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