SPORTS>> PAGE 10
PROFILES >> PAGE 2
Prewitt, Tarpey help College pickinup a 78-62 win in frontshares of a packed Kaplan Arena. Tribe fails to score a touchdown regular season finale, CAA crown with U of R, JMU.
Equipment Manager Kyle Chadwick ‘17 discusses his lifelong passion for Tribe football.
Football falls at Richmond
Vol. 105, Iss. 13 | Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Behind the sidelines
The Flat Hat The Weekly Student Newspaper
ADMINISTRATION
of The College of William and Mary
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WILLIAMSBURG
College limits use of cypher
Student groups change logos EMILY NYE FLAT HAT CHIEF STAFF WRITER
The College of William and Mary’s 2014 Visual Identity Guidelines have begun to impact student organizations. Organizations must change their logos to abide by the guidelines. The style guide was released on Nov. 19, 2014 to unify the College’s brand image and to streamline all official logos and images of the College. According to the College’s website, student organizations may no longer use any of the College’s new official logos, including “the official university logo, the university wordmark, the seal, the 1693 Weathervane, the Crim Dell Bridge or the cypher,” as part of their own organization logos. If an organization wishes to use any of these images as a way to show their affiliation with the College, they must appear as a separate and distinct visual entity. This is done in an effort to preserve the cypher — and other similar College branding items — as images owned by and associated with the College. Associate Director of Design for Creative Services Justin Schoonmaker ’09 remarked on brand identity in today’s landscape. “I understand that people have an emotional attachment to visuals,” Schoonmaker said. “I understand that people want to have a unique feel to whatever organization or group that they are a part of. What I am a bigger believer in, however, is the power of the overarching, university brand. The fact of the matter is that the strength of any one unit’s brand on campus is more attached to the fact that they are a William and Mary entity than it is to the fact that they are an individual organization.” In addition, several classic logos have either been removed completely, or their use has been highly scaled back. The College Seal or the College Crest, for example, are now saved exclusively for formal use, such as on diplomas. In addition, logos such as the “W&M” with feathers, a common image previously used by many club sports teams at the College, has been removed altogether in favor of the unified Tribe script logo. However, the move to the Tribe script is not the only logo change for club sports. Many club sports and student organizations in general used to incorporate the College cypher in their logos, which is now prohibited. The College club rugby team faced forced changes to their old logo, which depicted an old griffin, a crown and the letters “W&M RFC” across the bottom, standing for “W&M Rugby Football Club.” Several alumni members even have the image tattooed on their
Williamsburg breaks the ice
Liberty’s Ice Pavillion opens in Colonial Williamsburg ERIC PETERS THE FLAT HAT
Students hoping to slip and slide on the ice this winter have to look no further than Duke of Gloucester Street. Friday, Nov. 20 marked the official opening of the Liberty Ice Pavilion, the first real-ice rink constructed in Colonial Williamsburg. The rink was constructed in partnership with the Dominion Foundation. The grand opening centered on a symbolic ribbon cutting organized by Director of Revolutionary City Tim Sutphin. President of Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Mitchell Reiss and CEO of Dominion Resources and chairman of Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s Board
See LOGO page 3
of Trustees Thomas Farell cut the ribbon. Colonial Williamsburg’s official mascot, Liberty, was present for the event. The evening also included a performance by the Bruton Parish Church choir, an appearance by a George Washington reenactor, and an 18th century ice skating exhibition. The opening coincided with that of Market House, a reconstructed colonial marketplace. “We just wanted to make [the ceremony] short and make it exciting and get folks pumped about the first ice rink in Williamsburg that’s real ice,” Sutphin said. Many business owners in Merchant Square, who wrote a letter to See ICE page 3
STUDENT LIFE
STUDENT LIFE
Lambda hosts candlelight vigil
Students discuss race, role of administration
Commemorates 79 transgender people killed past year in US SARAH SMITH FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER
As part of the nationally-recognized Transgender Day of Remembrance, Lambda Alliance held a candlelight vigil on the Crim Dell Meadow Friday, Nov. 20,
to remember all transgender people who have lost their lives to violence in the past few years. Throughout the event, names of transgender people in the United States who lost their lives were read aloud, and attendees of the vigil were asked to stand
74%
of transgender victims were under the age of
35
at the time of their deaths
GRAPHIC BY / AMELIA LUCAS
This statistic is from Human Rights Campaign data from 2013-15, using 53 known transgender victims.
Today’s Weather
Index Profile News Opinions Variety Sports
in solidarity and mourning together. This was Lambda’s second year hosting the event, and, according to Lambda copresident Kyle Lopez ‘17, it is important to make people aware of transphobic violence. “Lambda hosted this vigil because we seek to embrace and engage all segments of the LGBTQ community, which obviously includes trans people,” Lopez said in an email. “Transphobic violence is a huge problem that everyone should be aware of and fighting to end, whether they themselves are trans or not. Lambda Alliance acknowledges Transgender Day of Remembrance every year.” Throughout the vigil, attendees had the opportunity to walk forward and plant a white flag in the ground in honor of the lives lost. Additionally, from 5:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., candles were placed around the Meadow, and a final moment of silence was held. According to Lambda social and outreach chair Trace Hernandez ’18, the
Sunny, High 55, Low 37
EMILY MARTELL FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER
The Task Force on Race and Race Relations held a second forum for undergraduate students Tuesday, Nov. 16. College President Taylor Reveley, Provost Michael Halleran and Task Force Chair and Chief Diversity Officer Chon Glover, M.Ed. ’99, Ed.D. ’06 were present during the forum. In response to a student report entitled “A Call to Action” and racial incidents in the country, the Task Force was appointed in March 2015 to explore racial climate, recruitment and retention of diverse faculty and senior administration, and training and responding to instances of bias at the College of William and Mary. The Task Force held an undergraduate student forum, a graduate student forum, and a faculty and staff forum. A second undergraduate forum convened to allow more students to attend and give feedback to the administration. Lemon Project Coordinator and history professor Jody Allen, Ph.D. ’07 welcomed students to the forum. “We really want to hear what you have to say — it’s very important to our work,” Allen said. “Thank you for taking time away from all of the things that you could be doing other than being here to join us.” Students were broken into small groups to discuss how they perceive the campus climate, what changes they would like to see in the climate and how to implement the changes. The students then were brought back together to
See LAMBDA page 4
Inside Opinions
See RACE page 4
Inside Variety
Music programs: past versus present
2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10
Undergrads voice concerns about climate
Jenny Cosgrove ’19 discusses the history of music education, and vouches for a higher prioritization of the college’s own program. page 6
Community celebrates cinema
Global Film Festival kicks off with a double feature of “West Side Story” and “Tokyo Tribe” in the historic Kimball theatre. page 8
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... If you come from a family who can afford to pay full freight, you are still getting excellent value for one of the best undergraduate educations in the world. — College President Taylor Reveley on the value of a College of William and Mary education
Behind the sidelines
Kyle Chadwick ’17 discusses his lifelong passion for Tribe football
Page 2 Spotlight
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CORRECTIONS The Flat Hat wishes to correct any facts printed incorrectly. Corrections may be submitted by email to the editor of the section in which the incorrect information was printed. Requests for corrections will be accepted at any time.
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The Flat Hat |Tuesday, November 24, 2015 | Page 2
THE BUZZ
The Flat Hat
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News Editor Amelia Lucas News Editor Amanda Williams fhnews@gmail.com
SUMNER HIGGINBOTHAM // FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR
Conventional wisdom says that guards and offensive tackles are the most underappreciated positions in football. The big guys blocking other 280-300 pound men so the running backs and quarterbacks can look good certainly don’t get enough credit. However, there’s a component of the football program that gets even less time in the spotlight, and make everyone, including the offensive line, look good. And that’s the equipment managers. When he’s not having his heart broken by his beloved Buffalo Bills and Sabres, Kyle Chadwick ’17 can usually be found preparing for game day at the Tribe’s facilities, patrolling the sidelines alongside head coach Jimmye Laycock ’70 during game day, getting the team neat and organized for another week of practice, or typing away late at night providing his own insight and analysis on Tribe sports on his own “William and Mary Sports Blog.” Chadwick is the green and gold-standard of William and Mary fans, taking the trip to the Colonial Athletic Association championship basketball tournament in Baltimore, and checking out the 2014 season-opener in Blacksburg, Va. After celebrating the NC State victory last week, I had a chance to talk with Chadwick about his job as a Tribe football equipment manager. Chadwick described how he got involved as an equipment manager. “I have been following Tribe football games since my brother was a freshman here … around 7 years now,” Chadwick said. “Ever since I stepped foot on campus, I knew I wanted to work for the football team.” Chadwick worked as a marketing intern for Tribe Athletics during his sophomore year, but he had aspirations to work for the football. During the spring 2015 semester he said he saw an opening for the equipment manager position. “At this point, I would have done just about anything to be a part of the team, even for free,” Chadwick said. “I jumped on the opportunity, applied, and thankfully got the job ... It might not be the most glamorous job, but I know I am directly impacting the team and meeting some amazing people along the way.” Chadwick explained what an average day looks like as an equipment manager. Since he works most of the week and goes to most of the games, his busy schedule occupies most of his afternoons during the season. “You work five to six days of the week, and have Sunday off,” Chadwick said. “You travel with the team to the majority of the games, [you have to be] there for all home games. A typical day starts at about 2:30 p.m., where we are in charge of setting up the field and the equipment for practice. Practice is usually at 4 p.m., and during practice we help run the drills and help the coaches in any way needed. Typically, we’re done each day by 6:30, so it is about four hours each day. On game days, we have to get to the stadium about six hours before the game, to set up coach com — the coaches headsets — the field, the locker room, and anything else that is needed. On game days we usually work around 10 hours, but it goes by pretty quickly.” Chadwick said the job is everything he expected despite some long, tedious days. He also said one of the biggest unexpected perks of the position was new friendships.
POLICE BEAT
COURTESY PHOTO / KYLE CHADWICK
Football equipment manager Kyle Chadwick ‘17 appeared on screen during a recent Tribe football game.
“Seeing everybody day in and day out, it is absolutely essential to get along and have a good team,” Chadwick. “That is exactly what we have, and I am so happy to have made life long friends along the way. While certainly tough to balance this job with academics, I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything in the world.” While on the sidelines, Chadwick holds many roles, including game manager, water boy, as well as offensive and defensive bench aid. “The game manager is there to help put out the kicking tee, and to help with any equipment related duties, like if a player had his helmet pop off,” Chadwick said. “The offensive and defensive bench managers do much of the same, and provide water and perform equipment duties to the offense and defense, respectively … While the tasks are menial, it is exciting to be in the thick of things on the sideline during big plays and doing victory.” Though sideline traditions in game preparation sometimes border on the superstitious side in football, Chadwick hasn’t seen any Tribe equivalent of the Virginia Tech lunch pail or Bible verse eye black. “While I can’t attest to any superstitions of players or coaches, our equipment staff certainly has a few,” Chadwick said. “Before every game, just before the team warms up, we all get together and down [Mountain Dew] Kick-Starts. There is a particular flavor that each person gets, and you can’t argue with the results, as we [were] currently on a six-game winning streak. On top of that, we all have certain players whose locker we set up before every game. Since I work with the quarterbacks, I make it a priority to set up their lockers pregame.” Though Chadwick has seen every game this season in his role as equipment manager, his favorite game and favorite play of the season were both from the College’s biggest win of 2015. The go-ahead score of the James Madison win should sound familiar to Tribe fans. “My favorite play was when Kendell Anderson rushed it in from about three yards out to cap a game-winning touchdown drive with under a minute to go,” Chadwick said. “JMU was a top 10 team at the time, and that win propelled us into the top 10 rankings and solidified our status as elite in the CAA and all of FCS.”
