Vol. 107, Iss. 20 | Tuesday, October 24, 2017
STUDENT LIFE
The Flat Hat The Weekly Student Newspaper
Flathatnews.com | Follow us:
of The College of William and Mary
BUILDING A CASE FOR MENTAL HEALTH Law students describe insular, competitive community, allege Student Health Center mishandled screening data MEILAN SOLLY // FLAT HAT CHIEF STAFF WRITER
D
uring her first year at the College of William and Mary’s Marshall-Wythe School of Law, Rachel* J.D. ’19 (* indicates name changed to protect privacy) had frequent panic attacks that left her lying on the floor of her room, paralyzed by anxiety. She coped by holding “cry confession” sessions with a fellow law student, as well as confiding in her parents and getting involved with a local church, but never sought professional counseling. Ryan Walkenhorst J.D. ’19 experienced mental health issues when she was prescribed an antibiotic with powerful side effects, including suicide ideation and depressive symptoms, earlier this year. The Student Health Center referred Walkenhorst to the Counseling Center, but after an initial consultation, she learned that her treatment needs fell outside of the center’s scope. The center offered to refer Walkenhorst to an outside provider, but because she was still on her parents’ insurance and did not want them to know she was seeking counseling, she declined. Carina Sudarsky-Gleiser, interim director of the Counseling Center, said in an email that the center’s mental health services coordinator can connect students in similar situations with therapists who offer a sliding fee scale or free community resources. Lucy* J.D. ’19 said she never struggled with mental health prior to law school. Earlier this semester, however, self-doubt and constant pressure exacerbated the depressive thoughts that had cropped up during her first year in law school. A professor advised Lucy to speak with a law school dean regarding her mental health, and the dean encouraged her to seek professional treatment. Lucy said she plans to visit the Counseling Center during the coming weeks. According to multiple students at the College, the Darwinian, anxiety-inducing law school of popular imagination isn’t far from the truth: several sources described a small, close-knit yet cutthroat community — just over 600 students attend the College’s law school — where one’s classmates are perceived as the competition and professional treatment seems less accessible than alcohol, drugs and similarly unhealthy coping mechanisms. Other students acknowledged the competitive nature of law school but said the College offers a welcoming, supportive environment. It’s no secret that law students face constant academic, career and social stress — coupled with a high incidence of substance abuse and mental health issues. In 2014, a nationwide survey of 15 top law schools found that roughly a quarter to one-third of respondents reported frequent binge drinking, misuse of drugs and/or mental health challenges. These issues are often compounded by unwillingness to seek professional support. Out of the 42 percent of survey respondents who indicated they had thought about finding help for mental health issues over the past year, only half had actually sought counseling. Discouraging factors included perceived threat to academic or job status, social stigma and potential impact on bar admission.
Two students at the College said these concerns are further intensified by the perception of law students as perennially stressed out individuals — a stereotype that both students claim led the Student Health Center to dismiss their symptoms of mental illness. During the 2016-17 academic year, Rachel and Lucy visited the center for reasons unrelated to mental health. Last December, while Rachel was waiting for a prescription, she filled out the PHQ-2, a two-question screening tool that identifies individuals who may be at risk for depression. The center asks all patients to fill out the PHQ-2, but students are free to decline. Respondents rate their interest/pleasure in doing things and feelings of depression or hopelessness over the past two weeks on a scale of zero (not at all) to three (nearly every day). A score of two or higher is considered “abnormal” and may warrant further treatment. Rachel said she filled out the PHQ-2 honestly, reporting strong feelings of depression and hopelessness. When the nurse saw the high score, she allegedly asked Rachel what graduate program she was in. “I was like, ‘Oh, I’m a law student,’” Rachel said. “And then she just took [the test] and ripped it off and said, ‘We don’t accept your data. We don’t accept your questionnaires because you skew our data, because you all put that.’” Lucy had a similar encounter with the Student Health Center this March. She was about to depart for spring break and needed to pick up medication to treat a fever. Like Rachel, Lucy filled out the PHQ-2 and received a high score. According to Lucy, when she identified herself as a law student, the nurse chuckled and said the center usually didn’t pay much attention to law students’ screenings. The nurse also told Lucy that the center didn’t keep these screenings because they skewed the data — the overall message, Lucy said, was that law students are and always will be stressed out due to the intrinsic pressures of law school. Student Health Center Director Virginia D. Wells denied the allegations, saying, “[They are] categorically not true.” Wells said the center does not keep an aggregate data pool similar to the one referenced in the allegations. She said that clinicians instead personally address abnormal test results with patients, perhaps by referring them to the Counseling Center or identifying responses as everyday stress rather than a diagnosable mental illness, before filing screenings in individual medical records. All PHQ-2 results, however, are recorded for quality improvement purposes. Wells periodically reviews a list of results, which are coded as normal or abnormal, to ensure that every case has been properly addressed. If she sees an abnormal screening without a recorded follow-up, she intercedes. PHQ-2 results are not grouped beyond See LAW page 3
MEILAN SOLLY / THE FLAT HAT
CRIME
Police make arrest, charge Stephen Powers with terrorism for Thursday’s explosion
Gloucester resident arrested for improvised explosive device that detonated near Berret’s Seafood Oct. 19 at 5 p.m.
Police arrested Stephen Powers, a 30-year old resident of Gloucester County, Oct. 20 and charged him with setting off an improvised explosive device in the parking lot adjacent to Berret’s Seafood. The IED detonated Thursday, Oct. 19 at approximately 5 p.m. The Williamsburg Police Department got a call then about a vehicle fire near the corner of South Boundary and Francis streets. After investigating, the WPD determined that the detonation was the result of an improvised explosive device. Once police arrived on-scene, they also confirmed that no one was hurt by the explosion. On Friday, Powers was arrested at his home in Gloucester and was charged with possessing and using an explosive device and committing an act of terrorism, according to Williamsburg Police. The investigation was the joint work of the WPD, the Williamsburg Fire Department, Colonial Williamsburg Public Safety, the Newport News Police Department, Virginia State
Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. “I would personally like to thank all the local, state and federal law enforcement partners who worked around the clock to quickly apprehend a potentially dangerous member of the community,” Williamsburg Police Chief Sean Dunn said in a pres statement.
“
Today’s Weather
Index Profile News Opinions Variety Sports
I would personally like to thank all the local, state and federal law enforcement partners who worked around the clock to quickly apprehend a potentially dangerous member of the community. Williamsburg Police Chief Sean Dunn
“
SARAH SMITH FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR
On Friday morning, College of William and Mary Police Department Chief Deb Cheesebro sent out a campus-wide email explaining the high police presence in the area and reassuring students that there was no ongoing threat.
“Last night, there was an explosive device discovered off-campus in a Colonial Williamsburg parking lot at Francis and [South] Boundary Streets,” Cheesebro said in the email. “The report was made to Williamsburg Police around 5 p.m. No injuries have been reported … William & Mary Police were on-scene last night and we continue to follow this closely but again, see no ongoing threat to campus.” The section of Francis Street between South Boundary Street and South Henry Street remained closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic on Friday, and other schools in the City of Williamsburg were placed on alert following Thursday’s explosion. The streets surrounding the explosion were reopened 6 p.m. Friday. Matthew Whaley Elementary School went into a soft lockdown Friday morning when a passerby reported a possible explosive device in a vehicle near the school, according to WPD Major Greg Riley. The soft lockdown began at 10:15 a.m. and ended at 11:25 a.m. During this time, no staff or students were allowed to leave the building and the doors were locked. When police concluded their investigation, they determined there was
Inside Sports
Inside Opinions
The failings of emergency notification
2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10
Rainy, High 78, Low 52
no threat and that the reported device was three propane tanks for cooking. Cheesebro sent emails alerting students to the incident at Matthew Whaley, and also sent out an email when the Williamsburg Police Department announced the arrest of Powers, Oct. 20 at 10:43 p.m. Cheesebro’s first email came almost 17 hours after the reported explosion, but an emergency notification at the time of the detonation was not mandated by the Clery Act, the consumer protection law that requires colleges to report and log information about crime. For offcampus crimes that occur close to on-campus property, campus officials must evaluate if there is a serious or ongoing threat to determine if a timely warning needs to be issued. Thursday night’s explosion, which is a crime covered by the Clery Act, occurred off-campus but on property adjacent to campus, falls into this category of crime. According to Cheesebro’s email sent at 9:23 a.m. Oct. 20, campus officials determined that the explosion did not pose an ongoing threat to campus.
Kate Donati ’20 discusses the faults of the William and Mary emergency notification system in communicating threats to students, whether on or off of campus. page 5
William and Mary falls 46-14 to Dukes William and Mary lost to CAA foe James Madison during its homecoming matchup, scoring both of its touchdowns in the fourth quarter. page 10
newsinsight “ Now it’s easier than ever to stay upto-date on all on-campus news.
The Flat Hat
“
Following The Flat Hat?
News Editor Nia Kitchin News Editor Sarah Smith fhnews@gmail.com | Tuesday, October 24, 2017 | Page 2
THE BUZZ
I hear people make jokes, daily, either wishing they were dead or telling me that they literally sometimes think about how much easier it would be to not be alive anymore. It’s multiple people, multiple digits, and I don’t think the school realizes that. Or, if they do, they purposefully put their head in the sand about it.
— Ryan Walkenhorst J.D. ’19 about the state of mental health resources for students at the Marshall-Wythe School of Law
From The Review to The New Yorker
The Flat Hat
Music critic Amanda Petrusich ’00 talks about writing as solace Page 2 Spotlight
@theflathat
@theflathat
theflatchat A THOUSAND WORDS
SEBASTIAN YE / THE FLAT HAT
CORRECTIONS The Flat Hat wishes to correct any fact printed incorrectly. Corrections may be submitted in email to the editor of the section in which the incorrect information was printed. Requests for corrections will be accepted at any time.
