Vol. 106, Iss. 6 | Tuesday, September 27, 2016
The Flat Hat The Weekly Student Newspaper
of The College of William and Mary
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BOV
BOV
Physics dept. takes initiative
Data science program plans revealed Thurs.
Plans for engineering track announced to BOV
Minor to help careers
EMILY CHAUMONT FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR
EMILY CHAUMONT FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR
Just three hours after a tour of the new Integrated Science Center Sept. 22, the Board of Visitors sat down to hear a presentation on developments in science curricula at the College of William and Mary. These developments were presented as part of the Provost’s Report Thursday. One such effort includes a proposed major in engineering physics and applied design. Vice Provost for Research Dennis Manos said it is important to emphasize that a traditional engineering degree program is not what’s being proposed. He cited schools like Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia and said that there are already places in Virginia where students can pursue engineering degrees. Instead, he said that this proposed program would be a new way of focusing and looking at existing programs in physics and applied science. “Our intent is to leverage our strengths by blending two great complementary forces at William and Mary,” Manos said. “Namely, faculty expertise with liberal arts education and student desire to use technology to change and to improve the world.” Rather than referring to the proposed program as a major, physics professor Wouter Deconinck called it a “curricular track.” The proposed program would incorporate more breadth in terms of design courses, simulation courses, specialty labs and business courses. Additionally, the program would focus on the COLL 400 capstone requirement. Rather than having students work one-on-one with a professor doing research, students would work in teams of four to six with mentors from science and business, producing prototypes and plans for solving tasks based on real-world problems. This would incorporate the proposed engineering physics and See ENGINEERING page 3
COLLEGE LIGHTS UP FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN, EMPIRE STATE BUILDING On Sept. 29, the Empire State Building will light up in green and gold as the College of William and Mary celebrates the New York kickoff of the For the Bold campaign. With $577.5 million raised for the billion-dollar campaign as of June 30, 2016, the College is beginning a series of regional campaign launches. These launches will be starting with the green and gold blaze in the Big Apple on Thursday. The lighting of the tower will coincide with a jazz program and strolling supper at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall at the Time Warner Center in New York City. The College was able to secure the lighting of the Empire State building Thursday free of charge. They did this by submitting a tower lighting request application to the Empire State Realty Trust, the company that owns the structure. — Flat Hat Chief Staff Writer Emily Martell
A curricular change of pace
College shifts focus to interdisciplinary learning SARAH SMITH FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR
Following a College of William and Mary-wide push for the creation of new academic programs, members of the Board of Visitors heard updates on the status of two science-related programs last week. Additionally, the College will unveil minors in Native Studies and museum studies in the coming months. When Vice Provost for Research Dennis Manos updated the BOV on the progress of its engineering and design initiative, he emphasized that the engineering initiative would not be like that of other universities. Instead, the program will include more hands-on “makerspaces.” These makerspaces are laboratory spaces designed for collaborative learning and creating. “Our intent is to leverage our strengths by blending two great complementary forces at William and Mary,” Manos said. “Namely, faculty expertise with liberal arts education and student desire to use technology to change and improve the world.” In terms of expanding other science programs, the College will now offer a minor in data sciences. These classes will allow students to work with data in ways that apply to various majors. One student, Emma Lather ’19, created a major that would allow her to study data in a way that impacts environmental science. “I think it’s important that the College is creating new academic programs to offer the students both subjects that they’re interested in and opportunities to learn skills that will make them attractive to future employers,” Lather said. Following other long-term pushes for new curriculum, the College will begin offering an anthropology minor
in Native Studies in the spring 2017 semester. According to anthropology professor Kathleen Bragdon, one of the founders of the program, the minor was created in part to offer something of interest to many students and native peoples in surrounding communities. “We are trying to think very creatively in advance about how to fit our classes into the COLL system,” Bragdon said. “The minor is primarily housed in anthropology, but it very much incorporates courses in native topics from every department with interest.” Bragdon said that she hopes the program can be a freestanding major one day, because she believes many people will find this program to be very interesting. She said she hopes that this minor will allow students to have an enhanced group-learning experience instead of traditional academic classes. This major follows the liberal arts model, and includes classes from the linguistics, history, English and anthropology departments. Additionally, Bragdon said she hopes that in the future the minor will allow students to form relationships with local reservations and native peoples that will fit within the COLL requirements. While it is still unclear what exactly this minor will entail, the College will also begin to offer a minor in museum studies. This minor would allow students to collaborate with the Muscarelle Museum of Art and the art department. The Native Studies major will be the first ready at the College, but the rest are being developed for the next semesters. “This is incredibly important work,” College President Taylor Reveley said. “You are all doing a marvelous job of getting into it. This really, really matters to the future of William and Mary. Deliver quickly.”
See DATA SCIENCE page 3
ACADEMICS
Native studies minor digs up local history Dept. to launch program SARAH SMITH FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR
Starting in January, students will have the opportunity to declare a new minor in the anthropology department — Native Studies. The minor will include classes focusing on native peoples from North America, South America, Latin America and Polynesia. According to anthropology professor and co-founder of the program Kathleen Bragdon, the minor is an important step to further representation of native people at the College of William and Mary. This minor also aims to draw the interest See NATIVE STUDIES page 4
STUDENT ASSEMBLY
Class of 2020 to fill empty seats in Student Assembly Senate
Freshman elections on Sept. 29 will determine class president, senators SARAH SMITH FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR
This Thursday, the Class of 2020 will elect five representatives to the Student Assembly senate. These representatives will join the 324th session of the senate and will serve until the SA elections in the spring. 12 students are campaigning for the position of Class of 2020 president, and 22 students are campaigning for one of four positions as Class of 2020 senators. Class presidential candidate Kelsey Vita ’20 says that she decided to campaign because she wanted to increase student involvement in SA. “I want to make sure the freshman class knows they have people to come to,” Vita said. “I want to be able to bring up issues that they have and support new class initiatives.” Vita has proposed building a class website, holding biweekly office hours in Swemromas and hosting monthly townhall-style meetings for students to vote on what projects they want SA to take on.
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TUCKER HIGGINS / THE FLAT HAT
The new Integrated Science Center opened for classes this semester. The building will house classes in newly proposed programs.
As part of a presentation during the Provost’s Report, AidData geospatial scientist Dan Runfola spoke to the Board of Visitors Sept. 22 about work the College of William and Mary is doing to develop a minor in data science. Runfola said that although the College does have opportunities for data science research and investigation — including AidData and specific COLL 100 classes like the one he teaches called Breaking Intuition — there is not a formalized program that allows interested
On her campaign website, Vita lists more ideas that she would like to address if elected to SA. This list includes extending the hours for on-campus dining options, providing more meal plan options for freshmen and extending Student Health Center hours to 24/7. Vita also had identified sustainability as an important issue on campus. “Our college can do a lot more to eliminate waste,” Vita said. “We should set up compost stations around campus by dorms and for certain events on the Sunken Garden. We should also look into electronic recycling and tailgate recycling.” Another class presidential candidate, Kelsey Short ’20, said that she wants to help freshman halls bond since she feels that many freshmen remain separated from their hall mates at this point in the semester. “I just really want to know the class and make sure that everyone has a say in important matters and can voice their ideas and concerns,” Short said. “I want them to be able to come to me. I want to
Thunderstorms, High 75, Low 64
stand out. As president, I would bring the grade together and facilitate our class’s ideas to get us there.” On his campaign website, Rogers lists a four-prong platform focusing on communication between himself and the student body. On his website, Rogers said that he is interesting in making foodwaste recycling as efficient as possible through building relationships with Campus Kitchens and The Food Recovery Network. He also said that he would like to hold Class of 2020-specific events, including dances and holiday parties. “Inclusivity is a huge goal,” Rogers said on his website. “I will constantly have my eye towards bringing our class together. I never want to only know people I agree with. I’m hoping these events will introduce us to new friends who will challenge us. ... If elected, I plan to create a system in which you can find other freshman [sic] who share a class with you. Through this, you can find study partners for you to get even better grades.” Campaigning began Sept. 19 at midnight.
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make everyone’s year unforgettable.” Two issues that Short has identified as important on campus are sustainability — particularly related to recycling — and finance in SA. To connect with students and share her platform, Short filmed a short video that included biographical information about herself as well as interviews with some of her friends. “I have a friend in Student Assembly who’s told me a little bit about it,” Short said. “So far I’ve liked looking at the finance that they do. But I’d want to see what the freshmen want us to look into first.” Class presidential candidate Caleb Rogers ’20 said that for him, serving as class president would help him represent the College of William in Mary. “I’ve always been involved[/ interested] in politics,” Rogers said in an email. “William and Mary has been a dream of mine for a long while now, so I have always wanted to represent the school. I would like 2020 to mean something at William and Mary. We can be another graduating class or we can
Brendan Doyle ’20 discusses the influence of the Colin Kaepernick national anthem controversy and how William and Mary students can carry the discussion further. page 5
The Flat Hat reviews the Green Leafe Take a look into a sampling of the Green Leafe’s updated fare. page 8
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Donald Trump just gets it. I mean, he’s the genuine article. Trump’s a doer in a game usually reserved for talkers. — United States Vice Presidential candidate Mike Pence at a Williamsburg rally, Tuesday Sept. 20
SARAH SMITH // FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR
From her days in high school to her dreams for 2032, Student Assembly President Eboni Brown ’17 has played a “presidential” role in what she is passionate about. A 30-minute window was all it took to put her future plans in motion.
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When I’m not doing all that, you can catch me taking a nap nine out of 10 times. I also just started CrossFit, so there’s that. Sometimes people just see me in this role as SA president, but I’m a senior. I’m a normal student. I can’t stand going in the parking garage just like everyone else.
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theflatchat A THOUSAND WORDS
— Eboni
SARAH RUIZ / THE FLAT HAT
CORRECTIONS The Flat Hat wishes to correct any facts printed incorrectly. Corrections may be submitted by email to the editor of the section in which the incorrect information was printed. Requests for corrections will be accepted at any time.
