The Flat Hat October 8 2019

Vol. 109, Iss. 15 | Tuesday, October 8, 2019

The Flat Hat The Weekly Student Newspaper

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of The College of William and Mary

Mold impacts student health Students report consistent health complications from mold exposure in campus housing LESLIE DAVIS, CARMEN HONKER / / FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR, FLAT HAT CHIEF FEATURES WRITER

W

hen Kristina Posner ’20 arrived at the College of William and Mary in August to begin her senior year, she entered her dorm room in Bryan Hall for the first time and was met by a large, looming spot of black mold speckled on the ceiling.

“As soon as I walked in, I noticed there was a huge spot of black mold on the ceiling tile,” Posner said. “I was super confused why that was there, just because I was an RA for the past few years. I know that they’re supposed to go into the rooms to check all this stuff. It was super confusing because we were kind of on a time crunch, so I was like ‘Why is this here?’ I knew black mold, that is not a thing they will let you live with, so I couldn’t even move my stuff in.”

Posner was only allowed to move some of her belongings into her Bryan room Aug. 26, two days before classes started.

Posner and her roommate were placed in a temporary room in Richmond Hall until the first day of classes Aug. 28.

Facilities personnel told Posner that the mold originated from poor insulation of pipes, which tend to get sweaty due to the extreme humidity during summer months.

As a result of the mold discovered in Posner’s room, all other residents on her side of the hall were prevented from moving in until Aug. 25. Posner said she suspects that Bryan’s mold problem was larger than Facilities Management initially thought, especially because they had to access a large pipe and address insulation problems throughout the hall.

Posner said that facilities was not surprised to see the mold in her room.

“When we were moving my stuff into my room on Monday, there were a couple facilities people there,” Posner said. “This was very normal to them, that this happens, so I guess it happens pretty often, because they knew exactly what was wrong. They were like ‘oh yeah it’s the pipe, they get, in the basement, especially, really sweaty because of the humidity.’ And it was just kind of like, ‘Okay, if you know this is an issue, why wasn’t this fixed over the summer or why don’t you guys look out for this?’”

Posner’s experiences in Bryan mirror other students’ encounters with mold around campus, and it continues to be an ongoing reported issue found in on-campus residential buildings. According to Director of Environmental Health and Safety Teresa Belback, the incidents are often reported in older facilities that were originally designed with no air conditioning. Belback said that her office has continued to receive complaints about mold in on-campus housing this year. She said that the number of mold related reports tends to increase at the beginning of semesters, after extended periods in which the buildings have been closed.

The Randolph Complex and Richmond Hall frequently receive mold complaints, and One Tribe Place closed at the end of the spring 2019 semester to undergo renovations addressing mold remediation among other structural updates. Yates Hall has suffered several closures due to widespread reports of mold a n d mildew. Cases of mold have also been found in Old Dominion Hall and DuPont Hall.

Belback said in an email that her office received 136 work order requests from students to investigate mold issues in residential buildings during the 2018-19 school year. According to Belback, this is an increase from the average 108 cases reported per school year.

She attributed the spike in mold service requests to the record-setting rainfall in 2018. She said that the record rainfall, consistently high temperatures and significant hurricane activity facilitated favorable conditions for mold development.

Since 2015, issues of mold in on-campus dorms have been a persistent problem for the College. Mary-Beth Berg ’15 threatened to pursue legal action against the College in 2015 for injuries she thought were related to mold in her Ludwell Apartments residence. Berg asserted the College had prior knowledge about the mold in her room before move-in. Additionally, The Flat Hat reported multiple alleged incidents in fall 2014 regarding the College’s mismanagement of mold reports in basement rooms in Landrum Hall.

Richmond Hall When Alondra Belford ’21 moved in early to Richmond Hall this fall, she smelled what she thought was mold in her dorm room. She tried to keep the door open as much as possible and kept a couple fans blowing in her room to air to out the smell. After 10 days of living in her room, she found out that the residents in the adjacent room were being permanently relocated to another room in Richmond Hall because of black mold found on the shared wall between their room and Belford’s. At this point Belford became aware of how serious black mold exposure is and realized that her health could be affected.

Belford spent another night in the room after contacting Facilities Management but reaching them after hours. When she woke up Aug. 27, she saw the mold from the room next door had made its way into her own room.

“I woke up on the morning of the 27th and I could see the mold on my wall, on the same side as that wall from the other room,” Belford said. “In addition to that, I also had an AC leak that was happening in the room above me and the water was causing the formation of mold in my ceiling on the opposite side of the room.”

Belford said she was informed the evening of Aug. 27, the night before classes started, that she had to temporarily move across Richmond Hall to another room.

Belford lived in an alternate room from Aug. 27 until Sept. 13, when the mold was supposedly being removed from her original room.

After moving into Richmond Hall, Belford said she had a scratchy throat, a frequent cough and had headaches that could not be alleviated by ibuprofen.

“It is kind of like having allergies except you just kind of feel it in your throat, you don’t really feel anything in your chest or your stomach,” Belford said. “I lost my voice for part of it. I had a really raspy voice.”

Belford visited the Student Health Center Aug. 25. Belford said that she was told that she had mold-induced asthma and was subsequently prescribed an inhaler and additional allergy medication.

See MOLD page 3

POLITICS

Mike Mullin discusses plans for Virginia General Assembly Democratic Delegate hosts town hall, provides platform for students to voice opinions, ask questions ALEXIS BALLANCE THE FLAT HAT

Wednesday, Oct. 2, Democratic State Delegate Mike Mullin visited the College of William and Mary to discuss not only his plans in Virginia’s General Assembly but also to reach out and answer questions from students at the College. This town hall forum was sponsored by the William and Mary Young Democrats to grant insight into Mullin’s political ideals and priorities, while also providing a venue for community members to spark conversation on a variety of issues.

Mullin has been a delegate in the Virginia General Assembly for approximately three and a half years. In addition to acting as a legislator, Mullin is a criminal prosecutor, making him the only prosecutor currently serving in the Virginia General Assembly.

“My particular focus is on violent crimes, gang cases and sexual assault — juvenile sexual assault in particular,” Mullin said. “I devoted my career

Index Profile News Opinions Variety

Sports

to protecting our community and protecting the most vulnerable.”

After introducing himself and explaining his work as a delegate, Mullin clarified his motivation behind attending the event.

“This is not like a campaign event in some way,” Mullin said. “I really just want to be able to answer your questions and tell you a little bit about myself. “ Since he is up for reelection this November, Mullin faced a plethora of questions revolving around legislation he has sponsored in Richmond as well as his plans for the upcoming statewide elections.

While questions ranged from criminal justice reform to partisanship, the evening had a heavy focus on gun control, with many students expressing curiosity as to how Mullin planned to reform gun laws in the wake of the recent acts of gun violence around the country. In particular, the May 31 shooting in Virginia Beach appeared to be on students’ minds, and some asked Mullin how gun laws could shift in the wake of these incidents.

“I understand that there are times when you need to carry a firearm for personal protection or for hunting or for target shooting or just because you like the hobby,” Mullin said. “I get that. But what we have right now is a culture of death that is around weapons that don’t need to be in civilian hands certainly to the degree they are right now.

This is a recent phenomenon. ... We don’t have to live like this.”

Even if his party does not take the majority in the November elections, Mullin is confident that gun reform and bipartisanship are possibilities and can be accomplished. He explained that unlike in Washington, D.C, Virginia’s General Assembly is not hyper-partisan and that collaboration between parties is more feasible. Mullin expressed that hyper-partisanship only seems to arise around the time of the elections.

“I imagine that common sense gun reform is going to find a number of Republican supporters once we actually get passed this election cycle because everything becomes more hyper-partisan

Inside Opinions 2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10

See MULLIN page 4

Inside Sports

Midterm season presents opportuity for self-care

Rainy High 71, Low 62

as you get closer to November fifth,” Mullin said.

“We found that with Medicaid expansion.”

Other issues that were discussed included the issue of cash bail, the legalization of marijuana and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s proposed family bill of rights.

Concerning the issue of cash bail, Mullin emphasized that only seven states have eliminated cash bail at one point or another, and each time that is done, it had led to more people being held in jail.

He also said that he felt the current cash bail system was not working because impoverished people are the ones being held just because they cannot pay. However, he also indicated that while the total elimination of cash bail would be an effective strategy, there must be an expansion of universal standards set for pretrial services.

Selene Swanson ’22 said the discussion of cash bail was something she had heard much about before.

Elaine Godwin ’23 says how self-care, through healthy practices such as sleep and maintaining a positive mental health space are essential during midterms. page 5

Tribe hosts Johns Hopkins in opener, men met with success

Tribe men’s swimmers earned a 152-110 victory, while women fell 135-127 in home opener against the bluejays. page 9

The Flat Hat

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newsinsight “

News Editor Heather Baier News Editor Leslie Davis News Editor Emma Ford fhnews@gmail.com | Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019 | Page 2

THE BUZZ

I just want to remind you that every generation has its ‘scary foreigner’ ... my grandmother was born in 1900, she thought that Danish people and Finnish people were the absolute worst, they were not to be trusted, they were not clean, they were drunk.

— Swedish Ambassador to the United States Karin Olofsdotter

THIS WEEK IN FLAT HAT HISTORY October 9, 1964 - News The College of William and Mary celebrated its 1964 Homecoming with football and festivities. The weekend was marked with parades, alumni, and musical performances.

In addition the celebration, 16 students vied for a spot on Homecoming court.

October 10, 1975 - News The Student Association President Paul Jost formally announced his resignation before the Senate in light of his declining health. Jost revealed he would be spending the next month at Portsmouth Naval Hospital to receive surgery treatments for cancer and regretfully would be unable to fulfill the role. Vice President Peter Garland filled in as acting president until elections occurred.

October 12, 1984 - News WMPD investigated an incident of attempted burglary and intrusion of Professor David Moore’s office. The intruders broke into the office through the ceiling after 10 p.m. Sept. 27 in an attempt to steal Professor Moore’s Business Management 313 (Consumer Behavior) exam, but left empty-handed.

October 9, 2007 - Sports The College’s football team lost to their CAA opponent, Villanova. The 63-24 loss was attributed to the College’s inability to rebound from Villanova’s touchdowns. The Tribe was again defeated by Villanova this past weekend at home.

HISTORY BY KARINA VIZZONI AND SARAH GREENBERG / FLAT HAT NEWS ASSOC. EDITORS

A THOUSAND WORDS

COURTESY PHOTO / JERON DUHART

DuHart enjoys getting to know a wide variety of students on campus through his involvement in groups such as Black Student Organziation and No Ceiling.

Dancing through adversity Jeron DuHart ’20 focuses studies on STEM, but explores passion for arts outside classroom CHARLES COLEMAN // FLAT HAT CHIEF STAFF WRITER

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.

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focused, DuHart hopes to pursue a career in performance and acting.

