The Flat Hat October 9, 2024

T HE F LAT H AT

RECOGNIZING FIRST-GEN STUDENTS

College celebrates first-gen honor society's inaugural induction

SAM BELMAR // FLAT HAT NEWS

Friday, Sept. 27, the College of William and Mary commemorated the inaugural charter of the firstgeneration honors society Alpha Alpha Alpha. The induction ceremony took place at the Alumni House from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., with students, parents, faculty and Williamsburg community members present.

With over 150 chapters nationwide, Tri-Alpha assembles first-generation students and faculty in a community of mutual support, celebrating personal and academic achievement. The society’s first ever chapter started March 24, 2018 at Moravian University, growing considerably in recent years across the country.

Director of First Generation Student Engagement

Joselia Souza hosted the event and began with an opening address to welcome the inaugural class, recognizing the College’s growing efforts to support first-generation students like herself.

“As a first-generation college graduate myself, this moment holds a profound significance, both personally and professionally,” Souza said. “It is heartening to witness how much has changed since my own college journey and to see how dedicated William and Mary is to uplifting and supporting first-generation students.”

Souza highlighted the organization’s profound significance on-campus, stressing the difficulty of navigating higher education as a first-generation student.

“Today, we gather here not only to honor the academic achievements of these remarkable students, but also to recognize the strength, resilience and resourcefulness it takes to navigate and excel in higher education as a first-gen student,” Souza said.

Clinical Assistant Professor of Higher Education Chelsea Smith delivered the keynote address. Smith reflected on her own journey as a firstgeneration college student, mentioning the institutional support she wished she had received at the time.

“But my circumstances were a direct implication of my journey as a first-generation college student,” Smith said. “I was not aware of the financial implications of attending college out-of-state, I was not aware of the importance of college match-and-fit, and I was not given proper and adequate career counseling.”

After receiving both federal and state grants, the College of William and Mary is set to renovate the Sir Christopher Wren Building for preservation.

Beginning in December, this project will result in the installation of scafolding and temporary fencing surrounding the College’s most historic building.

Te Director of Wren Operations and Events Charles Fulcher ’99 explained the collaboration and efort involved in applying for the grants necessary for the preservation of the Wren Building.

Te process of applying for a federal grant like this is really an interdisciplinary collaboration, pulling together voices from historic

College hosts activist with sexual assault allegations

Thursday, Sept. 26, the College of William and Mary hosted Chinese dissident Wang Dan for an event titled, “Understanding Today's China.” A central figure in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, Wang has recently come under fire for multiple allegations of sexual assault.

EDITOR

Smith evoked the one-of-a-kind strength and resilience first-generation students cultivate along their journeys, setting them apart from their peers.

“We as first generation students possess the capital, resilience and passion that others do not naturally have, and that I will never take for granted,” Smith said.

Closing out her remarks, Smith encouraged inductees to reframe the narrative around the first-generation student experience and embrace their community.

“As a first-generation student, we often discount our experiences and view being the first as putting us at a deficit,” Smith said. “But I want to challenge you to shift that perspective. You are a legacy builder, a generation changer and the prototype. And I want you to carry that with pride.”

Souza then proceeded with the student induction. In addition to membership certificates, each student received a pin with Tri-Alpha’s star logo and a blue-and-white graduation cord to commemorate the founding school of Moravian University. All students present signed the official charter.

In total, the society inducted 80 new members. To join Alpha Alpha Alpha, students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.2 and complete at least 30 credit hours toward a degree.

Following this, Souza inducted 26 faculty members into the society who will eventually serve as mentors for first-generation students at the College.

Director of Student Veteran Engagement

Charlie Foster M.Ed. ’17 was among the faculty welcomed into Tri-Alpha. He shared that many student veterans also happen to be firstgeneration students and expressed his joy that they were being celebrated.

“So I’m a military veteran, and there’s a really high incidence of first-generation students inside the veteran population,” Foster said. “So to me, it’s a really nice celebration of both kinds of students who are often together in both categories.”

Foster mentioned the unique challenge of transitioning directly from military service to higher education, with two student veterans being inducted that day.

“It makes it harder if they’re first-gen,

campus, facilities and the Ofce of Sponsored Programs, who helps shepherd all such grant projects across the university,” Fulcher wrote in an email to Te Flat Hat.

Fulcher further noted the necessity of the project. In a presentation given to the Student Assembly, he explained that an envelope study of Wren Building found that it is experiencing draining and fooding issues, causing leaks and rotting. Te building’s bricks also are aging and in need of protection and patching.

“We’re preserving the building, making necessary repairs and improvements to keep it standing and thriving for the future. You look at the Wren and you can see signs of its age,” Fulcher wrote.

The Wren Building’s last big project occurred over 20 years ago

because they’re not getting that advice from parents and immediate family on how to navigate college,” Foster said. “And so then, college is going to have these requirements or processes, and those processes are going to be different for the student veterans.”

Technology Process Analyst Christopher Burton MBA ’25 was another faculty member inducted into the society. Burton shared his enthusiasm for building mentor-mentee connections with students who have had nontraditional educational trajectories.

“As a person who has had a non-traditional path in college, coming from first a junior college and then receiving my bachelor’s at a traditional university, it was a plight for me,” Burton said. “So what I like is that this brought together a bunch of people who may go through a similar plight, and provided them a space where not only they could interact with their peers, but also be introduced to potential mentors.”

Amy Timmins ’26 was inducted at the ceremony. As a non-traditional student coming back to college later in life, Timmins shared her excitement to be able to eventually mentor younger students after graduating.

“I really appreciate the mentorship aspect of it,” Timmins said. “Being a non-traditional student and older student at the College, I’ve been hesitant to join some of the other things because I really don’t want to take away from the traditional students’ route. But because of the mentorship part of Alpha Alpha Alpha and having the opportunity to come and mentor somebody once I graduate, that really touched me about the organization, and was why I wanted to be a part of it.”

Fellow inductee Faisal Abdella ’25 celebrated the society’s role in building a network of first-gen students who support each other from the start.

“I’m generally excited because I think this is pretty important for the first-gen network,” Abdella said. “Because it’s kind of hard to do that at the start of college, where we’re kind of already behind on the game. So just having this type of society.”

After the event, Souza reflected on the sense of togetherness and celebration she noticed in the room throughout the evening.

and focused on making the structure more comfortable for student and faculty use. Fulcher noted this project focused less on repairing the actual building.

“Te last big project, called the ‘Wrenewal,’ was over 20 years ago; it lasted from 1999 to 2001. While that project included some repairs, it largely worked on electrical, plumbing, and HVAC in the building, along with converting the use of several interior spaces,” Fulcher added. “During the Wrenewal, the Wren was closed for daily use — something we knew from day one we wanted to avoid during the upcoming preservation project.”

Te College’s Associate Vice President for Business Afairs Sean Hughes oversees the physical campus and all services that support the

Wang is an active participant of the Chinese democracy movement and formerly taught at National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan. In 2023, at least six individuals accused Wang of sexual assault.

The department of government, the Whole of Government Center of Excellence, the Reves Center for International Studies, the international relations department and the Global Research Institute sponsored Wang’s recent visit to the College.

Visiting assistant professor of government Sophia Hart led a lunchtime talk and evening presentation with Wang. This was the third time Hart had invited Wang to the College. His first visit was in 2009, while his second was in 2019 for the 35th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.

“I've always been interested in Tiananmen Square because I worked in the American embassy from 1989 to 1991, and I got there in August of 1989, a couple of months after the massacre. And of course, I didn't meet Wang Dan at that time, but once I came to William and Mary and began teaching, I thought it would be instructive for students to get a chance to meet someone who was a part of that important history,” she said.

As an organizer of the 1989 Chinese democracy protests, Wang has been arrested multiple times by the Chinese government. He has since been working as an activist and scholar in the United States and Taiwan. He is currently on a tour for his book, “The Fifty Questions on China.”

Both of Wang’s recent talks at the College were widely attended.

“It was packed and there were great questions,” Hart said about the lunchtime event. “It was a very nice discussion — those were all very academic questions people were asking, there wasn't anything about the legal case. But there were some professors, mostly students, and it was a very engaging event.”

The evening presentation was met with more criticism. Two students independently decided to ask Wang and Hart about the allegations against Wang. One student, who requested to remain anonymous due to being a Chinese national, asked to speak to Wang before the event.

physical campus. When asked about the usability of the Wren Building during construction, he noted the interior will be almost the same as it was before construction.

“Tere will be construction fences around the building, but the entrances will be open, protected and the same width and functionality as they have always had,” Hughes wrote in an email to Te Flat Hat. Fulcher remarked that while the building will remain operational, the outside will have an altered appearence.

“Te environment will admittedly look a little diferent: scafolding around the structure, overhead protection at entrances for safety, fencing that will line many of the sidewalks around the building,” Fulcher said.

While it is clear these upgrades are necessary to preserve the nation’s oldest-standing college building, some seniors are concerned about what the traditions they have been awaiting, like Commencement to graduation photos, will look like amidst all the construction.

Although senior activities in the spring will admittedly not have the same aesthetic they usually do, Hughes conceded that Student Transition Engagement Programs will be helping graduating students expedite some of their plans, like taking senior photos, to occur before the construction begins.

Fulcher shared the College’s intentions to distribute senior regalia early to accommodate the move.

RYAN GOODMAN/ THE FLATHAT

Director of First Generation Student Engagement Joselia Souza speaks at first-ever induction ceremony for Alpha Alpha Alpha, whose initial chapter started in 2018 at Moravian College in Pennsylvania.

news insight

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The story of Marilyn Kaemmerle really is a part of William and Mary history that I donʼt think gets talked about a lot. So it was cool to kind of bring her example to the forefront. ̶ Rachel Hogan

Provost announces new Dean of Collegeʼs School of Computing, Data Sciences & Physics

Thursday, Oct. 3, College Provost Peggy Agouris announced Douglas “Doug” Schmidt ʼ84, M.A. ʼ86 as the inaugural dean of the School of Computing, Data Sciences and Physics.

This new school has been in development for more than two years, and in November 2023, the Collegeʼs Board of Visitors voted unanimously to approve the administrative structure.

Schmidtʼs experiences include serving as the director of Operational Test and Evaluation for the U.S. Department of Defense and over two decades as a faculty member at Vanderbilt University, where he served as associate provost, associate chair of the computer science department and co-director of the Data Science Institute.

President Joe Biden nominated Schmidt to his DoD role in 2023. There, he serves as the senior advisor to the Secretary of Defense on operational and live fire tests and evaluation of Department of Defense weapon systems.

“Doug is a force of nature, bringing to William & Mary more than thirty years of experience as an internationally recognized computing expert,” Agouris wrote in an email to the College community.

Apart from his first two degrees from the College, he also earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in computer science from the University of California, Irvine.

The new school is slated to open in fall of 2025.

SOPHIA BURGESS / THE FLAT HAT

CORRECTIONS

The

ʻSTABILITAS ET FIDESʼ | ESTABLISHED OCT. 3,

Patriots, protesters, queer rebels: Marc Stein discusses LGBTQ+ community shaping America’s Bicentennial

History

professor describes demonstration efforts, opposition, solidarity across groups

REBECCA

Friday, Oct. 4, history professor Marc Stein of San Francisco State University re-examined America’s 1976 Bicentennial through the lens of marginalized voices in The College of William and Mary’s most recent Tyler Lecture Series event.

Speaking in Ewell Hall, Stein explored how LGBTQ+ activists and other movements reshaped the nation’s understanding of freedom, protest and identity as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary in 2026.

Stein’s analysis shed light on how these historical moments continue to infuence today’s movements for social justice and inclusion.

During his lecture, Stein revisited pivotal moments from the U.S. Bicentennial, focusing on how LGBTQ+ activists and marginalized groups used the celebrations to demand inclusion.

“The Bicentennial wasn’t just about celebrating the country’s founding—it was a moment for many to question whose freedom was being honored,” Stein said.

He highlighted the July 4th Revolution March, where LGBTQ+ activists rallied alongside other marginalized groups, including the Black Panthers and Puerto Rican and Palestinian solidarity movements to fght for civil rights.

Abigail Swanberg ’25, a history major in attendance, connected Stein’s message to her own research on public history and absorbed the broader relevance of these movements.

“It’s essential to challenge the narratives that have traditionally excluded groups like LGBTQ+ activists,” Swanberg said.

Stein emphasized that the Bicentennial celebrations, despite their

patriotic veneer, became a fashpoint for activism. Marginalized groups, in particular, used the occasion to demand recognition.

LGBTQ+ activists, alongside Black, Puerto Rican and Palestinian solidarity groups, came together in what Stein described as a “profound moment of solidarity.”

Teaching professor of history Jay Watkins, one of the event organizers, echoed this sentiment and emphasized the department’s commitment to ensuring that traditionally silenced voices are included in historical narratives.

“We’re intentional about being intersectional and refecting diverse experiences in the histories we teach,” Watkins said.

Stein’s lecture also delved into how the legacy of the CounterBicentennial movements continues to shape contemporary social justice eforts. He noted that the 1976 protests were a precursor to the broader recognition of intersectionality, where various marginalized communities joined forces to confront their exclusion from mainstream American narratives.

“The alliances formed during the Bicentennial laid the groundwork for today’s coalitions fighting for equality and representation,” Stein said.

As the U.S. moves toward its 250th anniversary, the same themes of inclusion, protest and identity are playing out in contemporary movements for civil rights, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and intersectional justice.

Stein also explored the political partnership between President Richard Nixon and Philadelphia Mayor Frank Rizzo.

Reviewing PATH System after its first registration cycle Administrators hope new department structure plan will streamli ne services for students LISA COLEMAN

Wednesday, Feb. 14, College of William and Mary Associate Provost and University Registrar Alana Davis sent out a campuswide email announcing the implementation of PATH as a new registration software replacing the previous Banner 9 System.