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Eboni Brown ’17 talks SA title, senior year bucket list Page 2 Spotlight
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Brown ’17
Brown grew up in Hopewell, Va., a small town south of Richmond. She said that at her high school, universities like the College of William and Mary were not presented as options to her and her classmates. However, when Brown received a William and Mary leadership award and her guidance counselor told her to apply, she did so within only 30 minutes of the deadline. “William and Mary gave me money, and a big push for me was making sure that I wasn’t putting my parents in debt to go to school,” Brown said. “I really didn’t want to make them work longer to help me go to school. When I got here I loved the campus, loved the people. I really fell in love with Williamsburg. It’s a great fit for my educational needs and my life needs.” For Brown, coming from a small town has shaped her experience at the College. She said that unlike many students here, she is a first-generation student and feels that it is important for her to reach out to her home-town to encourage others in her place to succeed. “A lot of people don’t make it out of Hopewell because they don’t have the means for their own upward mobility,” Brown said. “I am really making sure that I can reach back and pull people up. That’s why I say I’m putting Hopewell on the map. It’s important that Hopewell scholars can see William and Mary as not just an
option, but to be able to say that they could definitely make it here or at Harvard or at any school. They can have success beyond their wildest dreams.” Brown joked that she has always been competitive, and said that she fell in love with being her high school’s student body president. When she got to the College, she knew that SA was something she wanted to get involved in. During her first year, she ran for the position of Vice President of Social Affairs and won. Since then, she has only increased her involvement with SA. “I fell in love with the opportunity that SA has to make sure that we represent all students,” Brown said. “We can really be the concentrated voice for a class.” During her sophomore year, Brown switched over to SA senate, where she served as senate historian and secretary of the finance committee under former SA President Yohance Whitaker ’16. During her junior year, she became chair of the finance committee and senate secretary. “I wanted to do all I could for the class of 2017,” Brown said. “I knew that in the role I was in I wanted to be able to represent more than just my class, which is why I decided to run with Hannah [McKiernan ’17] because I felt that we had the passion and motivation to make real change at William and Mary. I hope that when we leave we can see that it is in a better position than when we came in.” When Brown isn’t busy at SA cabinet meetings or planning campus-wide events — which she said there are four of this week — she can be found at her internship or planning philanthropy events for her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta. Brown also served as the orientation area director for the Green and Gold Village and currently serves as a multicultural recruitment intern for undergraduate admissions. Since she likes to stay busy, she is also involved in the College’s NAACP program and Essence: Women of Color. “When I’m not doing all that, you can catch me taking a nap nine out of 10 times,” Brown said. “I also just started CrossFit, so there’s that. Sometimes people just see me in this role as SA president, but I’m a senior. I’m a normal student. I can’t stand going in the parking garage just like everyone else.” As far as academics go, Brown is a government and Africana studies double major. Brown wants to use the combination of these majors to pursue education after graduation. While she is not sure which degree route she wants to follow, she knows she wants to teach either history or math. During past summers, Brown has taught Algebra Two to ninth graders in Norfolk, Va. Brown’s plans for her future career don’t end there — she plans to run for Hopewell’s City Council and maybe even her district’s seat in the Virginia House of Delegates. After a few years in her career in education, she hopes to be a school principal, superintendent or the United States Secretary of Education. “The ultimate goal when I came to William and Mary was to be the first female president of the United States,” Brown said.
“Seeing Hillary Clinton doing so well this election has been disheartening, but maybe I can still be the first black female president. But for now, post-graduation means being a teacher. I’ve been so blessed to have the opportunities I’ve had here and have had privileges that my classmates at Hopewell don’t all have.” While Brown has held a variety of titles at the College, she said there are many traditional College experiences she is yet to have — although she did make it to the soccer house during April’s last day of classes. Her bucket list includes things like being invited to a date party, attempting a portion of the Triathlon — preferably if the Crim Dell freezes over again — and going on a cider walk in Colonial Williamsburg. One fun experience that Brown said she has had at the College is taking the Adventure Games class. “The people here will be my fondest memory of this place,” Brown said. “I have these titles of being president, but I’ll take away the title of being a member of this tribe.”
SARAH SMITH / THE FLAT HAT
Brown was inaugurated as SA president on April 6.
POLICE BEAT
Sept. 23 - 26 1
Friday, Sept. 23 — A larceny was reported on Merrimac Trail.
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Friday, Sept. 23 — Damaged property was reported on Dunning Street.
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Sunday, Sept. 25 — A hit and run was reported on Merrimac Trail.
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Sunday, Sept. 25 — An individual was arrested for being drunk in public and using profane language on Richmond Road.
The Flat Hat
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Page 3
POLITICS
Professors launch presidential polling campaign Government department partners with TargetSmart, collects voter data HANK BLACKBURN THE FLAT HAT
Three College of William and Mary professors have teamed up with polling-aggregate company TargetSmart to create and provide voter-intent and opinion polls leading up to the Nov. 8 general election. Government professors Jaime Settle, Dan Maliniak and Ron Rapoport are working with TargetSmart in an effort to provide accurate, diversified voter data for the upcoming election season. The project, which will conduct polling and collect data in the battleground states of Ohio, Florida and possibly Pennsylvania, will observe statewide opinions on candidates and expected voter turnout. TargetSmart has previously been chosen by Pew Research as the baseline for a study on voting habits. According to Rapoport, TargetSmart was competing against multiple companies to provide the data to Pew. “[Pew] felt that TargetSmart did the best work … they have a very strong reputation,” Rapoport said. “Pew’s selection of them is very, very impressive.” Ranging from the national presidential race to
the U.S. senatorial races, these upcoming elections will be covered by the College’s TargetSmart team. The primary focus of the partnership will be to analyze the presidential race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump by conducting opinion polls on the candidates and providing public data on voter turnout to campaigns. The team will also focus on senatorial campaigns, including the re-election campaigns of Florida Republican Marco Rubio and Ohio Republican Rob Portman, providing data on a state level about how those races might turn out. With regards to polling, the team will provide information on voter history and the likelihood to vote in relation to aspects such as gender, race and age, showing trends among each of those categories and candidate preference. The first step of the project’s data collection involves finding out what the current electorate will look like, on which TargetSmart has already recorded and found data. Citizens’ voter history is public information, so data companies are able to find public records and sift through bytes of data for analysis. According to Maliniak, having past voter history data can help determine trends in what the future electorate will look like, giving a
better idea of the overall poll makeup. “[TargetSmart has] compiled all these data on peoples’ voting history and linked it to a variety of data that are publicly available or that they’ve been able to collect, which allows us to get a better model of what the electorate will look like, what turnout will look like as well, and potentially making it easier to better calibrate the poll to best match what the actual turnout will look like,” Maliniak said. Next, the team will collect information on voter intent — whether people plan to vote in the upcoming election or not. This is done with internet surveys and phone calls, allowing individuals to say whether or not they plan to vote on Super Tuesday. Internet surveys will form the bulk of self-reported information by potential voters, with phone calls helping to supplement areas where information is low in order to have a more representative sample for the study. “It’s cheaper to go via the internet … so we’re going to try to get as much of the group as we can that way and supplement in areas that we’re low with phone calls,” Maliniak said. The data collected will not be restricted to
individuals working with the project. Government students of the College will be able to access and model with these responses, bringing real data into the classroom. “We made the deal that the data would be available for students to use in classes or independent study,” Rapoport said. The professors said that they expect this relationship to create better options for students, particularly those interested in the field of political polling and analysis. TargetSmart pollster Matt Taverna ’04 works on the team and said that he hopes the partnership between the College and TargetSmart continues to develop and present new prospects for work. “I’m not the only William and Mary alum here, either, so the school doesn’t have a lack of reputation among people in the company,” Taverna said. “I’d love to see how this relationship grows and gives new opportunities to students at the College.” Taverna plans to come visit the College sometime in the near future to help TargetSmart form a connection with the student body. The first sets of polling data are projected to be available before the Sept. 26 presidential debate.
ACADEMICS
CWA, College partner to offer lifelong learning opportunities Senior citizens, retired adults take academic classes through Williamsburg program NIA KITCHIN THE FLAT HAT
The Christopher Wren Association for Lifelong Learning is “a way to expand your horizons” according to Chuck Buell, who has been taking courses in the program for 12 years now. The CWA is a self-supporting organization sponsored by the College of William and Mary that provides continued learning experiences primarily for senior citizens. None of the courses in the course catalog include assignments or grades. According to economics professor Dan Gaske, members take these courses because they are interested in what is going on in the world and because they like to get out and meet people. “The classes I teach are almost more facilitated discussions than a lecture, so we have a lot of interchange between me and the students and between the students,” Gaske said. He also said that since there are no assignments or grades, he can simply enjoy teaching the class. CWA member Joan Byerly said that classes gave her a new outlet for the passion she had while she was working. “I had recently retired from my position as a law librarian with the US Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals,” Byerly said. The two to three-hour classes have breaks in the middle for tea and cookies, which provide an opportunity for socializing with classmates. Gaske said that this is an important part of the program and that one of the main reasons people take these courses is for the
socialization. “The classes keep me up to date with the world, plus I’m meeting all these new people,” Buell said. “I’m much more well-rounded than I would have been otherwise.” Classes of non-traditional students, such as those in the CWA, contribute to a learning environment that is different from that of a traditional classroom, according to Gaske. “They do have life experience, therefore they actually bring more to the discussion than a traditional undergraduate would,” Gaske said. “Someone in my class was president of a bank, someone signed up for a class on currency markets that ran his own foreign exchange trading firm. You get people that have more than just an academic exposure to the topic, I mean they lived it. And they are very willing to discuss.” One of the differences between a traditional College class and a CWA class is that traditional students take classes to get degrees while CWA students do not. Gaske said that this difference sometimes keeps students in traditional classes from participating as much. Buell said that one of the best parts of being a student in the CWA program is how different the classes are from traditional collegiate courses. “One of the first classes I took was [taught by] a guy who was at the CIA, he was head of operations, he was our chief spy, he talked about Russia and Poland and confrontation with the USSR,” Buell said. Byerly and Buell agreed that the professors are knowledgeable
and interesting. Byerly added that some professors have spent their lives involved with the subject matter of their courses, while others have had a passion for the subject and have independently researched and prepared for teaching the class.
TUCKER HIGGINS / THE FLAT HAT
Adults in Williamsburg community take classes from Christopher Wren Association.
College announces new engineering, design initiative during BOV meeting Engineering program will function as curricular track within physics department, not as a separate degree ENGINEERING from page 1
applied design major into the COLL curriculum and solidify its status as an interdisciplinary program. Deconinck said that he has been trying to get other people to think more about ways the College could implement engineering into its curriculum since he arrived in 2010. One of the ways he encourages engineering work at the College is by running the Small Hall Makerspace alongside physics professor Josh Erlich. Located in William H. Small Hall room 143, the Makerspace houses tools such as a 3D printer, Oculus Rift,
various drills and saws and other tools that are available for use by students and faculty. Deconinck said that, although the College has had “other activities that have been makerspacelike,” the Small Hall Makerspace was the first to focus on openness and drawing in a diverse range of students. “I think the Small Hall Makerspace was the first place where we really tried to make it a primary objective to make it accessible to all students, all faculty, all staff,” Deconinck said. “It doesn’t really matter what project you’re working on as long as you’re using the new technologies to create something.” The Small Hall Makerspace has inspired the creation of other spaces
around campus that operate with similar ideals. These spaces include Morton 140, a space catered to humanities students looking to do research on sensing and infrastructure, the GIS lab in Swem Library, spaces in Andrews Hall for studio art students, and more. Physics professor Bill Cooke spoke at the Provost’s Report BOV meeting and called attention to the increased number of and focus on makerspaces at the College. He said that physics majors have doubled in the last five years and, although a degree in physics is excellent preparation for graduate school, the proposed engineering
physics and applied design track would better prepare students to enter the private sector. “They want to be able to apply a physics degree to something useful,” Cooke said to laughter from the Board. Cooke said the proposed program would continue to give students a deep background in science, but broaden the existing program. Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Kate Conley said in an email that existing STEM programs at the College are important to current and prospective students and the introduction of this proposed engineering physics and applied design program would only add to the
College’s academic appeal. “STEM programs are already strong at W&M and play an important part in our role as a leading liberal arts university along with our arts & humanities and social science programs,” Conley said in an email. Deconinck said he sees potential in the College’s new efforts toward more interdisciplinary majors, minors and curricular tracks that would not necessarily be bound to disciplines in the sciences. “I think once this engineering physics and applied design major has started,” Deconinck said, “I think you’ll see similar initiatives in other departments.”