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Whether or not I’m meeting people from a cappella, or from syndicate or an event BSA or ACS, my main goal is to get to know William and Mary students.

— Jeron DuHart ’20

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ALYSSA GRZESIAK / THE FLAT HAT

An extremely active member of the College of William and Mary community, Jeron DuHart ’21 spent two years pursuing his passions both on and off the stage. As a double major in computer science and business analytics, DuHart hopes to use his solid employment opportunities postgraduation as a springboard from which to pursue musical theater.

DuHart, who grew up all around the world, dove into several activities on campus upon arriving in Williamsburg.

While DuHart initially struggled with the College’s lack of diversity and faced many microaggressions, he eventually was able to find activities and people that made him feel at home.

“It took me a while to learn to love William and Mary,” DuHart said. “I had a really rough time my freshman year because I dealt with a lot of microaggressions; it was a big culture shock because I went to a really diverse high school, and I’ve lived a very diverse life. Coming to William and Mary and seeing a lot of white people that had never really interacted with people of color before was on the rougher side, but within the next year, I learned where my space and my niche was. Once you find your friends, William and Mary is so supportive.”

On campus, DuHart is involved in many extracurricular engagements, but his passions for singing and dancing are especially prominent fixtures of his life at the College. DuHart is a singer within an on-campus acapella group — the Cleftomaniacs — in addition to being a dancer in Syndicate, the College’s hiphop squad, as well as a member of No Ceilings, the College’s only nationally competitive acapella group. DuHart is also a part of the African Culture Society and the Black Student Association.

While his majors are both STEM

“My true passion is musical theater,” DuHart said. “I knew for a fact that going to California and auditioning for shows and having some waiter job was going to be very difficult. I decided that I wanted to go to college first and get at least a master’s in a STEM field, so I could have a really solid side job, so I can continue to

pursue my desires of singing and acting.

With that I wanted to make sure I keep all of my skills up to date, so that’s why I dance still and sing still and act.”

DuHart is highly motivated and works hard to advance his goal of attending a master’s program in California, where he can more easily audition and begin his performing career.

While he has an eye on the future, DuHart said his main goal was getting to meet the people of the College while he’s still here and shared how his activities help him broaden his connections throughout the campus community.

“My main goal is to kind of get to know as many stories as possible,” DuHart said.

“Every single one of the roles I have on campus kind of ties into that. Whether or not I’m meeting people from a cappella or from syndicate or an event BSA or ACS, my main goal is to get to know William and Mary students.”

Whether he is singing with the Cleftomaniacs or working late nights at the Earl Gregg Swem Library, DuHart is constantly improving himself to further reach for his goals and is motivated to continue carving his path at the College.

DuHart’s primary piece of advice for students here was to not only try things out of your comfort zone but to also make sure you are meeting people along the way. DuHart shared how he is continuously gracious for all his new experiences and that every student has a story to share.

“Try new things,” DuHart said. “I was scared to join a lot of things because they were out of my comfort zone, but just going out of your way to try new things, I’ve never been unpleasantly surprised by a time that I’ve something new. Honestly meet people, you have to be out there, each of us have incredible stories that deserve to be know so get to know whoever you can.

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COURTESY PHOTOS / JERON DUHART

Duhart has enjoyed two unique sides of campus by studying computer science and business analytics and joining arts groups such as Cleftomaniacs and Syndicate.

The Flat Hat

Reports of mold persist in campus dorms

Students experience health complications caused by mold exposure “I went to the Health Center on the first day of classes just because it was getting to the point where I could barely speak,” Belford said.

“What they told me was that I had mold-induced asthma and that my bronchial tube had kind of closed up and that was why I had trouble breathing, that was why I had trouble speaking.”

Since moving back into her room, Belford said that the room still smells like mold and noted her suspicion that mold is still present in her vents. She said that her towel often has a moldy smell since an air vent blows directly onto where her towel rack is positioned.

Belford plans to file additional service requests concerning potential mold in her room’s vents and carpet.

Kathyrn Musk ’19 M.Ed ’20 also experienced mold-related health issues when she lived in Richmond Hall in fall 2018. She moved into the building temporarily while Landrum Hall was still under renovation. As soon as she moved in, she started to notice red raised spots develop and spread all over her torso.

— Daniele Staykov

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I always had that in the back of my mind. I’m living in a mold-infested building.

That probably had some influence on being sick for most of the year.”

“I thought it was psoriasis,” Musk said. “I went to the doctor eventually — I think it must’ve been like over fall break, so it’s gotten pretty bad and only like a month or two. He took one look and he’s like yep, that’s a fungal infection … and he was like, ‘I can’t even give you ointment because it would be too much ointment, it’s so widespread,’ so he just gave me oral medication.”

Given her unique condition, he asked Musk if she had been exposed to mold.

“My doctor said it’s because I probably had like an allergy to the spores, like those particular mold spores that made me have that reaction,” Musk said. “People can have mold in their rooms and not know it, which is kind of alarming.”

As soon as she returned to campus after fall break, Musk contacted ResLife about the allergic reaction and requested to move out of Richmond Hall. Her request was accepted. After moving out, Musk said the spots cleared and did not come back.

Only after Musk left the room did her roommate find mold covering their air conditioning unit. According to Musk, the mold had also gotten onto her roommate’s books.

Looking back on her experience living in Richmond Hall, Musk said that she remembered smelling the mold. At the time, she was unable to tell if the room smelled that way because of mold or if it was because of the building’s age.

“I feel like mold is just like a fact of life in Richmond Hall, which is not fair or ethical to have kids where you know that there is mold,” Musk said.

Yates Hall Over winter break in 2017, the College closed Yates Hall to clean and address issues of elevated spore counts of mold and mildew present in the freshman hall. The mold was primarily found on the first floor and basement of the building, according to an email from ResLife.

According to former residents Daniele Staykov ’21 and Tori Revich ’21, Yates’s mold problems gradually became intense enough that spores covered some of their belongings.

“We had some stuff outside our room, I think it was some shoes and in a couple of weeks … and I looked back at my shoes and they’re covered in mold and it was like it was just so weird because like how moist our room was and how gross like the climate was in Yates,” Staykov said.

“And I had to actually had to throw out my shoes and my roommate she had a basket, and it was covered in mold.”

Revich also said that she and her roommate found a duffel bag completely covered in mold, in addition to discovering mold on her bedpost, shoes and mattress topper. She decided to visit the Student Health Center after noticing her breathing issues while living in Yates and was prescribed an inhaler to aid her breathing.

“They did a lot of tests on me and they listened to my chest, they were like ‘there is definitely something in there,’” Revich said. “First, they started me on allergy medicine and that didn’t really work as much, so I kept going back and eventually they gave me an inhaler and they said it could be due to the mold, so I used inhaler freshman year. But like every other year I’ve been here, I haven’t had that issue, so I think it could be because of the mold.”

Over two months of living in Yates, Staykov said she developed pneumonia. Staykov connected her health issue back to the mold after seeing other Yates residents develop respiratory issues.

“Everyone was just getting so sick, but it was like people from different parts of Yates — and it was like we’re all getting pneumonia or some kind of lung issues,” Staykov said. “I connected back to that because there was so much moisture in the air … It was that aspect of it and knowing that there was mold in the building too and that my shoes and my clothes and stuff were getting mold on them … I always had that in the back of my mind. I’m living in a mold-infested building. That probably had some influence on being sick for most of the year.”

To remediate the problem in Yates over winter break in 2017, ResLife

COURTESY PHOTO / TORI REVICH

Tori Revich found mold on the mattress in her Giles Hall room in fall 2018.

instructed residents to place their belongings in black trash bags and remove items from their walls, so that a mediation vendor could clean all flat surfaces and walls throughout the building, clean exhaust duct work in the building and identify water intrusion. The College also installed dehumidifiers in lounges and hallways to help reduce the moisture in the air.

According to Belback, air conditions in Yates have improved since the College stepped in to address the problem by performing remediation activities and making improvements to the overall HVAC system.

However, Revich doesn’t recall seeing much improvement after the College’s winter break cleaning efforts.

“When I did leave the dorm there were spots still on my mattress, so I don’t think it had gotten completely better,” Revich said. “But most of the issues came from the beginning of the year. I think they definitely cleaned it, but they probably just wiped it down. I’m not sure how much they actually did.”

Staykov said she wished the College stepped in to fix the issue before students started getting sick.

“From my perspective, at least it didn’t seem like they had addressed the issue until a lot of people were getting sick and a lot of people were starting to have issues,” Staykov said. “Then they did start investigating it and doing a whole cleanup of the building … I feel like it took a while for them to do that and actually put in that action.”

Randolph Complex The following year, Revich moved into the German House in the Randolph Complex with her freshman year roommate, where they continued to experience issues with mold.

After moving into the building, Revich was told by another Randolph resident that they saw mold on the outside of Giles Hall, which was coming into the interior of the building and was visible on the windowsill.

At the end of the semester, as Revich was moving out of her room, she took off the sheets to unmake her bed. She found a large congregation of mold on her mattress where her head had laid while sleeping.

In the same semester as Revich and her roomate discovered mold issues in Giles, Stephanie Lodico ’20 experienced symptoms, including a sore throat and puffy, red eyes while living in the Hispanic House in Giles.

Initially, Lodico had no idea that mold was the cause of her constant state of sickness.

“Probably a week or so in to classes, I was noticing that the cold wasn’t really going away,” Lodico said. “My eyes would get puffy sometimes. It just felt different. I also noticed some things with my dorm room, like my towel would never actually dry or the paper in my printer was always a little damp, which is just kind of odd. But I was like ‘Williamsburg is humid.’ I didn’t connect the dots for probably over a month, or maybe two.”

Lodico said that it took a conversation with a friend — who told her about another student’s symptoms from mold exposure — for her to begin to question if the sickness that she was experiencing was in fact caused by mold. Lodico said she then went searching in her room for signs of mold and found the window blinds and the wall underneath her bed covered in black-colored mold.

Immediately after finding the mold, Lodico filed a work order and communicated with her Resident Assistant. The work order that was started Oct. 24 was not fully completed until Nov. 20, during which time Lodico remained in the room with full exposure to the mold.

COURTESY PHOTO / STEPHANIE LODICO

Stephanie Lodico found black-colored mold under her bed in Giles Hall in fall 2018.

Reflecting on her semester, Lodico said that she always felt much better after spending weekends at home, away from her dorm room.

“I did notice that whenever I left campus for the weekend, I felt a lot better, and then whenever I came back to campus I just felt awful,” Lodico said. “I was sick very continuously. I’d start to get better and then, I would never really recover.”

By the end of October 2018, Lodico said she had her blood drawn to test for a mold allergy. Lodico was surprised when the results came back negative, but an Ear, Nose and Throat Otolaryngologist explained to her that she could still have a severe reaction to mold even if she was not explicitly allergic.

