Liz Cheney wins Citizen Lawyer award, law student groups protest
Monday, Nov. 11, the Institute of the Bill of Rights Law presented former Congresswoman Liz Cheney with the Citizen Lawyers in Action Award at the College of William and Mary Law School due to her role investigating insurrection on the January 6th committee. Simultaneously, the Law School National Lawyers Guild and the Law School Students for Justice in Palestine hosted a film screening event in opposition to the award ceremony which highlighted Cheney’s controversial stance on torture tactics.
The Institute of the Bill of Rights Law described recipients of the Citizen Lawyer in Action Award as those who exhibit an extraordinary commitment to democracy in an era of heightened polarization. The Law School explained that the inspiration behind this award was striving to not only train lawyers, but to train lawyers who are capable of leading democracy. They call these individuals citizen lawyers.
Alfred Wilson & Mary I.W. Lee Professor of Law and Director of the Institute of the Bill of Rights Law Allison Orr Larsen remarked that while not everyone agrees with Cheney’s policies, she was selected for the award because of her commitment to democracy at the expense of her individual interests.
“A citizen lawyer is a person who uses their law degree to lead in their communities, whether as a profession or as a volunteer or just as a voice of reason in any collective decision-making process,” Larsen wrote in an email to The Flat Hat. “A citizen lawyer today can and should come from all backgrounds and can hold a wide array of political views. What citizen lawyers have in common is that they know members of the legal profession have a special responsibility to buttress our democracy and the rule of law.”
The Law School National Lawyers Guild and the Law School Students for Justice in Palestine disapproved of Cheney winning the Citizen Lawyer in Action Award. Their complaints include Cheney defending the Obama birther conspiracy, serving in the Department of State during the War in Iraq, formerly opposing same-sex marriage and initially supporting the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision.
On Instagram, the two groups posted a statement describing their disappointment with the Institute of Bill of Rights.
“W&M prides itself as the first law school in the country to produce globally-minded citizen lawyers. As law students of conscience, we cannot ignore the blatant hypocrisy of naming Liz Cheney-one of the most forthright war mongerers in modern history-a citizen lawyer. We refuse to dilute the meaning of the citizen lawyer by welcoming a proponent of racist foreign policies, torture tactics, and war-profiteering onto our campus,” the statement reads.
Daniel Ogden J.D. ’26, co-chair of the Law School National Lawyers Guild, explained that chief among these concerns is Cheney’s stance on torture.
“She’s in Tweet fights with Megan McCain about whether or not torture is moral, that’s absurd, and you’re supposed to be a citizen lawyer,” Ogden said. “It’s a war crime according to the United Nations and it doesn’t work. Seeing any human being having their humanity taken away from them because you think they might have done something is entirely gross.”
Mustafa Turaani J.D. ’26, vice president of the Law School Students for Justice in Palestine, explained that the purpose behind the film screening was to illuminate the upsetting reality behind Cheney’s visit to the Law School.
“They had Secret Service and cops all over the school, it was pretty glamorous and students were intrigued by that, but the purpose of what we were doing was to shed a light on who you’re really excited about and what they really represent,” Turaani said. “I wonder as a Brown guy if there’s no room for anybody like me in that kind of space, at the work that she does, with war mongering and the support of torture. It really goes to show how it’s rooted in racism and in gross attitudes about ‘the other’ and we’re better than that.”
Student Assembly President Terra Sloane ’25 did not respond to The Flat Hat’s requests for a comment.
The jointly organized film screening played “The Report,” a film surrounding the investigation of the CIA’s enhanced interrogation
techniques post-9/11. These interrogation techniques included but were not limited to waterboarding, mock burials and sexual humiliation. Liz Cheney defended the Enhanced Interrogation Program, calling the members of the program brave, and arguing that these techniques saved lives. However, the extensive Senate report on the same program found that these techniques produced no intelligence and that agents fabricated information in order to keep the program running.
Derek Meuth J.D. ’26 said that the administration was picking and choosing moments of Cheney’s political career that concurred with their ideals of a citizen lawyer. Instead, he expressed wanting a candidate who continuously fought for the values of democracy.
“Becoming a citizen lawyer isn’t just one action but it’s something you achieve over your lifetime,” Meuth said. “I get that she put her personal gains aside by doing the election committee, but I don’t think that’s really award winning. That’s doing the bare minimum by saying that the election wasn’t stolen.”
Although some students agreed that Cheney’s bravery in leading the January 6th committee was commendable, they still felt that there were better candidates for the award.
Jason Whitted J.D. ’26 spoke on other candidates he thought were a better fit to be a citizen lawyer than Cheney.
“It’s understandable, but at the same time, I feel like there’s a lot more deserving people, especially in Virginia that align more with my view of what a citizen lawyer in action is,” Whitted said. “I look at Elaine Lauria, who was a Congresswoman in the Virginia Beach area, and was also part of the January 6 committee. Her representing Virginia means more to me than Liz Cheney.”
Meuth outlined an alternative view of what a Citizen Lawyer in Action should be moving forward.
“I want to see lawyers in the William and Mary community and those who aren’t in the public eye,” Meuth said. “Those whose work isn’t getting out to law schools or to law journals but who are still pushing to make sure that their community has representation. I think that’s who I’d like to see win this award.”
Wednesday, Nov. 13, the Center for Student Diversity hosted a screening of the documentary “Warrior Lawyers: Defenders of Social Justice” followed by a panel discussion. The documentary’s executive producer Audrey Geyer, Chief Justice of the High Court Melissa Holds the Enemy of the Upper Mattaponi Tribe of King William, teaching professor of anthropology and director of American Indian Resource Center Dr. Danielle Moretti-Langholtz and assistant professor of anthropology Dr. Buck Woodward served as the panelists.
The event was hosted in collaboration with the College’s departments of Strategic Cultural Partnerships and Student Accountability and Restorative Practices.
The documentary focused on the stories of tribal judges, Native American lawyers hailing from Michigan and others working within the legal framework of indigenous communities to promote sacred justice.
Interim Director of the Center for Student Diversity Monique Williams delivered introductory remarks, highlighting the importance of Native American Heritage Month and studying Native American histories.
“It is no secret to anyone in my office that
curiosity is one of my favorite William and Mary values and is the core of what drives our work in our center,” Williams said. “It is also why we gather here today to celebrate Native American Heritage Month and to honor the traditions, languages, stories and resilience of Native American communities and to ensure their rich histories and contributions continue to thrive with each passing generation.”
Masters student at the Batten School of Coastal and Marine Sciences Jack Hatch ’22 recited the land acknowledgment and introduced the PBS documentary.
“The program focuses on stories of Native American lawyers, tribal judges and their colleagues who work with Native nations, their citizens and mainstream institutions to achieve healing and sacred justice,” Hatch said. “These unseen role models strive daily to address, repair and resolve unique, complicated historical, governmental, legal, judicial and social welfare issues which are most often rooted in discrimination, historical trauma and cultural destruction.”
After the screening, Administrative Coordinator for Strategic Cultural Partnerships
Margaret Morrison moderated the panel. Morrison first asked the panelists to share how the documentary resonated with them and its connection to their work.
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Moretti-Langholtz reflected on how the crucial work done across Michigan as shown in the film has been difficult to replicate in Virginia due to legal barriers.
“Tribes east of the Mississippi have been left out of so much important work that we saw in this film because of their lack of federal recognition until recently,” Moretti-Langholtz said.
She emphasized that federal recognition is needed to grant tribal court jurisdiction and see restorative justice in action.
Holds the Enemy touched on how the tribal sovereignty demonstrated in the film makes her hopeful for a future where all native people and governments have true sovereignty.
“This is a true assertion of sovereignty for a tribal nation to put a court in place,” she said.
“If there was ever a demonstration of tribal sovereignty, this is what it is. This is a prime example, having a court in place where that tribal nation, those people have that venue available to them, because as tribal people we’ve grown up already within a society where we’ve been told, ‘you’re not up here, you’re down here, you come later. Your issues aren’t ours.’”
Geyer expressed how eye-opening producing the documentary was.
“The more I learn and the more I interview, the more I realize how little I still know,” Geyer said. “That’s really one of the main reasons why
I decided as a non-native person to do these documentaries, because a couple of times during my life it struck me how little I knew about Native American history and contemporary issues facing tribal communities and Native American citizens.”
Ari Pearlstein ’26 asked the panelists about the current status of the Indian Child Welfare Act in light of recent Supreme Court rulings. ICWA is a 1978 federal law that protects native children and centers tribal court jurisdiction and sovereignty.
Geyer explained the current status of ICWA and fears surrounding the ruling.
“It was challenged, brought to the Supreme Court,” Geyer said. “And some of the Native American attorneys in the documentary voiced their concerns about, is it going to be shut down, declared unconstitutional? So there was a lot of fear and concern. And luckily, it wasn’t. I mean especially in the light of such a conservative court.”
Holds the Enemy emphasized the constant battle Native Americans and tribal courts have to fight to maintain their sovereignty.
“At what time for Indian tribes are we never being attacked? It’s common sense. We’re at a point as Indian people where it’s second nature for something of ours to try to be attacked,” she said.
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I think it would be better if Veterans Day were less about acknowledging that veterans exist and more about how we can connect with veterans who may be struggling with mental health or physical issues.
The College of William and Maryʼs board of visitors will meet starting Wednesday, Nov. 20, to Friday, Nov. 22. This marks the boardʼs second meeting of the school year.
Among many discussions, the board is set to consider a resolution to establish a data science department. According to the resolution, the data science program has been expanding its research portfolio, exceeding over $3 million.
The board also plans to consider a resolution approving the creation of a memorial columbarium adjacent to the William & Mary Memorial Garden. A columbarium is a space for urns to be stored. It will also discuss changes to the Faculty Handbook, as well as the Law School Faculty Bylaws.
Pre-reads and proposed resolutions can be viewed online on the boardʼs website.
The meetings are public, but will not have opportunities for public comment.
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SA senator won national awards for chemistry, connects Sharpe Scholars to local history
SAM BELMAR // FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR
Across his wide array of involvements both on and of-campus, Kyle Lewis-Johnson ’25 aspires to make a lasting impact. From Student Assembly to chemistry research and education to student mentoring and community volunteering, helping others has been a common thread throughout his life.
Lewis-Johnson is a newly-elected Class of 2025 senator this semester, flling a vacancy from the spring 2024 semester. He didn’t originally plan on running due to his busy schedule, but felt inspired to step into the role after encouragement from other senators he had worked with as a member of the SA cabinet.
“Spring passed and there was still this vacancy,” Lewis-Johnson said. “Everybody in Student Assembly, current senators, past senators were like, ‘you should do it, I don’t think anyone else should do it but you.’ And so I ran.”
As a sophomore, Lewis-Johnson served as SA undersecretary for Special Events. Former SA President John Cho ’23 specially created the position for Lewis-Johnson after he expressed an interest in getting involved.
Among other initiatives in this role, he shared his experience organizing a community event to promote STEM engagement across the student body.
“I had an event for diferent STEM-oriented organizations on-campus to come together and showcase what they do to other STEM organizations, the general public, people inside STEM, outside STEM,” he said. “We just did it in ISC with some pizza, a little bit of decorations, just simple stuf.”
He then became undersecretary for Student Life as a junior, preparing him for his current role as a class senator. Lewis-Johnson has hit the ground running with several initiatives passed this semester, including the bill which allowed seniors to receive their regalia for graduation pictures before construction on the Sir Christopher Wren Building begins this winter.
Lewis-Johnson expressed his pride in spearheading a bill to organize a career-advising event for seniors at the Cohen Career Center earlier this month.
“A good amount of seniors were able to learn more about what their next steps could be, getting their resumes and CVs polished up,” Lewis-Johnson said. “Tey talked to a lot of people in terms of like: ‘When should I start looking for a job, when should I start looking for internships, what opportunities are out there for me?’”
Lewis-Johnson’s boundless passion for chemistry has been a core tenet throughout his college journey. As a chemistry major, his freshman year research included designing an all-new undergraduate organic chemistry lab in collaboration with a professor.
“I basically created a lab where you could extract cafeine from an energy drink, brewed tea or brewed cofee, and you could test to see whether or not you had cafeine,” he said. “And I made that from scratch.”
