Vol. 108, Iss. 17 | Tuesday, October 30, 2018
The Flat Hat The Weekly Student Newspaper of
The College of William and Mary
Flathatnews.com | Follow us:
NEWS ANALYSIS
NEWS ANALYSIS
Luria campaigns to defeat incumbent
Three candidates vie for Senate seat
Taylor defends seat in wake of forgery scandal
Party platforms reflect current national trends
NIA KITCHIN FLAT HAT MANAGING EDITOR
MAGGIE MORE FLAT HAT VARIETY ASSOC. EDITOR
The race for Virginia’s 2nd District House seat will be decided Nov. 6 in what has become one of the most highly competitive races in the country. The voters, which include students registered to vote at the College of William and Mary, will be deciding between the incumbent Republican, Scott Taylor, and the insurgent Democrat, Elaine Luria. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives are up for reelection this November. With Democrats seeking to win back the House and the Senate and Republicans struggling to retain their majorities in a tumultuous climate, this close race is under scrutiny. Moreover, President Donald Trump won this district narrowly in 2016, and Governor Ralph Northam took it in 2017, which adds to the uncertainty about which way it will go this year. Government professor John McGlennon said that the race could be an early indicator of which way the country is leaning politically. “This race is very close,” McGlennon said in an email. “Both sides have received a lot of financial support, both from donors to their campaigns and from outside interests. Polling shows Taylor with a very slight lead but with a fairly large undecided vote, which will probably decide the outcome. This race is seen as an early indicator of the national results, since polls close in VA at 7 [p.m.] EST, among the earliest in the nation. If Taylor holds on, it should be a better night for Republicans, who might be able to hang on to a House majority. If Luria wins, it probably means the Democrats are on their way to taking control of the House.” Both candidates have a background with the U.S. Navy, which reflects well on them in a district that encompasses Norfolk Naval Station, the world’s largest naval base. Scott Taylor worked as a Navy SEAL before being elected to the Virginia House of Delegates for the 85th District in 2013 and then to the House of Representatives for Virginia’s 2nd District in 2016. Elaine Luria worked as a surface warfare officer and nuclear engineer in the Navy before retiring to start her own small business and
an intern and is looking forward to casting her vote for a candidate she has spent several months canvassing for. “I’ve been interning for [Luria’s] campaign, I’ve been taking calls and knocking doors, and on Nov. 6 I’m going to go vote for her,” Gibson said. “That’s just going to be really exciting for me.” In addition to verbally encouraging Williamsburg residents to vote, the Young Democrats also help potential voters make plans for Election Day, outlining times to vote and their method of transportation to a polling location. “Studies show that [potential voters’] likelihood to vote increases a lot when they’ve actually made that plan [to vote] before Election Day comes, and they have that in their brain of when to go,” Young Democrats President Cody Mills ’20 said. The College Republicans are also revitalizing efforts to create political awareness ahead of the Nov. 6 election. The current Republican incumbent for the 2nd District is Scott Taylor. Members of the College Republicans are making connections and reaching out to prominent lobbying groups to target the younger generation specifically. “In recent months, we’ve been working with the lobbying
Next Tuesday, Nov. 6, three candidates will face each other on ballots across the Commonwealth in a battle to become senator for Virginia. The candidates include the incumbent Democrat Sen. Tim Kaine, Republican Corey Stewart and Libertarian Matt Waters. These candidates, and their positions on some of the issues most relevant to students at the College of William and Mary, provide a wide variety of choices for those voting in this midterm election. Stewart’s priorities center on supporting U.S. President Donald Trump’s agenda, preventing illegal immigration and aiding veterans. For Waters, policy priorities in Virginia and nationally should focus on limiting government. Kaine’s vision of Virginia focuses on broadening access to healthcare, growing the economy and improving education. Student Loan Debt All three candidates agree that massive student loan debt is a serious issue facing young people today, but they vary wildly in their approaches to solving the problem. Both Stewart and Kaine touch on career training as a way to ensure students can find jobs upon graduation to pay off their debt faster. For Stewart, this means supporting the HERO Act, which would shift charge of the accreditation process for colleges from the Department of Education to state governments. According to Stewart, this would allow the state government to work with universities and better determine what skills are needed in the workforce. Kaine, on the other hand, includes career and technical education as merely one part of a multifaceted plan. “Because there isn’t one path that will work for everyone, I am pushing for a number of strategies that will ease the burden of debt,” Kaine said in an email. Kaine’s plan includes increasing access to financial counseling and promoting initiatives like debt forgiveness programs, college dual-enrollment programs for high school students and opportunities for students to refinance their debt. Waters believes that the best way to mitigate student loan debt is to keep
See GOTV page 3
See SENATE RACE page 4
See HOUSE RACE page 3
Who will win in Virginia? Student political groups debate, incentivize voting as Congressional races heat up ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN // THE FLAT HAT
I
n order to spread awareness of political literacy and advocacy in the Williamsburg community, student political organizations on campus are increasing Get Out the Vote efforts. These efforts are in anticipation of Election Day Nov. 6, during which all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and a third of those in the Senate will be up for election. Members of the Young Democrats organization at the College of William and Mary are currently canvassing in the nearby community to increase name-recognition for the Democratic House of Representatives candidate, Elaine Luria. The Young Democrats are working closely with Luria’s campaign and have an “Elaine-tern” intern program through which student interns make phone calls and canvass neighborhoods to reach out to potential voters. “We knock on doors all around Williamsburg and the James City County Area; we went to Poquoson one weekend earlier this semester,” Young Democrats Vice President Evelyn Gibson ’20 said. “We’re focused on engaging with voters so that they know who our candidate is, and they can put a face to all of the signs and ads that they see around.” Gibson has been very involved in Luria’s campaign as
STUDENT LIFE
In aftermath of Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, students gather for vigil Rabbi Gershon Litt calls community to action, encourages education measures in response to violence REID CHAMPLIN THE FLAT HAT
Hundreds of lights pierced the night as students gathered in the courtyard of the Sir Christopher Wren Building the night of Monday, Oct. 29 to mourn Saturday’s mass shooting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with a candlelight vigil. It had been less than 72 hours since a gunman opened fire in the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, killing 12 congregants in what is believed to be the worst act of anti-Semitic violence in American history. Among the victims were two middle-aged brothers, a 97-year-old woman and an elderly married couple. Jewish, Christian and other campus leaders gathered at the vigil in a show of solidarity marked by public statements of grief and hope. From 6-6:30 p.m., students poured into the yard until almost 200 were present. People stood in small groups, reflecting on the shooting as they held small candles distributed by the event organizers. The depth of the emotional impact the event had on the community echoed throughout the ceremony. Rabbi Gershon Litt, director of William and Mary Hillel, delivered a speech which focused on the history of discrimination against Jewish communities. Litt went on to say that the Jewish story is partially one of persecution, suffering and victimization, but that it is also one of resilience and overcoming difficult circumstances. He described Saturday’s shooting as an act of “absolute evil,” but not one without recourse. He spoke at length of the tools students have available to
Today’s Weather
Index Profile News Opinions Variety Sports
fight against these acts in the future: namely kindness, love and altruism. He called the assembled students to combat ignorance with education and selfless service. “Philosophy without action means nothing,” Litt said. “We can talk all we want about our principles. I wanted to give the message that there are things we can do.” Hillel President Alexina Haefner ’20 spoke after Litt and expanded on the solution he proposed, while also elaborating on her own experience with Judaism and the Pittsburgh shooting. Haefner herself is a convert to Judaism, and she mentioned hearing around the time of her conversion, “If you become Jewish, people will hate you, they’ll want to harm you.” She said she never totally believed it until now. She found out about what had happened while she was at Culture Cafe, not even able to check the news because of the Sabbath requirement not to use electronics. As the president, she’s worked over the weekend to provide safe spaces for Jewish students to reflect and process the shocking news. “The people killed were those people everyone knows, the elderly regulars,” Haefner said. “This is something everyone can relate to, so it’s hard to deal with.” The need for education rang as the central priority throughout the night, in order for students and citizens to understand Jewish tradition so as to avoid the hatred that stems from ignorance. “People will really think negatively about an entire group of people just because they don’t know about them,” Haefner said. “We need to figure out
Sunny, High 66, Low 48
AVERILL MEININGER / THE FLAT HAT
Speakers emphasized action during vigil at Sir Christopher Wren Building Courtyard.
Inside Sports
Inside Opinions
Cosi’s butternut squash soup: Autumn in a bowl
2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10
how to reach people who are taught to hate us.” Haefner called on people to educate themselves about the struggles faced by Jewish people and to challenge unjust systems. Haefner, like many at the event, expressed sadness, but also a willingness to make meaningful efforts for change. College President Katherine Rowe was also present at the ceremony, and said she was deeply moved by the event. “To see the space filled with candles was incredibly moving and was exactly what we needed,” Rowe said.
Zoë Connell ’21 says that Cosi should bring back butternut squash soup as a recognition of autumnal vibes around campus. page 6
The long road to lasting legacy
Field hockey head coach Tess Ellis began her career as a player in Australia. Now she leads the William and Mary team. page 9
newsinsight “
News Editor Leonor Grave News Editor Madeline Monroe fhnews@gmail.com
“
The Flat Hat | Tuesday, October 30, 2018 | Page 2
THE BUZZ
So I served on Honor Council, and for us it was a huge, huge no-no to run if you were going abroad ... I am just curious, why you ran [if you were planning on going abroad] ... I am not asking you to justify it, it would just mean a lot if you could recognize that this does impact Student Assembly. This is huge. — Student Assembly Chief of Staff Rachel Becker ’19 on the resignations of class of 2020 senators
Bee and Goody: More than a 5k
POLICE BEAT
Oct. 25-28
McLeod, Tyler contribute to College campus’s physical, mental, spiritual health ALYSSA GRZESIAK // FLAT HAT EXECUTIVE EDITOR
1
Thursday, Oct. 25 — Tuning out: Police responded to reports of threatening language over public airways at Capitol Landing Road.
2
Friday, Oct. 26 — Not merry on Merrimack: Police arrested Thania Yvette Concepcion on charges of assault and battery at Merrimack Trail.
3
Sunday, Oct. 28 — Fraud on D.o.G.: An incident of fraud was reported at Duke of Gloucester Street.
4
Sunday, Oct. 28 — Drink and Dash: James Darden was arrested on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol at Page Street. POLICE BEAT BY SARAH GREENBERG, KARINA VIZZONI / THE FLAT HAT
A THOUSAND WORDS
COURTESY PHOTO / ELIZABETH “BEE” MCLEOD
Elizabeth “Bee” McLeod ’83 MBA ’91 enjoyed dancing and running in her youth and continues to prioritize health and wellness in her contributions to the College.
