Cord Jefferson ’04 has won both an Emmy and Oscar. He has written for shows like “Master of None,” “The Good Place” and “Watchmen.” His directorial debut, “American Fiction,” was nominated for five Academy Awards and named a top 10 film of 2023 by the American Film Institute. Jefferson has also streaked across the Sunken Garden approximately 10 times.
A journalist and a filmmaker, Jefferson is no stranger to the entertainment scene. While serving as an editor for the entertainment blog Gawker, he wrote a column in 2013 satirizing “Black on Black” violence. That column would lead to him appearing on Chris Hayes’s “All In” on MSNBC, which helped propel his TV writing career.
Hailing from Tucson, Ariz., Jefferson arrived at the College nearly three decades after his father became the second Black student to graduate from the William and Mary Law School. Jefferson majored in sociology, which he says introduced him to new ways of thinking.
“I was just exposed to all these ideas that sort of really shaped how I view the world and shaped my politics and shaped my values,” Jefferson said. “I think it’s just, you know, when you’re that young, when you come to college, I think that one of the great things about college is that you can be really porous and just sort of take a lot of different ideas.”
Jefferson also touched upon his experience as a Black man at a predominantly-white institution.
“It was very white when I was here,” he said. “There was not a lot of diversity. And, you know, that was challenging. I never heard of lacrosse before I got here. And there’s all these dudes with swoopy hair carrying sticks with nets on the end. And I’m like, ‘What’s this?’ And it’s like, ‘It’s lacrosse, dude.’”
He also described his shock seeing the Confederate flag on display at the College.
“I remember getting into arguments with people about the Confederate flag when I went here because this was also the first time that I really spent a lot of time in the South,” Jefferson said. “I
used to be right next door to a fraternity called Kappa Alpha and their sort of spiritual founder was Robert E. Lee. So they would be seen carrying Confederate flags and you’d have these kinds of parties where some dressed like Confederate soldiers. And I was like, okay, this is an interesting sort of thing that I had to sort of be around this.”
Reflecting on the current state of the College, Jefferson sees improvements in terms of the diversity of the student population and the extracurriculars offered. He especially noticed this when serving as the grand marshal at this year’s Homecoming parade.
“It was really nice to see in the parade, how it seems like there’s a tremendous amount of racial diversity,” Jefferson said. “It’s the fact that there’s two Bollywood dance groups and you had Black sororities and Black fraternities. I didn’t really feel like that this was a hyper diverse place when I went here. It’s nice to see that that is changing.”
While Jefferson believes his time here formed him as a person and a writer, he has yet to produce work directly based on the College.
“Everything that I write is so personal to me,” Jefferson said. “It’s so deeply personal and so I would say that in some ways it’s certainly inspired everything that I’ve done since I’ve been here.”
Despite that, Jefferson would be open to writing a movie set in a university setting similar to the College.
“I want to eventually do a movie about being a young person,” Jefferson said. “I think that I have thought about maybe trying to set it at a college campus similar to William and Mary. So I have a character that’s not here necessarily, bu t in a place like here.”
Jefferson is also aiming to help build up the College’s pipeline to the entertainment industry. He hopes to establish an infrastructure for sending grads to work in television and film that mirrors other schools.
“In entertainment, there’s so many people from Harvard, from the Harvard Lampoon, there’s so many people from like Yale,” Jefferson said “There’s all these people from East Coast schools who end up in entertainment. And I think that William and Mary has a bunch of really talented, wonderful people here. And I’d like to start building a pathway
hopefully for an easier entry into show business.”
Despite his longstanding connection to the College, Jefferson never thought of himself as a good student. He once recalled his experiences at the College as a time of “getting in fights and cutting class.”
In particular, Jefferson remembers frequent fights with the football team.
“I was an angry kid,” he said. “I was an angry young man. I’m an angry old man now too, but I’ve learned to channel my anger in much healthier ways. But, I was just kind of rowdy. My friends were rowdy. There was a lot of fights with the football team.”
He considers it ironic that he was honored during this year’s homecoming football game when he did not have a good relationship with the team during his time at the College.
Still, Jefferson looks back fondly on the lasting memories he made at the College. One such memory took place during categoryfive hurricane Isabel. While all students were expected to evacuate, Jefferson and his friends decided to stay in Williamsburg.
“We rented a hotel room at the Days Inn I believe, and we bought a lot of beers. We brought a lot of DVDs to play on the DVD player, but we were idiots because within like two hours, the power went off. So we couldn’t watch DVDs, the beers all got warm, and so we’re sitting there and the entire school is empty, eating a cold pizza from Chanello’s wishing that we had actually got out of town instead of staying in,” Jefferson said. Even with no power, Jefferson made the most out of the situation and decided to partake in one of his favorite activities — streaking across the Sunken Garden.
“The campus was empty, the hurricane was pouring down,” he said. “It was pouring down rain, it was windy. And we walked from the Days Inn through the storm to the Sunken Garden and streaked the Sunken Garden in the middle of Hurricane Isabel. There were like downed power lines — it was wildly unsafe getting there.”
Jefferson graduated with a 2.37 GPA and is a proud proponent of the saying “Cs get degrees.”
College Republicans hosts Jan. 6 insurrectionist, students express discontent over event
Club writes that Proud Boys member Jonathan G. Mellis is not white supremacist or hateful, disappointed students call for accountability ANNA ARNSBERGER AND PEERAWUT RUANGSAWASDI // THE FLAT HAT
Thursday, Oct. 17, the William and Mary College Republicans invited Jonathan G. Mellis, a member of the far-right Proud Boys group. Mellis was charged with assaulting law enforcement during the Jan. 6, 2021 breach on the Capitol in an attempt to interfere with the certification of the 2020 presidential election.
Mellis, also known as “J6 Jon,” posted multiple videos online during the insurrection threatening law enforcement and ultimately pleaded guilty to assaulting the officers that day.
WMCR recapped Mellis’s visit to the College in an Instagram post. Under the post, there were more than 50 comments from students and community members expressing their discontent with the group inviting Mellis.
“Last Thursday, we finally got to welcome J6 Jon! Jon, a Proud Boy, was at the capitol on January 6, and came to share his experience of what it was like!” WMCR wrote in their caption.
After receiving backlash from Instagram comments, as well as students on the anonymous platform YikYak, the group
updated the post’s caption.
“William and Mary College Republicans is committed to hearing a diversity of opinions, even from those who are marginalized from the traditional political discourse. Because of this commitment, we will invite a diverse array of speakers. This does not indicate an endorsement of the thoughts, actions, or beliefs of our speakers. We will not be pressured or intimidated to stop inviting people of ALL opinions to be heard, questioned, and criticized,” they added.
Nia Bradley ’26 was one of many who commented on the post.
“Y’all are not beating the extremely racist allegations,” she wrote.
In an interview with The Flat Hat, Bradley explained her comment.
“Obviously, my comment was a bit of a somewhat of a satirization, like somewhat of a joke, a little bit, but they’ve posted consistently anti-Black rhetoric on their page for several semesters at this point,” Bradley said.
Bradley takes issue with WMCR’s actions, given Mellis’s ties to the Proud Boys, which has been classified as an “extremist group with ties to White Nationalism,” according to the FBI. She believes
inviting such a figure reflects poorly on WMCR.
“It’s just flat out racist to invite somebody that is from an organization that has ties to white supremacy, also believes the election was stolen, and also was at the Capitol,” Bradley said.
Another student, Cameron Morris ’25, expressed disappointment with the administration, citing a failure to protect a student body with a diverse array of political and personal identities. She feels as though the presence of Mellis on campus made students of color, queer and Jewish students feel unsafe.
“It’s of my personal belief that his presence on this campus presented a threat to marginalized students on this campus. And I think that [College President] Katherine Rowe is responsible for maintaining a safe environment for students here. And she completely and utterly failed, or not just her, but the school itself,” she said.
She also believed the lack of action on the part of the administration of this event demonstrates a double standard of other expressions of political beliefs. Specifically, Morris cites the changes to the College’s protest guidelines, which she thinks unfairly targets students involved in activism against the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in the Middle East.
“I think that it’s incredibly hypocritical that the school hasn’t said anything about an RSO bringing in a member of a white supremacist, openly violent terrorist organization. They haven’t condemned, they haven’t done anything about it. Yet, they specifically cracked down on protests of like left wing protesters, and introduced a lot of different new rules and regulations regarding protesters,” Morris said.
After receiving criticism from students, the College Republican Executive Board submitted a statement to The Wren Journal, a conservative magazine on campus and The Flat Hat.
In this statement, WMCR reiterated their reasoning for inviting the speaker.
“First and foremost, the College Republicans are absolutely committed to freedom of speech, especially when it concerns conservative voices who are marginalized from the typical political discourse. We give a voice to the unheard. We invited Jon because he offered a fascinating look into the treatment of J6 political prisoners, which we believe has been a serious issue that has not gotten the attention it deserves,” the statement reads.
news insight
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The best way to avoid is to know. Knowing the red flags of an abusive relationship saves lives and communities.
̶ Assistant Director of Health Promotion and Sexual Violence Prevention Specialist Candice Fox
Tuesday, Oct. 15, the College of William and Maryʼs Student Assembly Senate met in the Sadler Center, introducing one new bill and passing two others.
Class President Matthew Hwang ʼ25 and Sen. Jeffrey Gu ʼ25 introduced the APO Vroom Act Part II, which aims to support Alpha Phi Omegaʼs Campus Escort Service.
APO provides a free golf cart escort service during the nighttime hours. The bill would provide funding for the maintenance and general upkeep of APOʼs golf carts. This comes after APO lost their partnership with WMPD who covered this expense.
There was extensive discussion on the long-term viability of SA being the source of this funding, especially given the high costs of the service.
“I think through this time, we wanted to have this as a pilot on how much maintenance is and keep track of that data,” Hwang said.
The chamber unanimously passed the Adieu to the Flu Act, which aims to support the Student Health Center during the flu season. The bill allocates $3,500 to cover the cost of flu vaccinations for the 2024-25 academic year.
The senators also unanimously passed the Nice Advice Act to support professional development initiatives on-campus. The bill supports a drop-in career advising event targeted towards graduating seniors. It will allocate funding and resources for an outreach event, slated to take place Wednesday, Nov. 6.
ALEXANDRA NAKAMITSU // FLAT HAT VIDEOS EDITOR
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Robert Gates, Mark Green lead community discussion on U.S. foreign
policy
Global Research Instituteʼs event addressed Ukraine, Middle East, other current issues
Thursday, Oct. 17, the Global Research Institute welcomed Chancellor of the College of William and Mary Robert Gates ‘65, L.H.D. ‘98 and U.S. Ambassador Mark Green for a discussion on U.S. foreign policy.
Robert Gates served as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense from 2006 to 2011, making him the only person to retain this position under presidents of different parties. In 2011, former President Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Mark Green is president and CEO of the Wilson Center as well as a former administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development. He also represented Wisconsin’s eighth district in the U.S. House of Representatives for four terms and served as the U.S. ambassador to Tanzania from 2007-2009.
George and Mary Hylton Professor of International Relations and GRI Director Mike Tierney moderated the event, which addressed critical international issues including U.S. relations with China and Russia, the conflict in Ukraine and the role of development aid in the Global South.
The discussion opened by evaluating George Kennan’s 1940s era containment strategy in the context of modern foreign policy. Gates emphasized that Kennan’s ideas remain partially relevant, but that the geopolitical landscape has changed dramatically.
He explained that what used to be in the periphery in Kennan’s time was now central, stressing that U.S. policy and military engagement must address multiple power centers, including China, Russia and the Middle East.
Green built on what the United States should prioritize with their non-military tools, criticizing the U.S.’s neglect of economic statecraft, particularly in Africa and other parts of the Global South.