“Basically, my throat had been hurting for this entire time, and it was getting really annoying,” Lodico said. “There were times that I just couldn’t talk; it hurt too much to swallow or anything. She gave me some great medicine that helped me, but it all seemed very related to the room because I didn’t have those issues at all the longer I stayed away from campus, the better my health was. I didn’t have this problem freshman year when I lived in Monroe, it was fine. It just all seemed very connected to my room and the mold was really the only identifiable cause.”

By that point in the semester, Lodico said she had given up in terms of feeling fully healthy while remaining on campus until winter break.

She said ResLife offered her housing options elsewhere in Randolph, in another language house or in Richmond Hall. Lodico said she did not want to waste energy moving to another room in buildings that were known to have similar mold issues to her current room. She instead attempted to address the problem with a dehumidifier and allergen fan for her room, which she said partially alleviated her symptoms.

Lodico said that her health issues during the fall 2018 semester negatively affected her academic performance. She said that students should not have to worry about their living spaces on campus when academics should be the priority.

“It was just really hard to put academics first when my health was not in good shape,” Lodico said. “But I didn’t have mono or something that I could have just gotten a doctor’s note to excuse myself, it was more like an allergic reaction of sorts. It was just hard for me; there was no cure for my situation, so I just had to keep going. But it was really hard to juggle as a student, like having to deal with this whole other aspect without really getting the support that I needed.”

The College’s Response The College takes action in response to student reports of mold through coordinated efforts between the ResLife, EH and S and Facilities Management offices. According to Belback, cases are evaluated individually, and depending on the severity of the mold exposure, room humidity levels and air quality, students may be temporarily or

permanently moved to alternative housing.

“Assessments by EH and S may include visual inspections, interviewing occupants, determining the root cause of a water intrusion issue, initiating a response to correct that issue, providing any remediation necessary to remove the mold and addressing any health concerns reported by occupants,” Belback said. “Based on the outcome of the assessment, additional indoor air quality sampling may be conducted. The results of these inspections are evaluated on a case by case basis. If a student needs to be relocated until remediation is complete, that is coordinated through Residence Life.”

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I think William and Mary has ignored issues with dorms for too long. …It feels like more of a systemic issue than something that someone overnight could just wave a magic wand and fix for us.”

— Stephanie Lodico

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MOLD from page 1

According to Director of Residence Life Maggie Evans, the College’s protocol is to address mold issues within 48 hours. Evans said that a coordinated response across different administrative offices aims to tackle the problem.

“The university addresses any moisture or mold related issues brought to our attention, ...” Evans said in an email. “Residence Life, the Environmental Health and Safety Office, and Facilities Management work closely together to make that happen. Sometimes there are bigger repairs needed that necessitate completion during breaks or over the summer. It is rare for a resident to need to be moved, but if that is required we have the space to accommodate that. In these cases, Residence Life follows the direction of EH and S staff regarding resolution of the problem.”

According to Evans, addressing mold in on-campus dormitories is a top priority for her office — especially when it concerns student health.

“William & Mary cares enormously about the health and safety of our students,” Evans said in an email. “If there is a concern about mold a full inspection is conducted, including – when warranted - air quality checks by William & Mary’s Office of Environmental Health and Safety.

Any student health concerns would be referred to the Student Health Center. If a student presents medical documentation and a request for accommodation to Student Accessibility Services, SAS may work with Residence Life to move a student when appropriate. In isolated cases the university may provide compensation if warranted.”

College Spokesperson Suzanne Clavet said that the College is pursuing long-term maintenance upgrades to improve the quality of on-campus housing.

“The university is continually looking at the maintenance of and system upgrades for all of our buildings and strategically plans where improvements can have the most effective impact,” Clavet said in an email. “The current building construction standards for the university follow current best practices for HVAC systems and we are constantly looking for new technologies to address these and other facilities issues.”

Looking Forward Lodico sees mold as a systemic issue that will continue to persist until large improvements are made.

“I think William and Mary has ignored issues with dorms for too long, that there would be even more of a housing crisis than there is now if they had cleared out all the dorms that were suspected of being moldy,” Lodico said. It feels like more of a systemic issue than something that someone overnight could just wave a magic wand and fix for us.”

Belford said that a larger facilities staff is needed to tackle mold issues not only faster, but also preemptively prior to student’s campus arrival in the summer. Belford acknowledged the difficulties that the ResLife and facilities teams have, in dealing with buildings that consistently have mold problems, but she said regardless, that it is unfair for students to have to worry about their living conditions while trying to focus on their education.

“I don’t want it to sound like I’m trying to trash ResLife or I’m trying to trash facilities; I know those people work hard,” Belford said. “But, I’m just saying it’s not fair to students who are also working hard and want to come here and want to get their education here and then paying all of this money to be placed in dorms that are dangerous to their health.”

Despite choosing to live on campus for the convenience, Posner said that her housing experience did not meet this expectation. During the time that Posner was misplaced from her room, she often had to call the ResLife and facilities offices multiple times a day in order to get updates on the status of her room. ResLife provided Posner with 300 dollars of compensation as a result of the complications. She said that the offices need to reevaluate their communication and customer service strategies, especially when students are moving in. She suggested having facilities on-call at all hours during this time.

COURTESY PHOTO / KRISTINA POSNER

During fall move-in Kristina Posner found mold on the ceiling of her Bryan Hall room.

Posner said that the College needs to figure out how to effectively address these issues in the long-term as opposed to their continued temporary fixes.

“It seems like these issues are pretty common, or more common than they let on,” Posner said. “They should probably consider looking at a lot of these dorms and looking at these issues as being more long-term issues rather than short term. It seems like these issues are ongoing and they keep fixing it, but they are putting a Band-Aid basically over a huge battle wound instead of actually fixing it.”

The Flat Hat

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Page 4

CAMPUS

Swedish ambassador comes to campus

Olofsdotter talks American-Swedish relations, tariff impositions ETHAN BROWN FLAT HAT MANAGING EDITOR

Swedish Ambassador to the United States Karin Olofsdotter visited the College of William and Mary Oct. 3 to deliver the 2019 McSwain-Walker Lecture. Addressing an audience in St. George Tucker Hall filled with faculty, students and local Williamsburg residents, Olofsdotter discussed the complicated trilateral relationship between her home country, the U.S. and the European Union, and touched upon some of the social, economic and cultural ramifications of international politics in the 21st century.

Varying motivations led students to attend Olofsdotter’s talk.

“I’m here for my Intro to International Politics … I’m also here because I’m very interested in diplomacy and the ambassadorial process,” Grace Scott ’23 said.

Vice Provost for International Affairs Steve Hanson introduced Olofsdotter and elucidated the purpose of the annual lecture before detailing Olofsdotter’s distinguished career in public service. According to Hanson, the McSwain-Walker talk fosters dialogue on how the United States interacts with exogenous political and cultural forces.

“It is one that brings renowned scholars, artists, analysts and other notable public figures to William and Mary to speak on topics related to how other countries and cultures interact with the United States and how the United States interacts with them,” Hanson said.

Before Olofsdotter took to the podium, Hanson catalogued some of her professional accomplishments. Olofsdotter began her current ambassadorial posting in September 2017, and has since spent two years working in Washington, D.C. Her career with the Swedish Foreign Service began in 1994, when she first started working at the Swedish Embassy in Moscow.

Following several postings specializing in defense issues and security policy, Olofsdotter took on her first ambassadorial role as the Swedish Ambassador to Hungary in 2011, and in that capacity, she worked with various policy makers within the European Union and

the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Olofsdotter began her speech by listing a series of light-hearted facts about her home country. She referenced Sweden’s extensive forest coverage and its significant moose population — over half-a-million moose live alongside 10 million Swedes — before discussing more serious national characteristics.

She touted the Swedish passport as the third strongest in the world for visaless travel, and reminded the audience of prominent Swedish corporations, including Volvo, Spotify, H&M and IKEA, that have wide-reaching positive impacts on Americans. Olofsdotter reminded audience members that while they may not recognize it, Swedish people, companies and influences are ubiquitous in modern America. This sentiment is most visible to Olofsdotter when she interacts with U.S. senators and representatives, who frequently clamor for IKEAs to set up shop in their congressional districts.

“I walk the halls of Congress frequently, to talk to members of Congress, and I still haven’t met one member of Congress who wouldn’t like an IKEA in his constituency,” Olofsdotter said.

Once Olofsdotter established Sweden’s extensive legacy and presence within the U.S., she transitioned to evaluating the two countries’ bilateral relationship. While diplomatic ties between Sweden and the U.S. date back to 1783, Olofsdotter commented on the relationship’s importance within modern geo-politics. However, despite the warmth of the Swedish-American relationship, Olofsdotter emphasized concerns regarding President Donald Trump’s trade policies because of their ramifications for Sweden’s economy.

“The United States is our fourth largest trading partner, so right now, of course, the discussions on trade in Washington are for us, actually existential,” Olofsdotter said. “… We are very worried about the protectionism we hear, the use of tariffs for various reasons, of course we also see the same issues with China as the United States does, but the tariff hurts our companies as well.”

She then described the deleterious consequences of Trump’s tariffs and voiced her frustration with the administration’s rationale for imposing them.

“We are also following, and are quite upset, I’m going to be frank with

you, when it comes to the steel and aluminum tariffs that have been put on Europe out of national security reasons … that is not acceptable,” Olofsdotter said. “Most countries in Europe have a deep and longstanding security relationship with the United States, most of them are members of NATO, so to say that steel and aluminum are threats to U.S. national security — it’s just protectionism.”

After pointing out the tariffs’ consequences for both Swedish companies and American consumers, Olofsdotter provided a brief overview of other endemic threats to Swedish national security in the 21st century. Among these concerns is Russian aggression, which Sweden has sought to combat following Russia’s 2014 occupation of Crimea and its subsequent meddling throughout Northern Europe and the Baltic states. These anxieties have prompted Sweden to reevaluate its security priorities, especially given the inaccurate expectations of what a post-Soviet world would look like.

“When the Soviet Union collapsed, we all thought that the world would be peace and love, basically … so we deconstructed and cut down on our defense, and we made it rather quickly, so we have realized over the past years that the world is not as much peace and love as we thought it would be in the 90s,” Olofsdotter said. “This means we are going back to a conscript army, we are buying new submarines … we are increasing our exercises together with our neighboring countries and with the United States, to show Russia that we are serious in the defense of our country.”

In closing her speech, Olofsdotter commented on the importance of tolerance in an increasingly chaotic world by providing a personal anecdote about her grandmother, who in expressing contempt for Danes and Finns illustrated the vitality of approaching situations with understanding rather than hatred.

“I just want to remind you that every generation has its ‘scary foreigner’ … my grandmother was born in 1900, she thought that Danish people and Finnish people were the absolute worst, they were not to be trusted, they were not clean, they were drunk,” Olofsdotter said. “Of course, the ‘scary foreigner’ just comes from further away these days, but it’s exactly the same emotions.”