The Flat Hat ‘STABILITAS ET FIDES’ | ESTABLISHED OCT. 3, 1911
25 Campus Center, The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Va. 23185 Editor flathat.editor@gmail.com Managing flathat.managing@gmail.com Executive flathat.executive@gmail.com News fhnews@gmail.com Sports flathatsports@gmail.com
Copy flathatcopy@gmail.com Opinions fhopinions@gmail.com Variety flathat.variety@gmail.com Photos flathatphotos@gmail.com Online flathatonline@gmail.com
Isabel Larroca Editor-in-Chief Emily Chaumont Managing Editor Sarah Ruiz Executive Editor Iris Hyon Digital Media Editor Amelia Lucas Digital Media Editor
Nia Kitchin News Editor Sarah Smith News Editor Heather Baier Variety Editor Akemi Tamanaha Variety Editor Alyssa Grzesiak Sports Editor Chris Travis Sports Editor Meilan Solly Chief Staff Writer Kyra Solomon Photos Editor
Madeline Monroe Assoc. News Editor Caroline Nutter Assoc. News Editor Noah Petersen Assoc. News Editor Rick Stevenson Assoc. Variety Editor Josh Luckenbaugh Assoc. Sports Editor Kevin Richeson Assoc. Sports Editor Abby Graham Blogs Editor Jae Cho Graphics Editor
Brendan Doyle Opinions Editor Kiana Espinoza Opinions Editor Lauren Bavis Copy Chief Kate Sandberg Copy Chief Rachel Wilmans Copy Chief Siobhan Doherty Online Editor Peter Eckel Online Editor Moises Romero Business Manager
Julia Dalzell Copy Editor Michaela Flemming Copy Editor Angela Rose West Copy Editor Alex Neumann Copy Editor Oliver Shen Assoc. Business Manager Katie Wang Assoc. Financial Manager Talia Wiener Social Media Editor Sam Dreith Operations Coordinator
Picturing a conventional music critic might conjure the image of a smug hipster, clacking away at a keyboard, smirking as they give scathing reviews about popular music to prove a point. If the review was written by Amanda Petrusich ’00, that is far from the truth. Her writing is empathetic; it’s funny; it makes bold pronouncements about culture yet takes time to delight in the details, whether a songwriter’s turn of phrase or a singer’s impassioned voice. These days, she’s a staff writer for The New Yorker. However, long before she wrote pieces like “The Redeeming Virtues of a Phish Concert in New York,” she was a freshman attending her first Phish concert at the Hampton Coliseum and writing film reviews for The Flat Hat. “I love writing, and this was something that started for me at William and Mary,” Petrusich said. “My favorite part of my day is when I get to sit down and reason through what I think about something or make sense of the world around me via writing. It’s so calming — it’s like a weird period of solace. If I had a crappy day or someone was terrible to me, all that disappears when I’m in the document, or I’m in the song, or I’m in the piece.” Petrusich grew up in Hudson Valley, New York, the child of two public school teachers. When it came time to go to college, she yearned to get out of the Northeast and go somewhere different. For Petrusich, that was Williamsburg, Virginia. “I was attracted to the history of the place,” Petrusich said. “It felt ghostly and evocative and lovely, and the old campus was so beautiful, and I wanted to study literature and writing, and it seemed like a perfect place to do that.” To her, the lack of a bustling city life in Williamsburg was a selling point. It allowed the campus itself to become a place for strange and interesting experiences. “I remember sitting on the steps of Tucker, chain-smoking, being sort of angsty and young and reading all these poets for the first time and feeling like I was part of a tradition of writers and thinkers and readers,” Petrusich said. Petrusich’s undergraduate experience is still vivid in her mind: the modernist poetry survey with professor Henry Hart, the creative writing workshops with professor Nancy Schoenberger, the film studies classes with professor Arthur Knight. These courses changed the way she thought about writing. However, what proved to be the most influential towards her future career was the creative nonfiction class she took with Sam Kashner, the College’s writer-inresidence at the time. “I used to think there was fiction, there was poetry, there was journalism and there was academic writing,” Petrusich said. “I didn’t know that you could write about culture, or write about your life or write about things that were true in a way that borrowed from traditions of fiction or traditions of poetry.”
POLICE BEAT
LEONOR GRAVE // FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER When she wasn’t writing for class, Petrusich was immersed in campus publications. She joined the fiction staff of The William and Mary Review as a freshman; she later became fiction editor, then editor-in-chief. “I couldn’t believe that it was a thing that I got to do,” Petrusich said. “We would sit in this room in the Campus Center, and writers from all over the world would send stories to the Review for consideration. I couldn’t believe I got to be a part of making those decisions.”
“
I love writing, and this was something that started for me at William and Mary. My favorite part of my day is when I think about something or make sense of the world around me via writing. It’s so calming — it’s like a weird period of solace. — Music
critic Amanda Petrusich ’00
Her first review in The Flat Hat — and her first byline as a critic — was a lessthan-favorable write-up of “The Cell,” a psychological thriller starring Jennifer Lopez and Vince Vaughn. Her undergraduate years were spent reveling in new discoveries, from her first forays into writing about movies to the exploration of the jam band culture that dominated the campus music scene. “William and Mary, at least for me, was a strange transitional period between being a kid and being a whole person alive in the world,” Petrusich said. “I made a lot of mistakes, and I thought I liked things that I didn’t like, and then I liked new things. It was a constant process of destruction and then reinvention.” She’s grateful to have had that time, she said, and to have had it in a place like the College. After she graduated with a degree in English and film studies in the winter of 2000, she interned at Rolling Stone magazine. After Rolling Stone, she got her
MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University. She hasn’t stopped writing about music since. Her love for music and for the people who dedicate their lives to it pulses in everything she’s ever written, from her three books — “Pink Moon,” “It Still Moves: Lost Songs, Lost Highways, and the Search for the Next American Music” and “Do Not Sell at Any Price: The Wild, Obsessive Hunt for the World’s Rarest 78rpm Records” — to her music journalism, which can be found in publications like The New York Times, Pitchfork and Paste. It’s also something she endeavors to pass on to her students in the first-year writing seminar she teaches at NYU’s Gallatin School. “I’m always pushing to extrapolate some bigger narrative from art,” Petrusich said. “So if it’s a record, it’s, ‘What does this record say about its cultural moment, or what does it say about the human experience, or what does it say about what it means to be in love, or what does it say about what it means to be rejected by someone you love?’” After almost two decades as a music journalist, she’s gotten the chance to search for these narratives among some of the world’s greatest musicians. A standout moment to Petrusich was when she interviewed a hero of hers, Lou Reed of the Velvet Underground. “He’s famously cantankerous,” Petrusich said. “But he was very kind to me.” That’s not always the case. “Sometimes you meet artists and you’re like, ‘Wow, what an a—hole,” Petrusich said. She hesitated before admitting that Grammy-winning musician St. Vincent, someone who she admires immensely as an artist, was an “endlessly confounding” interview. “She’s just so mindful and careful in what she’s saying,” Petrusich said. “You get a sense that you’re a cog in the machine. She’s got every right to do that, and she’s very smart, but she’s using the press in a certain way that she’s in charge of. People like that are really tough because you just feel like you’re cracking a safe.” Although she admits that sneaking feelings of impostor syndrome never quite go away, Petrusich learned to trust her gut. “That’s the thing as journalists — we’re always navigating how much time you’ll actually get to spend with someone before you have to go home and start to make these pronouncements about who they are and why their work matters,” Petrusich said. “Trusting yourself, trusting your instinctive reactions to things, as a critic, that’s the most important thing to have. … Readers respond to a writer being honest and forthcoming with how she feels about something.” It took years of building confidence as a writer before she felt comfortable making those pronouncements. Yet when Petrusich talks about her work, it’s clear: the bigger story is what’s worth writing about.
Oct. 19 - 22 1
Thursday, October 19 — The use of multiple, miscellaneous drugs was reported on York Street.
2
Thursday, October 19 — A weapons law violation and bombings were reported on West Duke of Gloucester Street.
3
Friday, October 20 — Patrick James White was arrested for use of profane language and being drunk in public on Indian Springs Road.
4
Sunday, October 22 — Nicole Marie Petzer was arrested for use of profane language and being drunk in public on Lafayette Street.
The Flat Hat
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Page 3
WILLIAMSBURG
City officials plan to roll out parking changes 2016 survey highlights need for downtown fees, enforcement officers
KARINA VIZZONI THE FLAT HAT
The City of Williamsburg issued a release Oct. 19 detailing plans to implement a new parking plan for the downtown area. The City will move forward with the first phase of its plan immediately to address parking shortages. As a prime destination for both travelers and students at the College of William and Mary, downtown Williamsburg must accommodate many people. According to a 2016 study conducted by Walker Parking Consultants, however, the area has an inadequate number of available parking spaces in highly frequented spots. The survey suggested nine recommendations to alleviate this parking problem. The Williamsburg City Council plans to execute them in phases over the course of approximately four years. The plan will only impact the downtown Williamsburg area. One proposed solution is increased parking enforcement. The council anticipates that this will lead to better monitoring of spaces. “The benefit to increased public parking
enforcement is that students and employees using public parking will enjoy greater convenience as more spaces are available more frequently,” Assistant City Manager Andrew Trivette said in an email. Trivette cited the success of similar parking changes in other cities, such as San Francisco, where the improved turnover of spaces resulting from similar policies has corresponded to more shoppers and higher revenues for the businesses in the area. The other recommendations that City staff members will begin to implement include creating shared parking agreements for private lots, consolidating management of the parking system, increasing parking fines, adding parking enforcement staff, using electronic citations methods, providing a payment application, utilizing a parking facility maintenance fund and creating a safety escort program. These initiatives will be implemented in phases. According to Trivette, the Williamsburg community hopes to experience a comparable boost in prosperity for local businesses, many of which are concentrated in the downtown area. By promoting an influx of visitors and shoppers, the council remains optimistic that it can contribute to the growth of downtown
retailers. The year one phase of the plan includes implementing sensors that will be used to monitor parking in timed areas. The sensors will be connected to an application that allows users to view parking availability. During this phase, no changes will be made to the cost of parking downtown. Plans for year two include, if necessary, flipping fees so that visitors pay for on-street rather than off-street parking. This change will force visitors to pay for the more convenient parking spots. With this, the City would start charging $1 per hour for onstreet parking. “Parking in the City’s downtown area has been a concern since the mid-1990’s,” City Communications Specialist Lee Ann Hartmann said in a press release. “A consultant driven review was completed in 1995 and a subsequent staff review [was completed] in 2002. In 2016, the City contracted with Walker Parking Consultants to complete a thorough review of parking in the downtown area.” If after year two there are still issues with parking, the City Council could choose to increase rates in high demand spaces and
decrease rates in low demand spaces. According to Hartmann, this system would allow those who want door-front parking to find spots, but would also provide bargain spots for long-term parkers. Some students who rely on cars as their primary means of transportation said they are concerned the downtown changes will affect their own parking situation. Many students report facing challenges with not only on-campus parking, but also off-campus parking, particularly near their residences. “If Williamsburg is limiting its options even further, then that’s making it even harder for students to find parking anywhere,” Annalise Ajmani ’18 said. Trivette said that he remains positive regarding the public response to the plan and speed with which changes will improve the current parking situation. “I feel it will be positive given the lack of dependence on paid parking changes,” Trivette said in an email. “I am optimistic that the year 1 strategies will be sufficient to provide the experience we are striving for with our parking system. … That is a very positive parking program.”