“The Chinese foreign minister’s first trip each year is to Africa,” Green said. “If a cabinet secretary from the US goes to Africa it’s front page in the news. I don’t want it to be news. They want the kinds of economic opportunity that are at the heart of who we are and yet we are not paying nearly enough attention, and I think that’s crucial.”
Green and Gates agreed that the right strategy to approaching the Global South is active listening. Green explained that the United State’s most successful developmental programs have come from cooperation between partners as equals rather than forcing one country into a lesser role.
When the conversation shifted to the war in Ukraine, Gates warned that underestimating Russia’s ability to sustain the war would be a mistake. He pointed out that Russia has nine times the economy of Ukraine and three times the population, putting 30,000 new troops a month into Ukraine.
“People have significantly underestimated Russia and it probably has to do with not reading enough Russian history,” Gates said. “The Russians have historically performed badly at the beginning of virtually all their wars, regrouped, replaced their
generals and eventually let Russian size and mass and territory be successful.”
Green, who recently visited Ukraine, praised the Ukrainian people for their adaptability amid the devastation, noting that students continued attending classes in subway stations despite the destruction of schools.
He emphasized that Ukrainians are not asking for U.S. troops, but for tools to defend their sovereignty and culture. However, he still worries about the sustainability of the U.S. aid flowing into Ukraine.
The conversation also explored U.S. policy in the Middle East, where both Gates and Green emphasized the need for continuity and strategic engagement.
Gates predicted that U.S. policy toward the region would remain largely consistent, regardless of who wins the 2024 election. He noted that both Democrats and Republicans share a strong commitment to supporting Israel and maintaining alliances with Gulf states.
Gates also talked about the Biden administration’s flaws in its current approach to Israel.
“The administration is way past due in dropping the hammer and saying if you don’t allow for X amount of humanitarian assistance into Gaza, our military assistance will stop,” Gates said.
Green highlighted the importance of long-term efforts to promote reconciliation and governance in conflict-affected areas like Gaza. He cited recent polling indicating that many residents in Gaza don’t support Hamas or the Palestinian Authority. Instead, they just want their day-to-day needs to be addressed, but feel like no one is listening to them.
The last 20 minutes of the discussion was reserved for students and other audience members to ask questions to Green and Gates.
Ridhima Gandhi ’28 appreciated the ability to interact with people like Gates and Green given their wide range of experiences and expertise.
“I went into the event knowing nothing and I thought it was interesting to learn more about Chancellor Gates,” Gandhi said. “Especially the part about visiting Putin and being there when something important was signed.”
Emma Beelner ’28 suggested areas of improvement for future talks.
“I honestly wish there was more student interaction,” Beelner said. “I think I would’ve gotten more out of it if it was more student-led, and I think it would’ve been a better way for Gates to interact with students as the current chancellor. But, I still thought it was really interesting and informative outside of that.”
Ashleigh Macphail ’28 admired how the panelists discussed both the missteps and triumphs of the U.S.’s foreign policy endeavors.
“I think these moments highlight how government, diplomacy and policymaking are not simple or straightforward,” Macphail said. “There are always going to be instances of successes and failures, and being able to recognize both situations makes a stronger government.”
Global Research Institute director Mike Tierney moderated the policy discussion between Gates and Green last Thursday, Oct. 17.
College launches Red Flag Campaign focused on sexual violence
Student tabling, mini red flags across campus raise awareness on toxic relationship
Starting Oct. 14, the College of William and Mary’s Office of Health Promotion hosted a week-long sexual assault awareness initiative called the Red Flag Campaign. The campaign aimed to inform students about sexual assault, dating violence and stalking on college campuses to teach them how to spot red flags in their relationships.
The Red Flag Campaign is a national organization that extends its resources to many different campuses across the country and works in partnership with the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance to advocate for sexual violence education.
The VSDV Alliance works toward more than just dating safety; it facilitates several funds that support survivors of domestic abuse, reproductive freedoms and post-trauma rehabilitation efforts.
The alliance’s website elaborates their mission for healthy relationship and community-building.
“The VSDV Alliance seeks a radically hopeful future and works to promote healthy relationships, create thriving communities, and build a more equitable world by centering racial justice, reproductive justice, and economic justice,” the website reads.
The Red Flag Campaign works at the College to foster healthy relationships and a culture of consent among the community. According to their website, the Alliance defines consent as “not just about individual actions or behaviors, but rather exist[ing] within all relationship dynamics, cultural beliefs, and larger societal systems. Building a consent culture requires we normalize and encourage the everyday use of consent in all interactions.”
Administrators from the office alongside student volunteers tabled from Monday, Oct. 14 to Friday, Oct. 18. Assistant Director of Health Promotion and Sexual Violence Prevention Specialist Candice Fox said many universities have adopted the Red Flag Campaign and that Someone You Know, a peer education group at the College focused on sexual violence prevention, has been implementing the campaign on campus for several years.
Fox commented on the importance of this campaign and informing students, particularly during October, which is a month dedicated to sexual violence awareness.
“The Red Flag Campaign is a project of the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance and was created by college students, college staff, and community advocates,” Fox said in an email. “The Office of Health Promotion has also brought the Red Flag Campaign to the Wellness Center during this awareness month for an entire week hoping to encourage campus-wide participation and facilitation of the campaign.”
The tabling efforts included distributing resources such as fliers which explain how to notice unhealthy relationships at an early stage. Volunteers handed out physical red flags on which students could write their own experiences and stick them into the ground outside of the Mcleod Tyler Wellness Center. This allows students
patterns
to share potential red flags they have experienced with their peers, anchoring them in a visible spot on campus.
Student volunteer Kat Love ’27 shared their appreciation for the initiative and the importance of educating the student body on potential warning signs they might encounter.
“I think it’s important to have campaigns centered around dating violence/abusive relationships on college campuses because for a lot of students, these are their first formative relationships and it’s important to learn what an unhealthy relationship looks like — and that gives perspective to assess their own,” Love said in an email. Love expressed their sadness that many students have already suffered through toxic relationships, but emphasized the campaign’s essential role in breaking the cycle.
“I think for many students this campaign was educating but also an outlet to share their own personal experiences with an abusive partner or unhealthy relationship,” they said. “Mostly every student that wrote their own red flag had an example ready to go — and that saddened me. My biggest hope is that we can learn from each other to avoid falling back into abusive cycles or step in to stop them from continuing.”
According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey conducted from 2016 to 2017, about 45% of women and 41% of men experienced sexual violence, physical violence and/or stalking from an intimate partner between the ages of 18-24. Fox said that although incidents of sexual violence are inevitable, having the knowledge and the ability to sense when a relationship does not feel safe early on can protect people from dangerous experiences later down the line.
“This campaign encourages friends and other campus community members to say something when they see warning signs for sexual assault, dating violence or stalking in a friend’s relationship,” Fox said. “The best way to avoid is to know. Knowing the red flags of an abusive relationship saves lives and communities.”
The Office of Health Promotion is hosting multiple awareness events this October to honor Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The next one will be the Someone You Know campaign in Crim Dell Meadow Oct. 31, where volunteers plan to educate students on sexual violence prevention and intervention skills.
Heather Brandon-Smith delivers talk on human rights advocacy
John Quincy Adams Societyʼs event highlights rights-based policy approaches
Wednesday, Oct. 16, the John Quincy Adams Society at the College of William and Mary hosted Heather Brandon-Smith to discuss her work as a human rights advocate for the Friends Committee on National Legislation.
Marina Karapanos ’25, the vice president for JQAS, helped coordinate with the national JQAS organization to select Wednesday’s speaker. Karapanos explained the JQAS’s focus on restraint in foreign policy and opposition to military intervention drew the club to Brandon-Smith and the organization she represents.
“We don’t really have any courses on human rights in war or human rights specifically when it comes to the U.S. Constitution and all of that,” Karapanos said. “We do have an international law class, but it’s not specific to this topic. So it just seemed like something that students might be more interested in that they might not get regular exposure to.”
Nolan Jansorn ’27, JQAS’s media chair, echoed Karapanos’s sentiments. He feels that while the discussion of human rights is prevalent in global politics, little is done by lawmakers to preserve these rights.
“It’s important to kind of get that into the mainstream discussion of international relations so that we can then start making
actual action or actual change towards solving global issues rather than just going in and talking about them all the time,”
Jansorn said.
Brandon-Smith’s organization, the FCNL, is a nonpartisan lobbyist group that focuses on building relationships with Congress and the administration to promote a human-rights foreign policy focus. In her talk, BrandonSmith highlighted the importance of being open-minded when talking to legislators.
“I think it’s really important to sort of be open-minded about particularly working with the people in power, where they come from, respecting that they’re all coming from a place, you know, of their own values and their own beliefs. But ultimately, we all want to have a safe and secure world, a safe and secure United States,” Brandon-Smith said.
Brandon-Smith recognized the difficulty in approaching these topics in a very politically polarized society, especially in an election year. She mentioned that political leaders are often fearful of being seen as weak on national security, leading to the use of military force to solve conflicts.
“This kind of notion that the use of force is the best resort to responding to this has sort of become ingrained in our consciousness and it’s really hard to dismantle,” BrandonSmith said.
The JQAS hosted this event in the form of
a moderated discussion, where Karapanos posed various questions to Brandon-Smith, covering topics from the impact of the War on Terror on human rights issues, to the ongoing human rights crises in Ukraine and Gaza.
Brandon-Smith indicated that while U.S. support for human rights in Ukraine has been unwavering, the situation in Gaza is more complex, as the U.S. government is actively sending weapons to Israel. However, she noted she is beginning to feel a little more hopeful about the situation, as 94 Congressmen and the Biden Administration are calling for a ceasefire, drawing increased attention to the human rights issues in Gaza.
In her responses, Brandon-Smith emphasized the importance of advocating for non-military means to respond to acts of terrorism. She suggested the use of law enforcement and the criminal justice system to treat acts of terrorism as crimes has proven successful and should be utilized more in place of military force.
To support her claim, Brandon-Smith discussed the arrest and sentencing of Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law, who was put on trial in the United States for his crimes and is currently serving a life sentence in a supermax prison facility. She argued these non-military means limited the civilian impact of the U.S.’s terrorism response.
Brandon-Smith also emphasized the lack
of public knowledge about ongoing U.S. military missions. She asked the audience which country they thought the U.S. is currently using the most military force in. The crowd was shocked when she revealed the answer to be Somalia.
After the talk, Charlotte Harvey ’26, an international relations major at the College, revealed this part stood out to her most.
“I think the fact that the U.S. is most militarily involved in Somalia really stood out to me, just given I had no idea and neither did most people in the room,” Harvey said.
“So I think the fact it is not publicized more is really interesting.”
Harvey also indicated she was struck by Brandon-Smith’s claim that instead of addressing the root causes of these issues, the United States almost always opts for a military response. However, Harvey was surprised to learn while the United States treats most international conflicts militarily, some more diplomatic approaches are being made.
“There are peaceful measures that are being taken legally that are helping certain conflicts. I think the media portrays the bad and criticizes the government and things like that. She enlightened us on the fact that there are actual measures in place to handle things in a less violent and in a way that doesn’t need to involve conflict,” Harvey said.
City council candidates tackle student concerns at College forum
Platforms
REBECCA FUCHS AND MARGARET NORSWORTHY-EDGEHILL THE FLAT HAT THE FLAT HAT
Tuesday, Oct. 15, the College of William and Mary’s Student Assembly hosted a City Council candidate forum in Commonwealth Auditorium, where candidates answered questions from a student survey.
Moderated by SA Vice President Oscar Lazo ’25 and Senate Chair Hazel Vineet ’25, the forum allowed students to hear directly from candidates ahead of the Nov. 5 election for three City Council seats. Each candidate began with an introduction to their respective platform. Adjunct lecturer and first-time candidate Lindsay Barna emphasized her expertise in law, government and public safety. Vice Mayor Pat Dent focused on his experience in city governance and public safety. Fraser Hudgins ’84 highlighted his work in responsible development, while councilwoman Barbara Ramsay
’75 stressed the importance of infrastructure projects. Ayanna Williams ’26, the youngest candidate in the election, underscored her dedication to student advocacy.
