and [my sister] thought it was a great idea to sign me up for tennis,” Bickford said. “… [My parents] thought it was a great idea to just try different sports, so I started, and it really was love at first sight … [They] would drop me at the tennis courts in the morning and you know with my lunch bag, and I would be there all day [until] the afternoon.” In Bulgaria, before she was a successful college athlete in the United States, Bickford had 12 Junior National titles under her belt from 1990-97. She was a member of the 1998 Bulgarian Fed Cup Team and clawed her way to a world singles ranking of No. 650 before leaving for the United States and the University of Iowa. At Iowa, Bickford was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 1999. In that same year, Bickford and teammate at the time, Shera Wiegler, became the first doubles team in Hawkeyes history to compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament. In 2002, she became the first in program history to compete in singles in the NCAA Championships. “I think that my favorite tennis memory is making it to [the Sweet Sixteen] with my team when I was a freshman,” Bickford said. “… I didn’t really know the scope of how big those schools are and how great they
are, and we ended up beating a lot of good teams unexpectedly. My team wasn’t that good the previous year, and then I came in, and I wouldn’t say I changed the culture, because I thought that maybe they changed the way that I competed, but I really helped them … And this is probably my greatest memory from my whole life.” From 1999-2002, Bickford earned All-Big Ten First Team honors and was inducted into the Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017. “It was a great choice, as I really loved my team and the environment and my coaches,” Bickford said. “So I played there for four years. It was a great experience. I would never trade it for going anywhere else in the world.” After graduating from Iowa, Bickford accepted an offer to be the school’s assistant coach, where she worked with her own former coach Paul Wardlaw for a short time. After six years, Bickford saw an opening for assistant coach at the College and jumped at the opportunity. Three seasons later, in 2011, the team won the Colonial Athletic Association Championship, finishing with a No. 44 national ranking. “In 2008 I decided that I’ve [kind of] outgrown my opportunities at Iowa, and I wanted to search for something different,” Bickford said. “So at that time, [the] College of William and Mary had an opening for assistant coach so I applied for it, and that’s how I ended up being on the East Coast.” After being an assistant coach for so long, Bickford is looking forward to creating her own program and achieving certain goals at the helm of the Tribe. “It’s always been very attractive to me, having the combination of very high academics and Division I tennis,” Bickford said. “And it’s very attractive for recruits, and I just think that this is the best place on Earth to like recruit girls to play tennis. So I knew that that’s where I would like to be successful, and this is the type of student athletes I want to have to work with. And that’s one of the reasons why I came back.”
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
With a team that already has a solid foundation, Bickford is looking for ways to make small adjustments without tearing away at the culture that already exists. “I feel like I’m more getting adopted by [the team], rather than me right now coming in and just recreating the culture,” Bickford said. “Especially the first year, because they’ve been in a kind of tennis family for like a couple years, and they’ve done certain things a certain way. And I think that I’m not looking to come in and just throw everything apart and just start rebuilding.” With her best coaching memories yet to come in a not-too-distant future, Bickford is ready to continue the team’s success in the conference and build on those achievements in the NCAA tournament. “What’s really promising with [the team] is that they’re already incredibly disciplined,” Bickford said. “… They’re the type of kids that hold themselves to very high standards. Not only that, but they are also a very good family … That’s important because they know that they have each others’ backs, and that helps me out because I know that they also have my back.” Bickford now lives in Virginia Beach with her four-year-old son, Dylan, and her husband, Dave. While she spends most of her time playing or coaching tennis, off the court Bickford loves to cook, bake and spend time with her family. She cherishes the time she gets to spend with her son, even if her son doesn’t seem to share her love for tennis quite yet. “[Dylan] doesn’t play tennis,” Bickford said. “We’ve tried, he’s just not interested in it … maybe someday.” With just under two months until the spring season gets underway, Bickford and the team are ready for the new era of Tribe tennis. “I’m the type of person who likes to focus on the process,” Bickford said. “… Clearly, I would like to continue the tradition of winning the CAAs. This is just, you know, priority number one, and hopefully we can be a little more successful with the [NCAA] tournament.”