STUDENT LIFE
Real Estate Foundation, Hillel propose designs for building Construction on Shenkman Jewish Student Center set for completion by fall 2018 SARAH GREENBERG THE FLAT HAT
Construction of the Shenkman Jewish Center has advanced to the next phase following the William and Mary Real Estate Foundation’s submission of plans for the City of Williamsburg’s review. The plans have already been examined by the City’s planning commission but require further review by the City Council before the College of William and Mary can move forward with construction. The Center is intended to serve as a gathering place for the College’s Jewish community and will house a meeting room, a study lounge, a kosher kitchen and a Sukkah, a hut used for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. Construction is expected to last for the next year. The Shenkman Jewish Center is named after donors Mark and Rosalind Shenkman, who gave the College a seven-figure donation to fund its construction. The plan was developed by the Real Estate Foundation and Hillel, the College’s most prominent Jewish organization, with input from the Shenkmans. The Real Estate Foundation will own the building, but rental spaces will be available for community use. The City’s Planning Commission, which is responsible for evaluating the logistical elements of proposed construction projects regarding land use, reviewed the plans prior to their submission to the City Council. Typically, the Planning Commission votes on the feasibility of building applications such as the one for the future Shenkman Jewish Center and submits its recommendation to the City Council, which takes the commission’s suggestions into account when making a final decision at the November City Council meeting.
However, three planning commission members employed by the College recused themselves from the vote to avoid a conflict of interest. This action prevented the commission from reaching quorum and from making a formal recommendation to the City Council. Still, the remaining two commission members voiced their support for the Center’s construction. “The Center will be a welcome contribution to the streetscape of Jamestown Road as a permanent, visible sign of the significant community of Jewish students at the College,” Planning Commission member Jeffrey Klee said. City Council member Benming Zhang ’16 expressed similar sentiments regarding the addition of the Shenkman Center to the Williamsburg community. “I know that the College administration had been eager for some time to move forward with providing a welcoming space for the College’s Jewish students and all those interested in exploring and observing the Jewish faith,” Zhang said. “The proposed development falls right in line with both the City’s aspiration and commitment to being an inclusive, welcoming community for all of our residents.” Other potential uses for the Center include hosting events for religious holidays, group discussions and social gatherings. These events, typically hosted by Hillel, are currently held in various meeting spaces and conference rooms on campus. Although the lack of a designated meeting space currently does not prevent Hillel from hosting events, it does limit the group’s ability to celebrate certain Jewish holidays. “It’s frustrating because there’s not a good space for everything,”
Hillel President Alexina Haefner ’19 said. “The [Sadler Center’s] James room doesn’t really lend itself to a nice dinner atmosphere, and we can’t really light candles, which is a big part of a lot of Jewish holidays.” Haefner said she was dismayed over the College’s lack of a designated Jewish center or Hillel house, two fixtures found at universities such as the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech. The Shenkman Center is set to include a kosher kitchen, which will significantly improve the Jewish community’s accessibility to kosher foods. According to Haefner, Williamsburg’s kosher dining options are limited, so Hillel members often have to travel to Norfolk or Newport News to obtain kosher food for their events. Haefner said she believes the erection of a Jewish student center on campus will have a positive impact on the College. “It is just such a big symbol of the strength of a Jewish community on campus,” Haefner said. “There are students that I still meet that had no idea that there was a Jewish group on campus, or that there was any kind of community on campus, so having a building that clearly [shows] there is a Jewish community on campus, that there is a place to go, [makes a difference].” Mark Shenkman also said the Center will develop the College’s Jewish community by attracting more Jewish students to apply to the school and become involved in campus organizations such as Hillel. “In my view, the Center will help attract talented Jewish students who might not have ever considered applying to William & Mary, which could lead to a larger pool of applicants for the school,” Shenkman said in a press statement.
Two law students claim Student Health Center discarded depression screening results Center Director Virginia Wells calls allegations ‘categorically not true,’ says ripping up medical records ‘would never happen’ LAW from page 1
normal versus abnormal, as they are used to assess the Student Health Center as a healthcare provider rather than track the incidence of mental health issues amongst respondents. Wells repeatedly dismissed the allegations, alternatively describing them as an exaggeration, an outlier of everybody else’s experiences and the equivalent of ripping up a medical record, which “would never happen.” She said that law students are sensitive to issues surrounding mental health, particularly because of a question on the bar exam that asks respondents to disclose prior treatment for such issues, and may be reluctant to seek professional counseling or even fill out a screening tool such as the PHQ-2. “We tell law students it’s OK, that seeking services has never kept them from taking the bar,” Wells said. “[They are] unduly paranoid.” Wells declined to offer suggestions for law student-focused initiatives because she said the group is “not a unique population,” and its members are free to utilize the same resources available to all students at the College. Both Lucy and Rachel said that by the end of their respective appointments, they had not received a referral to the Counseling Center or information regarding additional mental health resources. Rachel did not seek professional counseling following her visit to the Student Health Center. “I didn’t go to the Counseling Center,” Rachel said, “mostly because … my thought was, ‘You don’t know me and you didn’t care, so I’m going to walk away.’ I guess if they had offered it I might have talked to them.” Lucy said that if the Student Health Center had referred her to the Counseling Center, she would have made an appointment. “I have friends who legitimately want to kill
themselves or just want to die,” Lucy said. “And I mean, that’s not me in a big regard, although I have had those thoughts, but if one of my weaker friends had gone to the Student Health Center and that had happened to them, I’m not sure what would’ve happened after that. You know what I mean? I wish that they could be a little bit more empathetic to law students.” Rachel, Lucy and Walkenhorst said mental health issues — and related law student stereotypes — are prevalent amongst their peers due to the high-pressure, competitive nature of law school. “[The school] says, ‘Oh, these are your colleagues,’” Rachel said. “Then they explain how [grading works], and it’s all a competition. … It’s one of those things that if you let it get in your head, it’s not worth it, so I try to do things outside of the law school.” At the College, grades are allocated according to a specified distribution curve (only 10 percent of students might earn an A, for example, while 20 percent earn an A-, 35 percent a B+, 20 percent a B and 15 percent a B- or lower). This practice is common amongst law schools, although institutions including Harvard University and Yale University have moved away from the curve, instead opting for pass-fail or alternative grading systems. Rachel, Lucy and Walkenhorst all said the curve fosters an ultra-competitive environment. As Lucy explained, when students take an exam, their goal is to outperform the individual sitting next to them. Due to the comparative nature of curved graving, one student’s success comes at the cost of another’s relative failure. According to Rachel, the curve discourages camaraderie amongst students, with individuals declining to share outlines for fear of boosting another’s performance or even hiding library books to prevent classmates from accessing them. “If you do well, you can’t tell anybody about it
because … that means somebody else around you didn’t do well,” Walkenhorst said. “Everyone talks about doing badly even if they haven’t. It’s just that competitive.” Other students maintain that the College’s law community is generally supportive. Blake Willis J.D. ’18, president of the Student Bar Association, the law school’s governing body, said the school offers a welcoming, collegial environment, as opposed to the hardcore, cutthroat standard found at some institutions. Callie Coker J.D. ’19 agreed with Willis, saying the College is less competitive than many schools. Still, she added that competition is an inherent aspect of law school, in large part because of the grading curve. “For me, [what’s helped has] been finding friends who are supportive and aren’t openly competitive,” Coker said. The College community addresses the pressures faced by law students in a variety of ways. During orientation, incoming students receive advice on how to combat substance abuse and mental health issues. Information regarding campus resources, including the Student Health Center and Counseling Center, is accessible online. Both SBA and law school administrators send periodic emails reminding students of available support. Walkenhorst serves as the president of Lawyers Helping Lawyers, a student-run group that hosts events focused on topics such as mindfulness and imposter syndrome. Still, Walkenhorst, Coker, Lucy and Rachel said that more could be done to continue the conversation. “I hear people make jokes, daily, either wishing they were dead or telling me that they literally sometimes think about how much easier it would be to not to be alive anymore,” Walkenhorst said. “It’s multiple people, multiple digits, and I don’t think the school realizes that. Or, if they do, they purposefully put their head in the sand about it.”
Lucy described classmates who cope with the help of alcohol, hookah, Adderall and hard drugs including cocaine and heroin. She said that professional treatment is there, but it doesn’t seem like the most readily accessible option. When a student tries to make an appointment at the Counseling Center but cannot secure an immediate timeslot, for example, Lucy said it’s easier to turn to the instant gratification of drugs and alcohol. “[Mental health] is not something I’m constantly being told about,” Lucy said. “I’m constantly being told about employment, so I feel in a sense like my mental health is less important than grades and everything else.” Coker also emphasized the need for ongoing discourse regarding mental health, saying that issues are discussed during orientation and exams but rarely mentioned outside of these periods. She suggested several methods of continuing the conversation: holding workshops regarding substance abuse and mental health within the law profession, plus sessions specifically for job-seeking second year students, and perhaps reconsidering the widespread availability of alcohol at law school events. SBA informally proposed another resource — a counseling space within the law school — during a discussion with administrators earlier this month. Willis said that he and other members of SBA had heard about similar centers at other schools and thought the idea was worth exploring at the College. According to Willis, the administration is looking into the issue and has not yet offered definitive feedback. SBA Vice President Alyssa Kaiser J.D. ’19 added, however, that the discussion could be the start of positive changes. “I think it’s an open conversation with the administration,” Kaiser said. “Luckily, they’ve been very receptive to having the conversation.”