Chadwick discussed working with Laycock, the longest-tenured Division 1 football coach. “Coach Laycock is an imposing, revered figure,” Chadwick said. “Words can’t describe how much he has done for the program. At a ground level, you see all of the hard work he puts into preparing week in and week out for a dogfight in the CAA. He is always lurking on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball during practice, and is there to make corrections. On top of being a loyal and great coach, he truly cares about his players and coaches, who are always determined to play for such a legend. I hope he continues to coach at William and Mary for a long time to come, and if this year is any indication, Tribe football doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon.” In addition to working as an equipment manager, Chadwick and his brother Davey Chadwick ’15 run the “William and Mary Sports Blog.” “My brother and I have always been huge proponents of all things Tribe sports, but particularly football and basketball, Chadwick said. We knew that our alumni were very passionate about the game, much like we were, and we wanted to give back to them.” Chadwick said the feedback from the blog has been amazing. “So many amazing alumni reach out to us and tell us time and again that they enjoy our articles and to keep it up,” Chadwick said. “There is nothing better than hearing people tell me they read our blog to get information about the upcoming games. It seems as though we are getting new followers every day, whether it be on Facebook or Twitter. It is an exciting time to be a Tribe sports fan, and we are reaping the benefits of that.” Chadwick is currently enrolled in the Mason School of Business and says he will likely do something corresponding with his degree, rather than sports reporting, but says he will always be a Tribe fan. “While I am not interested in sports writing as a future, my passion for William and Mary sports will not die. Even after I graduate, I plan on watching all of the football and basketball games (at the very least) and keep myself updated on all things Tribe Sports. My brother and I have decided to continue the blog after college, and are excited to see where it goes from here.”
Nov. 20-21 1
Friday, Nov. 20 — An individual was arrested for possession of marijuana on Richmond Road.
2
Friday, Nov. 20 — An individual was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol on Richmond Road and Wythe Road.
3
Saturday, Nov. 21— An individual was arrested for public intoxication on Richmond Road.
Nov. 21 — An individual was arrested 4 Saturday, for public intoxication and profane language on Richmond Road.
The Flat Hat
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Page 3
BOARD OF VISITORS NOV 18-20 FULL BOARD
BOV renews William and Mary Promise
Board members guarantee tuition rate for in-state students entering in 2016
AINE CAIN FLAT HAT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
At Friday’s full board meeting, the College of William and Mary’s Board of Visitors resolved to extend the William and Mary Promise and guarantee a tuition rate of $15,674 for in-state undergraduate students entering the College in fall 2016. First established in 2013, the William and Mary Promise has frozen in-state tuition rates for undergraduate students for the past three years. Virginia public universities typically announce instate and out-of-state tuition rates in the spring. “Predictability is very important when planning a budget,” Rector Todd Stottlemyer ’85 said in a press release. “We have found that Virginia families and students appreciate the ability to plan well in advance knowing that their in-state tuition rate won’t change.” Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration Sam Jones ’75 also discussed the
College’s reasons for locking down in-state tuition rates early. “The feedback we get from parents is that they like the guarantee,” Jones said. “They’re able to say, ‘We know this is the price. Does a William and Mary education give us the value for that price?’ Since the price isn’t going to change once they make a decision … Ultimately, then, it’s just about whether the student wants to come here or go somewhere else.” Jones said that in order to determine in-state tuition rates, the College first draws up a six-year plan, which is submitted to the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia every two years. This plan takes projected state funding, faculty salaries, student financial aid, operation costs for new buildings, and the possibility of increasing tuition rates for out-of-state students into consideration. Jones noted that the William and Mary Promise ensures that in-state students will not experience mid-year tuition increases. He said that the size
and quality of recent classes is proof that the plan is worth keeping. “All the data showed, three years into it, we were still getting record numbers of applications to our undergraduate program and the quality of students is being maintained,” Jones said. “We said, ‘Okay, we haven’t done any harm.’” Jones said that the College also seeks to counteract the rising “sticker price” of tuition by committing more funds to need-based financial aid. “We didn’t want any unintended consequences … we’re maintaining the quality of the student body and applications, but students of need, students from diverse backgrounds, all of a sudden they can’t come because of this price increase,” Jones said. “Our investment in financial aid makes sure the access doesn’t get hurt.” According to a press release from the College, it has the third lowest “net price” for in-state undergraduates among all public universities in
Virginia, behind Norfolk State University and the University of Virginia-Wise. Jones said that the William and Mary Promise comes with risk, as it locks down a large portion of tuition costs in a time when the school must contend with decreases in state funding and the volatility of tuition costs. However, he said that only a crisis — like the 2008 recession or unforeseen, dramatic state cuts — would lead to the cessation of the policy. Jones said that even in the event of an unforeseen financial issue, the College would never renege on any guarantees it had previously made to students. “It’s important that any student from Virginia who is admitted to William & Mary be able to attend no matter what their financial situation is,” College President Taylor Reveley said in a press release. “And if you come from a family who can afford to pay full freight, you are still getting excellent value for one of the best undergraduate educations in the world.”
COMMITTEE ON STUDENT AFFAIRS
Student presentation addresses lack of racial diversity Board members discuss family partnerships, fundraising goals, social media AMANDA WILLIAMS FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR
The College of William and Mary’s Board of Visitors committee on student affairs convened Thursday to discuss family partnerships with the College and to hear a student presentation regarding diversity on campus. Student Affairs Committee Vice Chair Lisa Roday opened the meeting and said that she and board member William Payne ’01 had been on campus meeting with student groups recently and were working on a survey relating to club sports. Vice President for Student Affairs Ginger Ambler ’88 Ph.D. ’06 introduced Associate Dean of Students and Director of Parent Programs and Director of Parent and Family Giving for University Advancement Stacey Summerfield, who discussed partnerships between parents and the College and what that means for fundraising. “I’m especially proud of the partnership between student affairs and university advancement and the way we are involving parents and families in the life of the university and sustaining the excellence that William and Mary represents not only for students today but for students to come and for their grandchildren to come,” Ambler said. Summerfield and Sikes talked about the growth of this partnership over the years, primarily focusing on more recent years. Sikes presented a study that said that 84 percent of students reported that their parents are involved
just the right amount. They also told the board about the success of early decision events hosted in New York City and Washington, D.C. to get families and students from the same region together before the students come to the College. Sikes and Summerfield discussed the current goal to raise $1 million for the parents fund this year, and the difference between parents who are also alumni and non-alumni parents. The latter have a participation rate of 23 to 25 percent, while the former’s rate has gone as high as 55 percent. Summerfield said that although alumni parents are only three percent of the total alumni base of the College, they make up five percent of the donor population. Roday then introduced student presenters Ryan Goss ’16 and Yussre ElBardicy ’16. Goss began by highlighting relevant context for their topic — diversity on campus. “Little did we know at the time that this presentation would fall in the midst of an ongoing national discussion and conversation about this,” Goss said. “So we figured that we would take this opportunity to be real with you, to be honest, to be amplifiers of what students are saying.” Goss and ElBardicy talked about the recent events at the College — the diein last fall, multiple Black Lives Matter protests, sticky-noting the Thomas Jefferson statue and the Mizzou Black Out — that they said exemplified student advocacy on campus. Goss then broke down what diversity is at
the College. “At William and Mary we mean a lot of different things,” Goss said. “It’s impossible for us to get up and try to do justice to the lived experience of people across these units of identity —socioeconomic diversity, various sexual orientations, communities of race identities and so many more.” ElBardicy talked about the importance of relationships to the College community, particularly those between students and faculty members. According to ElBardicy, the College’s student body is 31 percent of students of color, yet only 13 percent of faculty members are of color. She said that students tend to be more comfortable reaching out to whom they can relate, which then overburdens those few faculty members of color. ElBardicy then shared a personal experience with this divide while visiting one of her math professors. “About 15 minutes into the conversation he paused and he asked me how long I had been in the United States because I spoke English so well,” ElBardicy said. “So I kind of clarified, ‘Oh well I was born and raised in Northern Virginia,’ and he said, ‘Yeah, you almost sound like an ordinary, average American. So I said, ‘Okay, well what doesn’t make me ordinary or average?’ and he just laughed.” ElBardicy said that this wasn’t a one-time incident and that each time something similar happens, she has to reaffirm and prove that she’s American. She said that such events start to impact a student’s College experience
as a whole. Goss then delved into the topic of inter-student relationships and group separation. He also mentioned the harmful effect of social media, particularly anonymous forums. Then he discussed into historic figures on campus, particularly the statues. “Someone said to me once that at William and Mary ‘you feel the weight of history,’ and I think that’s really a helpful way to think about it,” Goss said. “Really these [statues] are exclusively white men in a certain period of our history, some of whom were slave owners themselves. So the issue that was illuminated to us by students is not necessarily the existence of these figures that we’ve exalted in our statues and our memorials and our plaques … it’s more of who is not represented.” ElBardicy said that the statues give off a sense of dominance over campus. They ended the presentation discussing opportunities on campus to encourage conversations on diversity such as the Center for Student Diversity and incorporating the topic more fully into the new COLL curriculum. Multiple board members responded to ElBardicy’s personal account with her professor. “I was also very disturbed by your conversation with that professor,” Board Member Christopher Little said. “Regardless of how hard we work and add more diverse faculty, most of the professors that you all deal with are not of color, and it seems to me that a major effort should be that those people, who are not of color, have greater
understanding and sensitivity.” In response, Goss said that it only takes one instance like ElBardicy’s to establish a feeling of mistrust. “I think stories are powerful, stories are much more powerful than injunctions to be good, or injunctions to be sensitive,” Reveley said. “You told a powerful story. I’ve heard a lot of powerful stories recently. We need to capture these stories because they can convey the need for change far, far more effectively than a lot of other ways of going at it.” Reveley said that reaching people effectively is a challenge, because the ones that most need to change are the least likely to do so voluntarily. He said that the white community on campus needs a better understanding of what students of color and minorities are experiencing. Senior Associate Dean of Students Vernon Hurte disagreed, saying that stories were ‘low-hanging fruit,’ and there needs to be a focus on the campus culture. Adom Whitaker ’17 agreed with Hurte. “I agree that stories can be lowhanging fruit because I would argue that these offences are occurring because of the culture,” Whitaker said. “If you look to campus, administration sets the bar for what’s acceptable and what’s not accepted and so if you’re just sharing stories, you’re still not changing the culture.” Already over time, Roday ended the committee meeting. She said that they would adjourn the meeting, but not the conversation.
COMMITTEE ON ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
BOV discusses lower early decision applications number Meeting covers SACSCOC reaccreditation, COLL curriculum, Faculty Assembly update EMILY MARTELL FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER
The Board of Visitors Committee on Academic Affairs convened Thursday Nov. 19 to discuss early decision applications, the COLL curriculum, the College of William and Mary’s reaccreditation process, an update from the Faculty Assembly and the St Andrews Joint-Degree Programme. Following approval of last meeting’s minutes, Provost Michael Halleran gave the committee an update about early decision applications for the Class of 2020. “Total numbers down a smidge by four or five percent, but that’s just kind of normal fluctuations,” Halleran said. “They are in a process for reviewing the applications as we speak.” Moving on to the COLL curriculum that was implemented this fall for the Class of 2019, Halleran said he was pleased with the success of the program thus far. Halleran also gave an update about the “selfstudy” the College recently sent to the Southern Association of Colleges and Commission on Colleges. As a SACSCOC institution, the College submits a comprehensive report every 10 years for
a full accreditation review. As part of the 2015-2016 review, the College will soon receive feedback and recommendations from an off-site peer review on the report. In light of the January 2016 deadline, Halleran discussed the current work on the Quality Enhancement Plan, a part of the reaffirmation process in SACSCOC that describes the College’s work on enhancing student learning and the environment of student learning. Committee Chair Robert Scott J.D. ’68 asked Halleran about the value of self-studies for the university besides creating additional work for university administrators. Halleran agreed that compiling the reports took a large amount of time due to the complexity and breadth of the study. “They make it awfully complicated,” Halleran said. “So in terms of overall whether this is a valuable exercise — no. Are there some things of value that come from it? Yes.” Faculty representatives discussed work by the Faculty Assembly on developing a program to help integrate new diverse members of faculty into the College. There was also discussion about the amending of the Discrimination Grievance/
Complaint Procedures, a procedure that seeks to help the university enforce policy on discrimination, harassment and retaliation. The committee then heard a presentation from members of the St Andrews-William and Mary Joint Degree Programme. Faculty Director of the JointDegree Programme and English professor Colleen Kennedy began by giving the history and enrollment numbers of the program. “Our enrollment target is five students in each major per year, per university,” Kennedy said. “We’ve been fairly successful at meeting those targets for the past two years and when we enroll there’s a little bit of transfer back into either William and Mary or St Andrews which is why we’re not — we have 115 students currently at both universities — so currently we’re not fully enrolled, although we’re getting better and better about keeping students in the program.” The Joint Degree Programme is in its sixth year of existence and it graduated its first class in spring 2015. The program currently allows students to major in economics, English, history and international relations. Kennedy said the program is exploring expanding to two additional majors and targeting the 2018-2019 academic year for implementation.
