T HE F LAT H AT
Board of visitors to consider new bylaws
Student Assembly president to lose automatic board rep. appointment
PEERAWUT RUANGSAWASDI FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR
Wednesday, Sept. 25 to Friday, Sept. 27, the College of William and Mary’s board of visitors is set to meet and discuss matters concerning the College. According to the College’s website, the board will consider new changes to the bylaws, including allowing the rector — who serves as chair of the board — to appoint a student other than the president of Student Assembly as the board’s student representative.
Appointed in 2019 by former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam D.P.S.’18, Charles E. Poston J.D. ’74, P ’02, ’06 serves as rector of the College.
Previously, the SA president was guaranteed an appointment by the rector. Under the proposed bylaws, the representative would be nominated by the president of the College and the SA president, then officially appointed by the rector.
“The proposed change related to appointing a student representative to the Board represents an alignment of that process with the process of appointing a faculty representative,” the College’s Director of Media Relations Suzanne Clavet wrote in an email to The Flat Hat.
According to Clavet, the board periodically conducts these reviews. Clavet described it as a healthy practice for governing bodies.
The last review was conducted in 2020.
The proposed bylaws primarily reflect changes in statutory language and the organizational structure of the College, Clavet wrote.
SA President Terra Sloane ’25 said while she was not consulted in the decision, she believes the new precedent would likely still result in the SA president being appointed to the position, depending on their goals within the role.
“I think that the Bylaw switch allows Student Assembly leadership the opportunity to nominate another impactful student leader to the position, which I think opens up a lot of possibilities that were previously thought impossible!” Sloane wrote in an email to The Flat Hat.
In addition to serving as this year’s student board representative, Sloane also serves as the student representative on the Finance Committee. Sloane, as SA president, made all student representative nominations to the rector.
“When it comes to serving on Finance Committee, I am excited to see the ways that we see the effect of the tuition increase and the recent news regarding the Batten School (along with our approved School of Computer Science going through early stages). I want to be as transparent as possible about the Finance Decisions being made through the Board, and I therefore believe that Finance is the best Committee for our Student Representative to sit on,” Sloane added.
TRIBE
College sees lower acceptance rates but higher undergrad enrollment
This academic year, the College of William and Mary is continuing a trend of shrinking acceptance rates.
Approximately 5,800 students were offered admission to the College, out of nearly 18,000 applications, representing an acceptance rate of 33%. Since 2020, the College has reported a 25% increase in total applications.
According to Axios, the College accepted 39.3% of its 7,156 in-state applicants versus 46.9% during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Other institutions such as Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia received increased applications as well. James Madison University recorded over a 104% increase in applications just last year.
Due to this increase in applications, the acceptance rates for many of Virginia’s state universities have significantly decreased.
Moreover, Stateline reported that colleges and universities across the country admit more out-of-state students, partly because of higher tuition rates.
The College’s board of visitors increased tuition rates for all students last year. At a full board meeting in April, the board voted 15-1 to raise the College’s in-state tuition by 2.5% and out-of-state tuition by 3.3% for fiscal years 2025 and 2026.
For the 2023-2024 application year, the College admitted 28% of out-of-state applicants, with a general acceptance rate of 33%.
Just under 270,000 first-time applicants
applied to Virginia’s 15 public fouryear institutions, over 100,000 more applications than the schools received a decade ago. The College received significantly fewer applicants than other schools in the Commonwealth, but still reported an increase.
Since 2020, the undergraduate enrollment at the College has increased consistently: 6,236 in 2020; 6,543 in 2021; 6,797 in 2022; and 6,963 in 2023. Graduate enrollment has been increasing as well, with the population growing from 1,509 in 2014 to 2,270 in 2023.
Max Strackbein ’27 commented on the increase in undergraduate enrollment.
“I think in reality it would be fine for it to go up to 8,000 undergraduates, but only if we had the infrastructure to allow that because we don’t,” Strackbein told The Flat Hat. “Currently, juniors and seniors are not guaranteed housing, but also don’t have spaces to park when coming from their off-campus apartments. So, we can’t accommodate more people without changing our parking and dorms.”
The College’s Housing and Dining Comprehensive Facilities Plan does not anticipate more beds added at the end of its ten-year period.
Moreover, the College has also been granting generally more STEM-H degrees, or Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and Health Sciences, with 778 degrees awarded in 2023. The College awarded 498 STEM-H
degrees in 2013.
Associate Provost for Enrollment and Dean of Admission Tim Wolfe ’95, M.Ed. ’01 did not a comment to The Flat Hat by the time of publication. In a W&M News article, Wolfe described his thoughts on the freshman class.
“There is much to be impressed by from this group of admitted students when you consider all that they’ve accomplished in and out of the classroom,” Wolfe told W&M News. “However, what really stood out to our team went beyond that. Their voices, their stories and their experiences illustrated why they will be an outstanding fit for the William & Mary community and immerse themselves in all this university has to offer. We can’t wait to welcome them to campus soon.”
According to SCHEV, enrollment among White and Asian or Pacific Islander, NonHispanic students has also been increasing at the College, while other demographics have remained mostly constant.
More detailed statistics regarding admissions at the College are expected in November. UVA released its data first among Virginia universities, reporting the decrease of Black first-year students by about 1% while its Latino population saw an approximately 2% increase.
The enrollment data from UVA comes after the Supreme Court struck down raceconscious admissions programs last year in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard.
CRUSHES VMI IN FIRST FOOTBALL GAME OF THE YEAR
LILA REIDY // FLAT HAT CHIEF STAFF WRITER
insight
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The saga of America is still being written. Consider how you ca n add to that story and improve the lives of those who will follow.
Ayanna Williams ʻ26 hosts campaign launch event
Monday, Sept. 9, Ayanna Williams ʼ26 was joined by Williamsburg City Councilmember Caleb Rogers ʼ20 and Williamsburg-James City County School Board Member Randy Riffle ʼ21 for her campaign launch event at the Williamsburg Community Building.
Williams, a junior, is aiming to be elected to city council as a student.
Rogers spoke at the event in support of Williamsʼs policies.
“This is a year where students recognize how important that is when they make up 50% of Williamsburg,” Rogers told The Flat Hat. “This is also a year where Williamsburg stands to benefit from youthful energy and ideas.”
Rogers also said students can get involved on city council, citing past initiatives from students who served, including about how he started the City Research Scholars program.
He encouraged students and those in attendance to volunteer and help elect Williams.
“This is the first time, in history, we have a chance to elect a passionate, well-educated, service-minded William & Mary student, who is also a woman! Itʼs a historic election,” Rogers said.
PEERAWUT RUANGSAWADI // FLAT HAT
Abby Long ’25 offers support to sex trafficking
survivors,
encourages self-acceptance as Wellness Ambassador
Long strives to promote mental, physical wellness in both her on, off-campus endeavors
EMMA HALMAN // VARIETY ASSOC. EDITOR
Abby Long ’25, a psychology major at the College of William and Mary, spent her summer interning with the Latisha’s House Foundation in Williamsburg through the College’s City Research Scholars Internship program.
This program, supported by the Roy R. Charles Center, grants accepted students $5,000 to complete a ten-week communitybased internship or research activity in Williamsburg. Long’s internship aligned with her interest in women’s health, psychology and community-based work.
As written on their website, Latisha’s House “provides a long-term, transitional housing program for adult, female survivors of sex trafficking and offers individualized support to empower them to build a bridge from their traumatic past to a positive future.”
“They are the intermediate phase in trauma healing,” Long said. “A lot of what they do is restorative care in the meantime.”
The women at Latisha’s House typically spend between 10 months and two years in the program.
Primarily, as an intern, Long facilitated the various programs offered by the program, while also encouraging positive relationship building among the women. Prior to her graduation this semester, Long wanted to gain experience working for a non-profit.
Long hoped to narrow down her future career plans by working with Latisha’s House, hoping to decide between community-based and recovery-based work.
“The larger scope of the internship with the Charles Center was to understand your career pursuits and your passions. Particularly with my internship and with some of the other ones in the community, it was to understand where you were situated and why the organization is in Williamsburg,” Long said.
Long is also interested in the policy side of sex trafficking prevention and how it is often polarized between the right versus the left.
“In the middle are these women, and what their reality is like is very different from either of those arguments, and so just as a concept it is a very interesting piece of policy because it deals with women, sex, legalization and just everything in general with the very sticky issue of prostitution,” Long said.
Latisha’s House provides mental health services for the women who stay there, as well as group activities such as art therapy, GED tutors and cooking classes.
“Just all of these things that help bolster either skills that they weren’t previously able to obtain or to help kind of heal them from traumas. That’s all offered there,” Long said.
Apart from her internship, Long also works as a Wellness Ambassador on campus. She promotes the Wellness Center’s preventative resources and initiatives through social media and other marketing channels on campus.
As an advocate for wellness, Long works as the first point of contact for students who are looking for resources.
“Day-to-day in the Wellness Center, it’s a lot of maintaining the facility and trying to create new initiatives on campus. So it’s familiarizing yourself with available resources, voicing those to students, making sure students are aware of them, but then also receiving feedback and learning where the gaps are or what people are unhappy with or don’t have access to,” Long said.
Long would like to see more life skills rooted in wellness offered on campus, similar to those offered to the women at Latisha’s House.
“I think providing things for the student population that are more usable on a daily basis would be better, or more students would interact with [the Wellness Center]” Long said.
Long has also worked closely with Lips, the queer art collective on campus.
“
I always am trying to make sure that students who have felt previously excluded or who maybe struggle to feel sometimes even just accepting of themselves, I want to make sure that thereʼs more fun and thereʼs more of a space where not only [they] can be [themselves], but fully thrive and enjoy being [themselves].