In 2022, he presented his lab design at the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers annual conference.
Since then, Lewis-Johnson has won two national awards at the same conference, including the Northeast Undergraduate Rising Star Award this September for his undergraduate research on eliminating wasteful solvents from pharmaceutical products.
He attributes his enthusiasm for chemistry research to a childhood love of LEGOs.
“Being able to just make anything out of LEGOs kind of interested me,” Lewis-Johnson said. “I realized that as I got into my chemical career, I love making things. Chemistry is all about making things. So I wanted to venture into a lab where I could make more chemicals, make more things that are useful to us.”
Lewis-Johnson’s desire to make chemistry education both accessible and engaging led him to design a virtual reality tool for students. Te software brings classroom concepts into the visual-spatial realm, transforming learning into a game-like experience.
“Who the hell doesn’t want to learn a chemistry concept via a virtual reality gamifcation?” he said. “We do Diels-Alder reactions, looking at molecules in a new way like spatially, because chemistry at its foundation is a visual feld. So
we as chemists said, ‘we need to try and see if we can fesh this out in a more physical, orientational way.’”
In his freshman and sophomore years, Lewis-Johnson served as outreach coordinator for the College’s chapter of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers. He has served as vice president since last year.
His early involvement helped grow the chapter from one executive member to a coalition of several dedicated chemists earning awards on the national stage.
“I saw Black people doing chemistry, and I said, ‘I want to do this,’” he said. “Most people at the end of September in their freshman year were taking exams and stuf like that, and I was taking exams. I was also outreaching as an exec member, because when I came in, it was one person and she was the only person, she was the president. And so we all kind of helped her out and became really close-knit.”
Lewis-Johnson is currently applying to graduate school for chemistry, with the goal of becoming a professor. Trough a mix of teaching and research in his future career, he hopes to make chemistry appealing to students from all academic disciplines.
“I want to be able to teach people chemistry, to research and then teach people about the chemistry that I’m interested in, and then also do chemistry outreach, STEM outreach,” he said. “Just let anyone and everyone know that you have a place in this feld, even though you might feel ostracized from it.” He highlighted that even the smallest engagement with the feld matters in the long-run.
“You could be an English major, sociology major, French major, public policy, whatever,” he said. “But you can still fnd these things interesting and also get involved in it in very little ways. You do a science experiment, you’re an amateur chemist.”
Lewis-Johnson also works as a fellow for the Sharpe Scholars program. After being a Sharpe Scholar as a freshman, he returned to mentor students and organize action research pathways, which facilitate community-based research projects for scholars.
“I helped them get involved with an action research pathway,” he said. “Sometimes they work with the Ofce of Community Engagement and with local community partners like the Bloomsburg Growers and the House of Mercy.”
Lewis-Johnson’s action research pathway connects students with the First Baptist Church in Williamsburg, aiming to expand knowledge on the city’s Black history.
“I did mine with the First Baptist Church, and we just kind of got people involved with African-American history,” he said. “What it’s like to be an African American in Williamsburg, what that history is like for African Americans in Williamsburg and really all throughout the world.”
Lewis-Johnson emphasized the importance of diversifying one’s academic portfolio outside of their major. Although he loves chemistry more than anything, he thoroughly enjoys analyzing English literature, and has taken several classes at the College.
“Tis is weird, I’m a chemistry major who takes English classes for fun,” he said. “I love a good English class. I love taking any class that’s not in chemistry. I love chemistry, I’d love to do it as a career, but I also need to diversify my mind. William and Mary is the place to do it.”
Lewis-Johnson sometimes wishes he had auditioned for an a capella group to further explore his love for singing.
“Crazy enough, I don’t know why I didn’t do it,” he said. “I was like, ‘damnit’, when I think about it in hindsight. But I should have joined one of the a capella groups. Granted, when I frst got to campus, I was like, the Gentleman of the College are so cool. But I never did it.”
He hasn’t ruled out the possibility of a graduate or even chemist-choir in his future.
“Graduate school choir, something. Literally, [a chemist-choir] would be amazing.”
̶ Army 2nd Lt. Sean Evans ʼ24
COURTESY IMAGE / KYLE LEWIS-JOHNSON
Kyle Lewis-Johnson ʼ25 demonstrates how he developed the first portion of his chemistry research synthesis project using a stir plate.
Tack Lecture highlights salt marsh organisms, ecosystems
David Samuel Johnson talks climate change, hazardous aquatic conditions, extinction threats
SACHI
Tursday, Nov. 14, associate professor of marine science David Samuel Johnson presented the 23rd Tack Lecture titled, “Space Fish, Zombie Shrimp, and Other Salt Marsh Tales” in the Commonwealth Auditorium at the Sadler Center. He covered the adaptability and endurance of salt marsh wildlife and climate change’s impacts on these ecosystems in the community lecture.
Established in 2012, the Tack Faculty Lecture series designates a professor to deliver a community talk in their feld of expertise once a semester. Martha and Carl Tack donated the endowment for the series, which provides stipends for participating professors.
Te event featured a table with several tanks hosting salt marsh creatures such as periwinkle snails and mummichog fsh. Attendees examined papers and diagrams with additional information, asking questions to salt marsh experts present at the event. Attendees were also provided programs, stickers and a bubble blowing kit.
Dean and Director of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science Derek Aday introduced Johnson, referencing his prior research on marine life such as crabs and parasites and climate change’s efect on them.
“Most recently, Johnson was featured in Science News for his work documenting the migration of fddler crabs into northern states as a result of climate change,” Aday said.
Johnson began his lecture by unpacking the defnition of a salt marsh.
“So it’s fooded here in Virginia twice a day by the high tides,” Johnson said. “And so to live in a place that is a salt marsh, as beautiful as it is, you have to be tough.”
Johnson then detailed various examples of salt marsh creatures’ survival abilities. One story focused on space fsh, commonly known as mummichogs, who became astronauts when NASA sent two of them along with 50 eggs into space in 1973. NASA sent them on the mission to study the species’ endurance in difcult conditions.
“I could take a mummichog and I could put it on a bucket, here on the stage, leave a very thin flm of water, and I could come back tomorrow, and it would still be alive. You cannot do that with a goldfsh,” Johnson said.
Johnson explained that the fsh’s survival in the salt marsh depends on its ability to breathe air via its damp gills. Tey prevent the fsh from sufocating in cases where the high tide falls during feeding, and the fsh
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cannot escape back to deeper waters in time.
Johnson also described the survival strategies of the parasites that create zombie shrimp. Tese shrimp, which are actually amphipods, changed in appearance and behavior due to infection from a fatworm parasite called trematodes.
“Well, in the marsh, these marsh hoppers like to hide with the grass. But when it’s infected with a parasite, this parasite specifcally, it wanders out into the open,” Johnson said.
Te parasite also colors the zombie shrimp orange and hinders its traditional defense response of hopping away. Tese changes result in birds seeing and consuming the infected marsh hopper, allowing the parasite to target a new host.
In addition to discussing these adaptations, Johnson described how climate change has afected various salt marsh creatures. He highlighted fddler crabs, explaining the efect of warming waters on their migration patterns.
“But again, the waters are warming up there enough that allows these species from the south to break that barrier and go further north,” Johnson said.
He then guided the audience in a demonstration. Using the bubble kit given to attendees, Johnson blew bubbles into the air, likening their upward foating to fddler crab larvae which can travel north using water currents.
Johnson also performed a rap to explain a hypothesis, which he developed alongside fellow VIMS professor of marine sciences Jefrey D. Shields. His crafty lyricism explained that decreased parasite levels have resulted in more fddler crabs traveling northward.
“Because climate change can give you enough velocity to escape your enemies’ animosity,” Johnson said.
Johnson concluded by thanking those working in his lab and expressed his desire for the public to adopt a more diverse view of marine biology that includes salt marshes.
“I hope from this talk that it expanded your idea of what marine biology could be,” Johnson said. “It could be muddy. It could be in our coastal zones.”
Following the lecture, Johnson answered questions from the audience. One attendee asked whether the creatures moving northward were outcompeting native species in the North. Johnson responded that he had not seen this phenomenon with the specifc salt marsh species he had mentioned, but that a diferent species called mangroves are known to
disturb salt marshes after migrating from the South.
Tey’re a tropical species, but we see them in Florida, which is a subtropical climate, and we’re seeing them move north and they’re starting to displace salt marshes,” Johnson said.
Another attendee asked Johnson if the space mummichogs’ physiology was altered upon return to Earth. Johnson explained that data on physiology had not been collected for the mummichogs, but for rice fsh sent into space, they saw decreased bone density, an issue also faced by human astronauts returning from space.
Arianna Rose ’27 commented on the value of the lecture as a student who intends to major in biology and minor in marine science.
“I think this is helping me understand why I’m going to do [biology and marine science] and what I’m doing it for,” Rose said. “So I think this is really eye-opening and it kind of renewed my energy for studying biology and marine science.”
Rose also voiced the importance of conserving marine species, particularly given the impacts of climate change highlighted by the lecture.
Laurel Perchalski ’20, an alumna who majored in chemistry, approached the lecture from the perspective of her current work as a wet chemist.
“In addition to supporting my boyfriend’s brother, I thought [the lecture] would be really interesting because I do a lot of water analysis,” Perchalski said.
Te lecture also gave Perchalski a diferent perspective on the potential consequences of her work, which involves preventing hazardous chemical pollution in aquatic environments through water sample testing.
“So being able to keep an eye open and think that I’m not just protecting the humans that might drink the water or play in the water, I’m protecting the wildlife as well,” Perchalski said.
Valerie Acosta-Rodigruez works as a research technician in Johnson’s lab, and helped set up and operate the salt marsh tank exhibit. Her research focuses on the impacts of the fddler crab’s northward expansion, including the endangerment of plants and polychaetes, a type of aquatic worm, in the northern habitat.
Acosta-Rodriguez said she would be open to setting up tanks for a similar event in the future to teach the public about salt marshes.
“I love showing people salt marshes because, when they think about a salt marsh, they think about how muddy it is, how disgusting it is,” she said. “But they don’t see that, when everything becomes still, and you just focus on them, it comes to life.”
SA senate discusses building-renaming resolution, funds major events
New bills facilitate LGBTQ+ roommate searches, fund cultural celebrations, CW ice-skating
Tuesday, Nov. 12, the Student Assembly Senate of the College of William and Mary met and discussed fve new bills, and passed three bills. SA President Terra Sloane ’25 also gave executive updates to the chamber.
Te N.A.M.E. Resolution was introduced by Sen. Mayer Tawfk ’27, Class President Nico GiroMartin ’27, Sen. Tyson Liverman ’27, Sen. Sophie Kennedy ’27, Sen. Cheryl Dao ’27 and Class President Devaugh Henry ’28. It is co-sponsored by Class President Matthew Hwang ’25, Chair of the Senate Sen. Hazel Vineet ’25, Sen. Jefrey Gu ’25, Sen. Andrew Kramer ’28, Arts and Sciences Graduate Sen. Morgan Brittain and Sen. Connor O’Neill J.D. ’25.
Te bill aims to respond to concerns expressed over undergraduate students not having sufcient input on the names of new residential facilities.
Te resolution notes that “the renaming of Brown Hall was received with mixed reactions from both the student and Williamsburg communities, and a petition expressing discontent received over 600 signatures.”
Te original text included that the hall was renamed to “Robert M. Gates Hall.” Tat mention
of the College chancellor’s name was later removed by Tawfk.
Te resolution also states that currently, “student input on the Design Review Board is limited to only one graduate student,” which the bill’s authors see as a sign for increased undergraduate student participation in the naming process.
It also calls for other actions, including naming reports with information about the vetting process and other details.
Additionally, Tawfk also distributed a form for student feedback about the resolution.
The Ice Skating Extravaganza Act, sponsored by Henry and Giro-Martin, aims to allocate $10,020 from Student Assembly Reserves to support the costs of three sessions of ice skating in Colonial Williamsburg.
Te ice rink event held the year before will continue this year. According to the meeting minutes, the event will be held on the “First three Saturdays of Spring semester.”
“Last year with two nights, it was extremely popular. We had high attendance for all three hours that we conducted the event,” Giro-Martin said, explaining the expansion of the event from two to three nights.