Candidates discussed the four-person leasing rule and ways to address student housing shortages while maintaining neighborhood quality. Dent and Hudgins supported the rule that provides exceptions for four unrelated tenants in single-family homes, though Dent expressed openness to alternatives. Hudgins highlighted its benefits, including resource efficiency and walkable housing, and suggested the College provides at least 80% of student housing.
Ramsey and Williams agreed that increased demand would boost housing availability and lower prices. Williams proposed expanding beyond the rule and
continuing efforts on platforms like RentRedi. Barna echoed these concerns, advocating a focus on underdeveloped areas and student concerns about housing conditions and rental terms.
A key concern at the forum was the relationship between law enforcement and students in off-campus neighborhoods.
Oscar Lazo raised a question about student worries over increased policing related to noise ordinances.
Hudgins called current law enforcement ‘aggressive’ and proposed a student liaison to City Hall to bridge the gap between students and the police. Ramsey cited statistics showing 342 police citations issued to students, with 22 resulting in formal summons, though this data was not independently verified.
Williams advocated for more community engagement programs, such as ride-alongs and
cookouts, to build trust between students and the police. Barna emphasized mutual respect and dialogue, while Dent highlighted underage drinking as a key issue, questioning whether the police presence was proportional.
Moderators emphasized the importance of addressing these concerns.
“Hosting a candidate forum on campus ensures that students can get a read on the candidates and understand their backgrounds,” Lazo said.
Parking and transportation were consistent concerns for students. Ramsay dismissed the idea of a parking issue, calling it a “perception problem,” and instead focused on improving crosswalk safety through new technology.
She also highlighted the City’s collaboration with Williamsburg Area Transit Authority to increase bus routes and frequency.
Williams advocated for more walkable infrastructure, safer
biking routes, and vertical parking garages. Barna reflected on the now-defunct “Green Machine” shuttle system, calling for more school-community partnerships.
Dent cited a consulting report and praised recent improvements in public transit, while Hudgins prioritized pedestrian safety, suggesting better lighting and more visible crosswalk art. Vineet emphasized bridging gaps between students and local leaders, noting that forums help make critical City issues more accessible.
“Our role is to bridge the gaps and fill in things the school doesn’t already offer,” Vineet said.
Candidates also considered the preservation of the College Woods, highlighting the erosion caused by runoff from Route 199.
Williams and Hudgins favored a collaborative approach, with Williams suggesting improved walking infrastructure to increase safety and reduce carbon emissions.
MOLLY MARTIN
YikYak: open discussion forum or anonymous hub of gossip?
Text-based analysis of 100 posts reveals trends in popular anonymous social media app
From gossip and rumors to memes and drama. What exactly do people talk about on YikYak? The app has long been a place where students gather to anonymously discuss campus events, college life and share miscellaneous memes. Using a data set of 100 YikYak posts, we investigated popular topics of anonymous discussion on campus.
YikYak first launched as a website and app in 2013, but was shut down in 2017 after a drastic drop in downloads. Relaunched in 2021, as an iOS app, it has become a popular source of on-campus news. Students like Eddie Bauer ’26 use YikYak to keep up with campus events.
“I feel like it’s just the quickest way to see what’s going on on campus because it’s from the students themselves,” Bauer said. “It makes me aware of stuff going on in college that I otherwise wouldn’t have known about — some people like to use it for advertising, too. I see people discussing anything you could imagine on the app. People will make fun of the power going out or crack jokes about Kathy Rowe’s Tesla.”
The Flat Hat conducted data collection Oct. 16th, using a proxy scanner to capture incoming YikYaks and build a sample of 100 different posts. Subsequently, the data was cleaned of expletives and stop words. An engagement index based on comments and upvotes was used to measure which topics were engaged with the most.
Using a word cloud, we found that the words “class,” “time” and “power” were the most frequently used. Of course, class would be a popular topic of discussion for students at a university — another popular word in the dataset is “professor.” The frequency of the word “power,” was likely related to data collection occurring close to a power outage at Swem Library.
*-“I just hop on when I know that something has happened on campus and I need to be in the know. I feel like it has more to do with being nosey than genuinely being interested. I hop on when everyone else is commenting, such as when Caf is on fre,” Aja Bauer ’25 said.
Being a completely anonymous platform has benefits and costs. Anonymity enables people to speak more freely but also can open the door to hateful sentiment free from backlash.
“It’s got a bad and negative reputation for very obvious reasons; it’s just easy for a lot of people to be bullies if they’re behind the
anonymous little emoji,” Logan Edwards ’26. “In the past, people have been pretty empathetic. [They’ve] been open about their feelings and good on spreading positivity — that’s usually what my posts try to consist of.”
Sentiment analysis is a technique used to determine the emotional tone behind a body of text, categorizing it as positive, negative or neutral. Individual words in the dataset are assigned weights by a model to determine the positiveness of the text. Using a simple sentiment analysis algorithm from the website, uClassify, we found that most posts in the sample tend to take a more negative tone.
To expand on the sentiment analysis, we can take a look at what the data shows as the most discussed topics.
Four City Council candidates report over $10,000 in donations two weeks from Nov. Who is winning the financial race for Williamsburg City Council?
SKYLER COLE THE FLAT HAT
Tuesday, Nov. 5, local elections will be held to select three candidates for the Williamsburg City Council. The seats of Vice Mayor Pat Dent, Barbara Ramsey ’75, and Caleb Rogers ’20 are up for election, with Ramsey and Dent running for another term. First-timers Fraser Hudgins, Ayanna Williams ’26, and College of William and Mary adjunct lecturer Lindsay Barna are deep in their campaign eforts. Close to $100,000 of fundraising money is in play for this closely-contested race. Hudgins, a founding member of citizen organization Citizens for Responsible and Sustainable Development, advocates for transparency between local government and the community, maintaining the combined Williamsburg-James City Council school system and the expansion of high-density residential and commercial developments around Colonial Williamsburg. Hudgins has received $47,177 in fundraising with his donations primarily coming from retail services, public employees and miscellaneous donors. His top donors include Clicktricity LLC, Beth S. Covin and Jean A. Kennedy,
with Clicktricity alone contributing $18,962 primarily in donations of advertising services.
Ramsey plans to continue her term with goals of increasing job opportunities, enhancing the Williamsburg community by constructing a new performing arts venue, library and children’s park and keeping Williamsburg’s property taxes low. Ramsey has raised $28,933 in fundraising with her donations coming from retail services, public employees and miscellaneous donors.
Some of Ramsey’s top donors include Robey W. Estes Jr., Henry C. Wolf and the York County PFF & EMS PAC. Williams, is running on a platform interested in investing in K-12 education, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, increasing collaboration between Williamsburg and the College and ensuring efective communication between constituents and local government. Williams has raised $12,622 with most of her donations coming from Williamsburg for All, Grayson Horner and the City of Williamsburg. Williamsburg for All is a student-run PAC started by Student Assembly Secretary of Public Afairs Grayson Horner to support Williamsburg City Council candidates who represent students at the College.
period scuba diving in Australia or take an art class in the Medici Chapel of Florence?
The College of William and Mary is ranked frst among public schools for study abroad participation by the Open Doors 2023 Report on International Educational Exchange. Ask any student who has studied abroad and you’ll quickly understand why it’s a popular choice. Who wouldn’t want to spend a lab
With a wide variety of programs around the world, the opportunities can seem endless, but many students fnd themselves stuck on one particular question: not where to go, but how to pay for it?
The William and Mary Global Education Ofce lists more than 900 programs which range from being William and Mary faculty
Dent, former fre chief of the Williamsburg City Fire Department, emphasizes his experience as a public servant to push for increasing the accessibility of afordable housing with input from the local community and the development of a new fre station and library. Dent has raised $12,427 with most of his donations coming from public employees, retail services and
lead to through third party organizations.
These programs, which include winter, summer, semester and academic-year long terms, span 72 countries across more than 200 cities. Spain and the United Kingdom had the greatest numbers of unique programs, with 148 and 135 respectively. The majority of oferings are in Europe, which hosts 613 programs. These programs are listed on the Global Education Ofce’s
miscellaneous donors. Some of Dent’s top donors include the frefghters of York James City County Poquoson & Williamsburg, the Williamsburg Hotel Motel Association and Sharon Marchelya. Barna, who lectures for both undergraduates and students at the law school, has only reported $95 received from one donor.
study abroad program search database and are pre-approved for students to enroll in, but they do not represent the complete list of opportunities for students. Students can also petition to register for an unlisted program, for example by directly enrolling in a foreign institution.
For students who qualify for fnancial aid, a study abroad experience may be more afordable than it seems. Financial aid will cover up to the cost of a traditional semester at the College, provided that the student is enrolled full-time. In addition, students are encouraged to apply for scholarships to bolster their funding. Desirae Sandridge ’26, did just that.
In the summer of 2024, Sandridge, a kinesiology major and biology minor, traveled to South Africa where she studied, shadowed medical personnel, went sightseeing and hiked. Like many others, she felt uncertain about the cost of the program when she frst looked into studying abroad.
“The one thing that [the school was] completely sure about that they tell everybody that’s getting a scholarship is you will get money if you get aid, which I appreciated,” Sandridge said.
This is especially helpful to students who receive fnancial aid during the school year, but not summer terms. Regardless of term and fnancial aid status, any student
with
LISA COLEMAN AND CORA SNYDER
STAFF COLUMN
Doom scrolling: How to save your study sesh with Jack Stauber
ASSOC. Grant Yoon
If you, like me, have found yourself behind on some (or all) of your classes and sat down on the third floor of Earl Gregg Swem Library with a cup of coffee at night to try and get yourself out of a nicely selfdug hole, then you should be familiar with the evils of having to do work with Constant Access to the Internet. I have no self-control, so I can choose to panic about the state of the world by obsessively reading the news and checking polls, somehow falling back into watching season six of “House of Cards” (oh my god it’s so awful), or making an attempt at a four-year plan that I will abandon within 15 minutes. Is there no solution to this hell of inaction and languishing, this futile role that I am forced to play over and over again because of my own decisions that only further the unhealthy avoidant coping style I have developed in response to the slightest stress?
I am definitely not doing that right now. I am not on the third floor of Swem with an exam in two days that I have hours of studying to do for; it is not 11 p.m.; everything is calm and I am not anxious or unhappy with myself or my decisions. This writing is not an act of procrastination. Okay, sorry! I got off topic for a moment.
Anyway, what I wanted to write about: One of the weirdest antidotes to the panicky “AHHHHH I HAVE SO MUCH TO DO AND SO LITTLE TIME” feeling is leaning into procrastination in a controlled way. Rather than try and get rid of it entirely, I’ve been trying to wean myself off with something that stimulates my mind enough to occupy it during study breaks, but also provides a sort of spiritual relief that counteracts the existential threats that occur to me while studying. That way, I can feel okay about get-
ting back to work instead of feeling absolutely obliged to figure out everything about myself and my future and my past before I return to studying. This antidote: watching two or three Jack Stauber videos.
I love Jack Stauber. I only recently remembered how much I love Jack Stauber’s video projects, by stumbling across one of his more long-form and serious projects, “Opal,” during a grind session much like this one (what? who said that?). He makes weird videos with very unique audiovisual landscapes filled with figures that are clay, drawn or computer-rendered, often accompanied by a vague, banal plot — or, just as frequently, a very existential one. “Now and then” is a simple but cutting depiction of revisiting a traumatic period of one’s life, a visceral and cathartic depiction of cutting open a dead version of oneself and scavenging pieces to take into the future. “Hamantha” is a video about a girl with a ham face.
But his videos, both short and long, are intriguing enough to warrant one’s full attention, drawing you in with questions and observations about what the f--k is going on. Lots of falsetto singing and ominous clay eyes or faces forming and deforming. They can switch tone quickly and deftly, feeling like a children’s cartoon one second and an obscure European existential film from the 1930s in the next.