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
Sarah Smith Editor-in-Chief Nia Kitchin Managing Editor Alyssa Grzesiak Executive Editor Sean Willner Digital Media Editor Moises Romero Business Manager Kiana Espinoza Operations Coordinator Jack Bowden Webmaster Leonor Grave News Editor Madeline Monroe News Editor Heather Baier Variety Editor Carmen Honker Variety Editor Brendan Doyle Sports Editor Julia Stumbaugh Sports Editor Ethan Brown Opinions Editor Katherine Yenzer Opinions Editor Sarah Greenberg Assoc. News Editor Karina Vizzoni Assoc. News Editor Sarah Farney Assoc. Variety Editor Maggie More Assoc. Variety Editor Kevin Richeson Assoc. Sports Editor Catherine Schefer Assoc. Sports Editor Anthony Madalone Assoc. Opinions Editor
Peter Eckel Online Editor Talia Wiener Online Editor Lauren Bavis Copy Chief Kate Sandberg Copy Chief Rachel Wilmans Copy Chief Gracie Harris Photos Editor William Allen Chief Staff Writer Akemi Tamanaha Chief Features Writer Anna Boustany Assoc. Opinions Editor Claudia Santa Anna Assoc. Photos Editor Sebastian Ye Assoc. Photos Editor Leslie Davis Social Media Editor Abby Graham Blogs Editor Jae Cho Graphics Editor Rachel Morgan Copy Editor
Alex Neumann Copy Editor
“So I keep involved in the administrative piece of running even though I don’t run anymore,” McLeod said. “I keep busy, that’s for sure.” J. Goodenow “Goody” Tyler Unattached to his own college experience, Tyler fully embraced his wife’s alma mater and has come to make it his own. “From the time we first started dating, she kept talking about William and Mary, and I didn’t have the greatest of experience with my college, and she was just in love with hers,” Tyler said. “… So, when we would come up to William and Mary I started to see what excited her so much. And so, I started to fall in love with the College also. So, that’s how I kind of got on board with William and Mary.” One of Tyler’s favorite things about the College is its students. Their drive,
“
I like the fact that the students come here, it all seems like they all have a purpose, they want to do something, they know that college is not just a stopping point or, you know, a punch-your-ticket kind of thing.
“
NIA KITCHIN / THE FLAT HAT
For the couple that met on a fated New Year’s Day run, the concept of health and wellness is not a new one. Elizabeth “Bee” McLeod ’83, MBA ’91 and J. Goodenow “Goody” Tyler are responsible for multiple contributions across campus, from the Elizabeth “Bee” McLeod Business Library on the second floor of the Mason School of Business to the new McLeod Tyler Wellness Center. This dynamic duo, who are more than just donors, have wholeheartedly committed to improving the physical, mental and spiritual health of each student who passes through the College of William and Mary. Elizabeth “Bee” McLeod ’83, MBA ’91 A nontraditional student, McLeod came to the College at age 16. Her college days were filled with the sound of bagpipes blaring from an old record player, learning to walk on stilts on the cobblestone pathway behind Jefferson Hall and endless runs down Duke of Gloucester Street. Now, a resident of Norfolk, Virginia, she and her husband are committed supporters of the College who frequently make their way back to her alma mater. “I love seeing the changes to campus, the physical changes,” McLeod said. “The addition to the science building, and obviously the new business school is extremely cool and very sexy, in my opinion … and then, of course, the new addition of the Wellness Center. How do you beat that, right?” Filled with joy in reminiscing about her college days, McLeod highlights her relationship with her former professors and the bond that students at the College can create with their own if they so desire. “I have lots of good memories,” McLeod said. “… 10 years ago, our lead contact at that time here for advancement got together two professors that I had as an undergraduate … and those two professors could tell stories about me when I was a student, like 25 years ago, at that time. And to me, that in a nutshell wraps up the student experience, because if you’re open to it, you can have those kinds of enduring relationships with your professors that I don’t think are possible in a school where you don’t have that student-to-professor ratio that we do.” Health and wellness have always been a major part of McLeod’s life. She was an avid Scottish Highland dancer throughout her childhood until her 20s, and a competitive runner who went to the Olympic Trials for the marathon and made the U.S. team for the world championship in the duathlon. “So athletics has been, you know, part of my life forever, and honestly my wellness program when I was on campus, [because] we didn’t have even the Rec Center or anything like that, was either racquet ball in the basement of Blow Hall, or else running down Duke of Gloucester Street,” McLeod said. “… If that had existed, if that Rec Center was there when I was a student, you can bet your buck I would’ve signed up to work there.” McLeod previously served as the chair for the Swem Library Board, is now on the For the Bold Campaign Steering Committee and is a trustee on the College of William and Mary Foundation. She hopes her contributions and lack of anonymity about them will help shift the culture of the College’s donors to be more transparent and vocal about their giving. “The logical extension into the wellness world was really started with the director of the Rec Center, Linda Knight, talking to us about this vision,” McLeod said. “… [W]hat the Wellness Center should be, what we really needed as a university, as a community, on campus. And having something accessible, inviting, covering all aspects of health and wellness. That really kind of sealed the deal when we knew exactly where we needed to be. And that was in support of that Wellness Center.” While McLeod is proud to support her alma mater, one of the greatest things for her is seeing other College affiliates, alums and current students alike take pride in the institution and others’ contributions. “… [M]y niece decided to go to William and Mary, with no influence from me, just out of the blue,” McLeod said. “And while she was a student here, we introduced the first TAG Day, and both of us got this amazing email from her saying how exciting it was and how proud she was to see our names on various tags around campus, and then she ended her note with, ‘One day I hope to have my name on a tag.’ … So to me, that says success because I feel like we’ve helped instill in her the need to be able to continue to support your institution if you care about it, because that’s the only way William and Mary continues to thrive, is with outside support.” Outside of her commitments to the College, McLeod is on the board of the Norfolk Botanical Garden, is participating in the executive search committee for the new president of her old high school in New Jersey and is the former president of Road Runners Club of America.
— J. Goodenow “Goody” Tyler
passion and need to do good in the world are things that stand out to him and inspire his own love for the College. “I like the fact that the students come here, it all seems like they all have a purpose, they want to do something, they know that college is not just a stopping point or, you know, a punch-your-ticket kind of thing,” Tyler said. “It is something to help them be a better person when they get out, it’s something where they can make an impact on the world … I mean all the students that we’ve interfaced with all seem to be highly educated, highly motivated and highly committed to doing something other than just for themselves.” When the plans for the McLeod Tyler Wellness Center were first revealed to Tyler, he immediately knew it was something he and McLeod had to support. Having lived such a health-oriented lifestyle himself, Tyler jumped at the opportunity to support the students’ mental and spiritual health, alongside previous contributions to physical health. “So then looking at not just the physical,” Tyler said. “The Rec Center is a great way for people to burn off energy or just stress and everything, but sometimes that’s just not enough. Sometimes you need somebody to sit there and say, ‘You really are okay. There are other people who have gone through this, and you’re going to get through this.’ ... The Wellness Center is a wonderful place for that.” When he isn’t accompanying McLeod to Williamsburg, Tyler volunteers at their local zoo as a trail host, takes photos of flowers at the botanical garden in Norfolk and serves as an at-large director on the Road Runners Club of America board. “I just am happy that I’m alive, I’m happy that my wife and I can make a positive impact on the student community at William and Mary,” Tyler said. “It’s just an outstanding institution, got a great history and it’s going to be around a long, long, long time after we’re gone. And to know that we’ve had a small part in [that history], it’s a great part of, to me, my legacy.”
The Flat Hat
Page 3
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
STUDENT ASSEMBLY
SA holds special election Nov. 2
Three class of 2020 senators plan to resign SARAH SMITH FLAT HAT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
At the end of a weekly Student Assembly meeting Oct. 9, three class of 2020 senators announced they would resign, effective later in the semester. Sen. Abhi Chadha ’20, Sen. Clare DaBaldo ’20 and Sen. Sarah MacPhee ’20 all announced that they would vacate their positions later in the semester to study abroad during the spring semester. Now, the class of 2020 is hosting a special election to fill the upcoming vacancies. Usually, when senators campaign in the spring semester, it is with the understanding that they will remain in their elected positions until the following election cycle. Chief of Staff Rachel Becker ’19 reminded Chadha, DaBaldo and MacPhee of this precedent after they announced their resignation. “So I served on Honor Council, and for us, it was a huge, huge no-no to run if you were going abroad … I am just curious, why you ran [if you were planning on going abroad],” Becker said. “… I am not asking you to justify it; it would just mean a lot if you could recognize that this does impact Student Assembly. This is huge.” DaBaldo said that while she could not speak for all three, her personal decision to study
abroad was not finalized until after she was reelected. She also said that going abroad fulfilled something very important to her, and that while she is dedicated to SA, she believes that spending a semester abroad is in her best interest. One of the first items of business after the announcement of the three senators’ resignation was deciding how to fill their leadership positions within SA committees. To speed this up, Chadha, MacPhee and DaBaldo resigned from their positions on the senate committees. Sen. Jessica Seidenberg ’19 was elected as chair of the senate finance committee after Chadha resigned from that position. Sen. Anthony Joseph ’21 was elected as chair of the senate public affairs committee to replace MacPhee after she resigned. On the senate outreach committee, Sen. Kyle Vasquez ’21 was elected to replace DaBaldo as chair. After addressing these committee positions, members of SA introduced the next step: electing three new senators to represent the class of 2020. Class of 2020 President Kelsey Vita and Senate Chair Ellie Thomas ’20 called a special election. Members of the class of 2020 will vote Thursday, Nov. 2. There are currently 11 candidates running for these positions: Zie Medrano ’20, Jaret Anderson
’20, Caroline Garman ’20, Maddie Talnagi ’20, Samuel Towler ’20, JonDavid Nichols ’20, Cody Mills ’20, Angela Tiangco ’20, Nicholas Thomas ’20, Alicia Draper ’20 and Liz Holmes ’20. To call a special election, Vita had to sponsor a bill in the senate. Her bill, The Class of 2020 Special Election 2018 Act, was passed by a vote of unanimous consent Tuesday, Oct. 23. Beyond calling the special election, the bill charges the SA elections commission with coordinating the election, charges the resigning senators with aiding in the transition process, charges the code revision committee with updating the SA constitution and code, affirms that vacancies should not be interpreted as acceptable senator conduct and maintains that no one is eligible to seek office if they know they will not be on campus during a part of their tenure. “This is a positive direction for our institution,” Class of 2021 President David DeMarco ’21 said. “The code and constitution failed us here. … Our institution failed us. This showed us that we have respect for advisory boards, that we have respect for the new direction of the document that we are taking votes on. I think this is a really good way to make up for the fact that we have a failed government document.”
STUDENT PLEADS GUILTY TO ONE FELONY COUNT Jacob Selmonosky ’21 pleaded guilty to one felony count of selling drugs within 1,000 feet of a school at the Williamsburg-James City County Circuit Court Wednesday, Oct. 24. At this time, the judge withdrew a second charge of selling drugs within 1,000 feet of a school and two counts of distribution of Schedule II drugs. Selmonosky faces the possibility of four years in prison and a fine of $5,000. During the Oct. 24 hearing, attendees learned that Selmonosky had been contacted by an undercover agent who was looking to purchase the drug Adderall. Selmonosky sold two Adderall pills at $8 apiece to the undercover agent and was originally arrested by the Williamsburg Police Department April 17. He was initially released on bail for all four charges. His next court hearing will be Feb. 13, 2019. Other students arrested during the April drug investigation also have upcoming court hearings. Daniel McBride ‘20 has his next hearing Nov. 13. Biology professor Gi Sang Yoon has his next court hearing Nov. 29. Both cases will be heard at the Williamsburg-James City County General District Court. Nicolas Manuel ‘18, Devin Moore ‘19, Keegan Paugh ‘18 and Bilol Mirganiev ‘21 pleaded guilty to various charges during court hearings Oct. 15 and Oct. 21. — Flat Hat Editor-in-Chief Sarah Smith. Flat Hat Webmaster Jack Bowden also contributed to this report.