“
-Abby Long
ʼ25
“With all of these orgs, all the things I do, I always try to center women’s voices and queer voices because those are the things that I can speak to and have the most connections with in the William and Mary community,” Long said. “I always am trying to make sure that students who have felt previously excluded or who maybe struggle to feel sometimes even just accepting of themselves, I want to make sure that there’s more fun and there’s more of a space where not only [they] can be [themselves], but fully thrive and enjoy being [themselves].”
Both Long’s experiences with Latisha’s House this summer and her on-campus involvements reflect her dedication to advocacy and community empowerment.
“The work that I like to do is very community based and finding different people who maybe you can’t see all the time but who are there,” Long said. “It’s just about linking people together and making people see each other more as community members and people who will be there for one another, can be there for one another.”
PEERAWUT RUANGSAWADI / THE FLAT HAT
Abby Long ʼ 25 presented her summer internship experience at the Internship & Applied Learning Showcase Friday, Aug. 30 at the Alumni House.
Wednesday, Aug. 28, the College of William and Mary marked the beginning of a new academic year during its Opening Convocation ceremony, with Dr. Cleveland “Cleve” Francis Jr. M.A. ’69 serving as the keynote speaker.
Following the reading of the land acknowledgement by Dakota C. Kinsel ‘26, president of the American Indian Student Association, College President Katherine Rowe gave her opening remarks.
Rowe touched on the topic of civil disagreement, citing a quote from the philosopher Hannah Arendt to “think what we are doing.”
“At William and Mary, we do not dox each other,” Rowe said. “At William and Mary, we do not cancel each other. At William and Mary, we think for ourselves, and we take incredibly seriously the charge to be curious and come to our own conclusions based on evidence. William and Mary students do not like to be told what to think, and that is something that we honor and are deeply proud of. We know that if something on social media sounds incredibly improbable, it’s probably not true.”
College Provost Peggy Agouris also gave remarks. She cited Aristotle and encouraged students to get involved in democracy, particularly through voting and other efforts.
“So get involved, share in the utmost, see what sparks your interest, and don’t be afraid to encounter new experiences,” Agouris said. “There’s a wealth of knowledge and collaboration here that you are now a part of. Share in the utmost because our ability to affect change begins on campus.”
Following Agouris’s remarks, Francis took the stage to recount his cherished time at the College. In reference to the College’s Year of the Arts, he evoked the ‘symphony’ of experiences he had as a graduate student studying biology while also pursuing his passion for music. Francis shared how the combination of these interests allowed him to succeed at the College, and how incoming students can do the same.
“Through science and music, I found my place and my voice in this community,” Francis said. “For me, fnding my place was no small thing. I had come from Southern University, the historically Black institution in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. At Southern, 10,000 on campus looked like me. But at William & Mary in 1967, I was one of only seven Black students on campus.”
Francis emphasized that the College fosters belonging for all students who enroll.
“Maybe some of you today have some of the same worries as I did back then,” he added. “You might wonder about whether you belong here and how you will perform as a student next to all these other very smart people. Don’t
Tuesday, September 3, the Student Assembly of the College of William and Mary Senate met for the first time for the Fall 2024 semester and confirmed three SA Review Board nominations from SA President Terra Sloane ’25.
The Senate also heard from Senior Vice President for Student Affairs and Public Safety Virginia Ambler ’88, Ph.D. ’06 who introduced Associate Vice President of Student Engagement and Leadership Michael Patterson. Ambler also touched on recent administrative restructuring at the Student Affairs department.
Ambler introduced Patterson to the Senate. Patterson, a new AVP in Student Affairs, is new to the College. He previously served as assistant vice president for student affairs at State University of New York at New Paltz.
“In particular, this group, this is a group that I’m excited to get to know,” Patterson told the Senate. “I have — at my previous institution — I served as a student government advisor for 14 years, and I know the important work that you have ahead of you, being stewards of the student voice and student resources, and that comes with lots of balances in terms of understanding your own personal voice and balancing that to institutional voice and the voice of all of our students.”
Ambler then discussed the new organizational structure in the Student Affairs division, which occurred over the summer. The change saw the discontinuation of the dean of students role.
“Let me just start by saying, you know, transitions in work in general happen, and sometimes they’re challenging,” Ambler told the Senate. “And it was not expected that Dean [of Students Stacey] Harris was going to leave this summer.”
She said when she learned that Harris had accepted a position at Duke University, her leadership team and her got together to try to
figure out how do to restructure the department “in a way that puts our vision first, that puts our students first, and that helps us do our very the very best that we can to support our students going forward.”
Ambler pointed out that the new structure allows for student services to be streamlined as responsibilities are more spread out throughout the department.
Class of 2026 President Zoe Wang ’25, M.P.P. ’26 asked a question about ways in which students are able to get in contact with members of the Student Affairs team, both new and old.
“I think some students might be missing, like, the individual connection they were able to have with someone like a dean of students,” Wang said.
Ambler responded by saying that she welcomes ideas regarding ways to connect from the Senate, but also that her team is planning out dates for when students can come in and have conversations over lunch with administrators.
When asked by Class of 2026 Sen. Spencer Krivo ’25 if the new plan would present any organizational barriers in administrators within the department from collaborating, Ambler said “hopefully not.”
Answering a question from Sen. Sophie Kennedy ’27 about whether the change was planned before or after Harris’ departure, Ambler did not specifically say when it occurred but said it was a result of “amazing brainstorming over a period of a couple of weeks this summer with the leadership team.”
Additionally, Sydney Manlove ‘24, MA.Ed. ‘26, who is a former member of the College’s Undergraduate Honor Council, is joining the Senate from the School of Education. Arts and Sciences graduate Sen. Morgan Brittain returned to the Senate after a two-year hiatus. The Senate did not remember to swear in the pair but plans to do so at a later date.
The Senate then considered three Review Board nominations: Zane Peters J.D. ‘26, Muhammad Al Saffar ‘26 and former Independent
Elections Commission Chair Jason Zheng ’26. The chamber unanimously confirmed all three after hearing their presentations without debate.
The Review Board is tasked with overseeing issues regarding the SA Code and Constitution.
Last year, it called for a special election for the SA presidential race after determining that the involvement of Graduate Council President Owen Williams ’23, M.P.P. ’25, who served as SA attorney general at the time, in Sloane’s campaign, violated the code.
Peters is interested in constitutional law and has clerked for a litigator’s office. Al Saffar is a neuroscience major at the College and served as the attorney general for Virginia Model General Assembly. Zheng previously headed the IEC last year and ran for Class of 2026 president in 2022.
Krivo, Sen. Matt Swenson ’26 and Chair of the Senate Sen. Hazel Vineet ’25 introduced The Let’s Vote Act II, which aims to allocate $580 from SA Reserves to fund promotional materials for student voter engagement efforts.
Krivo also introduced the The T-Shirt Purchasing Act Part III, seeking funding for t-shirts to be sold during Family Weekend and Homecoming and Reunion weekends.
The bill did not specify the cost of the production of the t-shirts nor the price it would be sold for during family weekend.
Additionally, the legislation cites a need for SA to “Foster a closer connection between current students and alumni as well as better engaging with the student body and their families.”
Sloane said any interested member of the Senate who would like to work with a student representative on Board of Visitors committees to reach out to them. University-wide committee appointments have also been finalized.
The Senate will meet next on Tuesday, September 10, in the James room in the Sadler Center.
At this meeting, Student Assembly also provided other updates.
SA Vice President Oscar Lazo ’25 said he
worry. Here at William and Mary, you will have every opportunity to thrive.”
Francis mentioned the support he received from the surrounding Williamsburg community, notably the First Baptist Church, where his musicality was celebrated and honed alongside then-Pastor Reverend David Collins.
“When I had boarded the train in New Orleans, my mother called out a last word of advice: ‘You’ll be fine, you just find the church,’” Francis said. “She knew the Black church to be a vibrant support network like no other, surpassing the Masons, the Toastmasters and any fraternity or sorority in the known world.” Francis then described a historical account of the College. He paid homage to the enslaved people who constructed the institution, celebrating the 2022 installation of the Hearth: Memorial to the Enslaved on campus.
“The White Lion traveled up the James River carrying African men, women and children who had been kidnapped from their villages, torn from their homelands and sold into slavery,” Francis said. “I could see the ghosts of my ancestors and their descendants as they labored on Virginia plantations for over three hundred years. We now have a memorial at William and Mary, called the Hearth, to commemorate the enslaved Africans who helped build and cared for this institution of higher learning.”
Francis concluded his remarks by reminding students of the College’s promise in shaping the greater American story, and the contributions each of them can make.
“The saga of America is still being written,” Francis said. “Consider how you can add to that story and improve the lives of those who will follow.”
As part of the ceremony, Rowe also recognized two recipients of the President’s Award for Service to the Community: Michelle Indelicato ’25 and professor Debbie Ramer, who is a clinical faculty member in special education and director of the special education program at the College’s School of Education. Indelicato, among other roles, is a team leader at Williamsburg Engagement Program, a virtual researcher for the Food Empowerment Project and a volunteer at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria. On the other hand, Ramer is a co-director of the Literacy Lab, an initiative that offers reading and tutoring services to local elementary school students.
Class of 2025 President Matthew Hwang ’25 also presented the Class of 2028 banner to Rowe, who accepted it on behalf of the freshman class. Thereafter, the freshman class undertook the tradition of walking through the Wren Building.
was scheduled to meet with College President Katherine Rowe’s chief of staff, Carlane PittmanHampton Ph.D. ’03 and Ambler to discuss holding a “Better Arguments” event for the campus community aimed at promoting civil dialogue.