In PATH, students have a period of time to submit a cart of desired classes and alternatives and the system processes these preferences to automatically create schedules. The system also implemented a waitlisting model, allowing students to enroll in a limited list to join classes if spaces became available.

With the new PATH registration system, the Office of the University Registrar is able to see a complete list of student preferences and the exact demand for each course. The Flat Hat spoke with the Registrar’s Office to discuss the outcome of the new registration system and the data it created.

The switch to PATH was largely motivated by the need to move away from Banner’s time-dependent registration.

In the fall of 2021, the Banner 9 registration system crashed as students all logged in at once to register for their spring classes. Under the first-come, firstenrolled system used in Banner, students are incentivized to log in immediately at the beginning of the registration period. Each social class was assigned a different registration day, and each class was divided into two time slots to minimize the traffic on the banner website. But even with this distribution, there would still be around 800 students assigned to each slot, all logging in at the same time.

According to Senior Network Engineer

and Student Technology Advisory Council

Chair Mary Bull, the Banner 9 website received nearly 700 clicks per second at the moment the add/drop period opened for the spring 2022 semester. This demand was beyond the capabilities of the server, resulting in frequent crashes while students raced to enroll for classes.

“There has been no problem this severe in IT or as long running in the time that I have worked here — so this was like a top level, tier one severity problem” Bull said.

IT had been pushing for a change of registration system for years, but after dividing each social class in two time slots did not remedy the server outages in 2021, IT made a stronger recommendation to the Office of the Registrar to move away from Banner 9.

“[IT] talked to the registrar and said the way that you have the system set up right now, when you combine that with our software system, it cannot support it,” Bull said. “IT had a big part of the push.”

Unlike Banner’s time dependent system, PATH processes students’ course demand algorithmically using randomly assigned order by descending social class. PATH will attempt to register all social class seniors for their first priority course in this random order, and if there is a registration error it will attempt to register for the student’s alternative course, then their second choice course, until each student is registered for one class. The system will then snake backwards from the end of the randomly assigned order to the beginning, repeating the process with the second choice courses. This process is repeated back and forth until all seniors have attempted registration for all of the courses in their carts. This is repeated for juniors, sophomores and freshmen, and final course schedules are then released to students.

In Banner 9, failed registration attempts as well as requests and issuances of professor overrides, were not recorded. The other primary motivation given for switching to PATH was that the new system produces data containing a complete record of students’ course preferences, including courses that students were unable to register for.

“Part of the data that was so important for us to gather from this was for us to see in the moment, what people were prioritizing and trying to get into for courses,” University Registrar and Associate Provost Alana Davis said.

“There are classes with not a huge number of seats and a lot of requests. There is a history and gender, sexuality and women’s studies class, The Queer South. [...] I think it was the number one difference between people attempting to register for the class and seats available,” Davis said.

“No matter how good PATH works, if 250 people are ranking a class first and there are five seats open, whether it’s PATH or Banner, five people were getting into that class at that moment,” Davis said. “The mechanism was operating the same, It’s just people’s ownership that felt like it was pulled away.”

This registration cycle also implemented a new waitlist system enabling students to join waitlists for full courses. This change removed the ability for professors to individually issue maximum capacity overrides to students who wished to join full courses. According to Bull, it is not possible for the registration software to use both maximum capacity overrides and waitlists.

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COURTESY IMAGE / IAN ABERLE

Steinʼs talk on LGBGQ+ activism in the 1970s referenced the fir st pride marches, such as the first official march on June 28, 1970 in New York.

Sen. Tim Kaine introduces Survivor Outreach and Support on Campus Act

Campus leaders comment on bill mandating sexual violence advocate position at colleges, universities

Wednesday, Sept. 18, Sen. Tim Kaine LL.D. ’06 of Virginia introduced legislation he believes will provide support for survivors of sexual assault on college campuses.

Te Survivor Outreach and Support on Campus Act mandates a trained and federally-funded sexual violence advocate position be put into place at every college and university.

Kaine is a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which reintroduced the bill, dedicating new amendments to securing a predetermined campus procedure and institutionally-independent position to work on sexual assault prevention and response.

Te proposed amendments seek to formalize sexual assault responses across campuses. Te Association of Title IX Administrators estimated that upwards of 90% of sexual misconduct cases are handled “informally” and without established protections and guidance for student survivors.

Te new legislation will sponsor independent advocates on college campuses who will provide information about reporting sexual assault to the police, facilitate 24 hour emergency medical care and examinations and, with the survivor’s consent, provide information and guidance toward counseling and other support services. Per the proposed bill, SOS Campus Act, the advocate must act as a guide for the resources and institution’s existing protocol, maintain survivors’ privacy and protect survivors from penalization. Te advocates are meant to create informational events that work toward sexual misconduct prevention

BOARD OF VISITORS

and act as a resource if it does occur.

Sept. 19, Kaine commented on his proposed bill in a Zoom press conference with Virginia reporters.

“I think legislators, lawyers, ofcials with the administration, the Department of Education can work on the process side for once a sexual assault has occurred, or been claimed to have happened, but I want to work on the prevention side. And it would seem like we would all want to do that, that shouldn’t be controversial; we should all want those who have been victimized by sexual assault to have support resources available right there on campus. So, my bill doesn’t really deal with the procedural side of Title IX, it’s more about the prevention and support services,” Kaine said.

Tis bill addresses a growing problem across university and college campuses. According to a 2019 survey conducted by the Association of American Universities, which surveyed 181,752 students across 27 campuses, 13% of college students overall and nearly 26% of undergraduate women reported experiencing sexual misconduct or unwanted sexual contact.

Secretary of University Policy and Student Rights within the Student Assembly at the College, Hannah Cawley ’25, commented on the pending legislation.

“Senator Kaine’s amendment to the SOS Campus Act is a crucial step in addressing the persistent issue of sexual assault on the William & Mary campus,” Cawley said. “Given the high rates of underreporting, this legislation is urgently needed. Te bill not only empowers survivors here on campus but also works to foster a safer and more supportive environment for all students across the country. Having a dedicated, independent

advocate would provide students with a trustworthy resource to guide them through the challenging and complex reporting process. I strongly support Senator Kaine’s SOS Campus Act and believe it will help create a much-needed change in how our university handles sexual assault cases.”

In an email to Te Flat Hat, Senior Director of Gender-Based Violence Resources and Advocacy Services Liz Cascone described the pre-existing support services at the College.

Tis legislation could require colleges and universities to add the services outlined in the bill for their students if they don’t currently provide them. William & Mary already has established services for survivors of sexual violence and harassment through Te Haven and has sexual violence prevention and education programs through the Ofce of Health Promotion. In addition, Te Haven has a partnership with Avalon Center and Riverside Doctors Hospital to provide some of the additional services outlined in the bill,” Cascone wrote.

Tis bill will put into federal law the sexual misconduct support that the College has already implemented through its resources like the Haven and other health ofces.

In a press release from Kaine’s website, he outlines his outlook on his bill, and what change it can make to college students nationwide.

“Students deserve to live and learn in healthy, safe environments. We must do everything we can to prevent sexual assault on college campuses and provide support to survivors,” Kaine said. “Tis bill is critical to ensuring that students who bravely speak out are connected with the medical treatment, counseling, and relevant legal information that they need.’

Board of visitors meets to change bylaws, discuss College matters

College Rector remarks that school lacks national branding during committee on Institutional Advancement

Wednesday, Sept. 25, to Friday, Sept. 27, the College of William and Mary’s Board of Visitors convened at the School of Education for their frst quarterly meeting of the 2024-2025 academic year.

Each of the board’s eight committees met to discuss matters pertinent to the College, with the full board meeting occurring Friday morning.

Te board established the subcommittee on Compensation, which is under the Executive Committee. Te subcommittee aims to propose a comprehensive process to be used for evaluating the performance of the presidents of both the College and Richard Bland College of William and Mary.

According to the subcommittee’s charter, as part of the evaluation process, the subcommittee will review the compensation of each president and recommend any changes to be ratifed by the full board.

Te subcommittee will also consult with the presidents on succession planning for executive ofcers, their evaluation and compensation.

Tursday, Sept. 26, the Committee on Financial Afairs convened to discuss two resolutions connected to the College’s 2023 six-year plan. Resolution 1 concerned the College, and Resolution 2 addressed the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.

Both resolutions were proposed last academic year, with revisions submitted this session in advance of the vote. Te board passed both resolutions at the meeting.

Te committee opened with a review of the FY25 operating budget. Sixety-six percent of the College’s budget comes from tuition and fees, 15% from state

funding, and the remaining 19% from private funds, grants and other sales and services.

Fourty-three percent of the budget directly supports education and the student experience, 24% covers auxiliary services, 12% covers fnancial aid and the remaining 21% covers institutional support, plant operations, research and other expenses.

Committee Chair C. Michael Petters MBA ’93 raised concerns about the amount being spent on fnancial aid, suggesting the College should invest more than it currently does. Petters also suggested the establishment of benchmarks to compare spending against that of other public universities, with the goal of validating budget efciency claims.

Former Virginia senator and board member Tomas K. Norment, Jr. J.D. ’73 added that the state provides too little money for fnancial aid, calling for increased funding.

Revisions to Resolution 1 reafrmed the board’s previous commitments. Tese include growing Pell Grant eligibility, investing in computational, data and applied sciences, internships and career outcomes, campus infrastructure upgrades, and preparing for the College’s role in the nation’s 250th anniversary through increased state funding.

Te only revisions for VIMS’ six-year plan were state funding requests to expand the school’s capacity for ongoing environmental research projects and lab work.

Te committee also discussed the College’s projected fat enrollment for the next six years. Tese projections have been shared with the State Council of Higher Education.

Te committee on Administration, Buildings and Grounds convened Tursday, passing eight

resolutions. Approved measures include the improvement of auxiliary services, amending the optional retirement plan for employees of the Virginia School of Marine Science and updating the construction management workforce plan.

VIMS also received approval to acquire nearby properties as needed to support research capacity.

Lastly, the school will ofcially demolish several aging buildings on the Gloucester campus to make room for future infrastructural development projects.

Additionally, College President Katherine Rowe unveiled a new plan which aims to revolutionize learning spaces on-campus over a ten-year period starting in 2025. Te project will be in collaboration with Sasaki Associates Inc, a private architecture frm previously hired by the College to renovate the School of Education in 2010.

Te committee discussed key areas for improvement in the College’s current classrooms, such as overcrowding, accessibility issues and a lack of fexibility and visibility. Te stated goal of the project is to boost student wellness.

Rowe shared her vision with Te Flat Hat, explaining how the project evolved from only a few buildings to a sweeping overhaul of the College’s learning spaces.

“What we had before was a very simple sort of list of buildings we were going to renovate,” Rowe said. “And I’m like, that’s not what we need. We need a comprehensive plan. It’s going to have living spaces — that is the housing and dining that we’ve as part of the ten-year plan — learning spaces which we’ve never had before and a landscape plan which we’ve never had before. So now we’re going to end up, this time next year, passing a comprehensive plan instead

of that checklist master plan.”

Associate Vice President for Business Afairs Sean Hughes shared that students can fll out a survey on Sasaki’s website providing feedback on the issues they feel need to be addressed most within the College’s classrooms. With around 700 responses collected so far, Hughes encouraged all students to voice their concerns and potentially infuence the project’s trajectory.

“We’d really love some more student feedback,” Hughes said. “I mean, you guys are the ones who make up a majority of the campus. And I think you guys bring fresh ideas. It’s really nice to have a new class every year, so we get a refresh.”

Hughes explained that the landscape plan will be executed over the next 100 years, aiming to fundamentally reshape the campus grounds, much like the Sunken Garden.

“Te Sunken Gardens is a 100-year plan, it’s 100 years old,” Hughes said. “And so that’s kind of the landscape idea, is that we would set up the landscape of the campus to be as curated as the Sunken Gardens and develop portions for the next 100 years. So some thoughtful planning ahead of time to make those spaces feel natural and feel like gathering spaces.”

The committee discussed the national branding process for the College. Members of University Advancement gave their presentations to the board, including Senior Associate Vice President for Communications and Chief Communications Officer Brian Whitson and Senior Vice President for University Advancement Matthew T. Lambert ’99.

Professor Jon Allen’s lab investigates return of jellyfish in Crim Dell Researchers gather data through conducting tows, study conditions necessary for jellyfish blooms

Tey’re back — the jelly inhabitants of the Crim Dell have made a return this year, with an earlier bloom resulting in visible jellyfsh gliding around the water.

Tese jellyfsh are Craspedacusta sowerbii, the only freshwater jellyfsh we know of on earth. Tese jellyfsh reproduce asexually, and their polyps, which is the beginning stage in a jelly’s life, attach to sticks and rocks, which makes them easy to spread to other waterways.

According to the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, the jellyfsh “is believed to be native to the Yangtze Valley, China.”

Craspedacusta sowerbii are found all

over the world in ponds and lakes. Some of them are around a few hundred meters from the Allen Marine Invertebrate Biology lab.

Savara Shrivastava ’27, an undergraduate researcher in associate professor of Biology Jon Allen’s marine invertebrate biology lab discussed the irregularity of their appearance on campus.

Te Crim Dell jellyfsh have no pattern of showing up year after year. Last year, there was no sign of them swimming around, as there was no bloom at all.

“Because we are in a bloom stage and the blooms don’t happen all that often, we try to collect as much data as we can, so we’ve been out on the kayaks for the past week almost every day,” Shrivastava said. “Essentially what we are doing right now is a lot of feld-based sampling.”

Having the Crim Dell and Craspedacusta sowerbii at the fngertips of researchers is an incredible opportunity to learn more about these organisms.

As far as it’s known, there is no direct correlation between blooms and relative rainfall, acidity levels, diferences in temperature, amount of fsh or turtles in the water or any other external stimuli. Shrivastava called this the big mystery.