Te Supporting LGBTQ+ Roommates Act Part
III, sponsored by Wang and Swenson, aims to allocate $150 to fund Papa John’s pizzas for an event facilitating an LGBTQIA+ roommate search event.
Te Funding Spring Concert Act allocates $25,000 to pay for artists to perform. Te bill is part of the eforts SA is undertaking with Alma Mater Productions to prepare for the spring concert, including choosing and fnalizing the contract for the artists. It is sponsored by Henry and Sen. Yasmin Kudrati-Plummer ’28, and is co-sponsored by Sen. Nina Argel ’28.
This chamber also discussed The Spring Concert Production Act that would cover the costs of putting on the performance on the Kaplan Arena, which requires an additional $10,000 to be provided by the Spring Concert Production Bill. That bill is sponsored by Henry and Kudrati-Plummer, while Argel, Kramer and Sen. Ryan Silien ’28 co-sponsored.
Assistant Director of Programming of Student Unions and Engagement Jenna Venable explained that production costs had doubled from the last concert due to labor costs.
Director of Student Leadership Development Anne Arseneau ’89, MA.Ed ’92, noted that without this funding, the concert would likely be moved to the Briggs Amphitheater instead of Kaplan. Henry
explained the reasoning behind holding the show in Kaplan. “Briggs can only hold 1700 people, or 17 to 1800 people, whereas Kaplan can hold a lot more than 1700,” Henry said. Art & Hatsuye Ball Act II was sponsored by Hwang, Vineet, Wang, Dao, Tawfk and Argel. Te bill allocated up to $18,360 to be spent on the ball, which serves as a community event for Asian American Pacifc Islander students on campus. Discussion of the upcoming ball revolved mainly around catering costs and the location and date. Te event will take place on a Sunday or Tursday depending on the availability of the Alumni House. Te bill passed.
Te Eighth Annual Sankofa Gala Act was sponsored by Liverman, Sen. Kyle Lewis-Johnson ’25 and Henry. Te bill provides funding for the Sankofa gala. Te main point of discussion was over photo booths, two photo booths will be provided. Tis event celebrates Black History month and the idea of refection on the past, hence the name “Sankofa,” which comes from the Akan people of Ghana. Te bill passed.
College celebrates Veterans Day with ceremonies across campus
Events spotlight veteran stories at College, promote transition programs for military students
Monday, Nov. 11, the College of William and Mary celebrated Veterans Day, recognizing the diverse journeys military veterans take as they transition from uniformed service to the classroom.
Troughout the day, events like the Wren Bell-Ringing ceremony at the Sir Christopher Wren Building, a Veterans Day observance at the College of William and Mary Law School, and a celebration at the Raymond A. Mason School of Business honored the military and veteran community, ofering spaces for refection and camaraderie.
Veterans Day, originally Armistice Day in 1919 to mark the end of World War I, became a holiday to honor all U.S. veterans in 1954. Its meaning has evolved from remembrance to collective action, solidarity and a broader commitment to veterans’ well-being.
At the Wren Bell-Ringing ceremony, veterans, students and faculty gathered to honor those who served.
Angelique Echols ’25, a retired Master-at-Arms in the U.S. Navy, spoke about continued service.
“We stand in solidarity and care
about this country,” Echols said. “Our service may look diferent now, but we are here to engage, be policymakers, peacekeepers and advocates, not just for veterans, but for everyone.”
At the Mason School of Business, a Veterans Day ceremony highlighted veterans’ contributions to academia and professional life.
Cierra Klett MBA ’26, a retired Airman First Class, shared what Veterans Day means to her.
“It’s about service before self, even when it’s tough,” Klett said. “Tere are long nights and challenging moments, but it’s all worth it.”
Charlie Foster, director of the Office of Student Veteran Engagement, emphasized the importance of understanding diverse military experiences.
“I think asking questions and getting to know people’s stories and being open-minded will take anybody a long way,” Foster said.
Foster emphasized that dialogue is essential to breaking misconceptions and fostering empathy between veterans and civilians.
For veterans like Josue Jean ’25, a
former aviation boatswain’s mate in the U.S. Navy, Veterans Day represents a moment of pride.
“Veterans Day means a lot to me,” Jean said.
“It tells a story of a country dedicated to serving as a beacon of justice and light for the world.”
Jean refected on his transition from the military emphasized community.
“As veterans, we rely on each other. We come from diferent backgrounds, but when we come together, we’re a unifed force, committed to something bigger than ourselves,” Jean said.
Te College’s support for veterans extends beyond one day of recognition. Its support systems help veterans transition from military life to academia.
Te College is home to programs such as the Flourishing Trough Life Transitions program, which is designed to assist veterans in navigating both academic rigor and reintegrating into civilian life. Te Ofce of Student Veteran Engagement plays a pivotal role in providing resources such as specialized orientation, academic counseling and wellness programs tailored to veterans’ needs.
While Veterans Day is essential for honoring those who have served, Army 2nd Lt. Sean Evans ’24, a Reserved
Training Corp
“I think it would be better if Veterans Day were less about acknowledging that veterans exist and more about how we can connect with veterans who may be struggling with mental health or physical issues,” Evans said. Evans emphasized that Veterans Day should be an opportunity for civilians to refect on how they can actively support veterans’ well-being, particularly those facing ongoing struggles.
SACHI PALLEN
RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT Veterans meet with College faculty for Veterans Day at the Raymond A. Mason School of Business.
Ofcers’
alumnus, shared his perspective on what the day should truly represent.
REBECCA FUCHS THE FLAT HAT
Students share reactions to PATH system changes, new schedules
Banner replacement marks second semester of implementation, add/drop period begins for all social classes
Wednesday, Nov. 13, the College of William and Mary released students’ schedules for the spring semester through the new online registration software PATH. The add/drop period commenced the following Monday, Nov. 18, opening to students at staggered times based on social class.
PATH was first implemented for the fall 2024 semester, replacing the previous Banner 9 system. It now returns for the 2025 spring semester, providing mixed results for students.
Psychology and linguistics major Aidan Burnham ’27 got all but one course in his primary cart. He said the transition from Banner to PATH went smoothly on the whole, and described his general strategy for getting the classes he wanted.
“The first time I did PATH cart building last spring, I strategized it so that the first alternate for my first choice was my second primary choice,” he said. “So if my first choice did not get chosen, it would move to the alternate. If my alternate was still open in that first round, I would get it, and then it would skip over the second primary option.”
Ella White ’27 has had less luck with the new registration system and said she preferred using Banner for course scheduling.
“Last semester, I got six credits. This semester, I got eight. So I always have to work with add/drop. It’s just frustrating,”
White said.
Sociology major and psychology minor William Henderson ’26 agrees with White, sharing that he only managed to get two out of the dozen or so classes he put in his primary cart and expressed frustration with the system.
International relations major in the St. Andrews Joint Degree Programme Ali Espino ’25 had a slightly different experience with course registration due to the nature of her program.
“Personally, I’ve gotten everything that I’ve needed, but I know many students, JDP and otherwise, who have not gotten things they needed, even second-semester seniors who have not gotten their requirements to graduate and can’t get an override for it,” Espino said.
Espino said her biggest advice for navigating PATH is to create a plan for different possible course scheduling outcomes.
“I honestly spent so much time looking through the course catalog to see what was available, like if I didn’t like this, what alternative was there? Load up your primary cart, load up your alternatives, and just have a plan,” Espino said.
One of the challenges Henderson has encountered is trying to get into classes that are unnecessarily major-restricted.
“I would encourage the registrar to go out to departments and see what classes actually need to be major-restricted and which ones don’t,” he said. “As someone that was formerly
a psych major and went into the minor, there were things that were major-restricted, but they were core requirements for any minor or major, and you won’t be able to get into those classes on the minor, but you still need the minor requirements.”
White said she wished there was more support from the Office of the University Registrar for navigating the PATH system.
“There’s definitely a good amount of information, but it’s also kind of confusing, and I feel like the system always has errors, no matter what advice they’re giving us,” White said.
Nonetheless, Burnham appreciated how PATH processes students’ carts all together, as opposed to the free-for-all system that Banner embodied.
“The biggest pro is probably not having to wake up at 6 a.m. for a 6:40 a.m. registration period, because that was the most anxietyinducing thing ever about the previous registration system,” Burnham said. “You’re just kind of sitting there waiting for the second to hit and then you hit the registration and you have to copy-paste, copy-paste, copypaste. Go, go, go and your heart is beating out of your chest.”
Burnham also values add/drop’s social class ranking system.
“It’s beneficial because I recall last spring, a lot of seniors were like, ‘I didn’t get the classes I wanted,’ so having that sort of seniority allows the seniors to go in and pick out the classes that they need to graduate,”
he said. “While it sucks being a freshman, and you’re like, ‘Oh, dang, I wanted that class so much,’ someone else needs it more than you.”
With regard to add/drop, White is uncertain. She said her main goal is to get into her primary cart classes that she did not get the first time, but that still have available seats.
“PATH didn’t put me in some classes that are still open, so I’m going to leave them in my cart, but I don’t really know what to do there,” she said. “I don’t understand why we wouldn’t be placed in open classes.”
Henderson said he has been able to get off class waitlists in the past, and is hoping the same will be true this time around.
“I really enjoyed the waiting list because I thought it was a bit easier to get into a class and know that I got an email, I have a day to respond if I want to take the class or not, so I thought it was really good for add/drop,” he said.
Henderson underscored that the key to finding success with PATH is to be proactive and advocate for yourself.
“I know the registrar a little bit more closely because I’ve come to them more frequently, but I think for the people who are upset about PATH, have conversations with the registrars when they are available and when they’re taking questions and comments,” Henderson said. “I remember I couldn’t get into a class, and I was really upset, but I talked to one person and they helped me fix it.”
Parker resigns seat, Class of 2026 committee to appoint successor
Senatorʼs departure marks second time, previously replaced by former Sen. Meghan Jainʼ26
from page 3
Hwang, Gu, Vineet and LewisJohnson were the sponsors of the last bill considered, The LDOC Beer Garden Act.
The bill provides funding for the LDOC Beer Garden event and states that the event will run from 2 to 5 p.m. Discussion of the bill confirmed that the City of Williamsburg will spend around $1,000 to provide pizzas. Cider and a DJ are under consideration from the chamber as well.
The Senate also had a debate over whether to include “koozies,” an insulating sleeve for drinks, or not. SA Vice President Oscar Lazo ’25 opposed the koozies due to concerns over whether they would actually draw students to the event, while Sloane, Sen. Ashlynn Parker ’26 and Brittain came out in support of the koozies for reasons including popularity, incentive and helping against the cold.
In addition, the discussion cemented the event as available to students 21 years or older, due to Aramark’s concerns. The bill passed.
All bills passed with unanimous support, except for The LDOC Beer Garden Act, which Sen. Laayba Tanoli ’25 abstained from voting.
Sloane stated that Tuesday,
ACADEMICS
The Senate of the Student Assembly of the College of William an d Mary is the student
Nov. 19, there will be an event for student feedback about West
Woods Phase II. Sloane also stated that a registration form would be sent out for those who wanted to attend because of limited seats.
“So asking some, like last minute student feedback questions about some of the furniture in Westwood, some of the dining facilities, what they should offer, what they should look like,” Sloane said, referring to topics that would be brought up during the event.
Sloane also mentioned the College’s Board of Visitors meetings which will run from Wednesday, Nov. 20, to Friday, Nov. 22.
The SA Department of Health and Safety created graphics from
their sexual health tabling about topics like sexual health and using the Rave Guardian app. Sloane said that these graphics would be available to use by the class presidents and others.
One of the other major announcements Sloane made was about the walking tour involving collaboration with the Lemon Project and Contextualization of Campus Landmarks and Iconography. Sloane told her fellow SA members to let her know if they wanted to contribute to the project during the spring.
Lazo said that the excavation work in front of the Wren would be completed soon and asked SA members to respond if they wanted to support Royal Ball preparations.
Lazo also announced planning for a potential event around the arts.
“We know that the year of the arts wasn’t necessarily as productive for a lot of student organizations on campus, so we [Department of Student Experience Deputy Secretary Tony Jones and Lazo] sort of want to do like a weeklong celebration for all of our organizations,” Lazo said.