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Rams take opener over Tribe College splits first two games College offense sputters in streaky 72-55 loss KEVIN RICHESON FLAT HAT SPORTS ASSOC. EDITOR William and Mary opened its 2018-19 season Nov. 6 with a home matchup against in-state foe Virginia Commonwealth at Kaplan Arena. The College welcomed the Rams to Williamsburg for their first game since 2015. For the 2018-19 season, both teams were projected to finish sixth in their respective conferences, the Colonial Athletic Association for the Tribe and the Atlantic 10 for the Rams. Tuesday, the Tribe (0-1) came up short in its season opener, as it led for less than a minute at the start of the game before the Rams (1-0) surged to a sizable lead that led to a 72-55 setback. “We had an excellent preseason, and it didn’t show tonight,” head coach Ed Swanson said. “We have a lot of new pieces in the mix, and tonight we got exposed by a pretty good, athletic VCU team.” Both teams struggled on offense during their first couple of possessions, but the College managed to score the first points of the game on a layup by junior forward Victoria Reynolds. However, the Tribe’s lead did not last long. The Rams scored the next nine points to take a seven-point advantage with 5:35 to play in the opening quarter. Senior guard Bianca Boggs, an All-CAA first team preseason selection, ended the run with her first points of the season on a layup. Freshman guard Eva Hodgson then scored the first points of her career with a mid-range jumper from the baseline to help cut the deficit to four points before the first media timeout with 4:01 to play in the quarter. Out of the timeout, the Tribe cut the Rams’ lead to two, but the Rams fought back to stretch the lead to six again, 16-10. With just over a minute to play in the first, the College hit its first three of the season, courtesy of sophomore guard Nyla Pollard. Freshman forward Emma Krause followed up on Pollard’s three with a triple of her own, but the Tribe still trailed 2217 at the end of a fast-paced opening quarter. At the start of the second quarter, Boggs asserted her dominance for the College, scoring its first five points of the quarter and giving her eight points for the game. Midway through the second quarter, the Tribe and the Rams had seven and nine turnovers, respectively. Despite the sloppiness, neither team
was struggling to put up points, with the score 31-24 in favor of the Rams. Out of the media timeout, Boggs caught fire once again, draining her first three of the season to bring the Tribe within two, 31-29. As they had for the majority of the half, the Rams responded and prevented the College from tying the game. As the teams went to the locker room for halftime, the Tribe trailed 37-30. The Rams scored the first four points of the third quarter, pushing their lead to a game-high 11 points before Boggs answered with a bucket of her own. The College struggled to get scoring from players outside of Boggs, allowing the Rams to continue to stretch their lead. The Tribe still trailed by doubledigits midway through the third quarter. Hodgson continued to add to her strong performance in her first career game with a bucket and an assist to Underwood on back-to-back possessions. “I think [Hodgson] played really well and really poised, given the circumstances,” Boggs said. “Starting point guard freshman year is a tall task against a really good team.” However, Hodgson also committed two fouls later in the quarter and was forced to go to the bench with four fouls for the game. At the end of the third, the Rams kept their double-digit advantage, leading 5645 with just 10 minutes remaining. The Tribe held the Rams scoreless for over three minutes to start the final quarter but was unable to cut into the deficit significantly. The College did manage to score the first two points of the quarter, but the Rams quickly re-established their 11-point edge, 58-47 with 6:38 remaining. With just over two minutes to play, senior guard Misha Jones knocked down her first three of the season, but the deficit proved too large, and the Tribe fell 72-55 to the Rams. The College was led in the loss by strong backcourt play from Boggs and Hodgson. Boggs had 15 points, six rebounds and four assists, while Hodgson added eight points and three assists in her collegiate debut. The Rams were propelled to victory with 40 points in the paint. Archie was their leading scorer with 15 points on a perfect 7-7 from the floor. “This team is filled with character kids, and I know they’re upset right now with what the scoreboard read,” Swanson said. “I know we’re upset with how we played, and I think we’ll bounce back from this.”