WILLIAMSBURG
Avalon, WMPD host event on domestic violence
‘In Her Shoes’ aims to educate participants about abuse scenarios, resources
FERNANDO CASTRO THE FLAT HAT
Wednesday, Oct. 24, Avalon Center partnered with the Williamsburg Police Department to host the event In Her Shoes, a role play and discussion to spread awareness about domestic violence. Volunteer Coordinator Rachel Widenhouse said that the event, which took place at the Williamsburg Community Center, aimed to answer questions about why some women who experience abuse do not leave and address the circumstances that make it difficult for them to do so. “A lot of people think, ‘Well, why doesn’t she just leave?’ and if she does leave, then everything should be okay,” Widenhouse said. “But there’s so much more that comes after the leaving. Where do you go? How do you pay for what comes next?” Widenhouse emphasized that not everyone has access to resources that can
allow them to leave abusive relationships. In her work at Avalon, she said the shelter has seen women who do not have the income to support themselves or their children. She also said that they don’t always have a car, which makes it difficult to travel to work or social services. “There’s so many more barriers and obstacles that we take for granted in our everyday life to be able to have a car and have the ability to safely walk throughout the world without fearing that someone is [going to] harm us,” Widenhouse said. “Avalon really aims to address all of those obstacles and work individually, case by case, so that someone can feel like they’re able to rebuild and move past some of the abuse.” Volunteers participated in scenarios that focused on the dynamics of abusive relationships. Scenarios highlighted the complexity of potential cases by including legal complications or situations where
hesitancy was a factor. Participants engaged in various hypothetical roles, ranging from long-time partners to college students. They would begin with a card and make decisions, moving step-by-step to improve their situations. Choices included contacting police, family members, church members, domestic violence centers and counseling centers. After the event, Widenhouse talked about the Avalon Center’s close relationship with the Williamsburg Police Department. “In a lot of ways, domestic violence intersects with the law, and they help us with lethality screenings,” Widenhouse said. “If a police officer is called out to a scene where they believe abuse is happening, they’ll do a lethality assessment protocol, and if there is a high risk of someone being killed, the police will contact Avalon immediately. We work with the police to make sure people in the
community are safe, and that if we are alerted to a domestic abuse issue, we work in conjunction with each other to address it.” Williamsburg Senior Police Officer in the Community Engagement Bureau Aundrea Holiday discussed how important it is for the police department to spread awareness of domestic violence. “It is so important that people understand that when people need help, that they have the avenues to get that help,” Holiday said. “You could just be somebody on the street, and you can point somebody in the right direction, or just point them in the direction of the police department, so that the police department could get them some help. I think that domestic violence is a really important issue.We work a lot with Avalon as far as that goes.” Volunteer Sarah Raymond ’21 talked about her involvement. “I’ve heard about it since my freshman year here, and I think it’s a great cause,”
Raymond said. “I hadn’t been really exposed to a lot of events that surrounded the discussion of domestic violence.” Raymond discussed what this event meant to her, and how it opened her to understanding the complexities of abusive relationships. “This showed me how many different forms domestic violence can come in,” Raymond said. “It’s not just physical — it can be mental. There are so many different types and reasons that people are stuck in situations. It’s not just they don’t want to leave, it’s that they can’t often. The other factors that affect it like not knowing the language, having children and just so many different things I hadn’t thought about. This event showed me that there are so many other things to take into account.” Widenhouse stressed that domestic violence can manifest itself in different ways and that Avalon tries to act as a support system that is aware of those manifestations.
Luria, Taylor campaigns divide over issues of health care, taxes Republican team forges signatures, results in better chance for Democratic Luria in November election HOUSE RACE from page 1
run for office. Luria said that she decided to run for the first time because she has observed what is happening in Congress right now, and she feels it is her duty to step forward and make a change. “If we want to change the conversation in Congress we need to change the people in Congress,” Luria said. “So I decided to step forward and run. I also look at my daughter who is 9 … I don’t want her to look at me and say, ‘What did you do?’ I want to know that I stepped forward and did the most I could to help our district and help our country.” The retired Navy officer said that her experience in the military has taught her to be able to work across the aisle. She stressed that she believes her ability to see beyond party lines will be valuable in a climate of political polarization. “I think having served in the military is a very mission-driven thing,” Luria said. “When you’re on an aircraft carrier for example and operating nuclear reactors … I would have never turned to the person next to me and said, ‘Are you a Democrat, are you a Republican?’ We had a mission to get done and I think that ability to work with people from different backgrounds,
different parts of the country, different perspectives is very important.” McGlennon said he thinks the biggest issues that have come up in this election are over health care and tax cuts, issues which are reflected across the country. “Luria has been stressing her promise to work across party lines to get things done in Congress, and has criticized Taylor for voting to repeal the Affordable Care Act and failing to provide affordable coverage for people with pre-existing medical conditions,” McGlennon said. “Taylor has stressed his support for tax cuts, and has run ads warning voters against Luria because, he says, she will take her orders from Nancy Pelosi.” During Luria and Taylor’s first debate Oct. 23, Taylor emphasized his follow-through on campaign promises, including rebuilding the military, protecting veterans, cutting taxes and repealing the Affordable Care Act. Though it largely benefited business and the upper class, Taylor argued that last year’s Republican-led tax overhaul was beneficial. The average tax cut middle class Americans received was $688. He noted that being raised by a single mother on modest income taught him the true value of this amount of money. “I can tell you right now that $688 could be the difference between the lights going on or off,” Taylor said, according to the Daily Press. “Nine out of [10] people in
this district have seen more money in their own pockets … I know the benefit of that tax reform here and I’m proud I supported it.” Taylor has also received backlash and become the subject of an investigation for illegal campaign tactics. In August, his staff had gathered signatures for a third-party candidate, Shaun Brown, to be added to the ballot. This would have split the Democratic vote in November. However, a judge ruled that while gathering signatures for another candidate is legal, forging them is not, and many of the signatures collected were proven to be forgeries. McGlennon explained that while Taylor had momentum in the beginning of his campaign, this scandal has slowed him down and created a much closer race. “Taylor got off to a good start to his first term in 2017, holding a well-publicized town hall where he faced angry voters but got good marks for listening to opponents of President Trump,” McGlennon said. “He did try to separate himself from Trump on some issues, but as the term has worn on, he has been more defensive. In June, a group of his paid staff were charged with falsifying petitions trying to get his 2016 Democratic opponent on the ballot as an independent in an effort to split the Democratic vote. A special prosecutor has been appointed and a judge ordered the candidate off
the ballot, saying that the case was clear-cut attempted fraud.” Taylor reacted to this scandal by firing his campaign consultant Rob Catron and threatening legal action against the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for airing attack ads framing him as a criminal, insisting his campaign has a “zero-tolerance policy for inappropriate activities.” Luria’s odds have been vastly improved in this election as a result. She has positioned herself as a better alternative to Taylor and encouraged young people especially to vote for her to represent their interests. “When I look at young people and their futures and their opportunities I think you need to look at a candidate who really cares about the future of our country,” Luria said. “I think it’s a clear choice between the things that I stand for and the things that my opponent has said that he stands for by his votes while he’s been in Congress.” However, policy positions are not everything in this race — voter turnout, especially for young people, could be the deciding factor. “Voting rates for young people lag behind those of older voters, so guess who elected officials listen to,” McGlennon said. “In midterms especially, voter turnout is lower so every vote matters more.”
Campus political organizations increase student involvement as midterm elections approach Young Democrats partner with Elaine Luria’s staff to canvass, make phone calls for Democratic House nominee GOTV from page 1
group Americans for Prosperity,” College Republicans member Tom Callahan ’21 said in a written statement. “One of [Americans for Prosperity’s] main objectives is to encourage the emerging generation to be more politically active.” The College Republicans provide an open forum for political discussion in their meetings, and also offer methods for members to get involved more directly with the political and electoral system.
“In one regard, we are a social club; we hold weekly meetings where members can freely express political views which would likely not be well received in other social circles on campus,” Callahan said in a written statement. “However, we are also a very functional club; we provide members with the opportunity to get involved with a multitude of political groups ranging from campaigns to lobbying groups and Think Tanks.” Callahan believes that voting is critical for participation in the political process and
that college students in particular have a lot to contribute. “Voting is truthfully the most effective way to make your voice heard in our political system. It is certainly more impactful than getting into heated debates on Twitter,” Callahan said in a written statement. “Considering that college students are such a large, politically motivated demographic, I find it rather paradoxical that more college students don’t vote.” Young Democrats member Louisa Janssen ’21 said that she tries to respond to
apathy by engaging in conversation with voters. Callahan cites political apathy as a reason why people might not vote. He said that he often hears from people that they believe their individual votes do not make a difference. Mills makes a clear distinction between people that can vote but choose not to, versus those that are legally disenfranchised and unable to vote at all. That said, he feels that students at the College in particular have an interest in politics that often just
doesn’t convert into a vote. “Being on this campus, it’s particularly frustrating sometimes, because there’s such a disconnect between passion and action,” Mills said. Some political organizations oncampus plan to incite that push by working collaboratively as well as separately. Callahan said that the College Republicans have been coordinating with AMP, the Young Democrats and the Young Democratic Socialists to organize a debate on the upcoming election.