“We put out the call for applications for all Arts and Science departments in September and the first proposals are due January first,” Kennedy said. “So I have an idea about some that are in mind. There’s a few.” Kennedy told the committee that potential majors would not be revealed at this time. The students discussed the challenges presented by moving between universities, the differences in instruction style between institutions as well as the advantages to them of being in the program. “I think nationally, if you’re in the United States you feel a strong pull towards William and Mary after graduation,” St Andrews Joint-Degree student Cooper Nelson ’16 said. “That being said, St Andrews does have a very broad and a very connected alumni network. This past summer, I was working in D.C. and was able to attend alumni networking events not just for William and Mary, but for St Andrews as well. So I think just how William and Mary has a broad international base of network, St Andrews has that — they’re based across the ocean — but both networks are strong and cohesive.” The committee moved into a closed executive session for the remainder of the time to discuss personnel issues.
Page 4
The Flat Hat
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
ACADEMICS
College launches LGBTIQ history project Mattachine Project research focuses on biased Virginia laws, experiences ALLISON ROHRER FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER
The College of William and Mary is launching the Mattachine Project to research and archive the history of LBGTIQ people in Virginia. The College’s project will be working with the Washington, D.C. chapter of the Mattachine Society a national organization whose goal is to archive LGBTIQ history. Similar projects are being conducted in other states. The project is recruiting graduate and undergraduate researchers. Project researchers will search Virginia archives, including the Virginia Historical Society, the Library of Virginia and the Valentine Project. Old newspaper articles from Virginia newspapers like the Richmond Times -Dispatch and transcripts from the General Assembly will also be searched. Documents in Earl Gregg Swem Library archiving the history of LGBTIQ people at the College will be studied. The Mattachine Project will digitize and upload articles
to its website for public viewing. Researchers will look at how laws in Virginia have affected LGBTIQ people. Jan Hubenthal M.A. ’13 Ph.D. ’18, an American Studies Ph.D. student and the College’s Mattachine Project research fellow, said researchers will focus on discriminatory laws regarding bars and ABC stores. He gave the example of the Alcohol Beverage Control agency instructing bars not to serve alcohol to known homosexuals. Another example provided was how Crimes Against Nature laws, which were anti-sodomy laws, discriminated against LBGTIQ people. Virginia’s history will be on display throughout the project. American studies and history professor and Director of the Mattachine Project at the College Leisa Meyer said she hopes that the project will reveal unique connections to other Virginia historical events. “Richmond was the capital of the Confederacy,” Meyer said. “There is a history of slavery and race relations. Virginia was the site of massive
resistance in terms of segregation. I am hoping that we will find ways with this project to see how sexuality and race are intertwined and of speaking across what some might understand as barriers.” Meyer believes this project could be a great opportunity for student researchers and volunteers. She said she hopes to give domestic COLL credit for the project next year. As professor of “Sexuality in America,” she has seen an increased interest in LGBTIQ issues and improving LGBTIQ rights in the past five years. According to Meyer, she would eventually like to see students analyzing the research and presenting it to the community to start a conversation. She could also see students using this research for an honors thesis. Lauren Dickerson ’18 attended the meeting for the Mattachine Project. “Basically, I don’t think that there is enough historical study on LGBTIQ,” Dickerson said. “I think that it’s an interesting field of study, and I think that expanding our knowledge of the history of LGTBIQ people will help us understand who
they have been and help us embrace who they are today.” Hubenthal said that the ultimate goal of the project is to remember what LGBTIQ people in Virginia experienced. “We tend to think of gay history as a progressive narrative,” Hubenthal said. “We tend to forget about the things that weren’t quite so wonderful and I think that the ultimate end goal for us is to create a historical memory of the things that did happen and of the things that continue to happen. We want to disrupt the narrative of ‘Well, we are done with that.’” An interest meeting for graduate and undergraduate students who want to do research for this project occurred Nov. 16. President of the Mattachine Society of D.C. Charles Francis, as well as College faculty advisors, were in attendance. In addition to discussing the project, the documentary “Uniquely Nasty,” which investigated the discriminatory laws against LBGTIQ people enforced by the government, was screened.
First ice rink opens in Colonial Williamsburg ICE from page 1
the area, supported the creation of the Liberty Ice Pavillion. Colonial Williamsburg officials shared their hopes. “I think this brings a new audience in,” Sutphin said. “They’ll come to Merchant Square and hopefully they’ll shop. Hopefully, they’ll come here and spend their time skating.” Colonial Williamsburg has tried to expand its use of Duke of Gloucester Street before through a 2013 expansion of the Revolutionary City program, but was rebuked in a 2-2-1 vote. The City Council appears to be much more positive about this initiative, which was approved 4-0 with one councilman abstaining.
Foot traffic will still be possible through Duke of Gloucester Street, although the annual Christmas Parade will be rerouted to end in Merchants Square and begin at the College of William and Mary instead of the other direction. Colonial Williamsburg will work with city officials to divert foot traffic for other large events that will occur while the Liberty Ice Pavilion is in operation. “I am very supportive of the new energy and innovation coming from the administration at Colonial Williamsburg,” Williamsburg City Councilman Scott Foster ’10 said in an email. “This project was very well thought out and Colonial Williamsburg’s staff were very accommodating to the concerns of City Staff.” The initiative was pioneered by the Colonial Williamsburg
Foundation, which supplied capital for the pavilion’s creation. Magic USA, a government contracting firm based in Florida, will operate and maintain the rink. It remains to be seen whether or not the Liberty Ice Pavilion will become a part of Colonial Williamsburg’s annual winter programming. “The City’s only role was to approve a permit for use of the space in Duke of Gloucester Street,” Foster said. “All other work and investment has been by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.” The rink has attracted student patrons as well. “The ice skating rink is really neat and not many campuses across the country have something like this so it just makes you realize that William and Mary is a pretty amazing place,” Daniel McNeil ’19 said.
Visual Identity Guidelines impact student organizations LOGO from page 1
shoulders or back. “It transitioned slowly,” former Rugby President Aaron Skonecki ’16 said. “There were guidelines on the website that we could kind of pull from. That being said, I remember a couple of meetings where it was basically, ‘Use the guidelines that we said, can’t use anything else or you can get in trouble.’ From there, we kind of had to go figure it out ourselves.” These new standards also include the removal of “The College of” from the College’s official brand images. When listing the College’s official brand images, the Style Guide only includes approved images where the College is referenced solely as “William & Mary.” None of the College’s new official brand images contain “The
College of.” This past weekend, the College changed its official Facebook name to “William & Mary.” With regard to the College’s name, student organizations that wish to reference the College’s name must do so in a prescribed manner. According to the College’s website, the only brand images that student organizations are free to use within their own logos are the official “W&M” artwork, the registered name “William & Mary,” and official university colors. Student organizations may not use the name “The College of William and Mary” in their logos or reference any of the College’s unique brand images. The Student Assembly’s Facebook page logo currently references “The College of William and Mary” — a direct violation of these new guidelines. Student Assembly President Yohance
Whitaker ’16 commented on the SA’s progress towards complete compliance. “Last year, the Student Assembly invested in branding materials to market our services to students,” Whitaker said in an email. “Each of those items is in compliance with university style rules. My team and I are in the process of updating Student Assembly’s social media presence. Our goal is to unveil a new Student Assembly page on the William & Mary website by the end of the semester. When set up our page will be in compliance with the university’s visual identity guidelines. Our other social media outlets will be updated accordingly. In fact, we have been working in conjunction with University Web & Design and Information Technology to achieve this goal.”
For organizations like the Spotswood Society, whose logo contains the name “the College of William and Mary,” the change can create problems. Spotswood Society is an organization that provides studentled tours of the Sir Christopher Wren building and educates tourists about the College’s history. At this time, there has been no official push to change the Spotswood Society logo, but leadership for the organization remains concerned for the logo’s future, since it logo is currently not in compliance with the visual identity guidelines. The logo, which has been in circulation for more than twenty years, features the entrance doors to the Wren Building and two horseshoes, alluding to Spotswood’s leading of the 1716 Knights of the Golden Horseshoe Expedition. Because the organization
is directly tied to an administrative office on campus and because the logo currently contains the College’s name, there are talks to overhaul the historically influenced logo. Assistant Director for Historic Campus Kimberly Renner expressed the importance of branding on an administrative level but also expressed her fears for the unique identities of student organizations on campus that may get lost in the rebranding process. Proctor for the Spotswood Society Gabriel Morey ’16 stated his concern for student organizations losing their identities during rebranding. “I understand the importance of brand identity, but I think the problem is by trying to build this cohesive brand identity for the College, you’ll actually be hurting the Spotswood Society,” Morey said.
Undergraduate students discuss Interfaith Medidation Center RACE from page 1
summarize their discussions, and the floor was opened up to questions. Kiersten White ’18 responded to the question posed at the last forum about how it feels to be a student of color at the College. She discussed the current racial climate in communities and universities around the nation, referencing Ferguson, Baltimore, the University of Missouri and the University of Virginia. “Being a person of color at William and Mary’s campus is exhausting,” White said. “It’s exhausting because we care about more than the average student does. On top of all the stress of academics, extracurricular activities, we stress about the race issues severely affecting our country, our campus and ourselves.” White went on to discuss the burden on minority faculty members, many of whom serve as mentors for minority students. She talked about
the vulnerability she felt because of peers who use racial epithets toward black outside the classroom. Discussing her perception of the administration’s lack of support, White told the Task Force how it felt to have her voice silenced. “We feel exhausted but most of all, we feel duped,” White said. “Because when applying to this college, we were under the impression that ‘One Tribe, One Family’ was meant for all students and not just the complacent or white ones.” Adom Whitaker ’17 discussed the influence of College authority on students to frame racial issues. “I think the challenge comes with administration to sort of recognize that they are a level of authority over students, and so I would then say that the way that the administration can combat that is by showing the students that you care about the students of color, of religious, or sexual and other types of diversity as well,” Whitaker said. Whitaker discussed that although Jefferson Hall was the residence of the first three black students
at the College, there is only a small plaque in the basement commemorating it. In order to create lasting change, Whitaker said the administration must demonstrate that they really care about students of color. A student addressed a question directly to Reveley about whether hard deadlines would be included in the proposal to ensure policy recommendations are implemented. Reveley asked the student to clarify the question and then affirmed the administration’s support for the Task Force recommendations. “Some things are clear,” Reveley said. “We need more minority faculty and one way or another we need to figure out how to do it. I think we desperately need more conversation between people such as those of us who are in the room right now and people who are not in the room, and it’s going to take some real effort on both sides to pull it off. But what I really think the question is shooting at is — is this going to amount to anything? And I am confident it will.”