Tribe falls at Duquesne after win over Panthers BRENDAN DOYLE FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR Wednesday, William and Mary started the season with a win over High Point, before a subpar second half sank the Tribe against Duquesne Saturday. The College’s 1-1 start matches the team’s record through two games in each season since 2015. Wednesday, a big performance from junior forward Justin Pierce and clutch scoring from freshman guard LJ Owens and junior guard Matt Milon powered the Tribe to a 79-69 win against High Point. The College (1-1), missing its only senior in forward Paul Rowley and playing all five of its scholarship freshmen for substantial minutes, looked the part of an extremely young team at times Wednesday, but the Tribe also showed the toughness necessary to claw out a win against the Panthers (0-1). High Point would jump out to a 9-3 lead. Junior forward Nathan Knight would respond with his first foray onto the scoresheet for the year, following a miss by junior forward Justin Pierce, plus the foul. He would make the free throw to cut the deficit to three with 14:40 to play in the half. Knight, however, would not be much of a factor in the first half, battling foul trouble the entire night. The Tribe went on a 15-4 run, highlighted by a driving Owens dunk, expanding its lead to 3119. Following the under-four media timeout, the Panthers responded with a spurt of their own, outscoring the College 11-3 to close the half down 34-30. After halftime, Milon came alive. High Point quickly cut the lead to one, but two treys by Milon as well as a driving and-one lay-in contributed to a 13-3 run to add to the Tribe’s 47-36 advantage. Baskets by Knight and sophomore guard Luke Loewe gave the Tribe a four-point advantage following the under-eight timeout, and later, Pierce took a pass from Knight and finished a scoop shot, plus the foul. He would hit the free throw after a timeout to give the Tribe a 69-64 lead with 3:49 left in the game. With the Tribe still up five and just more than a minute to play in the game, Owens was denied at the bucket. High Point pushed the ball, but guard Jahaad Proctor missed a layup. Pierce ended up with the rebound and on the ensuing possession, Milon hit a
dagger three ball, giving the College a 77-69 lead with 41 seconds to play. Milon would hit two free throws to seal the deal for the Tribe. Saturday, the Tribe took to the road for its first away game of the season, visiting Duquesne in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A strong stretch of play right after halftime pushed the College into the lead, but a 28-6 run by the Dukes (1-0) put the game out of reach en route to an 84-70 win over the College. The Dukes jumped out to a quick lead in the first half, up 12-2 before the first media timeout. Meanwhile, the Tribe struggled to score, starting 1-for-7 from the field. Pierce, who led the Tribe in its opening night victory over High Point with 23 points, picked up two fouls in a little over threeand-a-half minutes to open the game and promptly exited the game. Knight picked up the slack, scoring 12 points in the first half. Knight and Pierce, however, comprised most of the Tribe’s scoring in the half. Pierce also registered 12 in the half; no other player for the College scored more than four. Duquesne went up 31-19 with 6:38 to go, its largest lead of the half, but the Tribe began to chip away. The College put up a 9-1 spurt to end the period, with freshman guard Thornton Scott punctuating it with a corner three, cutting the Dukes lead to 36-33 heading into the locker room. The Tribe carried over the momentum coming out of the gate in the second. Five quick points by Knight on a layup and a three tied the game, then Milon hit an 18-footer to give the College its only lead of the game, 40-38. It was then that the Dukes embarked on their massive run, taking over the ballgame. The Tribe would finally start to find its footing again at the 9:10 mark, when freshman guard Chase Audige hit a three, but the damage was already done. The College could not cut it to less than 14 for the remainder of the game. Although Knight would finish with a respectable 26 points and 11 rebounds, the Tribe fell 84-70 in the first game of the Gotham Classic. Thursday, the College continues its Midwest swing for the Gotham Classic, taking on Illinois-Chicago in the Windy City. Then, Saturday, the Tribe will face Atlantic Coast Conference foe Notre Dame before returning home to face Radford the following week.