Tere is no regularity to these blooms of jellyfsh, as they can be small blooms or big blooms, and there is still uncertainty as to what causes the diference in amount.

What is notable, however, is that this year’s bloom can be compared directly to last year’s lack of bloom. Tis means researchers can look at the ecological conditions then and now to see what changed to cause the bloom.

Shrivastava mentioned how important Allen’s guidance was while working in the Allen marine invertebrate biology lab.

“It’s a both hands-on and hands-of approach simultaneously of ‘I’m not going to control everything you do,’ but I’m also going to help make sure you’re not of doing something that’s not going to be super productive or super helpful because there’s already scientifc literature about it,’” Shrivastava said.

Allen gave insights into possible reasons as to why the jellies are so irregular.

With more diverse types of projects, Allen said, more students have more opportunities to study biology in general, and focus on specifc projects

and specifc organisms.

“It’s also the kind of thing where it was driven by students. So it wasn’t something where I was like, I really want to work on freshwater jellyfsh. But students at William and Mary and going back several years now have found them fascinating. I think that’s pretty cool,” Allen said.

Te data acquired from doing tows throughout the Crim Dell during a bloom is benefcial not only to the study of the jellies, but even when there is no bloom.

With or without the jellyfish floating around in the water, the lab still studies the polyp forms to learn more about that stage of life.

Te amount of jellyfsh in a bloom is not guaranteed, but usually it is somewhere

in the thousands. Tis year, there were thousands of jellies, Allen said. Tat could be in the range of tens or hundreds, but the lab is still discovering that and hoping to start to identify what role the jellies play in the environment.

“I have low confdence,” Allen said, referring to hypotheses about the jellyfsh’s blooming cycles.

“Certainly it seems to be temperaturerelated, in terms of triggering the bloom,” Allen added. “What it seems to me is that it must be — I don’t think it can be ‘Well, it gets hot in the summer,’” Allen added. “Like that’s not enough because it gets hot every summer here. So it has to be temperature in conjunction with some other factor.”

GRACE JAYE THE FLAT HAT

COURTESY PHOTO / CRIMJELLS INSTAGRAM

Professor Allenʼs lab studies the polyp forms of the jellyfish to learn more about that life stage.

Complimentary summer research housing capped at 100 beds

Free housi ng programs funding uncertain for future, Residence Life will not finance after 2025

SAM BELMAR FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR

In recent years, the College of William and Mary has offered a select amount of complimentary summer housing for students pursuing research and internships on campus or in the Williamsburg area. Starting next summer, the College will limit the number of free beds to 100, citing rising housing costs and funding changes.

Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Suzanne Raitt emphasized the rarity of similar programs across the country, and the College’s pride in being able to provide the complementary beds in years prior.

“So for a number of years, we’ve provided complimentary summer housing to undergraduates who want to stay on-campus over the summer to do research in people’s labs or to do archaeological fieldwork or any other kind of summer research experience,” Raitt said. “We’re really proud of the fact that we have been doing this, not every university does it. And I think it’s really helped us build a strong culture of undergraduate research at William and Mary.”

Raitt explained that for a long time, the program has been funded by Residence Life through additional fees paid by students during the academic year. However, the funding has become insufficient as housing costs have increased.

“As the costs of housing rose, it started to seem no longer feasible to cover the summer costs by charging students during the regular academic year,” Raitt said. “But that’s their only source of revenue. So about three years ago, Residence Life said to us, ‘We just can’t keep doing this, it’s just not sustainable for us.’”

To alleviate the financial strain, the College gradually trimmed down the number of complimentary beds at a rate of 50 per summer. Raitt explained that while supply has gone down, so too has demand, allowing the College to continue to

meet students’ needs.

“So in summer 2022, we used 188 out of a potential of 250 free beds,” Raitt said. “Summer 2023, we used 159 out of a possible 200. So we were bringing the number of available beds down, but demand was going down too. And then in summer 2024, we were able to accommodate 127 students, but we had 150 beds available.”

Since Residence Life will stop funding the complimentary summer housing program after 2025, the College is currently seeking alternative funding sources, including external granting agencies and private philanthropy.

Raitt outlined her plan to launch a fundraising campaign to ensure the College can continue providing complimentary summer beds after 2025.

“Our challenge now is to figure out how we are going to fund these beds,” Raitt said. “We are committed to doing it. We’ve been looking into a number of different sources, and I have a plan, though it’s not finalized yet, which is to use a combination of philanthropic donations, and we’re just building a campaign initiative on that now.”

Another potential funding source includes departments with heavy student research participation, such as psychology, biology and chemistry. Raitt hopes that with additional funding from Arts and Sciences, the vice provost for Research and the Provost’s Office, the program will not have to be discontinued.

“So we think that with a combination of funds from those sources, we’re going to be able to continue to offer 100 beds every summer for as long as we need them, which I imagine will be for a very long time,” Raitt said. “So although the funding source is going to change, my expectation and hope is that the program itself won’t end.”

Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Maggie Evans outlined the dorms that usually host students over the summer, and

Residence Life’s plans to slowly move summer research housing into the newly-constructed dorms.

“In most recent years we have used Landrum, One Tribe Place, Chandler, Barrett, Lemon and Hardy — usually just one or two buildings needed per summer,” Evans wrote in an email to The Flat Hat. “We have not confirmed building use yet for summer 2025. As we open new buildings we anticipate most summer programs moving to the newly constructed residence halls so we can complete needed projects in other spaces.”

Colin Wang ’27 conducted molecular ecology research over the summer within the biology department. He explained that as an out-of-state student, complimentary housing single-handedly allowed him to pursue the opportunity.

“I did get free housing in OTP for this summer, I was there for 5 weeks from June to July, and I can honestly say I probably would not have done summer research without the free housing,” Wang said. “I live out-of-state and I didn’t have a car so it was very helpful to live close to ISC on campus.”

Wang recognizes the complexity of financing the program, but hopes the College will continue providing free beds to facilitate positive learning experiences like his own.

“I understand that it’s likely expensive and difficult to arrange, but one of the great things about William and Mary so far I think has been how I can form interpersonal relationships with my professors,” Wang said. “And free summer housing was a perfect avenue to do that.”

Given that demand may exceed supply for complimentary beds, Raitt encouraged students to look into summer research and internship grants from the Charles Center and other bodies oncampus as early as possible.

Students share concern with departments hosting Wang, professors respond

Students question Wang during talk, bring concerns to professor Hart, department denies allegations

“Dr. Wang, how do unresolved sexual allegations — such as the one against you last year in Taiwan on multiple counts, not just the one in the court, but others that have been reported — affect the path to the future that we all want for China and the world?” she asked.

Wang cited the concluding investigation in response.

“After several months of investigation, the prosecutor found no evidence of that. So they dropped any charges. I think that proved my innocence. And I believe we have to believe in the justice, in the rule of law. That’s the foundation of democracy. That’s all I can say,” Wang responded.

Another student, Adam M., decided to ask a question targeted at Hart during the Q and A section of the talk. Adam requested his last name concealed out of safety concerns. He said some attendees at the event tried to take videos of him as he was asking his question.

“How are students meant to believe that William and Mary cares for victims of sexual assault and rape in our community when William and Mary invited guest lecturers like Wang Dunn with multiple outstanding allegations of sexual misconduct?” he asked.

Hart responded similarly to Wang.

“Thank you for your question. I’d like to answer it by saying that all of those charges have been dropped and he was found not guilty. So we let the rule of law take over in a case like this,” she said.

Not all of Wang’s critics believe that his not guilty verdict absolves him of culpability.

“The younger generation, like people of my age, tend to support survivors because we know more about the nature of gender based violence. And we’ve read the DW report, which is probably the most important report on this issue, because there wasn’t just one. It follows a pattern, you know, DW is a very credible source,” the Chinese student said.

In July 2023, German media outlet Deutsche Welle reported an investigation into the

William

history of allegations against Wang. Along with sharing the stories of survivors who have spoken out, the article describes a pattern of Wang abusing his power to get close to and harass young male students.

Professor of government and Chair of the Government Department Marcus Holmes said he was not able to attend the event and was only alerted to the allegations through an email sent to him by a student an hour prior to the event.

“At the Department of Government, our priority is to create a safe and welcoming environment for all students,” Holmes wrote in a statement to The Flat Hat. “We are committed to preventing harassment and discrimination and fostering an inclusive space where student voices are valued. We also work closely with campus partners like the Counseling Center, The Haven, and the Dean of Students Office to foster a safe environment and support our students. These resources are always available to any student who needs assistance.”

Holmes added that the department takes student feedback seriously and continually seeks input on speakers and events through the Diversity Fellows Program.

“At the same time, we uphold the principles of free speech and expression, recognizing their importance in academic discourse and learning. Moving forward, we remain focused on balancing the well-being of our community with our commitment to open dialogue and maintaining open communication with our students,” Holmes said.

Representatives from the other departments that sponsored Wang’s visit to the College did not respond for comment.

The first student attendee who spoke to The Flat Hat is an active member of Chinese feminist circles and has engaged in much of her own research on the Tiananmen Square protests.

“He’s just such a central figure. And so when it came out, it came out as a shock to the community as in I guess, the Chinese diaspora

& Mary Libraries host inaugural

and Chinese national students, et cetera, like people who do care about that history. It came out as a shock,” she said.

This student did not hear about the event until the day it took place, but when she did, she knew she had to speak to Wang.

“I just felt very angry,” she said. “Not at the government department, I’m genuinely angry at him. Like, personally, I have to admit like with Wang Dan it’s a little bit personal because I’ve been following this case for this long. And every time, not just like the thing itself, I mean, it’s awful that if you do something to anyone like that, but like all of his responses, all of the things his allies have been saying, all of the slander they have brought to MeToo movement, feminists, Chinese feminists, it’s pretty awful.”

Neither students felt satisfied with the responses they got during the event.

“[Wang’s] response was not shocking or surprising at all. There have been other feminists, Chinese feminists, who approach him, like in other events about these things, and his responses have been pretty much the same. Basically, lying through his teeth about the court, the court dropped the charges and they found me not guilty, etc., even though there are so many more nuances to the situation,” the first student said.

Adam described how when he spoke up, older members of the crowd were taking pictures of him, and he loudly told them to stop.

“I think that definitely could have been something that Professor Hart said or one of the other presenters could have said at that moment, like, don’t be taking pictures of students here,” he said.

Hart was glad that these students were able to ask their questions.

“The two students who spoke up, I loved seeing that they felt comfortable to do that. And that’s what’s great about this country. You could ask those questions and not be in any fear that you’re going to be in any trouble,” she said.

The allegations against Wang Dan arose last year, when Taiwanese student Lee Yuan-chun accused Wang of attempting to rape him in a hotel room in New York City on June 6, 2014.

Afterwards, DW also unearthed previously unknown allegations, suggesting a potential pattern of similar behaviors by Wang. According to DW, at least one of the new accusers reported his case to NTHU’s Committee on Gender Equality. Wang’s former assistant also stated that Wang often invited young men on overseas trips, with shared accommodations.

In 2015, NTHU did not renew Wang’s contract at NTHU after a five-year employment period. The move came after Wang expressed support of Chen Wei-ting, a prominent activist in the Sunflower movement, after it became public that Chen allegedly groped several women.

Some point to Wang’s significance in China’s democracy movement as a challenge in holding him accountable. NOTUS has reported that human rights activists that shared concerns about Wang Dan are often dismissed by their colleagues, “who suggested without any firsthand knowledge of the situation that the claims had come from the Chinese government.”

In an interview with The Flat Hat, Hart similarly suggested that allegations against Wang were orchestrated by the Chinese Communist Party, citing how they came out right around the time of the anniversary of the June 4 massacre.

“I think it’s fairly safe to say that that was engineered by Beijing and the date was chosen very deliberately and very politically to exercise the maximum damage to Wang Dan’s prestige,” Hart said. “What it indicates to me is he has hit a nerve and he did all the right things. He went back to Taiwan and went through the whole legal process to the rule of law to prove his innocence.” Others view this claim as a way for Wang to deny accusations and discredit survivors.

Draw the Line Comics Contest honoring activism

Contest draws inspiration from former editor-in-chief of The Flat Hat, Marilyn Kaemmerle, for racial equality advocacy work

This October, the College of William and Mary Libraries will host the inaugural Draw the Line Comics Contest. Students are asked to create a comic showcasing a real example of student activism on college campuses, historic or modern.

The contest chairs, Instruction and Research Librarians Liz Bellamy ’13 and Rachel Hogan, hope that this contest will give students an opportunity to display information in a creative way while also gaining real knowledge about how college students have exercised advocacy over the years.

“I hope that people who are more creative and not necessarily just strictly textual, that this is a good opportunity for them to showcase their skills, but also do [their] research. And I do hope also that people are looking at their examples of student activism that they learn a little bit along the way,” Hogan said.

The initial idea for the contest came from Virginia Commonwealth University’s Jurgen Comics Contest, which seeks to highlight comic art related to banned books and other censored creative mediums.

“We really like what [VCU] was doing because it gave an opportunity for students to express research ideas creatively,” Bellamy said.

The College as a whole has been highlighting creative expression recently, notably with the 2023-24 “Year of the Arts.”

Marenna Spieker ’28, a violist in the College Symphony Orchestra and the Appalachian Music Ensemble, expressed excitement with how the College Libraries is specifcally encouraging students to become more involved with the arts through this contest.

“I think it provides unique opportunities within the arts, and promoting the arts is always healthy,”

Spieker said. “Glad they’re doing it!”

The College has also recently been experiencing increased student

activism. This contest can serve as a way for students to connect with historic examples of protest.

The inspiration for this year’s studentactivism theme is Marilyn Kaemmerle ’45, a former editor-in-chief of The Flat Hat who wrote a 1945 editorial that advocated for complete racial equality and further race education at the College.