They are weirdly satisfying in a way that “House MD” YouTube shorts can never be, giving my mind something to chew on (actually, a LOT to chew on) for long after I’m done watching one (and finally, enable me to get back to studying!). The videos are just so offkilter, visually and audibly, and I think they give voice to such a shut off part of myself. This probably began in 10th grade, when people across the country were experiencing a wonderful dose of total social isolation and then profound
depression from lockdown. Back then and now, I found something intensely comforting in the liminal atmospheres of Jack Stauber’s videos. How they can mimic the sticky feeling of pointlessness that excessive worrying will lead you into, how they find levity and humor in existential questions by representing them in ways that feel askew and unusual and the warmer, human moments that a well-placed moment evokes in a forty-second video about a cooking show (the strangely human moment is a fig singing about the cooking show host selling out).
Jack Stauber videos feel almost like an afterlife, so strange and disconnected from my everyday experience (but somehow as real and imposing as the mundane atmosphere of life) that I can feel myself removed and then put back into the world, somewhat refreshed and a little disturbed. But it’s good to be shaken out of your regular life, especially if your current life is an anxious stream of “oh my god I’m doomed everything is doomed my entire future is done I am not accomplishing everything and ruining everything simultaneously.”
Jack Stauber’s work lets you look at terror and darkness in quirky claymation videos, nod at them, and continue on for the time being. Obviously, his videos can’t cure depression or anything, but I do believe in the power of his artwork. It’s a wonderful way to remind yourself to smile (or just raise your eyebrows) at the world and keep on moving through uncertain times.
“Destiny is a funny thing. You never know how things are going to work out. But, if you keep an open mind and an open heart, I promise you will find your own destiny someday” – Uncle Iroh to Zuko, from “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” Book 3: Fire, Chapter 11.
Uncle Iroh’s wisdom isn’t just advice for Zuko, it’s guidance for anyone struggling with expectations. Like Zuko, I’ve stood at a crossroads, torn between what others expect and the path I truly want to follow. Growing up with an adoptive single mom — the first in her family to attend college and law school — I’ve always felt pressure to surpass her achievements. I wanted to stand on her shoulders, to reach higher than she ever could. But now, I realize that finding my destiny — like Zuko — means more than meeting expectations. It demands courage to forge my own way.
For a long time, I believed the traditional route was the only way to honor my mother’s sacrifices: a steady career, financial security, a path that seemed “safe” and “successful.” Her plea was simple but heavy: don’t fall into the same cycle of challenges she faced while growing up in Indiana. But eventually, I started to question if this was really my dream or someone else’s.
Zuko’s struggle to gain his father’s approval by chasing “honor” mirrors this conflict. He thought following Fire Lord Ozai’s path would lead to greatness, but he later realized that true honor meant letting go of imposed expectations. Similarly, I wrestled with my sense of duty to my mother’s dreams and the growing realization that the traditional path wasn’t for me.
Zuko’s transformation didn’t happen overnight. It was slow, filled with doubt. He had to redefine what “honor” meant to him. He couldn’t move forward until he embraced his true self.
Like Zuko, I’ve had to look in the mirror and ask myself: “Who am I doing this for?” My moment of clarity came while at Montgomery College, where I initially pursued a pre-law path. I wanted to follow in my mom’s footsteps, but something didn’t feel right. It wasn’t until I switched to business and sustainability that I realized I was chasing someone else’s dream. Much like Mulan’s “Reflection,” where she sings, “Who is that girl I see, staring straight, back at me?” I realized my identity wasn’t tied to others’ expectations but to forging my own path.
ting pre-law. Alana said, “Dude, you only have one life to live, so make it count and have fun with it.” Her words hit hard. Life is too short to live by someone else’s expectations, and I need to blaze my own trail, just like Zuko had to break free from his father’s shadow.
Zuko’s turning point came during the Day of Black Sun, when he stood up to his father and chose to join Team Avatar. His journey wasn’t perfect — he still made mistakes — but he was no longer bound by someone else’s expectations. I myself had to learn that success isn’t a one-sizefits-all concept. It isn’t always about landing the most lucrative job or following the “expected” path.
As a prospective finance major at the College of William and Mary’s Raymond A. Mason School of Business, I’ve faced pressure to fit into the mold of high finance or consulting. Many students prepare for careers at prestigious firms like Goldman Sachs or JP Morgan. But I’ve always been drawn to public service and making a positive impact. For me, success means using tools like economics and sustainability to solve the world’s most pressing challenges. I’m not just chasing financial success; I’m seeking fulfillment and purpose.
Zuko’s ultimate lesson is that true honor and fulfillment come from being true to yourself. I’ve had to let go of the idea that I need to meet others’ definitions of success. Instead, I’ve embraced the idea that forging my own path, even when it diverges from expectations, is the greatest way to honor both myself and those who’ve supported me.
Reflecting on Zuko’s journey and my own, I’m reminded of Barack Obama’s famous speech where he emphasized the power of hope: “Hope in the face of difficulty, hope in the face of uncertainty, the audacity of hope.” Hope has guided me, just as it guided Zuko. It’s allowed me to trust that even though the path may be unclear, I can still carve out my own destiny.
Like Mulan, who questioned her role in society, I’ve had to ask: Who do I want to be? In a world full of pressures, it’s easy to feel lost. But the courage to look inward, to break away from expectations, is what lets us write our own stories.
Choosing your own path is never easy, especially when pressure to conform is so strong. But as Zuko, Mulan and even Obama have shown us — whether through hope, reflection or standing up to those who dictate our lives — there is power in embracing who you are. Success isn’t defined by the path others lay out; it’s defined by the one you carve out for yourself.
To everyone at the College feeling the weight of expectations: It’s okay to step back and ask yourself what path is truly yours. Destiny is a funny thing, and maybe, like Zuko, you’ll find that your true path leads to something greater than you ever imagined. RebeccaFuchs’26(she/they,they/ she)isajuniortransferstudentprospectivelymajoringinfinanceandminoring inenvironmentalscienceandsustainabilityattheCollege.Thissemester,they’re alsoaninternforTheFlatHatandare activeasaShadowAnalystforSalesforce intheMasonInvestmentClub(MIC)as wellaswithWilliamsburgEngagement (WE)attheHabitatforHumanityReStore. Whenthey’retryingnottofallasleepin class,youcanemailthematrafuchs@ wm.edu. GRAPHIC
One pivotal conversation with my mentor, Alana McCarthy Light, helped me solidify this shift. She had changed her major multiple times and encouraged me to do the same. On the bus to one of her punk shows, I expressed my doubts about quit-
GRAPHIC BY THOMAS SMITH / THE FLAT HAT FLAT HAT
Operation “inflation
in action”: Please, leave Chick-Fil-A receipts in library books
Lana Altunashvili FLAT HAT OPINIONS ASSOC.
Imagine this: After a long day of studying at the Earl Gregg Swem Library, you decide it’s time to go back to your room. It’s only the beginning of the semester and you’re astounded at how much work you’re already doing, how much you feel you’re already behind. This was me one September night, a couple of weeks into my sophomore year.
Frustrated and tired, I set off to my dorm, and as I quietly made my way through the stacks of books, I stumbled upon a title that took me in. A book called “Unspeak: How Words Become Weapons, how Weapons Become a Message, and How That Message Becomes Reality.” I quickly checked the book out of the library so I could start reading it as soon as possible. Later that night, I saw a small, thin piece of paper fall out of its pages. Now, I’m sure many of us have done this — used the most random, closest thing to us, as a bookmark. This one in particular was an old receipt from Chick-Fil-A. Six years ago on Oct. 5, 2018, at 1:00 PM, a person named Elex got eight chicken nuggets, medium fries and a medium sweet tea/lemonade. The total was $7.99.
What followed after was, as it’s been pointed out to me, a very “twampy” thing to do. While a normal person would have thrown the receipt away, in twamp fashion I decided to go to Chick-Fil-A (of course only out of academic interest), order the same thing as Elex had six years ago and see how much the prices have changed since then. “Inflation in
action,” if you will.
As people have gotten into their usual, busy schedules, it has become harder and harder to hang out and see each other, and Operation “Inflation in Action” became something to look forward to. Everyone knew about it, and someone new to our friend group was also invited; it was one evening everyone had known about weeks in advance and had made themselves available for. Then “I can’t wait for Chick-Fil-A” turned into “We’re at Chick-Fil-A already,” and Oct. 5, 2024 we got Elex’s order, exactly six years in the future. Now, if any of you are particularly interested, it costs $9.99. But I’m not going to lie — this outcome was quite boring. It’s not that I was expecting it to be some huge, climactic moment, but I wonder if my friends and I overhyped it to the point of being underwhelmed when the time to see the result actually came.
What was the point of “inflation in action” then? Why even write about it?
Well, we still ordered Chick-Fil-A, so we got a table and sat down outside. A few comments were made about the receipt itself, but the main reason for this article is what followed after — the talk about everything and nothing.
“What are your guys’ favorite Christmas movies?” “Have you guys read ‘The Kite Runner?’ I remember loving that book years ago!” “How’s the studying for your anatomy midterm going?” “Look at the sky, it’s so pretty!”
And it’s true — the sky was all shades of pink and purple, slowly giving way to nightfall. We kept talking as we ate our food and sipped on our drinks, and we referenced some of our inside jokes and maybe even created new ones. “We should do this again,” I thought to myself on the way back, and I would like to think the feeling was mutual between all seven of us.
There is something about these random things we do with other people, small but special adventures we go on with our friends, that I think will make up the “college experience” in the end. And it is only now, two weeks after the fact, that I realize I have a completely unknown person named Elex to thank for this. If they hadn’t left their receipt in a book that I (and probably Elex also) never finished reading, I wouldn’t have
Barb Ramsey for Williamsburg City Council
I am honored to endorse Barb Ramsey for City Council. I first met Barb when I joined the Economic Development Authority as a student at the College of William and Mary. She immediately stepped into the role of a mentor, guiding me through my responsibilities and helping me identify opportunities for growth. Her deep understanding of Williamsburg’s economic challenges and strategic vision for the future of our city left a lasting impression on me. Barb embodies the core values of our alma mater and of being an elected official — commitment, integrity and service. Her mentorship has been pivotal in my personal and professional development. She went beyond professional guidance, writing a recommendation for my graduate school application and providing career advice that perfectly aligned with my passions and strengths. Her genuine care for others is something I’ve come to value deeply.
What sets Barb apart is her unwavering committment to building meaningful, long-term relationships with the Collegeʼs students.
What sets Barb apart is her unwavering commitment to building meaningful, long-term relationships with the College’s students. She is always available to listen — not just to hear
texted my friends about it saying we should go check this out as a sort of economic investigation. I would have had a couple less interesting conversations, one less memory and one less sunset to have enjoyed with people I’ve grown close to.
So please, if you’ve gotten this far into the article, leave old receipts in library books. Leave random paper notes, leave bookmarks, leave stickers around, leave old notebooks — leave as many parts of yourself on this campus as you can. Because
concerns but to actively seek solutions and integrate new ideas as an alumna and City Council member. Barb is passionate about ensuring students feel connected to Williamsburg, recognizing the enduring bond that the College fosters across generations.
I am deeply grateful for Barb’s mentorship/friendship and wholeheartedly endorse her candidacy. I have no doubt that she will continue making a significant and a positive impact on Williamsburg. I strongly encourage you to vote for her Nov. 5.
Soheb Osmani ‘22 P.O. Box 3298 New York, NY 10163
Soheb Osmani graduated from William & Maryin2022withaBSinDataScienceand a minor in economics. He served on the Economic Development Authority (EDA) board for the City of Williamsburg from 2022 to 2024 and currently works at RTX. Contacthimatsosmani@uchicago.edu.
you never know — that part of yourself that you leave behind might just give overly stressed, busy college sophomores a reason to make time and connect with each other over eight chicken nuggets, medium fries and a medium sweet tea.