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The Flat Hat | Tuesday, November 13, 2018 | Page 10
Historic season ends
FIELD HOCKEY
in NCAA first round Tribe claims CAA title in playoffs, breaks records in regular season KEVIN RICHESON // FLAT HAT SPORTS ASSOC. EDITOR After a comeback victory in the play-in round of the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament, William and Mary faced a quick turnaround with a game in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, against North Carolina Friday, Nov. 9. The College entered the first-round matchup on a four-game winning streak, the last two of those wins giving the Tribe its first Colonial Athletic Association championship and its first NCAA tournament victory in program history. The College faced its most challenging test yet against North Carolina, the Atlantic Coast Conference champion and top-seeded team in the tournament. The Tar Heels had not lost a game all season after outscoring opponents 88-13, and the loser of their game with the College would be eliminated from championship contention. The winner would advance to the Elite Eight Sunday afternoon against the winner of Michigan and Saint Joseph’s. Friday, The College (12-8, 5-1 CAA) mustered a strong defensive effort to keep the game close early, but a lack of offensive opportunities cost the Tribe as the Tar Heels (20-0, 6-0 ACC) ended the College’s season with a 4-0 win. With just over 28 minutes to go in the opening half, the Tar Heels created their first shot of the game, but it skidded wide of the target. Nearly 15 minutes in, with the game still scoreless, the Tribe managed to carve out of a couple of attacking chances, but it failed to produce any shots. Nevertheless, the College’s stint of possession gave its defense a break from the relentless pressure of the Tar Heels’ offense. Once the Tar Heels re-established their offense, they fired their first shot on goal of the game. Forward Erin Matson received a pass from forward Marissa Creatore and launched a shot into the top of the net and over the shoulder of freshman goalkeeper Kimi Jones in the 18th minute. The College’s defense recovered to hold off the Tar Heels for the next few minutes before conceding the first penalty corner of the game. Nevertheless, the Tribe preserved the one-goal deficit by
After winning 12 games in the regular season, Tribe field hockey was downed in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
successfully clearing the penalty corner with a little more than 10 minutes to play in the half. The Tribe cleared the zone and enjoyed a few minutes of offensive possession, but it could not break through the Tar Heels’ defense for its first shot of the game. The Tar Heels made the College pay for its inability to convert on the offensive by earning their second penalty corner of the game with less than seven minutes left in the opening half. This time, North Carolina buried a shot in the upper corner of the goal off of the corner. Matson, the goal-scorer earlier in the half, provided the assist, and senior midfielder Ashley Hoffman finished it off with her first goal of the NCAA tournament. The College prevented North Carolina from scoring for the remainder of the first half, and the game went to the half with the Tar Heels holding a 2-0 advantage. The Tar Heels have only conceded two goals in a game on two separate occasions in the 2018 season. The College tried to start an uphill climb to another comeback victory at the start of the second half of the first-round game. Unlike the first half, the Tar Heels jumped out to a fast start. Junior midfielder Catherine Hayden scored just over a minute into the second half, firing a shot from just inside the circle that screamed past Jones and found the right corner of the goal. Even though the College was unable to muster much offensive production in the next 14 minutes, it managed to keep North Carolina from scoring their fourth goal until the 51st minute. Once again, Matson was involved in the goal as the Tar Heels scored off of a penalty corner for the second time. She took the penalty corner and found Creatore, who passed the ball to Hoffman, who blasted a shot past a sliding Jones to up North Carolina’s lead to 4-0. Hoffman was the first Tar Heel to tally her second goal against the Tribe. The College worked to find its first shot of the game, but efforts by senior midfielder Estelle Hughes and freshman midfielder Cara Menges were thwarted by the strong Tar Heel defense. North Carolina kept possession in the last 10 minutes to salt the game away and claim a 4-0 victory. The College was unable to register a shot in the game.
FOOTBALL
Tribe downs Villanova
College completes comeback win, 24-17 KEVIN RICHESON FLAT HAT SPORTS ASSOC. EDITOR Saturday, in a Colonial Athletic Association contest, William and Mary (4-5, 3-3 CAA) scored on four-straight drives in the middle of the game and held off a late surge by Villanova (4-6, 1-6 CAA) to move back to .500 in the CAA with a 24-17 win. The Wildcats won the coin toss but deferred to receive the second-half kickoff, so the College’s offense took the field first. Sophomore punter Will Michael came on for his first punt of the afternoon and pinned the Wildcats deep in their own territory. His punt traveled 43 yards and was downed at the one-yard line. Later that half, quarterback Zach Bednarczyk’s errant passing cost the Wildcats and set the Tribe up inside the red zone. Junior safety Isaiah Laster came up with his second interception of the game and wove through the Wildcats’ offense