“The most important work must be done in educating ourselves away from the idea of White Supremacy, for this belief is as groundless as Hitler’s Nordic Supremacy nonsense. We are injuring our personalities with arrogance; we are blocking our own growth,” Kaemmerle wrote in her editorial.

As a result of her piece, Kaemmerle was forced to resign her position at The Flat Hat at risk of expulsion from the College. The College did not issue a formal apology for their actions until 1986, 19 years after they began accepting residential students of color.

“The story of Marilyn Kaemmerle really

is a part of William and Mary history that I don’t think gets talked about a lot. So it was cool to kind of bring her example to the forefront,” Hogan said.

There are two categories for comic strip submissions: “Main Contest” and “MiniComic.” Main comics should be no larger than 11x17 inches and can be in color or black-and-white. For the main contest category, there will be one $750 grand prize and three $250 runner-up prizes. For the minicomic category, there will be one $250 grand prize.

Any current student at the College is free to participate in this contest for either category. Submissions may be group or individual, but prize money will be awarded per submission, not per each individual. Students may only submit one comic for the main contest, but may submit an additional mini-comic highlighting the same example of student activism if they so desire.

All comic strips must be accompanied by an artist statement of around 250-500 words. Contest submissions will be judged by a panel of judges representing William & Mary Libraries, English/creative writing and the art and art history department. According to the contest webpage, they will be looking for “creativity, evidence of research, connection to theme, clarity of artist statement, [and] innovative use of the comic medium.” Main contest fnalists will be printed and displayed in the Read & Relax room in the Earl Gregg Swem Library during the spring 2025 semester. The Mini-Comic grand prize winner will be added to the College’s Short Story Machine.All fve prize-winning comics will also be digitally preserved in ScholarWorks.

The deadline for submissions is Friday, Oct. 18. For more information, students can visit the Draw the Line Comics Contest webpage listed under William & Mary Libraries “News and Events.”

CAMPUS

RACHEL ROBBINS THE FLAT HAT

STAFF COLUMN

Voting third party won’t help anything

Now that I’ve pissed off half of campus, I figured I had enough social capital to reach the Leftists on campus for an honest conversation.

I want to first turn to the idea of a coalition and how that differs from a safe community. A coalition is not a community, a coalition is not a home, a coalition is not a comfortable space. Safe, homely communities run the risk of becoming echo chambers focused on only the identities within that community. A coalition is different. In the words of activist, professor and composer Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagan:

“Some people will come to a coalition and they rate the success of that coalition on whether or not they feel good when they get there. They are not looking for a coalition, they're looking for a home!... In a coalition, you have to give and it is different from your home. You can’t stay there all the time.”

While Dr. Reagan probably meant this for liberal-minded people venturing into Leftist spaces, this idea of coalition applies to Leftists too. I fear that the Leftist spaces no longer leave room for coalitions, that they’ve become purity spaces by which anyone who wants to enter must pass a test to determine their leftism. In order for there to be a coalition, we must temporarily join those that share similar values but have different priorities, ones that don’t make us Leftists feel safe. I ask that you keep this in mind as you read the rest of this article.

I write this opinion as a letter to all of those adamant on voting third party or refusing to vote at all in the upcoming election.

I understand the outrage and despair that voting for Kamala Harris brings, especially for Palestinian Americans. Her continued support for Israel’s genocide of Palestinians is disgusting, and her continued support for police in America is equally so. I understand the moral choice to vote for a third party or to reject the system entirely. If you’re Palestinian American, I can only imagine how terrible it must feel to be presented by a candidate who has promised to “finish the job” according to Reuters, and another who is part of the administration currently funding the annihilation of your people. So first and foremost, I offer an ‘I’m sorry’ for your suffering and the choice you must make. It is for these reasons that I originally was not going to write an article. However, two tragedies have occurred over the past few weeks (at the time of writing this) that pressed me to change my mind. The first happened on Tuesday, Sept. 24. Marcellus Williams died; the state of Missouri executed — nay, according to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, lynched — him. The state did so on charges

of murder despite the prosecutor, his attorney and the victim’s family asking that he stay alive. The prosecuting attorney argued that new DNA evidence had revealed doubts about his guilty verdict. Williams’ appeal for life made it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where it was rejected by every single Republican justice. Williams died Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 6 p.m. central time.

The second thing happened a little while ago and has already been covered in Flat Hat Opinions. Recently, Amber Thurman’s death hit national news; the overturning of Roe v. Wade killed her.

I say these names because it is easy for politically-minded Leftists to talk about policy and numbers and the glorious radical revolution, but it is not always easy to remember the names and faces of the people our actions or lack thereof directly impact. It is not easy to come to terms with the human casualties our decisions will cause.

To those planning to vote for a third party, I ask: What do you see as the direct outcome of your decision? I am a proponent of taking directly beneficial action in addition to working for the long term. Voting for a third party is not one of these directly beneficial actions. A third party candidate is not going to win the presidency. As much as I would love to vote for a third party, the only big name is Jill Stein. And she’s a Russian grifter who asks for the presidency every four years but doesn’t do anything else — for Christ’s sake, she doesn’t even know how many seats are in the House of Representatives. While I’d love to vote for a candidate such as Claudia De la Cruz, she’s not even on half the ballots in the country. And the rest of the third party presidential candidates can be summed up with five words: Who the f— is that? There is a place for the third party, but at the moment, it is not the presidency.

To those refusing to vote at all, I ask: What is your inaction tangibly going to do? I understand refusing to participate in a system that con -

tinues its terror of imperialism. It It is true that we will never vote our way to liberation. And for this reason, many claim that if voting did anything, the system wouldn’t allow us to vote. To that, I point to the multiple steps Republicans have taken to suppress the vote in marginalized communities. We won’t vote our way into liberation, but we can vote our way into continued protest.

Demanding all the rights afforded to you as a citizen is not a betrayal of leftism or a betrayal of activism. When asked about this election, even Angela Davis spoke to the importance of casting a vote and the reason behind her vote. She says that when people vote, it is to “enlarge the terrain of mass struggle, to guarantee a space for the trade union movement to win victories, for the women’s movement to win victories, for people of color to win victories, for working and poor people to win victories.” If someone as battle tested, educated and active as Angela Davis can vote during this election without thinking it is a betrayal, so can you.

I must reiterate that casting a vote is not the end-all-be-all. It is not a question of vote or protests, but rather vote and protests. Casting a vote is one action done in a booth. Thinking back on this idea of coalition, I propose a different way to conceptualize voting for Democrats. I propose that we see this as a coalition with others who value the lives of marginalized communities in the U.S. I ask that we temporarily walk into this coalition, vote, then leave.

Speaking to the idea of safety for most people, I propose that we think of a third party vote or a refusal to vote as one kind of protest, because that is what they are. During a demonstrative protest, we understand that certain things need to be done to protect protesters, even if that means the demonstration becomes less effective.

After all, there is a reason there was not an encampment at the College of William and Mary, and we are taught to not fistfight cops. So, if sacrifices made for participant safety are understood within the context of one type of protest, why are they not understood when it comes to voting as a form of protest? We can no longer claim that casting a vote won’t harm any more people than not voting at all or voting third party. A protest vote is important. But it is far from the best form of protest. A Blue vote is not an endorsement; it is a strategic move to ensure we can keep doing other forms of protest.

READ MORE AT FLATHATNEWS.COM

Crystal Wang ’25 is an English major and history major. In additiontobeingCopyChiefforTheFlat Hat, she is part of William & Mary archery. Contact her at cwang28@ wm.edu.

Willy and Mary

GUEST COLUMN

I just declared my major in napping; now it’s your turn!

Good afternoon, fellow overworked and sleep-deprived students of the College of William and Mary. Midterms are here, grades are looming and sleep? It’s that longlost friend we haven’t seen since syllabus week. But fear not, because today, I’m here to make a groundbreaking declaration: I just declared my major in napping, and it’s time you do, too.

Yes, you read that right! While everyone else is signing up for another club they can't handle, I’ve decided to invest in the one thing no one tells you is essential for success: rest. And no, I’m not talking about the “eight hours of sleep” myth we laugh at during exam week. I mean the power of the nap — those sweet, life-saving micro-slumbers that keep us going when even Starbucks won’t cut it. If there’s one thing twamps excel at, it’s overloading our schedules, and wearing exhaustion as a badge of honor. Take me in Intro to Environmental Science in Small Hall: 150 students, three professors and there I was, teetering between “I’m focused...” and “zzzzzz... huh??” One professor even pulled me aside later to ask if I was okay. The truth? It wasn’t the class — it was the lack of naps.

We brag about pulling all-nighters in Earl Gregg Swem Library like they’re some rite of passage, as if wearing our eye bags to Sadler brunch is a competition. But why? Why are we glorifying a lifestyle that leaves us on the verge of collapse? It’s worth noting that Swem is no longer open 24 hours due to student well-being concerns — now it closes at midnight during the week, and at 8 p.m. on weekends. Sure, there’s still a small 24-hour room past Column 15, but does that mean we should keep pushing ourselves to the limit?

Somewhere along the line, we started confusing "success" with "busyness."

We’ve all heard it: “Yeah, I was up until 3 a.m. finishing that paper in GGV,” or, “I’ve only had five hours of sleep this week, but I’ll grab a Nitro Cold Brew from Column 15.” We nod in solidarity, but aren’t we all wondering if there’s a better way to handle college?

Well, there is. It’s called taking a nap. Before you roll your eyes, hear me out. Napping isn’t just for toddlers, or that one guy who always dozes off in the back of your 8 a.m. lecture. Napping is a science-backed, productivity-boosting tool that more of us need to embrace. According to the National Sleep Foundation, even a short 20-30 minute nap can boost mood, alertness and performance — exactly what we need when those all-nighters start catching up.

It’s not just about staying awake in class. The American College Health Association's 2023 Report found poor sleep is linked to

increased stress, anxiety and depression among college students. So really, by prioritizing rest, we’re not just avoiding burnout — we’re taking care of our mental health, too. I’m not suggesting we sleep our way to graduation (though tempting). But I am suggesting we rethink self-care. Burning out isn’t a sign of hard work; it’s a sign something must give. And that something might be the unrealistic expectation that we can push through assignments and exams without ever stopping to recharge.

Let’s talk logistics. Where does one nap on campus? The College offers plenty of prime napping spots if you know where to look. The Sadler couches? Classic. Swem’s reading room? Perfect when the lights are dimmed. For the adventurous: the Sunken Garden — just bring a blanket. If you’re looking for something quieter, try the comfy chairs in the Mason Business School atrium. The message is clear: We need to stop treating rest like a luxury and start seeing it as a necessity.

This isn’t just about sleep — it’s about challenging hustle culture. We’ve become so obsessed with productivity that we’ve forgotten how to rest. We juggle internships, extracurriculars and double majors, pretending we can survive on caffeine and adrenaline. But newsflash: that’s not sustainable. Eventually, the crash comes — and trust me, it’s not pretty. (I’ve already seen friends nodding off at Sadler mid-brunch).

So, what if, instead of pushing ourselves to exhaustion, we embraced napping as part of our self-care? What if we normalized taking breaks, and actually listened to our bodies? Imagine the revolution. We could be the generation that says, “No more burnout!” and proudly proclaims, “I’m majoring in napping — and I’m thriving.”

No, napping won’t solve all your problems. It won’t write your papers or ace your exams. But it will give you the energy to tackle those challenges without feeling like a zombie. And isn’t that worth a few minutes of shut-eye?

Here’s my challenge: the next time you feel that midday slump in Ewell Hall or while cramming for an exam in the Integrated Science Center, don’t fight it. Find a quiet corner, set a 20-minute alarm and embrace the nap. Your mental health and well-being are worth more than any late-night cram session. And who knows? Maybe one day, napping will be an official major at William & Mary. But until then, feel free to stop by the registrar’s office and declare your 'major in napping.' (You might get a few raised eyebrows, but trust me, it’s worth it.) After all, some majors prepare you for a career — this one prepares you for life. Now, let’s all be good Griffins, and take a nap today! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a nap to take.

Rebecca Fuchs ’26 (she/they, they/ she) is a junior transfer student prospectively majoring in finance and minoring in environmental science and sustainabilityattheCollege.Thissemester,they’realso an intern for The Flat Hat and are active as a Shadow Analyst for Salesforce in the Mason Investment Club (MIC) as well as with Williamsburg Engagement (W.E.) at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. When they’retryingnottofallasleepinclass,you canemailthematrafuchs@wm.edu.

THE FLAT HAT Rebecca Fuchs

GRAPHIC BY CATHERINE STORKE / THE FLAT HAT

FLAT HAT COPY CHIEF

Crystal Wang

COURTESY IMAGE / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

COMIC

COMIC BY MICHAEL GABRIEL / THE FLAT HAT

“The Substance”

Elizabeth Brady FLAT HAT OPINIONS ASSOC.

In 1972, Susan Sontag published “The Double Standard of Aging,” an essay that wrenched to the foreground the unspoken but ubiquitous beliefs we have about aging. She describes the anxiety women bring to the project of self-maintenance and self-preservation in the face of visible aging, and she clarifies for us the patriarchal underpinnings that create this anxiety. Right now, 24-yearolds are tweeting about “girlhood,” 13-year-olds are buying anti-aging retinol cream and we are still doing the thing where we point at a picture of someone like Jennifer Anniston and say, “can you BELIEVE that SHE’S 55!!!!”

Coraline Fargeat’s “The Substance” lives squarely in this world, where women grip whiteknuckled to their youth, where we are forever bracing for and running from the fate of being old. Our main character, Elisabeth Sparkle, is played by the lovely Demi Moore. She takes a blackmarket drug (the titular “substance”) and splits herself in two, creating a younger (assumably hotter) alter-self, Sue, played by the also lovely Margaret Qualley. The two trade off each week, leaving the “inactive” body to lay on the cold tile floor of Sparkle’s stark-white bathroom until their turn with sentience. From the get-go, you feel the precarity of their arrangement. The body horror, needles and scary buying-of-black-market-drugs all give the feeling that this could come apart at the seams at any second.