“Katherine Rowe really wants to do something at Busch Gardens. I’m not sure if we can really take 5,000, 6,000 undergrads over there with how little money they would be giving us, but if you hear me asking for a little bill for a couple hundred, I’m ready for that hefty conversation,” Lazo said.
Aramark Executive Director of Hospitality at the College Adam Poling attended the Senate meeting and expressed interest in meeting with members of the Senate regarding dining. Sen. Ashlynn Parker ’26 said she would like to see him giving a presentation on dining changes. Poling said he would be happy to do so, including explaining the discontinuation of Griffin Deals.
SA Attorney General Elijah Poetzinger ’25 said an election incongruity between the code and constitution was discovered. He said the code required the election information sessions to take place at least four weeks prior to the election, with the notice of those sessions to be public one week prior.
The constitution, however, calls for the fall elections to take place on the fifth Thursday of the school year, which would mean the information sessions and such notices would have had to take place over the summer.
Poetzinger said constitutional supremacy solved it for this election season but advised the Senate to fix the discrepancy as soon as is convenient.
Vineet said she was contacted by a student senator at American University over the summer regarding their support for a ceasefire resolution and their attempt at forming a coalition of those in support of a ceasefire.
RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT
Cleveland Francis spoke on finding community through music, and he emphasized an unmatched sense of belonging at the College.
RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT
Current students and the Williamsburg community cheered for the class of 2028 as they passed through the Wren Building. READ MORE
Tuesday, Nov. 5, marks national Election Day in the United States, with local elections in Williamsburg taking place on the same date. This fall, three candidates will be chosen to the Williamsburg City Council.
Of the five council seats, the spots currently held by Vice Mayor Pat Dent, Barbara Ramsey ’75 and Caleb Rogers ’20 are up for re-election.
Current council members Ramsey and Dent are running for another term, while first timers Fraser Hudgins ’84, Ayanna Williams ’26 and College of William and Mary adjunct lecturer Lindsay Barna have recently begun campaign efforts.
Williamsburg residents will each be able to pitch in three votes for their choice of city council members with the deadline to apply Oct. 15, 2024 for voter registration.
Williams and Barna continue a long legacy of current College students and faculty running for city council. However, Hudgins, Ramsey and Dent also added their additional support for student voices and other issues while pitching their campaigns this election season.
Transparency Hudgins, a former attorney and high school English teacher, specifically emphasized the importance of increasing transparency and communication between students, citizens and city council.
“The relationship I would like to have is an open door relationship, one where people felt like they could come and talk to me, and that I was honestly listening to them and trying to find solutions to the problem,” Hudgins said.
To Hudgins, making students feel like true citizens of Williamsburg rather than an external group is an important part of his campaign and belief system. To him, student voices are also citizen voice
Similarly, Dent mentioned that, as former fire chief of the Williamsburg City Fire Department, he also maintains a commitment to transparency within public service.
“I certainly don’t have anything to gain from not being transparent,” Dent said. “I built all these relationships in the community as fire chief, and that really carried over into city council.”
Dent also discussed the importance
for students to know that they’re a part of the community.
“Even from my time as fire chief, the relationship between students and the city has improved,” Dent said.
Communication between students, residents and city council is an important issue to all three candidates, with Ramsey expressing her deep involvement with the College community. She believes that town-gown relationships have been steadily improving every year, but she hopes to create more places for students and residents to collaborate.
During her current term, Ramsey has often attended student events, invited student organizations to her home for her self-titled “Break Bread with Barb” dinners and is in the process of creating a mini-internship for students working on her campaign.
Housing
One of Hudgins’s major platform points involves focus on development projects, an issue that has often been discussed amongst both the College’s student body and the greater Williamsburg community.
Various projects in Williamsburg were the original inspiration behind Hudgins’s campaign, as he believes in the need for compatible expansion around Colonial Williamsburg that integrates community voices.
As the founder of the organization Citizens for Responsible and Sustainable Development, Hudgins is dedicated to ensuring that all community members are well-informed about local development projects and proposals.
“From an ethical standpoint, we have to remain objective,” Hudgins said. “We keep major players, whether it be developers or Colonial Williamsburg or the College of William and Mary at arms length as they’re navigating transactions with the city — I think we owe that to the citizens.”
On housing, Hudgins acknowledged the tension between students and residents as many citizens have become frustrated with the amount of rental properties in their neighborhoods. He also mentioned student frustration with the College’s Housing and Dining Comprehensive Facilities Plan, which will not increase the number of beds on-campus.
In an ideal world, Hudgins would like to see the College plan to be able to house 80% of its
undergraduate students on-campus. As an alumni, he expressed disheartenment hearing about student experiences, often involving housing or police presence, that have made them feel unwelcome.
“One of the reasons I came to William and Mary was that it was the one place that I felt like it was family. That family needs to cross the brick walls,” Hudgins said.
Dent, who has been on council while projects were proposed for developments, said that while growth was important in Williamsburg, the proposed residential housing developments were not compatible with student and resident needs.
Dent specifically mentioned the 2023 development proposal by Cale Development LLC was withdrawn in May after environmental and traffic concerns were expressed by students, College faculty and residents. Dent’s current goal is to make sure that new proposals address affordable housing concerns as well as viable growth in the community.
Ramsey said that her main goal in terms of student housing is to ensure that all people have safe, clean, modern housing in Williamsburg. During her current term, she voted for new housing in Midtown Row and on High Street and was a member of the council’s Affordable Housing Workgroup.
She hopes to continue working toward productive housing solutions.
“I want to ensure that students are safe and that they are not taken advantage of and provided the essentials of housing,” Ramsey said. “I want students to realize that they have rights and that the city is here to help them.”
Safety Ramsey, Hudgins and Dent all briefly addressed their support for increased pedestrian safety in Williamsburg, especially as traffic due to tourism, the College and various expansion projects in the city increase.
Ramsey specifically voiced her support for multi-use bike routes on Monticello Avenue and active pedestrian crossings with sensors. She said that the council is currently working on an initiative to use thermoplastic paint on crosswalks that would create higher reflectivity on roads.
Williamsburg-JCC School System
Hudgins offered his opinion on the proposed
Williamsburg-James City County school system split. Adamantly against the proposal, Hudgins expressed that it would put disadvantaged students in an increasingly volatile position. He worries that a school split would deprive Williamsburg children of attending a top ten school system with more resources and funding for athletics, academics and arts.
While city council has undergone an Independent School System Feasibility Study costing $135,000 in tax dollars, Hudgins commented that he thought it unnecessary to spend tax money on studies when the downsides of the split were seemingly apparent based on statistics.
Ramsey did not express a definitive opinion on the split, however, she has been involved with the issue as a current member of city council.
“We are taking a very thorough, deliberate approach to how we move forward. Our goal and obligation is to provide the best education for all students, but we particularly want to ensure that Williamsburg City students reach their full potential,” Ramsey said.
Other
Other topics of interest on the candidate’s platforms include focus on cultural and artistic venues, lowering taxes and fostering community. Ramsey discussed her desire to create a performing arts venue near the Williamsburg Visitor’s Center, to complete the African American Heritage Trail and to work on rebuilding and renovating the Williamsburg Regional Library.
Dent emphasized his commitment to ensuring the city’s strong financial position, especially as new developments such as the new fire station and library appear as big ticket items.
“I’m a community servant at heart and I don’t think you’ll find anybody more dedicated to doing the work as I am,” Dent said. “I owe the community for entrusting me to be a part of this team.”
Hudgins hopes that both residents and students understand that he is available and willing to listen to their comments and concerns. Overall, he wants to see a blended community that welcomes everyone and takes time to address problems.
“I’m running for city council to leave Williamsburg a better place tomorrow than it is today,” Hudgins said.
Student representatives do not get voting privileges but may speak at the meetings. The main student representative also writes a quarterly report and presents it to the board on the last day of each session.
Currently, the other student representatives are Courtney Maynard ’25 (Academic Afairs), Diana Kim ’25 (Administration, Buildings, and Grounds), Isabella Esposito ’25 (Institutional Advancement) and Momen Zahid ’25 (Student Experience).
Maynard, a Data Science major, hopes to share her thoughts on the new School of Computing, Data Sciences and Physics. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia approved the College’s plan for the school in July.
“I am heavily involved in research and in mentorship spaces inside the Data Science community,” Maynard wrote in an email to The Flat Hat.
“However, I was hesitant about joining computer science as a woman in a male-dominated field, and I remember being a freshman and sophomore in my classes of mostly men, thinking that I didn’t belong.”
She shared that with the help of an influential professor, she was able to navigate the process of studying computer science.
Maynard also reiterated her commitment to ensuring the liberal arts curriculum and humanitiesbased courses continue to receive adequate support and attention from the institution.
She laid out her plan to effectively share students’ concerns with the board.
“To faithfully represent the interests of the William and Mary student body, I’m hoping to hold some kind of open office hours or drop-in sessions, where students can come talk to me about their academic experiences here at W&M – whether it’s about certain classes or programs that they love, opportunities they want, or any other aspect of their academic life here,” Maynard wrote.
Zahid also shared his goals as a student representative.
“As a representative, I aim to help bridge any disconnect between the realities of our student body experience and our BOV. I want those who have felt unheard to use me as a resource, and I’ll be vocal both in working with the committee and during BOV meetings to ensure that student concerns are heard and addressed,” Zahid wrote in an email to The Flat Hat.
Zahid said he was chosen for this role for his work as a varsity athlete, in addition to his diverse experiences as a student and
campus leader.
Kim wrote in an email to The Flat Hat that she did not want to answer questions regarding her position at this time, as she is still getting situated in her role. Esposito did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
Additionally, the board will also consider a name change for senior assistant to the president and secretary to the board of visitors Michael J. Fox’s position. His new title would be clerk of the board of visitors. Jessica Walton currently serves as deputy secretary to the board.