Page 4
The Flat Hat
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
CAMPUS
History department hosts Charlottesville talk Discussion focuses on Unite the Right rally, 2015 shooting at Episcopal Church The history department at the College of William and Mary held a lecture symposium called “After Charlottesville: Memorials, Monuments and Memory” on Friday, Oct. 26. The panel framed the symposium around recent tragedies regarding memorialization and historical memory, such as the August 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, which resulted in the death of Heather Heyer, and the 2015 church shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, which claimed nine victims. The symposium facilitated a dialogue on the issue of historical memorialization and the problems surrounding physical memories of the past. Pamunkey Tribal Resource Center Director and anthropology professor Ashley Atkins Spivey chose to focus on histories that are and are not memorialized. “One of the things I always tend to discuss with people is some of the first peoples that were enslaved were indigenous peoples from this land,” Spivey said. “This is a side of history that rarely gets told, the enslavement of native people in Virginia.” Spivey said that the complicated history of the Pamunkey and other native Virginian peoples is often overlooked. “The point of bringing up these specific examples is to demonstrate that we are part of this story,” Spivey said. “We are not just a story of Pocahontas, John Smith and Powhatan that is relegated to the 17th century, and then we disappear. No, we have a very active, complex, complicated history beyond the 17th century. …” Spivey used the example of the Brafferton School, the former Indian Education School on campus, as an example of the invisibility and erasure of Native American histories and spaces. “Here you have such a rare, rare, native space in Virginia that talks about native colonial history beyond the 17th century …” Spivey said. “But here you have a place on William and Mary’s campus that speaks to not just Virginia native history but the complicated history of Indian education in the United States. There’s all these different kinds of national and larger regional ties to this local history. Do we learn anything about that at the College? Unfortunately, we don’t, and it’s an office space for the president and the provost. You don’t get any kind of sense in any way, shape or form, other than that tiny plaque out there, of what that place was and what it means to native people today.” George Mason University history professor Joseph Genetin-Pilawa focused on a past example of debates around
memorialization. Genetin-Pilawa discussed the story of Native American activist Leta Myer Smart’s successful 1958 campaign of statue removal in Washington, D.C. Through much of the 19th and 20th centuries, two statues,
“
We live in a point in time where people can look at a statue and look at a monument and be taught how that monument fits into our history. It’s a much better solution, [better] way of communicating than not having any physical evidence. — Robert Watson
“
WILLIAM ALLEN FLAT HAT CHIEF STAFF WRITER
the Discovery and the Rescue, stood on the steps of the Capitol Building depicting white, colonialist myths of the discovery of America and the subjugation of its native peoples, until Smart began the campaign to remove them. “Leta Myer Smart was just one among many generations of native activists marking the landscape of the federal city,” Genetin-Pilawa said. “The commemorative portrayals that populated the capital of the 19th century are not only significant as symbolic justifications of policies of empire but represent an emerging cultural mythology that marked the physical landscape of the nation. Here Euro-American men … claimed ownership of the city and nation and decorated it with violent images of conquest.” Smart’s successful campaign of removal serves as an example of how individuals shape the memory of the past through a “commemorative landscape,” erecting or removing
physical representations of historical actors and events. Hampton University history professor Robert Watson saw historical memorials and the debate surrounding them as useful tools to increase historical knowledge and understanding. “We live in a point in time where people can look at a statue and look at a monument and be taught how that monument fits into our history,” Watson said. “It’s a much better solution, [better] way of communicating than not having any physical evidence.” Watson saw monuments, even those to Confederate soldiers, as useful tools of historical education that preserved a history that many would want to erase or not talk about. “I am for maintaining the monuments because I think they help to memorialize,” Watson said. “They tell a story that cannot be told effectively without having that kind of evidence.” Robert Russa Moton Museum Director Cameron Patterson talked about the importance of having physical spaces of remembrance for little-told histories. Prince Edward County possesses a unique history of student struggle for civil rights and education that is told and preserved through the Moton Museum. “I think that, more importantly, that what you have seen today in Prince Edward County is a group of citizens that have come together against all obstacles presented to try to promote and preserve their story for future generations,” Patterson said. Patterson stressed the importance of the museum in passing on positive lessons through its portrayal of the struggle of black Prince Edward County students to win the education denied to them through the closing of their public schools. “I think that the themes that we really try to have folks take away from this is theme of activism, the theme of social responsibility, the theme of, this idea of folks being empowered to create change whether big or small,” Patterson said. “I really think the story of the Moton students in Prince Edward County has the ability to teach a lot in that regard.” After two hours of discussion, the Tyler symposium had highlighted many issues, including the importance of physical memories of the past. First-year history graduate student Marie Pellisier saw the panel as a useful and interesting discussion. “I found it really fascinating coming in,” Pellisier said. “I wasn’t sure what the perspective in Virginia would be. I was actually expecting a little bit more [adamancy] about removing these [Confederate memorials], so I was surprised and intrigued by particularly Dr. Watson’s statement around recontextualizing and leaving these monuments up.”
Senate candidates differ on key issues as midterms approach Stewart focuses efforts on supporting Trump’s agenda, Kaine prioritizes increasing access to health care the federal governmentfrom getting involved in loaning money to students in the first place. Gun safety policies The three candidates differ in how they see the balance between Second Amendment rights and the need to increase gun regulations in the United States in light of mass shootings. According to Stewart’s website, he places emphasis on protecting Second Amendment rights as they stand now, or even adding freedoms for gun owners. Waters also believes that gun restrictions are not the most relevant solution to recent mass shootings but acknowledges the need to deal with gun violence in other ways, like addressing mental illness concerns and ending the War on Drugs. “Most gun owners in this country … we’re law abiding,” Waters said. Kaine acknowledges the constitutional right to bear arms, but he said his time as the governor of Virginia during the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting led him to work for measures which would prevent future gun violence. “There is still more to be done, and I will
“
The climate is changing, but the question is ... is it due to man?
“
— Corey Stewart
continue to push for important and necessary reforms including universal background checks, banning assault weapons and highcapacity magazines and improving our mental health system,” Kaine said. LGBTQ Rights and Protections Kaine said that he would continue his legacy as a former civil rights lawyer, pushing for the Equality Act in the Senate and equality in all aspects of life for LGBTQ citizens. “[I] am fighting to pass workplace protections for LGBTQ citizens so that no Virginian ever loses their job again because of their sexuality or sexual orientation,” Kaine said.
Stewart, on the other hand, stated that he feels current anti-discrimination laws are sufficient for protecting LGBTQ rights, and that further legislation would not be beneficial. “We have anti-discrimination laws in this country,” Stewart said. “I think continuing to push this issue divides people.” Waters favors self-advocacy in situations where employers do not meet protection needs, particularly when it comes to transgender protections that U.S. President Donald Trump recently made national news for planning to rescind. According to Waters, the issue of employer protections should remain between an employee and an employer. Immigration All three candidates say they favor immigration reform that would make it easier for migrants to become permanent, legal residents of the United States. However, there are stark differences in how they would handle current undocumented immigrants. Waters believes that the current immigration system is “broken,” and while he is not an advocate for open borders, he condemns the separation of families at the southern border, would keep the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy in place and is open to bringing citizenship to the currently estimated 11.4 million undocumented immigrants living in America. “You have, what, 12 million undocumented citizens, illegal aliens in this country?” Waters said. “We can do nothing, which is not working out so well, I think. We can build a wall and deport people, or we could take those people … and integrate them into the American family all the way. And that would be my choice, because I think immigrants bring an awful lot to the table.” Like Waters, Kaine states that he would keep DACA in place and condemns family separations, while also advocating for a secure border. He argues that restrictions on legal immigration, especially restrictions on Muslim immigrants, DACA recipients and Temporary Protected Status members, are wrong for Virginia. Stewart favors making it easier for migrants who want to enter the United States to do so legally, and then make it easier for visa recipients to become permanent residents. However, he did not back down from his previous action against illegal immigration in Prince William County in 2007.
“[Support for easier legal immigration] means more immigration judges, that means investment in our immigration system to speedily process applications to go from visa status to permanent residency,” Stewart said. “Now, here’s the thing — I am very much in favor of building the wall, of cracking down on illegal immigration.” Climate Change For Kaine, climate change is a salient issue which he said imperils the planet’s future and threatens the economy. He said he plans to continue challenging the White House’s previous actions on climate issues, such as withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement. “I will continue to fight the Trump administration’s decision to abandon the Clean Power Plan, a move that harms the transition toward clean and renewable energy,” Kaine said. “Virginia is uniquely threatened by sea level rise, which is why I have introduced legislation to make regions like Hampton Roads more resilient in the face of flooding and extreme weather events.” Stewart, on the other hand, favors withdrawing from the Clean Power Plan, stating that it would cost too many jobs for a “negligible” difference in the global temperature. Instead, he would call the Army Corp of Engineers to shore up the Tidewater Aquifer. “The climate is changing, but the question is … is it due to man?” Stewart said. “And most scientists — only 1.6 percent of scientists believe that the change in the environment is due primarily to man.” According to NASA, 97 percent or more of climate scientists agree that climate change is caused by man. In terms of addressing climate change, Waters said he believes that the private sector is more equipped to handle research and solutions than the government is. “Right now, the chronic climate — no pun intended — on climate change is poison,” Waters said. Charlottesville and White Supremacists Kaine unilaterally condemned the violent actions of white supremacists at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville last summer. Waters and Stewart both condemned the violence but addressed both anti-fascist and white-supremacist protestors. “It was sickening to see such displays of violence and bigotry, which tragically led to
“
I will continue to fight the Trump administration’s decision to abandon the Clean Power Plan ... — Tim Kaine
“
SENATE RACE from page 1
injuries and the deaths of three Virginians,” Kaine said. “President Trump’s reluctance to quickly and directly condemn the hate, bigotry and racism of the white supremacists and members of the Ku Klux Klan that gathered at Charlottesville was deeply alarming to me and to millions of Americans.” Waters acknowledged the Constitutional right to free speech, but condemned the violence associated with the protest, saying the actions of self-described “anti-fascist” protestors were equally to blame. “It’s a free country, and you can protest, and you can be for or against anything you want,” Waters said. “That’s fine … These are bad actors. I’d say the violent far left stuff, the Antifa stuff we’re seeing … and suddenly the neo-Nazi confederate right thing that’s happening — I’d say that’s equally as bad.” Stewart did not address either group by name, the specific actions of anyone at the Unite the Right rally or the death of Charlottesville resident Heather Heyer at the hands of a white supremacist in his condemnation of violence. “We have to condemn violence,” Stewart said. “Political violence is not acceptable in the United States, whoever’s doing it, it doesn’t matter what side of the aisle you’re on — political violence is wrong.” Kaine emphasized that youth voter turnout could be decisive in what issues are prioritized in the Senate. “Last year’s elections in Virginia showed that every vote matters,” Kaine said. “By engaging with our community … young people have an opportunity to make their voices be heard.”
opinions
Opinions Editor Ethan Brown Opinions Editor Katherine Yenzer fhopinions@gmail.com
The Flat Hat
STAFF COLUMN
| Tuesday, October 30, 2018 | Page 5
STAFF COLUMN
Joy, love outweighs pain in long-distance relationships
Katherine Yenzer FLAT HAT OPINIONS EDITOR
GRAPHIC BY KAYLA PAYNE / THE FLAT HAT
Finding ways to enjoy autumn despite cold weather
Alyssa Slovin THE FLAT HAT
Am I dramatic by nature? Yes. But does that invalidate my opinion that it is uncharacteristically cold this October in Williamsburg? No. It’s absolutely freezing, and I hope we can all agree on that. My morning routine has consisted of trying on various sweaters and sweatshirts until I have found one versatile enough to be warm enough for outside, yet breathable enough that I can avoid heatstroke indoors and in the afternoon. While mornings can fall to as low as 40 degrees, some afternoons have climbed as high as 70 degrees. Layers are a necessity for this turbulent weather pattern. As a freshman from New Jersey, this is my first autumn in Virginia. Since this is considered to be the South, I assumed that it would be at least a little bit warmer than what I am used to. That was true through September and the beginning of October, but ever since fall break, that assumption has been proved to be inaccurate. It’s like someone flipped a switch, and it suddenly became insanely cold. My parents told me they are experiencing the same crazy weather, but at least they had more of a transition between the seasons. I have even overheard upperclassmen asking their parents to send them warmer clothes through the mail because waiting until Thanksgiving to exchange wardrobes is no longer an option. Even those familiar with the area are thrown off by this weather. So, this is not simply one of those “College of William and Mary things.” Why is it so uncharacteristically cold this autumn? Answers range from climate change to the simple unpredictability of the weather. Either way, it is pretty strange that I can see my breath most mornings, even though most of the trees still have green leaves. At this point, my biggest concern is that the temperatures will continue to drop so much that, by the time it becomes December and January, walking across campus will be torturous. Until then, I am trying my best to stick the weather out. My
hat and scarf go everywhere with me as my friends and I try to make the most of our time on campus before we will have to shut ourselves inside for winter. We have been to the farmer’s market and gone on various excursions throughout Colonial Williamsburg. Number one on my list is Mermaid Books, but I feel as if it is always closed when I try to go. The Barnes and Noble is always a great stop, too, because I can immediately buy a hot drink if necessary after a walk in the chilly air. Honestly, my favorite fall tradition thus far has been watching movies with my friends in our dorm — huddled up in our blankets and enjoying our microwave popcorn and Sadler desserts that we have hoarded. This weekend, we had a “Halloweentown” marathon.