There is a physical, grotesque, body-horror tension as Sue starts stealing time, leaving Elisabeth more and more disfigured, which feels really similar to the present, comprehensive anxiety I see a lot of women experiencing as a reaction to our own aging. In the same way that Elisabeth and Sue precariously balance their time, women must find a way to delicately navigate the tension between their imagined, projected, ideal self and the self they feel and fear just around the corner.

This kind of analysis makes “The Substance” sound really serious and grim. It’s not. It’s brightly colored, highly stylized, goofy and outlandish. It’s weird and satirical and fun to look at (except when you’re watching Qualley extract herself from a bleeding gash down the middle of Moore’s back and then sew it back up). Scenes of candy-colored leotards, art-deco color-blocked hallways and Elisabeth’s insane bachelorette-pad apartment zip by, coupled with intense and all-consuming sound design that sometimes feels like evil ASMR.

A lot of the one-star Google reviews for this movie talk about the “excessive nudity” in it. Granted, we do see a lot of Qualley and Moore, and there may be a 1:1 ratio between their clothed versus not-so-clothed screen time. However, the nudity feels clinical, entirely unsexy. Even in shots where Sue is dancing and gyrating in tiny leotards, it feels cold and dispassionate, unsexed through the calculating and capitalist channel-executive eye.

I saw this movie with my roommate, and at the about two-thirds mark, we simultaneously turned to one another and agreed that we kind of loved this movie. It’s weird and loud and stupid in a smart way. It’s really cool to look at, it has a great sense of itself and it’s easy to get lost in. Or it was all of these things. Almost exactly after we had our mind-meld, everything kind of fell apart. The last 20-30 minutes of “The Substance” do not entirely undo the first two acts, but they do weaken them. It really does feel like Fargeat had money to burn and wanted to spend it all on some narratively empty gore.

Some movies go off the rails at the end after the steady and artful building of tension. You can feel the movie pulling at the leash, and the snap is a catharsis. This film’s descent into madness feels half-baked and hammy, unearned after the snappy, sterile pacing that proceeds it. It feels like the wrong kind of relief, discordant and mismatched from the rest of the film. It also goes on for way, way too long and burns itself out, pressing you with beat after beat after beat.

“The Substance” is also an incredibly gooey, squelchy, fleshy, viscous movie. I ate most of a big bag of Twizzlers during this movie, the Pull’n’Peel kind. By the end of the movie my stomach hurt really bad, only partially the fault of the Twizzlers. ElizabethBrady’25isapublicpolicymajor andanEnglishminor,andsheisamemberof AlphaChiOmega.Shelovesart,musicandmovies.Emailherateabrady@wm.edu.

Adam’s Apple #7: Get your money up, not your funny up

“Adam, how do I figure out what to do with my life post-graduation?”

This is a tremendous question. It’s a question that is almost always rattling around somewhere in the mind during one’s time in college. The first year or two, it takes the form of a dull whisper in your unconscious, only slipping to the front of the mind on nights with no distractions. Over time, though, it grows in both volume and urgency. By senior year, if you don’t yet have a clear vision for your life, the voice in your head is no longer asking what you will do but instead scolding you for not knowing. It tells you over and over that you are a failure who has wasted the last three-plus years, and it hastens to point out classmates who already have jobs lined up, or at least well-defined plans.

I can promise you this: reading this article will shut that voice down for good. You’ll no longer be one of the people tormented by a lack of direction, you’ll be one of the people with so clear a direction that other people will be tormented on your account. So, here is a ten-step plan to find a calling and a career that is perfect for you:

Step one. Determine that your top priority in a career is the ability to make more money than your friends.

There are lots of attributes of a career which are of differential importance to different people. Some people like the ability to work-from-home, others like the office. Some value a career with a healthy work/life balance, others are willing to sacrifice sleep and relationships for advancement. Some want to travel, others don’t. Everyone has a slightly different idea of what makes a job “good” or “bad”; the one thing everyone can agree on — whether you realize it or not — is that the top priority in a job search is finding one that will pay you more money than your friends’ jobs pay them.

A common misconception is that making a lot of money will make you happy. That’s not true. You’ll always compare yourself to those around you, and when

you see someone with more, you’ll be instantly dissatisfied with what you have. It’s a never-ending cycle of discontent and hopelessness. If, instead of making “a lot” of money, however, you simply make “more than your friends,” the never-ending cycle of discontent and loneliness becomes a never-ending cycle of joy and jubilation. Every time you compare yourself to those around you, you’ll remember that you have more things than them! Every day you can pick a new object, e.g. golf balls, and calculate how many they could each buy given their salaries vs how many you could buy. When you subtract their small number from your big number and see a sizable supply of golf balls left over, you won’t be able to wipe the grin off your face for the rest of the day! Comparison may be the thief of their joy, but it can be the source of yours!

Step two. Assess the earnings potential of the individuals in your friend network. Given what we just learned about what we want in a job, the next step is obviously determining what salary we will likely need to be the top earner in our circle. Don’t overcomplicate this one; just ask each of your friends what they want to do for a living, look up average salary ranges for those jobs, write down all the upper bounds, and then figure out which is the biggest. That’s now your minimum acceptable salary. If any of your friends doesn’t know what they want to do, simply guess how much they’ll make based on how smart they seem and whether their parents own any large companies and are in poor health.

Step three. Google “how much do _______ majors make.”

Make sure to replace the blank with your major! Likely, you will realize quickly that numbers like the one you calculated as your minimum acceptable salary are tough to come by in your field. Don’t feel bad. Clearly, you made a big mistake picking a major based on

October, as the Month of Contrition. Buy customized calendars, if you are still the calendar type, that refer to it as such.

Step eleven. Transfer to UT Austin as a petroleum engineering major And the rest is history! Your life is now fully planned out. You will not regret this. If you do, it’s not my fault; you must have done one of the steps wrong.

AdamJutt’25isamathandeconomicsmajorfromCincinnati,Ohiowhowrites articlessometimes.Contacthimatadjutt@wm.edu.

You can’t just read the New York Times

Eva

On Sept. 28, I woke up with many other students on campus, wondering if my family was still alive. I scrolled through the news to find a narrative drastically different from my reality.

As a Lebanese-American, watching the genocide in Gaza increase in intensity and inhumanity has been beyond painful. Now, I watch the violent aggression target my own loved ones in Lebanon. I share tears of fear and frustration with my family as we mourn for our relatives who cannot, and should not have to, escape the land they call home. I wonder why many of my peers are seemingly unaware of these unjustifiable atrocities that are backed by their government and funded by their tax dollars. There is no excuse for a community that is blessed with so many educational resources to be unaware about issues that impact their fellow students and, I would argue, call into question the very humanity of our nation and world. It almost seems as if our campus has been taught not to care.

The lack of media literacy on campus, coupled with anti-Arab bias in mainstream corporate media, is a dangerous recipe for ignorance and indifference. In this piece, I will specifically focus on The New York Times and The Washington Post, as the College of William and Mary provides students with free subscriptions. I have split my analysis of the media we consume into three separate sections: omission of accountability, insensitivity and the impact on our campus.

First of all, mainstream media tends to downplay American and Israeli accountability in the Middle East. This sense of national unaccountability may translate to a more individual sense of indifference among consumers. For example, a recent article in The Washington Post titled “Hunger Still

Stalks Gaza” inappropriately omits accountability from the headline, failing to acknowledge that Israel is blocking aid from entering Gaza and weaponizing starvation, which is a war crime. Similarly, a recent article in The New York Times titled “Why the World’s Biggest Powers Can’t Stop a Middle East War” is quite misleading. Not only does the piece vaguely characterize the Israeli invasion of Lebanon as a “Middle East War,” but it also seeks to convey that actively contributing powers like the U.S. can’t, rather than won’t, stop the violence. Still, believers in the sanctity of human life understand that the repeated decision to fund ethnic cleansing, occupation and invasion is not simply a product of circumstance; instead, it is an imperialist act of white supremacy meant to enforce Western economic and geopolitical control over a region.

For an example of insensitivity, I reference a recent journalism choice The New York Times made regarding the pager attacks on Lebanon. For context, the recent pager attacks on Lebanon murdered civilians including two children and four healthcare workers as well as injured about 2,800 people, nearly two-thirds of whom required surgery for their faces and hands. This unprecedented act of violence breaches international law in many ways. These breaches include violating the right to life and engaging in booby-trapping, from a humanitarian standpoint, as well as deliberately aiming to psychologically terrorize a civilian population, from the standpoint of customary international law. Perhaps, then, it would surprise you to hear that The New York Times created a literal game that makes a mockery of this war crime. The first question in its Sept. 24 Weekly Student News Quiz provides incomplete context with passive language in reference to the pager attacks, detailing that “devices carried by Hezbollah members exploded… in an audacious plot by Israel.” The lack of reference to the brutal civilian casualties, passive language that removes accountability and the glorification of violence through the use of the word “audacious” dehumanizes the Lebanese people. This context is followed by a Buzzfeedstyle questionnaire that prompts the reader to identify whether the devices were “alarm clocks,” “game consoles,” “laptops” or “pagers.” I am not sure what kind of dystopian world we are living in, but turning a war crime into a game is offensive and racist. It normalizes violence and delegitimizes the suffering of my loved ones abroad. Unfortunately, many students feel affected by this violence. I had the privilege of speaking with fellow impacted Middle Eastern students, and I sincerely hope that their voices will inspire you to learn more about the issues that face our families. Kenza Houhou ’27, a Lebanese student with family in Beirut, described, “It just feels like the bombs are hitting, it just feels like an earthquake.” Empathetic rhetoric may be lacking in our media, but that should not limit compassionate discourse at our college. Maryam Elgindy ’28, a Palestinian and Egyptian student with family in the West Bank, spoke about desensitization. “I think there’s a sort of notion like there’s always conflict in the Middle East so then you know when it just grows and grows, people don’t really care,” Elgindy noted. In the face of such desensitization, which is influenced by the media we consume, Maria Haddad ’27, a Jordanian student, stressed the importance of identifying prejudice. “In any media, analyze the bias before you make your decision,” Haddad explained. So, what can we do to better understand the Middle East and support our peers who fear for their families abroad? I suggest a three step plan: read, reach out and speak up. Our campus needs stronger media literacy, and that can be achieved through diversifying your sources of media consumption. As much as I criticized The New York Times and The Washington Post in this piece, I still advise reading them. The power to think for yourself is not found through reading a single perspective; instead, I argue that you should balance your consumption of Western corporate media with non-Western and independent sources. Al Jazeera is a reputable source that operates in the Middle East. Its articles, social media feed and app are all great sources of information. Breakthrough News records YouTube interviews with experts in the field and provides an independent leftist perspective that is informative and interesting, regardless of whether viewers align politically. As you educate yourself, I encourage you to reach out to any classmates or friends who may have family in the impacted regions. As Haddad shared with me, learning from people’s experiences is an underrated form of interaction and growth. Lastly, seek to educate others. Start conversations, share resources you find helpful and advocate for peace and justice however you can. Still, there is a source of hope in this difficult time. “I think it’s horrible how it came about, but I think more people than ever know and are being educated,” Elgindy shared. Your curiosity and compassion can help make this campus a more aware and welcoming place for all students.

EvaJaber‘28(she/her)isaprospective Englishorinternationalrelationsmajor.She isamemberoftheCleftomaniacsacappella group,anESLtutorandhopestoencourage peace-mindedadvocacyoncampus.Contact heratehjaber@wm.edu.

GUEST COLUMN

Jaber THE FLAT HAT

Adam Jutt FLAT HAT OPINIONS ASSOC.

GRAPHIC BY HANNAH YANG / THE FLAT HAT

GRAPHIC BY CATHERINE STORKE / THE FLAT HAT

GRAPHIC BY CATHERINE STORKE / THE FLAT HAT

Oct. 3 – 6, the College of William and Mary’s theater department put on its first production of the semester, “Men on Boats,” in the Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall Studio Theatre.

This approximately 110-minute performance is about the exploration and mapping of the Colorado River into the Grand Canyon, based on the journals of John Wesley Powell. The story follows 10 explorers, serving as a commentary on masculinity and gender roles, as well as colonization and how Americans have claimed this land in the American West as their own.

When visiting assistant professor of theater Abbie Cathcart learned about the possibility of directing “Men on Boats” this semester, they were ecstatic. Cathcart said they acted in a 2018 production of the show, an experience that provided Cathcart with a deeper understanding of their own identity.

“I wasn’t out as nonbinary at that point, and so this was the first show that I did where I was wearing men’s clothing,” Cathcart said. “That was a little bit of gender euphoria for me, which kind of helped me realize that I was NB.”

Beyond Cathcart’s personal ties to the show, they said they were excited to direct “Men on Boats” because it is a play that pushes actors to work outside of more contemporary styles of acting such as realism and naturalism, which have become increasingly popular in the past 30 years, especially recently with the rapid rise of popular social media apps.

“With the shows that they watch, with skits that they see on TikTok where the camera is like three inches away from the person’s face, students become really comfortable with micro-expressions, with keeping everything really close to home,” Cathcart said. “I felt it was valuable for them to explore a style of acting other than realism so that they can learn to turn the dial up and down.”

Performer Mayah Tiwari ’27, a double major in theater and sociology, noted a unique aspect of the production: the cast was made up entirely of non-men.

If you were to step into Tucker Hall on a Tuesday or Thursday night, you would find yourself surrounded by the gentle tapping of knitting needles, courtesy of the College of William and Mary’s very own Knitting Club. The Knitting Club, according to many of its dedicated members, weaves people together in a stressfree environment for an hour each week, encouraging members of all talent and knowledge levels to stop by and work on their current projects.