Mullin dicusses personal priorities as criminal prosecutor Democrat focuses on violent crimes, gang cases, sexual assault; protecting community MULLIN from page 1

“I’m really interested in criminal justice, so I thought it was really great that some people got to ask questions about it tonight and hear his reasoning about cash bail because that wasn’t a perspective I had heard before,” Swanson said.

Regarding the legalization of marijuana, Mullin emphasized that although he wanted to see a path towards legalization and decriminalization, he also wanted to make sure it was done properly and safely.

“You have to do it right,” Mullin said. “There are some states that have done it really well like

Oregon and California. And there are some states that have really screwed it up like Colorado.

Colorado had a significant increase in DUIs as well as traffic related fatalities because they didn’t have the education campaign behind it when they did it.”

For students and other attendees, getting

insight into the local delegate’s perspectives was useful and informative.

“I often feel like I don’t know which questions I want to ask because I have so many,” Suzanne Cole ’22 said. “So it’s really nice to hear what other college students are thinking about and to hear the candidate’s answers.”

opinions STAFF COLUMN

Midterm season presents opportunity for self-care My next semester of midterms wasn’t much different, as I was forced to endure a number of the THE FLAT HAT dreaded group projects professors love to give out.

I was perpetually tied to the group study rooms of Midterm season is fast approaching, and with it, Swem, and the same atmosphere made me not want the foreboding atmosphere of stress and anxiety. For to return to Swem for many weeks after midterms many students — looking at you, freshmen — this were over. When I finally returned, I realized that time of year can be the first true test of their academic if I ignored the negative attitudes of others and lives here at the College of William and Mary. If you’re simply focused on improving my own, I truly enjoyed one of these lost and overwhelmed people, just take a working in Swem with all of my friends, drinking deep breath and listen to any advice upperclassmen too much coffee and give out to you — it really works. joking about dropping During my orientation week, I out of college. was able to talk There are lots of other with a few tips I could give to first Orientation time students like write Aides who a to-do list or meet with were smart your professors during and kind office hours, but the enough most useful is to not to give let the pressure get out early to you. A level head tips for the is worth a thousand upcoming tidbits of advice, chaos. because in the end, Number it comes down to one: sleep, you and your mental sleep, sleep, state, not others. sleep! If Staying relaxed you’re dozing and calm in the off while face of a huge trying to write workload is what yet another makes it possible paragraph for for me to write your COLL 150 three papers essay at 2 a.m., simultaneously it’s time for — shout out to bed. Anything other English you’re currently majors. And yes, working on will sleep is a part benefit in quality of this, as my and substance OAs first told from your muchme. Along with needed rest. this is staying However, even hydrated with that advice, and eating I still had lots of enough, things to figure which can out for myself sometimes when mid-October be pushed T HAT A rolled around my to the L F E H Y/T USTAN O freshman year. backburner B A N N IC BY A The lure of endless when you GRAPH cappuccinos from haven’t finished your Aromas Café at Earl readings for the night yet.

Gregg Swem Library No matter what your midterm schedule looks like, enticed me to set up home base in the first floor of just remember to take care of yourself first, and do Swem, and I almost immediately regretted it. The everything else second. It looks different for everyone, ambience of Swem during midterms week is just a but if you find the key to remaining positive, you’re concentrated version of the rest of campus — worried, more likely to succeed and stave off the stress that anxious students looking to find solace on campus accompanies this time of year … and don’t let firstwithout great success. I was overwhelmed with how floor Swem scare you off, those cappuccinos really are long it took me to find an empty desk, let alone the worth the trouble! many people who looked to be on the verge of a Email Elaine Godwin mental breakdown in the desks already taken. at sgodwin@email.wm.edu.

Elaine Godwin

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INDEPENDENT GRAPHIC

The Freshman Plague Lurks GRAPHIC BY CAITLIN MCCLAIN / THE FLAT HAT

Opinions Editor Anna Boustany Opinions Editor Chloe Folmar fhopinions@gmail.com // @theflathat

The Flat Hat | Tuesday, October 8,2019

| Page 5

STAFF COLUMN

Botetourt Hall establishes positive freshman experience Lucas Harsche THE FLAT HAT

“Botetourt, it’s pronounced BOT-EH-TOT,” was the first piece of advice given to me as a freshman at the College of William and Mary. I may have had other pieces of advice slip through the cracks as I tried to absorb everything going on during Orientation at an overwhelmingly dizzying pace, but I will never forget that key piece of advice that I now pass on to readers of The Flat Hat: it’s called “BOT-EH-TOT.” Botetourt, a complex of five freshman dormitories on Wake Drive — I myself dwell in Gooch Hall — has gained a negative reputation among the masses here at the College. The rooms are relatively small, it is a fair distance away from several of the main buildings on campus — my roommate brought his bike for this very purpose — and you never know what temperature your shower water will decide to be for the day.

These factors would certainly turn away many prospective freshmen at any college tour, especially when the worried parent undoubtedly asks, “Are you sure you can live here for the whole year?”

Yes. Having only resided in Botetourt for a little over a month, the answer is undoubtedly yes. In order to answer any possible confusion to this answer, let us backtrack through the reasons I pointed out above. Furthermore, let this piece serve as a word of assurance to future freshmen who are scared at the prospect of having to live in Botetourt, or even current freshmen who could benefit from a new perspective.

Indeed, it is true, with unique features such as the unpredictable showers, each of the Botetourt halls are certainly not winning awards for “Best Building on Campus.”

However, with one’s standards set low enough by their freshmen residence hall, the promise of bigger and better accommodations for one’s remaining years at the College cannot be diminished. Rather than potentially facing the disappointment of having to “downgrade” living arrangements from freshman year, almost every option for upperclassmen housing is bound to be an improvement for residents of Botetourt. A very self-serving motivation, in all honesty, but please keep reading; just as a Botetourt resident is bound to hear countless times, the best is yet to come.

There is always someone in the lounge to talk to, always a helping hand to count on during the struggles of college life, and always the promise of amazing, diverse adventures and experiences.

Yes, getting to Earl Gregg Swem Library, the Sadler Center or anywhere on Old Campus is going to require some low-key hiking, preferably through the Grim Dell shortcut to catch some shade. On the other hand, for those fantastic sporting events at Kaplan Arena or a daily grind at the Student Recreation Center, Botetourt residents are only a short walk from a great time with their friends. Along the way, they can even catch a quick meal at Commons Dining Hall, which is not only widely regarded as one of the best places to eat on campus due to its wide and dependable selection of food, but is also only a few minutes away from the residents of Botetourt; when it comes to college dining, such a boon is not to be taken lightly.

Most special, however, is the location of Lake Matoaka right behind the Botetourt Complex. As someone who comes from a state sandwiched between two of the largest cities in America, laying on the Bote-dock at night and seeing a vast array of stars has been one of my favorite freshman experiences thus far.

Nevertheless, what truly makes living in Botetourt worth it is the people who live there. As an incoming freshman, one of my biggest fears was finding a new group of friends in a strange, new place. In that regard, I am very glad that I was placed in Gooch Hall, where I am already surrounded by a group of friends so tight that it may as well be considered my new family. There is always someone in the lounge to talk to, always a helping hand to count on during the struggles of college life, and always the promise of amazing, diverse adventures and experiences. I have little doubt that, were I to be placed in another hall within Botetourt, I would not have been lucky to have formed such tight bonds so quickly.

So, if you have been selected for Botetourt, I have only one word: Congratulations!

Email Lucas Harsch at lmharsch@email.wm.edu.

The Flat Hat

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

STAFF COLUMN

Recent extreme heat in Virginia region indicates broader climate change crisis late-onset fall weather is not a problem specific to Virginia.

The entire U.S. experienced a 2.5 degree warmer than THE FLAT HAT average autumn just last year and the Earth just saw its warmest September on record, rising 1.2 degrees from the Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, I have never global average between 1981-2010 according to a study from experienced a fall where temperatures dropped below 80 the Copernicus Climate Change Service. degrees Fahrenheit. In the south, our seasons revolve around So, what’s going on? Are we just expected to abandon the one common weather pattern: heat, purely unrelenting and idea of October being a month of cozy scarves, pumpkin skin-sizzling heat. Winter is boiling, summer is scorching spice lattes and autumn leaves? and the closest anyone can get to fall is when they spray We are currently experiencing the impacts of climate paint their trees change on our red and pile their everyday lives. pickup trucks with Human activities pumpkins. like greenhouse While I was gas emission and deciding which combustion of fossil clothing I should fuels all have warming bring to school, effects on the planet, my parents made which we often only sure that I brought consider on a global ski pants and a scale, rather than the parka because immediate effects in they imagined our lives. that if I so much Popular media as stepped outside and prominent in Williamsburg’s research usually winter weather only address the big I would end up picture of climate freezing to death. change, focusing on However, now issues that affect the that I’m here and earth as a whole like we have officially biodiversity or wideentered the fall spread pollution. season, I could not However, by fixating feel more at home. on a broad view of Temperatures this climate change, the past week have day-to-day details can been climbing often be overlooked. well above what is We forget the ways typical for Virginia that our destructive autumn weather, actions impact us on even reaching up to an everyday level: 99 degrees October for example, warmer 2. Just for reference, autumn temperatures. the average The warmer fall temperatures in weather means GRAPHIC BY KELLEY WANG / THE FLAT HAT Alabama last week far more than just stayed in the low 80s. I came to the pseudo-north for cool delayed sweater weather. There are actual impacts to the autumn winds and crisp fall colors, not Birmingham-style planet that arise from temperatures that are just a few back-woods humidity. degrees warmer. Delayed or decreased harvests, quicker I will admit that Williamsburg is a swamp and there is gestation for mosquitos and greater energy usage from only so much cool fall weather can do to alleviate this, but air conditioners are all among the extremely harmful warmer fall temperatures are a relatively new phenomenon consequences to rising fall temperatures. for the city. Just a decade ago, the average high for early While activists, scientists and politicians continue to October was a little over 73 degrees. But, in the last two argue over what is causing climate change how global years, the averages have been steadily reaching into the low and domestic communities should address the crisis, 80s, well above historical averages. temperatures around the world continue to rise, ice caps Cities around Virginia have been experiencing warmer continue to melt and eventually fall weather will become a fall temperatures as well, including nearby Norfolk which distant memory. saw a 1.4 degree increase in 2018, according to independent While autumn warms and begins later, we are losing scientists from Climate Central. much more than pumpkin spice and colorful leaves. We are The weather in Williamsburg isn’t expected to return losing the very integrity of our fragile planet. to historically average temperatures until early November, Email Robert Goolsby at falling to cooler 61 degrees on average. But this trend of rdgoolsby@email.wm.edu.

Robert Goolsby

STAFF COLUMN

Healthy habits aid students in avoiding notorious “freshman plague” throughout college career Carina Pacheco THE FLAT HAT

We’ve all heard of it, we’ve all seen it, but have we all experienced it? The freshman plague, as it has been lessthan-endearingly coined by students of the College of William and Mary, is the infamous, microscopic entity that threatens student life as we know it.