Lazo mentioned comedy, dance, literary arts and other clubs as potential participants. He also said that the event may conclude at the Muscarelle if plans allow for it.
Carsten Chow ’28, SA undersecretary of LGBTQIA+ Affairs, discussed several upcoming
initiatives in his public comment.
Aside from the LGBTQ roommate search, he also mentioned development of a potential living and learning community, as well as an April Pride Month event. More funding may be necessary for the Pride Month event.
Jake Poppiti ’24 M.A.Ed. ’25 brought up alternate interpretations of the acronym SA, and made reference to a recent guest column in The Flat Hat opinion section written by Argel about the issue.
He noted that SA often serves as an acronym for “sexual assault,” but that it also refers to a Nazi paramilitary wing. Poppiti suggested switching the word “assembly” with another one by allowing the students to choose a replacement.
“If this government is truly of and by the students, then let us give the question back to the people and hold a two part referendum, two parts,” Poppiti said.
His strategy would involve students providing name ideas, a committee choosing finalist names and the student body voting on the finalists.
Sloane responded by saying that, due to both a legal document and to mirror the names of similar organizations, SA uses the word “assembly” and so has the acronym SA.
GRI hosts panel on future foreign policy including Project 2025 author
Participants discuss federal government heading into Trumpʼs
Tuesday, Oct. 29, students and Williamsburg community members gathered to discuss the future of United States foreign policy under the next presidential administration.
Hosted by Dr. Kiron Skinner and Dr. Francis J Gavin at the Global Research Institute, the discussion aimed to provide a glimpse into what a Harris or Trump administration’s foreign policy objectives would look like.
Skinner served as director of policy planning at the state department during the Trump administration. She also authored the “Department of State” chapter of The Heritage Foundation’s Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise, also
known as Project 2025. She currently works as the Taube Family Chair of International Relations and Politics at Pepperdine University. Gavin is the director of Johns Hopkins’ Center for Global Affairs. He’s also the Co-Founder of the Carnegie International Policy Scholars Consortium and Network and the author of multiple books regarding nuclear and economic foreign policy. Professor of political science at Virginia Commonwealth University Jessica Trisko Darden moderated the discussion. The discussion started with a question on which candidate represents change versus continuity in their respective foreign policy
agendas. Skinner answered first with regards to former President Trump’s agenda.
“Having served in the [Trump] administration, having been on prior Trump campaigns and transition efforts, I think he wants to come back to finish the job,” Skinner said. “And much of what he started, the Biden administration has not jettisoned, such as tariffs on China. Some things like international agreements that he withdrew from, like the Paris Climate Accord and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, we saw the Biden administration going in a different direction. But, the core of U.S. foreign policy in some areas remains the same.”
She added that Trump
will likely promote policies such as increased tariffs, nuanced China strategy, arms control and burdensharing of NATO partners.
“NATO contributions increased by hundreds of billions under Trump,” Skinner said. “So I think there will be a kind of consistency that’s connected to what he’s already started. I don’t think there will be lots of surprises because he has a tendency to tell you what he’s going to do.”
Gavin answered next, mentioning that, despite the polarization of American politics, differences between administrations are rare.
“It turns out that it’s very, very hard to bring about profound change,”
second non-consecutive term
Gavin said. “True discontinuity is far rarer than you would think.”
Gavin remarked that an administration’s most pressing foreign policy issues are often unforeseeable. He cited the war in Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic as examples of events that unexpectedly shaped the Biden and Trump administrations. Gavin believes that unpredictable issues will once again rise to the surface and become focal points for the next administration.
The discussion briefly touched upon the relationship between a president’s foreign policy objectives and the United States’ agreements with other nations.
Skinner was the only one to answer, highlighting the problems with executive orders and how they create a foreign policy that easily alters between administrations, making it harder for allies to predict changes in the United States’ position.
“The Biden administration was not anticipating that Russia would invade Ukraine, yet it has come to shape the Biden administration’s grand strategy,” Gavin said. “The Trump administration did not expect that a global pandemic would be the most important event on their watch. The George W. Bush administration did not anticipate the 9/11 attacks.”
CATHERINE STORKE / THE FLAT HAT
governmentʼs legislative chamber.
ANNA DEHMER AND SAM POTEET THE FLAT HAT
Sex strikes, wage equality and language
Jon Miller, a self-reported “moderate” and “fair & balanced political commentator,” wrote in a post on the social media site X: “Women threatening sex strikes like LMAO as if you have a say.”
This post in incel echo-chamber X comes in the wake of Donald Trump’s reelection as president of the United States.
As reported by Rachel Treisman in an article for NPR, the 4B movement, started in South Korea, has four tenets, one of which involves refraining from having sexual relations with heterosexual men. Treisman says a push for American women to join has been trending on social media, hence the “sex strikes” Miller is referencing.
Miller’s opinion is one shared by too many in right-wing spaces. At best, it’s an assertion that women do not have the agency to decide whether or not to have sex with men. At worst, it’s an assertion that men have the right to rape.
When discussing whether legal measures or social and cultural shifts are more effective in advancing gender equality, one must take a hard look at not only numerical data but also what is being said by male politicians, coworkers, members of their community and loved ones.
And while Miller isn’t representative of all men in America, he still felt comfortable enough to joke about raping women on a public platform. His words are just a symptom of the deep-rooted genderbased discrimination that female-presenting people in America still face. All of the men who liked, shared or silently agreed with the post have women in their lives, even the man who wrote it — Miller presumably has a mother and might know at least one other woman. If we do not have the social structures set up for gender equality, what’s to say legal measures will last? Positive legal
progress and negative social responses are indicative of a need for social change.
“Seeing men as the human default is fundamental to the structure of human society,” says researcher Caroline CriadoPerez in her book “INVISIBLE WOMEN: Data bias in a world designed for men.”
Nick Fuentes, the antithesis of a feminist scholar, might share the same perspective (we’ll get to him later). Male candidates are more likely to be suggested and receive a job in the workforce. If I asked you to name an author, who pops into your head? Is it a woman? Criado-Perez says probably not, and I’m inclined to believe her.
Furthermore, while America’s antidiscrimination laws have created a legal backbone for the dissolution of the gender wage gap, it still exists today. The wage gap grows throughout a woman’s 20s and 30s but starts to shrink once they hit their 40s and 50s. Any guesses as to why?
In an article for VOX, Sarah Kliff writes that this may be because of the caregiver role that women have thrust upon them which, in turn, leads them to tend to work fewer hours. This doesn’t necessarily reference children — it could be family members or anyone else. With the traditional nine-to-five work schedule, particular hours are more important than others. In the highest-paying fields, people who work long and inflexible hours are typically rewarded with things like promotions or pay raises, and caregivers may not be able to comply with the hours necessary to build their salaries up to their counterparts.
Diminishing the gender wage gap requires a social shift for whom the onus of caregiving falls upon or a change in the expectation of work hours in these inflexible workplaces, or maybe even both.
“Your body, my choice. Forever,” Nick Fuentes, a guy who posts videos that he probably films alone in his basement, wrote on Twitter, hours before the president-elect of the United States was announced.
Fuentes, who has 114,000 followers on the video platform Rumble, responded to the backlash his initial post received with a follow-up video stating, “And as you guys know, it was sort of a joke. You know, because it’s based on what all these women have been saying, which is ‘My body, my choice.’ And can we just be honest? They are so annoying, so shrill, so annoying.” How articulate. When discussing negative social responses, these quotes are a masterclass of leaning into ideas of male domination and female stereotypes.
The landmark Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade, which furthered the establishment of reproductive rights by declaring them constitutionally secure under the 9th and 14th Amendments, was overturned on June 24, 2022, giving states the power to enact their own legislation concerning reproduction. Following this, the phrase “My body, my choice,” rose in usage as a slogan in support of reproductive rights.
Fuentes pairs his critique of campaigning for reproductive rights with words such as “annoying” and “shrill” to describe women. This conjures up, for me, and I’m sure, plenty of his (male) audience, an image of the “shrill” nagging housewife, or the “annoying” clingy girlfriend — all stereotypes designed to diminish women who advocate for themselves. These words have a preconceived idea of gender.
Tina Tallon reports in her article published in The New Yorker that the word “shrill” experienced a resurgence in use when Hillary Clinton ran for president in 2016. These words are used to attenuate women’s power and soften their voices. If women are loud, they are not subservient. A quiet woman cannot be shrill.
And legislation will not solve the use of gendered language.
Institutions themselves, whether it be within media, places of employment, families or education, must establish expectations of equality, but this may not always need to be done with legal measures. If what the people watch, listen to or see every day emphasizes equality, these behaviors will slowly be mimicked. The Jon Millers and Nick Fuenteses of the world will realize that the world does not revolve around whatever vitriol they spout, but only if we stop pretending that they are more than unqualified men hiding behind a screen. We must choose to disengage, which at this moment seems hypocritical to say because I scoured the internet for misogynistic posts, and sat through a 30-minute video in which Fuentes said I shouldn’t have the right to vote, before writing this.
It might be pessimistic, but if the next president of the United States says that he can “grab [women] by the pussy,” then it shows governments fail their people constantly. But it’s up to the people not to fail themselves.
Katharine Luzzatto ‘26 is a governmentmajor.Sheservesasassistantmusic director for the William and Mary Cleftomaniacs, so she’s probably singingifyouseeheraroundcampus! Contactheratkfluzzatto@wm.edu.
GUEST COLUMN
You should get into the habit of calling your loved ones
As we’re well into the second half of the semester, things are starting to get busier. From today until the end of the semester, we have to face a slew of quizzes, unit tests and ultimately, the dreaded final exams and essays. Long gone are the days of going over the syllabus and classes being spontaneously canceled. To make it even more personal, there’s probably a very good chance you’re not happy with your midterm grades in at least one of your classes. Even outside of academics, students are scrambling to prepare for a variety of end-of-year activities. Acapella groups and comedy troupes alike are making final tweaks to their performances, school ensembles are starting to distribute call times for their concert dates and cultural organizations are scrambling to advertise their culture shows wherever they can.
Call me a twamp, but it’s wonderful to be busy and productive, especially at this college. There’s never a shortage of things on campus to procrastinate on your term paper with. There’s a good reason behind the stereotype of students at the College of William and Mary being studious and productive busybees. But sometimes, things can get stressful. When deadlines start to suddenly pile up as your professors conspire to coincidentally schedule all your tests on the same day, you start to feel overwhelmed. You have to study for all these quizzes, but you also promised to go to your roommate’s acapella performance on a Wednesday night. All of a sudden, it’s 1 a.m. and you gotta wake up early for your 9 a.m. vocab quiz.
Amidst all of this, I want to remind you that there’s a team of your biggest fans cheering you on 24/7. Your family! Though it was easier to do during orientation week, you’ll come to find out that a few months deep into the academic year, you haven’t called your family in an egregiously long time! Your dad may not readily admit it, but he misses you! Your mom might say she’s relieved to take a break from looking after you 24/7, but she misses having dinner with you. Whether it’s your parents, your siblings or even your dog, make sure you set time out of the week to call your loved ones, and tell them you love them. It’ll make their day. Simply put, they’re all worried sick. For those who are sending their kids to college for the first time, it’s scary to send their child into an unfamiliar environment, hundreds of miles away from home. So do
Willy and Mary
your parents a favor and FaceTime them, not just once, but often. (Now that campus is in full swing in the fall season, perhaps show them the beautiful fall foliage Williamsburg has to offer.)
Whether it’s for just five minutes or an hour or two, checking in with your family helps keep your parents in the loop on what’s going on in your college life (yes, that means the good, bad AND ugly parts of it). Calling your younger siblings gives you an opportunity to briefly give them a few tips and tricks to navigating classes, social life, living on your own, etc. Your older siblings will appreciate being able to briefly relive the college life nostalgia, even if it’s for a few minutes. Finally, your dog won’t care where you are. Your pets will just be happy to see you, even if it’s through a screen. I admit, it might not be easy for some students to call their folks back home. Whether it’s personal grievances or political differences, it isn’t always easy to carry a pleasant conversation, especially over the phone. Despite this, I still implore you to reach out to your family and/or loved ones. After all, they’re still family. For fellow students for whom reaching out to family isn’t a feasible option, there’s a family here for you at the College (as cliché as it sounds).