Board of Vistors hears preview of data science minor, plans to grow more interdisciplinary studies at College Some students who already self-designed majors, minors in data sciences, spoke out as examples during Provost’s BOV committee meeting DATA SCIENCE from page 1
students to pursue data science as a field of study. According to Runfola, some of the few data science classes offered at the College are often closed off to populations of interested students because of high-level prerequisite classes. “We want to open this type of coursework up to different types of students,” Runfola said. He mentioned a few of these students by name, including Emma Lather ’19, who he advises in her self-designed data science major. Lather said that in addition to a statistics course she took in her senior year of high school, taking Breaking Intuition with Runfola her first year at the College was what made her interested in studying data science. “It was the epitome of an interdisciplinary course
and I loved it,” Lather said. “It made me really interested in the story you can find in masses of numbers.” Lather said she is excited at the possibility of more curricular infrastructure being put into place to support additional work in data science at the College. She said she sees a demand for classes in the subject area. “I think it’s important to pay attention to which classes people take, because people take things that they think are relevant to their interests,” Lather said. “I think tracking what classes people take and how that changes over time can help the College.” Lather said that with Runfola’s guidance, she has been putting together classes in computer science and statistics that she can incorporate into her selfdesigned major. However, she said she has had trouble finding classes she wants to include and
hopes the College will begin to offer more courses in data science because of the role she says it plays in today’s society. “Data is becoming more important for our everyday lives and careers. With the rise of social media, big data is a much more significant part of how a lot of sectors of business operate,” Lather said. “Certain skills will make a student more desirable to employers and having classes that teach those skills is very useful.” Like Lather, Runfola also expressed a desire to offer more classes in data science and to make the classes that are already offered available to more students. One of the slides in Runfola’s presentation demonstrated how difficult it is for some students to take data science classes, showing that a student interested in taking the course Introduction to
Simulation would need seven prerequisite classes, a requirement that would be a severe impediment to any student not already majoring in math or computer science. To Runfola, hiring more faculty that specialize in data science is a crucial step toward opening up more classes in the subject. “We have been very active in hiring new faculty members who have been very eager to do this type of research,” Runfola said. Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Kate Conley said in an email that although the plan for a data science minor is still in the works and has not yet been implemented, she is supportive of the interest in developing the program. “New faculty require resources,” Conley said in an email. “My request for a budget will start that conversation.”
The Flat Hat
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Page 4
ELECTIONS
Mike Pence rallies in Colonial Williamsburg Student activists, Planned Parenthood protest outside of presidential rally LEONOR GRAVE FLAT HAT COPY CHIEF
Heavy rain did not deter a fervent crowd of Donald Trump supporters from gathering in the hundreds in front of the Capitol Building in Williamsburg last Tuesday Sept. 20 to hear a speech from Indiana Governor and Republican Vice-Presidential candidate Mike Pence. After Former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore introduced him, Pence thanked the crowd for making it out despite the rainy weather. “Thanks for being out on what we call a moist evening,” Pence said. “But you know where I come from in the Hoosier state, rain is a good thing. And tonight we’re showing the media and we’re showing the world that this is a movement that’s going to elect Donald Trump as the next President of the United States of America.” In his stump speech, Pence touched on the usual Trump campaign talking points. Both Gilmore and Pence emphasized that just because former Governor and Senator Tim Kaine is on the Democratic ticket, does not mean Republican candidates will not fight to win Virginia’s 13 electoral votes. “Virginians are tough,” Pence said. “And you’re going to bring Virginia home for Donald Trump.” He stressed Trump’s authenticity, fighting spirit and independence as some of his biggest strengths. “Donald Trump just gets it. I mean, he’s the genuine article,” Pence said. “Trump’s a doer in a game usually reserved for talkers.” Pence said that Trump is committed to honoring the men and women who built this country, and that the Trump campaign believes in advancing the idea of the American Dream. Pence also underscored Trump’s commitment to supporting law enforcement officers and restoring law and order.
LEONOR GRAVE / THE FLAT HAT
Students from the College protested at last Tuesday night’s Pence Williamsburg rally.
“Donald Trump will never forget the men and women who stand on the thin blue line of law enforcement,” Pence said. He went on to condemn President Barack Obama’s administration’s international policy, which he characterized as weak. Pence focused on Trump’s commitment to rebuilding the military and strengthening its alliances. “Strength does not give comfort to the adversaries of the United States of America, weakness does,” Pence said. “Donald Trump and I know, America needs to be strong for the world to be safe.” According to Pence, the economy has also been harmed by the Obama administration and would only worsen under a Hillary Clinton administration. “They tell us this economy is the best that we can do, but Donald Trump and I and all of you here on this rainy night know, it’s nowhere near the best that we can do, it’s just the best they can do,” Pence said. “And when Donald Trump becomes President of the United States of America, we’re going to get this economy moving for all the people of Virginia, and for all the people of the United States of America.” In terms of economic policy, Pence said Donald Trump’s plan includes lowering taxes across the board and encouraging growth, in addition to ending the “War on Coal” and adopting an “all-of-theabove” energy strategy. According to Pence, Trump would also bring about an upheaval of the status quo in Washington, D.C. When Pence accused Clinton of being corrupt, the crowd erupted in chants of, “Lock her up.” Meanwhile, from beyond the event enclosure, protestors chanted refrains like, “Build bridges not walls” and, “Immigrants make America great.” Despite highlighting many of the problems the United States faces in his speech, Pence also said that he and Trump have hope for national unity. “We will always believe that there is more that unites the people of the United States of America than will ever divide us,” Pence said. Students from the College of William and Mary were among those present at the rally. Kristina Posner ’20 said she came to the event to become better informed on the vice-presidential candidate. “I think Trump is the best candidate in our country, and our country would be better off having Trump versus having another candidate, and I wanted to show my support at this rally and learn more about his VP Pence,” Posner said. Corey Solomon ’19 was also at the rally in support of Trump. “Why do I support Trump? Mainly because I don’t like Hillary,” Solomon said. Solomon said that Clinton’s dishonesty and untrustworthiness throughout her time as a candidate and as Secretary of State were his key concerns. He said what he likes best about Pence is his Christian values. “I like [Pence’s] social policies of Christianity and how he supports the strong nuclear family and how it’s necessary in
America,” Solomon said. The rally area was fenced off and surrounded by security, and while it was held in front of the Capitol, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation was not affiliated with the event. “The rally, which was approved by the City of Williamsburg, is not a Colonial Williamsburg event,” Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Public Relations Manager Joseph Straw said in a written statement. “The event will be held on public property and will be managed using city resources. As a 501(c)(3) organization, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation does not endorse any particular candidate or political party.” On the other side of the fence, protestors gathered in opposition to the rally. Protestors included elected Democratic officials, as well as students from the College, Williamsburg residents and visitors. Virginia Legislative Black Caucus Chair and State Senator Mamie Locke said she felt it was important to be at this event because of Donald Trump’s history with the birther movement targeted at President Obama. “He’s a bigot, and has been for a long time,” Locke said. “And he’s demonstrated that over and over again, in so many ways, from his life in the corporate world and throughout this campaign.” Also present was Virginia Delegate Marcia Price, who expressed her opposition to Trump’s campaign rhetoric. “This was too close to my neck of the woods to not come up and make my voice be heard in my opposition to the divisive, racist, sexist and xenophobic rhetoric that I’ve heard from the Republican presidential nominee,” Price said. Many of the student protestors were members of VOX: Voices for Planned Parenthood, a club focused on reproductive justice issues. For VOX member Jennifer Horowitz ’18, there are many reasons to vote for Clinton and Kaine over Trump and Pence, but their stance on women’s rights is a good place to start. “Clinton and Kaine support Planned Parenthood, and support every individual’s right to choice, and Pence and Trump do not,” Horowitz said. “Pence wants to defund Planned Parenthood, which is a resource that many college students at William and Mary use and rely on.” Jonathan Glasser, assistant professor of anthropology at the College, focused on the Trump campaign’s racial rhetoric. “It’s outrageous what Trump and Pence are tapping in the U.S. and we need to say that it’s not alright,” Glasser said. “I think that the willingness to use racist language is what really drives me to something like this.” Melissa Hudson ’19 says her core opposition to Trump lies in his core motivations. “I think that everything comes back to this fact that he’s leading from this place of hate,” Hudson said. “I refuse to sit by while other people blindly vote for someone who is going to run this country based on hate.”
DIVERSITY
SPAN mentor program matches up diverse students Student partnership provides unprecedented program for multicultural communities MADELINE MONROE THE FLAT HAT
As Social Event Coordinator for the SPAN Peer Mentoring Program, Ebony Martin ’17 is committed to helping diverse students navigate the College of William and Mary. But, in the beginning, finding her own way was not easy for Martin, who said she needed change after a rough freshman year. “I was like, ‘There’s nothing here for me,’” Martin said. Martin said that she found motivation through SPAN, where, as social chair, she creates events for students to unwind and socialize with each other. SPAN, now in its 10th year is composed of around 50 students. According to Asia Randolph, a graduate assistant for the Center for Student Diversity, the program pairs incoming students (called protégés) with mentors who share similar experiences and/or identities. Among those who applied to the program prior to entering the College is SPAN Mentor Briana
Childs ’19, who said that she was not aware of the cultural resources available to her before SPAN. “When I got in and got my mentor, that was really when I started finding out about the diversity groups, and the, I guess the more student-based resources where you could get help just learning how to manage college for the first time,” Childs said. Other students started in clubs unrelated to diversity. SPAN’s Mentor Education Coordinator Kate Hathaway ’18 said she had to discover those clubs on her own. “I feel like as a freshman I didn’t know of many resources like, diversity-wise or inclusive-wise,” Hathaway said, who did not hear about SPAN until the end of her freshman year. Though she had missed out on being a protégé, Hathaway applied to be a mentor for her sophomore year, and is now a Mentor Education Coordinator for SPAN. She said that she was inspired by the strong friendship she shares with her protégé. Hathaway helps the current mentors navigate their role in hopes that they might form the same strong
bonds with their protégés. Alieka Reid ’18, a mentor for SPAN, said she values how students of different backgrounds and different organizations can come together under a shared appreciation for diversity. “It’s kind of like just seeing how all of these people can be a part of these different things, but it’s all centered around a common theme,” Reid said. Hathaway said she appreciates the inclusivity of SPAN and the safe environment it provides for students to meet and befriend each other. “I just feel like SPAN does a great job of fostering relationships and getting people to meet one another and get out of their comfort zones a bit,” Hathaway said. While SPAN does have requirements to maintain membership in the program, such as regular correspondence with one’s protégé or mentor and a 2.0 minimum GPA for mentors, the program strikes a balance between structure and accessibility. Every student is given the opportunity to engage in a meaningful peer relationship with another student. Though diversity programs have the potential
to be successful once students become involved, students’ opinions on what constitutes a diversity program, and what it means to be a student in a diversity program, varies. “I would define a diverse program that accepts all types of people, and not only accepts all types of people, but prepares for all types of people,” Childs said. Childs continued to say that diversity programs are meant to bring awareness and give students a medium to voice their concerns. Martin spoke on what it means to be a student of a diversity program. “Being a student in a diverse program, in one word, it is complex,” Martin said. “It’s hard, it’s easy. You want to cry. You want to laugh. You want to have fun. You want to get down to business. Like there’s no template for that student.” Through its organic mentor-protégé relationships, SPAN does not seem to adhere to any template. Instead, the program offers students an opportunity to discover what being a part of a diversity program means to them.