Additionally, students discussed the need for protection from racism for all students of color, including international students. Others talked about the need for a more central location for the Interfaith Meditation Center, currently held in the Campus Center. Students and faculty members addressed the lack of white male undergraduates at the forum. They expressed uncertainty about how to bring up the issue of race to the wider College community. Students said that they had trouble even convincing others that racial inequalities existed. Danya AbdelHameid ’18 discussed a recent conversation with a classmate. “The discussion that we were having was not that this is a reality that people face, it was a debate whether or not the reality was real,” AbdelHameid said. “That’s sort of something I get tired of, is constantly explaining rather than deciding it is a problem and kind of minimizing it and sort of learning how to move forward.”
Students remember transgender victims of violence at candlelight vigil LAMBDA from page 1
focus of the event was that the College community acknowledges the importance of trans lives. “The event highlighted that trans people face unique forms of oppression that result sadly in one in 12 trans people being killed, and the number is even higher for trans women of color,” Hernandez said in an email. “Beyond violence, they face everyday discrimination in the job market and their own families, which means they have ridiculously high homelessness
rates. Yet, despite all of this, trans people are extraordinarily resilient and they are not defined by these violent acts, but by themselves in their passions, creativity and love. The William and Mary community stood in solidarity with them.” For two hours, names of those who lost their lives to violence were read, starting with individuals from 2015 and going back as far as 2009. The list included individuals who were unidentified or unknown. Some attendees stayed for the whole two hours, and others came and went. Some
individuals had the opportunity to read from the list of names as well. Kiana Espinoza ’19 said that attending the event was important to her because it meant giving visibility to victims of horrible crimes. “I feel that events like transgender day of remembrance are so important because these are crimes of violence that we aren’t forced to think about on a dayto-day basis,” Espinoza said. “Sometime because we can ignore them personally, they go unrecognized. No victim of violence should ever go forgotten.” Beyond this event, Lambda
members like Lopez said they hope that the College community will continue to spread awareness and make changes that will benefit trans students and trans people Lopez worldwide. “The main takeaway from the vigil, in my opinion, is that everyone needs to be paying attention to how trans people are treated
in this world,” Lopez said. “So many of these victims die without names, which speaks volumes of their position within the larger society. These were people with hopes, dreams, fun nicknames, and big personalities, all of which get erased when they are reported as ‘unidentified victim,’ as occurs frequently. I want to see the William and Mary community take an active interest in trans equality, and not just the students with direct connections to the LGBTQ community. This problem is too important to ignore and there’s so much work left to be done.”
opinions
Opinions Editor Annie Sadler fhopinions@gmail.com // @theflathat
The Flat Hat
| Tuesday, November 24, 2015 | Page 5
FROM THE WEB: SNARK UPON THE GALE
The politics of hair
BY BRIAN KAO / THE FLAT HAT
GUEST COLUMN
Equal and inclusive: eradicating labels
Miguel Locsin FLAT HAT GUEST COLUMNIST
We live in a society swamped by labels. You, me, the person next to you, we are all labeled by society. Whether that label is rich, poor; black and white; gay, straight or lesbian; “heteronormative,” feminist, progressive; boring, ugly, playboy; revolutionary, smart, stupid; sociable, introverted, extroverted, socially inept. Labeling a person is inevitable. We all judge others implicitly or on purpose at home, here at The College, and in our daily lives, as we are primed by innate instinct to do so. Here at the College of William and Mary, we continually strive for progress in the name of inclusion for all races, sexes, orientations and the like, and this is good. However, there has come a point in our ever complicated society where we label every nuanced thing that has come about as a result of the progressive revolutions of the past few decades. Take the label “plus-sized models” for example. Two decades ago, this label was nonexistant, and has only arisen because of the progression of thinking in Western countries. The integration of all types of women in modeling culture is an important development — however it is not enough. Why are these models labeled separately from “regular” models just because they have more mass than “regular” models that have and still make up the majority of the modeling industry? Why don’t we just call them models? Similarly, why is there a subclass of people that fights for women’s rights called feminists? Shouldn’t all people today alive in the 21st century, especially those who reside in America, simply
be confederates of equality between all sexes and races? Why is there still an institutionalized distinction between races found in the application of drivers licenses, school applications, censuses and poll data? Why can’t we all simply just be Americans? I realize I am oversimplifying issues that merit opinions columns in themselves, including the labeling of different sexually-oriented people, people’s intrinsic social skills and people’s intelligence. I have come to realize however that the solutions to some of these social problems, in addition to social discussions and good leadership, starts when we stop labeling all different sorts of people and ideas trivially — in other words, with names that are ultimately irrelevant. During freshman orientation our wonderful OAs had us sit in a circle and had us freely identify ourselves in any way we chose. It was a wonderful experience that brought us closer together as a freshman hall. However, I was suprised that most of the people in my hall firstly chose to express themselves in terms of their race and whether they are intrinsically introverted or extroverted. I just could not help thinking that these labels should ultimately be unimportant. Yet my awesome hall mates chose to identify themselves firstly with these irrelevant labels that preceded them, talking about their culture, history and past stories. It is therefore the systematic eradication of irrelevant labels that will ultimately lead to an even more progressive society that I know many college students dream of. When gay, lesbian and straight people stop being gay, lesbian and straight, and simply start being people, only then can we say that we have solved the problem of sexual orientation inequality in this nation and in the world. Let us take a step backwards and talk about equality for all types of people rather than equality for black, white, Hispanic or Asian people — or one of many other races and ethnicities. Let us simplify issues and remove labels that ultimately have no necessary function in our daily lives. It is up to us to decide as the new generation of America which labels are important, and which ones are inconsequential. Once we decide which ones are the latter, and remove them from society, we will create a more successful, progressive world, and ultimately a more inclusive college experience. Email Miguel Locsin at malocsin@email.wm.edu.
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Let us simplify issues and remove labels that ultimately have no necessary function in our daily lives. It is up to us to decide as the new generation of America which labels are important, and which ones are inconsequential.
GUEST COLUMN
Validating, not dividing: the case for labels
Abby MacMillan
FLAT HAT GUEST COLUMNIST
There is an argument afoot that implores us to eliminate labels. Labels are irrelevant, it says; why can’t we all be Americans? Why can’t we all just be people? Let’s talk about it. First, we are all just people, and we all matter, but historically some kinds of people have mattered more than others. Certain arbitrary markers of superiority (i.e. whiteness, maleness, heterosexuality, wealth) have facilitated the success and dominance of certain kinds of people (read: wealthy white cisgender straight males) while oppressing those who could not lay claim to them. At this point, we all know this, and honestly if you don’t, I want you to go take a long hard look in the mirror and consider that you may be white/wealthy/cis/straight/male. Are you? Okay. Yes, labels are used oppressively (racism, sexism, homophobia, classism, ableism, etc.), but they can also be used combatively to counter oppression. Labels are valuable
internally and externally — internally, when you take on a label, you gain a sense of community, history, solidarity and externally, you gain recognition from others who identify the same way, which further validates your experiences. A person who identifies as asexual, for example, gains a lot, including online communities, safe spaces to share their frustrations and joys and a general sense of validation, by being able to name their lived experience. Labels also allow those of us outside of a given identity to recognize and respect the lived experiences of those inside one. For example, when a white person claims to be “color blind” regarding race, they are functionally erasing the history and struggles of people of color. Instead of claiming to be color blind, it’s important that we recognize that race has had and does have an impact on how people are treated. Failure to recognize others’ labels at this point in time does a lot more harm than good.
In a perfect world, there would be no labels. Rather than being black, brown, white, gay, straight, bisexual, Americans, immigrants, extroverts, introverts, skinny, fat, what-have-you, we would all just be people, doing our best, bopping along. Obviously, we want to live in a world where people are human first, race/sex/gender/ size/ability/class never. Obviously, we want to live in a world where discrimination is no longer a thing, where people are treated equally and respectfully. This is not to say that people’s identities should no longer matter, but rather that we should never treat someone differently because of how they identify. But for now, labels have value. They validate; they build community. They should not be erased, instead eventually falling into disuse, when we live in the kind of world where they are no longer relevant. Email Abby MacMilln at jrcosgrove@ email.wm.edu.
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Obviously, we want to live in a world where discrimination is no longer a thing, where people are treated equally and respectfully ... But for now, labels have value; they build commmunity.
Last week I went to SA’s Table-Talk, ingeniously named “Miley, What’s Good?” Good times included Chipotle and our shared experiences about what we find attractive, both physically and emotionally. The conversation eventually focused on hairstyles, how our hair determines how people will perceive us, and, ultimately, how we perceive ourselves. I was especially drawn to this event because, unfortunately, my hair is a political issue. The dead keratin growing out of my scalp is an integral part of my identity and daily part of my experience as a black woman. The table-talk got me thinking about how my hair is a symbol of long-existing Eurocentric beauty standards, and how it influences the way my peers treat me. Until I came to college, I never gave much thought to the role my hair plays in my black identity. My hair was long and coarse for most of my life, and I accepted it as a given that I would get perms every few months to tame it. Sure, perms burned my scalp with the intensity of the flames of hell, but dragging a comb through my hair daily would arguably be worse. Besides, my parents firmly believed that I would look uncouth, or “ghetto,” if you will, if my hair was anything but nicely braided or straightened. As deplorable as my parents’ self-hating ideals sound to me now, I don’t really hold it against them because that’s the psychological effect of white supremacy most of us grow up with. The closer your hair is to straight, the more respectable you are. As I got older, I wanted to experiment with my hair. While I received little overt disapproval from my parents, their passive-aggressive comments about my various hairstyles ignited a wildfire of self-consciousness in me. Suddenly my hair mattered more than it used to. By the time I reached my sophomore year of high school, I was fed up with the high maintenance of long, thick hair. I took a stand, mostly for my poor, tender scalp, and made the decision to stop perming my hair. The easiest solution to maintaining unpermed hair in my inexperienced mind was to cut it off. I started off with a shoulder-length cut, then a bob, and by the time I graduated I had sported pixie cuts of various lengths and colors. I don’t mean to imply that short hair doesn’t have a struggle attached — I spent many a morning cursing over my burnt fingers (because there are these stubborn patches that deftly avoid the hot iron, colloquially known as “the kitchen” of your head). Despite the minor challenges, I enjoyed having shorter hair, because less maintenance, and most importantly … I looked cuter. While I was feeling myself out with short, unpermed hair, my parents’ comments about me looking “wild” began to eat away at me. The first time I cut my mid-backlength hair, my father expressed a kind of calm outrage. I’d say he was incredulous. He told me that “people would kill” to have the kind of hair I had. I was no stranger to the idea that having long hair is a point of pride in the black community; there’s this racist, stigma-charged lie that black girls and women can’t grow long hair on their own, so they wear wigs or weaves to achieve this Eurocentric “look.” I was over it, but I wasn’t immune to the difference in treatment from people, including my parents, because I no longer had straight, long hair. I didn’t understand it — I am not any less me because of what my hair looks like. But because of the historical and socio-political objectification of black women’s bodies, other people interpret my hair in an entirely different context. Everyone who goes to the College of William and Mary, and some people who don’t go here, knows that the humidity in Williamsburg is out of control. Since I left perms in the dust years ago, I made the logical decision to just forgo straightening my hair entirely and sport a natural ‘fro. I got some snark from my parents, of course, but the reception to what I initially thought was a minor change was overwhelmingly positive. At first. I had undergone a major culture shock upon coming to a predominantly white university, because I was used to being around black people and other minorities in D.C. So while I don’t think many people at home would have given much attention to my “natural transformation,” so to speak, the situation is a lot different when you’re surrounded by white people who act like they’ve never seen a black person with natural hair before. People’s amazement felt endearing when I was naive enough to believe it wasn’t a product of objectification and exotification. White people, some who were my friends, would randomly stick their fingers in my hair and pet me because they were so obsessed with the stuff that grows out of my head in the exact way it grows out of their own heads. I felt like an exhibit. I felt like an animal at a petting zoo. I briefly considered straightening my hair again so people would stop touching me, but I eventually decided against it. I still get pet on the head, although much less frequently now. But I’m constantly aware of the perceptions people have about me because of my hair (that I’m unkempt, unprofessional, less worthy of belonging in predominantly white spaces), as well as the toll it takes on my self-esteem. My unconscious decision to join the natural hair movement uncapped a proverbial can of worms. I am a walking history, a product of centuries of Eurocentric standards that dictate that black women are worthless and ugly. Black hair is a political issue. It’s often a heavy burden to bear, impossible to ignore, but my path to self-love and acceptance includes appreciating all black women. Hair, as well as other aspects of physical appearance, is so personal. We wear our hair in different ways for different reasons, not even a fraction of which are related to patriarchy or white supremacy. It’s no one’s business why I or other black women choose to be natural or to have perms, weaves, tracks, etc. All that matters is that we love ourselves and respect our own choices, in an attempt to unlearn the self-hatred instilled in us and reinforced by society. It’s the basic minimum of what we deserve.