As a freshman from New Jersey, I know cold and flu season like the best friend I never wanted. Yes, she’s icky.

Yes, she’s expensive — thanks Nyquil.

She’s up-close and personal. Yes, she hit hard the individual who sits next to me in class.

No one likes her, she likes no one and she shows little mercy — the freshman plague, that is, not my classmate.

I, however, for consecutive years, have not fallen victim to the seasonal devil. I am a proud owner and keeper of a strong immune system, and since arriving on campus I have been doing the utmost to avoid the freshman plague like my name is Vince Vaughn.

How is this feasible, you may ask?

How can I avoid the unavoidable? After all, even upperclassmen have fallen victim to the plague they know so well.

Luckily enough, I have some intricate tips for students at the College looking to preserve their health and retain some energy this season, so that they too might drown in reading or problem

sets at Earl Gregg Swem Library rather than tissues and DayQuil prescriptions at the Student Health Center.

My first tip — and, don’t scream — is to sleep. I am a huge believer in getting enough sleep, and while science says eight hours a night should be our minimum, I say 10 hours, because I do not believe in doing the bare minimum in order to physically and emotionally handle going through the numbing daily routine of a college student.

No one likes her, she likes no one and she shows little mercy — the freshman plague, that is, not my classmate.

Naps are your enemy. I will not budge on that. Please sleep at night, for we are humans, not bats.

And consider an additional, financial incentive: a venti cold brew is going to do nothing for you if you don’t give her a solid base to work with, and Starbucks wants to help you. She really does.

Second tip — eat a vegetable or two. Taking care of your body is quite literally what avoiding the plague is all about. To keep things interesting, I like to recommend throwing some sriracha on a vegetable, or maybe some ranch for any faint-of-heart-fromspice folk. Extra points if your chosen vegetable is green!

Third — between Swemaromas coffees, lattes and smoothies, find time to locate your nearest water fountain!

For those who may be unfamiliar, “water fountains” are machines that produce drinking water, and they love dehydrated college students.

The College has several of these contraptions set up throughout campus, and despite the intimidating nature of these fountains, they are approachable and most of them work.

I do care to include several disclaimers: the incredibly weird and unpredictable temperatures of the swamp can be a sneaky ally to the plague when accompanied by soaring stress levels, especially with midterm season in full swing, and additional pressure to balance work, social and personal priorities.

The moral of this story is to take time before you get sick to help yourself and others. No one likes to be shut up in a dorm for several days at a time — especially me, thanks to living in the Botetourt Complex — or miss class.

Email Carina Pacheco at capacheco@email.wm.edu.

Page 6

STAFF COLUMN

College’s culture extends students opportunities for true self-expression Matthew Kortan THE FLAT HAT

It was not yet 6 a.m. when the earliest splinter of sunlight pasted itself against the wall adjacent from the dorm’s lone window. I hadn’t slept, but these moments would be the final throes of nightmare induced by temperatures above the fever pitch. The sleepwalking city outside had long since frozen over.

It was ironic that the sun shone in Milwaukee on my final day attending Marquette University.

I would need a few extra fingers and toes to count how many days it had been since the last time I’d seen that heavenly sphere of burning hydrogen illuminate a cozy blue sky. I let my mind meander toward my new chosen home, the College of William and Mary.

The sun must shine there quite often, I thought.

Everybody should know the rare moments between textbook readings here at the College make for rather idyllic times for introspective reflection.

A vast majority of my freshman days were quite cataclysmic. The perceptual benefit of the transfer experience has been second to none with the ability to juxtapose college culture outside Williamsburg to our swampy home.

Thus, I’d like to share a few notes from life beyond the bricks.

I can’t recall a day with winds below 12 miles per hour at best. One step outside transformed my curly mop-top into a wig for Art Garfunkel. The girls didn’t think that was cool. If the girls didn’t think you were cool, then you probably weren’t. As a result you’d spend nights alone in an ill-lit dorm complex eating PB&Js and listening to Joy Division until at long last you’d be graced with the pleasure of doing it all again the next day.

You don’t have to have 1,000+ Instagram followers or wear Vineyard Vines to feel at home here, and that’s what I appreciate most.

Monotony was killer. Those who were deemed cool earned the privilege of following the girls around to frat parties like lion cubs being led to the watering hole. They listened to much more jovial tunes including: Mo Bamba, Sicko Mode and Mo Bamba. Of course, this routine only lasted the two months warm enough to go outside, at which point the populace would take their Tinder swiping talents indoors. For the duration of the year, cool kids and losers spent long days and nights under one frozen roof.

When the day of work was done and we all nestled in together, the only pastimes on the minds of most were to drink and play video games; this must be how coal miners in Siberia feel. Something which really came to surprise me about the culture at Marquette was how afraid people were to express themselves.

In the men’s wing, wagers were made over who could sleep with the highest number of women by year’s end. Success of your favorite football team determined the quality of your character.

Getting alcohol poisoning and living to tell about it earned a badge of honor. Hosting an open mic night was seen as a radical idea. I see stages set up every week here at the College where a student can display their passion for all, without fear of shame to hinder the act.

Our community is special because it is built on mutual respect between everybody. You can be a goofball, a nutjob or just plain uncool; the Tribe loves you all the same. You don’t have to have over 1,000 Instagram followers or wear Vineyard Vines to feel at home here, and that’s what I appreciate most.

For the first time in a long time, I feel free to delve into new activities. I’m a former jock who practices ukulele and collects classic literature.

I do so without apprehension because I live in an environment that isn’t comprised of critics, but rather takes a genuine interest in celebrating each new member’s unique outlook as to why we choose to run ourselves through the gauntlet that is academia at the College. It hasn’t taken long to fall madly in love with a place where the so called “social spectrum” is obliterated. The purest versions of our strange selves are set free. Speaking from experience, you’d be hard-pressed to find a college experience more cool for the uncool. This is our sanctuary. I can only hope that it stays weird.

Email Matthew Kortan at mrkortan@email.wm.edu.

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Variety Editor Zoe Beardsley Variety Editor Adithi Ramakrishnan flathat.variety@gmail.com

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Lee DePue '22 elaborates on passion for geology, experiences as trans person on campus, community and relaxation provided by WCWM Radio ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN // FLAT HAT VARIETY EDITOR

One frigid night, Lee DePue ’22 camped out in a tent beside the Crim Dell and counted goats.

DePue, a geology major, volunteered as part of a campus environmental reclamation project to restore native species in the Crim Dell. Part of the initiative involved the arrival of goats to the College of William and Mary campus with the purpose of eating the particularly resilient non-native invasive species in the area. DePue’s job was to make sure all the animals were accounted for over the course of the night.

“It was 40 degrees; it was wet; it was cold; it was gross,” DePue said. “I was in a tent close to Sadler, waking up every couple hours to count goats, and I just remember thinking, ‘I volunteered to do this because this is something I believe in. This is absolutely absurd, and I love it so much and I’m so happy that I’m here.’”

DePue reflects on his overnight foray into goatherding as one of the defining moments of his time at the College so far.

“I just feel like that was the most funny but also the most meaningful William and Mary experience,” DePue said. “That was a really big deal for me.”

Initially, DePue was deeply passionate about environmental science, but his interest in geology specifically began to arise following his transition to the College as a freshman.

“From the time I was about 14, I was really interested in environmental science, and then I roll up to William and Mary, and I realize that environmental science kind of encompasses a lot,” DePue said. “It’s science, but it also does involve a lot of policy and a lot of theory. I realized that I loved the nitty gritty STEM side of it, and to me, that was better carried out through geology.”

DePue went to West Virginia for an overnight camping trip with the geology department at the start of his freshman year. At the time, he was a prospective geology major, still trying to identify an area of interest, but the bonding he experienced as part of the trip convinced him that geology was the field he wanted to pursue.

“People say, ‘Oh, my department feels like a family,’ but it genuinely felt like a family,” DePue said. “I realized that all these people cared about me, and wanted to look out for me, and also cared about the stuff I was interested in. People looked out for me, and that was a really big deal. That’s when I realized that that was my department.”

Geology’s ability to convert quantitative data into a qualitative analysis of the Earth’s geological history is the aspect of the field that DePue enjoys most.

“My favorite part of geology is being able to take a big set of data and put it into a graph,” DePue said.

“It’s the translation, so pointing at it and saying yeah,

that’s a big sloping polynomial curve, but what it means is when people dammed up this mill in the 1760s, this level of accumulation did this. Or pointing at a chart, and saying, see that jump in the data? That was a hurricane in 1980. Taking that really quantitative STEM stuff and making it tell a story about the earth is just so cool, and that’s what I really love.”

DePue was formerly the transgender and nonbinary affairs chair for Rainbow Coalition, and he is passionate about expanding the resources available for trans students on campus based on his own experiences.

“My experience as a trans person on campus has been really varied,” DePue said. “I get misgendered a lot, daily, on campus, and it’s not always from who you’d expect. I’ve had theater professors misgender me, and people tend to assume more artsy majors are more liberal. … The geology department has a really strong initiative to embrace LGBT identities and trans identities specifically, which was a surprise for me, and honestly one of the reasons I’m in the department.”

While DePue faces frequent misgendering on campus, he does feel that the College environment offers a safe space where he feels comfortable bringing up conversations regarding gender identity.

“Luckily, I feel like campus is a space where if I have had issues of people acknowledging my identity, I feel safe talking about it, which is very nice,” DePue said. “Any time I’ve had not even a conflict, but just a professor not understanding my pronouns or where I’m coming from, I’ve felt like I’m able to have that discussion with them.”

In collaboration with the Counseling Center and Rainbow Coalition, DePue helped establish a confidential trans support group on campus.

“The trans support group meets at the Counseling Center every other week and is facilitated by a therapist from the counseling center,” DePue said. “It’s just a really nice, supportive place to talk about things we have in common and things that we might need to vent about.”

DePue spoke to the importance of the support group as an environment for trans students to feel comfortable sharing their feelings in a community of listeners who are going through similar experiences.

“It’s nice to have a place that is designated as friendly to trans mental health, because there are a lot of myths surrounding it and a lot of stigma,” DePue said. “Sometimes, it can be hard in a more vague or general space to talk about trans-specific issues in terms of support, especially if you’re in a group that isn’t all trans people. So, this is a nice space to be with trans and nonbinary and gendernonconforming folks and to discuss issues, or even triumphs that we all share.”

DePue feels that perception of trans individuals is often dominated by the stereotype that the trans experience is characterized primarily by struggle.

“A lot of trans narratives, especially defined by cis people, is that your transness is defined by your suffering; it’s all about, ‘I am unhappy, so I need medical care,’ or ‘I hate my body, so I need to change it,’” DePue said. “A lot of trans people — and I subscribe to this mentality — are trying to deal more in things like gender euphoria, or recognizing that we don’t wish that we weren’t born trans … just finding more pride in our identities, as opposed to having them defined solely through the ways that they make us uncomfortable.”