New native studies minor launches at College for spring 2017 Minor features interdisciplinary courses in anthropology, history, English departments NATIVE STUDIES from page 1
of more native students and professors to the College. Over the last decade, faculty members including Bragdon have advocated for a major in Native Studies. According to Bragdon, Dean of Arts and Sciences Kate Conley played a large role in bringing this program to the College. “My coworker, Professor MorettiLangholtz, and I agreed that there was a need for representation of native scholars, artists and entrepreneurs,” Bragdon said. “William and Mary has a history with native students that goes back to the Brafferton, which you can now learn about at the Muscarelle. William and Mary sits in a state with 11 recognized tribes. Our feeling is that William and Mary needs to reach out to be better connected to people
with programs of interest of them.” Conley said that since she arrived at the College in 2012, bringing a Native Studies minor has been a priority for her. “Starting a Native studies minor has been a priority for me since I arrived at the College in 2012, as soon as I saw the sign outside of the Brafferton about the history of the Indian School,” Conley said in an email. “I’m delighted that it has now been established in the Anthropology Department and that the program is starting on conjunction with the exhibition at the Muscarelle. Our history in Virginia involves a history of the land we occupy and the place that we live as a university.” Many of the classes that will be offered are in the history, government, anthropology and linguistics departments. Most of these classes are currently offered,
and credit for classes taken in the fall 2016 semester will count for the minor. These classes include Indigenous Literature, Building the Brafferton and Caribbean Linguistics. There are currently 20 classes that fall under this attribute. Students who declare this minor must take 18 qualifying credits. After 10 years, the process for a new academic program being approved by the Educational Policy Committee was streamlined. This means that after the program was proposed, the full faculty body voted on it in March. Now, the faculty is working “creatively” to make classes offered in the minor fit into the College’s COLL curriculum system. As of right now, it is not clear what classes will be eligible to meet COLL requirements. It is also unclear whether or not students who took these classes prior to fall 2016
will be able to credit these classes toward the minor. Bragdon’s academic specialty is in native languages, specifically those from tribes located in New England. She also said that she has some knowledge in languages relevant to Virginia and has worked with some tribes in the area, including the Chickahominy tribe. For her, language reclamation could one day be an institutionalized part of the program. For American Indian Student Association President Vanessa Adkins ’19, the creation of this minor is personally very important. “I’m so thrilled that William and Mary will be offering a Native Studies minor,” Adkins said. “I feel that this program is long overdue, but nevertheless I am very excited. The program has the potential to attract more native students to the College,
something that I am very passionate about. It’s also very exciting because the College is now talking about the darker side of the College’s history, which includes the Brafferton Indian School. This is a great step in the direction on reconciliation and increasing the knowledge of the general student body about the history of Native Americans, as well as other indigenous peoples.” In the future, Bragdon said she would like to see the program provide more coordination for activist efforts and sponsor American Indian authors and activists to come to campus. She would also like to offer a COLL 300 class that could potentially involve working on a reservation off campus. The anthropology department will hold an open house for the Native Studies minor on Wednesday, Sept. 28.
opinions
Opinions Editor Jennifer Cosgrove Opinions Editor Julia Stumbaugh fhopinions@gmail.com // @theflathat
The Flat Hat | Tuesday, September 27, 2016 | Page 5
GUEST COLUMN
The College’s need to start tipping better
Nicholas Phair
FLAT HAT GUEST COLUMNIST
KRISTIE TURKAL / THE FLAT HAT
GUEST COLUMN
Why we should join the national discussion
Brendan Doyle
FLAT HAT GUEST COLUMNIST
In the past few weeks, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has ignited a movement that has spread to the College of William and Mary, protesting police violence against African-Americans during the national anthem, albeit controversially. Simultaneously, multiple innocent African-American men have tragically been gunned down by police, in, at best, questionable context. Where do we go from here? Or, more specifically, how do we go from awareness to action here at the College? As of today, Kaepernick and a handful of others scattered throughout the NFL have definitely raised awareness of these issues. The movement has spread around the country, where many sports teams, including members of the William and Mary men’s soccer team, have knelt for the national anthem. Even fellow players who have not protested the anthem, like Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, have expressed their support for Kaepernick and his sentiments. Newton wrote on his Instagram, “I salute him for standing (in this case kneeling) for something to if not to fix the issues; raise awareness of the issues [sic].” Although many disagree with the way the protest has been carried out, few disagree with its intended message. But, as I’m writing this, there are riots on the streets of Charlotte, after a black man was shot and killed under unclear circumstances Tuesday. Last Friday, an unarmed black man was killed by police in Tulsa. Nothing seems to change when it comes to police brutality in regards to African-Americans. I’m frustrated with society’s inability to change, at least
thus far. But I also believe that the continued conversation about race and its place in American culture and society, will, in time, facilitate change. As a white male, I need to acknowledge my privilege in order to understand what others are going through. I encourage others to do the same. In doing so it becomes easier to realize that others do not have the same untroubled life that I do, and therefore it becomes easier to sympathize and endeavor to make things better. America is a place where peaceful protest can have a huge impact. The way we make our country and the world a better place is by pushing the conversation on inequality in America. Overt racism may not be widespread anymore, but subtler forms of racism are still unfortunately much too common. The best way to combat this is to talk about race and its place in our society. Students in positions of authority at the College need to continue to speak up. The people who know that their words or actions will be heard, like athletes, must be the ones to continue to hold watch. But responsibility also comes to all of us to keep standing up for what we know is right. What our men’s soccer players did was courageous, now it is up to the rest of the student body to continue to show that same courage. On Wednesday, at a press conference, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman spoke up, saying “Something needs to be done. And so when a guy takes a knee, you can ignore it. You can say, ‘He’s not being patriotic, he’s not honoring the flag.’ I’m doing none of those things. I’m saying, straight up, this is wrong and we need to do something.” When athletes such as Sherman, Newton and Kaepernick continue to shine a light on issues facing AfricanAmericans in today’s America, people listen. It is up to the rest of us to keep talking about them, both on campus and back home. We can be those people to do something. Tough conversations like these have the power to change the world. Email Brendan Doyle at bpdoyle@email.wm.edu.
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When athletes such as ... Kaepernick continue to shine a light on issues facing AfricanAmericans ... people listen.
We all know that we should tip delivery people. But did you know that if you don’t, they might not even be making minimum wage? That’s right. The second a Panera Bread employee takes a step out the door with your order, his or her pay drops to $5 an hour. Sub-minimum wage pay isn’t a problem only delivery employees at Panera Bread are burdened with. At Dominos, one of the most popular Dining Dollar options for students at the College of William and Mary, delivery employees depend on tipping to make a living wage. We know this pricing scheme would be ridiculous in other scenarios. Imagine a world where you could decide how much you want to pay for a good or service. Chipotle skimped me on steak? Think I’ll pay $2 less. My Big Mac doesn’t look as good as the one in the picture? Guess I’ll pay half. The line was too long and now I’m late for class? I’m taking this meal for free as compensation for the way I was inconvenienced. Every single day, delivery employees are subject to these unfair pricing mechanisms. Imagine I’d really like Dominos at some ungodly hour of the night, but I’d also rather not walk. Let’s say I would value the ability to teleport there and back at about $10, but let’s be reasonable because we all know that if you’re ordering Dominos late in the night, you are unlikely to get your food for at least an hour. So I would value the ability to teleport there and back an hour after the transaction at $4, and a suitable alternative to the currently impossible teleportation service would be having one of
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When you abstain from tipping, you’re not fighting the man. You’re hurting the little guy. the fine employees of Dominos deliver the pizza to my doorstep. This means, in theory, that I should be paying the delivery driver $4 for his service, no? Yet, because the time to compensate the delivery driver comes after the completion of his or her service and I have not even explicitly agreed to compensate him or her, I could pay $2 for a service I value at $4. I could even pay nothing. The reason the service industry has perpetuated this confusing and generally hated practice is obvious. Tipping is a matter of tricking consumers by dividing the price of food and the price of delivery into explicit and implicit categories. In that way, my $20 Dominos order sneakily becomes $24, but the fact that I am only obligated to pay $20 and end up tipping an additional $4 out of the goodness of my heart certainly feels better than being obligated to pay $24. [2] And that takes me to my central point on tipping — it is an implicit cost of ordering food that, however wrong as a system or not, should always be done. When you abstain from tipping, you’re not fighting the man. You’re hurting the little guy. And if we, as a community at the College hurt the little guy too much, eventually the service of delivery that we all know and love might not be around anymore. Email Nicholas Phair at nwphair@email.wm.edu.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Fraternity and Sorority life has been a part of the William and Mary experience for more than 200 years. Tradition has been a cornerstone of our community since Phi Beta Kappa was founded here in 1776, and our Greek values have linked our community together and continued to resonate for centuries. Our values of leadership, service, and scholarship are not dependent upon traditional, binary understandings of gender and sexuality, but on our common commitment as Greeks to uphold these values in our thoughts, words, and actions. Humans have always had complex gender identities and sexualities; but now, our community is entering a time when we must start engaging in a conversation with the broader campus about these aspects of the human identity and experience. Our community has only recently begun to understand the value of diverse voices and identities, but efforts to improve inclusivity are gaining momentum. The North-American Interfraternity Conference, the trade association for sixty-nine fraternities nationwide, has recently created a transgender inclusion working group to better understand student perspectives and legal issues. This organization, along with many individual fraternities and sororities, has made a decision to promote greater inclusion and thus demonstrated admirable leadership. These groups have taken a risk and challenged their members to expand their definitions of brotherhood and sisterhood to embrace a Greek community that is striving to actively create space for a marginalized community. We affirm that trans individuals have a place in Greek life. We call upon the members of the William & Mary Greek community to explore the many events on campus that highlight the diverse experiences that William & Mary students bring to the College, events like the upcoming talk by genderqueer activist Jacob Tobia on October 19th to show your support for the trans and genderqueer communities. We ask fraternity and sorority members to be humble, to educate themselves, and to be willing to be uncomfortable. We must begin to view ourselves as a part of the broader campus, and show our support for the trans and genderqueer communities here at the College. Though our preconceptions about what Greek communities look like might be changing, our values remain constant, and we should actively welcome all individuals who share those values, no matter who they are, where they come from, or how they identify and express their authentic selves. Joining Greeks for Respect, Inclusion, and Diversity (GRID) is just one way for Greeks to get involved and help our community move toward a more inclusive future. Stop by our table in Sadler later this week to learn more about our work on campus and sign a pledge of support for the trans and genderqueer communities. Sincerely, W&M GRID Initiative Email Alex Winkowski ‘17 , Madeleine Engler ‘17, Meronne Teklu ‘17 at amwinkowski@email.wm.edu, mjengler@email.wm.edu, and meteklu@email.wm.edu.