The Flat Hat
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Page 6
GUEST COLUMN
Falling flat on funding
Jenny Cosgrove
FLAT HAT GUEST COLUMNIST
If anything was clear after interviewing various employees in the music department, it was that, despite what modern day society says, music is not a hobby. This discovery took serious digestion on my part, as I have always considered music an extracurricular activity. Growing up, piano was something I played weekly, while sports practice and school were daily events. This relatively widespread treatment of music creates a philosophical and educational disparity in our country’s youngest students, myself included. We were all taught to separate music from school, to see the former as vital and the latter as optional. As one faculty member of the music department reminded me, this was not always the case. In ancient Greece, music was considered one of the four branches of mathematics. To receive a master’s degree one must have completed the quadrivium, consisting of arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music. This early educational system was shaped by arguably the most logical, concrete and scientific minds — yet no other culture has held music in as high esteem since classical Greece. At what point in history did music’s prominence in education shift so drastically? If anything, our schools should have increased the level of exposure to music, what with its importance continually being backed by modern-day research. A study by Virginia Penhune at Concordia University concluded that musical training produced long-lasting changes in motor abilities and brain structure. The earlier a child starts, the stronger the connection between the right and left hemispheres of the brain. These strengthened pathways last into adulthood and dramatically affect the ability to listen and communicate. Nina Krauss, a cognitive neuroscientist at Northwestern University, released a study finding that older adults who took music lessons at a young age could process the sounds of speech faster than those who did not, even if they haven’t picked up an instrument in 40 years. Despite all of this, music programs are still being cut throughout public schools nationwide, and even our own music department is put on the back burner. During my interviews, I asked the employees about any problems within the department, particularly ones involving a lack of funding. Unfortunately, the examples are plentiful. Ewell Hall in and of itself has proven an issue for the department. A flood in the recent past ruined 20 instruments and created $30,000 in damage; multiple rooms have continuous leaks, threatening to ruin even more valuable equipment. The Ewell elevator, by which instruments are transported, is constantly out of order. On top of all that, the rooms are not acoustically fit for practicing. When practice turns to play, the performance venue options for the program are extremely limited. Phi Beta Kappa hall is mainly used by theatre groups throughout the semester, blocking the availability for recitals. The second stage option in the Sadler Center, Commonwealth Auditorium, is even worse, as it is not physically built for performances. The light blocks certain player’s view of the conductor, the acoustics sound dreadful and it is overall an aesthetically displeasing venue for the arts. As a current student of the program, I can attest to all of this. I can also say that not only are these conditions unsavory for any respectable collegiate program, they are especially unsavory for the music program here at the College. In only three months here, the music department’s faculty and staff have proven to be my most talented, passionate and altruistic mentors. The deep care they have for the intellectual well-being of their students, along with their genuine investment in music at the college, are something reminiscent of ancient Greece, and certainly deserving of new facilities. As Plato once said, “I would teach children music, physics, and philosophy: but most importantly, music, for the patterns in music and all the arts are the keys to learning.” Email Jenny Cosgrove at jrcosgrove@email.wm.edu.
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COMMENTS @THEFLATHAT
We give Thomas Jefferson too much credit. He lived in an age when only white men were considered ‘men.’ His [reference] to ‘life , liberty and the pursuit of happiness’ was strictly confined to members of his own race ... and only the male members. Today we take his words and twist them in a way that Thomas Jefferson would object to. Today ‘men’ means everyone ... men and women, black and white. That’s NOT what Jefferson ever intended those words to mean. — “naksuthin.” on “A historical perspective to Thomas Jefferson”
BY BRIAN KAO / THE FLAT HAT
GUEST COLUMN
A hunger for camarderie and connection
Abby Berry
FLAT HAT GUEST COLUMNIST
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, the focus currently seems to be on making the little motivation that remains last through the final weeks of the semester. Thanksgiving is a much coveted and needed break to reenergize us for the weeks ahead and replenish the lack of motivation and food we may currently be experiencing. In the midst of an abundance of other things to focus on, the true reasons we celebrate Thanksgiving are easily overlooked. The College of William and Mary attempted to counter this feeling by serving a Thanksgiving dinner this past Thursday. However, since I myself fit this dinner into my schedule between a meeting and a group project, I’m not sure of the real effect this had. Thanksgiving is a holiday for remembering an incredible story from centuries ago. When the group of people now affectionately known as the “Pilgrims” celebrated the feast so many of us now associate with Thanksgiving, they had a lot to be thankful for.
After two months on the stormy sea and a long winter filled with disease and malnourishment, a successful harvest was a symbol of accomplishment and hope. They were not simply giving thanks because of forced family time and because a holiday told them to do so: the pilgrims were genuinely thankful. Without remembering the history behind why we celebrate Thanksgiving, it is almost impossible to both appreciate the effort that went into creating this holiday and the value our Thanksgiving celebrations should hold. Thanksgiving is not only about the food, although I do admit that is a much appreciated and beloved aspect of it. Rather, Thanksgiving is about the sense of camaraderie and connectedness that arises out of an intentional remembrance of the blessings, no matter how big or small, we have each received. If you feel you are lacking in the blessings category, I think the opportunity to attend such a distinguished college is a blessing in itself. The College has done an excellent job of making others feel blessed as well, through the donation of many meal swipes to help underprivileged families in the community. The consideration the Student Assembly has put into this philanthropic effort is a perfect example of the way Thanksgiving should be: a time of remembering our own blessings and helping others to find some blessings of their own. As we all go our separate ways for Thanksgiving this year, let’s take the time to remember the story of our ancestors and genuinely give thanks for the little things. Let’s use this week to rest, eat, remember and, most importantly, give thanks. Email Abby Berry at aberry@email.wm.edu.
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Rather, Thanksgiving is about the sense of camardaerie and connectedness that arises out of an intentional rememberance of the blessings, no matter how big or small ...
LETTER TO THE EDITOR On Monday, November 9, a handful of protesters acting under the protection of the night attached sticky notes with terms such as “RAPIST,” “PEDOPHILE,” “RACIST” and “RIP SALLY HEMINGS” to the statue of Thomas Jefferson, located on the College of William and Mary campus between Washington and McGlothlinStreet Halls. They covered the statue with many such notes. In so doing, the protesters acted out against the practice of William and Mary to honor its most famous alumni with statues, events and buildings. They did so without engaging in open debate, ironically desecrating a statue of the author of one of the most freeing documents ever written in human history. Fortunately, when a picture of the defaced statue was posted on the “Overheard at William and Mary” Facebook page, a proper debate ensued in the comments section. Many W&M students were pained to see a beloved son of William and Mary and a father to our nation disrespected in such a way. Some said that we need to see Jefferson’s actions in the context of our present times and morals. Others defended the actions of Jefferson as brave in the context of
his time. As Foundation for Individual Rights in Education’s Catherine Sevcenko stated a few days later, the W&M student community who participated in the debate on Facebook are to be commended for their “unusual” civil discourse. The Society for the College, William and Mary’s independent voice for alumni and students, disagrees with the protesters cowardly means and their misguided message. While Jefferson’s actions (and all of history) must necessarily be viewed by modern people of every succeeding generation, the College, and our nation, should recognize Jefferson’s positive contributions compared to the world he was living in. Who among us, in 1776, would risk the survival of our cause and alienate our closest family and friends by standing up for the equality of all men? Who among us would go into financial ruin to make education accessible to all Americans? Jefferson was a genius, a visionary, a renaissance man, but of course, just a man. To demand godly virtues and infallibility of our historical figures is an impossible standard and a disservice to their memory. The Society has been one of the strongest proponents of free speech
on William and Mary’s campus. We do appreciate and commend the discussion that ensued on Facebook after this incident. While the original actions were not worthy of Jefferson, who favored open debate about ideas, the later debate that occurred on Facebook was quite Jeffersonian and many good points were made by the W&M student body. We do wonder whether the protesters’ same points could have been made using more appropriate means and with more respect. The Society will always stand by free speech and expression, but not by the cowardly and malicious means by which the protesters acted. We are happy to rebut their narrow and misguided views. We will tolerate and defend the actions of these protesters, of which there appear to only be two or three, but we will not condone them or support their views. In the future, we hope that those who share these views engage in a more constructive and respectful dialogue. We hope that, instead of defacing a beloved part of our campus, we can openly discuss issues with each other just as Thomas Jefferson would have hoped. Email The Society for the College at info@societyfortheege.org.
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Variety Editor Emily Chaumont Variety Editor Sarah Ruiz flathat.variety@gmail.com // @theflathat
The Flat Hat
| Tuesday, November 24, 2015 | Page 7
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COURTESY PHOTO / WM.EDU
Professor Terry Meyers discusses learning, lawsuits and being labeled the “porn prof” DOMINIC DIANGIO THE FLAT HAT
From the evolution of the liberal arts education to free speech lawsuits, English professor Terry Meyers has seen it all in his 46 years at the College of William and Mary. “One of the greatest pleasures I’ve had has been seeing the school become increasingly excellent,” Meyers said. “I’ve enjoyed being part of a school that has continual aspirations to be better than it has been.” Meyers’s area of focus is Victorian English literature, and he is a specialist on Algernon Charles Swinburne, whom he calls “a bad boy of Victorian poetry.” He teaches classes on the Victorian era, as well as British Literature II, which is an introduction to 18th and 19th century British literature. The latter is a 200-level class required for English majors and is therefore largely comprised of underclassmen. “I enjoy freshmen and sophomores,” Meyers said. “They come in with tremendous spirit and tremendous energy, and I also enjoy that range of literature.” Meyers attended Lawrence University, a small liberal arts college in Appleton, Wisconsin, for his undergraduate degree. While he said he enjoyed the intellectual rigor of the school, he struggled with the initial transition period between high school and college-level work. “I remember my first English paper I got a D on. I’d been a straight-A student in high school, so I was stunned,” said Meyers. He said he appreciated his professors’ high demands and closeness with students, which has influenced his current teaching style. Whenever a student performs below average on his own paper assignments, Meyers said he insists they discuss it with him to clarify what could be improved upon. “I think students always rise to the standards you set,” Meyers said. “And I think one of the great things about liberal arts education is that it allows for curiosity. You’re put in touch with great thinkers, great writers, great painters, great musicians, and you can really immerse yourself in cultural experiences that take you out of yourself.” Because of his time at both Lawrence University and the College, Meyers said he holds the unpopular opinion that a liberal arts education is very important. “I saw on the Republican debate the attack on philosophers,” Meyers said. “A lot of people, and a lot of politicians, Democrats as well as Republicans, look on higher education as vocational training. They see it as job training, and I don’t think they understand the value of intellectual exploration, critical thinking, independent thinking or the ability to write clearly and lucidly.”