“
My hat and scarf go everywhere with me as my friends and I try to make the most of our time on campus before we will have to shut ourselves inside for winter. Others have spent the season going to pumpkin patches and Halloween parties. I’m not sure how much I would enjoy them myself — mostly due to the fact that both include walking outside in the cold — but the pictures that everyone posts on Instagram definitely show them having a great time. I hope the weather does not impede on these activities as the next month passes and the countdown to Christmas begins, but I know that it is definitely a possibility. I recommend spending nights how you want to now because as time goes on, I bet that no one will want to do anything outside with you. Or maybe that’s just me. I would apologize, but I’m not exactly sorry. It’s cold. Email Alyssa Slovin at amslovin@email.wm.edu
When I was a sophomore in high school, I wrote a piece for my school’s paper on how long-distance relationships during college are a waste of time and effort. I thought that in order to be happy in college, I could not be in a long-distance relationship, especially if it was a long-distance relationship that I had started in high school. I thought that if I wanted to have the whole college experience, I had to be single. Fast forward to my senior year of high school. I found myself in a loving and committed relationship with graduation and my freshman year of college fast approaching. I knew I didn’t want to end my relationship solely because college was on the horizon, and I began to completely reevaluate my feelings on long distance relationships. I couldn’t understand how breaking up with someone I loved dearly would in any way make my college experience better, and when my boyfriend and I decided to attend different universities, I realized that I was headed for a long-distance relationship. I am now two years into my relationship, and I am so thankful that I didn’t let myself end it over some absurd idea that I needed to be single in order to enjoy college. Being in a long-distance relationship certainly isn’t easy. It comes with a whole host of challenges. It’s unbelievably emotionally draining at times. I never thought it was possible to miss someone as much as I miss my significant other when he isn’t with me, but I’m truly at my happiest whenever we get to spend a weekend together. I used to think that being in a long-distance relationship would result in me missing out on certain college experiences, and sure, I miss weekends here at the College of William and Mary when I go to visit my boyfriend, but it is so unbelievably worth it. I am still able to have a wonderful and fulfilling college experience, and if anything, being in a long-distance relationship has only added to my college experience. My freshman year of college I was able to truly grow as an individual. I made new friends and adjusted to my new life at the College on my own terms. I was challenged to step outside of my comfort zone. I joined clubs I was passionate about, took classes that intimidated me, and applied for leadership positions. While my freshman year of college was one for the books, sometimes all the “new-ness” got to be overwhelming. When that happened, being able to reach out to my boyfriend for comfort and support was priceless. He was and is always there via text or FaceTime to help me with homework, talk through my friend drama, or congratulate me on my accomplishments. He is truly an integral part of my support system despite the fact that he is several hours away, and simply because he doesn’t live in Williamsburg doesn’t make him any less important or necessary in my daily life. The unique challenges we face as a result of our distance don’t even compare to the absolute joy that our relationship brings us. We have both been able to fully and independently enjoy our college experiences thus far while simultaneously being there for one another when we need the support or when we just want to talk about our days. So, no, being in a longdistance relationship isn’t easy, but it also hasn’t taken anything away from my experience here at the College. All of the hours I spend on Amtrak trains or weekend football games I miss are nothing compared to the happiness my relationship brings me. Email Katherine Yenzer at keyenzer@email.wm.edu
STAFF COLUMN
Autumn in Williamsburg brings happiness and fun for those at the College
Caroline Wall THE FLAT HAT
In my first couple weeks of fall in Williamsburg, I have probably consumed more cider than I have in my whole 19 years of life (thank you, Aroma’s). Apple cider is a fall staple, so it makes sense that my rate of consumption would exponentially go up in a place where fall thrives. Colonial Williamsburg naturally looks more inviting in the fall. I’m no longer worrying about whether or not employees will pass out from wearing a petticoat or tights in the Virginia heat, and seeing elementary school field trips takes me back to my younger days when I couldn’t resist the urge to stick my head and arms into the very inviting pillory.
But most of all, the changing leaves and crisp air make everything a little more bearable. It finally feels less swampy; I can walk to class without arriving drenched in sweat and having to worry about whether or not the person next to me can smell me. Instead, I can now enjoy temperatures in the 60s with the sun alleviating the need for much more than a light jacket: the ideal weather. And even on days when it’s colder, I am still satisfied because that means I can stay inside wrapped in a blanket with an excuse to watch Netflix. After cycling through the same five shortsleeve shirts for the past couple months, it’s time to put on some jeans and break out clothes that I’m not sick of yet. After all, it’s comfy season, and sweater weather is objectively the best. The coziness of the season makes strolling into Blackbird Bakery or Mermaid Books that much more enjoyable. Books and baked goods were meant to be devoured sitting on a quiet bench with leaves falling and wind blowing around you. And who doesn’t love a Saturday
“
The coziness of the season makes strolling into Blackbird Bakery or Mermaid Books that much more enjoyable. Books and baked goods were meant to be devoured sitting on a quiet bench with leaves falling and wind blowing around you.
morning Farmer’s Market in the crisp, fall weather? Even better, trips to Pumpkinville are finally appropriate, and hanging out on the Sunken Garden no longer means being attacked by a swarm of gnats. Overall, the best thing about fall is that pretty much anything goes. Summer and winter are reserved for specific activities, but fall is the perfect time for being a couch potato or being active (I can finally go on a run without dying from the heat), for wearing scarves or wearing t-shirts, for making trips to Lake Matoaka or chilling in the hall lounge. Although I’ve only lived in Williamsburg for a couple months, I expect fall to be my favorite season here. My walks are more enjoyable, the classic old-timey brick buildings pop more against colorful leaves, football games are in full swing, Swem is cozier and (best of all), Thanksgiving is coming. So, for the next couple months, I will continue filling my stomach with cider and embracing the joys of fall. Email Caroline Wall at cewall01@email.wm.edu
The Flat Hat
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
Page 6
STAFF COLUMN
STAFF COLUMN
November’s arrival signifies holiday season on campus
Lauren Cohen THE FLAT HAT
Do you hear that? The bells are ringing, and as the old song goes, “ring-a-ling, hear them ring, soon it will be Christmas Day.” That’s right — ‘tis the season for Christmas music starting this Thursday, Nov. 1, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. Well, at least there’s nothing you can do to stop me from jamming out to Christmas tunes starting this Thursday. At midnight on Halloween, I’ll be switching from monster mashing to reindeer dashing, and I encourage you to join me in getting into the holiday spirit a little early this year. In my opinion, jingle bells are the only thing that can get you through midterms this fall, laughing all the way, and they’ll carry you on a one-horse open sleigh right through finals season as well. For me, there’s nothing more comforting than Bruce Springsteen reminding me that I better not pout and better not cry this midterm season, and honestly, we all need that kind of positivity with the hefty course loads we have at the College of William and Mary.
“
For me, there’s nothing more comforting than Bruce Springsteen reminding me that I better not pout and better not cry this midterm season, and honestly, we all need that kind of positivity with the hefty course loads we have at the College of William and Mary. Not only is Christmas music light and upbeat, but it can fit the mood of any situation. Having a hard time getting out of bed on these cold, dark mornings? Missed the omelet bar by five minutes? About to conquer the steps of Morton Hall? Just ran out of Flex? Passed by the griffin statue and forgot to look away? These twampy problems can be solved by simply pressing play on your favorite holiday tune. No other action is necessary to instantly feel merry and bright, and I can guarantee you will be bopping along by the time you reach the third floor. In case you need more of a reason to hop on the Christmas-music-inNovember train, think about how Christmas music brings people together. We have all witnessed a spontaneous karaoke moment in the light side of Sadler before, and I’ve already made a list and checked it twice of songs I know will get the hungry people going in the dining halls this season. No matter what your favorite carol is, I hope that you’ll be tuning in with me on Thursday to kick off the holiday season on a jolly note. Get excited, because as pop music legends Aly and AJ once sang, “it’s the greatest time of year, and it’s here.” Email Lauren Cohen at lhcohen01@email.wm.edu.
GRAPHIC BY JAE CHO / THE FLAT HAT
Cosi’s butternut squash soup: Autumn in a bowl
Zoë Connell THE FLAT HAT
Fall is here at the College of William and Mary, and with it come all of my favorite autumnal foods and activities. From apple and pumpkin picking to drinking hot cider, fall is full of wonderful memories for me. One of my favorite things to do on a chilly fall day is to curl up under a blanket and enjoy a good bowl of soup. One may ask, what type of soup? There is only one answer for me. What other soup could possibly scream autumn more than the wonderful sweetness of butternut squash? As soon as the temperature dropped below 80 degrees, I was counting the days until Cosi to would bring back this autumnal classic. Every day, I would go into Lodge 1 to see if they had updated their menu, but to my dismay, I have not once seen the words “butternut squash” appear anywhere this semester. It is now the very end of October, and my favorite soup is nowhere in sight. My relationship with butternut squash has been a tumultuous one at best. As a child, I absolutely adored it, but as adolescence
set in, that same adoration morphed into hatred. The thought of the sickly sweet squash was nauseating. Last year, however, I experienced an epiphany. Right there in the hallowed halls of Lodge 1, I worked up the courage to try butternut squash again, this time in the form of soup. It was a cold, rainy day, and something about the soup was calling to me. I walked up to the line for Cosi and nervously placed my order. My bout of courage paid off, and I became addicted. To say that I ordered butternut squash soup at least once a week would not be exaggerating, although it did cause me to spend nearly all of my dining dollars. Now it is my favorite time of the year again, but not once have I been able to enjoy the sweet, aromatic soup that I enjoy so much. Instead, I am forced to settle for the tomato basil bisque, which is lovely, but does not taste like fall in a bowl. The other day, I went up and asked a worker when the butternut squash soup would return, but the only response I received was, “I don’t think it is,” and a shake of the head. My hopes were crushed with that single utterance. I no longer count down the days anymore and continue to settle for tomato bisque. While I still yearn for butternut squash, I now turn to Swemromas and their hot apple cider to satisfy my fall cravings. However, there is still a hole in my heart that used to be occupied by Cosi’s butternut squash soup. All I ask of Cosi is to consider bringing back my beloved soup, so as to let students like myself enjoy fall to its fullest. Email Zoë Connell at zsconnell@email.wm.edu.
“
Every day, I would go into Lodge 1 to see if they had updated their menu, but to my dismay, I have not once seen the words ‘butternut squash’ appear anywhere this semester. It is now the very end of October, and my favorite soup is nowhere in sight.
STAFF COLUMN
New Griffin statue inappropriate, anatomically graphic
Anna Boustany, Ethan Brown
FLAT HAT OPINIONS ASSOC. EDITOR, FLAT HAT OPINIONS EDITOR
“
COMMENTS @THEFLATHAT This was my experience in 2014 (one of the cited years): Both my OAs were in Greek life and when considering applying to be an OA because I wanted to be able to represent students out side of Greek life to Freshman, I was frequently told that it was all Greek life and it wouldn’t be worth it. I did apply my sophomore year and made it to interviews where everyone knew each other in the waiting room and were discussing various sororities and frats. Coincidentally, I joined a sorority in my Junior year because I felt everyone around me was in one so I had to do it to, a large part of that being my OA friends. I am sharing this experience just as an example and in hopes that things continue to improve.