The Flat Hat
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Page 6
FROM THE WEB
Send that cold email
Carly Martin FLAT HAT BLOGGER
I owe the email so much. Everyone owes the email so much, we use it every day. I’m referring to a specific kind of email, the uncomfortable cold email. The email you send to a complete Dr. Stranger who has been in the science game for so long, who is definitely up to wildly important and intricate business that is clearly a higher priority than anything that has ever crossed the mind of an undergrad. These cold emails can be made to accomplish a number of useful goals, but the act of pressing send for an email destined to a server that rests on a mahogany desk in a prestigious research institution is daunting. But, when that fear is met, the email becomes a universal foot-in-the door for every enterprising, freelance researcher looking for an interesting opportunity in science. Almost every lab in the world has a website with the emails of the top brass in that department, you have your college email, and there is no barrier to correspondence between you and the principal investigator of a lab that’s doing really cool things. The potential for useful knowledge and experiences instigated by these cold emails is usually proportional to the trepidation you feel at the idea of contacting that professional scientist. These lines of communication can lead to internships, useful lab techniques, career advice, opportunities for observation, and access published articles from journals that the college library database does not subscribe to, among so many other things. Science is about advancing the collective, human understanding of the natural world, and most scientists agree, which means that people can be extremely generous with their knowledge in any scientific field. I believe this hesitation is because many young scientists don’t view their work as something that is advancing science. What I find interesting is that, in my experience, a lot of my peer undergraduate scientists (a lot of them just as, or more, knowledgeable as I) don’t realize that this perpetually open and rich channel of communication is available for their use, too. I believe this hesitation is because many young scientists don’t view their work as something that is advancing science. Many of us think that because our work is mainly intended to refine our personal understanding and skill, it must be completely irrelevant to the rest of the scientific world. This is a pure misconception; your principal investigator’s goal for you is indeed to become better versed in the process of science, but they probably wouldn’t make you do something that is actually pointless. That would be a waste of everyone’s time and money. Your research is important, and if there is an experience or wellspring of knowledge that is out there, not within reach of this campus, but certainly within that of the Internet, you should send one out. You have nothing to lose. Just make sure you have a nice gmail account picture that features your face and a professional-ish automatic signature that somehow proves your relevance to science. And get to the point quickly. I challenge you all to send a handful of these to researchers you admire at some point in the near future. I’m saying this at my own peril, because what makes the cold email so effective is that people are usually too afraid to go for it, so as all of you talented researchers implement the cold email strategy, my cold emails become less special. Womp womp. Just kidding. There is so much out there to explore, and so much generosity in the scientific community, that all of us will benefit from more young investigators overcoming fear with scrappiness. Email Carly Martin at cmartin@email.wm.edu.
GRAPHIC BY KRISTIE TURKAL / THE FLAT HAT
Issues with Colonial Williamsburg’s Pence protest
Julia Wicks
FLAT HAT GUEST COLUMNIST
When it was announced that a Mike Pence rally would take place at the Williamsburg Capitol Building, several members of the Tribe decided to protest. The protestors seemed to be well supported by students, based on the reception of the “Overheard at William and Mary” Facebook page, but the local news station, WTKR, was less impressed. They mentioned the protest only briefly in their coverage of the rally, saying that “protestors tried to disrupt things just outside of the event, but Pence continued on speaking for about thirty minutes.” It’s true that the rally attendees would be more likely to take the protest as a vanity act, a product of the “liberal arrogance” that they’re voting against; so if half the people viewing your protest already agree with you and the other half aren’t listening, what’s the point of the protest? I would argue that the value of a protest is not its persuasiveness, but rather what it does for the people carrying it out. Political activism among youth leads to voter representation and greater civic presence, all of which should generally be encouraged. It’s important to act on what you believe in, even in small cases like this, because it’s empowering and sets a good precedent. With that, this incident should be taken as a point in the College of William and Mary’s favor, regardless of your political stance. It shows that the students here are engaged in and passionate about national affairs. At the same time, the form that this action took is reflective of our current political atmosphere, in which people are far more motivated to speak against candidates than for them. By now, it’s old news that many people don’t like any of their presidential options. It’s telling that even the initial rally was
staged ambiguously — it was promoted as a Mike Pence rally, not a Trump/Pence rally. Clearly, Pence is more palatable to the older ex-military voters that make up much of the Republican presence in Williamsburg. Meanwhile, some of Trump’s strongest critics refuse to vote for Hillary Clinton, turning to third-party candidates or declining to vote at all. With that atmosphere, it’s no surprise that a lot of today’s political endorsements are more of a double-negative rather than a positive. This is divisive and destructive, especially in Williamsburg, which has sharp class and age divisions that separate white and black, old and young, military and civilian, “townie” and student. There’s too much for one article here, but the point is that the environment in Williamsburg is already tense and achieving any sense of unity is an uphill battle. At the protest, students chanted, “build bridges, not walls”, likely referring to Trump’s divisive stance on immigration. I want us to try to build bridges between political opponents, even when their beliefs might threaten unity. Protesting is an admirable way to express what you believe in, but it’s not enough on its own. Reach out to the opposition by being proactive instead of reactive. Help people register to vote, spread educational material, promote a more respectful discourse, even hold a pro-Clinton rally. Do everything in your power to remind everyone that this is an election, not a war, by making the statement that you act based on who you are for, not who you are against. It may be too much to hope that we’ll lose the language of conflict; fine, but don’t be the one to provide it. It can be challenging to respect people who don’t seem to respect you. And I want to clarify that this is not a naive, “why can’t we all get along?” sort of request. This is a nasty, polarized race and for all I know, our political system is irreparably broken. Cynicism, feelings of anger and despair are understandable, but what you feel is one thing and how you act is another. Ethics, logic and passion must work together to inform not only what you believe and your desire to act on it, but on how you choose to act. If it is a moral duty to express and act on your values, remember that there’s also a civic duty to try to change the world to align with those values.
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People are far more motivated to speak against candidates than for them.
Email Julia Wicks at jhwicks@email.wm.edu.
The problem with giving lip service to political diversity, but nothing more
Liz Wolfe FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER
Over the past two years at William and Mary, I’ve found that we only give lip service to tolerance. What we really mean by “tolerance” is tolerance for liberal ideas. Conservatives and libertarians are hardly tolerated on our campus — we’re parodied, made fun of, and treated with immense disrespect. As long as liberals occupy the bully pulpit, anything goes. Mitch Hall ‘12 published an article last week in The Federalist that garnered widespread criticism and hate. He deserved the criticism: he severely misunderstood trans issues and sought to represent a community that he seemed to know nothing about. Does this make him a “disgusting individual” or “human garbage,” as some suggested on social media? No. Mitch’s abysmal article deserved criticism, but mob-style character assassinations are counterproductive. This sort of political intolerance and culture of outrage, though, is nothing new. Some conservative ideas deserve criticism ––
notably, Mitch’s article, as well as Thomas Briggs’ article on rape culture. These incidents, as bad as they might have been, do not give social justice liberals license to make other students fear speaking their minds. It’s never been easy to be a conservative on campus, but now is a particularly bad time. We’re associated with the circus act of Milo Yiannopoulos and the alt-right movement, so we’re rarely treated with any semblance of respect. This lack of political diversity is dangerous because college is the ideal place to augment, grow, and challenge existing political beliefs. You will not hold the same priorities forever — in fact, if you’re in your early twenties and think you have every political issue right, you lack a great deal of humility. Politics are rarely as black and white as we think. In my time at the College, I’ve noticed dozens of attempts to ridicule, silence, or otherwise condemn conservative ideas. I’ve had countless professors who have represented abortion as a universal human right. When I attended an art exhibit on micro-aggressions last year, I approached it with an open mind, but a supervising professor tried to convince me that “tone deaf” is a microaggression towards deaf people. I’ve begun to wonder: Are we creating tangible change or are we policing semantics? Offending is not the worst thing you could do to another person, and is a natural and inevitable part of human interaction. For some reason, we’re horribly afraid of it to the point of censorship. It doesn’t end there. Facebook commenters have said ridiculous things, ranging from “Stop White Boys 2015” (in an attempt to silence white, male
commenters voicing opinions on social justice topics) to one who called me responsible for “thousands of rapes,” for voicing that rape is difficult to adjudicate considering our current standards for evidence, and that the college revoking honorary degrees before legal guilt has been decided could set a dangerous precedent. This most recent batch of commenters has been pretty heinous, as well, using phrases like “selfhating closet case” and “drag him by the scalp,” to express their anger at Mitch’s writing and character. Anger is justified in this case, but these brutal responses force me to wonder: Is this really an intellectual community where free discourse can thrive? Nuance is lost in our modern discourse, and conservative voices are silenced. This article itself will probably be painted as a defense of Mitch’s words, as opposed to a critique of the way he (and others) have been treated. Social justice liberals preach a gospel of tolerance and care, but that grace is not extended to many of us –– myself often included. There were the students who went to a Monsanto representative’s lecture, talked over him the whole time, and then failed to answer his question about why GMOs are bad. There were the people who
didn’t want Condoleezza Rice to speak at commencement, calling her a war criminal. Silencing or reducing dissenters isn’t admirable –– it’s cowardly. Taken piecemeal, these incidents are not horrible. As a racial justice advocate, I fully understand how elements of conservative ideology hinder greater acknowledgement of privilege (an important issue). But taken as parts of a whole, we need to examine our commitment to political diversity and think about whether we’re lumping conservative students together with stereotypical Trumpian alt-righters or actually understanding the complexity of their viewpoints. It’s not that conservative voices deserve any special protection. Marginalization of any voice should be fundamentally against the tenets of social justice and equality. Furthermore, it is foolish to assume that no conservative could have anything valuable to add to a political conversation. It is arrogant to assume that half the population is delusional or bigoted, instead of simply reaching different, well-intentioned conclusions. Anger, in times of despair and bigotry, is justified, but reducing and silencing others is indecent. Email Liz Wolfe at elwolfe01@email.wm.edu.