Reach out to your best friends, your professors or even the workers at Sadler and ask them about their day as you share yours. A brief check-in with any of your loved ones will be more than sufficient for not only them, but also for yourself. I’d even go as far to say getting into the habit of calling your family does wonders for your mental health. Similar to journaling, calling your family often helps you review and process everything that’s recently happened. While you’re telling them all the things that you’ve done in college in the past week, you’re also giving yourself a mental checkpoint. You’re showing not only your family but also yourself where you’re at, how far you’ve come and the myriad of exciting things you’ll do and experience in the days ahead.
As a senior, I’ve had periods where I forget to call my family in an embarrassingly long time. Once you start getting adjusted to college, it’s easy to forget about home for long periods of time. In addition to being busy myself, my family will likely be busy in their everyday lives. Even if you reach out to them and spontaneously call, they might be busy doing errands, meetings or catching up on sleep. (Note: Avoid calling them at 2 a.m.). However, I’ve come to find that coordinating with your family and putting aside just a small amount of time to check in with the people you love will help you flourish and excel in your crazy, wild journey in college.
Junwon (Junie) Park ‘25 has recently realized he doesn’t have much time left in college. Consequently, he’s frantically pushing out op-eds with unsolicited advice to impart to the underclassmen. If you’re lucky, you can catch him trying to finish an essay due at 11:59 PM while simultaneously DJing at a party. Contact him atjjpark06@wm.edu.
THE FLAT HAT
Junwon Park
GRAPHIC BY MOLLIE SHIFLETT / THE FLAT HAT
THE FLAT HAT Katy Luzzatto
GRAPHIC BY ZOE DAVIS / THE FLAT HAT
COMIC BY MICHAEL GABRIEL / THE FLAT HAT
Grant’s Greatreads #1: Why to read Jean Rhys
Grant Yoon
can tell that because you get accustomed to it so quickly.”
In Jean Rhys’s “Voyage in the Dark,” meaning is suspect and inevitably destroyed. A semi-autobiographical novel along the lines of “The Bell Jar,” Rhys constructs a protagonist — Anna Morgan — with cutting and accurate depictions of loneliness in a modern and graceful style that continues to work today. Though similar in their committed portrayal of an intelligent, cynical young woman discovering the world, the novel’s composition precludes the triumphant or egotistical moments of Slyvia Plath’s “Bell Jar”; Anna Morgan is utterly hopeless. Her voice speaks without any real belief in the possibility of a tranquil or contented life.
An example: When a man falls in love with Anna Morgan and begins to fund a more extravagant lifestyle for her, the tone of the novel remains exactly the same. No lift. As Morgan says of a sudden sum of money she receives, “It was as if I’d always had it. Money ought to be everybody’s. It ought to be like water. You
But Morgan appears to become accustomed to everything that happens to her: her boyfriend leaving her, her unstable housemate threatening suicide and ultimately, an unplanned and aborted pregnancy. The novel gives the reader no place to breathe, no moments of the sublime in the mechanical hell of Anna’s life; it is too truthfully suffused with its protagonist’s dread to pretend anything else.
Being mechanical, however, does not make the novel overly monotonous. In stark contrast to the more emotionally-lucid novels offering an idea of the female perspective that preceded Rhys’ other writings (such as “Jane Eyre,” which Rhys wrote her most successful book “Wide Sargasso Sea” as a prequel for), the arrangement of events which Anna experiences or comments on is disorienting, seemingly disjointed. Her reaction to the constraints of money, to the limits of human love that never fully reach or engage with her, is not inspiring. It is real, difficult, wrought from pain and honesty. It is one of powerlessness and of morbid acceptance. And that is why Anna Morgan only appears to be unaffected; somehow, against the darkness of a terrifying loneliness, the thing one remembers about Rhys is her humanity. Even after fitting ugly masks onto people who have been cruel to her protagonists and on her protagonists themselves, the rawness and vulnerability of the world is exceptionally memorable for being so subtle — and so true.
In her most well-known novel “Wide Sargasso Sea” — the aforementioned prequel to “Jane Eyre” — follows the madwoman of Rochester’s attic before madness. Or, more accurately, the novel closely follows her into madness. A series of tragedies and horrors are lodged into the psyche of Antoinette Cosway since childhood: the prolonged threat of violence against her family, the deterioration of her mother and then a mob’s burning of her home and a brush with death, prevented only by a superstitious sign (a parrot burning to death). Later, living in an abbey, Cosway confesses to a nun “I had a dream
Why is it always raining at the West Utility plant?
Sam Belmar FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR
You might be wondering what I’m talking about. Think back to all the times you have crossed over the bridge on Ukrop Way to go to and from Earl Gregg Swem Library, the Raymond A. Mason School of Business, the Integrated Science Center, The Caf or even roach-infested Ludwell (which I have the privilege to call home).
What have you noticed? Any particular thought, feeling, sensation? Meteorological sensitivity? Have you opened the weather app? Wished you brought an umbrella?
All of these experiences are valid. What we are collectively living through is the most rare, disconcerting and unexplainable weather phenomenon ever observed in human history. You read that right. It’s perpetually raining at the College of William and Mary’s West Utility Plant. No matter what side of the street we find ourselves on, as soon as the building’s 30-meter radius has been breached, the storm begins. Insidious raindrops of unknown chemical origin dance on our skin. We begin to feel an indescribable tingling sensation.
Could that be rain? No way. You checked the weather this morning and it’s forecasted to be sunny, through and through. You reach for your phone. Not even a ten percent chance of precipitation? Five percent? One percent? Nothing. Not a single drop. But you can’t deny what you’re feeling. You think it’s actually raining. And you’re not properly dressed nor mentally prepared to face these treacherous conditions. Wait. Hold on. It stopped.
Because the experience is as ephemeral as it is distressing, a vast majority of us end up entirely forgetting what happened. We never mention it to anyone. That’s why you’ve never heard a soul talk about this before, but you’ve lived this very description. It’s finally time to break our collective vow of silence and face this issue head-on. Together.
Sam Cooper ’25 has gone through this every day for as long as he can remember.
“I walk by this about every day, and I feel like most of the time there’s this little spritz of water coming off,” he said. “It isn’t happening right now, but I feel like most of the time, I would say it’s happening. I’m not sure why it does, but yeah, it just feels like it’s raining. I’m like, what is this weird water coming to us?”
He keeps hope alive that it is indeed water irrigating the sidewalk like a garden sprinkler.
“I think it’s water, I hope it’s water, let’s hope it is,” he said. “It feels like water, I mean it doesn’t obviously sting or anything weird. It’s always a little cold, I don’t know, it’s like a mist, it’s weird.”
I conducted anecdotal fieldwork to confirm my long-held suspicions. The industrial rainfall appears to occur at all hours of the day, with the greatest amount trickling down on the student body in the early to mid-afternoon. An oral history with College alumni next homecoming weekend may also be useful to track how far back this has been happening. King William and Queen Mary might have even experienced this in 1693.
At the right time of day, and with minimal clouds in the sky, one can see the unidentified
liquid droplets erupt gracefully from the center of the building and disperse evenly in every direction imaginable. I have never observed anything more elegantly tragic than this in my entire life. If a water park category were added to the US News and World Report’s rankings evaluation criteria, the College would easily ascend back into the top 50 universities nationwide. We are missing a golden marketing opportunity here.
I often wonder why our student tour guides don’t hype up the West Plant meteorological vortex as a flagship perk of the College experience. I guess number one school in internships sounds marginally better. I’ve also never seen a walking tour leave Old Campus.
If I had a nickel for every time I heard a student say, “oh gosh, it’s raining” next to the utility plant, I’d make enough to qualify for Trump’s tax cuts for the top one percent starting in January 2025. Luckily, all bad news has a silver lining.
A class action lawsuit could be the average student’s NIL deal. Not all of us are gifted athletes capable of competing at the division one level. But that doesn’t mean we don’t deserve to secure a bag. Let the lay people dream, and they will make miracles happen.
Prior to writing this manifesto, I consulted with several people to ensure that I wasn’t hallucinating the College’s equivalent of a micro El Niño event. Every student I spoke with has experienced this at least once before. However, other thoughts quickly washed over their chemicalsoaked heads before this could ever form into a core memory.
I cannot allow our collective ignorance to be perpetuated any longer. We must come to terms with the cold hard facts. It’s not sometimes raining at the West Utility Plant. Nor is it occasionally raining at the West Utility Plant. It is always raining at the West Utility Plant. Put most devastatingly, it is never not raining at the West Utility Plant.
Either climate change experts need to burst onto the scene or the College mechanic has been sleeping through his alarm to fix the hole in the ceiling. In any case, the around-the-clock rainstorm at our precious West Utility Plant needs to be investigated and contained before the mysterious forever chemicals tank my GPA even further.
SamBelmar‘27isasociologyandFrench doublemajor.He’samemberoftheAlphaPhi Omegaservicefraternityandenjoysplaying basketball in his free time. Email him at sabelmar@wm.edu.
I was in hell.” And recalling the image of her worn mother being taken away to an insane asylum, she begins to cry, asking “why, why must such terrible things happen?” The nun offers no consolation, telling her only to “put that dream out of [her] mind” before sadly concluding “we cannot know why the devil must have his little day.”
It’s in this way that Rhys’ complex struggle with the world feels so different from the usual depressing, indulgent misanthropy of other intellectuals (I think of Emil Cioran’s “The Trouble with Being Born,” where he describes being physically repulsed by a pregnant woman, or as he calls her, a murderer. Very fun guy). Her spells of unreality — a glass sheet between her and the world — prime readers for later experiences of sorrow, innocence and disillusionment, finding a deep stream of meaning in the terror that she never really learned to live with.
How her novels are human — it’s like the Rilo Kiley song “A Better Son/Daughter,” in which the singer tells her mother “to give into the demons that possess her / And that God never blessed her insides” before crawling back into bed and dreaming of younger, more peaceful years. What makes this line so poignant is the contradictory meaning underneath the cruel assertion, the incredulous reality that the people we love are, somehow, blessed from the inside, sparked with divinity, and the thick, ugly skin of the world getting in the way of that. Through intense description, Rhys suddenly cuts through that skin in her novels, reminding us who we are underneath it all, somehow encouraging us to be kind and loving even as cruelty after cruelty mounts upon her voice.
It’s been 24 hours since you tossed your cap in the air, and you’ve heard this no less than seven times. You can hardly stop yourself from rolling your eyes. Of course, it’s high school graduation, and meaningless pieces of advice are being tossed out like candy, so you’ve already mastered your cheesy smile.
“Thanks,” you say. “I’ll try.”
Maybe “work hard, play hard” is just a soon to-be-forgotten nugget of wisdom. However, it infiltrates college life on a deeper level. Someone who subscribes to the “work hard, play hard” philosophy becomes the dream college student — a favorite in the classroom and at the fraternities.
Our elders share those four words frequently, often in a nostalgic air. Perhaps it is because adults are expected to give up “play” entirely in order to grow up. Once they enter the hustle of working life, the door to fun remains firmly shut. After all, they are too busy for their days to be filled with anything more than the monotony of work.
However, the same toxic hustle underlies “work hard, play hard.” The student embracing a “work hard, play hard” mindset is seen in the library or the club, with a book or a beer. There is no in-between. They lose sleep cramming for a test, then lose sleep partying. They are expected to maintain a high GPA and a demanding social life. Their weekdays are packed, and so are their weekends. Fighting to keep up with the standard of “work hard, play hard” is a one-way road to burnout.
Yet, deleting either half of the slogan makes things worse. If you are constantly locked in the library, you will slowly disintegrate under Swem’s ferocious fluorescent lighting. On the flip side, if you spend your days getting wild on the dance floor, it seems highly unnecessary that you are paying tuition to do so.
So, I offer a revision. Work hard, sure. Play hard, heck yeah! But don’t forget to rest hard.
That’s right, rest. Catch some Zs, first of all, but also remember to add rest to your waking hours.