The board will also welcome five new members at the upcoming meeting. Appointed by Youngkin, the new members are John Brownlee J.D. ’94, P ’22, Rob W. Estes ’74, P ’06, W. Taylor Franklin, Jennifer Tepper Mackesy ’91 and Jill Holtzman Vogel ’92.
Brownlee, a lawyer, served as the U.S. attorney for the western district of Virginia. His investigation into a pharmaceutical company for misbranding the addictive drug OxyContin was featured in the Hulu miniseries “Dopesick.”
Estes serves as chairman and CEO of Estes Express Lines, the largest privately-owned freight transportation carrier in the United States. Franklin is CEO and cofounder of The Franklin Group,
a multi-family development and property management firm based in Virginia Beach.
Mackesy played soccer at the College and is a co-owner of NJ/NY Gotham FC, who recently won the National Women’s Soccer League title. Along with her husband, she is part of Chelsea FC’s ownership group in London. She also serves on the advisory board for the College’s Global Research Institute.
Vogel, who served as a Republican in the Virginia Senate for 16 years, currently works as a managing partner at Holtzman Vogel, the law firm she founded in 2001. She was the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor of the commonwealth in 2017, losing to Democrat Justin Fairfax in the general election. She will join former senate colleague Thomas Norment Jr. J.D. ’73 on the board. Norment served as the Republican leader in the upper chamber of Virginia’s legislature.
The departing board members are S. Douglas Bunch ’02, J.D. ’06, Cynthia E. Hudson J.D. ’87, Anne Leigh Kerr ’91, J.D. ’98, Brian P. Woolfolk J.D. ’96 and former College Rector John E. Littel P ’22, who now serves as Youngkin’s chief of staff.
The board will convene Wednesday, Sept. 25 at the College’s School of Education. All meetings will be open to the public without opportunities for public comment.
JAMIE HOLT / THE FLAT HAT
GUEST COLUMN
STAFF COLUMN On Gaza
Does recession fashion mean we’re all f*cked?
August 10, 2024, Israel bombed the Al-Tabi'in School, located in Gaza City, which held displaced Palestinians and killed an estimated 100 people.
Witnesses describe scorched earth: dismembered bodies, charred corpses, heads blown off and unspeakable atrocities, as reported by The Middle East Monitor. Palestinians frantically panned through the rubble, looking for what remained of their loved ones. Bodies were left unidentifiable, with remains left in plastic bags.
The Al-Tabi'in Massacre was not an isolated incident. There's been the Flour Massacre, condemned by UN experts. There's been the Tents Massacre, reported by Jacobin and numerous other publications, sparking worldwide condemnation. There's been the continual massacre of schools and hospitals, further condemned by UN leaders and experts. Medical workers slaughtered, per The New York Times. Aid workers deliberately attacked and killed, per Human Rights Watch. Journalists executed attempting to do their job, per the Committee to Protect Journalists. Incalculable amounts of suffering perpetrated by the Israeli military toward the Palestinian people. A cyclical existence of torment, death and despair.
According to an article published in The Lancet, a worldleading academic journal, when accounting for indirect deaths caused "beyond the direct harm from violence," the death toll from this conflict could conser -
vatively be attributed to an estimated 186,000 dead, with the true figure likely far above that. 186,000 represents approximately 10% of Gaza's total population.
What will you allow yourself to be complicit in? This university has refused to "pursue a boycott of Israel," an entity ruled by the International Court of Justice through an interim decision to be engaging in a plausible campaign of genocide against the Palestinian people. Who are we, as not only members of this university but as fellow human beings, if we cannot stand against genocide?
For the people and children of Gaza who will never again breathe life into this world and for a world ravaged by so much suffering and oppression, do something. Do anything. Contact your elected representatives on and off campus. Attend local government meetings and protests. Be a constant source of pressure to those in positions of power because eventually, when the time comes and enough pressure builds up, it has to go somewhere.
We’re not free until we’re all free, Liam Glavin Liam Glavin ‘27 (he/him) is a government major from Falls Church, Virginia. He loves running, reading and spending time with friends and hopes to instill values of political and civic engagement across the community. Contact him at ljglavin@wm.edu.
For most people in the 18-22 age bracket, the 2008 financial recession was felt as a looming anxiety — a strange, foreign and very grown up-sounding background chorus of cable news headlines and suburbs full of “For Sale” signs. While foreclosure was less real to us than "Dragon Tales," what we might actually remember is the music, fashion and culture of that era. Recession fashion is simple, a bit drab, focused on basics and functionality. Examples from the 2008 recession are Lanvin’s, Gucci’s and Versace’s 2008-2009 readyto-wear collections. Silhouettes are trimmer, with sparser fabric and ornamentation… everything is just kind of less. When we think about recession music, however, the trend is the opposite: recession-era club, house and pop music is more. Lady Gaga’s “Fame,” Rihanna’s “Good Girl Gone Bad,” Beyonce’s “I Am… Sasha Fierce,” Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida,” Pitbull, the BlackEyed Peas, fast house music with shiny, heavy production.
There’s a certain look and feel to the recession, and for those of us for whom it was the setting of our childhood, it has a certain warm and fuzzy nostalgia to it. Recently, trends in music and fashion have started to skew recession-y; fashion is getting smaller, and music is getting bigger. The Y2k/McBling craze is
Earl the Squirrel: Lights out in CW
BY TOBY KANT / COMIC BOOK CLUB
starting to wane, and as the pendulum swings the other way, runway fashion has started to pare down. 2024 collections from Gucci, Dior, Chanel and Lanvin all mirror trends from 2008-2009.
Music has also started to get bigger in the same ways it did from 2008 to 2012. Charli XCX’s world-alerting, club-shaking album “Brat” is a big album; it’s fast and catchy and debaucherous in ways that remind one of the pop girls of the 2010’s. Sabrina Carpenter’s new album “Taste” has the girlishness of Katy Perry’s “One of the Boys.” We are dancing like we have no money again. But as young adults about to enter the workforce full-time, the idea of recession-core coming back is maybe more terrifying than it is nostalgic. If you’re reading any news ever, it does kind of seem like the economy is a car that is perpetually crashing. It may feel like another lifealtering recession is licking at your heels, but the reality is not so dire.
There are a couple main markers that financial analysts use to determine the likelihood of economic recession. The Sahm Recession Indicator uses data about changes in unemployment rates to predict oncoming recession. According to current data, the Sahm Indicator does
not demonstrate a high likelihood of recession anytime soon.
Analysts also use quarterly GDP to tell whether or not a recession is currently happening. The GDP recession index does not indicate a current recession.
So, if there is no actual recession, what’s the reason for the resurgence of recession-core fashion?
Questions about why people wear and make things are nebulous, questions about why people like things even more so. However, there are two really compelling hypotheses out there right now.
The first is that the resurgence of recession-core is not the result of scarcity, but luxury. Stealth wealth, the idea that the truly wealthy 1% do not flaunt their wealth, but rather artfully conceal it in ways undetectable to those outside of that 1%, has become more popular in recent years. Shows like “Succession,” brands like The Row and celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow are all examples of this muted, dog-whistling glamor. Some theorize that rather than financial hardships trickling up from the average consumer to fashion brands, stealth-wealth fashion is trickling down from rich people trying to hide their wealth to people who actually do not have any.
The second hypothesis is that due to an ever-tightening trend cycle, we are experiencing the same progression of trends, just out of pace with the real-world events that usually coincide with them. The influence of social media and fast fashion on what we choose to wear cannot be overstated; messaging about fashion is disseminated faster, and new items are available more immediately than ever before. Trends emerge, take over and die faster than they ever have before. The trend cycle is speeding up, while the economic cycle has not changed pace, putting them out of step with one another. If the world is ending, it’s not because earth tones are back in style; it’s for one of the many other reasons that the world could be ending. Enjoy your good music and pencil skirts, it’s gonna be alright. Elizabeth Brady ’25 is a public policy major and an English minor, and she is a member of Alpha Chi Omega. She loves art, music and movies. Email her at eabrady@ wm.edu.
FLAT HAT OPINIONS ASSOC.
Elizabeth Brady
GRAPHIC BY ZOE DAVIS / THE FLAT HAT
THE FLAT HAT
Liam Glavin
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COMIC
Councilmember endorses Ayanna Williams
Looking back over the last four years, I am immensely proud of what the Williamsburg City Council has accomplished for Williamsburg. Looking forward, I know the best three candidates to continue this progress are Pat Dent, Barbara Ramsey and Ayanna Williams. I am excited to endorse their candidacies today.
Vice Mayor Pat Dent and councilwoman Ramsey have served Williamsburg exceedingly well for four and eight years,
STAFF COLUMN
respectively. Since 2020, we have worked to get our part of the Historic Triangle back on track post-COVID-19 through a successful vaccine clinic and support for local businesses. We have continued investment in our first responders through a now completed fire station and a currently under-construction police station.
Outside of landmark capital improvement projects, my colleagues Pat and Barb have also been advocates for transparency and inclusion for the citizens of Williamsburg. In 2023, the City was awarded the Virginia Municipal League’s “Communication Award” for our innovative Future Festivals, which sought citizen input from all corners of Williamsburg to best inform long-term planning. I trust their continued service on the Council will elicit similarly positive outcomes, making our City better through fun events, greater public art and more.
Thinking about the best new champion for Williamsburg’s future, I am heartened by Ayanna Williams’s dedication to local service. In fact, she just may be the best student candidate to ever run. Ayanna is passionate about the issues and deeply knowledgeable about our area. She is the only non-incumbent running on clear policy positions, which prioritize education, safety and keeping our tax rate low.