Page 4
The Flat Hat
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
STUDENT ASSEMBLY
Levine moves to veto SA Thanksgiving bill Senators to revisit funding Hobble Wobble Gobble Act during Tuesday’s meeting SARAH SMITH FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR
Following last Tuesday’s Student Assembly Senate vote to pass the Hobble Wobble Gobble Act, which allocates $3,007 toward the purchase of turkeys for low-income City of Williamsburg residents, SA President Elijah Levine ’18 announced that he was vetoing the bill over concerns regarding the funding’s origins. The bill, which helps purchase turkeys for families in Williamsburg, also creates a partnership between SA and campus organizations such as Campus Kitchen, Greater City and the Minority Student Law Association. The partnership would have provided canned foods, stuffing and Thanksgiving turkeys to residents living in low-income neighborhoods or long-term motels. Sodexo plans to collect Dining Dollars and meal swipes to provide its employees with Thanksgiving dinners. SA also plans to advertise that students can donate their meal swipes to Sodexo through this funding. According to the wording of the bill, which was sponsored by class of 2019 President Jonah Yesowitz ’19, the funding would be allocated from SA reserves. However, Levine said that he did not think the reserves were an appropriate source of funding. “This isn’t a matter of the reserves being poorly used, but it’s about fitting with the service fund,” Levine said. “The fund was brought up during deliberations. I think this warranted that
we talk about the service fund, which we have a lot of oversight over. In May, some is rolled over from activities and events, and we can control if that five percent turns to seven percent or 10 percent.” The community engagement fund, which is earmarked for community service events, is one option for funding SA initiatives. At the end of each year, leftover money from the activities and events fund, which funds campus events and events hosted by student organizations, rolls into the community engagement fund. According to Chair of the Senate Alaina Shreves ’18, it is unusual for the senate to fund outside service events. For this reason, she said she believes the community engagement fund is better suited to funding the Hobble Wobble Gobble Act. Two years ago, when a similar version of the bill was brought before the senate in the form of the Tribe Turkey Act, senators discussed whether it was appropriate to use SA funds to put on a service event that, according to some, didn’t directly impact students at the College of William and Mary. After this discussion, senators moved to pass the bill, and in 2015, launched an SA Day of Service dedicated to putting together baskets of food. According to Shreves, the veto will promote discussion about senator involvement in the Hobble Wobble Gobble Act. Shreves said she does not want to see the senate allocate funding to a service event without doing more to support it.
“There is a lot more that senate can do besides writing a bill,” Shreves said. “We could just volunteer for a day. We need to think about what we can do as a group, and we need to have that conversation.” According to Levine and Shreves, the veto of Yesowitz’s bill will be addressed next Tuesday. Yesowitz will have the opportunity to accept “friendly amendments” to the bill that would change the source of funding. He could also introduce a new version of the bill or opt to overturn the vote. To do this, he would need to get a positive vote from 75 percent of the senators. According to Yesowitz, Levine informed him about the veto the day before he announced it. Yesowitz said that he would have preferred that this discussion be raised during last week’s meeting. Yesowitz also said that he is planning to work out the details of where the materials are going and how College students can become more involved. He said that he believes this bill benefits the College because Williamsburg is the College’s community. “There shouldn’t be this huge gap between William and Mary and Williamsburg,” Yesowitz said. “Williamsburg is our community, and we should do something that helps members of the community. This veto will ensure that we won’t see more like it. This is a great case of losing sight of details. It seems like if anyone tries to do anything new or different there is push back to that.”
CRIME
Police arrest grad student suspected in Gloucester shooting in D.C. Mark Constantini named suspect in shooting that left one man with non-life-threatening injuries SARAH SMITH FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR
Mark Constantini, a graduate student at the College of William and Mary, was arrested Monday, Oct. 23 in connection with charges in a Gloucester County shooting earlier that day. Constantini was apprehended by Metro Police in Washington, D.C. on unrelated charges, at approximately 2 a.m. According to the arresting officers,
he will be extradited to Virginia when it is appropriate and will face charges there. Following his arrest, the College sent out a follow-up Tribe Alert at 8:04 a.m., Oct. 23 informing students that Constantini had been arrested. No other information was included in this alert. Initially, the College sent a campuswide email Sunday at 8:32 p.m. about Constantini, who was suspected of a shooting in Gloucester and was
believed to be armed. According to the message sent through the Tribe Alert system, police did not know his whereabouts and were searching for him. It is not clear if he was armed at the time of his arrest. “This is regarding [a] suspect in a shooting that took place earlier today in Gloucester County,” the Tribe Alert said. “This suspect is W&M graduate student Mark Constantini. He does not live, nor take classes on the main campus. We are notifying you of
CAMPUS
Documentary screening shows Fatima’s work on violence faced by Kashmiri people ‘Blood Leaves Its Trail’ highlights narratives of abduction ETHAN BROWN THE FLAT HAT
The College of William and Mary hosted award-winning filmmaker Iffat Fatima on campus last Wednesday for a screening of her new documentary, “Blood Leaves Its Trail,” which investigates the forced abductions of thousands of young men in Kashmir since the early 1990s. The film is a culmination of nine years of research and development, and has been screened in venues throughout Southeast Asia and the internationally. Fatima’s filmography has received several professional accolades. After earning her master’s degree in mass communication, she received a Asia Fellowship in 2001 and received a fellowship through Brandeis University in 2004. Fatima has pursued several projects throughout Southeast Asia, most recently in Sri Lanka and Kashmir. Kashmir, which lies between India and Pakistan, is currently under Indian administrative control. Views on political autonomy among the Kashmiri people are varied; some Kashmiris seek complete independence from India and the creation of a sovereign state, while other groups advocate for unification with Pakistan. These disparate political perspectives have caused tension in the region, and the Indian Army has often used violence to maintain control. “Blood Leaves Its Trail” aims to expose the army’s practice of forced disappearances, in which Indian Armed Forces abduct Kashmiri men suspected of insurgency. Approximately 8,000 to 10,000 men have disappeared since the army initiated abductions two decades ago, and very few have returned home alive. People are often picked up at random and are taken from their towns with little public awareness or warning. “There is no concern for citizens [in Kashmir],” Fatima said in a discussion after the film’s screening. Her documentary includes several interviews with Kashmiri women whose husbands and sons have disappeared, aiming to provide intimate and personal perspectives on the humanitarian crisis. Since the 1990s, these women have become the foremost leaders of several political campaigns created to pressure the Indian government into prosecuting guards suspected of abduction. Women organize rallies throughout Kashmir nearly every month to protest the Indian
government’s lack of transparency regarding their loved ones’ disappearances. These protests often attract thousands of marchers, who chant against the brutality of the state. “India claims to be a democracy, but there is neither justice nor democracy for Kashmiris,” one woman said during a march included in Fatima’s documentary. Similar sentiments concerning the lack of public information regarding their family members were expressed by several of the women featured in the documentary. In filming “Blood Leaves Its Trail,” Fatima said she traveled to several of these marches, sometimes jeopardizing her safety — on multiple occasions, her footage was damaged or destroyed by security guards. However, resistance to her filming was of lesser importance to Fatima than the in-person communication she had with affected women. Gypsy McMillian ’20 introduced Fatima before the screening of “Blood Leaves Its Trail” and provided expositional information about Fatima’s career and background. In her brief introduction, McMillian said she admires Fatima’s work. “[The film] was incredible,” McMillian said. “ … To hear the voices of [Kashmiri] people was very important.” McMillian said she viewed the documentary as effective in combatting the lack of international awareness regarding humanitarian crises in Kashmir, and she appreciated Fatima’s work with other humanitarian conflicts in Southeast Asia. The screening attracted students from a variety of social classes. Faculty and staff were also invited to view the documentary and participate in the discussion that followed. “I thought [the film] was very eye-opening, especially to an issue that a lot of people don’t know about,” Christina Durham ’21 said. Durham added that presenting the topic from the perspectives of the women directly affected by the disappearances made the documentary more compelling than if it were made up of facts and figures. Moving forward, Fatima said she hopes that her film will inspire students at the College to resist moral and legal injustices, whether in Kashmir or in Williamsburg. She urged those present at the screening to keep fighting for justice and human rights both in their personal and professional lives. “Whether you’re a writer or an artist, take [your cause] forward,” Fatima said.
this situation out of an abundance of caution as his whereabouts are currently unknown. … Should you see him, do not approach, but contact WMPD at 757-221-4596 immediately.” Shortly before 9 a.m., the Gloucester County Sheriff ’s Office received a call about a shooting that happened in the 8300 block of Guinea Road. When deputies arrived, they found a man who had been shot and sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The victim was then taken to the hospital.