“Rest” means something different to every -
body. For me, it’s walking around Colonial Williamsburg and discovering something new (i.e. the spooky cellar at the Governor’s Palace). It’s reading a rom-com. It’s making an ugly painting and being proud of it anyway. While rest refreshes you for more work and more play, it should also be respected on its own. Rest is the space where the world falls quiet, where you slow down enough that you can pick something you’ve never noticed out of all of the noise.
The other day, I encountered a maple tree that looked like it had unfolded from a popup book. Orange and yellow sprouted from its branches like monarch wings, fluttering in the breeze. I stopped in my tracks, trying to take it all in. It was the sort of beauty you could stare at for hours and still not feel like you truly appreciated.
I had a club meeting to be at soon, homework to do. Yet, there was a bench under the magical canopy, asking passersby to wait a moment, to slow down and look up.
So, I did. I laid down and folded my arms behind my head and watched as the leaves waved and shook above, getting ready to say their farewells to the branches. I sat there until time escaped. One more song, I kept thinking. My playlist went on. I did not. I walked by there again this week, and the leaves were no longer a yellow so bright I felt like I needed sunglasses. They now looked like crumpled paper bags, and most of them laid in a heap around the trunk. No less beautiful, but I suddenly felt so grateful I had taken a moment to sit down and rest on the bench that day, ignoring my other responsibilities. The same maple now looked unrecognizable.
Moments of rest can elude us if we don’t use the pockets of time we have. We can fail to save space for ourselves, in the rush of college and in the rush of life. We can forget to “rest hard.”
You never know when the leaves will fall, so stop and treasure them now.
AlexandraHill‘28isaprospectiveEnglish
GUEST COLUMN
STAFF COLUMN
GRAPHIC BY CATHERINE STORKE / THE FLAT HAT
Alexandra Hill THE FLAT HAT
GRAPHIC BY HANNAH YANG / THE FLAT HAT
COURTESY PHOTO / RYAN GOODMAN
variety
OFFSCRIPT THEATRE TALK
“Fun Home” authentically captures grief, complex family dynamics
EDEN LEAVEY // THE FLAT HAT
Nov. 14–17, the College of William and Mary’s theater department presented “Fun Home,” a Tony award-winning musical based on a graphic novel memoir of the same name written by Alison Bechdel. Directed by professor of theatre Holly Maples, the show was performed in the Glenn Close Theatre in Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall.
Whether laughing, crying or simply staring in awe, I was glued to my seat for the entire 110-minute duration of “Fun Home.” The nineperson cast, down one actor due to illness — get well soon — was nothing short of magical, bringing to fruition an already compelling story with beautiful conviction.
“Fun Home” tells the story of Alison through a series of non-linear vignettes, bouncing back and forth between her childhood, her first few months at Oberlin College and her adulthood as she tries to navigate the troubled waters of her relationship with her closeted gay father, Bruce Bechdel, while simultaneously coming to terms with her own sexuality. Truly, it is impossible to pick one standout performer in this production. Everyone on stage brought such commitment and thoughtfulness to their role. However, some
particular moments do stick out to me as I sit down and write this review a few days after watching the show.
Sofia Strick’s ’25 portrayal of college freshman Alison resonated deeply with me; the mixture of existential dread and gay panic, coupled with the character’s use of novels to seek comfort amid significant life transitions, felt incredibly genuine. Also, I think we all chuckled a little harder than we would like to admit at the relatable delivery of Strick’s line, “I’m sure there are people here who aren’t total idiots.”
Further, “Fun Home” sheds light on what it means to live your life “in the closet,” where the Bechdels’ house symbolizes the closet in which Bruce is trapped by his repressed homosexuality. The slow-burn reveal of Bruce’s secret is intensified by subtle references to substance abuse and domestic violence, or at least threats of physical harm, gradually unveiling the cracks in the walls. In these hints that something is not quite right here, we see the prolonged effects of Bruce’s abuse on the rest of the Bechdel family, which helps to explain why Alison’s mother, Helen, struggles to accept her daughter after Alison comes out as a lesbian.
Performed by Livi Greco ’25, Helen’s speech to Alison when she returns home from college, confessing all of the pain she has endured throughout her marriage because she thought she “was meant to, and now [her] life is shattered,” brought tears to my eyes. Greco skillfully conveyed the expected subservience of women in our patriarchal society, gaining the audience’s empathy for Helen, despite her blatant character flaw of being so innately frightened of Alison’s queerness.
All of this is finally revealed to Alison in the song “Days and Days,” where everything is no longer “balanced and serene, like chaos never happens if it’s never seen.” Greco’s performance was nothing short of chilling; I got actual goosebumps.
Last but not least, my drama teacher and director in high school would always find one “pearl” to celebrate in each run of a show we performed, whether it be an individual actor who really shined on stage that night or a specific scene or moment that was exceptionally memorable. I have adopted his idea of the pearl and now always keep my eye out for what that pearl might be when I am at a performance.
Watching “Fun Home,” the pearl was unmistakable. In a conversation between young Alison (Bobbie Doherty ’27) and Bruce (Jonathan Aspin ’27), Bruce yells at Alison to get dressed for a party, insisting that she must wear a dress because that is what is proper for girls. Alison retorts, “You’re wearing a girl color,” and suddenly, everything changes. Aspin expertly walked the line between external rage and internal shame. The intensity in his performance built as Bruce isolated his own daughter, criticizing her self-expression, due to his personal trauma and repressed identity. Doherty’s and Aspin’s characterization work effectively set up the show for a not only believable but also enthralling conflict between Alison and her father that spans decades, coming to a head when Bruce ultimately takes his own life.
From the clever set design to the spectacular actors’ choices, “Fun Home” ranks as one of the best pieces of student theater I have seen to date, and I can’t wait to see what else the department puts on. Next up in the programming is Jake Swery’s ’25 senior directorial of “The Empire Builders,” which will be performed in the Studio Theatre, Nov. 22–24.
KENDO CLUB HITS DIFFERENT
A given practice session will often start with the entire club stretching in a circle together and counting to eight loudly in Japanese to show its fghting spirit. Ten members will do drills, practicing both footwork and swinging the shinai, a bamboo sword used for sparring. Tis takes up much of the practice, since kendo is a detail-oriented discipline that focuses on a precise set of moves. After that, members put on sparring gear and do partner drills that involve hitting each other with shinai. At the end, more advanced members will spar for two to fve minutes at a time before switching partners. Club meetings often conclude with taking of armor together and a brief breathing meditation called Mokuso.
Kendo Club works to maintain a welcoming atmosphere for all students at the College interested in joining at any point in their martial arts journey. In fact, member Alexander Rafetto ’25 noted how a growth mindset is essential to mastering kendo.
“Tere’s beginners and complete beginners, and then there’s also people who have been practicing for eight years,” Rafetto said. “We try to make it so that everybody can have a good practice.”
Many members join out of an appreciation for the more theatrical aspects of sword-fghting. However, while kendo certainly can have a very exciting outward appearance with the shouting and quick movements, what goes on inside the heads of kendoaka is often very quiet and strategic.
“Honestly, I think that Kendo Club tends to attract a lot of people who watch anime and manga and see very cool, very fashy swordsmen. But kendo is not about that at all,” Kendo Club President Alex Nguyen ’27 said. “Kendo requires people who are very patient and willing to put in time and dedication to it. But I think that anyone who has a suitable enough reason or likes kendo, whether it be the history or the idea of competing tournaments, will enjoy participating in the club.”
For practitioners like Rafetto, kendo’s need for
a calm focus acts as a quiet part of their otherwise busy days.
“You have to clear your mind and focus on the small parts of your body,” he said. “It’s very meditative. Like focus on all of your movements, really be in tune with your spirit, your thoughts and then also your body. So it’s very refreshing. After practice, I’ll feel very relaxed and clear [and] focused.”
In addition to being calming, kendo is a great way to maintain physical ftness. After all, the main focus of the sport is making quick movements with bamboo sticks.
“It got me into sports because I didn’t really do sports in high school, as well as giving me a small community of people who are interested in improving and learning how to do diferent strikes and all that,” Kendo Club secretary Deeka Abdi ’27 said.
While Japanese swordsmanship has a long history, the practice of kendo itself is relatively modern. After the Japanese government abolished the samurai class in 1871, Japanese swordsmanship, then known as kenjutsu, began to see a decline. However, a school that combined elements from various kenjutsu styles was founded in 1895, sparking a resurgence in interest. In 1912, the new martial art was codifed and dubbed “kendo.”
Following Japan’s occupation by the Allies in 1945 during World War II, kendo was temporarily outlawed. However, when Japan regained sovereignty in 1952, kendo quickly revived and began to evolve into its modern form. Te College’s club was eventually established in 1998, and it has been running ever since. At a historic location like the College, some club members cite being drawn to kendo for its past.
“I also practice one of the older forms of kenjutsu,” Nguyen said. “And seeing the ways that both the really very combative ancient style works, as well as the very modern fencing style, sort of leaves me in gratitude for how much has stayed, how much has changed and how much more there is to learn, essentially.”
For the future, the club also plans to participate in intercollegiate competitions with larger Virginia colleges such as University of Virginia and Virginia Tech. But like many clubs at the College, Kendo Club is more than just a serious place to practice martial arts, learn from history and strengthen one’s mind. Whatever the reason for any member’s initial interest in the sport, the organization additionally serves as a way for students to connect with each other. “I think we’re just a very close community,” Rafetto said.
RACHEL ROBBINS // THE FLAT HAT
Signing up for ASL Club
American Sign Language Club at College works to teach, bond through community dinners, promote ASL to members
SOFIA HURLBERT // THE FLAT HAT
American Sign Language is the third most popular language used in the United States, behind Spanish and English. The language has grown in popularity across communities and schools, including the College of William and Mary as awareness is raised about deaf culture and accessibility.
Philip Woodward ’01 J.D ’04 founded the College’s ASL Club in the late 1990s and it has most recently been led by president Ella Briggs ’25. Briggs found a passion for ASL in her senior year of high school and decided to join the club after coming to the College. She joined the executive board and has been president for the past three years, striving to create community and educate people about deaf culture.
“The mission overall is just to learn together both about ASL as a language, to become better speakers at it or start speaking it at all, and then to learn together more about deaf culture and accessibility and how to be more inclusive in the broader world of deaf and disabled people,” Briggs said.
Club meetings are held each week and start with the usual announcements and housekeeping about upcoming events and ideas. Briggs explained that the next portion of the meeting is called “Culture Corner,” which involves learning about different aspects of American Sign Language, like looking at word play in ASL or historical figures. Briggs also highlighted the preparation that goes into these events and activities.
“All the research that I do for the club comes from deaf sources and people within the deaf community,” Briggs said.
During its weekly meetings, the club also organizes language lessons on ASL, teaching members important words and basic greetings. Other vocab based around a theme that members can help come up with is also frequently taught. Briggs explained that the theme is important when learning words, because out of context, it can be harder to find use for them.
Twice a semester, the ASL Club hosts a silent dinner for its members. The group heads to The Daily Grind where free food is provided. As the name suggests, the dinner is silent and members are only allowed to communicate through signing.
“Being in the silent dinner was a very interesting experience to realize how much I rely on oral communication, which should have been obvious, but it really pointed it out and it’s a great way to practice signing,” ASL Club Secretary Bella Strong ’25 said.
Through these group events and activities, a strong community has been formed among the ASL Club members. Member Evan Collier ’24 stumbled upon the club at this semester’s club fair and decided to join on a whim. Since then, he reflected that he has found a welcoming community, enjoys learning ASL and plans on continuing the club in the following semester.
“They’re really cool people,” Collier said. “It’s not something I anticipated joining at all when I got here, but they had a good pitch and
I am enjoying my time.”
Not only have connections been made within the club but also with members of the deaf community outside of the College. The organization has gone to off-campus deaf social events and been able to learn about people’s experiences.
“Most people don’t regularly encounter deaf people,” Collier said. “So when you make that initiative to show ‘I want to communicate with you,’ it means something, you know?”
The club has often collaborated with other organizations at the College to educate a broader community on accessibility and to meet new groups of people. Some examples of these include working with Student Assembly to teach a beginner workshop on ASL and talking with sororities and fraternities about DEI initiatives and accessibility.