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While Meyers said he values the variety of activities a college experience offers, he said he primarily focused on his studies during his time at Lawrence. He said that things changed in his junior year when he married his wife Sheila, who graduated from the College in 1978. They had their first child while he was in graduate school at the University of Chicago, and they had their second child when he began to work at the College. After graduating from the University of Chicago, Meyers arrived at the College in 1970 and said he immediately wanted to stay. At that time, teaching English meant Meyers was required to teach four courses per semester, as opposed to the two classes currently required. This limited professors’ time and focus to solely teaching, rather than allowing them time to do research. Meyers said that the shift to allow professors more time to do research has been a major improvement at the College. “It takes a special kind of person, in some ways, to teach at a place like William and Mary,” Meyers said. “You want someone who’s dedicated as a teacher but a serious scholar … you find people whose heart and soul is in teaching and research.” One of Meyers’s most memorable experiences at the College was also a very dramatic one. In 1996, Virginia passed an act saying that state employees could not access sexuallyexplicit material on their college computers without the permission of the state. As a self-professed strong believer in the Constitution, Meyers said he objected to this law. “All of a sudden I found I had to have permission of the state to read Swinburne online, to read Chaucer online, to read D.H. Lawrence online,” said Meyers. “I mean, there’s a lot of sexually-explicit stuff in English literature.” Meyers ended up in a lawsuit alongside an American Civil Liberties Union attorney and plaintiffs from other colleges in the area. They cited the infringement of their First Amendment right to access the materials without first requesting approval from the government. The day the suit was filed, Meyers said he received a threat to give up on the case. “I got a call from one of the assistants to the president telling me that I could expect to be destroyed ‘professionally and personally,’” Meyers said. “He said the Governor’s going to get people to look into every nook and cranny of your life … and my stomach sort of turned over at that.” Although they lost the suit and subsequent appeals, and he was known as “the porn prof ” for a few years afterward, Meyers said he stands by his actions, citing the importance of tenure in the situation. “Having tenure means that you can talk about, read about, think about, teach about things that are upsetting to the conventional mind. And that’s what a university is for,” Meyers said. “It’s an old theme, but carpe diem, seize the day … make the most of your day, intellectually and aesthetically … Follow your curiosity, study things in formal and even informal ways, and indulge yourself.”
A lot of people ... look on higher education as vocational training ... and I don’t think they understand the value of intellectual exploration, critical thinking, independent thinking or the ability to write clearly or lucidly. — Professor Terry Meyers
Literature straight from the source Patrick Hayes Writers Series connects students with the work of professional authors
JOHANNA FLASHMAN THE FLAT HAT
Remember that time way back when, maybe even back to middle school, when reading was not a chore or something done exclusively for schoolwork, but something you did for fun? The creative writing program’s Patrick Hayes Writers Series offers a chance to interact with literature in an up-close and personal way, just like when you were young and excited about reading. Each semester, the series brings in a number of both well-known and up-andcoming writers of various genres of fiction with the support of an endowment from Patrick Hayes in 1991. Although the series now consists of separate events that take place about once a month, it used to be a festival in April. Mildred and J.B. Hickman professor of English and humanities Henry Hart described the way the festival used to operate. “Often it was referred to as the spring beer bash because I think somebody would provide a keg or several kegs of beer down in the old Lake Matoaka Amphitheater and everyone would congregate,” Hart said. “I remember Kurt Vonnegut was invited for this beer bash and I think it extended over a number of days, maybe four or five days, and then there was this grand finale with the kegs of beer.” Now, with the readings spread out over the year, students can spend an hour once a month exploring various authors’ works instead of sectioning off a
large amount of time for one week in the spring. The readings consist of the author reading his or her own work for 30 to 40 minutes, followed by a question-and-answer session where people can ask the author questions about his or her writing specifically or the creative process in general. A reception with refreshments and book signings is then held at the end. Sometimes the author will even have a lunch or dinner with a number of students before the reading in order to create a more relaxed social setting. Director of Creative Writing Nancy Schoenberger explained that these readings are an important opportunity to see professional writers in action. “[It] answers the question, what do writers do and how do they do it? What does it mean to make your life as a writer? How does one go about making one’s life as a writer?” Schoenberger asked. “And for those of us who just enjoy reading … it helps to bring
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literature to life.” This semester, the series has brought authors Lucy Corin and Ann Beattie to the school. The last reading for the fall was held Thursday, Nov. 19 with two alumni poets Andrew Zawacki, ’94 and Allen Jih ’04. When Hart introduced Zawacki and Jih, he described his own personal experiences from when the poets were students at the College of William and Mary, such as when Zawacki invited him to a basketball game and Jih mixing him a martini. “As I remember, Allen made me one of the only martinis I’ve had the pleasure of drinking,” Hart said. “I’m sure you’ve heard stories about professors corrupting students but I think in this case it was the other way around.” Both Zawacki and Jih read a number of their own poems and talked about what went into creating their works. During Zawacki’s reading, he also displayed a number of photographs he had taken to accompany
I remember Kurt Vonnegut was invited for this beer bash ... — Professor Henry Hart
one of his poems. Both poets said that they attended the Hayes Writers Series readings while students at the College and enjoyed the opportunity to meet established authors. Zawacki highlighted a particular reading in the spring of 1991 by poet laureate Mark Strand and Dianne Ackerman having a huge impact on his interest in writing. “It wouldn’t have been the first reading of that year, but it was the first one I ever went to and that really, really changed my life and so from that point on I went to, I imagine, all of them,” Zawacki said. “They were interacting with students too so it had the effect of feeling like they weren’t just people who showed up, did their thing, took their pay check and got lost, you know?” Like Schoenberger, Jih said that the Hayes Writers Series readings could provide students with very valuable experiences. “It was always a lot of fun, but more importantly it was just a good opportunity for me to see a writer read his or her own work and perform it in a way and that was probably one of the best effects in addition to just seeing the person in real life,” Jih said. “It was one of those things that told me that this could really be done professionally.” For both writers and readers, the Hayes series provides an opportunity for students, faculty or people of the community to hear literature from the creators themselves.
The Flat Hat
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Page 8
Lights, camera, launch GRAPHIC BY / MORGAN SEHDEW
The College’s Global Film Festival began nine years ago as an attempt to bring the community together through screening both classic and student-produced films with common themes, such as this year’s theme: “Film and Community.”
Global Film Festival launches with “West Side Story,” “Tokyo Tribe” SIOBHAN DOHERTY THE FLAT HAT
Combining classical show tunes and Japanese rap, the historic Kimball Theatre and a diverse audience of film enthusiasts, the College of William and Mary Global Film Festival launch event on Nov. 20 proved to be a successful evening of community cinema. From a “West Side Story” sing-along to a “Tokyo Tribe”-themed after party, the festival’s team delivered on their promise of an engaging evening of food, friends and film. The College’s Global Film Festival began nine years ago as an attempt to bring the community together through screening classic and studentproduced films with common themes. As written in the festival’s mission statement, its events are designed to “inspire discovery, learning, and conversation.” According to Festival Creative Committee Director Michael Burrows ’16 as the festival continues to plan new themes and new ways to inspire the community though cinema, its influence on and relationship with the community will continue to develop and expand. The DIY/FIY Youth Filmmaking Project, which allows children to produce and screen their own films, was this year’s attempt to incorporate young filmmakers into the festival.
“It started as an initiative to bring the local Williamsburg audience together with the student community over a shared love of the cinema,” Burrows said. “Over time, we’ve developed and deepened relationships with the town and local businesses, so we have access to the historic Kimball Theater.” The Kimball Theatre is a staple of the festival, as it is located at an easily accessible place in the community. “We’ve had a partnership with the Kimball for years,” Public Relations committee member Lidia Morris ’18 said. “We love having a cool, rustic, iconic place for our films to premiere in.” This year’s theme is “Film and Community,” for which the directors plan to choose films that reflect relevant struggles within diverse communities and represent how groups of differing cultures can overcome issues for the greater good. “Every year we have a theme, and quite frankly I’m amazed we didn’t do this one sooner, because there are so many excellent films about community,” Burrows said. Assistant Festival Director Travis Harris said that, not only does the theme encompass hundreds of films, it sums up the values of the festival in three words. “We’re hoping that film can be that bridge between The College of William and Mary and the Williamsburg community,” Harris said. “So if
COURTESY PHOTO / ANNIE CURRAN
At the “Tokyo Tribe”-themed after party, audience members enjoyed refreshments and conversation about the films.
COURTESY PHOTO / ANNIE CURRAN
The launch event included showings of a “West Side Story” sing-along and “Tokyo Tribe” to fit the film and community theme.
we can all center around film, that can bring both entities together. So that’s why our theme this year is Film and Community.” For the launch event, the films “West Side Story” and “Tokyo Tribe,” an adaptation of the classic story, were chosen. According to Morris, the different film styles prove the festival is eclectic and inclusive in its selections, and also that community through film can be portrayed in a variety of ways. “It’s a combination of old and new,” Morris said. “We chose ‘West Side Story,’ not only because we can do a sing-along, but because we have a lot of people in the community who are retired who saw it when it first came out. We also have a lot of theater buffs, a lot of music buffs in the area who would love to see that. And then ‘Tokyo Tribe’ is so great. It’s just this crazy, hyper-pigmented film. I love it.” Burrows said he really enjoyed “Tokyo Tribe” and its fun, and sometimes outrageous, theatrics. “It has a guy who wears a samurai helmet made out of headlights who drives a tank and has a sword,” Burrows said. “It’s just a bonkers, gloriously-silly action movie.” Burrows said some of his best memories have come from his work on the festival. “When I was touring here as a high school
student, hearing about the festival from someone who worked there that year,” Burrows said. “I was really blown away by the amount of good, solid work they were able to get out of the limited resources, and that was partly what convinced me to apply here early decision. It’s funny how a lot of my favorite college memories all stem from the festival.”
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We’re hoping that film can be that bridge between The College of William and Mary and the Williamsburg community. — Travis Harris
CONFUSION CORNER
You don’t have to be ‘sorry’ for Bieber Fever
Recent Belieber converts have found new ‘purpose’ in The Biebs’ music
Cameron Murphy
CONFUSION CORNER COLUMNIST
Here’s something I never thought I’d write — at least, something I never thought I’d write outside of my infrequently-used Harry Potter journal: I’m a recently converted Justin Bieber fan. I’ve watched every music video from his new album multiple times. I’ve taken the “Which Dancer From the ‘Sorry’ Music Video Are You?” quiz on Buzzfeed. I’ve defended his latest questionable hair choice (he went through a hard break-up with Selena, okay?), and he’s been my top artist on Spotify for nearly a month. Strangely enough, I’m far from the only one experiencing this second wave of Bieber Fever. Many of my friends, none of them original JB fans and all of them college students, are finding themselves in the same predicament as me, and by “predicament,” I mean being close to tears that our presale code for the Purpose World Tour
concert tickets didn’t work. So why this sudden bout of Bieber Fever? Isn’t it “too late now to say sorry” for Justin after his previous antics? Perhaps it’s the spirit of the holiday season — or I’m just partial to that edited Calvin Klein ad — but I feel strongly that The Biebs is worthy of our forgiveness. We should understand. After all, 2012 was a rough year for most of us, and that’s when most of his troubles began. Although our destiny did not lie in YouTube stardom and we ended up here at the College of William and Mary, had we followed Justin’s path, we could have just as easily entered into a downward spiral culminating in a misdemeanor for egging a neighbor’s house. Being thrust into the spotlight can’t be easy, especially when you have an aura of swag to maintain at all times (although the egging was not particularly
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swaggy of Justin). In any case, it’s safe to say that if we were famous millionaires, any of us would be susceptible to the temptation of buying too many cars and making a mistake once or twice. And by once or twice, I mean maybe a couple hundred times. The Biebs also deserves credit for being a good sport at his Comedy Central Roast. Having your insecurities pointed out to you is bad enough, but airing them on television takes some strange 2015 version of courage (also, inviting Martha Stewart? Um, genius. Both JB and M Stew are loved by basic, white ladies and have issues with law enforcement). Even if you can’t forgive Justin Bieber for his d-bag years, you can recognize the correlation between the increase in his social mishaps and the increase in the quality of his music. Perhaps Bieber’s
To put it simply, if Justin’s ‘Purpose’ is to revamp his image and build back his fan base, he’s been entirely successful from my perspective.