Lana Altunashvili ’27 is a prospective international relations major. She is a James Monroe Scholar and a member of Club Tennis. Contact her at laltunashvili@wm.edu.
Why I no longer watch presidential debates
Twice now, I have watched my peers crowd around the tiny television screen in our neighboring dorm hall’s lounge and listen intently to the presidential and vice presidential candidates’ every word. The 2024 United States second presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump occurred on Sept. 10, and the vice presidential debate between Gov. Tim Waltz and Sen. JD Vance occurred on Oct. 1.
As an aspiring journalist, I have always been very invested in politics, and even more so about the importance of staying informed on current events. Yet, I do not watch the presidential debates, or — truthfully — any televised news, for that matter. Call me a technophobe, but I am an old-school print journalism enthusiast through and through.
On principle, I do believe that the presidential debates are meant to be a space for political discourse by allowing candidates to share their vision for change if elected and allowing viewers to learn about the views of potential White House inhabitants. Despite this, our society has gravitated toward a form of communication that prioritizes entertainment over intellect that, in practice, hinders the efficacy of politi -
cal discourse, particularly in televised media.
If you are not already familiar with it, let me introduce you to one of my favorite books: “Amusing Ourselves to Death” by Neil Postman. It is a must-read for anyone who is interested in the intersection of modern-day media, politics and journalism, and much of my argument hinges upon the ideas put forth in it.
Postman wrote “Amusing Ourselves to Death” in 1985 as a reflection on the influence that television had on communication after becoming a form of mainstream media in American society and culture. What makes this book such a fascinating read, though, is the accuracy with which Postman predicts the implications of television on public discourse in the 21st century.
“Amusing Ourselves to Death” asserts that a cultural shift is brought about with each transition to a new primary mode of communication among humanity. When written word replaced oral tradition, for instance, it constructed the basis of phonetic language, grammar and rhetoric, which became the dominating elements of public discourse. Postman argues that the transition from print to broadcast media gave emphasis to the dramatization of reality and
the production of bite-sized information, resulting in a societal infatuation with entertainment over truth-telling.
With television as our primary mode of disseminating information, all subject matter, frivolous and practical, is presented as entertainment, and intellectual discourse is destroyed. This is evident in the evolution of presidential debates as televised and digital media have become more deeply embedded in our culture of communication.
Presidential candidates used to speak to and about one another with civility, and the debates were truly used as a platform for respectful political discourse. A prime example that comes to mind is the exchange between former President Barack Obama and Sen. Mitt Romney during the 2012 Presidential Election. Before commencing the debate, the two politicians engaged in a polite conversation during which Romney even congratulated Obama on his 20th wedding anniversary, as captured by The Wall Street Journal. The candidates went on to have a mannerly conversation, disagreeing respectfully with one another when their political views failed to align.
Nowadays, all the candidates seem to do is slam each other every chance they get — not only on the political level but on a personal one, too. Throughout his 2024
election campaign, Trump has mocked Harris incessantly, purposely mispronouncing her name, questioning her racial identity and even accusing her of being “mentally impaired,” according to various news outlets. Meanwhile, during the presidential debates, Harris frequently rolled her eyes and laughed at Trump’s responses, per The Times of India. The lack of respect on both sides is unmistakable, though I must divulge it was largely egged on by the outrageous behavior that Trump has demonstrated in the public sphere since
the 2016 election.
Television is a medium that rewards emotive performances rather than civil discourse, and politicians like Trump and Harris play into their roles as actors and actresses, treating the debates as dramatic productions in order to attract voters. I have no interest in seeing our potential future leaders talk over the top of one another and quarrel like my relatives do at a family reunion — it’s frankly embarrassing to watch. Televised politics bear more resemblance to reality TV shows than
civil discourse. Furthermore, television is based on the rapid production and consumption of content, features that are meant to make media more accessible to the general public by ensuring everyone can understand every news story, regardless of the background knowledge one holds on the topic. However, complex issues often become oversimplified as a result of presenting information in short and snappy televised news briefs, and viewers come away with perspectives that lack nuance and critical reasoning. Televised discourse has become driven by emotions and quick reactions rather than logic and careful consideration, rendering many forms of digital modern-day media an obstruction to the ability to present political or intellectual content. I prefer to read carefully fact-checked and diligently reported articles about our presidential candidates instead of tuning into distastefully performative debates. I urge you to do the same.
Eden Leavey ’28 is an English major in the St. Andrews Joint Degree Programme.Sheisanintern for The Flat Hat, seeking to tell stories through journalism, creative writing, theater and dance among other creative mediums. Contact her at edleavey@ wm.edu.
GUEST COLUMN
GUEST COLUMN
Eden Leavey THE FLAT HAT
GRAPHIC BY MOLLIE SHIFLETT / THE FLAT HAT
Soheb Osmani THE FLAT HAT
GRAPHIC BY EMNET ABRAHAM / THE FLAT HAT
GRAPHIC BY EDEN LEAVEY / THE FLAT HAT
variety
FEELING THE BREEZE
Inside Out Theater hosts Breeze the Poet for spoken-word master class
Friday, Oct. 18, the College of William and Mary’s student-run spoken word poetry organization Inside Out Theater hosted its first ever guest speaker, Breeze the Poet, for a slam poetry masterclass in Washington Hall.
Frederick Eberhardt, who writes under the pseudonym Breeze the Poet, is a spoken-word performer from Richmond, Va, and his accolades include numerous national and regional poetry slam championships. In addition to writing and performing his poetry, Eberhardt offers coaching and workshops on the craft through his “Dojo” program.
Members of Inside Out Theatre saw Eberhardt place first at the Colonial Triangle Grand Slam in Williamsburg last semester, a competition organized by local nonprofit Slam Connection. They had also seen his performances at several local open mics. Inside Out Theatre president Pooja Muthuraj ’25 described what drew the club unanimously to Eberhardt as its first ever guest speaker.
“[We] thought he was a phenomenal performer in terms of his stage presence, in terms of the stories he was telling and how he was telling them, and that it was really important to highlight those stories and learn from him how to show our own stories in a similar way, in a similarly powerful way,” Muthuraj said.
Inside Out coordinated the event with the College, setting up the necessary contracts for a guest speaker. The club opened the workshop to any interested students, but specifically promoted the event to the Black Poets Society to extend the lesson to a broader group of attendees.
Meanwhile, Eberhardt planned the content of the masterclass, using material from a months-long workshop program he had previously run. Eberhardt observed the overall similarity of working with college-aged students, compared to the adults he usually coaches.
“I made myself not over-explain,” Eberhardt said. “There was a thought that I might have needed to at one point, and then it was like, these are grown people. They comprehend probably better than you. So let’s relax and just talk regular and have a conversation with them.”
The theme of Eberhardt’s lecture was “radical vulnerability.” He defined this term for participants and explained its implications for writing more authentic poetry.
“Radical vulnerability is allowing oneself to reveal uncomfortable aspects about themselves as a form of healing or resistance, or maybe even informational purposes,” Eberhardt said. “As poets, we deal with this unconsciously on a regular basis. I personally feel like making a conscious decision to practice radical vulnerability rather than doing so unconsciously is a deliberate attempt to release and afford the benefit of a deeper level of vulnerability.”
Eberhardt specifically engaged in questioning exercises with
the attendees, prompting them to challenge the deeper meanings behind their thoughts to allow for more broadly relatable reflections in their writing.
“If I write my work from a surface level of just myself and don’t go into any of the deeper aspects that go along with it, then I’m essentially leaving the audience out of it, because the way they’re going to be able to connect with what I’m saying is being able to find themselves in it,” Eberhardt said. “Now, if I’m just writing about myself and my feelings in this surface moment right now, there’s less for them to take with them.”
Eberhardt began his lesson with a performance of one of his poems, then led a 15-minute timed ice breaker exercise, asking attendees to fill in the blanks of an “I am poem.” This involved filling out prompts that started with templates consisting of “I” followed by a verb, such as “I am,” “I wonder” and “I dream.” Participants read their writings aloud while attendees snapped along to show their support. Eberhardt followed with feedback and encouragement.
After playing and discussing video clips of examples of “radically vulnerable” slam poetry and performing another of his own works,
Eberhardt provided another writing prompt to attendees that encouraged similar authenticity: “What are you holding onto that’s stopping you from evolving?” Again students volunteered to read their work, and Eberhardt provided feedback and answered questions from attendees. For his own part, Eberhardt described why he removes his shoes when he performs.
“It’s a psychological thing, because you release everything either [out of the] top of your head or through your feet,” Eberhardt said. “So everything ailing me, or everything that got me nervous, I take my shoes off so they can go.”
This is Inside Out Theatre’s first year as an official student organization, having previously operated under the Center for Student Diversity. Muthuraj noted that this new status provides the club more leeway in its operations and has encouraged it to diversify its activities, from hosting such guest speakers to attending off-campus open mic nights. Another primary motivation for this change, according to Muthuraj, was to be able to table at the activities fair, making the club more accessible to students interested in joining after their annual “One Tribe, Many Stories” performance at new student orientation.
“We wanted to be able to reach out to students that wanted to join Inside Out theater and were looking for that community, and it’s been successful,” Muthuraj said. “We’ve had a lot of people stop by our table and join Inside Out this year who are just such talented poets, and we’re really excited to see them perform.”
Inside Out advertised the masterclass as being open to students of all skill and experience levels. Muthuraj noted that the club strives to be as accessible as possible to beginners of slam poetry in all of its activities, due to the interactive nature of the art.
“I think that something really beautiful about it is that it’s accessible to anybody, whether you just want to come and observe, because you are still actively engaged in it: you’re snapping, you’re saying ‘ooh’ and ‘ah’ when you hear parts of the poem that are particularly striking, and that encourages the performer to go even further,” Muthuraj said.
Event attendee Maya Meehan-Ritter ’28 is not an Inside Out member, but she was encouraged to attend the masterclass, as someone with experience and interest in poetry, when she saw it listed online.
“I’ve never really done slam poetry workshops before, I’ve just heard it a lot,” Meehan-Ritter said. “My writing style, especially my poetry, is usually focused on how things sound, and sound value, so it kind of tends to sound like slam poetry. So I’d like to figure out how I can actually make actual slam poetry, and this was a cool opportunity.”
For any students interested in pursuing spoken word and slam poetry, Inside Out Theatre meets Fridays at 5 p.m. in the McLeod Tyler Wellness Center studios. As for slam poetry itself, Eberhardt provided advice to any students at the College interested in the craft.
“Write,” Eberhardt said. “Surround yourself with it. It’s there, it’s everywhere. Even if it’s not there, you can create it if you surround yourself with it, because not being able to access it is going to do something to you.”
Marriage Pact algorithm matches compatible students, participants share varied experiences
At the right time of year, someone walking through the campus of the College of William and Mary may be lucky enough to notice a certain buzz in the air. This atmosphere may be reflected by groups of students huddled around laptops, debating animatedly over some survey questions. Or it may be radiating from pairs of cluelessly reciprocated crushes, blushing at their email inboxes. Whatever the telling signs may look like, chances are that the excitement is a symptom of none other than the arrival of Marriage Pact season.
According to its website, the Marriage Pact is a national organization with branches at 88 American colleges, made up almost entirely of full-time students, that uses an algorithm backed by Nobel Prize-winning economics to match the most romantically compatible couples on campus. According to the Stanford Daily, it was founded by Liam McGregor and Sophia Sterling-Angus at Stanford University in 2017 to provide students with backup spouses as a means of saving them from the prospect of dying alone.
The form goes out once a semester at the College. However, the matter of who has been operating the team at the College, and for how long, remains a mystery. For some, like Hannah Findlay ’27, this only adds to the Marriage Pact’s allure.