As a member of the Council, Ayanna will be able to continue the decade and a half of younger representation in Williamsburg. This is a vitally important thing to protect in a city with such a sizable part of the population made up of students, faculty and staff of the College of William and Mary. I know Ayanna is up to the challenge of being a voice for this constituency and all city residents. If you’d like to meet her, I encourage you to just reach out to see for yourself.
The future of Williamsburg rests on our ability to elect leaders who embody dedication, transparency and a vision for progress. Pat Dent, Barbara Ramsey and Ayanna Williams represent a formidable team poised to build upon our achievements and deliver continued success.
CalebRogersgraduatedfromW&Min2020withaBAinpublic policy.HehasservedontheWilliamsburgCityCouncilforthelast4 yearsandwillconcludehistermattheendof2024.Contacthimat CRogers@williamsburgva.gov.
Adam’s Apple #6: Managing time
A new year of Adam’s Apple has arrived. For those who aren’t familiar — e.g. freshmen, almost all non-freshmen — Adam’s Apple is the Flat Hat’s official advice column. That means that you can send in questions (typically solicited via Instagram story) and I will pick one each week to answer. Because this is the official advice column of the paper, everything I say represents the true views and beliefs of The Flat Hat and all staff members thereof. (Editor’s note: That is not true.)
This week’s question reads as follows: “Adam, how do I manage my time and all my responsibilities this semester?”
A great question for the beginning of a semester! Most in my shoes at this point would write seven-hundred-and-fifty-words of the following: prioritize, cut commitments if necessary, leave room for rest and social events, and — most importantly — use a planner or calendar. I am not most.
George Orwell famously said that “Journalism is printing something that someone else does not want printed; everything else is public relations.”
I do not take my responsibility as a journalist lightly. I pride myself on doing this thing the right way, even when it’s hard. If I lose my position, reputation, or even life on account of my integrity, so be it. I cannot be bought. I cannot be coerced. I cannot be controlled. I will never bend the knee to corporations, interest groups, the dollar, the government, or tradition. These mantras ensure two things: 1) I am dangerous, and 2) I am always in danger.
I start with such a grave preamble because what I am going to say in this article will be surprising to most. It will be troubling to many. It will be revolting to some. My friends will become my enemies, and my enemies will weaponize my words against me to obliterate my career. I’ll be flung from my high post here at Adam’s Apple and land who knows where who knows how far below: probably the pop culture section of some rapidly regressing second-rate tabloid, circulating at fewer and fewer grocery stores each quarter. As I said, so be it.
With that out of the way, it is time to divulge my secret. Media frenzy here we come: I do not use a calendar or planner, and I think life is far better that way.
Yes, you read that correctly. There was no typo. I have no paper calendar. I have no digital calendar. I have only a mind calendar.
When I make plans with a friend to get lunch next Thursday, I don’t write it down anywhere. When I am explicitly told by my superiors at organizations to pull out my phone and make note of the dates of upcoming meetings and events, I just go on the ESPN app and check scores. When I need to remind myself what time my classes are over the first few days of school, I go to registration.wm.edu and type in the name of my class.
I genuinely have only a mind calendar. And you should too.
I’m sure you harbor a couple objections to the lifestyle I just described and recommended you adopt. That is because you have been brainwashed by the establishment. You are a puppet of Big Planner. It might not be too late, though, to see the light. If you give me a chance to explain the euphoria of calendar-less-ness, I believe that you can still be set free.
The first objection you might have “conjured up” (or rather, had planted in you by your puppet master) is this idea that without a planner or calendar, you would frequently forget events. I can speak from experience and say that this is a lie, plain and simple. I genuinely haven’t forgotten an event I said I would attend in four whole days. Four days! That’s a long time. Three more and God could have finished a new universe and gotten a good nap in. And even in that case, I eventually remembered and was only half an hour late. Objection one, consider yourself officially refuted. A second, subtler objection is the argument that having to mentally juggle every engagement you have, no matter how far in the future, would be exhausting and stressful. You’d lay your head on the pillow every night and wonder whether you missed a meal and hurt a friend’s feelings in the process. You’d constantly fear that you have double booked yourself for something in March (because whenever someone asks you if you are free for something more than two weeks away, you genuinely don’t know so you just assume yes). While all of that will inevitably come to pass — every day is a schedule-based anxiety nightmare — you
As an out-of-state student, the days leading up to my first day of school were very overwhelming. Even as a junior, it was a lot to take on. I had to wake up at 5 a.m. to catch a plane, before moving everything from storage and ordering some perishable staples (without parental assistance) on the same day. All of this, while doing the same syllabus-snooping, friend meetups and room and closet preparation as everyone else.
I couldn’t even go to the Block Party. I was so busy that I drank only one bottle of water that first Sunday I came back, and it showed when I didn’t have to go to the bathroom that whole day, and again when I passed out, red, hot and dehydrated, on my mattress for the following few days.
Why am I sharing this? Not for a pity party. I am sure the freshmen can tell you orientation stories more horrific than the anecdote I just shared. My intention is simply to set up some context leading up to how disappointing my recent First Day of Classes was, after all I had been through. It all started when I got out of my 9:30 a.m. class. (The class I thought was a 10:00 a.m., the one I thought I waited outside of in order to let the previous class finish before realizing the “previous” class was, indeed, my very own.) I had already made two previous flops, one of which I just paraphrased in the parentheses, and another of which may or may not have consisted of me spilling hot tea all over the Sadler terrace steps while trying to say hello to somebody. Therefore, it was with a somewhat already frazzled state of mind that I walked over to the Residence Life office.
Why did I decide to go there? I wanted a refund for the $83 dollars in my Express account that I had allocated exclusively for printing and laundry, which could no longer go to laundry because the new SpeedyQueen laundry system did not take Express. And nobody can try convincing me that the centsper-page for printing would carry me the whole way alone. I knew refunds are not a part of the standard terms of service for most things purchased on this campus, but I also knew that the school could not expect me to know the laundry system would suddenly change. All I could be expected to know was that there is a fee charged for every time Express money is loaded, and I wanted to reduce how much of this I paid by loading a hunk sum of money into my card at once.
So I told this to the lady at the reception desk. To which she said, although laundry is a Residence Life problem, Express Dollars are a Campus Center problem.
Thus began my grand trek to the misnomered building. And in this I am not exaggerating. I walked in 95 degree Fahrenheit, 65% humidity type of weather. I was sweating at the end of it. And the lady at the Tribe Card department told me to go back to the Residence Life office.
will grow stronger because of it! So much of your mental energy will be devoted to remembering dates and times that your brain will need to recruit new regions and neurons to do other things like numbers and talk. You will become a superhuman! Second objection, destroyed! The true bliss of the mind calendar is that it does all the time “managing” for you. With a physical calendar, if you have to decide between two simultaneous events, you have to make the hard, conscious choice of cutting one. With a mind calendar, you will simply go to whichever event you remembered — or maybe neither! Its brilliance follows from the simple heuristic that whatever is consuming your thoughts should be consuming your time. The things you remember, and therefore remember to attend to, are the things you subconsciously judge as your most valuable responsibilities. If something slips, it wasn’t meant to stay.
The one super minor itsy-bitsy downside to those benefits, for me at least, is that I don’t experience them. I feel horrible about myself anytime I forget something. I behave obsessively and hyper-neurotically to avoid “slips” at all costs, which undermines my argument completely and means the mind calendar is causing me to suffer endlessly and needlessly.
Once I figure out how to get past that small kink, though, the way of the mind calendar will be truly perfect.
Hope that helps!
-Adam AdamJutt’25isamathandeconomicsmajorfromCincinnati,Ohiowho writesarticlessometimes.Contacthimat adjutt@wm.edu.
She told me she only included information about the laundry system change on her website out of courtesy, that laundry was by no means her responsibility. To which I responded that this was more of an Express Dollars issue. To which she responded she didn’t do refunds. This is when I said that this was, in fact, an extenuating circumstance. Which is when she said that it wouldn’t have to be if I had checked the announcement made over the summer. Of course, I pointed out that I had this money in my account before the summer began.
The next part of the exchange was my favorite part because this is when she said I could simply spend that $83 on Chickfil-a. Never mind that I have dining dollars that I could just as easily spend on that establishment. I wouldn’t even spend those Express Dollars on Wawa, or on the Culture Cafe. I am a student struggling to pay my rising tuition, who loaded that money to have the bare necessity of clean clothing for the rest of my college years. I am not someone who has $83 to blow on a chicken craving. There is a difference.
Now, she did save her best argument for last. She said that, as the Tribe Card department, it was not in her control if another department at the school decided to stop using Express Dollars as valid currency. She was simply the arbiter of that currency itself. The problem is that even after I called Residence Life, they insisted that I really could get that refund — that I was indeed entitled to it — but that they could not be the ones to give it to me. And they refused to talk with the Tribe Card department on the phone to sort the whole mess out. Talk about bureaucratic red tape, bloat, intercommunicational deadlock, etc., etc.
Anyways, I had class at 12:30 p.m., so I ran over to the Raymond A. Mason School of Business even though nothing really got solved. I got there early, so I decided I deserved a little pick-me-up, all things considered. That’s when I asked for a black coffee on Drips and Sips. You know, that little perk that we pay for in our ever price-inflated All Access meal plans. That little deal that used to give us unlimited coffee, tea and lemonade two years ago, then just coffee and tea at select locations (just the Mason School of Business and Integrated Science Center) one year ago. Well guess what? The barista told me that it didn’t exist anymore. I asked for clarification: Would it exist in a few weeks? No. Nowhere? No. They’re just as dead as the Griffin Deal now.
Ironically, I think I’ll need that $83 now. Maybe that was the plan all along.