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Is this really an intellectual community where free discourse can thrive?
variety
Variety Editor Sam Dreith Variety Editor Lizzy Flood flathat.variety@gmail.com // @theflathat
The Flat Hat | Tuesday, September 27, 2016 | Page 7
The ’Burg’s gay bar for a night
Students and bar management create an LGBTQ space at Triangle on Thursday nights AKEMI TAMANAHA CHIEF FEATURES WRITER
Last Thursday night, the weather was gloomy and most of Williamsburg was already asleep. The first wave of midterms had already hit the College. Despite the poor weather and busy study schedules, LGBTQ students and allies gathered at Triangle, a local bar, to enjoy a night out with their friends. This was the second Thursday that students gathered for an event called Occupy the Triangle. Triangle also hosted the event a week before. Kyle Lopez ‘17 first organized the event in order to create a space for LGBTQ people to enjoy a night out. “Williamsburg was really lacking in any kind of LGBTQ venue for people to go to,” Lopez said. “I think there used to be one, but it doesn’t really exist anymore. I thought that that was super lame and something that needed to be fixed.” One of the main reasons Lopez chose Triangle was for its space and location. “I saw that with Triangle there was an opportunity to create a space for that just because it’s a little bit more low-key, a little bit further away from the main strip of bars,” Lopez said. The bar also has enough space to have a dance floor that was separate from the bar and lounging areas. This allowed students to dance and mingle without too much crowding. Some students even brought their laptops so they could work at dimly lit tables or outside on the patio. Lopez said he also enjoyed the bar’s decor. In the first event’s Facebook description, he described the bar’s interior as having a “funky aesthetic reminiscent of the red room from Twin Peaks.” He also noted that the bar served delicious, but affordable, drinks and food. Once Lopez had chosen a location, the remaining steps were simple: Lopez created a Facebook event to spread the word. “Historically, gay bars started because gay people went there and that’s all you have to do,” Lopez said. “So I invited all of my friends and people who I don’t know as well. Word got around and people have been going.” Lopez also reached out to the management at Triangle to let them know that they would be using the bar in an attempt to create a space for LGBTQ students. The general manager at Triangle, Matthew Black, was more than happy to accommodate Lopez and his friends. Black said they were thrilled to hear about Lopez’s initiative. “We’ve said from the beginning that we were looking to be a safe place for people,” Black said. “That’s something that’s been really important to us.” Last year, Black said Triangle worked with Spectrum, a group of LGBTQ graduate students, to create a similar event. Unfortunately, organizational
issues prevented the event from taking place. Black said the bar is working with other student groups to create safe space programs. He is currently discussing hosting spoken word poetry nights
Sunday, Sept. 25. Black says second and third drag brunches have seen an increase in student interest. Lopez saw the bar’s commitment to creating safe spaces as yet another reason Triangle would
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I saw that with the Triangle there was an opportunity to create a space for that just because it’s a little bit more low-key, a little bit further awar from the main strip of bars. — Kyle Lopez ‘17 with 16(IX)3, a student group committed to the upholding of Title IX at the College. Triangle also held its third drag brunch this past
be a great place to create an LGBTQ venue. “The willingness was there to create that sort of space, so it was really a match made in heaven,”
Lopez said. According to Black, Lopez was initially unsure how big the turnout would be that first Thursday, but the response to the Facebook event was enthusiastic. It was so busy that Lopez said Black and his staff apologized for their lack of preparation. Despite the bad weather, the second Thursday also had a large turnout. LGBTQ students were excited to finally have a space to call their own. “For me personally, I never felt, not necessarily unsafe, but I didn’t feel included at Paul’s or the Green Leafe or the Crust,” Sam Yu ‘17 said. “I didn’t feel like that was my place.” Both Lopez and Black hope that Occupy the Triangle will become a weekly event. Black said he and his staff are open to students providing their own music and Lopez has already reached out to DJs on campus. He believes there will be more music and dancing each week. Although Lopez chose Triangle, he said that it would be wonderful if other bars and businesses began to host similar events. “There is definite LGBTQ+ presence in Williamsburg,” Lopez said. “We are a very loyal fan base. So if you create an opportunity for the community then people will show up.”
TUCKER HIGGINS / THE FLAT HAT
Students gather around the bar at Triangle on Prince George Street. This upcoming Thursday will be the third night that LGBTQ students and allies will gather at the Triangle.
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
Your sexual preferences might just be subtle racism Rethinking and redefining racial fetishization in a sexually oversaturated world
Mallory Walker BEHIND CLOSED DOORS COLUMNIST
A couple of weeks ago, I was catcalled while walking down Jamestown Road, headphones in, probably thinking about what I was going to eat when I got home to my apartment in Ludwell. I’ve been catcalled before, so I did what I have done every other time some idiot decides to yell “Well how are you doing?” from a moving vehicle. I ignored him. I wasn’t surprised when the result of my silence was yells. But instead of the typical “C’mon baby, don’t you know to speak when you’re spoken to,” what I heard was “F— you n—.” It sucked and it stung but more importantly it got me thinking about the racism that surrounds me. A friend of mine just posted a Facebook status a few days earlier reminding our peers that saying the “N-word” is not cool when you’re not black. She had heard it uttered around campus, sung drunkenly at parties where Kanye West’s music played on loud speakers, and was
understandably upset about what she was experiencing. At this point you’re probably wondering how this whole anecdote relates in any way to sex or relationships or your everyday life. But here’s the thing — racism can be overt, but it can also be subtle, sexualized and sneak its way into your existence, even if you’re not a fan of yelling racial slurs at women of color on their walk home from class. All of us need to check ourselves now and again, so consider this a check-in of the racial fetish variety. Today, we live in a world where one’s racially driven sexual preferences seem to be advertised with very little thought. How many times do we swipe past people on Tinder whose profiles profess “Black guys only” or “Soft spot for black girls?” And if you’re a person of color I bet you live your life hearing iterations of “Is it true what they say about black guys?” or “I totally have yellow and/or jungle fever.” You might be reading this and not understanding that these statements are problematic, and I’ll be honest: I didn’t always get it either. But it’s time to get with the program: the sexual fetishization of a person’s race isn’t a kink — it’s plain old racism. You can be into BDSM or feet or blindfolding — that’s cool. But if your sexual attraction is first and foremost based on the color of someone’s skin, it’s time to rethink what turns you on. If this has you scratching your head, let me break it down for you. A lot of times, and maybe without even realizing it, the fetishization of a specific race is tied to offensive and ultimately incorrect stereotypes. Black women have been seen as sexual objects for the consumption of white men long before I walked down Jamestown Road that day — just ask one of our favorite alums, Thomas Jefferson. Black men were and still are characterized as so grossly sexual that they’ll rape your wives and daughters if they are left unattended. I’m no history major, but even I can see how America’s racist past has left society sexually stereotyping African
Americans. It’s perpetuated by so-called feminists, like Lena Dunham, who continue to push the idea that black men, like Odell Beckham Jr, only see women as potential bedmates. Racism is not cool and no further explanation should be needed. But racism persists in our society in such a way that sometimes you need to sit yourself down and question whether or not the words you speak and the assumptions you make are fueled by prejudice. It’s not ok to reduce the value of people of color to the color of their skin. And while this article may have focused on African Americans, it goes farther than that. Just think about the rhetoric Donald Trump has used when he talks about international affairs. Or the way in which Asian men and women are reduced to asexual, submissive beings.
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. . .the sexual fetishization of a person’s race isn’t a kink — it’s plain old racism.
And to the man who thought I existed for the sole purpose of being a body for him to jeer at: I might be a black woman, but I do not exist for the consumption of any man, especially those with such fragile, white-supremacist masculinities. Mallory Walker is a Behind Closed Doors columnist who is not impressed by scrubs hanging out the passenger side of their best friend’s ride trying to holler at her.
The Flat Hat
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Page 8
The New and Improved Leafe
TUCKER HIGGINS / THE FLAT HAT
Still in the same location on the corner of Scotland Street, the new Green Lafe Cafe kept the old name but changed the exterior from white to green, added a Greek twist to their traditional barfare menu and revamped the inside decor.
Under new ownership, the reopened Green Leafe offers a menu to surprise and savor the spirit of the new Leafe. A plate of Greek kefalograviera cheese is set on the table, where it’s set on fire, put out with lemon and Food barbarically consumed by anyone in close New York style with a Greek twist proximity. The kefalograviera tastes like It was a day of mourning when the Green a hard, white cheese, but with delectable Leafe Cafe was rumored to be shut down. smoky accents from the fire. Worlds were shattered, stomachs were The menu of the old Leafe was not entirely empty and mugs were left depressingly dry. abandoned, as classics like the pretzel basket, Passersby slowed their stride to examine the onion rings and flatbread pizza still provide hallowed structure, hoping for any signs of an outlet for students to get their fix for life, but there were none to be found. timeless bar food. A variety of hand-crafted This summer, the Green Leafe once burgers, like the Greek, the Monkey and the again showed signs of life. George Tsipas, Veggie, serve as the few gourmet sandwiches who also owns Paul’s Deli, purchased our within walking distance of campus. And I old sanctuary and immediately began don’t use gourmet lightly — these burgers renovations on the restaurant. The new Green are overflowing with fresh ingredients, all Leafe, which opened at the beginning of the semester, is the bar Williamsburg needs and honestly, the bar we deserve. Stepping into the Green Leafe, you would think you’d just entered an underground bar in New York City. A new floor plan expands the feel of the space, and what used to look like a well-worn afterthought is now clean and purposeful in design. Dark wood accents engraved with the bar’s name contrast with the stained glass windows, all of which are originals from the first Leafe. Across from the custom-crafted booths, a long bar spans the length of the wall. Warm lighting and fresh tile accents provide a pleasing backdrop for the endless rows of carefully selected drafts and liquors. The separate whiskey bar boasts a similar aesthetic, displaying rows of the beloved distilled beverage, more appropriately called “water of life” in Latin. Along with these renovations, the Green Leafe has completely reconstructed their beneath warm, buttery pretzel buns. menu. Their new offerings manage to For heavier entrees, the new Leafe does match the sophistication of the space while not fall short. A large bowl of flavorful remaining financially accessible to students. mac and cheese is accompanied by crisp “Small Plates” available during happy hour shrimp delicately hanging from the brim. will provide inexpensive means of tasting the The shepherd’s pie — a combination of new Leafe’s offerings. braised lamb, veggies and mashed potatoes, Special plates on the menu allude to the is incredibly wholesome and comforting, a owner’s Greek heritage, with authentic dishes plate that reminds you of home — even if like the delicious roasted lamb gyro, the your mom never made shepherd’s pie. shrimp and scallops gyro and the insanely The new Green Leafe is a leap forward for satisfying spanakopita — all accompanied Williamsburg’s bar scene. With a pristine by their rich, house-made tzatziki sauce. aesthetic and exquisite food, this restaurant One of my personal favorites, the saganaki, will change the meaning of “going to the is an appetizer true to Greek tradition and to bars” for the better.
JENNY COSGROVE OPINIONS EDITOR
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The new Green Leafe . . . is the bar Williamsburg needs and honestly, the bar we deserve.
TUCKER HIGGINS / THE FLAT HAT
Along with a new menu, the inside features a new interior design with a new, open floor plan and dark wood accents.
TUCKER HIGGINS / THE FLAT HAT
The reopened Leafe has an extensive drink offering, including several beers on tap from local Williamsburg breweries.