“I just wanted to see what the process was like, since I feel like I didn’t know anything about it, because it is so anonymous and mysterious,” Findlay said. “I just wanted to see what happens, just generally what the process is like. It makes you want to fill it out, because you’re like, ‘I don’t know what it is. I just know the name: ‘Marriage Pact.’ It’s enticing.”
In fact, Aafreen Ali ’26 recalled having found out about Marriage Pact from other students, which contrasted from the widely advertised, organized marketing style that registered student organizations tend to use for many other campus events and traditions.
Meanwhile, four-time Marriage Pact participant Kyle Lewis-Johnson ’25 first found out about the program through an email.
“I looked at it in my email and I was like, ‘What do you have to lose? Nothing. What do you have to gain? Nothing, or something,’ I don’t know,” Lewis-Johnson said. “It depends on how you look at it.”
Lewis-Johnson said he was convinced to engage in the Marriage Pact to see if it actually worked.
“I guess a lot of us didn’t really believe in the authenticity of the algorithm that they used,” Lewis-Johnson said. “So we were like, well, let’s get to know this person and see if the algorithm actually algorithmed, per se, or if it’s BS.”
Likewise, Ali went into the experience with curious skepticism.
“Honestly, I went in with no expectations,” Ali said. “I was just kind of like, ‘This is something fun. All my friends are doing it.’ I feel like that’s the same mindset a lot of people are using with it.”
After either clicking on the link through email or navigating to the College’s Marriage Pact website, users are directed to a survey-style form. Lewis-Jonhson explained that this form includes questions about someone’s own and preferred class year, political ideology, religion, gender and sexual orientation, followed by questions which measure one’s attitudes such as “Do you think that the world needs to be more structured?” Findlay pointed out that there are even questions for gauging one’s sexual habits, like “How kinky are you?”
Findlay recalled how anxious she felt after submitting the form, due to the depth of personal information recorded.
“I felt like I was just sending off my Social Security number,” Findlay said. “I was like, ‘They know everything now. Everything. All my political beliefs, all my relationship beliefs.’”
Some time after submitting the form, which is open for around two weeks, participants are emailed the first and last initials of the person
they are deemed most compatible with so far. While these initials are subject to change in the time before the final results come out, Findlay communicated how she appreciates the excitement and speculation invited by this step in the process.
“Those emails were pretty fun to get, because we’d get them, and everyone would compare and look on Instagram to see anyone with those initials,” Findlay said.
Speaking to the final results, Findlay reflected on how she has gotten diverse outcomes from the two times she has tried Marriage Pact. She was matched with someone who she was familiar with the first time, but neither contacted one another. The second time, her match took the initiative to send her long, formal messages addressed to “Miss Findlay.”
As for Lewis-Johnson, his first Marriage Pact match was with his freshman year roommate.
“We were dumbfounded,” Lewis-Johnson said. “I was like, ‘What?’ and I told him, ‘Either the algorithm is f—ed up or you cheated,’ because we did it together.”
One year later, he shared such a high compatibility score with his second match that the pair was interviewed by Marriage Pact’s Stanford University branch admin. However, the two did not end up speaking afterwards. By contrast, his third match was his best friend’s roommate. He said that he did not connect the dots at first, having recognized his first name but not believing it was him.
Lewis-Johnson recalled the way his match listened silently to him questioning his match’s identity, while knowing it was him all the while. He also shared that the two dated for three months, before ultimately breaking up over differences in what they wanted from the relationship.
Equally diverse were Ali’s Marriage Pact experiences. She explained that the first one resulted in just a mutual following on Instagram. The second one also did not lead to a relationship, because the fact that the pair shared mutuals made things awkward. Most successful was Ali’s third try, which paired her with a fellow member of the Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity.
MEGAN RUDACILLE // FLAT HAT VARIETY EDITOR
GRAPHIC BY AGAVNI MEHRABI / THE FLAT HAT
RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT
Collegeʼs Tabletop Games Club invites students for storytelling-based roleplaying fun
Competitions, careers and creativity inspire an abundance of student clubs and organizations at the College of William and Mary, with each one offering community to groups of people with shared interests. In the case of Tabletop Games Club, members share a love of storytelling, creativity and strategic thinking. The club meets Monday evenings at 7 p.m. in Tucker 111 and offers its members an imaginative outlet and passionate community.
The College’s Tabletop Games Club plays all kinds of roleplaying games, the most well-known of which may be Dungeons and Dragons. Such games provide rule books and a fictional setting, while allowing players to create their own characters and dictate the ultimate outcome of each adventure as a group.
Club President Riley Companion ’25 has enjoyed these games since first creating a role-playing character with his father in middle school, and he was excited about the prospect of getting involved in the College’s tabletop games community when he joined the club as a freshman.
“I knew William and Mary had a Tabletop Games Club, and I wanted to have a space where I didn’t have to plan a bunch of things to play the game,” Companion said. “And then of course that gradually kind of evolved.”
In his role as president, Companion hopes to foster a diverse, welcoming environment for players of all skill levels. The club invites anyone to join and ensures that each player is taught the essentials in order to participate and enjoy meetings. As such, Companion noted that the club aims to be as low-stakes and inviting as possible.
“Tabletop games are very much a collaborative storytelling experience,” Companion said.
As a newer member, Communications Chair Elijah Gilliam ’27 has quickly become a prominent member of the club. After beginning to play with the club his freshman year, Gilliam noticed the club’s structure allows for differentiated levels of play while maintaining a tight-knit community.
“Even if you don’t really know what you’re doing a lot of the time, there will be people to help you out,” Gilliam said.
The first Tabletop Games Club meeting of the year always walks members through character creation: a detailed process that sets each player up with a history, a background and important numerical statistics. Throughout the year, the club operates on an alternating schedule. Every other week,
the club plays Dungeons and Dragons, while alternate weeks consist of what the club dubs “one-shots.”
The “one-shots” are one-time games crafted by club members and vetted by the executive board before making their way to the club meeting room. They consist of a simplified set of rules and quick gameplay, a combination which allows new and experienced members to learn and play a game together to completion. For instance, Companion described a game he created that has become a favorite amongst club members.
“Some of them are a bit more serious, but there’s also a lot of ones that are just very low stakes and goofy,” Companion said. “I’ve accidentally produced a very infamous one-shot that involves the Dungeons and Dragons characters going to New York City to order a pizza.”
New member Cal Rider ’28 praised the unique structure of club meetings.
“From the first meeting, it seemed like a good group of people, and I liked the concept of the way they were running the games,” Rider said.
In addition to the multitude of games at each meeting, Tabletop Games Club provides even more opportunities for its members through its Discord server, which allows students to organize themselves into even larger, longer-lasting and more complex game campaigns. Rider has quickly made use of this aspect of the club since joining this fall, taking part in a long-term campaign that meets at the same time and place as the general club meetings.
Beyond working to organize diverse and extensive offerings at weekly club meetings, the executive board of Tabletop Games Club is excited to work on expanding outreach initiatives within the College. Establishing relationships with similar clubs and planning exciting events for the greater college community have been at the forefront of these conversations. Companion described the significance of the “mixers” Tabletop Games Club started hosting with other organizations last year, which consist of meeting up and playing games together.
“That was still a pretty big development for us, because prior to that we were just doing things during club hours,” Companion said.
Gilliam expressed that he wants to continue to share this game-playing community with the greater Williamsburg area.
He described how Tabletop Games Club attended and hosted a panel at BurgQuest, a Williamsburg tabletop and board game convention, this past September.
As Gilliam and the rest of Tabletop Games Club’s executive board work to plan events, he appreciates how the board is constantly finding new ways to engage members, such as an upcoming escape room with role-playing aspects for members.
“It’s a creative project that we want to bring to life and share with people in the club or beyond,” Gilliam said.
Companion believes that the Tabletop Games Club community is special in the way that it brings together those who spend their school hours thinking critically in order to let loose, create and share adventures, while always being ready to welcome new people.
“I feel like a lot of the people in that club are very kind,” Companion said. “They’re very open to newer players and are just generally the nerdier kind of people that I enjoy being around.”
Those looking to get involved in Tabletop Games Club can reach out through TribeLink or join the Discord server.
Imagining Adventures SHAKESPEARE PIONEER
College student Topher Zane ʻ25 puts modern spin on productions, interpretations of classic English playwright
With William Shakespeare’s famous quote that “all the world’s a stage,” there would seem to be no student at the College of William and Mary more emblematic of this than theater student Topher Zane ’25. For Zane, the stage has been a principal part of his world at the College. During his time with Shakespeare in the Dark, Zane has directed “Gallathea,” “Hamlet” and “King Lear” and played Benedick in “Much Ado About Nothing.” Currently, he serves as the director for Shakespeare in the Dark’s production of “As You Like It,” which will run Oct. 27-29.
Although Zane is a theater major now, he did not start out as one. Originally, he was on a premed track, but his plans turned upside down when he decided to direct “Gallathea” with Shakespeare in the Dark in the spring 2023 semester.
“I thought it’d be fun, and then I just had such an amazing time doing that,” Zane said.
Zane described how he discovered something akin to a calling.
“It was a relief,” he said. “It was really just the choice of I’d rather work till I die and do something fun, than have a lucrative career and do something that I would enjoy less. I think that I don’t really get scared very often, because even if I fail, I tried.”
Zane’s fascination with Shakespeare’s works began when he was six years old, when his dad handed him a copy of “Henry V.” Troughout his childhood, Zane attended the American Shakespeare Center theater camp and continued to delve into his passion for the playwright’s work. At the College, he remained an actor until directing “Gallathea.”
Now, as Zane directs “As You Like It,” he attempts to keep Shakespeare’s work fresh with a modern spin. “As You Like It” is a comedy that centers around Rosalind and Orlando, who fall in love at frst sight in classic Shakespearean fashion. However, the pair ends up knee-deep in complications, also in classic Shakespearean fashion. Originally, the events of the play occur within two worlds: the court and the forest. Zane wanted to change this in his production. Instead of the traditional settings, the characters in Shakespeare in the Dark’s interpretation travel between the roaring ’20s and 1950s suburbia. Zane explained that although the characters in the ’20s setting view the ’50s as positive — as a realization of the “American Dream”— the patriarchal overtones of that time indicate that it might not, in fact, be much better at all.
“I want people to think about the ways in
which we view progress,” Zane said. “Like the way that we view our past, and the way that we idealize periods of time that we wish we could go back to, when in reality there’s nothing that really makes them so great.”
Zane said his primary wish for the audience of “As You Like It” is that they have a good time. He highlighted theater’s ability to be a medium for telling great stories. Comparatively, he said that on television, the viewer is alienated from the story to an extent because of the screen and distance it brings.
Tere’s a level of bringing the audience into the world of the show that you can’t do in any other medium,” Zane said. “When it comes to efecting change or teaching people about experiences that they haven’t had, I don’t think there’s a better way to do that.”
Once rehearsals begin, Zane’s intended vision for a work remains top-of-mind. This being said, he makes sure to acknowledge how the play carries individual meaning for each student involved. Zane described an exercise he conducted before an off-book rehearsal for “King Lear.”
“I had everybody stand in a circle,” Zane said. “I said, ‘Close your eyes.’ I said, ‘I want you to think about why you are telling this story. Because I know you know why I’m telling it. You know why I want to be here. But every single one of you is telling a piece of this story. You have a place in it, and you have to fnd something about it that matters to you and use that.’”
For Zane, his job as director extends beyond setting the stage and into audience involvement. In his view, his job encompasses two roles.
Minimalist technical aspects form the foundation for Zane’s implementation of this immersiveness.
“We do things in the traditional style that Shakespeare would have,” Zane said. “Tey didn’t use lighting cues, they didn’t really use a set. What they had was universal lighting so the audience could see each other and the actors.”
Universal lighting also forms the foundation for allowing actors to interact directly with the audience. During Zane’s productions, actors might ask the audience questions or attempt to rally their support.
“I focus on bringing the audience into the world,” Zane said.