To many, knitting may seem tricky, but even the struggling beginner will eventually unravel themselves from the initial difficulties of learning this precise skill. President Anna Sepulveda ’25, social media coordinator Kendra Griessel ’25 and club member Annie Sheppard ’26 each recalled failing and giving up on knitting upon their first tries before finding home and joy in the hobby.

“My mom taught me when I was pretty young, but it didn’t stick for me,” Griessel said. “Later on, I had a friend teach me when I was around 11 — she was actually the former president of this club.”

For many club members, a family connection was often what first got them into the hobby. But unlike Griessel, Sepulveda and Sheppard’s knitting origin stories began with crocheting.

“My grandma taught me how to crochet when I was eight or nine. She tried to teach me how to knit, but, like Kendra, it didn’t stick, so I joined Knitting Club as a crocheter in my freshman year,” Sepulveda said.

Sheppard highlighted many similar themes, such as the aforementioned family spark.

“My sister crochets, and I tried to learn over the summer, but I kind of failed,” Sheppard said. “I heard about Knitting Club and thought I’d love to

pioneering new perspectives

“The thing about ‘Men on Boats’ that made it different was that it specifically caters towards noncisgendered white men, i.e., everybody in the cast is a non-cisgendered white man,” Tiwari said. “By casting non-men, we are in male drag, and we kind of bring this humor to the show, because we are trying to dramatize what the original expedition was like.”

Tiwari initially put herself forward for the role of O.G. Howland, when she selected a monologue from the show to deliver at the auditions. But at callbacks, which largely consisted of scene work and chemistry reads due to the ensemble-driven nature of the show, Tiwari was asked to read for William Dunn, Powell’s right-hand man.

Stage manager Reid Rasmussen ’27 mentioned that another way in which “Men on Boats” differs from past productions is the use of a traverse stage, which makes navigating the space more complex than usual.

“The staging is different than a traditional proscenium stage, so instead of just having the audience on one side, there are audiences on two sides of this stage,” Rasmussen said. “Instead of traditional stage directions, we’ve been using cardinal directions, so the audience is on the east and west sides. It’s very different in that you have to be more aware of more of your periphery.”

Cathcart highlighted how they felt strongly about performing “Men on Boats” on a two-sided alley stage as a way of challenging their students to explore blocking and performance beyond the classic proscenium.

“Those spaces require different muscle memory, different engagement with [the] audience, and so I felt like that was a valuable lab for the acting students, but also for the design students,” Cathcart said. “The stage configuration required them to also think about their designs in ways that they wouldn’t have.”

While rehearsing “Men on Boats,” Cathcart said the crew focused on creating a strong sense of connection among the cast, as the show is propelled largely by interpersonal relationships.

“It’s a highly ensemble-driven show, and so being able to work as a team in that way builds a lot of trust

and a lot of camaraderie, a lot of things that actually tie in really nicely with the characters in the show and the kind of the overarching story,” Cathcart said.

Tiwari explained that working with this specific group of peers created a positive environment, particularly as actors worked toward telling the story of settler colonialism from a fresh perspective.

“The point of this show is to defy stereotypes and to defy norms,” Tiwari said. “During table work, we really talked about what our purpose was, what our goal was for doing this show, and our characters are all these white men who have been the narrators of history for decades — centuries. Anything in history about anybody other than a cis white man has been told to us by cis white men, and this is our opportunity to kind of take back the narrative and tell their story.”

Rasmussen noted that “Men on Boats” is first and foremost a comedy, but a comedy that additionally urges the audience to look beyond the surface of the historical narratives commonly presented to us.

“It brings joy while also allowing for introspection of how we tell the story of westward expansion,” Rasmussen said. “It’s glorified in a lot of ways, and I think this pokes fun at that in a really very tasteful way.”

After being an assistant stage manager for the production “A Year with Frog and Toad” last semester, Rasmussen was approached by their production manager about being the stage manager for “Men on Boats.” For this show, Rasmussen explained that they have loved taking on a more senior role in the production, particularly during tech and performance week.

“The stage manager is very much like the captain’s face of the ship because, at this point, the director’s job is done, and so I will continue through the rest of the show,” Rasmussen said. “I’m supposed to check things every night and make sure nothing’s been damaged or is faulty, and then I send out a report after each performance.”

Rehearsals for “Men on Boats” occurred throughout September, Sundays through Thursdays from 6-10 p.m., and the hours grew as the cast and crew approached tech

and dress rehearsals, as well as performance week itself. Because of the time commitment, Rasmussen pointed out how they faced the challenge of balancing academics and extracurricular passions while in the bulk of rehearsals for the show. Nonetheless, they said the experience of being in “Men on Boats” was well worth the hours spent.

“I came here for school, obviously, but I would like to pursue theater professionally, and so it’s just kind of been finding the balance between balancing my responsibilities as a student,” Rasmussen said. “There have been a lot of late nights. I will not lie. I’ve been very fueled by caffeine for the past couple of weeks, but things have been going really well, and I’ve had a lot of help from members of the theater department. Everyone has been very incredible and very receptive to help.”

To mitigate fatigue, Cathcart shared that they endeavored to pace the rehearsal process so that the cast and crew could continue to perform at their maximum capacity for a sustained period of time.

Furthermore, Tiwari reflected on how she valued the tight-knit nature of the cast and the traditions they created together during the intensive rehearsal period. She described how the group often commenced each rehearsal with a mental check-in and warm-up game, and ended it by going to dinner together.

Before stepping onto the stage in front of a packed house, Tiwari and her fellow cast members played music in the dressing room and gave positive affirmations to one another.

“We all listen to music to get ourselves pumped up, and we give each other hugs, usually,” Tiwari said.

“Men on Boats” was sold out for every performance all weekend, and the final performance took place on Oct. 6. at 2 p.m. Rasmussen said that, although they will miss working on the show, the transient nature of the performing arts is what they love most about theater.

“My favorite part of any show is watching things grow,” Rasmussen said. “And it’s always so sad to see it come to an end, but I think that’s the most beautiful thing about theater; it’s temporal.”

learn how to knit.”

Sepulveda assured that knitting can be a relaxing hobby, but that it can also be quite frustrating until after the learning curve. She explained that building a smooth, consistent knitting rhythm and mastering tension take practice.

Sheppard, who had never knitted before joining the club this year, noted that it took two meetings and a couple of YouTube videos to learn. As a lefty, Sheppard appreciated fellow left-handed members who could help teach her properly, unlike her right-handed sister.

“I keep messing up, but I’m getting a lot better,” Sheppard said.

Knitting Club works to be a calm, safe space for students to dedicate time to working on their hobby and to clear their minds from schoolwork and screen time.

“When I’m focusing on knitting, all of the other little tasks and voices in my head just go away,” Sepulveda said. “It’s a good mental release for me.”

Sheppard felt the same, highlighting many of the positive benefits that knitting can have for those who participate.

“[Knitting’s] a nice break and a way to do something with your hands,” Sheppard said. “Knitting quiets your mind, and it’s a nice vibe.”

For many, relaxing these days might mean scrolling through Instagram, watching YouTube or playing video games, but Griessel expressed appreciation for how knitting gives the eyes a break and the hands something else to do besides holding a phone.

At the Knitting Club, the members believe anyone can knit and anyone is welcome, crocheters included, to join the circle. Sepulveda shared that she prides herself

and her fellow knitters on crafting a positive, friendly environment with a relaxed atmosphere.

“You can talk if you feel like talking, but, if you don’t, you can still be around people without the pressure to socialize,” Sepulveda said. “We’re very antisocial-friendly.”

Socializing is, of course, still very much encouraged, and the room where meetings take place is almost never silent. Griessel also described how meetings are often backdropped by movies or music from a collaborative Spotify playlist to help add to the atmosphere. The most recently featured film was ‘80s classic, “Clue.”

With work, class, assignments and graduate school applications filling Sepulveda’s schedule, setting time aside for knitting is crucial for maintaining a sense of balance. At present, her current project is a cardigan for a friend’s birthday. Griessel, meanwhile, is progressing on a blanket, which, she admitted, will likely be a longer project. Larger projects like Griessel’s blanket, and other more complex patterns like cardigans, are optional but available for anyone at any level who wants to take on the challenge.

For beginners who want to contribute to a larger project but are not yet confident in their skills, Knitting Club has an ongoing, club-wide project made of nothing more than basic stitches. Simple knit squares are sewn into quilts for the Williamsburg House of Mercy’s homelessness care center each semester, as part of a collective effort to knit a difference in the community beyond campus.

From socks to hats to scarves to quilts, Knitting Club wants to ensure anyone has the freedom to make anything. Dues are optional for the organization,

deadlines do not exist and members are welcome to come as often as they want.

“Nobody here is forcing you to do anything, and it’s really nice to have the time and space to do whatever project you’re working on,” Sheppard said. Though a skill-based club with some members working with high-level projects, Knitting Club seeks to still be very beginner-friendly and beginner-oriented. After all, Sepulveda stressed that the main goal of the club is to get people into the hobby and excited about knitting.

“Everyone here is so nice and willing to help anyone else, so it’s a special community we have,” Sepulveda said.

For budding knitters and crocheters who want to join the community, club meetings are held in Tucker 120 on Tuesday and Tucker 111 Thursday from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., with no supplies required except an open mind and open hands.

EDEN LEAVEY // THE FLAT HAT

SOUTH ASIAN CELEBRATION

Afsana,

South Asian Interfaith Organization teach traditional dance at Garba Night

Friday, Oct. 4, the lights in the Sadler Center’s Chesapeake rooms were dimmed and the smell of paneer began wafting into the Atrium. Te College of William and Mary’s Afsana dance team came together in collaboration with South Asian Interfaith Organization to host their annual Garba Night celebration. Te festivities featured performances from Afsana, dance lessons for attendees, presentations about South Asian culture and a spread of foods from the region.

In one of the presentations delivered by SAIO, it was explained that in many South Asian cultures, the Garba dance is traditionally performed throughout the Navratri, a nine-day festival that celebrates the Hindu deity Durga, the feminine form of divinity, and her nine forms, with each of the nine nights celebrating one of the diferent forms. While Navratri is celebrated many ways throughout the South Asian subcontinent, the Garba dance itself is a community circle dance that originates in the Northwestern Indian state of Gujarat.

Te night began with dance lessons from the captains of Afsana. Afsana co-captain Arya Rajesh ’26 noted that the team chose easier dance moves from the Gujarati region that they could easily teach. Additionally, Rajesh highlighted how dancing is used in South Asian culture as a form of communication and expression.

Afsana member Himani Radva ’28 was raised in India and shared how participating in the dances allowed her to connect to her home.

“It brings me back to Indian roots, because I am Indian, and I’ve been in India for a super long time,” Radva said. “So obviously, coming here, I’m not going to have that much touch with my Indian roots. So I’m happy that there are nights like this that are here for me too.”

Attendee Anjali Krishnan ’27 is also from India, and she said her family celebrates with Garba each year. Krishnan explained how coming to the College’s Garba night celebration allowed her to celebrate the important holiday away from home.

“It helps with homesickness and it also helps me fnd my own space on campus,” Krishnan said. “Tese traditions are so familiar to me. It’s what I grew up with, and it just helps me fnd my roots. It’s so helpful with staying grounded and staying happy.”

Hindu, Sikh and Jain Students Association member Pooja Muthuraj ’25 said she was most excited to learn the Garba dance and see celebrations from other parts of South Asia.

“I think there’s such an incredible energy that you get when you’re dancing with a group of people who are all new to it and all super excited to learn about a culture that might not be their own,” Muthuraj said. “Like for me, personally, even if I am Hindu, Garba is not something that my family traditionally practices. So it’s a new tradition for me and something that I really love learning about and engaging in.”

While some attendees participated in the dance circle, others had the option to decorate Dandiya sticks. Te sticks are used to keep the beat of the dance and symbolize the swords used by the goddess Durga during her battle with the demon Mahishasura.

SAIO vice president Tanvi Padole ’25 explained that the organization partnered with Afsana to include other cultural aspects of the festival, like the Dandiya stick decorating.

“We wanted to be able to bring our cultural and religious knowledge into something like this, because this is an inherently religious activity,” Padole said.

During dance breaks, the SAIO executive board gave presentations about the diferent festivities held during Navratri and how it is celebrated across the South Asian subcontinent. For example, in Southern India, somber, decorative altars are created to honor Durga, while in Eastern India, the nighttime sees people visit temporary temples that are constructed throughout cities. SAIO president Meeran Khan ’25 also noted how bringing in diferent activism

organizations can bring awareness to diferent social problems experienced by the South Asian community, like environmental issues and domestic abuse.

Padole emphasized that the presentations were important to give context as to what the diferent celebrations mean and represent.

“I’ve noticed at a lot of these cultural religious events you see a lot of people coming just for the food and sitting down and then leaving. We did not want that to happen,” Padole said. “We wanted people to know that this is not just about the food. It’s about having people come over and really understand what the meaning behind is. It is for people like us. Tis is a very important holiday for a lot of people, because it’s celebrated across India.”

Khan mentioned that the festivities of the event were also adapted to be celebrated in the United States, but that they still retain many features that are seen annually in India.

“Specifcally in South Asia, there will be giant felds and all throughout the nights people go with their friends and get dressed up and everything,” Khan said. “It’s also a time to meet other youth. In America, especially in New Jersey and places with higher Gujarati populations, you’ll get in gymnasiums and diferent community centers and there’s huge events.”

For Khan, coming together with people that share his culture has helped create a very important safe space for celebration. He refected on how, being a religious minority, he appreciates having a space to share cultural traditions.