When DePue applied to the College, he reached out to Residence Life in order to find out what his accommodations would be as a trans student. The initial response he got back left him feeling less than satisfied.

“I said, ‘Hi, I’m a trans student, I’m applying … what are my options for housing?’ and they said, ‘Call us back when you get in,’ and cut me off,” DePue said. “I felt like they just thought I was obnoxious and overbearing. I think it’s reasonable when you’re applying to a school to want to know what the resources are.”

After moving in, DePue’s experience with housing hasn’t been ideal, and he wishes that living options on campus were more accommodating of noncisgender students.

“Part of me wishes it was easier; it was kind of a bummer to be on an all-girls’ hall, and I still am, because legally, there’s an ‘F’ on my birth certificate and that’s not going to change any time soon,” DePue said. “I have a friend at a different university and there’s a dorm that’s specifically for LGBT-identified people, so it’s not sorted by gender. I think that’d be really nice.”

DePue was able to use male hall bathrooms and live with a gender-affirming roommate during his freshman year. He is appreciative of the accommodations he was able to work out through Student Accessibility Services, as well as the care that was taken with his situation once he chose to attend the college.

“Never at any point in my housing was I asked to get a letter from a therapist or to say how long I’d been trans — there was never a moment when the admin asked me to prove it, and as someone who is currently seeking trans medical care, that happens,” DePue said. “Even though I wish trans people didn’t have to jump through hoops to live somewhere they were comfortable; I think that the process at least for me was done in a way that I felt was very respectful of my identity.”

DePue has been a student DJ as part of WCWM since his freshman year. He initially joined the organization as an outlet for his interest in public speaking, and to play music that he enjoyed.

“I was a theater kid in high school for a really long time, and I knew that I wanted to do something public speaking or performance-based as an extracurricular,” DePue said. “I decided to play 80s alternative music, because it’s what I’m into.”

DePue’s radio show, Doc Walkman, is a personal outlet, but it is also a way for DePue to stay connected with his family across the country.

“My grandparents in Connecticut started listening to my radio show, because WCWM streams online,” DePue said. “My mom and I got really close, because we had a lot of family hardship the summer before coming to college, and I always pick my radio show every semester at a time she’s not at work so she can listen.”

DJ-ing for WCWM is a calming experience for DePue and gives him an opportunity to lose himself in the music he loves for an hour, regardless of whatever else he is going through.

“I have an anxiety disorder, and sometimes that can be really hard to deal with,” DePue said. “Having a hobby that’s just me sharing things that make me happy has been so meaningful, and it really gives me something to come back to. No matter what’s going on in my life, no matter how down I feel, I can sit down in that station for an hour, play exactly what I want, talk about things that make me happy and know that people care and listen to it.”

DePue is appreciative of the LGBTQ+ community on campus, and the support it has given him in discovering the best way for him to identify with and express his identity.

“Especially in my high school, there was a very small LGBT community; not all of us were out, and we were very visible to the point where sometimes it was kind of isolating,” DePue said. “Just the fact that people are comfortable with all different levels of expression regarding their identities has made me feel really secure.”

DePue is still searching for a balance when it comes to outward expression of his LGBTQ+ identity, and the College’s LGBTQ+ community has played a large role in helping him find it.

“Coming into college, I thought it was all or nothing; I thought I was either going to have to be really stealth or closeted, or waving rainbow flags and running around every day,” DePue said. “Being in the community here has made me realize that this could be a beautiful part of my identity, but it doesn’t have to completely define me. Here, my identity does not solely define me, and that’s a huge relief.”

The Flat Hat

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Page 8

One continent many stories

ACS celebrates diversity of African culture by blending, combining artistic mediums of fashion, dance, and poetry in campus-wide event OLIVIA HENNESSEY // VARIETY ASSOC. EDITOR Saturday Oct. 5, the African Cultural Society of the College of William and Mary held their 14th annual IREP Cultural Showcase in Commonwealth Auditorium at 7 p.m. The showcase was part of ACS’s IREP Africa Weekend, which included Dinner and Dialogue Friday and brunch on the Crim Dell Meadow Saturday morning.

This year, the weekend was titled “The Journey of the Diaspora.”

Saturday night’s showcase consisted of several different performances, all unified by the show’s theme of the African Diaspora.

Jarice Mason II ’20 and Keyyatta Bonds ’20 hosted the show, introducing acts, telling jokes and keeping the crowd engaged throughout.

The showcase began with a fashion show titled “African Kings and Queens,” in which members of ACS modeled traditional clothing from various African cultures. The fashion show also included an exhibition of clothing from Stellar, a clothing line founded by Estelle Eyob ’22.

“I saw our cultural wear was being appropriated by high-end brands like Urban Outfitters and on the runway you would see it being taken and being reinvented,” Eyob said. “And the way it was being reinvented I felt kind of mocked my own culture, and it was just ugly.”

Eyob decided to start her own fashion line that would incorporate Eritrean design with streetwear.

“My fashion line is not only for Africans, only for Ethiopians or only for Eritreans, my clothing wear is for everybody,” Eyob said.

“I really want everyone to embrace my culture.”

The fashion show was followed by a performance from the College’s Habesha Dance Team. The performance featured members dancing traditional dances, often interlaced with small narratives told wordlessly through movement.

The next segment of the show, entitled “The First Generations of Bondage,” was introduced by a prerecorded audio explanation of the atrocities of transatlantic slavery and its role in building European and American society. The interlude was followed by a performance from the campus acapella team Flow.

The mood shifted to a more upbeat tone with a performance

by Liberty University’s ASAD Dance Team, who did a modern hiphop routine interwoven with Gospel-style singing.

The showcase also included a video about ACS’s philanthropy project for this year, Zana Africa, which is a charity that provides menstrual products and better sex education for girls in Kenya.

ACS Philanthropy Chair Nhuami Alemu ’21 explained how Zana Africa’s mission coincides with ACS’s beliefs and goals. As a result, 35% of the ticket proceeds from the performance will be donated to Zana Africa.

After a brief intermission, the show continued with “The Fight

for Equality,” in which four Sudanese students of the College delineated the history and importance of the Sudanese protests and ongoing revolution of the past year. Through a mixture of prose and slam-style poetry, the students explained the true causes of the revolution, and provided a moving personal perspective on the revolution as diaspora Sudanese Americans, demonstrating “that to be Sudanese is to be resilient.”

Their talk included audience participation as they urged the crowd to hold up peace signs and say “madaniyah,” in solidarity with the Sudanese protesters. Madaniyah means “civilian government,” which is the goal of the Sudanese revolution.

The talk was followed by a rap performance by students H2_ TheWavyOne and Preston.

The next segment creatively illustrated its theme, “The African Diaspora Today,” with a skit by CJ Obima and King Paul, who acted as a Nigerian-American father and son fighting over the son’s choice of a theater and film major in college. The story showcased the common experience of disconnection between first generation children and their immigrant parents.

Afterwards, the African Cultural Society’s executive board introduced themselves to the audience and gave thanks to the many performers and technicians who worked together to make the show possible.

The show concluded with a performance by Afrodite, an AfroCaribbean hip-hop dance team on campus. The routine received an enthusiastic response from audience members and was a point of pride for performers.

“This is my third year performing at IREP with Afrodite, and every year it gets better and better,” Afrodite team member Makeda Warner ’21 said. “I love Afrodite because this is my family away from my real family, and it just makes me so happy that I have a community to look like myself here at William and Mary.”

The show brought together a large and diverse audience that included students, ACS members, parents and Williamsburg community members.

Williamsburg resident Lamone Goodman attended the event to watch his girlfriend perform in Afrodite.

“I love the dances … you never really see all the different cultures of Africa depicted, so it’s really cool to see,” Goodman said.

Audience member Masada Hassan ’22 felt particularly inspired by the presentation about the Sudanese Revolution.

“Shedding light on the diaspora, in light of the Sudanese revolution, was really important, because we have power in people,” Hassan said. “Just knowing how powerful we as students

can be, with just an iPhone, is really important.”

Another audience member, Taiana James ’22, reflected on the positive impact that the event has on the black community on campus.

“I think it’s really important that we have these events on campus; it’s a really good time to all come together and celebrate ourselves,” James said.

Many of those involved in creating the showcase felt particularly motivated to demonstrate the diversity of African culture, particularly in the diaspora.

“Eritrea is made up of a lot of different tribes; we are not a monolithic nation; Africa is not a monolith,” Eyob said.

“I liked that people had fun and people felt included; I just feel like the biggest thing is inclusion and helping people understand that being Black is not monolithic; there’s so many ways to be black, so we hope that this showcase highlighted all those different ways,” ACS President Doreen Frempomah ’20 said.

Frenpomah described the process of creating the event as an extensive one.

“My entire exec board, which I am so grateful for, started planning this in July, and we went through this really long process getting acts to come, and we really wanted to have the vision and the heart of what the theme is, which is Journey of the Diaspora, to be showcased throughout the show,” Frempomah said. “Likewise, we really wanted to highlight certain aspects, like the Sudanese revolution, as well as our philanthropy project, Zana Africa, which shows the importance of sex education and how gender inequality is still a really prevalent issue in the globe today, and particularly in the African Diaspora. That’s why we wanted it to be really intentional in everything we did.”

The general sentiment among organizers of the event was one of inclusion.

“We are an organization that is open to everyone if you are interested in African culture or diaspora culture as well. We’re not an exclusive group,” ACS Event Coordinator Keyyatta Bonds ’20 said. “Our crowd tonight was very diverse, which I was very happy about, because we are a black and African organization, but to see different faces appreciating the culture and what we have to give was also a very rewarding part of the experience.”

“We hope people will continue to support ACS,” Frempomah said. “Everyone is included; I know that a lot of people think that you have to be black to be in predominantly black organizations, but that’s not true at all. We just want to be able to have a more inclusive world, and help all the people we feel need to be helped.”

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

Hookup, line and sinker Can a hookup lead to a relationship, or is it a dead end?

Veronica M. THE FLAT HAT

So, I really wanted to write an article about being a whore, like good old Gavin did, but then I remembered I’m not a whore in the sexual sense. I’m a whore for holding hands and cuddling.

Like, yeah. I love getting laid. Women are amazing. And hooking up has been pretty fun. But I’ve noticed that I really like the holding hands of it and the deep conversations that happen in the late hours of the night.

Maybe I’m just one of those stereotypical emotional lesbians?

Or maybe it’s just me and stereotypes aren’t real and I just can’t do hookups?

Which really sucks because again, I love having sex. It feels like I’m forced to sit on the sidelines while everyone else can seemingly hook up without any emotional attachment or repercussions, and somehow, even if there’s the slightest bit of emotional attachment, I end up being emotionally attached to whoever I’ve hooked up with.