before getting tackled at the 15-yard line. Sophomore quarterback Shon Mitchell entered the game for the drive after fellow sophomore quarterback Ted Hefter got the start. Mitchell made his one play under center count, finding junior tight end Tyler Klaus wide open in the right side of the end zone. Junior kicker Kris Hooper tacked on the extra point to give the College a 7-0 advantage. After neither team scored until the 10:31 mark of the second quarter, the final three drives of the half ended in touchdowns. The Wildcats answered the Tribe’s touchdown with a 14-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that ran 7:27 off the clock. With just over 3:00 left in the half, the Wildcats capped off the drive with a one-yard touchdown run by running back Aaron Forbes. Nevertheless, the College was able to take the lead into the locker room. Hefter re-entered the game and completed all three of his pass attempts for 64 yards. The drive appeared to stall at the one-yard line, but with three seconds left in the half, the Tribe rolled the dice and went for it on fourth down. On the last play of the half, Evans took the toss from Hefter and faked a pitch. The fake pitch caused the Wildcats’ defense to freeze and allowed Evans to scamper into the left corner of the end zone. The College took a 14-7 lead to the half. The Wildcats got the ball to start the second half, but the trend of consecutive drives ending in touchdowns was snapped as they picked up one first down before punting. The punt was downed at the 29-yard line with 11:44 to play in the third quarter. The Tribe’s offense, which came into the game averaging 13.3 points per game, continued to move the ball well against the Wildcats. This time,
Hefter completed 3-of-4 pass attempts and capped off the drive with an 18-yard toss to redshirt senior wide receiver DeVonte Dedmon. The Wildcat defender slipped in the end zone, leaving Dedmon wide open to catch his first touchdown of the game. The College took its largest lead of the game, 21-7, with just under 10:00 to play in the quarter. The Wildcats’ attempt to answer the College’s touchdown and stop the bleeding ended quickly with the Tribe forcing and recovering a fumble to set its offense up at the Wildcats’ 40-yard line. The College moved the ball just inside the red zone but had to settle for a 37-yard redshirt junior kicker Kris Hooper field goal. Hooper split the uprights to give the Tribe a three-score lead, 24-7. The Wildcats were able to respond with another long scoring drive starting at their own 13-yard line after an illadvised decision to take the kickoff out of the end zone. However, the Wildcats moved the ball 87 yards, taking over nine minutes off the clock. The Wildcats scored a couple minutes into the fourth quarter to cut their deficit to 10 points. The Tribe’s offense only mustered three yards on the ensuing drive and was forced to give the ball back to the Wildcats with just over 10:00 remaining in the game. A few long runs and a 15-yard late hit penalty helped the Wildcats move into the red zone for the second-straight drive. They had to settle for a field goal, but those three points allowed them to creep within one possession, 24-17. The Wildcats took over inside their own 30yard line with a little less than 2:00 to play and no timeouts. Villanova picked up two first downs but faced a fourth down and four at the Tribe’s 36-yard line with a little more than a minute to play. Junior linebacker Nate Atkins tipped Bednarczyk’s pass and the ball fell harmlessly to the ground, allowing the Tribe to run the clock out and escape with a road victory. The Wildcats were led by tight end Ryan Bell’s 79 yards on seven catches for his senior day. The Wildcats will wrap up their season next Saturday on the road against Delaware, which is currently tied for first place in the CAA. The College was led by Hefter’s 141 yards on 8-17 passing and Evans’ 58 rushing yards and a touchdown. Laster also had two interceptions for the College. The Tribe will return home for the first time since its Homecoming upset against Maine. It will take on in-state rival Richmond Saturday. The Spiders only have one win in the CAA this season. The home game next weekend will be the last collegiate game of Dedmon’s career and the last game of head coach Jimmye Laycock ’70’s 39-year tenure as the head coach of the Tribe.
COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS
The Tar Heels advance to Sunday’s national quarterfinal against the winner of another first-round game between eighth-ranked Michigan and 10th-ranked Saint Joseph’s. With the loss to the Tar Heels, one of the best seasons in Tribe field hockey history came to an end. Along with it, so did the careers of the seniors on the team. Among these seniors are Hughes, midfielder Jenny McCann and defender Caroline Arrowood. Hughes was tied for the team lead in goals for the College this year with 13, a total matched only by junior forward Woodard Hooper. Despite the losses, the Tribe is poised to contend for its secondstraight CAA championship and NCAA tournament appearance in 2019. Three members of the All-CAA Rookie team, Jones, Menges and midfielder Jorja Morgan, as well as four other All-CAA team members, Hooper and junior midfielders Christie van de Kamp, Cassidy Goodwin and Annie Snead, will be returning for the Tribe.
SEASON RECORDS
7.6
44
POINTS PER GAME SCHOOL RECORD
TOTAL ASSISTS SCHOOL RECORD
2.2 ASSISTS PER GAME SECOND IN SCHOOL HISTORY
12-8
2018 regular season record (2017: 13-7) ———
First back-to-back 12-win seasons since 2003, 2004