“I do think it’s really nice that there has been an effort to just get the most basic understanding of what ASL is from other groups, and that has been really nice,” Strong said.
In terms of raising awareness for students at the College, Briggs shared that she has spoken to Student Accessibility Services about the way the College accommodates deaf students, as well as working to get more ASL resources on campus.
“Before last semester, we were the only ASL resource on campus because we don’t have any ASL classes,” Briggs said. “But last semester Swem started a once-a-week class through the library, not for credit, but it only has about 20 spots and it fills up really fast.”
In the future, Briggs said she hopes that the club will have more largescale events and continue to spread awareness about accessibility. Briggs noted this could include having more guest speakers, as well as trying to reintegrate ASL classes into the course catalog through the modern languages and literatures department.
Strong expressed where she would like to see the club go in the future and how it could be different than it is now. She explained that with more hard of hearing people in the club, especially on the executive board, it would open people up to personal experiences more, whereas now the focus is more on learning the ASL language with second hand sources.
“We always have to get our information secondhand and we have to be very careful,” Strong said. “We don’t want to make wide generalizations about a community that we’re not a part of, but at the same time, we want to raise awareness for certain issues.”
Overall, members of the ASL Club said they are always willing to accept all members no matter the skill level and will continue to spread awareness about accessibility and the cultural diversity of the deaf and hard of hearing community at the College and beyond.
“It’s not as scary as it seems. It is learning a new language, but it’s so fun and it’s so easy to start,” Briggs said. “It’s so fun and it’s so rich in culture and so diverse. There’s so much to learn about it.”
Penne for your thoughts: Bento to go is worth your dough
SKYLER COLE // THE FLAT HAT
When settling into the College of William and Mary, one of my biggest concerns was the dining experience. Sure, I was plagued by the gamble of add/drop and the struggles of moving away from home like every other college freshman, but I knew those issues would resolve in time.
But I couldn’t say the same for the dining halls. While the food at Sadler exceeded my low expectations, it quickly became stale in the following weeks. As I searched for alternative dining options, going from Town Center Cold Pressed to Chick-fil-A, I found a new dining love: Bento Sushi.
Formerly tucked away in the Campus Center’s Marketplace, Bento Sushi became an adventure for me to break the monotony of college dining. When I first visited, I expected to be greeted with a limited grab-and-go sushi section. Surprisingly, not only was there an extensive menu containing ramen, poke bowls and more, but I got my meal made fresh.
I was pleasantly surprised by the setup, and I was even more impressed by the quality of Bento Sushi. Sure, it would never beat the sushi restaurants back home, but it was miles above typical gas station sushi. I instantly gained an appreciation for poke bowls, gladly suffering the $15 dent on my dining dollars every trip. Though with Marketplace being so far away from the central hub of campus, I, along with many others, scarcely visited Bento. It was a hidden treasure on the other side of Jamestown Road.
This would soon change with Bento Sushi’s recent relocation to Sadler’s Student Exchange in the middle of this fall semester. Just walking by the Student Exchange, anyone will notice the Bento Sushi station and its accompanying steam. Along with many other students, my dining dollars would quickly be put in jeopardy. Beyond with its more convenient location, Bento Sushi made itself even more accessible to the student body by taking its orders exclusively through Grubhub. These
two factors have allowed Bento to thrive under this transition.
Before its relocation, many students had never experienced the fresh offerings of Bento Sushi. Sarah Lee ’25 spoke about how she liked the ease of the new location.
to a Qdoba present on campus during her freshman year.
“Our freshman year we had Qdoba there and it was really nice just to have a place that you could just grab some food from later at night,” Larsen said.
“I live off-campus, so whenever I have class, running in-between, it’s hard to grab food there, so I just grab it here, and it makes it easier since it’s at Sadler,” Lee said. Veena Larsen ’25 similarly preferred the new location and compared its convenience
She went on to compare the hours of the locations, expressing support for increasing the hours of operation for Bento, which is currently open Monday-Friday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
“Qdoba was up until midnight, so maybe they’ll end up extending the hours eventually.” Larsen said.
Larsen has had Bento both in Marketplace and at Sadler, with her usual order being a California spicy poke bowl or a salmon poke bowl. She saw no difference in the quality of food between the two locations.
Hannah Stocker ’28 noted that the relocation of Bento Sushi from Marketplace to Sadler was a very convenient change, and like Lee, she had never eaten it before the relocation. Since the move, she has visited Bento three to four times, her order changing with each visit. While she had trouble using Grubhub to order in the past, the issue got fixed pretty quickly. Overall, she expressed support for the relocation and Bento as a whole.
“Te food quality is pretty high, and it is a nice alternative,” Stocker said. “It is in the same location as the dining hall, so if I’m going to be heading over here anyway, it’s a great place to be.”
Considering these reviews, the relocation of Bento Sushi from Marketplace to Sadler has allowed more students to enjoy its delicious offerings. The relocation came at a crucial time in the semester when students have long been stuck with their meal plans and repetitive dining hall options, and thus are more ready than ever for a change of pace. With finals on the horizon, Bento can be either a high-quality quick meal during peak studying or a celebratory treat after powering through exams.
Before, I was the only person in line to Bento when it was located in Marketplace. Now, I need to place my order on Grubhub ahead of time to avoid a fifteen-minute wait during peak hours. Though, no matter the wait, my salmon poke bowl never disappoints. While I never had to be stingy with dining dollars before, I will be counting mine down to the cent to save room for one last poke bowl before winter break.
As the College has become a home for me and countless others, Bento Sushi will hold a special place in our community, as it reminds us to slow down, enjoy the college experience and have a good meal while we’re at it.
New Sadler sushi station provides students with flavorful new Dining Dollar option
sports
Tribe secures 22-12 win against Bryant on Senior Day
Yoderʼs 147 rushing yards pushes senior backʼs season total
Saturday, Nov. 16, William and Mary football (7-4, 4-3 CAA) defeated Bryant (2-9, 0-7 CAA) 22-12 at Walter J. Zable Stadium at Cary Field, in Williamsburg, Va.
“Very happy for this team. I’m happy for the progress this program has made,” head coach Mike London said after the game. “This is the fourth season in a row we’ve had a winning record here so that’s an accomplishment — it goes to the guys who are seniors.”
Saturday’s game celebrated the Tribe’s senior players in their final regular season game in front of home fans.
“I wanted to not get too caught up in the moment,” senior running back Malachi Imoh said. “Emotions were really high.”
After suffering a last-minute loss last week against Elon, the Green and Gold looked to get back on track against a Bryant team that had yet to win a Coastal Athletic Association conference game this season.
The Tribe continued to boast impressive team and individual statistics coming into Saturday’s matchup with an average of 247.7 rush yards per game, third-best in the Football Championship Subdivision. The Green and Gold offense has also averaged 32.9 points per game, good for 22nd most in the Division 1 Football Championship Subdivision. Senior running back Bronson Yoder came into the game with 937 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns this season. Defensively, the Tribe also ranks third in the CAA with 10 interceptions.
The Bulldogs entered Zable Stadium possessing impressive stats of their own, with graduate student quarterback Jarrett Guest ranking second in the CAA with 239.1 passing yards per game and senior wide receiver Landon Ruggieri ranking third in the CAA with an average of 87.9 receiving yards per game.
The Tribe won the opening coin toss, electing to receive the first possession. Bryant junior kicker Bryce Soli booted the kickoff 65 yards for a touchback. Yoder had an extremely fast start, breaking numerous tackles down the middle for a 22-yard gain on third down. The Tribe were then pushed to the brink, failing to convert on third down with a quarterback sneak. Yoder again showed up when needed, converting a fourth down attempt on a five yard run, with a defensive offside penalty moving the chains a further five yards. After another first down powered by a pitch right from senior quarterback Darius Wilson to senior wide receiver DreSean Kendrick, the Tribe found the end zone on a wide open Wilson pass to senior wide receiver Matthew Akuchie. Although senior kicker Eric Bernstein missed the extra point, another Bryant offside penalty put the offensive unit back on the field, and Wilson converted the two-point attempt on a short pass to senior wide receiver JT Mayo.
The Tribe defense stepped up big on the next drive, drawing another Bryant penalty before the Bulldogs were forced to punt in their own half.
The Tribe had a poor start to its next offensive drive, drawing a ten yard holding penalty, though the team was able to overcome the minor setbacks on another crucial third down conversion, this time courtesy of a Wilson six-yard pass to junior wide receiver Isaiah Lemmond. Akuchie would continue this momentum a few plays later, securing a tough catch in coverage with a toe tap out of bounds. It would be another Wilson throw, this time to wide open redshirt freshman tight end Jackson Blee, that would put the Green and Gold in the red zone. The drive came to an abrupt end
when Wilson was picked off in the endzone by Bryant graduate student defensive back Colin Elliot, leaving the Tribe offense walking off the field with zero points.
Bryant would get their first first down of the game off a 14-yard throw by Guest to sophomore wide receiver Aldrich Doe with under a minute left in the first quarter. This drive, too, would stall out early in the second quarter with great defensive plays by the Tribe, including a pass breakup by Tribe junior cornerback Jalen Jones, forcing the second Bryant punt in as many drives.
The Tribe seemed to be getting back into rhythm with Yoder firing off a fierce 32-yard run right into Bryant territory, breaking multiple tackles along the way. The drive stalled out too, with Yoder and Wilson not mustering up another first down, forcing the punting unit on for the first time.
This poor trend would persist with the Bryant offense, with another quick punt after only one first down. Just when the tides seemed to be turning again for the Tribe, Bryant senior kicker Jimmy O’Brien recovered a muffed punt return at midfield, putting the Green and Gold on the defensive once again. The Bryant offense once again failed to generate any sort of positive momentum, with the punting unit coming right back onto the field again.
This return marked a turning point for the Tribe, with an electric punt return by sophomore wide receiver Carson Jenkins going 90 yards all the way to the end zone, speeding around the right side of Bryant’s punting unit in the process. Bernstein would convert the extra point to extend the Green and Gold lead to 15-0.
The Tribe’s special team touchdown seemed to serve as a wake up call for the Bryant offense, who led a quick three-minute march down the field on the following drive. Guest and Ruggieri led the way, with Ruggieri catching three balls for 51 yards, including a spectacular toe tap catch good for a 16-yard touchdown. Bryant would attempt to convert the two-point try as the Tribe had earlier in the first quarter, but Guest overthrew sophomore tight end Koby Keenan in the endzone, leaving the Bulldogs to settle for a score of 15-6.
On the next drive, Yoder again converted a quick first down for 19 yards. However, despite the hot start, the Green and Gold offense sputtered around midfield, turning the ball over on downs after Yoder couldn’t get past the line of scrimmage on a crucial fourth and one play.
Bryant would start the final drive of the half on their 35-yard line, quickly driving into the Tribe’s half on a 12-yard reception by Doe. The
Bulldogs converted on two more first downs before calling a timeout. Guest would decide to try for a touchdown coming out of the break, but overthrew a wide open Ruggieri who waited in the endzone. With only three seconds remaining, Soli converted a 35-yard field goal to bring the Bulldogs within one score, going into the halftime break down 15-9.
The Bulldogs received the ball to start the third quarter and made it down the field in less than five minutes. Consecutive runs by senior running back Dylan Kedzior would set the tone for the drive. The Tribe defense was unable to come up with an answer, with Kedzior rushing for another 9 yards before Guest and senior wide receiver Drew Montez blew the game wide open on a 21-yard gain down to the Tribe fouryard line. This would prove to be the closest the Bulldogs would come to the endzone on the drive, with another false start penalty backing things up five yards. Senior linebacker Alex Washington broke up a crucial pass on the line of scrimmage before a Guest incompletion sent the Bryant field goal unit back onto the field, converting from 26 yards out to cut the Tribe lead to 15-12.
After receiving the kick-off the Tribe offense brought Imoh back onto the field, who immediately ran for two first downs good for 14 and 11 yards each. The drive fell apart after Elliot forced a loss of five yards on Imoh’s next run and senior linebacker Ben Silver sacked Wilson for a loss of two yards, setting up yet another punt for the Green and Gold.