faults have been worth something after all — as he has become more and more ostracized by the media, the pressure to release high-quality music has also grown. “Purpose” is undoubtedly his best album to date, and a large part of that has to do with his troubles in the media for the past three years. As the hooded sweatshirts and boxer briefbearing pants have decreased, the number of high quality singles has increased, and we are no longer subjected to lyrics along the lines of “Baby, baby, baby, ohhhhhh” (although full disclosure: “Baby” came on in a club when I visited Athens, Georgia, this month, and I danced like it was 2010 … in other words, as awkwardly as I did at my 8th grade dance). Justin doesn’t make up all of “My World” — or “My World 2.0” — but he does make up most of my most recent iTunes playlist. His music videos are perpetually on my YouTube suggestion sidebar, and I’m not mad about it. To put it simply, if Justin’s “Purpose” is to revamp his image and build back his fan base, he’s been entirely successful from my perspective. Job well done, JB. Cameron Murphy is a Confusion Corner columnist who is having her Justin Bieber and One Direction phase four years later than everyone else her age. She cannot hear the haters because “Sorry” is blasting in her headphones at all times.
sportsinside
The Flat Hat ¦ Tuesday, November 24, 2015 ¦ Page 9
WOMEN S SOCCER
Tribe suffers worst loss of 2015 season No. 2 seed Florida rocks College 5-2 in second round of NCAA playoffs
HENRY TROTTER FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER A lopsided loss seems like an unfair way for William and Mary (14-4-3) to end its successful season. For a season that included the team’s first NCAA tournament appearance since 2011, the 35th consecutive winning season in program history, and a share of the Colonial Athletic Association regular season title, last Saturday’s penalty shootout win against Central Florida seemed like a more fitting end. Yet another solid season came to a close Friday night in Gainesville, where the Tribe succumbed to the onslaught of No. 6 Florida (18-3-1) in a 5-2 loss. It was an uncharacteristic performance from William and Mary, which has made a habit of grinding out victories with a tight defense and a one-goal margin. Coming into the game, senior goalkeeper Caroline Casey had kept 11 shutouts, including a four-save performance against UCF in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Casey, the CAA’s Defensive Player of the Year, also saved two penalty kicks in the first-round shootout. She boasted an impressive .69 goals-against-average, and the Tribe’s defense had only once this year conceded three or more goals (in their CAA Championship loss to James Madison). The Tribe held strong for most of
the first half, and head coach John Daly was optimistic despite Florida firing the game’s first eight shots. “I thought the first half we defended well, and looked as though we might catch them on the break,” Daly told Tribe Athletics after the game. The Tribe was living dangerously, though; the Gators hit the post within five minutes, Casey had four saves and the College defense blocked two shots. The pressure finally paid off for Florida in the 40th minute. The ball came to forward Meggie Dougherty at the top of the box, where she rolled it forward and blasted it into the top-right corner to give the Gators the lead. Responding well to going behind, the Tribe ratcheted up the intensity in the waning minutes of the half. Sophomore defender Elysse Branton brought a fine save out of Florida goalkeeper Kaylan Marckese, and senior forward Katie Johnston headed a corner kick over the bar. At half-time, the game was still there for the taking for the Tribe, despite being outshot 12-2 thus far. “Conceding that goal ... was disappointing,” Daly said. “But I still felt that if we stayed tight for the beginning of the second half we could get back into it.” Despite bursting out on the front foot, the Tribe was unable to make their early pressure pay off. Fifteen minutes into the half, Florida put the game to bed
with two back-to-back goals in the 59th and 60th minutes. The Tribe saved face with two late goals. Rachel Moore, the sophomore midfielder who converted a penalty kick in the shootout win over UCF, punched in another from the spot after junior forward Kady Kriner was cut down in the box. Senior midfielder Nicole Baxter tallied her tenth assist of the season when she slipped a pass through to senior forward Leci Irvin, who slid home her 3rd goal of the season. After the game, Daly and senior midfielder Nicole Baxter praised the team’s strength. “People getting hurt on each roster ... it’s part of the game, and you just have to respond to it,” Baxter told Tribe Athletics. “Us being able to do so well in our conference and then making it to this [NCAA Round of 32] is just a testament to how hard we work and our depth.” The two could not help but wonder what could have been if key players had been healthy. In particular, the loss of senior forward Samantha Cordum deprived William and Mary of an offensive cornerstone later in the season. Cordum scored 7 goals and provided 2 assists, tying Johnston for the team’s most points despite only playing 11 games. Daly touted the leadership of his seniors, saying that he felt “despondent”
after losing Cordum. “But then, when I saw the way people like Nicole [Baxter] and Caroline [Casey]— the two captains and great leaders — were responding ... I realized, ‘Well, we can still do something,’” Daly said. “I would love to have seen what we could have achieved with those injured players.” The Tribe graduates a set of highly
accomplished seniors. Senior captains Casey and Baxter were both named to the All-CAA first-team, with Casey winning the Defensive Player of the Year award. Seniors Cordum, Irvin and Johnston all won places on the third team. Casey was also nominated as a finalist for the Senior CLASS award in women’s soccer for overall excellence on and off the field.
COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS
Senior midfielder Leci Irvin scored one of the two Tribe goals in the blowout playoff loss Friday
WOMEN S BASKETBALL
VOLLEYBALL
Spiders outlast Tribe College s first loss of season in nailbiter CHRIS TRAVIS FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER
COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS
Junior Michele Heath dives for a dig in a home game earlier this season, which ended 3-0 at North Carolina-Wilmington.
Tribe swept from playoffs
Improbable CAA playoff berth ends in 3-0 collapse
VANSH BANSAL FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER William and Mary fell to eventual champions UNCWilmington 3-0 Friday at the Colonial Athletic Association tournament quarterfinal. While the first two sets were close, the Seahawks ended the Tribe’s season by taking the third set with little difficulty. UNCWilmington dominated the stat sheet, earning more kills, points, blocks and assists in the match. The first set went back and forth, as the score was tied four times in the first 14 points. As the College (10-20, 4-12 CAA) grabbed a 14-11 lead, two kills and two attack errors by senior Dessi Koleva and sophomore Sydney Biniak gave the Seahawks (24-7, 12-4) a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Once UNC-Wilmington scored three straight points and took a 20-17 lead, William and Mary called a timeout to stop the bleeding. The two teams then traded points until an attack error
clinched the first set for the Seahawks. UNC-Wilmington’s Kristen Powell earned four kills and carried the Seahawks to victory in the first frame. The two teams started the second frame with two points each. UNC-Wilmington then scored seven-straight points off kills from Powell and attack errors, cruising to a 9-2 advantage. As the set progressed, the Seahawks’ Maddy Kline picked up three kills and increased the Tribe’s Pippus deficit to eight points, forcing William and Mary to break up the run by calling a timeout. After the huddle, Biniak and freshman Heather Pippus had the Tribe roaring back to within three points at 19-16, then three straight UNC-Wilmington attack errors following a Powell kill had William and Mary down just a single point. However, despite
their valiant comeback, the Tribe lost momentum when the Seahawks’ Meredith Peacock helped UNCWilmington run away with the set, clinching it 25-20. Biniak and Pippus had two kills each in the frame. The Seahawks sprang ahead in the third set, scoring the first six points. William and Mary scored just three of the set’s first 20 points, while UNC-Wilmington’s Nichole Lott had three kills in the sequence, helping catapult the Seahawks to a commanding lead. The College did not fall easily, bringing the lead down to 10 after another Pippus kill. Ultimately, UNC-Wilmington sealed the victory by scoring three of four points, taking the final set 25-13. The Seahawks would go on to clinch its first CAA tournament title, while the Tribe ended its 2015 season with a disappointing 10-20 record.
William and Mary suffered its first loss of its young season Friday night in Richmond as the Tribe fell 56-50 to the Spiders. The College (2-1) and the Spiders (3-0) traded baskets for the majority of the first quarter, with Richmond holding a slim 16-14 lead going into the second quarter. William and Mary featured a balanced offense, with four different players scoring. The second quarter saw a decrease in performance from both squads, with the Tribe outscoring Richmond 10-5 for just 15 total points scored. Despite the low scoring period, the Tribe came alive for a 7-0 run to close the half, getting a three-point halftime lead at 24-21. In the third quarter, the Spiders looked to start a run of their own, but a crucial shot from beyond the arc by junior guard Marlena Tremba stopped the run and kept the College in the game. However, two straight baskets in the paint from Richmond gave the home team a 38-33 advantage going into the final quarter. Almost four minutes into the fourth quarter, a timely triple from freshman forward Ali Engelhardt cut the Richmond lead to one, 41-40. Despite a clutch performance from sophomore center Abby Rendle — who had six points, four rebounds, a block and a steal in the final period alone — the Tribe couldn’t match the Spider offense down the stretch, losing 56-50. Rendle was the most dominant player for the College, amassing 14 points to go along with nine rebounds and two blocks. As a team, William and Mary managed to shoot just 28 percent from the floor in the second half.
“Offensively, we just didn’t finish plays off,” head coach Ed Swanson said to Tribe Athletics. “It’s as simple as that. We’ve got to make layups.” Despite the Tribe’s lack of success on offense, the defense was strong, holding the Spiders to just 56 points on 36 percent shooting. “I felt we were really locked in defensively,” Swanson said to Tribe Athletics. “I really liked where the intensity was; I really liked where the effort was.” Tremba struggled to score against the Spiders after dominating the Tribe’s opening games of the season. Despite her below-average day, Tremba still finished with nine points while only managing to shoot 2 of 9 from the floor. Tremba found other ways to contribute, as she was second in assists with four. Junior forward Alexandra Masaquel also played well, totaling nine points and five assists for the game. Additionally, sophomore guard Jenna Green turned in a strong performance with eight points, four rebounds and a pair of assists. Even though the Spiders handed the College its first loss of the season, there were several bright spots in the Tribe’s performance — William and Mary outscored Richmond 28-12 in the paint and had only 13 turnovers to the Spiders’ 17. Led by Rendle, the College controlled the boards, finishing with a 40-36 rebounding advantage. In order to elevate its game to the next level, the Tribe will have to shoot better and continue to win the rebounding and turnover battles. Working for easy shots and being able to execute them should be a team priority. The Tribe returned to action Monday night at Loyola (Md.) in Baltimore, but the game was not finished before press time. Following Monday’s game, the College has just a two-day turnaround before facing American at Kaplan Arena Wednesday at 5 p.m.
COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS
Sophomore point guard and team captain Jenna Green races down the court in the Tribe s 56-50 loss at Richmond
sports
Sports Editor Nick Cipolla Sports Editor Sumner Higginbotham flathatsports@gmail.com @FlatHatSports
The Flat Hat
Routed in Richmond
FOOTBALL
RAYNA MOHRMANN / THE COLLEGIAN
Sophomore receiver Daniel Kuzjak fails to catch a pass from Cluley.
RICHMOND
WM
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TRIBE
(8-3, 6-2 CAA)
(8-3, 6-2 CAA)
NICK CIPOLLA FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR
As junior quarterback Steve Cluley dropped back for a pass on Richmond’s 12-yard line, the clock reading 2 minutes and 35 seconds in the final quarter, it looked as if William and Mary might be able to score its first touchdown of the day. Instead, the pass became Cluley’s third interception as Spiders defensive back David Herlocker returned the pick 55 yards, effectively ending the game. In the 125th iteration of “the Oldest Rivalry in the South,” Richmond (8-3, 6-2 CAA) took the Capital Cup, as well as a share of the Colonial Athletic Association title in a 20-9 grind at Robins Stadium Saturday afternoon, denying the Tribe’s (8-3, 6-2 CAA) bid for picking up the title outright as the College failed to get into the end zone even once. “I was pretty disappointed with a lot of things about our play,” head coach Jimmye Laycock ’70 said. “I don’t think we were nearly to the level we have been in most of our games this year so far, and specifically, too, on the line of scrimmage. We certainly didn’t come close to controlling either side of the line of scrimmage and I think that was probably a big a factor as any and that caused some other things to escalate.”