I just want to lay out my plaid blue and white Target brand picnic blanket underneath that weeping willow tree and run my fingers through a pretty girl’s hair and maybe listen to some soft music and maybe even, I don’t know ... kiss? Is that too crazy?

It’s a little too sappy, I think, but is it crazy? Is being in a sweet relationship crazy?

I get hook-up culture, because we’re young and horny and there are so many options out there. We have our entire lives to be in real relationships and should embrace being single now. But I didn’t date in high school. I didn’t really know I was gay in high school,

and when I came to college, I wanted to catch up on what my heterosexual peers had been doing for years — dating, hooking up, everything in between.

Now that I see other gay people around me in happy relationships, I want that. Because in high school I would see a guy and a girl hold hands or kiss or do something romantic and I never wanted that. But I’ll see two girls around campus doing the same thing, and I realize how much I want that.

Hook-up culture helps, because it gives me the physical attributes of a relationship without any commitment, but then sometimes I think I want the commitment.

Hook-up culture makes me more confused than ever, because it feels like everyone participates in it, and it makes me feel like I should want it, but I don’t think I do. I think I want a relationship, but that scares me because I’m so young. And stupid. And bad at talking to girls.

Plus, it feels like it’s impossible to develop an actual relationship in the midst of hook-up culture, because it’s almost taboo to develop a relationship from hookups, and, simultaneously, if you develop a relationship outside of hook-up culture, it’s looked at as out of the norm. At least in my experience, it seems that way. It’s hard to determine where the line between hooking up and dating ends up being.

I have known people who have had successful relationships made out of hookups and people with broken hearts from hookups.

In all honesty, hook-up culture is meeting someone at a party or on a dating app or at a bar and bringing them home.

Sometimes it’s defined as dating, and sometimes it’s hooking up. There are smaller nuances that go along with the defining

factors, but it’s confusing.

I tend to get all romantic and want to lay under the weeping willow tree again, but it’s so hard to do that because everyone wants to hook up.

How long does hook-up culture last? I’m tired of seeing girls I’ve dated for a short time or hooked up with around campus, because it’s such an awkward interaction. If there was an end date to hook-up culture, maybe I could feel better about hooking up? If that makes any sense at all. It just feels like life is slipping away and I am just wasting it, even though I’m so young and have so much time.

I really think the problem is with communication. My most successful relationships or hookups have been a result of proper communication, while my most disastrous are because either me or my partner lacks in communication skills.

One of us might get our feelings hurt, and that’s not what hookups are about. Hookups are about hanky panky in a preferably — for everyone on campus’ sake — private place between two consenting adults.

However, there’s so much negativity that comes from them.

I’m absolutely not reprimanding anyone who participates in hook-up culture, because it may work for you or be what you want.

From my personal experience, it sucks.

I just want that willow tree imagery, but it feels like I’m getting the physicality of what I want while ruining what could potentially turn into good relationships with really great girls.

Oh well.

I’m probably going to continue being dumb.

Veronica M. is a Flat Hat Behind Closed Doors columnist who has a Venus in Taurus and that apparently explains this entire article.

sportsinside

The Flat Hat | Tuesday, October 8, 2019 | Page 9

SWIMMING

COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS

In the first home meet of the season, winning performances by senior Colin Demers, junior Devin McNulty, senior Jack Doherty, senior Colin Wright instrumental to success of the men. Despite a loss, sophomore Missy Cundiff displayed her talent.

Tribe hosts Johns Hopkins in opener, men met with success Men win with 152-110, women defeated 135-127 in neck and neck meet against Blue Jays ANNA BOUSTANY FLAT HAT OPINIONS EDITOR William and Mary began the season with a home meet Saturday, Oct. 5. The men met with incredible success, starting their year with a 152-110 win against John Hopkins and bringing their record to 1-0 with nine pool and dual-meet records broken.

The women, however, suffered a setback with a loss to the Blue Jays, a Division III team. The meet was neck and neck for the most part, but the Blue Jays were able to pull ahead by the final relay for a 135-127, winning eight of 14 events.

For the men, the Tribe started out strong with the 200 medley relay in its first win and first break of pool and dual-meet records.

Senior Colin Demers started off the race for the College, followed by junior Devin McNulty, who was then succeeded by senior Jack Doherty while senior Colin Wright wrapped the race up. The team came in for a time of one minute, 29.21 seconds, over three-quarters of a second faster than its previous record in January 2018.

In the next event, the 200 free, Wright took the win and set a pool record of 1:40.47, breaking the previous record of 1:40.61 set in 2016 by Billy Russell ’16. In the next event, the 100 back, Demers won in 50.36 seconds, continuing as the conference champion in the event. Senior Chris Balbo then continued the strong showing for the College with his first win of the day in the 200 fly. Balbo completed the race with a time of 1:51.49. In the next event for the men, the College continued its streak of winning events with senior Ian Thompson completing the 50 free in 20.91 seconds.

Wright continued his success with his second win of the day in the 100 free, having swum in 44.36 seconds, the 16th-fastest race ever at the College. With this win, Wright moved into 7th place of all-time wins with 54 wins, passing Mike Lovett ’00.

In the next two events, the 200 back and the 200 breast, the Blue Jays took home wins. After, in the 500 free, Balbo was able

to rack up a second win for himself and another win for the Tribe, swimming the race in 4:38.62. His win in the 500 free was also Balbo’s 50th win in his collegiate career. Balbo is only the seventh man in the last 30 years at the College to reach 50 wins in their career.

The Tribe continued breaking records with Doherty’s win in the 100 fly, where he broke the dual-meet record with a 49.13 time, almost a full four-tenths of a second faster than the previous dual-meet record set by Justin Barden ’16. The streak continued with doctoral candidate Ben Skopic making a dual-meet record in the 200 IM with a time of 1:51.15.

By the time the final race had occurred, the Tribe was already set to win the match, but the team still made its mark in the 200 free relay. Wright started the team off in the relay and broke his own pool and dual meet records with a 19.95 lead-off split.

This time is also a National Collegiate Athletic Association provisional-qualifying level, and places Wright as third in the country in the 50 free at this point in the season. Thompson followed Wright with a 20.09 split, and then Doherty swam a 20.17 split. Sophomore Graham Hertweck swam the final laps in 20.78 seconds. The overall time was 1.20.99, breaking the previous pool record of 1:23.23 in 2013 and the dual-meet record of 1:22.12 that the Tribe swam last fall against Navy. The race is the 2nd fastest of the season in the NCAA, and the 9th fastest in the College’s history.

For the women, the Tribe began the meet with a win in the 200 medley relay. The race was started by sophomore Anna Kenna with backstroke. Senior Lauren Freeman followed her with the breaststroke, and freshman Brooke Lamoureux swam the third leg with the butterfly. The Tribe was behind by over half a second before the final swimmer, sophomore Missy Cundiff, swam the anchor leg in freestyle in 22.86 seconds and took the team to a win by a mere 0.04 seconds.

In the next event, the 1000 free, senior Norah Hunt continued to rack up wins for the Tribe placing first with a time of 10 minutes and 31.45 seconds. Junior Megan Bull won her first event of the day in the 200 free in 1:51.99. Freshman Annie Tuttle followed with her first collegiate win in the 100 breast. She finished the race in 1:05.85, only a second away from the dual-meet record for the 100 breast.

Cundiff, an Olympics Trials qualifier, won in the 50 free. She is the freshman record holder for the 50 free, and almost broke both the pool and dual meet records with her time of 23.28, only two-tenths of a second away from both records. After the 50 free, the Blue Jays won the next three events, the 100 free, 200 back and 200 breast. For the first time in the meet, they took the lead, taking a six-point lead over the College.

In the next event, the 500 free, College briefly took back the lead with top two finishers. Bull placed first in 5:05.57, and Hunt came in second. However, the last three races were all won by Hopkins, taking the wins in the 100 fly, 200 IM and the 200 free relay. The Tribe had a strong showing, but even Cundiff’s second under-24-second 50 free swim in the 200 free relay was not enough to take the win home for the College. Blue Jays Michelle Wang also broke a pool record from 2002 with a 2:05.32 finish in the 200 IM. Wang is an All-American swimmer for Hopkins, and her time is a NCAA Division III provisional qualifier.

Historically, the College had won all nine matchups against Hopkins, making this the first time that Hopkins defeated the Tribe. Blue Jays coach Scott Armstrong commented on the success of his team in the meet.

“Any time you go up against a Division I team you know have to bring your best,” Armstrong said to HopkinsSports.com.

The Tribe will reconvene in Greenville, North Carolina where it will take on East Carolina with the hopes of repeating its success.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

College shut out 1-0 in double-overtime by Delaware in first home loss of season Despite loss, Tribe performed well defensively with saves by goalkeeper Katelyn Briguglio SETH HODGES THE FLAT HAT William and Mary suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Delaware Sunday, Oct. 6th at Martin Family Stadium. The Blue Hens (8-5, 3-1 CAA) scored a golden goal with just one minute left in the second overtime, handing the College (3-82, 1-2-1 CAA) its first home loss of the season.

The first half began with a few frantic exchanges between the two sides. Possession bounced from one team to the other frequently, and neither was able to control the ball for any extended period of time. Eventually, the game settled down, and both teams generated several attacking opportunities throughout the half.

Senior striker Sarah Segan was particularly dangerous for the Tribe, producing two shots and several more chances in the first half alone.

Blue Hens midfielder Lauren Ruth had the best chance of the first half for her team. She won the ball off a Tribe goal kick and sped forward to create a breakaway opportunity. Her shot hit the right post, maintaining the 0-0 deadlock.

Segan continued to bother the Blue Hens into the second half, coming close to scoring four minutes after the period started. The ball bounced to her off a long pass, and she was in on goal. Segan attempted to lob the bouncing ball over the head of the Blue Hens keeper, but her attempt sailed over the net.

The College relied on several strong defensive plays to keep the visitors at bay. Ruth, who had been a threat to the Tribe all game long, broke through and attempted to square the ball back to her teammate in the middle of the box. A last-

ditch tackle by Tribe senior left back Hannah Keith prevented Ruth from scoring. Keith made several key tackles throughout the half to maintain the 0-0 score. Senior goalkeeper Katelyn Briguglio was also strong for the Tribe,

COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS

After two scoreless halves, the Tribe and the Blue Hens battled for supremacy; Diffendal’s 2OT goal won Delaware the match.

making seven saves and generally being a calming influence defensively.

In the last five minutes of the second half, The College mounted one last attack on the Blue Hens, creating several good opportunities. The most dangerous of these opportunities came when Segan sent a low cross into the penalty area. Her ball was not dealt with by the Blue Hens defense, and chaos ensued in the box. Junior winger Colleen Norton was able to produce a shot, but a wall of Blue Hen defenders blocked the attempt.

At the end of regulation, the game remained scoreless, bringing the match into overtime.

There, with just one minute left in the second extra period, the College conceded a devastating game-winning goal against the run of play.