Constantini was last seen leaving the residence in a gray, 2017 Honda Civic. At the time, Gloucester police released information about the vehicle in hopes of finding Constantini. The deputies then obtained arrest warrants for Constantini. He is charged with maiming and use of a firearm in commission of a felony. Constantini is being held in D.C. on these charges, as well as those committed Sunday night. Once extradited, he will face all charges in Virginia.
opinions
Opinions Editor Brendan Doyle Opinions Editor Kiana Espinoza fhopinions@gmail.com // @theflathat
The Flat Hat | Tuesday, October 24, 2017 | Page 5
STAFF COLUMN
Revised honor code
signs pass the test
Emily Chaumont
FLAT HAT MANAGING EDITOR
JAE CHO / THE FLAT HAT
STAFF COLUMN
College emergency notification needs work
Kate Donati THE FLAT HAT
“They told us a transformer had blown,” a College of William and Mary student barred from entering Berret’s Seafood by the police Oct. 19 said. It was 5 p.m. that Thursday night when Williamsburg police got the call about a vehicle fire near South Boundar y Street in Colonial Williamsburg, and it was 9:32 a.m. Friday morning when all faculty, staff and students received an email from William and Mary Police Chief Deb Cheesebro about the incident. Writing “about an incident you may see in the news,” the email informed members of our community about the discovery of an improvised explosive device found detonated approximately 486 feet from the Campus Center. In two subsequent emails from Cheesebro, there was no specific mention of the presence of the FBI, Virginia State Police or ATF i nvest igat i ng t he incident, instead noting that the William and Mary Police Department was “working closely with the Williamsburg Police Department and other agencies.”On an active college campus that was already beginning to fill with extra thousands of alumni, friends and family for Homecoming weekend, the lack of urgency and failure to use the College’s emer genc y a ler t system could have left community members at risk, the exact reason we have an emergency alert system in the first place. T he C ol le ge’s emer genc y a ler t system has proven to be proactive, yet a lso occasiona l ly inaccurate, in the past. In September, students received three different alerts about the diesel fuel spill behind Earl Gregg Swem Library, the gas leak in Adair Hall, and the kitchen fire in the Sadler Center. These alerts kept members of our community safe and performed their intended function. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Over the summer, an alert was sent notifying campus of an
active shooter, advising students to “stay indoors.” Three minutes later, another alert informed students that this was false; the alert “was accidentally sent.” Thankfully not sent during the typical semester when campus is full, those three minutes caused reasonable panic and fear among our community. Even in this case, however, the intent was to keep members of our community safe. If there had been an active shooter situation on campus, community members would have been aware and could have taken measures to protect themselves. This is the entire purpose of the emergency alert system and the 14-person Emergency Management Team. In this latest incident of the IED explosion near campus, both the system and the team failed community members. Our emergency alert system on campus is part of the College’s response to the Clery Act, a federal statute that requires colleges to report crime and to provide “timely warnings” to community members of all ongoing incidents. The Clery Act requires faculty members, in the College’s case its EMT, to evaluate if there is an ongoing threat to campus or community members and if so, widespread emergency notification must be made. The detonation of the IED Oct. 19 was not deemed an ongoing emergency, and no notification was made through the emergency alert system. This indicates a failure on the part of our EMT to deem this explosion a considerable, and continuing, threat. An arrest was not made in regard to this incident until late Friday night, over 24 hours after the initial explosion. Before this arrest, there was another possible explosive device reported near Matthew Whaley Elementary School in Williamsburg, which was included in Cheesebro’s second email to campus. Though this threat turned out to be a false alarm, clearly the threat was high enough to register with school administrators, as Matthew Whaley was put on a “soft lockdown” while local law enforcement investigated. And, as indicated above, our emergency alert system is not unused to sending false alerts and correcting them later for the immediate safety of our community. Though Cheesebro’s emails are typically meant to quell panic on the part of our community members after an initial emergency alert, the calm tone of her emails regarding the IED incident missed the mark. Email Kate Donati at kdonati@email.wm.edu.
“
The lack of urgency and failure to use the College’s emergency alert system could have left community members at risk, the exact reason we have an emergency alert system in the first place.
Last February, I wrote an impassioned — but tongue-incheek — critique of the signs displaying the Honor Pledge that had popped up in classrooms across campus. The signs did not use the College-approved “William & Mary Green” — Pantone 343, #115740, if you were curious. They also inexplicably (and incorrectly) attempted to use title case to Capitalize The First Letter Of Every Single Word Of The Honor Pledge, even words like “the” and “of.” While the signs appeared to use the correct, College-approved Baskerville serif typeface and Avenir sans serif typeface, they used the sans serif for the “Honor Pledge” title and a strangely italicized version of the serif for the text of the pledge. Additionally, while I
“
It will be easier to pay attention in class now that I won’t be constantly distracted by how hideous these reminders of the College’s commitment to honor are. failed to mention this in my last column about the signs, several readers pointed out that the signs incorrectly stated that they were paid for by the “William & Mary Parent’s Fund” when it should be “Parents Fund,” sans apostrophe. Over the past few weeks, new Honor Pledge signs have slowly been making an appearance in campus classrooms, replacing the signs put in last February. These signs have slipped into classrooms unnoticed by most, as the changes are subtle and they have been placed exactly where the old signs were. However, the changes did not go unnoticed by me. Now, I don’t want to seem vain, but it seems to me like somebody read my February column, decided I knew a heck of a lot about design (for the record, I don’t, I was just staring at these signs too much when I was bored in class and thought it would be funny to write a column about how ugly they were), then took all of my suggestions into account and replaced the old signs with new, better looking ones. To whoever thought my opinion was worth acting on: thank you. It will be easier to pay attention in class now that I won’t be constantly distracted by how hideous these reminders of the College’s commitment to honor are. Instead, I can now overlook these large signs just like every other student on campus. Since someone is obviously listening, my next decree as selfappointed campus design master is to declare that there must be a standardized syllabus format all faculty must follow. No more of this odd font choice, weird capitalization or arbitrary underlining. From now on, all syllabi must be approved by a focus group of students to assure that they are legible and logical. But seriously, while I consider it a personal victory that those hideous Honor Pledge signs have been replaced by ones that are far more aesthetically pleasing, I again have to question the funding behind the signs. Around $7,500 was spent on the first round of signs. I’m not sure how much was spent on this second round, but I guarantee you it was too much. Next time we make a monetary commitment to something as important to the College’s brand as the Honor Code, we should make sure we get it right the first time. Email Emily Chaumont at emchaumont@email.wm.edu.
The Flat Hat
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Page 6
In favor of Morton Hall: A simple space for quiet study
Hallie O’Rourke
FLAT HAT GUEST COLUMNIST
Although the comfort and accessibility of Swem make it one of the most popular study spaces on campus, academic buildings can be effective locations as well. As one who is easily impacted by the visible stress of others, Swem is not usually my go-to spot when I have to get work done. Walking into the second floor, at times it’s like I can feel the stress and deadlines pressing down on the many students at work. In addition to the environment, it can be difficult to find somewhere to sit during busy times in the semester. Even though Swem is a lovely place to get down to work, my favorite place to study is an academic building, particularly Morton Hall. I am well aware of all of the complaints that exist against Morton, and I do agree with most of them. The stairs are a hassle, the classrooms look old and the building as whole just seems a bit sad. However, when I’m looking for a big and empty space to get my work done, Morton is the perfect location. As with other academic buildings, Morton is open after classes end for the day. Since I live in the Botetourt Complex, Morton is very convenient to access whenever I need to. Most of the time, Morton is relatively empty. On some occasions, groups of students or faculty reserve
“
The architecture and furnishings of Morton are nothing to write home about, but when I need somewhere to sit and finish an assignment, the appearance of my environment does not matter as much. rooms to use for meetings or study groups, but they still do not occupy the majority of the classrooms available. As one who enjoys studying by herself, being alone in a large classroom is an ideal environment for getting work done. Usually, I can spread all of my things out without fear of disrupting anyone near me and can close the classroom door to work in silence. Since it is Morton, not many students voluntarily choose to visit the premises if they are not required to for class. This means that my studying is almost always quiet and uninterrupted. Granted, a similar experience can be found in other, more attractive academic buildings. Nevertheless, Morton’s lack of popularity makes it much easier to find space and avoid other students during weeks when I have a heavy workload. I would much rather study in a building like Tyler Hall or Tucker Hall, but the popularity of these buildings and their distance from my dorm dissuade me from them. The architecture and furnishings of Morton are not anything to write home about, but when I need somewhere to sit and finish an assignment, the appearance of my environment does not matter as much. Albeit flawed, Morton has become the building I visit most on campus, besides my dorm. Its close location and relative availability, combined with the fact that I won’t have to see anyone I know if I don’t want to, are factors that pull me toward the derelict building to study. Maybe one day Morton will be torn down or renovated, but for now, it remains my optimal study spot, despite its many imperfections. Email Hallie O’Rourke at hporourke@email.wm.edu.
GRAPHIC BY KAYLA PAYNE / THE FLAT HAT
College Orientation treats sexual assault too lightly
Katherine Yenzer FLAT HAT GUEST COLUMNIST
According to the campus climate survey conducted by the College of William and Mary’s Task Force on Preventing Sexual Assault and Harassment in fall 2014, one in five female students and one in 16 male students fall victim to sexual assault while at the College. Many people, unfortunately, do not realize the gravity of sexual assault until they or someone they know falls victim to it. Local and national statistics show sexual assault is a problem that is not going away, but in order to combat it, students at the College need to be made aware of the problem. The College’s first opportunity to educate students is Orientation. Orientation is required for all first-year and transfer students and is therefore the perfect opportunity to educate the student body on sexual assault issues. As a freshman, I was curious to see how the College would handle sexual assault education. Unfortunately, this year, the College fell short, and I was ultimately disappointed During Orientation, new students were required to attend a session that consisted of a video screening and scripted panel discussion. The video — which was created to replace the controversial “Milk and Cookies” skit in which a student shoved cookies into another person’s mouth to illustrate what consent is and is not — follows a cast of characters as they struggle with roommate disagreements, alcohol abuse, stalking and sexual assault. Although the video aimed to handle these issues in a vague, mild way to avoid triggering viewers, it did not treat sexual assault with the seriousness and clarity it desperately needs. One scene tells the story of a typical
college freshman who went to a party, drank too much and went home with one of her guy friends. She woke up the next morning not remembering what had happened. Eventually, after weeks of her “acting weird,” her roommate asked her if she was OK. The girl then told her roommate that she believes she was assaulted. The video then abandons this storyline to follow the lives of the other characters, but it returns to the girl several months later. She is depicted as happy and stable following a minimal amount of therapy. The girl’s assaulter faces no consequences and shows no remorse or guilt for what he did. The video does not even imply that he should face consequences for his actions. Additionally, the girl recovers from the incident extremely quickly. The video and panel did not at all touch on the many difficulties and hardships survivors face. The video brushed over sexual assault as if it is something that an individual can get over in a couple of months. It doesn’t even show the assaulter admitting to doing something wrong — his life carries on normally, while the survivor’s life is briefly interrupted and then returns to normal. This is not what sexual assault looks like in the real world. Survivors carry what happened to them for the rest of their lives; they do not “get over it” in a matter of months. The College should be demonstrating the strict punishments that can result from assaulting someone. They should be showing what the reporting process looks like and how it can affect the survivor and those around them. They should be clearly depicting what consent looks like, and they should be showing how students can help their friends who are survivors of assault. Our school only has a few critical moments to educate us about sexual assault prevention. This video did not properly explain how to prevent or respond to sexual assault, as well as the crippling consequences that come with it. Orientation was a missed opportunity that should have been utilized to make it clear to freshmen that sexual assault is not something that can be taken lightly. If we want sexual assault on campus to stop, we must do better than this.