“I feel like [as] a South Asian, sometimes we don’t really talk about our politics back at home because we think it separates us as diaspora people,” Khan said. “But within the diaspora, we see a lot of the things that exist back at home that we bring over here, so it’s important to talk about it. Having a space where people can process that sort of information and learn more, it’s a very important space to have, and I’m very grateful for it.”

PROMOTING PUBLIC POLICY

Te Public Policy Club has given students across the felds of public policy, public health, government, economics and international relations a space to come together informally for years, but it was only launched as a recognized student organization this year. It ofers a variety of opportunities to connect with public policy from diferent angles: social and career-oriented events, speaker talks and a semester-long community engagement project.

Public Policy Club co-president Logan Synder ’27 described developing a strong connection to the organization specifcally through its semester-long projects, or as he refers to them, passion projects. Introduced by last year’s club president Dylan Gurl ’26, these passion projects are intended to turn members’ specifc interests in areas of public policy into concrete actions that create tangible change around them.

“Public policy has such a broad scope of felds that a lot of people that are involved in it are doing what they do because they are passionate about a topic,” Snyder said. “Te semester project allows us to channel that passion into an actual event where we make an impact. Tat’s the beauty of public policy. It’s not just the study of policy, it’s how can we change and grow to better these issues. And that’s why we really do it.”

Last fall, the club focused its eforts on civic engagement, visiting local elementary schools to speak on the importance of voting, engaging in community-led service projects and learning about the primary issues faced within the schools.

Tis semester, the club is turning its attention to the environment through a proposed largescale project in collaboration with the Mcleod Tyler Wellness Center. Te group aims to revitalize the Wellness Center gardening space and to reestablish an active and long-lasting cultivation of that neglected area. It is currently focusing on outreach to other organizations like Botany Club, and it is applying to the Green Fee Fund to receive a grant from the College in support of the project.

Brooke Drozdowski ’27, a member of Public Policy Club, shared the rewarding nature of participating in these projects.

“Being a part of outreach projects is rewarding in terms of applying what I have learned in class to the real world,” said Drozdowski. “Personally, I am meeting new people and making connections with people who have goals that are similarly aligned to mine.”

The club has grown rapidly in membership and offerings as a result of its newly found status as an official organization, with the opportunity to present at the activities fair significantly boosting its visibility and presence on campus. Co-president Ander Erickson ’27 shared his goals for gaining and retaining engagement from students.

“If you do the same thing every week, we worry that engagement is going to go down,” Erickson said. “We want to bring value to the people who show up every week, whether that is learning about something from a speaker that comes, learning how to apply to jobs, learning what jobs are available or working on something that you are passionate about, like the passion projects that we do.”

To diversify club activities while undertaking the larger-scale environment project, the club is still actively engaging in volunteer opportunities by inviting high school groups from the local Williamsburg area to hear about the importance of voting in the current election cycle.

Erickson and Snyder also expect to be joined at upcoming meetings by speakers from the Virginia General Assembly and alumni working in Washington D.C., to emphasize the role that younger generations play in the democratic process.

In the selection of these speakers, the copresidents underlined their commitment to upholding bipartisanship within the club, even as they welcome discussions related to the election season during club meetings.

“We don’t want to feed people information on what their opinions should be. We want them to make their opinions for themselves,” Erickson said. “We’re not inviting only Democrats to speak. We want Republicans to speak to our club, and independent think tanks as well.”

Te club is actively working to increase the frequency with which it hosts speaker events, with the current goal being two a month. It leverages connections provided to it from associate teaching professor of public policy Alexandra Joose, and its programming chair surveys club members on their speaker and policy region preferences. Te job hiring cycle also informs their desired speakers, with campaign workers prioritized in the spring and federal jobs in the fall.

Tis past month, the club hosted co-founder of InSight Public Afairs Joshua Lamel and Kelsey Wright, the chief of staf for a Virginia delegate. Tese speaker talks ofered valuable opportunities for club members to network and learn more about jobs in diferent areas of public policy. For instance, Snyder connected with Lamel after his talk and was able to schedule one-on-one time to discuss his personal professional goals.

“I had a two hour conversation with him two days after the event about my career aspirations, what I want to do,” Snyder said. “He was great for advice.”

Students wanting to connect with peers about public policy or gain valuable career advice from alumni can stop by Chancellors 219 on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m., to join in on the opportunities the Public Policy Club has to ofer.

AGGIE RIGO SAITTA // FLAT HAT VARIETY ASSOC.

HANNAH SAWYER // FLAT HAT VARIETY ASSOC.

GRAPHIC BY THOMAS SMITH / THE FLAT HAT

JULIANA GOMIEN / THE FLAT HAT

JULIANA GOMIEN / THE FLAT HAT

JULIANA GOMIEN / THE FLAT HAT

sports

Green and Gold comes up short on Senior Day, loses 3-2

to Shackford, the team spent its downtime resting, recovering and working on finishing and focusing in the attacking third.

Sunday, Oct. 6, William and Mary women’s soccer (7-6, 2-3 CAA) fell to conference foe Charleston (8-3-3, 1-2-2 CAA) 3-2 at Martin Family Stadium in Williamsburg, Va. The defeat extended the Tribe’s losing streak to a season-high three games.

The afternoon began with a Senior Day celebration honoring the Tribe’s nine upcoming graduates, a class that powered William and Mary to its first winning season in seven years in 2023. Those recognized at the ceremony were defender Nicole Sellers, forward Elaina Longjohn, midfielder Mia Suchora, defender Marisa McClure, defender Emma D’Alesandro, midfielder Gabriella Kurtas, forward Leah Iglesias, midfielder Abby Mills and goalkeeper Morgan Wood.

“It’s always great to be able to celebrate the seniors in a way that honors all of the work they’ve put in the past four or five years,” Tribe head coach Julie Shackford said. “Really strong class, and I’m really looking forward to today.”

The Tribe was given a week to prepare for Charleston, marking its longest break since conference play began Sept. 19. William and Mary struggled to capitalize on offensive opportunities in late-September losses to Monmouth and Delaware, taking 20 combined shots but failing to score a goal in either game; according

At the time of kickoff, William and Mary held a 5-1-5 all-time record against Charleston, had never lost to the Cougars in Williamsburg and had not dropped a game in the series since 2018. However, this Charleston team posed considerable threats on both offense and defense; entering Sunday afternoon, the Cougars boasted one of the highest goals-per-game averages in the Coastal Athletic Association and recorded eight shutouts on the season.

“I think [Charleston is] super athletic,” Shackford said. “Their front four is as good as any in the league, and as always, I think the first goal is key, but it should be another great conference battle as they all are.”

The Cougars demonstrated their attacking prowess from the opening whistle, generating multiple opportunities in the game’s opening minutes and quickly manufacturing a breakthrough. With 34 minutes remaining in the first half, Charleston junior forward Emma Wennar received a pass deep in Tribe territory, dribbled through the defense and deposited a sliding shot just past the outstretched arms of Wood. For the third consecutive game, William and Mary lost the battle of the first goal, one of Shackford’s main points of emphasis.

But unlike its performances against Monmouth and Delaware, the Green and Gold responded to Charleston almost instantly. Less than two minutes after Wennar scored, the Tribe pushed the ball down the field and generated a corner kick, which was taken by Kurtas. The senior midfielder’s cross bounced off Cougars senior goalkeeper Savannah Barron and into the goal, tying the game and giving Kurtas the rare distinction of scoring directly from a corner.

Unfortunately, the Tribe failed to generate any more offensive production; Charleston controlled the ball for the rest of the first half and held William and Mary to just one more shot attempt before the break. Charleston junior defender Lilli Ray put her team up 2-1 at the 33-minute mark, and the visiting team took the lead into the locker room, having outshot the Tribe by a dominant 13-2 margin.

William and Mary looked reinvigorated in the second half, taking five shots and scoring another goal courtesy of junior forward Ivey Crain, but Wennar’s second goal of the afternoon staked Charleston to yet another lead and put the game out of reach. The Tribe’s best opportunities to equalize came in the 56th minute, when shots from freshman defender Peyton Costello and senior defender Marisa McClure went just wide, but a Cougar defensive stand denied the home team from equalizing. The victory moves the Cougars out of the bottom of the conference leaderboard and marks Charleston’s first Coastal Athletic Association win of the season, first overall win since Sept. 15 and first-ever win in Williamsburg. William and Mary falls to 2-3 in conference play and drops into a tie for eighth place in the CAA standings. After winning seven out of eight games from Aug. 25 to Sept. 22, the Tribe are now suffering through its first threegame losing streak since Sept. 3, 2021.

William and Mary will look to rebound when it takes on CAA elite Elon (9-1-1, 4-1 CAA) Thursday, Oct. 10 at Rudd Field in Elon, N.C.

Tribe falls to Northeastern, faces back-to-back losses against Huskies

Fifth-year outside hitter Maddie Meyers records 16 kills Friday, 10 Saturday

MAX GRILL

FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR

Friday, Oct. 4 and Saturday, Oct. 5, William and Mary volleyball (5-10, 1-5 CAA) fell to Coastal Athletic Association foe Northeastern (77, 5-1 CAA) in back-to-back matches at the Cabot Center in Boston, Mass.

Entering Friday’s matchup fresh off of its first inter-conference win of the season, the Tribe marched into Cabot Center looking to slow down the Huskies, who have won three of their first four conference matches in 2024.

The first match of the weekend started evenly for both teams. After multiple kills from fifthyear outside hitter Maddie Meyers and junior opposite Nicole Smith, the Tribe took a 12-9 mid-set lead. After multiple traded points by both teams, the Green and Gold slowly increased its lead to 20-15 following an untimely Huskies

service error. Northeastern then went on a run of their own, outscoring William and Mary 10-5 and tying the score at 25-25. After an attack error, back-to-back kills from graduate student middle blocker Sabrina Malcolm and Smith secured the first set for the Green and Gold, giving them a strong 1-0 set lead to start the weekend.

The Huskies completely dominated the second set. After another even start, Northeastern quickly pulled away from the visiting Tribe, taking a 16-7 lead following two William and Mary errors and three offensive kills. The Huskies continued extending their lead, stretching the margin to 12 before winning the second set 25-16.

Now tied 1-1, the Green and Gold looked to bounce back and take the pivotal third set. After being tied 9-9, William and Mary began slowly pulling away, thanks to kills from junior middle blocker Olivia Esposito, Meyers and sophomore outside hitter Audrey Brcka. The Huskies had no

cure for the Green and Gold, and as the set ended, the visiting Tribe took a 2-1 set lead following a 25-17 win in the third.

In the fourth, Northeastern wasted no time taking a strong lead. After consecutive Tribe errors and multiple Northeastern kills, the Huskies extended their lead to 19-12. However, the Green and Gold showed no sign of giving up easily. William and Mary took off on a 13-5 run, earning a 25-24 lead following back-toback kills from sophomore opposite Katherine Arnason to force a tie-break for the fourth set.

After a Huskies kill, two untimely Green and Gold errors halted the Tribe’s momentum, giving the Huskies the fourth with just one final 15-point set to play.

In the fifth, William and Mary played from behind from the get-go. After falling behind 3-2 following a kill from Northeastern sophomore middle blocker Beatrice Gennari, the Green and

Gold failed to close the gap. The game finished with a 15-10 Huskies set win, and despite showing strong signs early on, the Tribe’s early CAA struggles continued as it dropped game one of the weekend series.

On Saturday, the Huskies dominated in all three sets they played. After getting edged out 26-24 in the first set, William and Mary was outscored 50-30 in the second and third sets, losing 25-11 in the second and 25-19 in the third. Freshman outside hitter Brynn Smith led the way for the Huskies, racking up a game-leading 13 kills throughout the match. Meyers led the Tribe with 10 kills of her own, but despite the team’s effort, Northeastern proved to be too strong of an opponent to overcome.

The Green and Gold will look to get back in the win column next weekend when it hosts Delaware (9-4, 5-1 CAA) Oct. 12 and 13 at Kaplan Arena in Williamsburg, Va.

against No. 17 Elon, loses 2-1

Saturday, Oct. 5, William and Mary men’s soccer (4-6, 2-2 CAA) fell to No. 17 Elon (8-2-1, 4-1 CAA) 2-1 at Rudd Field in Elon, N.C.

Coming off a 4-0 shutout against North Carolina, Wilmington (2-4-4, 2-2 CAA) last week, the Tribe looked to continue its strong Coastal Athletic Association play on Saturday.

The Green and Gold heavily relied on its defense in the first half. Though the first 15 minutes saw back-and-forth action, the Phoenix offense ultimately took control.

In the 28th minute, Elon junior midfielder Connor Mucchetti attempted to put the Phoenix on the scoreboard with a header. William and Mary sophomore goalkeeper Ryan Eapen caught the ball before it reached the top left back of the net, recording his first save of the game.

The Tribe defense had little time to recover. In the 30th minute, sophomore midfielder Aidan Morrison deflected an Elon free kick targeting the center of the net, keeping the score knotted at 0-0.

Just over seven minutes later, Elon sophomore forward Jordin Wilson failed to convert on a shot of his own, courtesy of another Eapen save.

The final four minutes of the half saw fast-pace offensive action from the Phoenix.

After back-to-back attempts from Elon senior midfielder Calle Edelstam in the 41st and 42nd minutes, the Phoenix finally opened the scoring.

At the 41 minute, 22 second mark, Elon senior midfielder Scott Vatne fired the ball into the top left corner of the net, thanks to an Edelstam assist.

Three minutes later, Phoenix redshirt junior midfielder Ryan Manna crossed the ball to senior forward Petro Klishch. Klishch headed the ball past Eapen, securing Elon’s second goal of the half and extending the Phoenix lead to 2-0.

Outshot 8-0 in the first half, the Green and Gold successfully picked up its offensive pace in the remaining 45 minute half of play.