– Olivia Thomas on “Statistics show FYE Orientation staff does not accurately represent student population”
Oct. 17, in the midst of the College of William and Mary’s Homecoming festivities this year, our athletics department announced plans for Tribe Plaza, a new gathering spot for fans, students and alumni alike. Several days later, a large bronze statue of the Griffin was unveiled, located centrally in front of Zable Stadium facing Richmond Road. According to a press release from William and Mary News, the statue was not commissioned specifically for the College, but for another institution in 2012; furthermore, it was purchased using private funds raised through the Tribe Club. Normally, the erection of such a statue would spur debate and complaints about how the school is spending its money or what campus improvement projects our alumni are choosing to donate to, but this statue has been the cause of an entirely different sort of controversy. The Griffin statue has been the center of widespread student confusion due to the fact that its testicles are clearly and prominently displayed. Located at the statue’s rear facing the football stadium, the size and detail of
the Griffin’s pelvic region is shocking. Quite frankly, the gratuitous nature of the Griffin’s testicles is unbecoming for our university. There has been extensive public outrage, especially among students, about the prominence of the Griffin’s private regions. Multitudes of memes criticizing the new statue flooded our newsfeeds and for a few days, it seemed like the College community would never move past its new infamous monument. The College is already going through its usual disagreements about Homecoming, alumni events and recent protests by student groups. Adding an inappropriate and explicit statue to the mix only adds confusion and disarray, and I fail to see how anyone can enjoy the statue after seeing it from such an unflattering angle. We are greatly relieved that the statue was purchased using private funds, and we would sincerely question the College’s aesthetic tastes if it thought this statue was appropriate to justify spending money on. But aside from the financial support that was required to bring the Griffin to campus, the decision to place this particularly offensive
statue in front of Zable as a demonstration of our athletic prowess was an imperfect one. Upon seeing the Griffin statue, visiting athletes will not tremble with fear at the strength of the Tribe. Instead, it is far more likely that they will send a few Snapchats to their friends and enjoy a solid five minutes of unbridled laughter. It seems to us that had just a few students been consulted in the decision making, this statue would not have been purchased or placed in such a prominent position on campus. While the idea behind Tribe Plaza is not necessarily a bad one, the fact of the matter is that the only thing most students will be talking about is the anatomical correctness of this particular statue. Perhaps the administration should merely ignore the immaturity of the College’s young student population, but ultimately, what was meant to be a proud moment for the Tribe was instead an uncomfortable and laughably awkward one. Email Anna Boustany ,Ethan Brown at aeboustany@email.wm.edu, ewbrown@email.wm.edu.
variety
Variety Editor Heather Baier Variety Editor Carmen Honker flathat.variety@gmail.com
The Flat Hat
| Tuesday, October 30, 2018 | Page 7
Dine to Impress P
Students, faculty learn professional skills, dining etiquette
rincess M i a Thermopolis once sat at a dinner with Genovian politicians and caught her name card on fire. She then ate the palette cleanser between courses as if it were ice cream and ended the dinner by tripping a waiter carrying a tray of desserts. Annual etiquette dinners hosted by the Sherman and Gloria H. Cohen Career Center attempt to ensure that College of William and Mary students do not make these same tragic mistakes. Students from the College gathered Thursday evening in Tidewater A on the second floor of Sadler Center for an etiquette dinner co-sponsored by the Cohen Career Center and the William and Mary Parent Family Council. Typically held once a semester, etiquette dinners offer the opportunity to practice dining in a more formal setting than one of the College’s dining halls. “Make your mistakes tonight,” Associate Vice President for Career Development Kathleen Powell said. “So when you have that interview, you won’t make them again.”
SUZANNE COLE // THE FLAT HAT
Before even placing their napkins on their laps, attendees began to learn how to use proper etiquette. Attendees placed their bags and backpacks beneath their various tables, took a seat and were instructed in how to unfold the ornately displayed cloth napkin in the center of their place setting. Powell then instructed each table to choose a host to lead them in passing the bread bowl, which always goes counterclockwise around the table. This same counterclockwise passing technique was used for several other dishes throughout the meal, such as the butter plate, salad dressings and gravy boat. Areas of focus included familiarization with a formal place settings, how to properly pass dishes and which utensils to use and how to use them for each course. Dishes served at the dinner included soup, salad, lasagna and chocolate cake. In addition to dining etiquette, attendees were coached on how to interact with potential employers in a variety of different interview dining scenarios, such as ordering off a menu with varied costs. “There were a lot of things I didn’t expect, actually,” Baylee Easterday ’22 said. “Like the whole price point thing, where you would order or ask for a recommendation based on what the other person would like, and you use that as a price point for ordering off the menu.” Tips and tricks presented were to ask the host for a recommendation if there
are no prices listed on the menu and to be careful not to select a dish that is complicated to eat, like barbecue ribs covered in sauce. Attendees learned about other tricky situations, including how to approach a serving dish that is out of reach on the table, what to do if you drop a utensil, what to do if something gets stuck in your teeth and how to politely excuse yourself from a table. Not only does an etiquette dinner teach attendees how to dine professionally, but it also offers advice on interviewing and professionalism. “I wanted to learn more about dining etiquette, and this was an interesting and straightforward way to learn about it,” Cohen Career Center Program Assistant Julia Brown said. “The speaker was knowledgeable and relatable. I thought that the most helpful part of the dinner was when the speaker discussed what one should actually do during an interview; these were things that I didn’t know and that are very useful in general.”
GRAPHIC BY HEATHER BAIER / THE FLAT HAT
The Flat Hat
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
Page 8
A night to remember ‘Dancevent’ showcases thought-provoking, advanced choreography ISABELLA MIRANDA // THE FLAT HAT
W
MATTHEW WRIGHT / THE FLAT HAT
“Antony and Cleopatra in Space” will be performed Nov. 1, 2 and 4, at 7:30 p.m. in Commonwealth Auditorium.
Space shakes Shakespeare Shakespeare in the Dark’s ‘Antony and Cleopatra in Space’ is out of this world MATTHEW WRIGHT // THE FLAT HAT
“
The director, Alex Bulova ’19, not only designed the classic play ... to take place in outer space, but also crafted it into a staged radio play.
“
Conventional plays traditionally use more elaborate sets than the one used in “Antony and Cleopatra in Space.” In this case, though, a larger set would be unnecessary. Due to the lack of stage directions, the actors have no need to travel through a set. They stand when they deliver lines: that is all that’s needed. Rather than changing the set every time a location changes between scenes, images of the various planets or space ships in which scenes take place appear through a projector in the background. Although traditionally a tragedy, SITD’s
version of “Antony and Cleopatra” intertwines the cathartic drama with humorous moments. Between each of the five acts, actors portraying sponsors of the radio show enter the stage to sell quirky Shakespeare-themed products, the advertisements rampant with enough Shakespearean references and puns to have any avid fan giggling at the cleverness.
“
Although traditionally a tragedy, SITD’s version of “Antony and Cleopatra” intertwines the cathartic drama with humorous moments.
“
A
timeless writer, Shakespeare’s collection of works has been reproduced countless times over, though most interpretations lack the wild creativity of Shakespeare in the Dark’s upcoming production of “Antony and Cleopatra in Space.” The director, Alex Bulova ’19, not only designed the classic play “Antony and Cleopatra” to take place in outer space, but also crafted it into a staged radio play. The plot begins by establishing the love between Cleopatra, played by Becca Symmes ’19, ruler of Egypt (or, in this extraterrestrial production, Venus), and Mark Antony, played by Anthony Madalone ’21, one member of the Roman (Martian) triumvirate. Tensions build between Antony and his fellow triumvir, Octavius Caesar, as Caesar grows in power, ultimately leading to a fierce ending befitting of a Shakespearean tragedy. The show’s retooling into a radio play allows the actors to showcase their voice-acting talents. Each of the five primary actors portray multiple characters, and because of the lack of costume changes to distinguish characters from one another, each actor is required to modify his or her voice to differentiate between roles. In one scene, an actor may be speaking in their normal voice, the next they may be hunched over and screeching as a fortune teller. Every actor demonstrates incredible talent through their portrayal of multiple characters, some of whom go on intense emotional journeys. The cast’s deep understanding of the Shakespearean English text is also applaudable — each actor perfectly understands the meaning of every word they speak.
The Foley artist, Samantha Terry ’20, adds another layer of light-hearted comedy as she, in character as Stu the Sound Guy, creates the sound effects for the show using her voice and everyday objects. A visual of two spaceships battling is almost unnecessary while Stu humorously bangs two aluminum containers together and vocalizes the guns blasting the opposing ship. Alongside live sound effects, a live pianist, Adam Howard ’19, plays music throughout the show, adding a vibrant emotional aura. A fascinating alteration to the show is the addition of a radio announcer, portrayed by Gil Osofsky ’20. His character’s voice is the epitome of what most imagine ‘30s radio announcers to sound like, adding a surprisingly paramount element that warps the audience back in time. To aid in the concentration required to keep track of who is portraying which characters, the announcer helps confused viewers by introducing present characters at the start of each scene. Contradictory elements of ‘30s costumes and futuristic spaceships can be distracting, but it contributes to the overall innovative goofiness of the show. Everyone involved, from the slideshow operator to the actors, visibly enjoys their role, whether onstage or backstage. An infectious passion and enjoyment exude from all members of the production, enough to amplify any theatergoer’s experience. The show’s performance dates are Nov. 1, 2 and 4 at 7:30 p.m. in Commonwealth Auditorium. Student admission is $5, and general admission is $7. Editor’s Note: The Flat Hat would like to clarify that Anthony Madalone ’21 is an Opinions Associate Editor for the paper. His involvement with the “Antony and Cleopatra in Space” event is not on behalf of the paper’s interests.
ith a wide variety of pieces that showcased the Orchesis Modern Dance Company’s style and substance, “Dancevent” did not underperform. Although there were only six pieces that constituted the entire event, each one packed a punch with strong choreography complemented by a harmony of sound and light. The first piece of the evening was titled “Aloft,” choreographed by Director of Dance and associate professor Leah Glenn. The dancers entered the stage in costumes of red and black, with sounds of people talking in the streets, which transitioned to crashing waves, finally ending with instrumentals. Throughout the whole piece, there was a theme of tension that matched with the sounds and choreography. Near the end of the piece, the tension was heightened using imagery of issues that correlated to perception of body image in the choreography. The first solo of the night was “Oasis,” choreographed and performed by Glenn. The piece opened with colors of purple, matching its costumes, which evoked a calming presence. This emotion, paired with Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon,” lent a natural element to the piece. Glenn’s movements were long and fluid, which mimicked plants swaying in the wind. “Oasis” captured the simplistic beauty of dance through a theme of nature. The next performance, “Phoenix Circles,” choreographed by professor of dance Joan Gavaler, was arguably one of the most powerful pieces of the night. Following the life of a phoenix starting from the ashes, the piece started by illuminating the stage in dark colors barely revealing the performers and the dancers huddled together stomping their feet, symbolizing the start of the life cycle. The dancers rose up from the stage floor, like the birth of the phoenix, their strength as a team shining. Dancers were lifted up high, seeming to reach the stage lights; some were lifted and balanced by the feet of their fellow performers. Highlighting their strength not only as a company but as a team, the dancers managed to pull together a piece of sheer
beauty and mastery. The second and final solo of the night, choreographed and performed by Gavaler, used the fairytale character of the witch Baba Yaga to explore themes of beauty. The stage was cast in red lights with a backdrop of leafless trees, setting the scene for Baba Yaga’s spell. The choreography before the spell was cast consisted of contortion of the limbs and stark movements, but after the spell was over the lights became softer, with the choreography following suit. The stark contrast of mood in the performance set “Baba Yaga” apart from many other pieces of the evening. With curtains closed and green lights shining, “Fault Lines,” also choreographed by Glenn, presented a theme of nature. With a scene that looked like a forest, the only duet of the night echoed the musical beats of the drum and the green costumes both performers wore. The skills of the duo complimented one another and created a piece that featured the camaraderie that exists between dancers. The last and most whimsical piece of the night, “Jabberwocky: Back Through the Looking Glass,” choreographed by professor of dance Denise Damon Wade, provided a stark contrast to all previously performed pieces of the night. Beginning with the ornate costumes and makeup highlighting the ethereal quality of Alice’s Wonderland, the audience is transported into Lewis Carroll’s world. Throughout the entire performance, the lighting not only switched colors from green to purple and back to green, but the images projected also changed from hearts to swirls, creating a dream-like fantasy. Intricate and perfectly timed choreography, along with the other components of the performance, made it a climactic way to end the show. “Dancevent” proved to be a mastery of work on the part of all those involved in the production. The elements of light, sound, costumes and choreography were unique to every piece in the performance, telling their own message and creating a mesmerizing production that resonated with audiences long after the curtains closed.