“
The College’s first opportunity to educate students is Orientation.
variety
Variety Editor Akemi Tamanaha Variety Editor Heather Baier flathat.variety@gmail.com // @theflathat
The Flat Hat
| Tuesday, October 24, 2017 | Page 7
Slam Dunking Cerebral Palsy
Bobby Oldfield makes a place for himself in basketball management HEATHER BAIER FLAT HAT VARIETY EDITOR
Bobby Oldfield ’20 is your typical College of William and Mary student and sports aficionado who was born a month early with Cerebral Palsy on the left side of his body. Cerebral Palsy is a movement disorder that effects muscle tone, motor skills and posture and is caused by damage to the brain during early development. Oldfield learned how to live with his disorder early on in his life and has never let it hold him back. Taking his first steps at two and a half years old, Oldfield started proving from a young age that he was more than his disorder. “I’ve had four surgeries on my left leg … and I went through years of physical therapy and I’ve gotten a lot stronger from where I was and the surgeries have helped me and so I ended up just learning how to deal with it just because I didn’t know anything else,” Oldfield said. Falling in love with sports at an early age, Oldfield has always dreamed of being an athlete and has seen that dream come true through sports management. He managed three different sports at his alma mater Trinity Episcopal High School and currently manages the men’s basketball team at the College. Pursuing pre-law, Oldfield hopes to carry his passion for athletics into his future as a sport’s agent. Oldfield had the chance take a break from managing and dress out for the game during his Senior night at Trinity. “The coaches came up to me and asked me if I wanted
“
“It’s not that big of a deal for me,” Oldfield said. “It’s just become something that I’ve sort of learned to live with and it doesn’t affect me or keep me from doing anything that I want to do.” Oldfield said his love for athletics expands beyond the game. He is drawn to sports because of their ability to bring people together and build communities. “I think I do love sports because for me it’s something that brings people together and unites them and like specifically right now with everything that’s going on in the world it’s just something that you can always turn to … and it’s just one of the only things in the world that can really do that,” Oldfield said. Cerebral Palsy can be a debilitating disorder for some, but it quickly became a regular part of Oldfield’s everyday life. Even after four surgeries and years of physical therapy, he’s never let it effect how other treat him. “I’ve come to accept it and I love the person that I am and that’s the most important thing to me in that I know that people probably look at me in a slightly different way sometimes because of that but it doesn’t really bother me
I just don’t want
anybody to like feel bad
for me or give me special
treatment because of it ... I just want to be viewed
as like a normal kid.
– Bobby Oldfield ‘20
Success does not lead to
happiness, happiness leads to success
– Bobby Oldfield ‘20 to suit up for the game and I ended up entering the game in overtime when we were up seven and I ended up sinking a three pointer at the buzzer,” Oldfield said. “It was something that was sort of like the culmination of all of the work that I’d put in for those four years at Trinity and it was just a really special moment and it was one of the best moments of my life.” Despite not having much time on the court besides pickup games with his friends, Oldfield said he’s never felt like his disorder has kept him from pursuing his love of sports.
“
COURTESY PHOTO / BOBBY OLDFIELD
Bobby Oldfield, left, poses with his friend Zachary Jacobs after Jacobs’s game.
because I am confident in who I am,” Oldfield said. Oldfield’s biggest inspiration has been his parents, who have always encouraged him to pursue his passions. “They’ve been so supportive of me in everything that I’ve done and they’ve continually supported me and given me opportunities to do the things that I just love to do and that is something that I will be forever thankful for,” Oldfield said. According to Oldfield, everyone’s experience with Cerebral Palsy is different and its important not to judge someone’s abilities based on their disorder. “I would say to people don’t judge a book by its cover basically and I mean, I’ve made so many awesome friends and I’ve met so many awesome people,” Oldfield said. “I just don’t want anybody to like feel bad for me or give me special treatment because of it … I just want to be viewed as like a normal kid. That’s really what I’ve always wanted.” Persevering in spite of a childhood disorder is not an easy feat, yet Oldfield has never let it hold him back. A student, an athlete, a manager and a friend, Oldfield has always let his happiness lead him to his success. “Success does not lead to happiness, happiness leads to success and that’s my life motto,” Oldfield said.
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
Moving the #MeToo campaign into everyday life
Removing online activism campaigns from the confines of social media
Elizabeth Barto
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS COLUMNIST
The times they are a-changin’ my friends, at least a little. Over the past couple of weeks, you’re bound to have seen a flood of #MeToo, #Ibelieveyou, and #HowIwillchange messages on your Facebook and Twitter feeds. But how do you take the lessons of hashtag activism to the next level? In this column I usually use the outside world to talk about sex and relationships, but this week I’d like to turn that format on its head. Survivors of sexual harassment and assault are not the only survivors in our society, and are not the only group that need support and solidarity. The #MeToo campaign offers the perfect opportunity for us all to dig deep and take a look at the ways that we can all become better allies to fight systems of oppression in their various forms. 1. Get informed. Don’t wait for the next hashtag campaign to get informed about the struggles of others. Seek out information about forms of oppression that don’t directly affect you. Attend a meeting for an issue-focused club and listen to what different groups are working on. Search for news online that discusses the struggles of diverse groups (it’s best if you look for this information at the source, and not just a bunch of random opinion pieces from unrelated sources). Figure out who the
leaders of national and global activism are for a particular issue and see how they’re working to make change and where they’re struggling. 2. Are you a fortunate son? Unpack your privilege. If you are part of a privileged group, then you probably benefit from a system which oppresses other people. Oppression can be passive. Often a privileged majority doing nothing is part of what perpetuates a privileged minority’s violent extremes. You don’t have to be a rapist to be perpetuating violent, toxic masculinity. You don’t have to be a Nazi to be condoning white supremacy. Consider how you can change how you participate as an active participant in a system as well as a passive participant.
3. Talk about it, talk about it, talk about it, talk about it. Have open dialogues with your friends who perpetuate systems of privilege. You have access to these groups. Don’t be a bystander. 4. Don’t tell them to grow up and out of it. Be a better listener. It can be hard to know what to say when someone tells you that they’ve been hurt by a system of oppression and violence that you can’t immediately fix, but sometimes a friendly ear can go a long way. Don’t talk over someone when their experiences with oppression make you uncomfortable. Listen. You might learn something. Believe people when they tell you their stories. Ask respectful, noninvasive questions if you’re confused. A trick to
SYDNEY HAMRICK / THE FLAT HAT
determining whether or not a question is invasive is to ask yourself whether or not the question is even implicitly judgmental or triggering. Victim-blaming is not unique to discussions of sexual harassment and assault, and survivors don’t owe you their stories. 5. Don’t assume a single narrative. Give space for people whose stories don’t fit “typical” narratives of oppression and trauma. Often “typical” narratives just mean stories that only confront one form of oppression. People of every shape, size, race, expression of gender, gender assignation, sexuality, economic background, citizenship status, religion, age, range of physical ability and mental health experience harassment and oppression. Every person is a puzzle made up of many sociallyassigned categories and identities which may conform or diverge from these categories. Every person is unique, so their experiences with oppression are also unique. What am I talking about? Intersectionality. Get hip to it. 6. Practice self-care. If you are a survivor of oppression, you don’t owe anyone your story. Sometimes the telling of a story can refresh trauma. Sometimes listening and reading about similar situations to your own traumas can be triggering. When stuff like this is in the media on a constant basis, it can be a lot to handle. Even if you’re an activist, it’s more than okay to step back from social media for a while. Sleep, work out, eat well, surround yourself with friends, find a community that understands your struggles, seek the help you need. 7. Support structures and resources which fight oppression and protect survivors. Donate time, money and visibility to the organizations working toward change. 8. Saturday night’s all right for fighting (injustice). Get a little action in. Get active! Join a club, attend a protest, write a letter to your representatives (and other relevant leadership figures).
The Flat Hat
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Page 8
Embark on an Art Adventure
The Williamsburg art scene
has lots to offer. If you’re looking for an artsy way to spend an afternoon, try visiting one of these museums
or
galleries.
AKEMI TAMANAHA // FLAT HAT VARIETY EDITOR
1
Linda Matney Fine Art Gallery The Linda Matney Fine Art gallery is a researchbased contemporary art gallery that displays the work of emerging artists and more established artists in the national and international art scene. According to its website, the gallery also helps private collectors, museums and corporations curate their collections. The gallery is named after Linda Matney, who passed away after a battle with cancer in 2001. John Lee Matney serves as the gallery’s owner, director and principal art broker. The artwork at Linda Matney Fine Art Gallery features a variety of different forms of art, including paintings, sculptures, photographs, videos and performance art pieces. The gallery focuses on displaying shows based on different themes. In the past, some of the shows have featured the artwork of William and Mary faculty. Currently, the gallery is hosting an abstract art exhibit called Quarternity, which features the work of Matt Klos, Lindsay Mcculloch, Andrew Shenker and Teddy Johnson, four contemporary artists from Baltimore and Washington, D.C. The show will be on display until Nov. 27. The gallery’s hours vary week to week, and other hours are available by private appointment.