AgavniMehrabi’26isdoublemajoringingovernment andfinance.OutsideofTheFlatHat,Agavniisamemberof WCWM90.9,LibraryAmbassadors,andArcheryClub.Email
Adam Jutt
JAMIE HOLT / THE FLAT HAT
JAMIE HOLT / THE FLAT HAT
GRAPHIC BY CATHERINE STORKE / THE FLAT HAT
variety
MAKING CAMP MAGIC
Camp Kesem hosts annual summer camp for children of parents wit h cancer
In Hebrew, the word “kesem” means magic, and magic is precisely what Camp Kesem counselors in college chapters nationwide aim to create at their annual summer camps. These camps are made specifically for children whose parents have been diagnosed with cancer, as not just a lighthearted retreat in the midst of a serious situation, but also as a way for these impacted kids to connect with those going through similar experiences.
This August, the College of William and Mary’s chapter of Camp Kesem hosted 71 campers, aged 6-18, from the Williamsburg area at Camp Crossroads in Lowesville, Va. Unit leader and Make the Magic Coordinator Roshan Patel ’25 described the goal of the week-long experience.
“It gives the kids a week break from anything they have going on at home to just relax, and let the kids be kids,” Patel said.
This summer’s camp ran from Aug. 10-17, with counselors arriving a day early to set up and get acquainted with the campsite. Days at camp consisted of group meals, sports, crafts, drama stations and camp-wide activities, ranging from scavenger hunts to singing traditional songs. Counselors live in the cabins for the week with small units of campers, who are split up by age and gender identity. With a typical ratio of one counselor to one camper, personal relationships are prioritized.
“As a counselor, your main role is to cultivate a space where the campers feel supported,” counselor Libby Hellman ’26 said. “So your primary objective is just to really get to know the campers that are in your cabin.”
For the other 51 weeks of the year, Camp Kesem chapter members attend general body meetings, host fundraising events and plan for the following summer.
An executive board of 20 coordinators is split into twoto three-person teams with specialized responsibilities, from recruiting campers to coordinating camp operations. And at the top, the entire club is overseen by two directors: Samantha Chaitovitz ’25 and Taly Leibowitz ’25.
With Camp Kesem being free for all attendees, fundraising is a crucial task during the school year. The Make the Magic Gala thrown each spring semester gathers major donors for a dinner and silent auction. Other fundraising efforts from the past year include a thrift sale and a mile run.
Camp Kesem also hosts a Friends and Family Day during the school year, inviting local campers and their families to campus to reconnect with counselors and friends they may otherwise see only once a year. Speaking to these friendships, counselor Dani Swartz ’26 reflected on the extraordinary strength of relationships built at Camp Kesem.
“You have this outside community that’s so accepting, always there for you, every single summer,” Swartz said. “It’s something constant, because things change so much, especially if you have a parent with cancer, and it provides important stability.”
The location of this summer’s camp was a change from previous years to accommodate a growing number of campers. Counselors noted that the terrain of this new campsite, located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, came with its challenges.
“It was a pain for the younger kids, especially, because even us counselors were struggling to get up the hills,” Patel said. “I feel like last year we were able to do more stuff, because there was less walking involved.”
Regardless of the locale, counselors observed that the unique energy of the camp and the people there remained the same.
“It really showed me it wasn’t about the place, it was truly about the people that were there,” Swartz said.
As for just what shapes Camp Kesem’s distinct atmosphere, counselors pointed to the emphasis on vulnerability, especially given campers’ hardships at home. One major source of such vulnerability cited by multiple counselors was nightly “cabin chats,” where counselors pose a question to all campers in their cabin. Prompts ranged from lighthearted icebreakers to more serious reflections, such as highs and lows of the day.
“Most of the time throughout the day, it’s mostly just us hanging out, having fun, goofing around, but we do have those times where we allow them to share if they want to,” Patel said.
Camp Kesem hires mental health professionals to assist any campers who may require help beyond the comfort counselors hope to offer. This summer, both psychologists onsite were alumni of the College and former Kesem counselors. Hellman commented on the importance of such an emotional outlet when coping with a parent’s cancer diagnosis.
“It’s so easy to take on all of that weight by yourself,” Hellman said. “In those situations where you have a parent that’s affected by cancer, you don’t really want to talk about how you feel, because you’re so focused on what this other person is going through.”
Counselor Aida Tiouririne ’27 also noted the significance to campers of a community with shared experiences and struggles.
“It really helps the kids process how they’re feeling, and allows them to feel these emotions, and allows them to experience how they’re feeling without having to be nervous,” Tiouririne said. “Being surrounded in a community of people where you’re understood also really helps people speak their truth.”
Camp Kesem proves to be just as cathartic and uplifting an experience from a counselor’s point of view. Many counselors choose to get involved with the organization due to their own personal experiences with family members’ battles with cancer. Swartz remembered keeping her own feelings about her father’s cancer diagnosis to herself.
“Camp for me was very healing to actually talk about my experiences for the first time and feel completely safe to do so,” Swartz said.
As a transfer student who arrived at the College in fall 2023, Hellman described that her fears of struggling to connect with the established community as a first time counselor were quickly quelled.
“I was really pleasantly surprised at the way that people were so quick to pull me in and make me feel like I belonged, even the campers,” Hellman said.
Tiouririne, another first-time counselor, said she personally observed the camp living up to its name.
“Kesem does bring magic, especially for the campers, no matter the age,” Tiouririne said. “Being there in August, I saw how the magic spread through us.”
At the end of each day, campers and counselors traditionally sing Bill Withers’s “Lean On Me” in a group circle. Hellman remarked that the song’s lyrics capture the support and solidarity Camp Kesem hopes to offer.
“You lean on people who understand what you’re going through, and that’s how you get through life,” Hellman said.
The Griffin Wears Prada
Walking through the campus of the College of William and Mary on any given day, you will find students dressed in all sorts of trendy outfits. One of the characteristic parts about the College is the range of styles that the student body displays. Whether it’s bohemian, streetwear, preppy or edgy, you’re bound to encounter a diverse mix of stylistic expression, adding to the unique energy of the school itself.
It’s hard to trace where exactly everyone finds their unique pieces, but perhaps some of them come directly from Williamsburg. It’s no secret that Williamsburg is not the fashion capital of the world, but you might be surprised by what you can find right here in town. And since it is still back to school season, this article is your guide to some new school year outfits, or just some retail therapy, right in your backyard.
Williamsburg has a variety of shopping options no matter your personal style, budget or location on campus. First, let’s take only a few steps off campus into Colonial Williamsburg. While at first sight it may seem like a collection of colonial knick-knacks, Duke Of Gloucester Street and some of its side streets actually have some hidden fashion gems.
When you first walk onto the street, you are immediately met with FatFace. This clothing store carries clothes for men and women, with an overall relaxed and outdoorsy vibe. The muted color scheme and quality material of FatFace’s clothing makes it mature and timeless. So, if you are looking for a cozy sweater for the fall or a pair of new jeans, this might be the place for you.
Just down the street is Walkabout Outfitter, which recently opened its sixth Virginia location in Williamsburg. This store, often known for its outdoor and camping equipment, also happens to carry some pretty popular brands; not only for hiking, but also for exercise and day-to-day wear.
With brands like Vuori, Patagonia and The North Face, you could find yourself a perfect fleece or a pair of casual shorts.
And we can’t forget the iconic colonial Lululemon. The last trace of the year 2024 before you enter Colonial Williamsburg, this Lululemon is always stocked with their latest activewear items for men and women: workout pants, shorts, tops and outerwear. The sale rack in the back is also a great hack to save a little money here. Next time you stroll down Duke of Gloucester street, consider popping in to elevate your workout wardrobe before entering the 1700s.
If you venture a little off to Prince George Street, you will find Three Sisters Boutique. This boutique carries tons of trending styles and brands for women’s fashion. With a whole section dedicated to dresses, it is the place to go if you are looking to dress up a little for an upcoming gala, party or other formal event. The boutique is also full of casual items that shift with the seasons. Drop by and you may discover your next favorite garment.
The stores in and around Colonial Williamsburg are not all that this town has to offer, as far as fashion goes. Within a five-to ten-minute radius from campus are Marshalls, Target and Old Navy, along with other larger clothing stores. Specifically, Marshalls on Richmond Road is packed with quality overstock items for affordable prices. If you’ve been to a handful of Marshalls locations, you may know that they are not all created equal. However, the Williamsburg location stands out on top. With such a large selection, you are bound to find something you like, and you may even find a hidden marked down gem from brands like Free People, Ralph Lauren and Lucky Brand.
But maybe you’re looking for something a little more unique: something one of a kind that won’t break the bank. Williamsburg thrift stores are full of unexpected finds, proving that you do not have to
be in a city for a successful thrift haul. Goodwill on Richmond Road has exactly what you need to make that perfect thrift discovery. The store itself is huge, and it has racks on racks of clothing for men and women, a majority of which are under $10.
COURTESY PHOTO / BELLA CENDAN
GRAPHIC BY CATHERINE STORKE / THE FLAT HAT
COURTESY PHOTO / BELLA CENDAN
COURTESY PHOTO / BELLA CENDAN
One Fermenting Family
The Collegeʼs Fermentation Club promotes fermented foods, provides inclusive environment for all
LORENZO
SHORT // FLAT HAT VARIETY ASSOC.
When it comes to student organizations, the College of William and Mary has its riches, and while some may think it is impossible to attend a meeting for every club, some may also find it rewarding to expand their horizons and try something off the beaten path. Fermentation Club does just that by providing students with the opportunity to learn the art of fermentation. Members can craft a variety of foods and beverages while learning about the greater cultural and historical significance of the projects they prepare.