As the following two drives concluded the third quarter down, neither side made many offensive gains. Tribe senior safety Marcus Barnes came up with a big pass breakup on a third down pass down the middle. On offense, the Tribe handed the ball to Yoder five times, though him and Jenkins were unable to obtain a first down around midfield.
The Bulldogs offense got another try leading into the fourth quarter. The Tribe defense remained stalwart with Guest being sacked by Washington for a loss of one yard. This play set the tone for the rest of the drive, as Barnes broke up another pass intended for Ruggieri. Yet another penalty forced the punting unit back five yards.
The Green and Gold made extreme light work of the Bryant defense on the very next play. Imoh broke a number of tackles down the middle and rushed nearly unchallenged for a 62-yard touchdown, galvanizing the William and Mary sidelines. Bernstein converted another extra point to widen the lead to 22-12.
The Bulldogs offense began their response in stride, with good runs by Kedzior and drawing a fifteen yard pass interference penalty against Tribe redshirt freshman safety TJ McGill. Kedzior used multiple runs to take Bryant into
the red zone, but on a crucial third and one play, freshman linebacker Harrison Johnson blew up another Kedzior run play for no gain. This momentum carried into the special teams unit, where redshirt freshman defensive back Sascha Garcia stretched out to block the short field goal, recovered by McGill and the Tribe. Johnson spoke about his play after the game. “Great team execution. Great call by the coaches. Just doing my job and trying to get to the ball,” Johnson said.
The Tribe used its next drive to wind the clock down. Imoh ran the ball multiple times, but Kendrick would be stopped short of a first down on a tackle for loss by Bryant senior defensive back Sean Hunt. The Green and Gold was forced to punt with hopes to get one last defensive stop to end the game.
Bryant used the last two minutes to drive dangerously close to the endzone, powered by a 21-yard Ruggieri reception and multiple fourth and one conversions to keep Bryant alive. Senior wide receiver Tristen Riley hauled in a 21-yard catch down at the one-yard line. In one final defensive stand, the Tribe held the Bulldogs at the 1 yard three times, before redshirt freshman defensive line Ty Gordon ended the game with an interception on Guest as time expired. Bryant would end the day with more offensive yards, 410, than the Tribe’s 348. The running game would again prove to be the x-factor for the Tribe, with 244 yards compared to Bryant’s 147. Yoder added 147 yards to his season total, which eclipsed 1000 during the game. It would be Imoh that proved decisive however, with 103 yards on the day, including the 63-yard touchdown that put the game out of reach.
“We were trying to get things going on offense, and coach told me ‘All it takes is one play,’” Imoh said when asked about his touchdown run.
Guest would add 263 yards and a touchdown in the air for Bryant, outshining Wilson’s 97 yards and one touchdown. Ruggieri led all receivers with 112 yards and a touchdown for Bryant. On the defensive side of the ball, senior linebacker Quinn Osborne led the Tribe with 10 tackles. Barnes recorded seven tackles, a career-high four pass breakups and one forced fumble. Washington recorded two PBUs and a sack. Elliot led Bryant with seven tackles, one for a loss and one interception. The Green and Gold looks to win its final regular season game against rival Richmond (9-2, 7-0 CAA) Saturday, Nov. 23 at Robins Stadium in Richmond, Va.
JONAH PETERS / THE FLAT HAT
Senior running back Bronson Yoder rushed for an impressive 147 yards during the Tribeʼs 22-12 victory over Bryant.
JONAH PETERS / THE FLAT HAT Senior safety Marcus Barnes was a force on the defensive end on Saturday, recording seven tackles against the Bulldogs.
JONAH PETERS / THE FLAT HAT
Sophomore receiver Carson Jenkins had a career game on Saturday, scoring a 90-yard touchdown off of a Bryant punt.
JONAH PETERS / THE FLAT HAT
Junior Jalen Jones, senior Marcus Barnes and senior Alex Washington combined for six pass break ups on Saturday.
JONAH PETERS / THE FLAT HAT
sports
points against NC Central Tribe falls to Winthrop, NC Central, defeats Georgia Southern
Senior guard Matteus Case records career-high
Friday, Nov. 15, William and Mary men’s basketball (3-3, 0-0 CAA) traveled to compete in the Winthrop Universityhosted Rock Hill Classic tournament at Rock Hill Sports & Event Center in Rock Hill, S.C. The Tribe lost heartbreaker contests to Winthrop (4-2, 0-0 Big South) and North Carolina Central (1-4, 0-0 MEAC) before blowing out Georgia Southern (4-2, 0-0 SBC).
It’s just a matter of taking a deep breath and making a winning play at some point. We’re a work in progress.
To open the weekend, the Tribe faced off against the host, an experienced Winthrop team expected to finish second in the Big South. The Green and Gold fell into a substantial hole early in the game, making just two field goals in the first four minutes, but it stormed back before halftime, scoring 10 unanswered points and taking a 46-39 lead into the break. Junior guard Kyle Frazier poured in 11 first-half points for the Tribe, connecting on 60% of his three-point attempts, while senior guard Gabe Dorsey and graduate student forward Keller Boothby made two three-pointers each.
As the second half began, a sloppy play from William and Mary gave Winthrop a new lease on life. The Tribe turned the ball over five times in two minutes as the Eagles clawed within two points. Timely three-pointers from Boothby, Dorsey and freshman guard Isaiah Mbeng seemed to put the Green and Gold back in the driver’s seat, taking William and Mary to an 84-77 lead with two minutes, 20 seconds remaining in the game. However, Winthrop roared back, making four free throws in 25 seconds to keep the game within three. Neither team would score again until the 13-second mark, when William and Mary junior guard Kyle Pulliam made a free throw to put his team up four. Winthrop senior forward Tommy Kamarad responded with a layup, but with just six seconds left on the clock, the Tribe was primed for a victory. According to basketball analytics website kenpom.com, William and Mary’s win probability at this point in the game was over 94%. Winthrop had no choice but to foul Frazier, a career 80% free throw shooter who improbably misfired on
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both of his attempts from the line, allowing the Eagles to get a shot off at the buzzer. As the clock wound down to zero, Winthrop junior guard Bryce Baker drained a transition three, vanquishing the Tribe and sending the home crowd into a state of pandemonium.
William and Mary head coach Brian Earl was frustrated by his team’s turnover issues and continued late game struggles. The Tribe also blew a second-half lead in a Nov. 8 loss to Radford.
“It’s just a matter of taking a deep breath and making a winning play at some point. We’re a work in progress,” Earl said. “I thought we played hard, I thought we were starting to get how we do things, but turning the ball over 22 times and giving up the ESPN highlight at the end is just indefensible.”
Earl emphasized the team’s need to continue dominating on the court.
“I thought at the beginning we were getting some good shots, but [we were] maybe a little nervous,” Earl said. “We need to see the ball go in and, again, not turn it over as much.”
The Tribe returned to the court Saturday, Nov. 16, taking on North Carolina Central. Once again, William and Mary built a substantial first-half lead, jumping out to a 22-15 advantage on the backs of impressive shooting performances from Pulliam, senior forward Noah Collier and senior guard Matteus Case. Case would continue to dominate after halftime, making all four of his field goal attempts and all five of his free throw attempts in the second period.
“He played hard,” Earl said regarding Case, who finished the night with a career-high 19 points. “We’ve been trying to get Matteus to get to the rim and finish there, and he did it tonight. He took it personally and got all the way there.”
However, Case’s effort was not enough to keep NC Central at bay, as the hot-shooting Eagles erased the Tribe’s early deficit and vaulted ahead, leading by as much as 11 in the second half. William and Mary mounted a frantic comeback at the end of the game, even taking a 73-72 lead with 1:55 remaining on a Collier hook shot, but failed to make another field goal. With the Tribe trailing 78-76, Case attempted a buzzer-beating half-court heave, but the ball bounced off the backboard. The Green and Gold lost its second consecutive one-possession game.
The Tribe failed to effectively execute its up-tempo, runand-gun style, shooting just 4-18 from beyond the threepoint arc compared to its opponent’s 10-29. Earl attributed the discrepancy to the game’s slow nature, which featured a combined 49 free throw attempts. Earl also highlighted NC Central’s success in limiting William and Mary in transition and the Tribe’s simple failures of scoring.
“They just didn’t let us get out and go,” Earl said. “We were just stuck in mud, and every possession in the first half ended in a foul. We tried to figure some things out in the second half, but [we] just didn’t have enough.”
Sunday, Nov. 17, William and Mary took on yet another set of Eagles: those of Georgia Southern, a Sun Belt team that entered the afternoon undefeated in the Rock Hill Classic, having beaten both Winthrop and NC Central. After a backand-forth start, William and Mary took yet another significant first-half lead. As was the case in the Tribe’s first two games, its opponents quickly responded. This time, the Green and Gold bent but did not break, weathering the storm, outscoring the Eagles 54-42 in the second half and winning the game by a score of 102-87.
The Tribe played much truer to its identity than it did in the NC Central game, launching 44 three-pointers at a 36.4% clip while turning the ball over just 11 times. Collier led in scoring with 19 points, Dorsey followed with 17 and junior guard
14, William and Mary women’s basketball (1-3, 0-0 CAA) defeated Chowan (0-1,0-0 Conference Carolinas) 66-42 at Kaplan Arena in Williamsburg, Va.
The matchup marked the season’s first home game and first win for the Tribe. After a tough three losses on the road, William and Mary sailed to an easy victory against the Hawks.
A quick steal by sophomore guard Cassidy
Chase Lowe paced the Tribe in rebounds (8) and assists (4).
“I thought it was a great way to respond to a couple tough games this weekend,” Earl said. “We weren’t sure what we were going to see, but I thought we played hard, and some shots went in. It was good to see in a rough environment where we were 0-2 with two close losses.”
Earl further emphasized the team’s need to play hard.
“I think most everyone who went in there did that,” Earl said. “We still have some errors we have to work on. We go so fast that we need to see the video to see exactly what happened, but it was good to see after two close losses that the guys could come back punching.”
William and Mary’s road trip continues Friday, Nov. 22 against North Carolina State (3-0, 0-0 ACC) at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C.
It was good to see after two close losses that the guys could come back punching.
- Head coach Brian Earl
Geddes only eight seconds into the game led to a fast break layup by senior guard Bella Nascimento, starting off the Tribe’s dominating first quarter.
The Green and Gold played a quick-paced offensive, resulting in several fast breaks and quick shots. The Tribe shot 10-21 for 47.62% field goals in the first quarter.
With five minutes remaining in the first, the Tribe went on a significant run, including two back-to-back threes by sophomore guard Monet Dance and graduate student forward Rebekah Frisby-Smith, two layups by graduate student center Kayla Beckwith and Nascimento and a final three by Frisby-Smith. William and Mary sealed off the first quarter with a score of 29-6.
The Gold and Green defense came out strong to start the second quarter, forcing turnovers in its first three defensive possessions.
The Hawks, however, were more dynamic in the second quarter. With their shots finally falling, they matched the Tribe at 13-13, finishing the half 42-19.
The Tribe continued its streak of converting quick steals into layups to open the third quarter.
Green and Gold scored 20 points to Chowan’s 14 in the third, capitalizing on fast breaks, and making 3-pointers and free throws.
The fourth quarter proved rough for both teams offensively.
Chowan slipped in a three and layup, while the Tribe gained six fouls within the first four minutes.
Although the Hawks began to claw their way back, the Tribe kept them at bay with a final score of 66-42.
The Green and Gold played a fast game that pushed the ball in every opportunity given, made possible due to frequent subbing. Head coach Erin Dickerson Davis ensured that every player saw floor time.
“It was important to get some of our younger players some time today to prepare themselves for conference,” Dickerson Davis said. “You never know what happens, and you never know when your number is going to get called.”
The Tribe faces a tough inter-conference rival Thursday, Nov. 21 against Richmond (4-0, 0-0 A-10) at the Robins Center in Richmond, Va.
JOLENA GOLDKUHLE THE FLAT HAT
ELLIOTT LEE / THE FLAT HAT William and Mary senior forward Noah Collier, who missed much of his junior season due to injury, led in scoring against the Georgia Southern Eagles, racking up 19 points.
RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT
Recording 11 points, William and Mary senior guard Bella Nascimento led in scoring for the Tribe against Chowan.