TUCKER HIGGINS FLAT HAT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Drink
A beer staple—updated Rejoice: It is fall once again. Time to don sweaters, to imbibe sweet amber ales and saccharine pumpkin lattes, to laugh and dance among the leaves that have had the good sense to decay in that most familiar aesthetic of autumn. Ah, yes. The return of all things fall — including that most unfortunate metaphor of the falling leaf. As things have passed away now they shall return again, because … foliage. And yet what is true for the pumpkin spice latte is true for that unfortunately deciduous metaphor: it is overly sweet, perhaps, but in the right time and place, nothing can fulfill the moment quite as splendidly. And so here it is. The Green Leafe Cafe, refurbished under new management after a somewhat raucous spring departure, has sprouted again this fall. To paraphrase Robert Frost: Leafe has subsided to Leafe, and the spotless new addition to Scotland Street, decked out in its original hunter green, is gold. The Green Leafe has been a staple of the Williamsburg beer community since long before local upstarts Aleworks (2006) or the Virginia Beer Company (2014) installed their taps. Its slogan, “Good Beer. Good Food. Good People. Bad Parking, since 1974,” speaks to the soul of the place. The soul, I can happily report, has not changed — though it has matured by about four decades. The beer is still excellent, and the local favorites will more than get you through midterm season. To be completely fair to the selection, just about anything you pick from Virginia is going to be a fine beer, well curated. Lucky you, then, who gets to pick based on your mood. And, if you’re anything like me, on the mood of Williamsburg. That is to say, if you are the person who, before picking a beer, asks, “How swampy is it outside?” At Williamsburg’s most swampy — the real sickening, don’t-go-outside showering-doesn’tcut-it swampy — there’s a clear standout. It’s Potter’s Grapefruit Hibiscus Cider. Let me be forward: This is the best cider I’ve ever had, and I’ve had every cider you can get in Williamsburg. It’s fresh and delicate and tastes exactly like grapefruit (which makes sense: It’s made by soaking fresh grapefruit in apple brandy and
steam distilled from grapefruit skins). Still swampy after you finished your cider? Try the Center of the Universe Lager, Chin Music. The Center of the Universe brewery, located in Ashland, Va., was actually founded by Chris Ray ’03, a College of William and Mary alum (and 7 season major league baseball player) — but that’s not why I’m recommending the beer. It’s enough to just have a sip of the COTU lager to get the gist, but to understand it, you’re going to have to get a pitcher. Here’s a craft beer that doesn’t ask too much of you. It doesn’t want you to compliment its hops or search for hints of coffee or blueberry or, god help you, pumpkin. It’s the essence of a good lager: It tastes fresh, full, clean, a little malty and absolutely complete. This beer’s flavor comes from a Czech yeast strain, and, after a semester spent decoding that unique malt taste the central Europeans do so well, I’m here to attest that the mission was a success. If it means anything, the brewery says it’s their best beer for watching baseball. (I’m in if it means pairing with hot dogs.) Honorable mentions in the category of heavy swampiness include one of the Virginia Beer Company beers on the menu, Wrenish Rye (a classic hoppy amber) and Star Hill’s wheat beer, Love, which is refreshing but just a little too tangy for my taste. If, miraculously, conditions outside are at lowswamp, the Green Leafe still has some options for you. Virginia Beer Company’s Elbow Patches and Duck Rabbit’s Milk Stout are the leading contenders in this weight class, with Elbow Patches edging out a narrow victory in my book. If you like the flavor of Guinness, essentialize that flavor in your mind — and then double it. Now you’re tasting something pretty similar to either of these tasty brews. (Something to look forward to: Later in the fall, Center of the Universe will begin brewing their seasonal White Russian milk stout, El Duderino, for pairing with The Big Lebowski and a rug that really brings the room together.) There are, of course, more beers to be tried, not to mention a whole whiskey bar. And while the Leafe has said the menu won’t rotate any time soon, there is reason to believe that things will begin to circulate later in the year, as more brews are developed and selected, and they get a sense for students’ preferences. But hopefully this meager list of champion brews is enough to get you started — and to get you through your next few weeks of testing.
sportsinside
The Flat Hat
| Tuesday, September 27, 2016 | Page 9
WOMEN’S SOCCER
College kicks off conference play 1-1
After convincing 3-0 win over James Madison, Tribe falls against Towson HENRY TROTTER FLAT HAT ASSOC. SPORTS EDITOR
William and Mary endured an upand-down weekend, doing the hard work by beating James Madison 3-0 before falling to Towson 2-1. The Tribe avenged its heartbreaking 2015 Colonial Athletic Association Championship loss to JMU by hammering home three goals in the opening period to close out the Dukes. Last season, the College (7-4, 1-1 CAA) looked to be certain victors after jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the CAA Championship match. However, that day the Dukes (3-7, 0-1 CAA) scored three unanswered goals in the second half to steal the trophy out from under the Tribe’s nose, winning 3-2. The College has not lost its penchant for scoring early and seems to have learned from last year’s trauma, holding strong for the second-half shutout. After conceding one goal in her first start last week, freshman goalkeeper Katelyn Briguglio started for a second time against the Dukes and made a key early save from JMU forward Haley Crawford. Just minutes later, a Tribe freshman opened the scoring. Freshman midfielder Charlotte Hyland, starting her second game of the season, pounced on a free kick bouncing in the area to send home the College’s first goal. The Tribe continued its pressure with junior forward Sami Grasso crashing a shot against the crossbar. The intensity paid off in the 13th minute, and freshman forward Sarah Segan notched her team-high 7th goal of the season. Junior midfielder Rachel
COURTESY PHOTO/ TRIBE ATHELTICS
Redshirt freshman forward Sarah Segan continued her strong rookie campaign, racking up a goal against JMU and an assist against Towson.
Moore, the College’s other offensive catalyst this season, fed the ball to Segan one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Segan’s predatory instinct kicked in, and she knocked the ball over the advancing goalie to put the Tribe two up. After a goalkeeper switch for the College, as junior goalie Samantha Johnson replaced Briguglio, Grasso’s offensive persistence paid off. She tripled the College’s advantage, trapping a free kick from the other side of the box before slotting the ball into
the left corner for the third goal. The Tribe is 3-0 in games decided by more than one goal, but the Dukes rebounded after half-time. Led by CAA Preseason Player of the Year Ashley Herndon, JMU had 13 shots-on-goal, forcing eight saves from Johnson. The Dukes were largely dominant during the second half, but a strong defensive performance from the College kept the shutout and the impressive victory. However, the Tribe could not muster the same level of performance Sunday, slipping to a 2-1 defeat against a
MEN’S SOCCER
lackluster Towson team. The Tigers (4-7-1, 1-1-0 CAA) dropped their CAA opener in double overtime to Elon Friday, and Sunday’s match looked like another walk in the park for the Tribe after sophomore midfielder McKenzie Kober opened the scoring early. Kober scored her second goal of the season, playing a neat onetwo pass with Segan and finishing at the left-hand post. The Tribe has proven throughout the season that it can score early and often, but head coach John Daly will
undoubtedly find room to improve the defensive unit. Right after halftime, Towson struck back. Tigers midfielder Justine Stoner struck a shot from distance, which pinged off the crossbar and just went across the line before bouncing out again. The goal was correctly counted by the referee. Immediately following the goal, both teams had chances, and Sami Grasso had a shot saved as the College attacked after kickoff. However, where the Tribe could not find a breakthrough, Towson could. A dangerous cross from the College’s left found Towson forward McKenzie McCaull, who looped her header over Johnson and into the back of the net. Not to go down without a fight, the Tribe ratcheted up the pressure once again. Junior defender Elysse Branton’s shot was blocked, and both Segan and Grasso saw their shots saved. Towson heavily rotated its lineup as it clung to the lead, blocking Tribe shots left and right. Despite peppering the Tigers’ goal with 12 shots in the second half, and earning seven corners, the College could not make its dominance count, failing to score before the final whistle. The College has the opportunity to get its CAA challenge back on track with a home match on Oct. 2 against Elon. The Phoenix, who were defeated comfortably by JMU over the weekend, are the type of team that the Tribe must beat if it wishes to fulfill their preseason CAA ranking, where it was chosen first by a vote of the league’s 10 coaches. Sunday’s match is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Martin Family Stadium.
COMMENTARY
College escapes road test with 1-1 tie Supporting student-athlete protests Tribe salvages point after sloppy start, conceding own goal
Soccer players aim to start a conversation, not to disrespect the soccer players. The intention of these protests isn’t anti-military or anti-veteran, but rather anti-injustice. By kneeling down during the national anthem, Bustamante, Petitt and Jones have started a new conversation on our campus and within the Williamsburg community. The protest isn’t hurting anyone and started because certain individuals were facing inequalities in our nation. I believe the players FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR should continue to keep the conversation going as long as they believe the injustice remains. Sporting events are a great platform for protest In the William and Mary men’s soccer match due to the attention they receive from a wide variety against No. 9 North Carolina on Sept. 20, something happened that was much bigger than the game itself. of people across the country. With the way fans latch on to storylines and role models of their favorite Three Tribe players knelt down as the Star-Spangled teams, I believe sports is one of the best places to Banner began playing through the speakers at start national conversations. I applaud the men’s Martin Family Stadium. soccer players who are participating in the protest, Sophomore midfielder Antonio Bustamante, because, as one of the Tribe’s best teams so far this senior defender Jordan Petitt and redshirt fall, attention was already drawn sophomore forward Christian Jones joined to the team. Even without a demonstrators around the nation by kneeling big audience in last Tuesday’s down during the playing of the national anthem, game due to an impending which has caused a maelstrom of controversy torrential downpour outside, after National Football League quarterback Colin the players took their places Kaepernick brought it to the national spotlight. on the field or sideline and did I personally support the decision of these what they believed would start a student-athletes to protest Petitt conversation. the anthem. Petitt mentioned It remains to be seen whether other College that he is protesting because student-athletes will join the three players in he believes the country is not fulfilling its promise of equality kneeling as the fall progresses. But if they do, I respect their right to do so. I hope that the and justice, and since he is free conversation extends beyond criticism of the to act in the manner he wants based on current College rules, demonstrations and instead turns to a criticism Jones he and the other players should of the flawed systems that the protests of Tribe student-athletes, Kaepernick, and a myriad of others demonstrate if they so desire. represent. Over the weekend, even more people joined national anthem protests at sporting events, such as at Texas State and North Carolina, where football fans and band members sat and raised their fists, or at Michigan, where football players knelt and raised their fists before the Wolverines’ game against Penn State. I haven’t seen anything like this in the Tribe’s Division-I teams before, and right now it is only seen in the men’s soccer team. With the diversity of student-athletes and other students here on campus, I figured it was only a matter of time before there was a protest like this on campus. People may disagree with their choice, believing it disrespects our nation’s veterans. As the son of a retired U.S. Navy member COURTESY PHOTO/TRIBE ATHLETICS who was raised with an appreciation of the nation, its veterans and the flag, I still support the protests of Sophomore forward Antonio Bustamante was first to kneel.
Nick Cipolla
COURTESY PHOTO/ TRIBE ATHELTICS
Sophomore forward Ryder Bell headed in a cross of a set piece from classmate Antonio Bustamante to tie the game at 1.