Freshman forward Tre Barrett —

who scored two of the Tribe’s four goals against UNCW last week — recorded William and Mary’s first

shot on goal at the 48:39 mark. The Tribe defense stayed on guard, with Eapen making a diving save to his right just under two minutes later.

In the 54th minute, Morrison received the ball from Tribe sophomore midfielder/forward Gabe Ruitenberg and attempted to put the Green and Gold on the scoreboard.

Though his shot failed to convert, Morrison struck back in the 61st minute. Following a corner, Morrison received the ball just outside the 6-yard box, slotting it past Elon senior goalkeeper Tomasz Wroblewski. The goal marked Morrison’s second of the season and fourth for the Tribe.

The Tribe defense remained vigilant, with Eapen securing his fourth and final save of the matchup at the 66:18 mark. Despite persistent efforts, the Green and Gold failed to equalize the score.

At the 80:39 mark, junior defender Bryce Smith attempted to even up the game with a shot off the top right corner. However, the ball failed to pass Wroblewski, keeping the score at 2-1.

In the 81st minute, William and Mary junior forward Sam Delgado came close to finding another Tribe goal. Wroblewski saved Delgado’s shot from the middle of the box, which targeted the bottom left corner of the goal.

Despite earning two more corner kicks in the remaining 10 minutes of the game, the Tribe fell short, and the score remained at 2-1.

Although the Phoenix outshot the

Green and Gold 15-9, the away team held an impressive 9-7 edge in the second half.

Additionally, Eapen posted a .667 save percentage, contributing four more saves to his season total of 34. Saturday, Oct. 12, William and Mary aims to get back in the win column against Monmouth (51-5, 2-3 CAA) at Martin Family Stadium at Albert-Daly Field in Williamsburg, Va.

MADDIE MOHAMADI

sports

Green and Gold rush for season-high 434 yards in largest win of season Tribe shines during Family Weekend, beats Hampton 49-7

Saturday, Sept. 28, William and Mary football (4-2, 1-1 CAA) dominated Hampton (3-3, 0-2 CAA) 49-7 at Walter J. Zable Stadium in Williamsburg, Va. Eager to see the 3-1 team continue its winning streak, parents visiting for William and Mary’s Family Weekend packed the stands.

After losing nine of its last 10 games against the Tribe, however, Hampton was determined to snap the Tribe’s streak

“This game is personal,” Hampton junior running back Ja’Quan Snipes said prior to the matchup.

“It’s definitely a sour taste in our mouth, and we are bringing back that animosity from last year,” Hampton graduate student defensive back Xavier Marshall said.

Having come off a three-game winning streak to end the previous season, the Pirates walked into Zable Stadium feeling more confident, especially with their rotation of Snipes and senior running backs Elijah Burris and Tymere Robinson.

“When you can have three running backs coming at you throughout the whole game, it also wears you down,” Hampton head coach Trent Boykin said.

Hampton ranks as a top rushing attack team and 13th in the nation for yards per game on the ground (208.0).

William and Mary, however, also touts a reputation for strong rushing stats. Senior running back Bronson Yoder reached a career high of 166 yards in the Tribe’s previous game against Furman. William and Mary also ranks No. 5 nationally in rushing (243.5).

In addition to carrying competitive offensive talent, William and Mary prepared for Hampton’s rotation tactic.

According to freshman offensive lineman Charles Stewart, Tribe coaches emphasized offensive tempo to disrupt the Pirates’ subbing habits, especially for Hampton’s many defensive linemen.

“We have a lot of really athletic linemen,” Stewart said, expressing confidence in the Tribe’s ability to match up.

Teeming with competitive energy, both teams were set for kickoff around 6 p.m.

The Tribe received the kick after Hampton deferred its coin toss win. Redshirt sophomore kicker Brian Csehoski started off the game for the Pirates, sending the ball 64 yards to William and Mary freshman wide receiver Armon Wright, who returned the ball for 22 yards.

The Tribe had a shaky start, receiving a false start penalty and fumbling the ball at its own 37-yard line one minute, 30 seconds into the game. Hampton freshman tight end/defensive lineman Richard Kramer recovered the ball.

Troubles didn’t last long for the Tribe, however, when William and Mary junior cornerback Jalen Jones intercepted a pass from Hampton redshirt junior quarterback Chris Zellous at the Green and Gold’s 24-yard line. Standout players Yoder and senior running back Malachi Imoh rushed up left field in back-to-back plays. Another offensive penalty against the Tribe sent the team back 10 yards to its own 27-yard line. Senior quarterback Darius Wilson passed down the middle to senior receiver Hollis Mathis, who gained eight yards and a first down for the Green and Gold. Though William and Mary gained momentum back from its initial possession, its offensive run was shortlived after Hampton redshirt junior defensive lineman Rodrick Dorsey sacked Wilson two plays later. Senior kicker Ruben Anderson punted 39 yards for the Tribe, which Pirates freshman wide receiver Brennan Ridley received at Hampton’s 25-yard line. Burris and Zellous sent Hampton storming up

the field with a series of successful rushes. Burris scored the first touchdown of the game with less than five minutes left in the first quarter.

Wright returned the Pirates’ punt with a 39yard run, but the Tribe lost 10 yards to another holding penalty. Sophomore Sean McElwain caught a short pass and gained 34 yards, taking the Tribe to its own 44-yard line for a first down. In a subsequent play, Wilson zipped the ball up the middle to Mathis, who juked out two Hampton defenders for 12 yards and a first down at the opponent’s 37-yard line. A later rush up the middle by Wilson placed the Green and Gold at the 7-yard line. With less than a minute left in the first quarter, Wilson sent a pass to senior wide receiver DreSean Kendrick, who caught the ball at the back of the end zone despite severe defensive pressure. Kendrick’s score left the game tied 7-7 at the end of the first quarter.

Three minutes into the second quarter, the Tribe defense shut down Hampton’s offensive run when senior linebacker Jonathan Hammond sacked Pirates redshirt senior quarterback Malcolm Mays.

The next Tribe possession saw Wilson feed Imoh the ball for an 11 yard left rush rush, gaining a first down for the Green and Gold on its 41-yard line. Only a few plays later, Imoh rushed through the defense from the Hampton 14-yard line for William and Mary’s second touchdown of the game.

The Pirates’ following possession began poorly with Tribe junior defensive lineman Davin Dzidzienyo sacking Zellous for a loss of 1 yard. The Green and Gold defense continued to shut down its opponent’s offense, forcing Csehoski to punt 22 yards from the William and Mary 46-yard line less than four minutes later.

The Tribe marched up the field, with McElwain snagging two short passes and 26 yards for the Green and Gold. Yoder breezed past defense from the Hampton 36-yard line for the home team’s third touchdown. Senior kicker Eric Bernstein continued his streak of good conversions for the tribe, leaving the score 21-7 for the last two minutes of the second quarter.

The Tribe defense persistently pressured Hampton, with Jones blocking a pass intended for Pirates junior wide receiver Kymari Gray at the 50 yard line on the first play. Another incomplete pass by Zellous and a failed rush costing Hampton three yards by Burris forced Pirates redshirt freshman kicker Brett Starling to punt less than a minute after the team regained offensive possession.

Starting its offensive possession off strong, Wilson threw two successful passes before the Tribe called a timeout. After an incomplete pass to Imoh, Wilson rushed the middle to the Hampton 22 for a first down. William and Mary called another timeout with 30 seconds left on the clock. Displaying good hands throughout the game, McElwain grabbed another 14 yards and a

first down for the Tribe after a short throw from Wilson. However, the home team found itself stuck at Hampton’s 2-yard line until the end of the first half.

William and Mary sophomore kicker Josh McCormick started off the third quarter with a 65-yard boot. Hampton found its offensive possession to be short-lived, with the Tribe defense halting rush attempts made by Burris and forcing the Pirates to punt only 1:30 into the second half.

Kendrick momentarily muffed Hampton’s 48yard punt, but Tribe senior safety Latrelle SmithLeaks scooped the ball at the 5-yard line.

The Green and Gold made a steady push up the field with drives by Yoder and Imoh, as well as receptions by Kendrick and Guilford.

However, back-to-back penalties against the Tribe for pass interference by Yoder and illegal motion by redshirt freshman wide receiver Garrett Robertson sent the home team back a combined 20 yards. Hampton graduate student linebacker Jamar Darboe forced Imoh to fumble out of bounds, cutting the Tribe’s run short.

Despite these offensive troubles, the Tribe defense entered the field ready to shut down the Pirates. After a short run by Snipes up the middle for 2 yards at the Hampton 8, sophomore outside linebacker Christian Hamm and freshman linebacker Elijah Rainer crushed Mays, pushing the Pirates back 7 yards and forcing them to take a timeout.

Desperate with a third-and-15 on Hampton’s 1-yard line, Robinson rushed the middle, only to meet senior linebackers Alex Washington and Quinn Osborne. The Pirates gained no yards, punting the ball to the Tribe with five minutes left in the third quarter.

Flaunting its rushing talent, the Tribe saw a series of runs from Wilson, Yoder and Hollis, working its way up from the Hampton 27. The Green and Gold scored its fourth touchdown of the game, courtesy of a Wilson middle rush.

With a minute left in the third quarter, McCormick punted 65 yards, resulting in a Hampton touchback. HU finished out the period at the 41 after runs by Burris and Snipes.

As the quarter came to a close, tensions between players reached a boiling point. The animosity Hampton brought to the game escalated into a mass altercation in the middle of the field, with referees breaking up the shoving between multiple players. Unsportsmanlike conduct penalties called on both teams canceled out.

Going into the final quarter, the energy of the game had a new charge, with the Tribe furthering their lead with Hampton unable to reduce the deficit.

The Pirates resumed possession with thirdand-6 on their 41-yard line. Zellous successfully connected with redshirt freshman wide receiver MarShawn Ferguson Jr. for the first down at the Hampton 49. Back-to-back runs by Robinson kept the away team moving up the field until a false start penalty on Gray at the William and Mary 42 threw Hampton off its rhythm. Three incomplete passes by Zellous broken up by Dzidzienyo, Smith-Leaks and redshirt freshman defensive back Sascha Garcia forced a Hampton turnover on downs.

Leaving the Pirates no time to breathe after a change in possession, Imoh sped up the field 15 yards to William and Mary’s 49-yard line. Plays by Yoder and Mathis brought the Tribe swiftly up the field. McElwain secured a catch at the Hampton 29 before snagging the Green and Gold an extra 23 yards and a first down. A personal foul called on Robertson, however, sent the Tribe back 15 yards to a firstand-10 on the Hampton 20. Undeterred by the setback, Imoh wasted no time in getting another first down and touchdown for the Tribe in just two plays.

With a win for Tribe clearly in the bag, lineups for both teams began shifting. Defensive pressure by the home team caused Mays to fumble, recover and hurry plays. Cracking under the Tribe’s aggression, Starling punted after under two minutes of possession.

The Tribe wasted no time in pushing up the field. Replacing Wilson for the remainder of the game, sophomore quarterback Tyler Hughes breezed past Hampton’s defense 56 yards, providing a taste of what was yet to come. Only two plays later, Hughes caught the Pirates defense on its heels for an 8-yard rush up the middle into the endzone. With over five minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Tribe extended its lead to 42-7. Freshman kicker Sam Braidwood booted 65 yards to Hampton, setting the away team up at the 25-yard line. Unable to connect a pass the first two plays, Mays finally tossed the ball to sophomore running back Donovan Shepard at the Hampton 23 for a 13-yard run, only to lose 10 yards to a holding penalty by Ferguson. At thirdand-7 on the Pirates 28, Tribe sophomore outside linebacker Cade Mattive cut Shepard’s run short at the Hampton 31-yard line, convincing the opponents to punt. Wright returned to the William and Mary 28, with freshman running back Josh Miller gaining another 6 yards in the following play.

Hughes rushed another 66 yards for the final touchdown of the game. Drilling the conversion down the middle of the posts, Bernstein delivered the final points of the matchup.

Hampton’s final possession could not make it past the 34-yard line, turning over on downs.

The Family Weekend contest ended in William and Mary’s possession, with redshirt freshman quarterback Noah Brannock kneeling at the 34yard line.

In true Tribe football fashion, the home team racked up impressive rushing stats, gaining 434 net yards by the end of the game, 130 of which were contributed by Hughes within the final quarter. The Tribe also touted a passing completion percentage of 84%, looming over Hamptons 43%. It wasn’t just the offense that flaunted successful stats. Tribe defense delivered three sacks to Hampton’s two quarterbacks, as well as an interception and five pass breakups.

“A big emphasis all this week was making sure we exiled both of them, not only the running back who had a couple good games, but the quarterback, too,” Osborne, who delivered a season-high of eight tackles during the game, said.

Head coach Mike London commended Wilson and Osborne for their offensive and defensive efforts.

“I thought our guys, once again, played hard, played tough, played gritty,” London said.“When they scored first, you think, ‘Oh no, here we go again.’ It wasn’t that at all, that kind of mentality. It made us go, ‘what do we gotta do?’” Saturday, Oct. 5 William and Mary lost to Towson (2-3, 1-1 CAA) 34-27 at Johnny Unitas Stadium in Towson, Md.

The Tribe looks to regain its winning streak in its third CAA matchup against Campbell (24, 0-2 CAA) Sunday, Oct. 19 at Walter J. Zable in Williamsburg, Va.

ANALIESE KELLER

JONAH PETERS/ THE FLAT HAT

After losing to Towson Oct. 5, William and Mary dropped to 17th in Football Championship Subdivision standings.

JONAH PETERS/ THE FLAT HAT

Senior linebacker Quinn Osborne finished with eight total tackles during the Tribeʼs 49-7 win against Hampton.

JONAH PETERS/ THE FLAT HAT

The Green and Gold now sit seventh in CAA standings.

JONAH PETERS/ THE FLAT HAT

The Tribe heavily relied on its rush offense during its matchup against Hampton, rushing for a season-high 434 yards.