2
Colonial Folk Art Studio and Gallery The Colonial Folk Art Studio and Gallery is owned by Beverly and Davie Burgdorf. The Burgdorfs began collecting art for their own personal collection after getting married, but soon had more art than they knew what to do with. In 2010, they transformed their personal passion into a business. They began selling the art they collected online in October. After selling some of their collection online for a few months, they began selling at the Williamsburg Antique Mall in March 2011. The gallery primarily features folk and outsider art. According to a quote from the gallery’s website, the art at the gallery “begins where Abby Aldridge Folk Art Museum ends.” The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Gallery hours are also available Sunday and Monday by appointment.
3
Williamsburg Contemporary Art Center The Williamsburg Contemporary Art Center hosts at least seven exhibits each year that feature contemporary art from emerging and established artists. One of its most popular shows is the High School Student Show, which features art from local high school students. Some of the high schools featured in the show include Bruton, Lafayette, Jamestown, Warhill, Walsingham Academy, Williamsburg Christian Academy and Providence Classical School. The Art Center also offers classes, lectures and community events. The center is open from Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and Sunday from 12-4 p.m.
4
Williamsburg Art Gallery The Williamsburg Art Gallery, located in Merchants Square, features the work of local Virginia artists and international artists. One of its featured collections showcases paintings of scenery around Colonial Williamsburg and the College. American Art Awards named the Williamsburg Art Gallery as one of the 25 Best Art Galleries and Museums in America and the Best of Virginia in 2017. The gallery is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday from 12-6 p.m.
5
Andrews Hall Andrews Hall, located across from Earl Gregg Swem Library, is home to the Art and Art History Department. According to the William and Mary website, the Andrews Gallery features artwork from different media and studio classes taught at the College. Some categories include ceramics, painting, drawing,
HEATHER BAIER / THE FLAT HAT
printmaking, architecture, sculpture and photography. The exhibits feature work by students, faculty and other invited artists. The exhibits are also often accompanied by lectures, workshops and gallery talks. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
6
Muscarelle Museum of Art The Muscarelle, which opened in 1983, is an art museum located on the campus of the College of William and Mary next to Phi Beta Kappa Hall. The museum is named after two of its benefactors, Joseph L. Muscarelle ’27 and Margaret Muscarelle. The museum’s current director, Aaron H. De Groft ’88, is also an alumnus. The College has received several gifts of arts throughout the century. Its first gift of art dates back to 1732. The art collection now has over 5,000 works of art, some of which are housed in the Muscarelle. In addition to the museum’s collection, the Muscarelle also showcases a number of special exhibitions. Currently, the museum is hosting two special exhibits in celebration of the College’s 50th anniversary of the first African-American residential students. One of the exhibits is called “Fred Eversley, 50 Years an Artist: Light & Space & Energy.” It features the sculptures and art work of Fred Eversley, a former engineer for NASA, who seeks to capture the wonder of energy in his art. It will be on display until Dec. 10, 2017. The second exhibit is called “Building on the Legacy: African American Art from the Permanent Collection.” The exhibit was created specifically to commemorate the 50th anniversary and will be on display until Jan. 14, 2018. The Muscarelle offers free admission for students. It is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday through Sunday from 12-4 p.m.
7
The Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg The Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg feature two separate museums: Dewitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum. The Dewitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum features 15
galleries that display different forms of decorative arts from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Some of those forms include furniture, paintings, glass, firearms and textiles. One of the museum’s current exhibits is a collection of printed textiles from the 17th century to the 19th century that were used to create clothing and home décor. The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum focuses on folk art, which is art that celebrates the everyday and focuses on community values and aesthetics. One of the museum’s featured exhibits showcases 12 quilts made by African Americans for more than a century after 1875. Both museums are open all week from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Visitors must enter through the Public Hospital of 1773. The hospital features an exhibit on mental illness treatments from the 18th and 19th centuries.
8
Art-cade Gallery Opened in 2000, this gallery features a variety of different types of art that will please history and cartoon lovers alike. According to its website, The Art-cade’s goal is to showcase “moderately priced artwork” that will “transform a room” and “rekindle nostalgic memories” from different years. The gallery is an authorized dealer for Disney Fine Art prints, Art of Dr. Seuss, ‘Harry Potter’ book prints, Charles Schulz drawings and much more. Curious customers can view the artwork in person or online. Showroom hours vary by season. Currently, showroom hours are Fridays from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Weekday hours are available by appointment.
9
The Trimble Collection Art Gallery The Trimble Collection Art Gallery is owned by Tom Trimble, who, according to the gallery’s website, is one of the nation’s master framers. Trimble helps the gallery restore, preserve and frame artwork. In addition to providing restoration and framing services. The Trimble Collection Art Gallery also has a full-service art gallery that features a variety of different paintings. The gallery is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m.5:30 p.m.
sportsinside
The Flat Hat
| Tuesday, October 24, 2017 | Page 9
VOLLEYBALL
College drops two straight, falls to 4-20
Tribe stays competitive in 3-2 loss to Delaware, gets quickly swept 3-0 by Drexel ALYSSA GRZESIAK FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR Friday, William and Mary went up against Colonial Athletic Association foe Delaware in a competitive five-set contest. Despite hard-fought rallies, the Tribe (4-20, 1-9 CAA) fell 3-2 to the Blue Hens (5-15, 3-7 CAA). Sunday, the College stayed on the road, this time to take on Towson in another conference matchup. Unlike Friday’s game, the Tribe was defeated by the Tigers (21-3, 7-3 CAA) in three straight sets. The Tribe started strong in the first set against Delaware, claiming an early 4-0 lead. However, the Blue Hens caught up quickly and the teams stayed within a point of each other until Delaware went on a four-point run and found themselves up 16-12. A kill by sophomore hitter Casey Foote broke the run, but the College struggled to play catch-up. The Blue Hens maintained their late lead to the end of the first set as the Tribe fell 2520. The second set consisted of few runs and mostly back-and-forth points until the Tribe broke out with five consecutive points late in the set. Leading 23-17, the College finished strong with kills by freshman middle hitter Julia Brown and senior hitter Sydney Biniak, both off assists from junior setter Katie Kemp. The Tribe won the second set 25-19. Despite an early 3-1 lead for Delaware in the third set, the College came out with the same energy as the previous set and stole a 6-4 advantage thanks to a precise hit from junior hitter Heather Pippus, assisted by sophomore setter Autumn Brenner, as well as a block from Pippus. While the Blue Hens managed
COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS
Sophomore setter Autumn Brenner had 25 assists against Delaware and was a huge part of the attack, helping the Tribe push the match to five sets.
to tie the set up 7-7, they could not compete with the Tribe’s momentum. The College dominated the third set 2512, the final five points coming off a fivepoint run. Freshman hitter Kate Dedrick contributed two of the points, one from Pippus, a service ace from senior back row defender Sara Zumbach and the final point on a solid block by Pippus and Brown. The Tribe was in the lead 2-1. In the fourth set, the Tribe went on a six-point run, its longest in the
contest, leading 11-7 over the Blue Hens. Delaware retaliated with a five-point run of its own, reclaiming the lead 12-11. After a few back-and-forth points, the Blue Hens went off on another five-point run and the Tribe struggled to keep up. An attack by Pippus brought the Tribe within one point, barely down 24-23, but the Blue Hens inevitably took the set 2523. Delaware controlled the fifth and final set with an early five-point run, putting
it up 6-1. Despite a solid block by Brown and Pippus and a few good hits, the Blue Hens won the final set 15-11 and the game 3-2. Dedrick led the Tribe offense with 17 kills, followed by Pippus with 13 and Biniak with 12. Zumbach contributed two service aces, as did freshman defender Katie Turner. Brenner had 25 assists, closely trailed by Kemp with 23. Zumbach held down the defense with 24 digs, assisted by Pippus with 19.
The Tigers jumped to an early 3-0 lead in the first set. The Tribe managed to take the lead 6-5 thanks to a service ace by Brenner, but it could not hold its lead for long. Towson went on a five-point run and the College struggled yet again to catch up. A kill by Foote managed to bring the Tribe within one point of Towson, 1615, but it was still unable to take the lead. A four-point run by the Tigers decided the set 25-17 in favor of Towson. Another early 3-0 advantage for the Tigers marked the beginning of the second set. Despite a five-point run late the in the game thanks to two kills and three blocks by Brown (two blocks assisted by Foote, one by Dedrick), the Tribe was unable to steal the lead from Towson. The College dropped the second set 25-16. The third and final set of the game was completely dominated by Towson. Down 6-0, the Tribe scrambled to regain possession of the ball, which it did on a service error. Biniak and Foote managed a hit each before the Tigers set off on consecutive four and five-point runs. Down 24-11, the College fought hard for its final three points with three consecutive and aggressive attacks by Biniak off Kemp assists. Regardless, the Tribe fell 25-14 in the set and 3-0 for the match. Biniak, Brown and Foote led the offense with seven, six and five kills, respectively. Brenner contributed the Tribe’s only service ace, as well as seven assists. Brown was active in five of the Tribe’s six blocks, aided by Foote and Dedrick on two each. The Tribe will welcome Elon to Kaplan Arena at 7 p.m. Wednesday before hitting the road to take on James Madison Friday.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Tribe ends regular season strong with 3-1 win Moore, Branton, Segan score as College tunes up for trip to James Madison for CAA tournament quarterfinals CATHERINE SCHEFER THE FLAT HAT To conclude the regular season, William and Mary hosted its final home game against Colonial Athletic Association opponent Towson Sunday at Martin Family Stadium. The Tribe (7-9-2, 3-4-2 CAA) claimed a decisive 3-1 victory over the Tigers (5-11-3, 2-6-1 CAA). The Tribe set the tone early in the game with a goal by senior midfielder Rachel Moore in the 17th minute of the game off an assist by freshman midfielder Erin Dailey. This marked Moore’s fourth goal of the season, her 22nd career goal and Dailey’s second assist of the season. This was also Moore’s first goal on home turf during the last home game of her final season. “It definitely gave us momentum,” Moore said. “We were killing them in the beginning and putting one away early definitely helped us Branton a lot.” Senior defender Elysse Branton was also able to leave her mark during her final home game, as she added a second goal to the scoreboard for the Tribe in the 27th minute. This goal was assisted by redshirt sophomore forward Sarah Segan after she crossed it into the center from the right side. “Segan put it [the ball] on a platter for me, so that was amazing,” Branton said. “All I had to do was tap it in — she did all the work.” The College held this lead and ended the half sustaining its shutout. Segan, proving yet again to be an integral member of the team, contributed the third goal unassisted for the College in the 48th minute. She outmaneuvered the defender Segan before centering the ball into the goal around Tiger goalkeeper Taylor Sebolao, who was set on the close post. Towson continued to fight and was rewarded in the 75th minute of the game when the College gave up its shutout after a powerful shot by Towson defender Sam Lotti. The remaining 15 minutes of the game were scoreless, but with several close opportunities for both teams. The match ended with a Tribe victory, supported
by its 19 shots, 13 of which were on frame, as opposed to Towson’s 10 shots, only 5 of which were on frame. Towson had nine fouls called against it and Tiger midfielder Madi Lawrence and Sebolao each received yellow cards in the 43rd and 79th minutes of the game, respectively. Looking ahead, the Tribe will travel to James Madison University next Sunday to compete in the
CAA quarterfinals. The Dukes will look to defend their turf after beating the College 2-0 during regular season play. “We’re definitely peaking at the right time,” said Branton. “I’m really hoping we can take this into JMU and hopefully beat them in their house and move into the semifinals and finals.” Head coach John Daly said he hopes that the
confidence gained with this win will carry over to the game against James Madison next week. “When we played at James Madison it was the first conference game and we didn’t have Sarah [Segan] and she is very very important to us,” Daly said. “We were a bit flat and they came out [as] gangbusters so we just have to make sure that we come out with that same level of intensity next weekend.”