CHRIS TRAVIS FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR Just four minutes into Friday’s match, William and Mary looked completely and utterly dysfunctional. Down 1-0 after an own goal, the College easily could have folded and suffered a lopsided road defeat. Instead, the Tribe rallied behind strong defensive work from redshirt junior goalkeeper Phil Breno to salvage a 1-1 tie against Colonial Athletic Association opponent North Carolina-Wilmington. At the three minute, nine second mark of the first half, the Seahawks (5-1-1, 0-0-1 CAA) crossed the ball, which was deflected off a Tribe defender and into the bottom right corner of the net. Immediately after falling behind, the College (5-3-1, 0-1-1 CAA) offense woke up and began the attack. Sophomore midfielder Marcel Berry was aggressive throughout the contest. In the 23rd minute, he drove down the left side of the 18-yard box before being brought down by a UNC-Wilmington defender, drawing a penalty. On the resulting free kick, sophomore forward Antonio Bustamante delivered the ball across the front of the net. The ball found the head of sophomore forward Ryder Bell, who angled it over the head of the keeper and into the right side of the net to tie the game at one. In the 35th minute, the Tribe nearly took the lead, again off another UNC-Wilmington foul. Freshman forward Reeves Trott was taken down just outside the 18-yard box, giving Bustamante a second free kick opportunity. This time he opted to shoot, but his
effort went just over the upper left corner to leave the game tied. The Tribe offense was not nearly as threatening in the second half, as it managed only one shot, which came off the foot of junior forward William Eskay and was saved by the Seahawks’ keeper. However, the Tribe defense was strong as it faced an onslaught of UNC-Wilmington shots in the second half, particularly redshirt-junior goalkeeper Phil Breno. In the 60th minute, he made a critical save on a bending shot that was curving towards the left side of the net. Breno came up with two more important saves in the final minutes of the second half. In the 86th minute, he reacted quickly to block a hard shot from inside the box to keep the game tied at 1-1, where it remained for the rest of regulation. The subsequent overtime periods featured just one combined shot, which came from UNCWilmington. Breno once again came up with a save, this time after a header off a free kick. The game remained tied at one as the final horn sounded for the season’s first draw. Head coach Chris Norris was proud of his team’s resilience. “We were not at our best tonight, but we scrambled well defensively and fought hard,” he told Tribe Athletics. The College continues CAA play against in-state rival James Madison Wednesday. The game is to be held at Martin Family Stadium in Williamsburg with kickoff at 7 p.m.
sports
Sports Editor Nick Cipolla Sports Editor Chris Travis flathatsports@gmail.com @FlatHatSports
The Flat Hat | Tuesday, September 27, 2016 | Page 10
FOOTBALL
Phoenix burns Tribe College falls 27-10 in conference opener JOSH LUCKENBAUGH FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER No. 8 William and Mary opened its first drive against Colonial Athletic Association opponent Elon Saturday night with a quick three-and-out. The ensuing punt was blocked by two Phoenix rushers, giving Elon possession deep in Tribe territory and ultimately resulting in a field goal. Those first few moments encapsulated a mistake-riddled game for the College, which dropped its first CAA game of the season 27-10 to snap a seven-game home winning streak dating back through the entire 2015 season. The Tribe (2-2, 0-1 CAA) held advantages in several statistical categories throughout the evening, outgaining Elon (2-2, 1-0 CAA) by nearly 100 yards and winning the possession time battle, but simply could not put points on the board consistently. In particular, the offense struggled to execute in late down situations, going five for 16 on third down attempts and failing to move the chains on all four of
its fourth down tries. Senior quarterback Steve Cluley once again had problems getting into a rhythm and avoiding turnovers, completing only 23 of 41 passes while tossing three interceptions, bringing his season total to seven. After the game, head coach Jimmye Laycock ’70 voiced his frustrations with his team’s recent struggles in the passing game. “We’re just not in sync, there’s no other way I can say it,” Laycock said. “It shows up with him [Cluley], but whether it’s the protection, or whether it’s the route combination, or whatever it is … just the execution of it, we’re not in sync.” Cluley’s first interception came at the beginning of the second quarter with the Phoenix still ahead 3-0, both teams having issues sustaining a long drive. His deep ball on second down found the hands of Elon cornerback Adrian McClendon, who returned the ball all the way back to the Tribe 46-yard line. The College defense came up with a big stop after the turnover, forcing Elon to punt less than a minute later.
Pinned back at its own one-yard line by the Phoenix punt, the Tribe was forced to punt from within its own endzone after a quick three–and-out, giving Elon excellent field position in Tribe territory. The Phoenix capitalized three plays later as Elon running back Malcolm Summers dove into the endzone on a 21yard touchdown run. Summers was the primary thorn in the College defense’s side Saturday, rushing 26 times for 120 yards and two touchdowns. Down 10-0, the College once again could not move the chains and was forced to send out the punting unit. Senior punter Hunter Windmuller bobbled the low snap and was brought down by a group of Elon defenders back at the College six-yard line. Four plays later, the Tribe’s deficit was 17-0 after Phoenix quarterback Daniel Thompson found Elon wide receiver Cole Taylor in the endzone for another Elon touchdown. The Tribe managed to cut into the Phoenix lead with a field goal before halftime, but the damage had already been done.
COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS
The Tribe bobbled a punt attempt in the endzone in the second quarter in the 27-10 loss to Elon.
The College’s biggest play of the game came near the beginning of the second half. Cluley found junior wide receiver DeVonte Dedmon on a slant route, and Dedmon sprinted past the Elon secondary and into the endzone for a 77-yard touchdown, cutting the deficit down to seven, the score 17-10. “We worked hard in practice on that same play,” Dedmon said. “What we do in practice, it opens up in the game … we dissect the film, we run that play, and that’s it.” Dedmon’s highlight reel play seemingly gave the Tribe momentum, but the College failed to score again. Summers and the Elon offense began to wear the Tribe defense down, putting
together a 13-play, 80-yard touchdown drive in the third quarter that restored its 14-point halftime lead. Another long Phoenix drive resulted in a field goal to open the fourth quarter, and Cluley’s second and third interceptions came after as the Tribe pressed for points, down by 17. His final pass of the game was picked off by Elon defensive back Daniel Reed-Bennett in the endzone, and the Phoenix ran out the clock to clinch the 27-10 upset over the Tribe. The College will hit the road for a matchup next Saturday with conference opponent New Hampshire (2-2, 1-0 CAA) at its new Wildcat Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
COMMENTARY
Calling out Cluley’s flaws Interceptions, miscues doom Tribe’s offense
Nick Cipolla
FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR
Thirty-three games played. 31 touchdowns. 22 interceptions. As of today, those are the career collegiate statistics for senior quarterback Steve Cluley. For every 1.4 touchdowns scored, Cluley throws an interception. If he were a young quarterback on an unranked team, this would be a red flag. But, since Cluley is a three-year starter leading the No. 8 team in the Football Championship Subdivision, it’s something much more significant. Through four games in 2016, Cluley has thrown seven interceptions. Three occurred during Saturday’s Colonial Athletic Association opener against Elon, while two occurred in the home opener the week prior against Norfolk State. Last season, Cluley had only one interception through the opening nine games, a pick-6 against nationally-ranked James Madison. However, in the final three games of the season, he threw eight of his 10 interceptions for the season. Cluley’s turnovers in two of those games — both against archrival Richmond — stagnated the offensive production to a grinding halt that ultimately cost the College an outright CAA crown and sent the team home in the second round of the playoffs. The third game, a shootout with Duquesne in the first round of the playoffs, saw two interceptions, but the Tribe picked off the Dukes’ quarterback twice as well to keep momentum going. I’m still not sure what happened to the guy who went through nine games with only one interception at the end of last season, but the version of Cluley who replaced him is still hanging around in 2016. After the Sept. 17 game against Norfolk State, Cluley took responsibility for the two picks, claiming he misread the situation or the route in both cases and that he would have to get better. So far, there hasn’t been any such progress. Elon may be a tougher team than NSU, but Cluley was 2-0 against them in previous meetings. The Phoenix appeared a bit stronger on special teams than in the past, blocking a kick and capitalizing on a bobbled snap on a punt attempt, but its defense didn’t appear anything exceptional compared to the last two years. So what is the problem plaguing the Tribe offense? The picks are a problem, but I’m not sure if the cause is Cluley himself or if he’s a symptom of a larger problem on offense. In terms of scoring offense, the College currently averages 20.8 points per game compared to 2015’s 30.9 average, a decline of 10.1, the equivalent of a touchdown and a field goal. The tight ends are the same while just one receiver, Christian Reeves ’16, and one rusher, Mikal Abdul-Saboor ’16, were lost to graduation. Some of the offensive line has shifted as well after the graduation of former center Andrew Jones ’16. In other words, not much of the offensive starting roster has changed, and in fact, running backs junior Jonathan Dunn and redshirt-freshman Albert Funderburke have been standouts in the rushing game so far. Yet the team is 2-2 with poor offensive statistics. Head coach Jimmye Laycock ’70 said he thinks the offense was out of sync during Saturday’s game, which seems to be an accurate claim for every game except the NSU game, in which the passing game was out of sync but the rushing game was fantastic. Funderburke and Dunn accounted for five touchdowns on the ground to mask the problems in the passing game. In the Elon game, neither broke free on any big plays, nor did senior tailback Kendell Anderson, who reentered the lineup after sitting out with an ankle injury. The Tribe is first and foremost a rush-first team that has been a strong opponent in the CAA with its lethal combination in the backfield, usually switching between two running back options to move the chains and score. However, when that gets shut down by a defense, the passing game needs to be there as well. Going back to Cluley, I could excuse two picks against NSU and even the picks against Richmond in 2015, but the interceptions against Elon were definitely a sign that something is lacking in the offense this year. Whether or not the fault rests with Cluley or the offensive schemes remains to be seen, but a question remains: Will the offense as a whole be able to step up and make another run at the CAA title, or will it be steamrolled by opponents like in Saturday’s 27-10 loss? At this point, my guess is we’ll be watching the Tribe stumble to another 4-4 conference slate and a narrow miss on the playoffs, though the two months between now and the selection show will hopefully prove me wrong. Cluley says he knows he has to get better, and with the offense that still seems to be in a “finding itself” phase through the first third of the season, it rests nearly entirely on him as the senior leader to turn the season around. There’s a strong possibility that history will repeat itself and Cluley will continue throwing interceptions on key, must-score drives. We have to wait for more Saturdays to find that out, but for now I can say that I, as a person who has always held an optimistic opinion of Cluley since I started watching Tribe football in 2013, am now a pessimist when it comes to having him at the helm of the College’s offense.
ELON
WM
10 TRIBE
27
VS (2-2, 0-1 CAA)
Tribe offense Cluley: 23 for 41, 231 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT. Funderburke: 12 carries, 57 rush yards Dedmon: 4 catches, 93 yards, 1 TD Tribe defense Lubnow: 4 solo tackles, 3 assisted tackles Reed: 1 tackle-for-loss, 1 INT
(2-2, 1-0 CAA)
PHOENIX
Phoenix offense Thompson: 13 for 24, 96 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Summers: 26 carries, 120 yards, 2 TD Taylor: 3 catches, 15 yards, 1 TD Phoenix defense Silas: 5 solo tackles, 7 assisted tackles McClendon, Galloway, Reid-Bennett: 3 INTs