“Tell the story and create the art in the rehearsal room every day with the actors,” Zane said. “And then the other part is to pull all the diferent aspects of the production together to create one cohesive story.”
When talking about the actors and the people involved in the production, Zane’s primary goal with directing focuses on community.
“I want to create a safe and supportive environment for everybody where they can not only create something beautiful, but also have fun while they do it,” Zane said. “I want everyone to feel respected and valued and to have their voice heard.”
Along these lines, Zane noted how he adopts a
unique leadership approach in his creative process.
“I sort of have a philosophy where even though I’m as in charge as the director, I don’t like to give commands,” he said. “If there’s a thing I disagree with someone on, we basically talk about it until one of us changes their mind.”
Zane went on to discuss the importance of accessibility in “As You Like It.” He explained it can be achieved in multiple ways, including through his interpretation of the play.
“A lot of that process is thinking about the ways that it matters to modern society and to our audiences,” Zane said. “So just from there, we get a sense of what’s going to bring meaning to the people who are actually going to be in those seats.”
Reducing ticket prices for students, who are the target audience, is also important for increasing accessibility from Zane’s point of view. He identifed this efort as a response to a problem with how creators have sometimes approached theater.
“I think we also need to consider who we’re making theater for,” he said. “I think so much of Shakespeare and theater generally can be produced with the idea in mind that you’re making it for people who already love it, predominantly wealthier, more privileged people.”
Zane explained that exclusivity was never Shakespeare’s intention with his work.
“It’s very much born out of commoners and everyday people wanting to be entertained,” he said.
When working on the script itself, Zane’s frst step while working with actors on a given scene is paraphrasing, which involves having actors translate Shakespeare into modern English.
“If you go see a Shakespeare production and you don’t know what [the actors are] saying, it’s probably because the actors don’t know what they’re saying,” Zane said. “So that’s really where I start to make sure that the audience gets every piece of this story.”
According to Zane, the fact Shakespeare is oftentimes taught suboptimally in schools can also taint how people perceive Shakespeare in the long-term. However, whether it is through more afordable ticket prices, modernized versions of the script or simply just working to foster a good sense of community, Zane is looking forward to another opportunity to help the works of the great playwright become more liked at the College.
“I think that people really dislike Shakespeare because of the ways that they’ve experienced it,” Zane said. “And I hope that people will give Shakespeare a chance, whether it’s [“As You Like It”] or something else, because I think that the stories told are so timeless and beautiful.”
ALEX HALL // THE FLAT HAT
ELLA GREENE // THE FLAT HAT
COURTESY IMAGE / LINDSEY WALTERS
GRAPHIC BY BIANCA CABALLERO / THE FLAT HAT
sports
Saturday, Oct. 19, William and Mary men’s soccer (4-8-1, 2-3-1 CAA) tied conference rival Drexel (7-4-1, 3-2-1 CAA) at Vidas Field in Philadelphia. The draw snapped a three-game losing streak that saw the Tribe drop consecutive matches to Elon, Monmouth and North Carolina earlier this month.
to pick up some momentum and notch three conference points on the road after a tough 5-2 home loss to North Carolina on Tuesday. In the first half of October, the Tribe struggled to create opportunities, taking nine fewer shots on goal than its three opponents. Creating these opportunities would be key in the trip to Philadelphia, along with putting the brakes on a persistent Drexel offense that has averaged an impressive 13 shots per game thus far.
The Green and Gold headed into this matchup boasting a 16-6-2 all-time record against the Dragons. The two teams’ most recent meeting took place Sept. 30 of last year, when they tied 2-2 at Martin Family Stadium at Albert-Daly Field in Williamsburg, Va. Along with defeating Drexel 10 times at home, the Tribe previously logged five wins and five losses at Vidas Field. Going into Saturday’s match, the Tribe looked
WOMENʼS SOCCER
This offense was no different on Saturday, as Drexel’s attack came blazing out of the gates. The first test for sophomore goalkeeper Ryan Eapen came in the sixth minute, and while he made the save, Drexel’s relentless forward line would unleash seven more shots before the halftime whistle. Meanwhile, the Tribe failed to produce any offense of its own, unable to get a single shot off in the first 45 minutes.
However, the first half was also a testament to the strength of the Tribe defense and Eapen’s resilient performance in goal, as William and Mary held Drexel scoreless. While the Dragons created a dangerous chance in the eighth minute, William and Mary defenders were there just in time, clearing the ball. In addition, Eapen tacked on two more saves in the 35th and 42nd minutes, staying strong while Drexel made a final push for a first goal before halftime.
“I think our effort on the defensive end in order to prevent opportunities for their offense was key, including blocked shots, tracking back at pace and big tackles,” Eapen wrote to the Flat Hat. “Although we had a lot of key injuries for that game everyone played their role that they were assigned in order to keep us in the game.”
The Tribe finally got its offense going in the second half.
In the 57th minute, junior midfielder Diogo Branco took William and Mary’s first shot of the game. Sophomore midfielder Aidan Morrison kept the attack going with a shot on goal, but Drexel graduate student goalkeeper Alessandro Capogna made the save and kept the game scoreless. Then, junior forward Sam Delgado turned on the afterburners on attack. Shortly after his first shot of the game was blocked in the 67th minute, Delgado ran down a deflected Drexel pass in the left side of the box and rifled it home to give the Tribe a 1-0 lead. This brought Delgado to four goals on the season, leading the team in scoring this fall.
The Dragons responded by quickly taking back the attacking momentum, resuming its aggressive offensive play that pressured the William and Mary defense throughout the first half. However, the Tribe continued to give Drexel nothing on its side of the field, as the defense made two important blocks to support Eapen’s two major saves in the 69th and 84th minutes.
In the 90th minute, the Dragons won a free kick just 15 yards out from the top of the William and Mary penalty box. This 33-yard set piece, coming with only 40 seconds left on the clock, appeared to be Drexel’s last chance to even
the score. Drexel graduate student midfielder Patrick Short took the free kick, sending the ball into a tightly defended box for freshman forward Omar Jallow. The free kick was perfectly placed for Jallow, who leaped and headed the ball into the top right corner, tying the game as the time ran out.
While walking away with a draw was disappointing after such a hard-fought defensive battle for Eapen, the team’s allaround performance proved that the Tribe could compete and win at a high level.
“If we were to take anything from yesterday’s game it would be that if we remain aggressive offensively and defensively effort wise we can compete with great teams and we can get results,” Eapen wrote. “We just have to continue to learn how to close out close games and make winning plays when it matters most. We’ll take that lesson into our remaining conference games in [an] effort to make the tournament and hopefully compete for a championship.”
Eapen has made waves in his first season seeing action. He logged five saves in Saturday’s match, bringing his season-long total to 48, good for fifth in the Coastal Athletic Association this year. He also boasts a .762 save percentage this fall, ranking third in the CAA.
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Green and Gold trailed for 75 minutes of matchup after allowing goal in 15th minute Tribe gets shut out at home, loses 2-0 to CAA opponent Hofstra
Sunday, Sept. 20, William and Mary Women’s soccer (8-9, 3-6 CAA) lost to Hofstra (7-3-6, 3-5 CAA) 2-0 at Martin Family Stadium in Williamsburg, Va.
In the last 10 matchups against the Pride, the Tribe won three games, lost five times and tied twice. Two of the Green and Gold’s victories against Hofstra came in 2022 and 2023, following five years of losses or draws between 2017 and 2021.
Junior midfielder Millie Davies scored both goals for Hofstra. Recording 41 shots and four goals this season, Davies also earned a spot on the All-Coastal Athletic Association Championship Team
last season. Davies scored her goals against the Tribe within the first 15 minutes of the game, giving the Pride an early lead.
Despite this outcome, the Tribe managed to generate offensive opportunities, outshooting the Pride 9-5 in the first half and 7-0 in the second.
Senior forward Leah Iglesias, junior forward Ivey Crain and sophomore defender Molly Widderich recorded three shots each throughout the match. Although Iglesias attempted to put the Green and Gold on the scoreboard in the second minute, Hofstra freshman goalkeeper Synne Danielsen saved the ball at the bottom left corner of the net.
Danielsen also managed to save the Tribe’s second early shot of the game, which came off a corner kick from sophomore midfielder Lindsay Wilson in the ninth minute. Just under a minute later, the Green and
Gold rebounded with another corner kick and attempt from Widderich, which failed to convert.
The Pride responded to these efforts with a penalty kick in the 12th minute, which Davies took and successfully converted.
Just four minutes later, Davies scored Hofstra’s second goal of the game, receiving a pass from junior midfielder Aimee Hodgson, spinning and driving the ball into the net from 25 yards away.
Despite several Tribe substitutions and other attempts from Wilson, Iglesias, Crain, Widderich, sophomore midfielder Ava Lewis, junior midfielder/forward Alyssa Kenealy, freshman defender Kenley Campbell and senior midfielder Mia
Suchora, William and Mary failed to overcome Hofstra’s early lead. Defensively, the Pride outmatched the Green and Gold in saves 4-2. Sophomore goalkeeper Jazzy Lorenz managed to save the Pride’s first shot but was unsuccessful in saving the next in the 12th and 15th minutes of play. This defeat marked the Tribe’s penultimate matchup in its regular season. As of now, William and Mary ranks ninth in Coastal Athletic Association standings and has not secured a spot for the tournament. Sunday, Oct. 27, the Green and Gold looks to right the ship in its final game of regular season conference play against Towson (5-4-8, 3-2-3 CAA) at the Tiger Soccer Complex in Towson, Md.
and Mary
This season, William and Mary football fans have had a lot to smile about.
The Tribe — who are 5-2 overall and carry a respectable 2-1 record in Coastal Athletic Association play — has seen impressive performances from many of its players on game days thus far in 2024.
However, it’s hard to argue that any Green and Gold player has been more dominant on the field than junior cornerback Jalen Jones. As of Oct. 19, Jones currently ranks first nationally in passes defended in the Football Championship Subdivision.
To record a pass defense, a defensive player must cause a pass to be incomplete by making
contact with the ball, something Jones has done an incredible 14 times this year.
To put his dominance into perspective, Jones has three more pass defenses than the next highest defensive player in the FCS. On top of that, when looking at all Division I defensive players this season, Jones still has the most in the country: He leads as the top pass defender in the Football Bowl Subdivision by two while playing in one less game.
“A key thing that’s helped the most with my production so far this season has been my focus on the technical and minute details through my coaching and repetitions throughout practice,” Jones said. “Breaking offenses down into simple scenarios and becoming familiar with
opposing formations has made it a lot easier to anticipate what’s coming and helps me play a lot faster.”
On top of pass defenses, Jones has also played a pivotal role in other aspects of William and Mary’s defense. The Chesapeake native has secured two interceptions this season, recorded 26 total tackles and forced one fumble during the Green and Gold’s Oct. 19 35-28 victory against Campbell (2-5, 0-3 CAA). During the Tribe’s Sept. 7 loss to Coastal Carolina (4-2, 1-2 Sun Belt), Jones also recorded a single-game best eight tackles while breaking up two Chanticleer passes.
Despite his successes already, Jones shows no sign of slowing down.
“The mentality I’ve been carrying all season long has been one of continuous
improvement,” he said. “Every day, I ask myself, ‘How can I get better today?’ and being able to operate in this sense has not only led to my personal growth but has been infectious to my teammates as well.”
It is to no one’s surprise that Jones has turned into the player Tribe fans have seen this season. In his redshirt freshman year, Jones was a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award — which honors the national freshman of the year in the FCS — and placed eighth in voting. He also was named CAA Defensive Rookie of the Year and earned a spot on the All-CAA Second team.
Throughout his time at William and Mary, Jones largely credits his teammates for keeping him grounded during the highs and lows of his career.
“I think the support and encouragement from my teammates around me is a quick way to bounce back from any setbacks,” Jones said.
“Knowing that they will always have faith in me when some adversity is faced is always a great boost in confidence.”