sports
Sports Editor Alyssa Grzesiak Sports Editor Chris Travis flathatsports@gmail.com @FlatHatSports
The Flat Hat | Tuesday, October 24, 2017 | Page10
FOOTBALL
Tribe falls to Dukes 46-14 COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS
Junior quarterback Tommy McKee came into play for the College in the second half after starting freshman Shon Mitchell and giving Brandon Battle playing time in the first half. Both of the Tribe’s touchdowns came from passes from McKee.
After three scoreless quarters, College puts 14 points on board in fourth quarter ALYSSA GRZESIAK FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR Saturday, William and Mary welcomed Colonial Athletic Association rival James Madison to Zable Stadium for its Homecoming game. The Tribe ultimately fell to the Dukes 46-14, with the College not scoring until the fourth quarter. Freshman quarterback Shon Mitchell started for the Tribe. The Dukes scored the first points of the contest with four minutes left in the first quarter on a two-yard pass to tight end Clayton Cheatham from quarterback Bryan Schor. This put the Dukes up 7-0 over the Tribe on the only score of the quarter. “You go into a game like that, you turn the ball over as many times as you do, you’re just not going to have a chance against many teams, especially a real good team like JMU,” head coach Jimmye Laycock ’70 said. James Madison dominated scoring in the second quarter as well, starting with a 42-yard field goal by kicker Tyler Gray in the first minute. Freshman quarterback Brandon Battle came in for the Tribe late in the second quarter. The College fumbled the ball with 4 minutes, 37 seconds left in the quarter, leading to Gray scoring another three points for the Dukes with three minutes left in the half, putting James Madison up 13-0. Battle threw an interception into the hands of safety Jordan Brown with less than two minutes remaining in the half. The half came to a close with a Dukes touchdown on a one-yard run by running back Marcus Marshall. The Tribe went to the locker room down 19-0. “On the positive side, I thought defensively we really competed and played really, really well,” Laycock said. “We may have gotten worn down a little in the second half, but I thought we put our defense in a couple really tight situations, and they responded forced with a field goal.” Junior quarterback Tommy McKee came in to play at the start of the second half, throwing an interception on his first drive into
the hands of cornerback Rashad Robinson. The third quarter followed the same pattern of the first half, despite putting in a third quarterback. Schor ran the ball seven yards into the end zone, racking up more points for the Dukes. On the Dukes’ next possession, freshman defensive tackle Will Kiely sacked Schor for a loss of seven yards on the third down.
“
Of course the quarterback is your focal point, but there’s a lot of other people that are involved offensively that have to do something. — Football head coach Jimmye Laycock ’ 70
Less than four minutes after the Dukes’ touchdown, kicker Ethan Ratke kicked a 36-yard field goal. Sophomore running back Albert Funderburke rushed and fumbled the ball with less than two minutes remaining in the quarter, recovered by defensive lineman Andrew Ankrah at the JMU 34. James Madison held tight to its lead and the Tribe remained scoreless, 29-0. “We started with Shon and you know he was okay, but we weren’t getting anything going. So we felt like, ‘Well let’s try Brandon,’ and we put him in there and he had the turnovers,” Laycock said. “So basically, we went with Tommy the second half because he’s the best one on the read option.”
The College was still scoreless going into the fourth quarter. Marshall ran 27 yards for a touchdown less than two minutes into the final quarter, followed by another scoring run thanks to an interception by cornerback Jimmy Moreland on the Tribe’s first possession. The College trailed 43-0 with 12 minutes left in the game. However, the Tribe came alive in the final quarter with a 33-yard touchdown pass from McKee to redshirt freshman wide receiver Jordan Lowery, putting seven points on the board for the Tribe with 10:11 remaining in the game. With less than eight minutes remaining, McKee threw another interception, again right into Brown’s hands. James Madison scored its final three points on a 39-yard field goal from Ratke. With less than two minutes remaining in the game, redshirt freshman running back Noah Giles scored the Tribe’s second and final touchdown on a 66-yard run. Giles, the top of the Tribe’s offense for the game, posted a game high and career best of 74 yards on three carries. “I just thought we were playing really, really hard,” Laycock said. “We did a pretty good job against that quarterback, getting pressure on Schor and trying to contain him … we got smart pressure on him, meaning that we got pressure and kept [Schor] contained.” After three quarterbacks, two fumbles and four interceptions, the College dropped a hard-fought battle to the Dukes 46-14. Freshman punter Will Michael had one of his best performances of the season, averaging 44.3 yards on his seven kicks. The Tribe’s two interceptions came from senior safety Mike Barta and senior cornerback Aaron Swinton. “We had to play mistake free and we didn’t,” Laycock said. The College will travel to take on Maine this weekend, continuing conference play and looking to break its four-game losing streak. The Tribe will return home Nov. 4 against New Hampshire. “I don’t think we’re back where we’ve started because we’ve put them in games and we’ve seen some stuff,” Laycock said. “Of course the quarterback is your focal point, but there’s a lot of other people that are involved offensively that have to do something.”
COMMENTARY
Slow start and ineffective offense responsible for loss Constant switching of quarterbacks, uncomfortable receivers, conservative play-calling not working
Kevin Richeson
FLAT HAT ASSOC. SPORTS EDITOR
Another Saturday, another loss for William and Mary football. Once again, the biggest problem for the College was the slow start and ineffectiveness of the offense, along with indecisiveness by the coaching staff at the quarterback position. The College fell to defending national champion and No. 1-ranked James Madison, 46-14. The loss itself was not shocking, considering JMU has not lost in over a year, since it fell early in the 2016 campaign to Football Bowl Subdivision’s North Carolina. However, it is the Tribe’s fourth consecutive loss, and it remains winless in conference play with a record of 2-5 (0-4 CAA). With no chance of competing in conference or of making the playoffs, there are a couple things I would like to see the Tribe focus on over the last four weeks of the season to put the College in the best position for upcoming seasons.
The coaching staff must settle on a starting quarterback, preferably someone who has the best potential to lead the team in the coming years. After a five-man quarterback competition all summer, the Tribe started junior Tommy McKee for the first five games of the season. However, three different quarterbacks have played for significant chunks of time over the past three games. Against Elon, McKee gave way to sophomore Brandon Battle in the second quarter, and Battle finished out the game, a 25-17 loss. Then, in a shocking development, freshman Shon Mitchell started and played the entire game against Delaware, a 17-0 loss. Mitchell would have been eligible to be redshirted this season until he was chosen as the starter for the Delaware game. Finally, last weekend against the Dukes, Mitchell played until midway through the second quarter, when Battle replaced him. Battle was replaced in the second half by McKee, after struggling with turnovers and failing to put the Tribe on the board. McKee was able to lead the College to two garbage-time touchdowns in the fourth quarter. First of all, this constant switching of quarterbacks is not an effective method. The team never knows who will be the quarterback in any given game or any given drive. The offense cannot get comfortable with any one quarterback. Also, none of the quarterbacks can get comfortable
or improve if they are concerned about being benched and are constantly in and out of games. The coaching staff must choose one quarterback and let him practice with the first-team squad during the week, as well as play every drive of the final four games of the season. This will hopefully allow him to develop and gain more familiarity with the playbook and the offense. Then, for next fall, this quarterback would be better prepared to lead the team to success. There is no reason to keep playing multiple quarterbacks or even the quarterback that might be the best option right now. The coaching staff must focus solely on preparing for the next couple seasons, because this season is essentially over. The vacillation over the quarterback has certainly led to some of the offense’s problems this season, but the offense has been completely inept, especially in the first half of games this season. The Tribe has averaged a horrid 3.7 points in the first half for its seven games this season. The College’s 15.6 points per game is not much better. Clearly, the Tribe has gotten off to slow starts and must do everything it can to be aggressive in the first half. The Tribe has also had troubles with turnovers, including six Saturday against the Dukes. The College has used very conservative play-calling, which is understandable with inexperienced quarterbacks. Nevertheless, the Tribe has nothing
to lose the rest of the season. I would like to see it call more passing plays and passing plays downfield, because the conservative play-calling has not worked at all for the Tribe offense this season. The College’s season is essentially over, but I think that by focusing on the future, the Tribe can set itself up for future improvement. The coaching staff must make long-term decisions at the quarterback position and make play calls to put the quarterback and the rest of the offense in a place to improve.
COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS
Noah Giles scored the Tribe’s second and final touchdown.