Every Wednesday, members of Fermentation Club gather in Lodge 1 of the Sadler Center at 7 p.m., and proceed to the community kitchen on the ground floor of the building. Projects range from sourdough starter and kimchi, to kombucha and cheong (a popular Korean fruit preserve). Club members are encouraged to participate in every part of the fermentation process, including sanitization and preparation, and leave with their own jar of the product that is theirs to keep.
Fermentation Club aims to provide a space that goes beyond fermentation tutorials by fostering a welcoming community that is accessible to beginners.
“Everyone is welcome, regardless of their background or their experience in fermenting,”
Vice-President Sophia Holincheck ’24 M.S. ’26 said. “Something that we really prioritize is giving people opportunities to make recipes that they want to make.”
The welcoming atmosphere the club has sought to create is supported by a commitment to providing both the space and materials to facilitate safe and effective fermentation projects. However, achieving this goal has not been without conflict.
“I think we might be the only club that’s based around making food, at least the only club that meets on campus,” Holincheck said. “It’s been a bit of an issue behind the scenes, because of the unique way we need to spend our funds, like getting fresh fruit from the grocery store. The school had a weird time getting us set up with a Food Lion card that they can give us funds with, and then finding a meeting place was hard as well.”
The funding the school provides has been instrumental in keeping the club free of dues, and thus more accessible to those who may only want to attend a small number of meetings, allowing the club to spread culinary knowledge to a wider audience.
Throughout Fermentation Club’s history, they have remained a relatively small organization, but this year, President Foster Covington ’27 hopes to expand its reach and educational scope.
“This club was founded in 2019, and literally everybody who was in it during that time stayed with it through Covid, but they basically all graduated out,” Covington said. “It was kept mainly on the science of fermentation, which I completely
understand. I love that, but it’s not particularly my strong suit, I’m not a STEM sort of guy.”
This academic year, Covington is spearheading an initiative to create activities that not only cover the science and practice of fermentation, but also the greater cultural and historical implications of various fermented dishes and drinks.
“I truly do believe that every culture has invented their own type of sword and spear, bread and some sort of alcoholic drink. And two of those are directly tied to fermentation,” Covington said. “That cultural and historical standpoint is what I really enjoy about Fermentation Club.”
The club plans to make several site visits throughout the year to local businesses to learn more about industrial fermentation in an enjoyable way. It has already coordinated visits to the Copper Fox Distillery, Williamsburg Winery and Precarious Beer Company.
On the cultural side, Covington plans to have more collaborative meetings with various clubs on campus, including the Salsa and Cheese clubs, following their successful kimchi event with the Korean American Student Association last semester.
As a social organization as well as an educational one, maintaining an inclusive environment has remained a top priority for Fermentation Club. For some participants, it is a large reason they return frequently.
“I’ve never felt more accepted anywhere,” Holincheck said. “We’re a really friendly group.”
The accepting atmosphere was echoed by Seth Hannon ’27, who went to his first Fermentation Club meeting last semester.
“It’s a super friendly club. You don’t need to worry at all, the people here will absolutely accept you, we’re all part of a fermenting family if you want to put it that way,” Hannon said. “If people have never fermented before, I say you should just try it out. It’s a great way to start, and you never know, it could be a new hobby you pick up.”
While most people who first attend a Fermentation Club meeting have no prior experience, the club provides guidance and a community that keeps members coming back, and the unique cultures and histories surrounding the recipes continue to inspire.
“Personally, I think food is a universal language, because you can’t be mad at someone when you’re sharing a meal,” Covington said. “There’s just something about good food everyone can appreciate, even if it’s something you’re totally unfamiliar with.”
For students wishing to participate in a meeting, the club asks that members RSVP in their GroupMe chat, so that they are able to get an idea of the supplies needed for each meeting. Posters with sign-up codes will continue to be posted around campus in the coming weeks.
Behind Brick Walls
Best outdoor study spots at the College for your studying, procrastination needs
MILES MORTIMER // FLAT HAT VARIETY EDITOR
So, you’re at that point in the semester where you’re beginning to realize that your dorm room just isn’t going to cut it when it comes to studying and completing your everexpanding list of assignments. You wouldn’t be the frst person to have trouble focusing in the space where you and your roommate live, and you wouldn’t be the frst person to try to fnd a spot on campus that’s right for both your academic obligations and relaxing in between things to do. And while not necessarily any of the seven wonders of the world, the buildings on campus, such as the Earl Gregg Swem Library and workspaces in academic halls, tend to be what a lot of students gravitate towards.
But what if those too start to become dull? Well then, dear reader, you can simply do what the photographers at the College of William and Mary’s marketing department looking for new pictures to populate the College’s website hope you do: work outside. Coupled with the great weather at this time of the year (at the time of writing this article; I can’t guarantee anything if you’re reading this three months from now), this strategy is a great way to complete your homework while getting some Vitamin D. And this senior, who has been using this approach for at least a few years now, will be the frst to tell you that there are pros and cons to several diferent spots.
Te frst idea that may jump to mind is the Sunken Garden, with the green and brown adirondack chairs around its edges. In short, this is far from a bad place to start. Because of the large size of the feld, there are both areas with a lot of shade and areas with a lot of sun, meaning you can pick how much heat you want to feel while typing on your computer or reading a textbook. You can even switch on the fy if you want to spice things up at the moment, and you only have to walk a couple dozen
feet. Another beneft, and one of the most important ones, is that the WiFi on the Sunken Garden is usually pretty good because of all of the academic halls in the area. But although I may be making it seem like a substitute for a vacation to Aruba, another fact to consider is that, especially at this time of year, you are probably going to be far from the only person there. Now, if you can handle the sounds of hundreds of students shufing to and from class and what will sound like the most intense Spikeball games of your life, the idyllic Sunken Garden may be perfect for you. But if you prefer a more tranquil setting to unwind and grind out some more serious assignments, another option may be better suited for you. Te next place to take a look at would be the Sadler Terrace, less than a two minute walk from our previous location. Many of the tables on the Terrace also have umbrellas that come with them, providing what can often be some much needed shade. To add to this, one of the main pros of the Terrace is its incredible proximity to the food options that the Sadler Center has to ofer. Whether you are craving a full lunch or just a quick snack from Student Exchange, sometimes sating your hunger pangs can be just what you need to power through the last bit of that assignment. Although, keep in mind that this beneft will likely be signifcantly less useful if you don’t have a meal plan. Te biggest downside, though, just like with the Sunken Garden, is the massive amount of people that will be there as well. If you don’t mind working in a crowded space, this point can be disregarded, but, speaking from personal experience, you will probably run into half the school before you can determine whether you want “the” or “a” to be the frst word in your essay.
Another great spot to consider, and, spoiler alert, one that is usually
far less crowded, is the tables found on the grassy area in between Swem Library and Andrews Hall, near the sundial. Not only will you have this aforementioned relative privacy, but you will also be surrounded by a good deal of trees, for both shade and aesthetics. On top of this, you will also be right by the front entrance to Swem, should you need to stop in there for any reason. Te main con of this spot, however, is that there simply aren’t too many spots to grab because of the limited number of tables in the area. While you could sit or lie down on the grass, the maze of walkways from multiple directions will make it pretty awkward to do so. Tis can be a great study spot, but if just a few other people had the same idea, you’ll probably be forced to do a walk of shame to another place mentioned in this article.
Lastly, if none of these options strike you as particularly appealing, there is always the usually quiet spot behind the Raymond A. Mason School of Business for you to go to. Here, you will be able to fnd a grassy feld with chairs and benches immediately behind the building, and beyond that, you can go to other spots right by the water of Lake Matoaka. Tis is the most secluded of the mentioned locations if you really need to lock in, and you will either have a view of fnancemajor-alumni-funded fower beds or the (sometimes) pristine water of the College’s iconic lake to go with it. Te main knock against it, though, is it can be a little out of the way, especially if you aren’t a business major.
Regardless of which of these locations sticks out to you, I believe that changing your study scenery to an outside location every now and then can do wonders for your productivity and help you power through tough workloads. Just remember to put on some sunscreen if you’re going to take this article to heart.
sports
William and Mary splits out-of-conference home stand
Freshman
Thursday, Sept. 5, William and Mary women’s soccer (4-3-0) defeated Richmond (2-3-1,0-0 A-10) 1-0 at Martin Family Stadium at Albert-Daly Field in Williamsburg, Va.
goal leads Tribe to 1-0 win over Richmond
The Tribe emerged victorious nine of the last ten times it faced the Spiders, with its one loss in 2011. Among these games, four have been one-point victories for the Green and Gold.
The Tribe dominated from the start. Freshman defender Peyton Costello scored
the one and only goal 19 minutes, 54 seconds into the matchup. Senior forward Leah Iglesias assisted Costello’s goal.
Overall, William and Mary outshot Richmond 9-6 and had six fouls compared to the Spiders’ eight. With more shots on goal and a cleaner game than its opponents, the Tribe earned a well-deserved win.
Sunday, Sept. 8, William and Mary lost to Princeton (3-1, 0-0 Ivy) 0-2 at Martin Family Stadium at Albert-Daly Field in Williamsburg, Va.
This game was highly anticipated by both teams, as William and Mary’s head coach Julie Shackford previously coached the Tigers. Shackford worked at Princeton from 1995 to 2014, where she led the team to six Ivy League titles.
In the Tribe’s last eleven games against the Tigers, Princeton won four times. In the last two of these games, the Green and Gold fell by only one point.
William and Mary was even with its opponent across several stat lines. In the first half, both teams took six shots on goal, and in the second half,the Tigers edged their opponents out 6-4 in shots taken. Sophomore goalkeeper Jazzy Lorenz had three saves for the Tribe, while senior goalkeeper Tyler McCamey recorded four saves for the Tigers.
The first goal for Princeton was scored in the
27th minute by freshman midfielder Brooke Dawahare. Junior forward Drew Coomans assisted this goal.