On top of that, Jones explained that the highlights of his 2024 season have been reciprocating that support back to some of his new teammates.
“My favorite moments so far have to be any time the younger guys are able to get into the games and showcase their ability,” he said. “They cheer the starters on all the time, so when roles get to change, they get so much encouragement out of me when it’s their time.”
With five games left in the 2024 season, Jones and the
Green and Gold are determined to be the best team they can be week-in and week-out.
“My personal goal is to continue to produce and contribute to this team by being a significant leader and influence,” Jones said. “The team goal we have is the same every week, and that is to go 1-0 every Saturday. That’s been the basis since day one, and we will continue to stand by that.”
Oct. 26, The Tribe will travel to Stony Brook (5-2, 2-1 CAA) to take on the Seawolves at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium in Stony Brook, N.Y. If you’re a Tribe fan who can’t make the trip and are feeling down, just remember, your day could always be worse. You could be the receiver lined up against Jalen Jones on gameday.
MAX GRILL FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR
RICHARD CHILDRESS / THE FLAT HAT
After Sundayʼs loss, William and Mary drops to 3-6 and sits in seventh in CAA conference standings.
RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT
The Tribe has struggled on the road this year, going 2-4-1 in seven games away from Martin Family Stadium in Williamsburg.
sports
Tribe defeats Campbell 35-28 in thrilling Homecoming game
Senior running back Malachi Imoh rushes for 122 yards, records one TD
Saturday, Oct. 19, William and Mary football (5-2, 2-1 CAA) defeated Campbell (2-5, 0-3 CAA) 35-28 at Walter J. Zable Stadium in Williamsburg, Va.
Thousands of fans, students and alumni packed the stands in hope of seeing the Tribe claim a victory in its annual Homecoming game.
“I appreciate our students, the student section,” head coach Mike London said. “They’re loud, they’re engaged. I appreciate our fans who come back, the alumni, football alumni.”
The Tribe hoped to set the record straight this year, following last year’s 34-24 Homecoming loss to Towson.
The Green and Gold entered Saturday’s game after losing to Towson again this season.
However, the Tribe still possesses the third strongest rushing offense in the Football Championship Subdivision, starring a two-headed monster of senior running backs Bronson Yoder and Malachi Imoh.
Another Tribe standout player is junior cornerback Jalen Jones, who holds the most pass breakups in the FCS so far this season, totaling 14 in seven games.
“I’m just anticipating every play to come to my side, and when the play comes, I make a play, and I guess that’s why I’m leading right now,” Jones said.
Campbell also boasts strong offensive weapons with senior wide receiver Sincere Brown laying claim to the 12th most receiving yards per game in the FCS. Jones recognized the tough assignment he had guarding Brown, but emphasized the importance of relying on his experience and time spent preparing.
“I’ve messed up and made mistakes, and the receivers tend to go to those plays,” Jones said. “I’m seeing those plays over and over at safety and just try to correct the past.”
The game kicked off with clear skies overhead and a festive atmosphere among the crowd, with the Tribe winning the opening coin toss and electing to receive the first possession. Campbell redshirt freshman kicker Riley Sullivan booted the kickoff 65 yards for a touchback.
The first drive gave fans some classic Tribe football, with Yoder rushing five times out of shotgun formation for a total of 25 yards, including a 9-yard run to the left on the first play of the game. Now around midfield, senior quarterback Darius Wilson came up with a big throw down the middle on third and 11 to senior wide receiver JT Mayo, who caught the ball for another 18 yards deeper into Campbell territory.
It was Imoh who opened the scoring for the Tribe, finding an opening on the right side of Campbell’s defense and taking the ball all the way to the end zone on an electric 33-yard run. Senior kicker Eric Bernstein made sure to add the extra point for the Tribe on the point after touchdown.
The Tribe defense made light work of the Campbell offense on the next drive, forcing a three and out after only 5 yards gained. Campbell redshirt junior linebacker Logan Livermon drew a false start to add insult to injury, backing the punting unit up 5 yards.
The offense got off to another fast start on its second drive with an explosive 13-yard down the right by Imoh on second down. The Campbell defense stepped up on the next few plays, breaking up a pass and forcing Wilson to scramble for a short gain. Luckily for the Tribe, senior kicker Anderson Ruben drew
a roughing the punter penalty after taking a big shot to the leg after his punt, keeping the offense on the field. This gave the Green and Gold its second wind, with Yoder rushing 18 yards down the middle on second down and senior wide receiver DreSean Kendrick hauling in a 14-yard catch to bring the offense to the Campbell 10-yard line. Yoder then punched his way down all the way to the 2-yard line before Wilson scattered the defense and walked in on a crucial fourth and 1 touchdown. The Green and Gold defense came back on the field with energy and physicality built by its first drive performance. This led to huge tackles by senior linebacker Quinn Osborne and senior defensive end Mike Malone that forced a third and 7. This defensive spark quickly faded as Campbell’s offense, led by sophomore quarterback Chad Mascoe Jr., kicked into high gear with tough grabs on consecutive deep completions to Brown and redshirt sophomore wide receiver VJ Wilkins. Wilkins went for a 35-yard touchdown to bring the game within one score, and tension on the field emerged. The first quarter came to an end with the Camels stepping up on defense, forcing a Tribe three and out with a sack on Wilson.
Campbell’s offense opened the second quarter with a designed quarterback run by Mascoe that was good for 9 yards, ending with a big hit from William and Mary freshman defensive back TJ McGill. McGill was called for targeting on this hit, ejecting him from the remainder of the game and moving the offense up 15 yards. The Camels showed their depth at the quarterback position with another 14-yard rush to the left by redshirt senior quarterback Mike Chandler II. However, Jones forced a Chandler fumble on the very next play. Senior linebacker Jonathan Hammond pounced on the loose ball, putting the ball back in the hands of the offense.
This drive was also cut short, this time by the Camels defense. Redshirt freshman cornerback Malik Willis caught his first interception of his college career by jumping in front of a Wilson pass to Kendrick.
Although sophomore linebacker Christian Hamm came up with a massive 8-yard sack on the first play of the Camels’ drive, the Tribe defense remained unfazed. The Campbell offense once again quickly snapped back with two huge passing plays to bring them all the way down to the Tribe’s 16-yard line, putting the Green and Gold’s lead in doubt. But the tides once again changed, with the Tribe’s defensive star coming up big. Jones followed his assignment perfectly, breaking up a pass in the end zone with the ball falling into the arms of freshman defensive back Jaden Ratliff for Mascoe’s first interception on the day.
The Green and Gold offense capitalized on the big defensive play with senior quarterback Darius Wilson immediately collecting another first down off a 10-yard rush. William and Mary kept it on the ground with a powerful run by Yoder that went for 30 yards. The Tribe continued with the game plan, and Wilson went for 17 yards down the left. The Camels continued to be overpowered by run game, driving all the way down the field before Wilson threw up a short pass left, where a leaping Mayo collected the six points for the Tribe and extended its lead to 21-7.
The Camels put together an impressive four-minute drive to end the first half, finding most of their success through the air once again with more long catches by Brown (21 yards) and freshman wide receiver Randall King (19 yards). Mascoe found Wilkins on a short 2-yard pass to secure another touchdown late, leaving the Tribe with a 21-14 lead at the half.
Campbell received the ball to start the second half. The Camels offense appeared poised to pick up where they left off before the break, with Mascoe’s first throw of the half going 13 yards over the middle to sophomore tight end Aiden Valdez. Campbell methodically dissected the Tribe defense, with freshman running back JJ Cowan delivering a powerful run down the middle for a 22-yard play well into Tribe territory. Mascoe and Brown would follow it up a few plays later on thirdand-9 with a drive-saving 16-yard completion. Mascoe capped it off on another third down sweep right to Cowan, taking the Camels back to the end zone to tie the game at 21-21.
The Tribe offense looked ready to keep its run game going in its first possession of the half, starting off with another fierce Imoh run down the middle for a 22-yard gain. The Green and Gold continued down the field, picking up short gains along the way before a personal foul on senior offensive linebacker Charles Grant and a holding call on sophomore offensive linebacker Kadin Lynch moved the sticks a whopping 25 yards back. This forced the Tribe to settle for a field goal attempt on fourth and 18. The kick was no good as soon as it left
Bernstein’s boot, keeping the scores level with just under five minutes remaining in the quarter.
The next drive was all Tribe defense, with Mascoe only making it 3 yards forward, including 2 yards on third down before a powerful hit by senior linebacker Alex Washington forced him out of bounds. Campbell found solace on a 52-yard punt by graduate student punter/kicker Jack Brady, setting up the Tribe’s next possession all the way back at its own 2-yard line with a great bounce.
The Tribe’s next drive started off with an immediate punch when Wilson pitched the ball to Imoh for yet another powerful run to the right. The third quarter concluded with the Tribe earning a 15-yard gain off of a personal foul, putting them in the offensive half to start the final stretch.
It did not take long in the fourth quarter for the Tribe to rush back into the end zone, with Yoder bringing home multiple runs by Imoh and Wilson. Yoder broke multiple tackles for a six-yard touchdown just over one and a half minutes into the quarter, putting the Green and Gold back on top at 28-21.
The Tribe defense stifled the Camels on the following drive, forcing a three-and-out after having Mascoe on the run for just over a minute.
Wilson immediately took the game back over at the Tribe 31, launching a deep ball to a wide open Imoh, good for 41 yards. The drive was nearly quelled by the Campbell defense, but Mayo drew a pass interference call on graduate student cornerback Keevan Bailey. The Tribe would once again muscle forward for a few runs before Wilson found Mathis in the end zone off a short pass down the middle, giving insurance to its lead, now two scores at 35-21.
Victory was in sight for the Tribe at this point, with a seemingly promising Campbell drive stopped well short of the end zone on a turnover on downs. Jones came up with yet another clutch pass break up, this time against graduate student wide receiver Brandon Fitez.
However, the Campbell defense dug deep on their next attempt, forcing a rare Yoder fumble on his own 36-yard line. An unsportsmanlike conduct call on senior linebacker Jalen Brooks hampered the play after the whistle, backing the offense up 15 yards.
Campbell started their final offensive drive with just under 3 minutes, 50 seconds left, using all their weapons to rush and catch their way down the field, including 15 and 12-yard gains by Cowan. Mascoe finished the drive off with a final touchdown toss to Brown from the 11-yard line, narrowing the Tribe’s lead to 35-28.
Sullivan attempted an onside kick, though it rolled 9 yards before benignly bouncing out of bounds.
The Tribe then killed the clock by running the ball. Yoder earned a final first down, allowing the victory formation to be rolled out.
The Tribe finished with a net total of 464 yards on the day, compared to Campbell’s 423. All 355 of the Green and Gold’s yards came from the run game, which continues to impress friend and foe alike. Yoder added another 131 yards to his season total, along with another touchdown. Imoh punched in 122 yards and a touchdown on only 12 attempts, averaging 10.2 yards per carry.
Imoh reflected on his performance after the game.
“I can’t do what I do if it’s not for the offensive line up front, and they played great all game, making huge holes,” Imoh said. “Then, it was my job too, when I have those one-on-one opportunities in space or the ability to make someone miss or run past someone.”
Wilson added 95 passing yards and two passing touchdowns, going 10-16 and recording a 63% completion rate. Mascoe also impressed, going for 320 yards on 30-39 passing and posting four touchdowns and a 77% completion rate.
On the defensive side, Osborne led the team in tackles with eight. Hamm and redshirt freshman defensive end Breyden Byrd picked up a sack each. Jones once again impressed, totaling three pass break ups, the defining moment leading to Ratliff’s interception.
London spoke on the victory and adversity the Tribe faced along the way.
“You just got to keep going one-on-one against your guy,” London said. “There’s a bend, but don’t break mentality.”
The Tribe hopes to stay in the win column next week when it travels to Stony Brook (5-2, 2-1 CAA) to