COURTESY PHOTO / GEOFFREY WADE
Orchesis’ “Dancevent” was performed in the Kimball Theatre this past weekend Oct. 25 – Oct. 28.
sportsinside
The Flat Hat | Tuesday, October 30, 2018 | Page 9
PROFILE
THE LONG ROAD TO LASTING LEGACY COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS
Field hockey head coach Tess Ellis has been at the helm of the William and Mary program since 2013, when Peel Hawthorne was selected for an administrative position with Tribe Athletics. Ellis has won over 50 games as head coach of the Tribe.
Tess Ellis talks about how field hockey propelled her from Australia to Williamsburg KEVIN RICHESON FLAT HAT SPORTS ASSOC. EDITOR When Tribe field hockey head coach Tess Ellis was 21 years old, her grandfather told her it was time to give up playing hockey and get a real job. She never expected that her real job would be as a collegiate field hockey coach in Williamsburg, Virginia, halfway around the world from her hometown in New South Wales, Australia. At the age of 54, Ellis is finishing up her sixth season as the head coach of the William and Mary varsity field hockey team. Ellis’ road to the head coaching position at the College was a long and winding one that included three separate stints as an assistant for the Tribe, as well as several different positions on the coaching staff for USA Field Hockey teams. Similar to many other coaches, Ellis got her first introduction to the sport by playing in her youth. She went on to compete with the Australian National Indoor team until just prior to her 28th birthday. Ellis picked up and moved to London, England, where she lived for the next year. While she was there, she helped out with the Hampstead Heath field hockey club. After about a year, Ellis decided to escape the London weather and move to the United States. It was there that she first realized the potential opportunities in collegiate coaching. “... That’s when I probably first really discovered American kids were getting scholarships to come play field hockey, and until then, [I] never really thought about a career being a coach,” Ellis said. In 1991, Ellis had her first introduction to the Tribe field hockey program, when she met the school’s head coach at the time, Peel Hawthorne ’80, at a camp for USA Field Hockey. Dawn Chamberlin, the head coach at D-III Salisbury, was also at the camp, and she was looking for an assistant coach. When she approached Ellis about the job, Ellis accepted the position for the 1992 season. “That was my introduction into collegiate sport,” Ellis said. “Which wasn’t bad, because we went to the Final Four that year.” Fresh off of a successful season at Salisbury, Ellis moved to Williamsburg for the 1993 season, her first stint as an assistant coach at the College. Ellis would stay in that position through the 2000 season. In the middle of this eight-year stretch at the College, Ellis also earned her first position with USA Field Hockey. She was a part of the coaching staff for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. “... At the time, the head coach of the US Program was a woman by the name of Pam Hixon, and they really liked the attacking style of Australian hockey,” Ellis said. “So I guess I was sort of their connection to Australian hockey.” Ellis left her position at the College for three years in the early 2000s. Once again, she took a job with USA Field Hockey.
During these three years, she was the head coach of the under-21 and under-23 national teams, as well as a coach during the 2001 Junior World Cup and an assistant for the senior national team. In this period, Ellis and the national team went through the national tragedy of Sept. 11. Ellis recalls that the team was finishing up practice before traveling out of the country later that week. “We took a vote as a team [on] if they could get us out of the country, would we leave,” Ellis said. “And everybody was on board to go, but then the government took that choice away from us, and it was a great experience in the sense of seeing the hockey community internationally recognize that it wasn’t our fault that we couldn’t make it to the tournament.” The national team ended up defeating India in a play-in test series in order to qualify for the World Cup. In 2003, Ellis once again found herself back at the College, this time as a volunteer assistant coach. For Ellis, there was just something special about the school and its field hockey program that kept pulling her back in throughout her coaching career. “It is that connection to family that does grab you hook, line and sinker,” Ellis said. “And when you’re here, it’s a hard place to walk away from.” Ellis turned down a head coaching position at Saint Louis because she did not get the same feeling she did about the program and people at the College. In 2013, Ellis had spent 17 total seasons with the College when she finally got her unconventional opportunity to be head coach. “… For me it came out of the blue,” Ellis said. “Because I didn’t know at the time that Peel [Hawthorne] had applied for the position that she now holds. And we were about two days from preseason.” Hawthorne had applied and been selected for an administrative position with Tribe Athletics, and she named Ellis as interim head coach. Ellis then scrambled to prepare for the season and make sure she had a solid staff around her. During the season, the team played hard for Ellis, who was still coaching under the interim status, and picked up a marquee victory over fifth-ranked Virginia in October 2013. After that win, Ellis’ interim tag was lifted, and she officially became the head coach of the program. However, Ellis did not immediately notify her players about her official promotion. “I kept saying, ‘You better play hard, we better win, because this is my lifeline and if we lose, I’m not going to get this job,’” Ellis said. “After we beat UVA, I didn’t tell the team that I had officially become head coach. It just stayed a joke.” Eventually, once the team had savored the victory over the Cavaliers, Ellis made the news official, and her tenure as head
coach was off and running. Ellis brought her trademark humility, honesty and open communication to the table as head coach but does not shy away from talking about the success she wants the field hockey program to have. “The way I look at it is that if the Princetons, the Stanfords and the Harvards can do it, why not William and Mary?” Ellis said. Ellis and the Tribe consistently schedule a treacherous nonconference slate and compete in the strong Colonial Athletic Association, with national contenders like 2016 national champion Delaware. Despite all the hopes for success and the time and effort Ellis and her staff put into that goal, the most important thing to Ellis is to run the program the right way. Ellis stresses that she wants to treat her players like adults and let them make decisions to learn and grow from. She asks for honesty and open communication from her players, and she strives to give them the same in return. “It’s just trying to have adult conversation to find out why things are happening the way they are in their life,” Ellis said. Ellis’ time at the College has resulted in several individual recognitions, including two CAA coach of the year awards and winning National Coach of the Year in 2017, according to SynapseSports.com. She also led the Tribe to its first CAA championship game in 15 years last season. Oct. 5, Ellis picked up the 50th win of her tenure against Towson at Busch Field. “... As a coach I can come up with the best game plan but they have to pull it off on the field,” Ellis said. “There’s a reason the players get the gold medals and not the coaches.” Even if she does not want to steal the spotlight from her players, Ellis still has unfinished business of her own. She takes great pride in her role in shaping the lives of college-age women at the College and has dreams of taking the field hockey program to unprecedented heights. Ultimately, she hopes she can have an impact on her players and that they will keep fond memories of their time with Tribe field hockey. Based on the relationships she has with some former players, it seems she is well on her way to achieving that legacy. “I had two grads, 38 years of age, literally phoning me at 11:45 the other night because they knew I’d pick up, and I said, ‘of course I’m going to pick up the phone,’” Ellis said. “And I guess they’re comfortable enough that they can still phone me in the middle of the night.” From how hard the 2013 squad played to help Ellis maintain the job she worked so hard to earn, to the former players who still consider her a friend decades later, others show what Ellis is too humble to say: she has had a tremendous impact on this school and the field hockey players who make the decision to play their hearts out for her.
FOOTBALL
Tribe can’t hold onto ball in sloppy 21-10 loss to Rhode Island In stagnant defeat Saturday, College commits six turnovers, only gains 101 yards of offense
KEVIN RICHESON FLAT HAT SPORTS ASSOC. EDITOR After its second-consecutive home victory in the Colonial Athletic Association, William and Mary traveled to Rhode Island to take on the Rams for the first time since 2013. In a pivotal conference matchup for both teams, inclement weather virtually incapacitated each team’s passing attack, and the Tribe (3-5, 2-3 CAA) squandered an early lead with a staggering six turnovers for the game, en route to a 21-10 loss to the Rams (5-3, 3-2 CAA). After much uncertainty about the quarterback position this week due to injuries, sophomore quarterback Ted Hefter started the game under center for the College. Last weekend, Hefter came into the game in the second quarter after fellow sophomore quarterback Dean Rotger, who was starting in place of the injured sophomore quarterback Shon Mitchell, was hurt against Maine. Additionally, redshirt senior wide receiver DeVonte Dedmon returned after sitting out last week due to an injury he sustained against Towson. After trading three-and-outs to start the game, the College got the ball back for the second time and took the lead on an unpredictable play that involved two turnovers.
On third down, Hefter dropped back and threw a pass that was tipped at the line of scrimmage, and Rams linebacker Branyan Javier-Castillo stepped under it to secure the interception. However, sophomore running back Nate Evans tracked down Javier-Castillo and stripped the ball, forcing a fumble. Evans recovered the fumble and scampered 71 yards for a scoop and score to put the College up 7-0 with 9 minutes, 21 seconds remaining in the opening quarter. The Rams failed to pick up a first down again on their drive after the College took the lead; however, the Rams evened the score directly off another Tribe turnover. Punter Anthony Garro kicked a 45-yard punt to the Tribe’s four-yard line, where senior wide receiver Jack Armstrong muffed the punt and defensive back Momodou Mbye recovered the fumble in the endzone to tie the game, 7-7 midway through the first quarter. Less than two minutes later, Hefter threw his second interception for the College’s third turnover in the first 10 minutes of game. The Rams took over at the 17-yard line, then benefitted from a pass interference call that negated an interception of their own. After the penalty, the Rams were set up for 1st and goal at the three-yard line. Two plays later, running back Naim Jones broke through the Tribe defense to put the Rams up 14-7.