A Blue Hens corner kick created defensive panic in the penalty area. The ball fell to Blue Hens midfielder Anna Diffendal, who poked the ball into the net to win the game. The Blue Hens beach streamed onto the field to celebrate with Diffendal.

“I thought we outplayed them, we put a lot of good stuff together, but at the end of the day, for the amount of quality chances we had … we needed to put the game away earlier,” Tribe head coach Julie Shackford said.

The College faces another Colonial Athletic Association foe on Thursday night, when it travels to Wilmington, North Carolina to take on the North Carolina-Wilmington.

sports

Sports Editor Gavin Aquin Sports Editor Avery Lackner flathatsports@gmail.com @FlatHatSports

The Flat Hat | Tuesday, October 8, 2019 | Page 10

FOOTBALL

Wildcats squeak by Tribe

JAMIE HOLT / THE FLAT HAT

After freshman quarterback Hollis Mathis injured his shoulder, graduate transfer quarterback Kilton Anderson stepped in to fill the hole in the lineup, totaling 245 passing yards and three touchdowns on 76 percent completions, a career outing for him.

Anderson makes first start at home, leads persistent offense against No. 5 Villanova NATHAN SEIDEL FLAT HAT ASSOC. SPORTS EDITOR William and Mary (2-4, 0-2 CAA) fell to fifth-ranked Villanova (6-0, 3-0 CAA) Saturday in a backand-forth slugfest, coming back from a 21-7 deficit to tie the game at 28 before ultimately falling 3528.

Graduate transfer Kilton Anderson started the game for the Tribe over injured freshman signalcaller Hollis Mathis and had a career day, totaling 245 passing yards and three touchdowns while completing 76 percent of his passes. Freshman wide receiver Kane Everson also stuffed the stat sheet, amassing 131 yards on 11 receptions and two scores.

The College opened the game on offense and Anderson wasted no time hitting Everson with two quick passes to advance to the 40-yard line. A dart to sophomore running back Owen Wright picked up a third first down and runs from Anderson and freshman safety Bronson Yoder, who played offense for the College, advanced the Tribe into the red zone. Everson then caught his third pass in the right flat and broke a tackle to cross the goal line and give the College a 7-0 advantage with 10 minutes, 3 seconds left in the opening period.

A penalty on the ensuing kickoff forced the Wildcats’ offense to start its day at its own 4-yard line.

After two opening stuffs by the Tribe defensive line, Wildcats running back Justin Covington escaped for a 23-yard run to reach the 32-yard line. The defense stopped them there, and a punt set the offense up at its own 23-yard line for its second drive.

On the first play of the drive, Everson caught another pass in the right flat, but a quick tackle from Wildcats linebacker Forrest Rhyne poked the ball free to give Villanova the ball on the Tribe 17-yard line. Two plays later, a 3-yard Covington rush tied the game 7-7 with 6:13 to play in the first.

The College went three-and-out on its next series, and a short punt set up the Wildcats at the Tribe 37-yard line with under five minutes to play in the period.

A tackle for loss by junior defensive end Will Kiely helped force Villanova into a 3rd and 10, but a 20-yard catch from wide receiver Changa Hodge converted it and moved down to the Tribe 17. On the following play, a 16-yard bullet from quarterback Daniel Smith to wide receiver Jaaron Hayek doubled the Wildcats’ advantage, making it 14-7 with two minutes left in the quarter.

The offense set up shop at the 22-yard line to begin its next possession. After an opening rush from Wright, an 8-yard sack from Rhyne forced a second consecutive three-and-out and the Tribe punt rolled to the Villanova 48-yard line. After the 77-yard opening drive, the other three first quarter possessions for the College netted a collective 19 yards.

The next Wildcat series advanced past midfield and the Tribe defense forced a 3rd and 14 at its 34yard line with 12 minutes left in the second quarter. A 13-yard completion left fourth down and less than a yard and a quarterback sneak out a Wildcat first down in the red zone. Two plays later, running back DeeWil Barlee broke free for a 15-yard touchdown run to extend the Villanova lead to 21-7 with just over 10 minutes left in the half.

A failure to convert a 3rd and 1 resulted in the offense’s third three-and-out in a row, and the Wildcats once again took over with good field possession, this time at their own 38-yard line. The defense forced a 3rd down and long, but a 39-yard dart over the middle to sophomore wide receiver Dez Boykin advanced to the Tribe 26-yard line. The defense held strong, forcing the Wildcats into a 41-yard field goal attempt from junior placekicker Drew Kresge, which fell just short of the crossbar.

A 10-yard Anderson scramble on the ensuing possession earned the offense its first 1st down since the opening drive and Everson’s fourth catch of the day moved past midfield. An 18-yard sprint from freshman running back Donavyn Lester and a 10-yard run from senior running back Albert Funderburke then motored the Tribe down to the Wildcat 16. On the following play, Anderson lofted a high pass to wide receiver Zach Burdick in the end zone, which the junior hauled in to make it 21-14 with 2:51 remaining in the half.

The defense forced another 3rd and long on the next Villanova possession, but a 26-yard completion moved the chains and advanced the ball to the Tribe 38-yard line. The Wildcats motored down to the 25-yard line with just over a minute to play, but the defense forced a 34-yard field goal, which Kresge pushed to the right, his second miss of the day.

The offense took over at its own 20-yard line with 1:03 to play and two more throws to Everson crossed the midfield stripe. A 4-yard completion to junior wide receiver Jordan Lowery resulted in 4th and inches, but the Wildcats stuffed Anderson’s sneak attempt to regain possession and close out the half.

Villanova started the second half on offense with several rushes and a catch off a deflected pass to reach their own 45-yard line. The Tribe forced a 3rd down on its own 48, but the Wildcats converted on a 10-yard rush from running back TD Ayo-Durojaiye. Two plays later, Tribe senior cornerback Corey Parker went untouched on a corner blitz and forced a fumble, which was recovered by senior linebacker Arman Jones at the Tribe 24-yard line.

The Wildcats’ defense forced an incomplete pass on a 3rd down in Tribe territory, but a roughing the passer penalty gave the College new life on the Villanova 47-yard line. After a sack, Everson snatched his ninth reception of the day to advance the ball six more yards. A Yoder rush converted a 3rd and 2 and a Funderburke run moved inside the 30. On 3rd down at the 26, Anderson rolled out before pushing a makeshift chest pass to Burdick, who grabbed it near the sideline and darted 20 yards down to the Villanova six. On 3rd and goal, Yoder took a direct snap and powered down near the goal line. He came up short, but an unsportsmanlike conduct foul gave the College a first down with inches to go. After two stuffs up the middle, Yoder took a direct snap and beat the defenders to the right pylon to tie the game at 21 with 1:51 left.

The Tribe defense forced a 3rd and 3 on the next Wildcat possession, but a five-yard pass moved Villanova up to its own 38-yard line to end the third quarter.

An 11-yard keeper by Smith advanced the Wildcat drive to midfield to begin the final quarter and a 14-yard Barlee run inched inside the Tribe 40-yard line. On the following play, Hayek got behind the secondary for a 37-yard dagger to put the Wildcats back up, 28-21.

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WILLIAM AND MARY TRIBE

VILLANOVA WILDCATS

Yoder fielded the ensuing kickoff at the goal line and sliced through the Wildcat coverage to give the Tribe its best starting field position of the day at its own 40-yard line. A 13-yard pass to Burdick moved past midfield, and a 12-yard run from Anderson secured another first down. After a negative rush, an Anderson pass was intercepted downfield, but a pass interference call on the Wildcats negated the pick and gave the Tribe a fresh set of downs on the Wildcat 29-yard line. A nine-yard catch by Lowery forced 3rd and 1 on the 20, but a lunge from Wright was inches short. On the 4th down, Anderson found Everson cutting across the middle for a 20-yard touchdown, his tenth reception of the contest.

The Wildcats advanced near midfield on the following drive and converted a 3rd and 6 to move into Tribe territory and quiet the crowd. A series of strong runs from Ayo-Durojaiye and running back Jalen Jackson pushed into the red zone and a stop from senior linebacker Nate Atkins forced a 3rd and 3 at the Tribe 12-yard line. Sophomore safety Gage Herdman stopped Smith inches short, but a quarterback keeper on 4th down gained the necessary half-yard. The Wildcats continued to chew clock, with another Barlee rush advancing to the Tribe five-yard line with under three minutes to play.

The stop from Herdman and sophomore defensive end Carl Fowler forced a 3rd and goal on the five-yard line and a pass over the middle reached the one. The Wildcats came out in a power formation on the 4th and goal and ran a play action pass, which Smith converted on a one-yard toss to Barlee to make it 35-28 Wildcats with 1:59 left.

A kickoff out of bounds set the College up at its own 35-yard line to begin its two-minute drill. A toe-tap catch from Burdick advanced the ball to the Wildcat 49-yard line and a catch-and-run from Lester in the left flat reached the 45. On the ensuing 3rd and 6, Villanova brought pressure and sacked Anderson at the 46-yard line to bring up a 4th and 7.

A 13-yard slant completion to Everson moved the chains for the Tribe and another catch by Lester reached the 30-yard line with 48 seconds to go. Two incompletions then brought up another 4th and 7, which resulted in a throw just wide of a diving Everson to turn the ball over on downs. The Wildcats kneeled the ball and walked away with the seven-point victory.

Tribe head coach Mike London praised the fight his team showed against a top opponent in the Football Championship Subdivision.

“First of all, tough loss for this football team,” London said. “You’re playing a number-one team in the conference, a top-five team in FCS football and you have opportunities to win a football game, it’s disappointing. I’m very proud of this team in terms of their effort, their grit, their resilience, never-die attitude.”

After being down 21-7, building and retaining momentum became a premium, which London prides as a strong suit of the team thus far in the season.

“It’s always important about momentum, but the thing about this team is they’ve learned you can’t let emotions get you so high or so low that you can’t respond back to that,” London said. “This team has learned that it’s not over till it’s over, and the pendulum of emotions is dictated by guys like this, that have played in college football games, have been there, done that.”

Anderson echoed his coach’s sentiment and credited his team’s resiliency.

“I’m proud our guys never gave up,” Anderson said. “That’s a big leap forward for our team, not allowing ourselves to get down and look backward. We looked forward the whole game and kept going.”

London noted a number of younger players had significant impact against the Wildcats in addition to the veterans. Yoder in particular had a heightened role in a variety of facets, amassing 118 yards on kick returns, 14 yards rushing with a touchdown and even 12 passing yards on the game.

“Try to identify ‘ball-in-hand’ guys,” London said. “Kickoff, punt returns, jet sweeps, or Wildcat direct snaps, he’s got a skill set that we need to, and we will, keep utilizing. He had a great play on one of those touchdown runs and broke a tackle; on one of the kickoff returns he did a great job. He has established himself as a really good freshman with a lot of talent that we’re going to keep trying to find ways to get the ball.”

The Tribe will return to action Oct. 19 on homecoming weekend when it takes on James Madison.

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