SPIDERS
RAYNA MOHRMANN / THE COLLEGIAN
Richmond wideout Jacobi Green ran 218 yards on the Tribe’s defense Saturday.
The game began more optimistically for the Tribe, which entered Saturday on a six-game winning streak and ranked No. 7 in the Football Championship Subdvision. The first drive of the day saw sophomore kicker Nick Dorka, Jr. complete a 45-yard field goal for the 3-0 lead four minutes in. The Tribe’s bend-don’t-break defense stepped up after a string of successful completions by Spiders quarterback Kyle Lauletta. On 2nd and 1 on the Tribe 24, Lauletta made a completion to one of his favored targets, Richmond wideout Reggie Diggs, where senior linebacker Zach Fetters was waiting. Fetters forced a fumble and recovered it at the Tribe 23, preventing a Richmond score. On the Tribe’s second drive, the College began to falter. On 2nd and 10 just into Richmond territory, Cluley was intercepted for the first time since James Madison made a pick-6 in the Oct. 31 game at Zable Stadium. Richmond failed to score again and punted, but William and Mary seemed shaken, facing a much tougher team than the previous six opponents. The next set of downs saw the Tribe false start, bobble what appeared to be catchable passes, and have to punt from its own 13-yard line. Richmond finally put itself on the board with 3:54 remaining in the first half,
| Tuesday, November 24, 2015 | Page 10
taking a 7-3 lead. The touchdown was an 18-yard pass made to Spiders receiver Brian Brown on 3rd and goal after an offensive pass interference penalty backed Richmond up from the Tribe’s three yardline. Richmond made the pass look easy with nonexistent Tribe coverage. The next play appeared to be the College’s biggest lucky break of the first half, as junior punter Hunter Windmuller punted on 4th and 7 on the Tribe 36. Sophomore safety Richie DiPietro forced a fumble from Richmond wideout David Jones, although Jones had called for fair catches on every other punt this season. Sophomore safety Keanu Reuben recovered the ball on the Spiders’ 20, giving the Tribe a renewed chance to score. However, fate would not stand with the Tribe, as Jones made up for his lost ball by intercepting Cluley on the first play of the drive, tipping the ball up before catching it while falling. “Steve was under more pressure today than he’s used to being under and I think that may have affected his decisionmaking,” Laycock said. Despite the turnover, the Tribe held on to cut the Spiders’ lead. Dorka made a 51yard field goal — the longest of the season and his career — as time expired to make the score 7-6 at the break.
In battle for CAA title, Spiders crush the Tribe in 125th meeting of the schools The Spiders made it to the end zone on their second-half-opening drive as star Richmond running back Jacobi Green rushed 12 yards to score, making it 14-6. Dorka’s 22-yard field goal marked the Tribe’s final scoring play as senior tailback Mikal Abdul-Saboor was stopped short of a first down on 3rd and 3, the team electing to score points rather than risk losing possession. The score stood 14-9 with 6:34 in the third quarter. Richmond scored its third and final touchdown on the subsequent drive, a pass to Diggs for 18 yards. The Spiders attempted a two-point conversion, which failed. The score, which would eventually be the final score, was now 20-9. The Tribe prevented any more Richmond scoring in the fourth quarter, but it didn’t matter as the Spiders also prevented the College from scoring. Windmuller punted 18 seconds into the quarter, Cluley threw incomplete to Dedmon in a big pass break-up on the penultimate drive for a turnover-ondowns, and Cluley’s third interception came on the final Tribe drive. “They did a good job pass rushing us today,” Laycock said. “It wasn’t so much blitzing it was some one-on-one plays up front. They got to us, hurried Steve, hit Steve a few times because of that.”
Statistically, the Tribe played its worst game of the season. Cluley threw three picks after only throwing a pair in the previous 10 games, and neither AbdulSaboor nor junior running back Kendell Anderson broke 100 rushing yards, nor did they even add up to 100 together (Anderson led with 47, followed by AbdulSaboor at 44). The Tribe’s ground game was stomped on as Richmond outrushed the College by a 235-95 yard margin, led by Green’s 218-yard effort. Cluley threw 20 for 37, a 54 percent effort following last week’s 91 percent, and was sacked for the first time in four games. Defensively, senior linebacker Luke Rhodes led with 13 tackles, but the defense didn’t stand out compared to the Spiders. “I felt like we were prepared and it just didn’t work out and we didn’t play the way we needed to play,” Laycock said. Richmond broke a two-game losing streak while the Tribe’s six-game win streak was snapped. Both teams share the CAA title with James Madison. Sunday morning, the NCAA FCS playoff field was announced. William and Mary hosts Duquesne in the first round Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Zable, the first playoff appearance since 2010. With a victory, the Tribe moves on to a rematch at No. 7-seed Richmond Dec. 5.
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COMMENTARY
How the Capital Cup was lost Tribe suffers first road loss Poor pash rushing, three interceptions doom College
Sumner Higginbotham FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR
In light of the upcoming playoff game against Duquesne this weekend at Zable Stadium, I politely suggest that you keep this column near and dear to your heart to prevent the Dukes from gaining any advantage on William and Mary, and also recommend advising your friends to pick up an issue. Although in all honesty, Duquesne has tape of the Richmond debacle this past weekend — essentially a paint-by-numbers kit of how to defeat the Tribe. And it’s really not that complicated. Run the ball, stop the run, and have a little luck. Everything in head coach Jimmye Laycock’s offensive playbook hinges on establishing a solid running game. By rushing the ball early and often, the College forces the other team to put an eighth man in the box to slow down the tailback — usually junior running back Kendell Anderson — or at least bringing the safeties in closer to the line of scrimmage. As the College rushes out of the shotgun and pistol frequently, these safeties have to play the run even in these traditionally-passing formations with three wide receivers. Thus, the other team finds itself in the unenviable position of respecting the run by bringing up the safeties even when the Tribe is in the pistol and shotgun. Laycock adds a dash of play-action passing, and voila, sophomore receivers like DeVonte Dedmon and Daniel Kuzjak are facing one-on-one man coverage, while junior quarterback Steve Cluley gets extra time and extra space because defensive lineman, reading run first, aren’t pinning their ears back to rush the quarterback while the linebackers are late dropping back into coverage. All season long, it was a lethal combination, propelling the College to the third-best scoring and total offense in the Colonial Athletic Association. Yet the greatest benefit of the scheme was its conservatism. Anderson and senior tailback Mikal Abdul-Saboor didn’t fumble often, and Cluley, a fairly mobile quarterback behind a stellar offensive line, flourished in the play-action system to the tune of 13 touchdowns to two interceptions. The Tribe led the conference with just seven turnovers. Then Richmond happened. The College scrapped up a meager 95 yards on the
ground. Anderson, previously the No. 1 rusher in the CAA before being overtaken by Richmond’s Jacobi Green, rushed 12 times for just 47 yards. The Spiders forced the Tribe to rely upon the arm of Cluley. Three interceptions later, with no touchdowns to offset, the Spiders celebrated their fourth straight win over the College. The blame for the meltdown of the Tribe passing game rests on several players’ shoulders. Junior right tackle Jerry Ugokwe epitomized the struggles of the College’s offensive line with three holding penalties. Although the Spiders rarely blitzed, they still pressured Cluley all day by just sending four and dropping seven. The stat-book read just a single sack, but far too many pass plays ended with Cluley on his back and the pass incomplete. Kuzjak dropped a key third down pass, as did Anderson. Another reason for the loss was the performance of the man under center. Cluley had his worst game of the season against the Spiders. Each of his three picks killed the Tribe’s momentum, the first two nullifying takeaways as the College forced and recovered two Richmond fumbles, only to give it right back. Cluley The third ended the game. On defense, the Tribe couldn’t stop a nosebleed, much less Jacobi Green who cranked out 218 yards on 36 carries against a soft College front seven. Senior middle linebacker Luke Rhodes led the team in tackles, another way of saying he was the one defender Green usually tripped over after consistent gains of 10 or more. Senior linebacker Zach Fetters, who has shown a penchant for big plays this year, forced one fumble, then disappeared, joining the Tribe’s pass rush in obscurity. Richmond quarterback Kyle Lauletta, a turnover slot-machine for the past two weeks, had all day to throw to the top receivers in the conference, the Spiders’ Brian Brown and Reggie Diggs, and the Tribe paid dearly for its lack of pressure with two touchdowns. And then there’s the bad luck. On 3rd and goal from the Tribe’s 18, Lauletta hit Brown for the first touchdown of the game on an impressive catch right at the pylon. Two Richmond fumbles bounced out of bounds. Sophomore safety Mika Barta dropped a pick at the start of the game, and senior safety DeAndre Houston-Carson missed a blocked punt by inches. Needless to say, if this Hyde-version of the Tribe shows up Saturday, the College will not be staying in the postseason for long and definitely won’t get a shot at redemption against Richmond in the second round.
Dayton edges College 69-66 in close game
JOSH LUCKENBAUGH FLAT HAT ASSOC. SPORTS EDITOR
With a nine-point lead heading into halftime against Dayton, William and Mary looked poised to finish off another non-conference road win against strong competition and start the season 4-0. However, the upset was not to be, as the Flyers poured in 48 points on 57 percent shooting in the second half to upend the Tribe 69-66. Despite the setback, head coach Tony Shaver praised his team’s never-say-die attitude Saturday, as they faced a team that has not lost at home since January 2014 and had just annihilated Alabama 80-48 last week. “[It was] a hard-fought basketball game,” Shaver said to Tribe Athletics. “Really proud of our competitive spirit. We really played hard in a tough environment. [It’s a] sold-out arena here, or close to it, against a really fine basketball team … we really displayed a lot of heart and a lot of toughness here today.” The first half was characterized by poor shooting, as both teams shot below 40 percent. The difference came beyond the three point arc, as the College (3-1) knocked down five of 14 attempts from long Shaver range, while Dayton (4-0) only managed to hit one of eight. The Tribe defense was nothing short of excellent, forcing 10 turnovers and holding the highpowered Flyers offense, which averaged almost 87 points coming into the contest, to 21 points in the first 20 minutes. The second half was a much different story, as Dayton began to hit the majority of their shot attempts and forced the College offense into making more mistakes. The Tribe turned the ball over eight times in the half, resulting in 16 points for the Flyers. After the game, Shaver commented on the need for better offensive play. “Our execution must improve,” Shaver told Tribe Athletics. “We talk a lot about being an execution-driven team, not result-driven, and today we didn’t take care of the little things in that second half … We did way too much one on one play, not trusting the offense, not trusting our teammates … The little things add up to big things that allow you to win basketball games.” While seven Dayton players got at least two shot attempts in the second half, three players dominated the offense for the Tribe, taking 22 of the 28 shots: senior forward Terry Tarpey, and junior guards Daniel Dixon and Omar Prewitt. Dixon poured in 16 points on six of eight shots in the period, but Tarpey and Prewitt both struggled, each going two for seven from the floor. When the shots are not falling, the College’s stars must be willing to share the ball with their teammates, something Shaver talked about after the defeat when asked about Dixon’s strong shooting during the game. “It was [a great performance],” Shaver said to Tribe Athletics. “But I think Daniel, like Omar, Terry … got to do a better job executing offensively. We’re doing way too much one-on-one right now.” With 6:33 left to play, the Flyers flipped the script on the Tribe, having taken a nine-point lead. William and Mary did not back down, going on an 11-0 run to regain the lead 60-58 four minutes Prewitt later. After both squads traded baskets, Dayton went on a 7-1 spurt to take a two-possession lead. Dixon nailed a three pointer with three seconds left, trimming the deficit down to one. Dayton guard Charles Cooke, who had 18 points in the second half, was fouled and made the first free throw, then missed the second, but Flyer forward Kendall Pollard grabbed the offensive rebound with one second remaining, then hit one of two free throws. Prewitt grabbed the rebound, but it was too late, and Dayton celebrated a nailbiting 69-66 win. William and Mary returns to Kaplan Arena Wednesday with a 3-1 record to take on the Hampton Pirates. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., right after the women’s basketball game against American finishes.