Neither team was able to score for the rest of the half, and the teams went to the locker room with the Rams leading by seven. The Rams got the ball to start the second half, but quickly went three-and-out, forcing Garro to punt again. The kick punt traveled only eight yards, setting the Tribe up at the 30-yard line. After not cashing in on good starting field position last time, the College managed to cut into the Rhode Island lead this drive. The College picked up one first down and then nearly got a touchdown on a pass from Mitchell, who entered the game in the third quarter for Hefter. Mitchell looked to Dedmon in the end zone, but Dedmon was unable to hang on as he went to the ground. Two plays later, Mitchell threw another incomplete pass intended for sophomore tight end Nick Muse, forcing junior kicker Kris Hooper to attempt a 34-yard field goal. Hooper split the uprights to trim the Rams’ advantage to 14-10. Late in the third quarter, after back-to-back scoreless drives for the two teams, the Rams got the ball at their own 31-yard line. After a gain of two yards on first down, quarterback Vito Priore aired the ball out on second down, hitting wide receiver Aaron Parker in stride. Parker streaked down the right sideline and into the end zone for a 67-yard touchdown. Carrick tacked on
the extra point to give the Rams their largest lead of the afternoon, 21-10, with 1:53 remaining in the third. The College nearly cut the game to one possession at the start of the fourth quarter after it moved into scoring position on a 42-yard completion from Mitchell to Dedmon. Three plays later, Mitchell tried to extend the drive on a designed quarterback run but was tackled for a three-yard loss. Hooper trotted out to try to cut the deficit to eight, but his 33-yard field goal tailed left, and the score remained 21-10. The Rams could not put another touchdown on the board, but they still picked up a 21-10 victory to end their two-game losing skid. The Rams were paced by Priore’s 94 yards on 7-12 passing and one touchdown. Jones had 37 carries for 152 yards and a touchdown. The Rams’ defense also came up with three interceptions. In its loss, the College was led by Mitchell’s 51 passing yards on two completions. Evans had nine carries for 97 yards and a touchdown, and Dedmon added two catches for 38 yards. While the Rams will travel to Elon next week, the Tribe will have its bye week. Nov. 10, the College will resume its season with its final road game of the season against Villanova. The Tribe will look to continue its pattern of alternating wins and losses in the CAA and move its conference record back to .500.
sports
Sports Editor Brendan Doyle Sports Editor Julia Stumbaugh flathatsports@gmail.com @FlatHatSports
Making history:
The Flat Hat | Tuesday, October 30, 2018 | Page 10
Enduring legacies of College’s female athletes In 1981, a group of women campaigned for a varsity soccer team. They ended up helping shape the landscape of William and Mary sports. JULIA STUMBAUGH // FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR Sara Hollberg ’82 was part of William and Mary’s women’s soccer program from when it was first introduced as a club team in 1979 to when it was named a varsity sport in 1981. She played with the team from the days when the only uniforms they could afford were hand-me-down, red and blue outfits to when they got their own school-funded green and gold kits. But decades after graduation, when asked about her favorite memory of the team, her answer isn’t a game, a goal or a particularly sweet victory. It’s how sometimes, the players would pause at practice and all flop down in the middle of the field, breathing hard, grass tickling the backs of their necks, to take a moment and appreciate how nice the clouds looked on any given day. For the first women to play soccer at the College, the introduction of a varsity soccer program brought this kind of peace and happiness through camaraderie. Many members of that original team are still friends. Some used the skills they learned on the team to play the sport for the rest of their lives. That experience was the result of women working to make the College a trailblazer in the landscape of women’s collegiate athletics throughout the 20th century. Women’s athletics first came to the College alongside women’s academics in 1918. During that first year of co-ed admission, a basketball team was formed by captain and secret society namesake Martha Barksdale ’22; hiking, gymnastic, dancing and tennis were also introduced. The next year, a new president helped bring in hockey and track. With 1920 came the first physical education class, as well as intramural programs in women’s track, hockey, tennis and baseball. As women’s athletics across the United States became more commonplace, programs at the College continued to grow. Women’s teams began competition with other schools in 1921, when the tennis team first travelled to compete with Sweet Briar. In 1922, the basketball team went out of state for the first time on a northern road trip. In 1936, under the direction of a returning Barksdale, the College helped facilitate one of the first international women’s sports tournaments in history when they housed players for a women’s hockey tournament in Richmond. There, an English squad gave an all-Virginia squad — proudly featuring a set of the College’s very own players — a 20-0 drubbing. The College would continue to be an agent for growth in women’s athletics over the years. Millie West, who would become one of the first female associate athletic directors in United States history, arrived at the school in 1959 and instigated a fierce and unrelenting promotion of women’s programs. In the 1980s, she helped facilitate an international women’s tennis tournament between the United States and Great Britain. In 1981, she saw the College’s golf team win one of the first national titles in women’s sports at the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women D-II tournament in Cedar Falls, Iowa. These accolades were possible, in many cases, because of women who fought to have their teams officially registered by the College. That’s what occurred in the early ’80s, when the members of the school’s newly introduced club soccer team campaigned to become a varsity squad. The formation of the 1981 varsity soccer team was the result of two separate forces: the introduction of Title IX to American colleges in 1972 and the precipitous rise of soccer in Virginia. Nancy Podger ’81, a founding member of the original club team, played in one of the first girls’ soccer leagues in Massachusetts. Her high school fielded a varsity team her senior year. That was emblematic of a trend that would eventually make its way down the East Coast, bringing women’s soccer with it. But at the time that Podger first started college, many of her teammates had gotten no prior opportunity to learn the sport. “I didn’t even touch a soccer ball ‘til I was 18,” Hollberg said. “But I had come from other sports, and that was sort of what created the team … very good athletes, but coming from other sports.” Interested team members, with backgrounds in everything from swimming to running to lacrosse, would gather for practice or pickup games on a field or the Sunken Garden. For intercollegiate competition, Podger would schedule games on her dorm’s hall phone, calling up other schools to arrange a time for the team to don their fraying red and blue uniforms and drive to Virginia Commonwealth, Virginia or James Madison. The effort was intensive, and other varsity programs were popping up at Virginia schools like Hollins, Radford and RandolphMacon. So, Podger and volunteer coach Blake Peterson ’82 spent their senior year petitioning the school to make the program a varsity sport. “There was also a rugby women’s sport club, and [the athletics department] was getting really frustrated because I guess lots of sports clubs were asking to become varsity sports,” Podger said. “And they just said to me in frustration, ‘Why don’t the two of you just combine into one club? Then we’d consider it.’” But soccer already had everything they needed to become a
legitimate squad, such as a full team of active players and other interested teams in the region. So, in the fall of 1981, during Hollberg’s senior year and just after Podger’s graduation, the team went varsity, with all the glorious trappings of uniforms, vans and equipment included inside of a pre-arranged schedule. In a period of less than three years, the College had gone from having no women’s soccer at all to endorsing a full varsity program. “I think soccer was a wave, and it just took off,” Podger said. “Two and a half years is really fast to start a club and then become a varsity sport.”
“
Soccer was a wave, and it just took off. Two and a half years is really fast to start a club and then become a varsity sport. — Nancy Podger, ’81
COURTESY IMAGE / THE ALUMNI GAZETTE, SWEM SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
The 1981 women’s golf team poses with trophies from one of the first national titles in women’s sports as victors of an AIAW tournament in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
“
I didn’t even touch a soccer ball ‘til I was 18. But I had come from other sports, and that was sort of what created the team ... very good athletes, but coming from other sports. — Sara Hollberg, ’82
The team had a lifelong impact on the women who created it. Hollberg met her husband through it, and she’s still friends with Podger. They both moved to Washington, D.C. after college and continued to play women’s and co-ed soccer in Washington leagues for years. From afar, the two have watched the program change dramatically as soccer spread infectiously across Virginia. High schoolers learned how to dribble, deke and shoot at increasingly
COURTESY IMAGE / THE ALUMNI GAZETTE, SWEM SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
Sara Hollberg, then Sara Saunders, (left) poses with vice captain Lori Okerstrom (right) and head coach John Charles (center) before the inaugural varsity season.
younger ages, meaning that athletes coming into the team were already tremendously skilled soccer players. “The biggest change was the freshmen were so good compared to those of us who were kind of more self-taught,” Hollberg said. “That was the biggest difference. Every year, the freshmen were so much better. They were able to play it from a young age.” The definition of a varsity team has also changed significantly since the pair’s time at the College. Some of the first women’s varsity teams were administered as part of the AIAW, which was founded in 1971. Introduced as a National Collegiate Athletic Association equivalent for women, the AIAW was key in developing women’s athletics throughout the 1970s. But it was undercut in 1981 when the NCAA decided to start promoting D-I women’s sports, a move that then-Associate Athletic Director West was an outspoken critic of. “My personal opinion would have to be conjecture,” West told Hollberg in April of 1982, when Hollberg interviewed her for The Flat Hat. “They say they are doing it for the good of women’s sports. I tend to doubt that. They fought against Title IX and in the early years of Title IX showed no interest whatsoever in sponsoring women’s championships. So I just want to be wary of their real reasons.” Nevertheless, the NCAA brought women’s athletics to new heights. At the College, there are now 11 women’s varsity sports to 10 men’s clubs, with the women matching men’s teams in basketball, cross country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, swimming, tennis and track and field, as well as adding their own field hockey, lacrosse and volleyball squads. Athletes like Podger or Hollberg, both of whom played varsity lacrosse in addition to soccer, are unheard of — a single varsity sport is a full-time commitment, and students pledge themselves to playing at the College years before they ever step on campus. “You have to track into a sport so quickly now … where’s the fun and the relaxation of just playing a sport, and just playing a variety of sports?” Podger said. “[Moving into the NCAA] added a lot of opportunities, but it makes it more professional than just you’re a student and you play sports.” Even through all the changes, the varsity team still maintains connections to the original club members to whom it owes its existence. 2017 was the 35th anniversary of women’s soccer at the College. Former head coach John Daly, who was at the helm of the team from its second year until the end of the 2017 season, invited players to the celebration that dated back to the club era. “It was good to see most of those long-ago names on the invitation list and to get to reunite with some of them in person after all these years,” Hollberg said. By 2018, many of the barriers that Hollberg and Podger faced have been erased. The NCAA swallowed the AIAW in 1981, and the women’s and men’s athletic departments at the College merged in 1985. Women’s sports have many of the same resources, such as training rooms, that male athletes enjoy. Women, such as current soccer coach Julie Shackford ’87, now coach varsity athletics. But that doesn’t mean that the College is done making progress with women’s collegiate sport programs, as they proved with last year’s hiring of Samantha Huge as the first female director of athletics since the title was combined to cover both men’s and women’s sports. “She’s probably the most qualified athletics director we’ve ever had,” Associate Athletics Director Peel Hawthorne ’80 said. “She’s coming in with lots of experience at several different institutions. She knows the landscape of NCAA Division I athletics probably better than any single person we’ve had in that position in a long time, maybe ever.” The choice of a qualified candidate shouldn’t be surprising, but Huge is still a historic pick. At the end of the 2017-18 season, just 10 percent of all 356 D-I Athletic Directors were women. A female athletic director like Huge or West can be a significant force in pushing for the growth of women’s sports programs. One recent project undergone during Huge’s young tenure is the opening of the Busch Field Hockey Facility, a $2.4 million endeavor that will provide a new facility for the women’s squad. “That’s a testament to how much women’s sports does matter,” Hawthorne said. “… The largest chunk of that philanthropy that raised the funds for that building were from women, and I think that that’s really exceptional, that it’s primarily a facility built by women, for women. That’s just remarkable.” Because of the fact that there are currently more women’s teams than men’s teams, and because the College is still lacking some men’s varsity programs such as lacrosse, expansion of the women’s varsity programs list is not in the immediate future for Tribe Athletics. But that doesn’t mean it’s out of the question. Because of the work of women like these, there are will be more opportunities for new athletes to break from their practices and admire the clouds the way Hollberg did all those years ago. “There is a potential for growth,” Hawthorne said. “That’s something we’re looking at.”