Junior defender Pia Beaulieu scored Princeton’s second goal in the 84th minute, thanks to an assist by. freshman forward Alexandra Barry.
Though the Green and Gold lost, its offense pushed transition; Junior forward Ivey Crain recorded four shots on goal, while sophomore defender Molly Widderich posted three. .
Thursday, Sept. 12, The Tribe will look to bounce back against NC State (2-3-1, 0-0 ACC) at Dail Soccer Field in Raleigh, N.C.
Despite championship-winning 2023, Green and Gold fall to 0-4 this season Tribe overpowered by consecutive ranked opponents
MAX GRILL FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR
Friday, Sept. 6, William and Mary field hockey (0-4, 0-0 CAA) lost to No. 8 Harvard (2-0, 0-0 Ivy) 6-0 at Busch Field in Williamsburg, Va.
The Tribe — which fell to unranked Richmond (3-1, 0-0 A10) 7-1 in its 2024 home opener Sept. 1 — looked to bounce back on familiar soil against the Crimson in upset fashion. Despite being ranked eighth in the country, the Green and Gold entered Friday’s matchup leading 2-1 in the programs’ head-to-head history. However, from the start of the first period, it quickly became apparent that Harvard outmatched the Tribe in almost every aspect of the game. Sophomore midfielder Lara Beekhuis got the scoring started for the Crimson in the fourth minute, giving Harvard an early 1-0 lead, courtesy of an assist by junior midfielder Fiene Oerlemans. Just over three minutes later, the visitors almost struck again, taking two shots within six seconds that were blocked by Tribe graduate student goalkeeper Maddie George and sophomore defender Mackinzie Brown, respectively. In the 11th minute, Harvard freshman forward Emily Bronckers increased the Crimson lead to two with her first goal of the season.
In the second quarter, Bronckers continued
CHIEF SPORTS WRITER
Wednesday, Sept. 4, William and Mary men’s soccer (2-0-2, 0-1 CAA) defeated Longwood (1-2-1, 0-0 Big South) 2-0 in its home opener at Martin Family Stadium in Williamsburg, Va.
Just 13 minutes into the midweek match, sophomore midfielder Aidan Morrison shot from the top of the box, finding the back of the net and giving the Tribe an early lead. Junior forward Lucas Caldas was credited with the assist, with a give-and-go cut finding its way back to Morrison for his first goal of the season.
to be an unstoppable force against the Green and Gold. Thirty seconds into the period, she found the back of the net for her second goal of the game, stretching Harvard’s lead to three. The remainder of the half was quiet for both teams, thanks to three more saves from George and one from junior midfielder Emme Schwartz.
As the first half came to a close, Harvard led the game in shots 12-0 and penalty corners 3-0. With little offensive action, the Green and Gold entered the break desperate to kick-start its scoring in the second half.
Unfortunately, the only offense that came out swinging in the third period was the Crimson’s. Just over two minutes into the second half, senior forward Lucy Leel scored her first goal of the 2024 season, extending the visitor’s lead to 4-0. Leel continued to attack the net in the following minute, but failed to score on her next two shots following another George save and a miss wide. In the 36th minute, George knocked down another Harvard shot on goal, this time courtesy of junior forward Kate Oliver. In the 38th minute, Harvard tacked on one more, this time thanks to junior defender Bronte-May Brough for her first goal of the season.
In the final period of the matchup, Harvard showed no sign of slowing down. However, thanks to seven saves from George in a hectic five-minute window, the Green and Gold’s
Longwood failed to get any shots on goal until the 27th minute, when sophomore goalkeeper Ryan Eapen swiftly saved the attempt.
William and Mary freshman forward Tre Barrett made his impact in the 34th minute, taking a free kick after a Longwood yellow card. Sophomore midfielder Hamilton Howes headed the ball cleanly into the right side of the net, emphatically raising the Tribe’s lead to two. This goal was Howes’s first of his career with William and Mary, and the assist was Barrett’s second of his short — but already impactful
— time with the Tribe.
Graduate student goalkeeper Cole McNally came in for the Tribe early into the second half, replacing Eapen, and made one save during the period to keep the visiting Lancers at bay.
The match was relatively uneventful throughout the second half, and the score remained at 2-0 until the end. On the day, William and Mary took 15 shots compared to Longwood’s seven. This marked the Tribe’s second win of the season. Longwood has never defeated the Tribe, with a historical record of 9-0-2 between the teams.
Saturday, Sept. 7, the Green and Gold lost to No. 24 Hofstra (4-0-1, 1-0 CAA) 1-0 in its first league game at home.
William and Mary looks to bounce back against Old Dominion (2-2-1, 0-0 SBC)
Tuesday, Sept. 10 at the Old Dominion Soccer Complex in Norfolk, Va.
deficit remained at five. In the 51st minute, William and Mary junior defender Amelia Morgan’s shot on goal was blocked before it even made it to the net. To make matters worse, in the 55th minute, senior forward Sara Silarszka scored another goal for the Crimson, extending the late-game lead to six.
Though William and Mary ended the game outmatched 26-1 in shots and 4-1 in penalty corners, George recorded an impressive 15 saves.
Sunday, Sept. 8, the Green and Gold suited up against its second ranked opponent of the week, this time against No. 18 Old Dominion (40, 0-0 Big East). ODU — who entered Sunday’s matchup fresh off of a dominant 9-0 win against Queen’s University on Friday — entered Busch Field looking to continue its scorching 2024 season start in Williamsburg against a struggling Tribe squad.
Sunday’s matchup started in a similarly unfortunate manner for William and Mary.
After three minutes of stalemate, ODU senior midfielder Rina Tsioles fired a shot on the Green and Gold net. Despite a solid save by George, junior attack Sanci Molkenboer was able to wrangle in the miss and score the Monarchs’ first goal of the game, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead. The rest of the quarter saw more empty Monarch shots, thanks to two more George saves. After 15 minutes of play, however, the
Green and Gold found itself in an early deficit once again.
The Tribe’s defense saw no improvement early in the second. In the 20th minute, senior forward Tess Jedeloo scored the Monarchs’ second goal of the game, courtesy of a Molkenboer assist. Like the first period, both offenses went quiet in the final 10 minutes of the half. As both teams entered the break, the Monarchs outmatched the Tribe 11-0 in shots and 4-0 in penalty corners.
Just like the two previous periods before, the Tribe defense was most vulnerable in the first five minutes of the third quarter. Jedeloo struck again, this time courtesy of assists by senior midfielder Frederique Zanderbergen and Tsioles. Despite being down 3-0, William and Mary put up its first shot in the period but failed to score on the attempt.
In the fourth, the Tribe finally scored its first goal of the week. Following a Monarch penalty, senior midfielder Pyper Friedman converted on her penalty shot, cutting the Green and Gold deficit to three. However, with less than three minutes of play, senior midfielder Sian Emslie scored another Monarch goal, giving ODU a 4-1 lead.
Despite the rough week, William and Mary looks to secure its first win of 2024 against Liberty (2-1, 0-0 Big East) Friday, Sept. 13 at the Liberty Field Hockey Field in Lynchburg, Va.
LACI MILLER
FIELD HOCKEY
RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT
Senior forward Leah Iglesias has scored two goals in her seven starts in 2024. With seven points this season, Iglesias has nearly doubled her career point totals already.
RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT
Tribe fans flocked to Martin Family Stadium this week to support the Tribe.
sports
William and Mary overpowers VMI 41-7 in season opener
ETHAN QIN FLAT HAT MANAGING EDITOR
Thursday, Aug. 29, No. 15/16 William and Mary football (1-1, 0-0 CAA) prevailed over Virginia Military Institute (0-2, 0-1 SOCON) 41-7 in its home season opener at Zable Stadium in Williamsburg, Va.
This contest marked the Tribe’s first Thursday night season opener since 2007. Historically, the Green and Gold has won 15 of its last 17 home openers.
Head coach Mike London expressed his excitement getting to open the season at home in front of the William and Mary fanbase.
“Anytime you can play at home, particularly your opener, is great,” London said. “I expect the campus and game to be with a lot of people cheering us on.”
As the sun began to set on Zable Stadium, the coin toss resulted in VMI electing to defer the ball. A new season of Tribe football was underway as senior wide receiver Damian Harris returned the ball 21 yards to the William and Mary 31.
The Tribe began its drive with a handoff to the left side for senior running back Bronson Yoder. Suffering a season-ending injury last year, Yoder’s first touch of the 2024 season was good enough for a 2-yard gain.
The next play on second and 8 was a wide receiver screen to senior wide receiver DreSean Kendrick, who turned up the field for a substantial 20-yard reception.
On first and 10 at the VMI 47, the Tribe ran an option play for senior athlete Hollis Mathis, which resulted in a 1-yard gain. Mathis — who was once solely a quarterback — is now used in many different capacities ranging from a receiver to a back. This adds depth and versatility to the Tribe offense.
After an incompletion on second and 9, senior quarterback Darius Wilson scrambled up the middle to convert the first down at the VMI 35-yard line.
passing the ball, going zero for three on passing attempts this drive. With the string of incompletions, the VMI punt team was sent on.
Kendrick received the ball for the Tribe, returning the punt for 10 yards to the William and Mary 36 and marking the end of the first period.
Starting the second quarter, Wilson began the drive with a quarterback scramble for an eight-yard gain. On second and 2, Wilson found Kendrick on an out route for a 10-yard completion, which was good enough for a first down. Wilson then went back to the quarterback run again, scrambling for six yards.
After back-to-back incomplete passes, the Tribe faced a fourth and 4 situation. Deciding to go for it, Wilson worked his magic in the pocket and evaded the VMI pass rush. He found sophomore tight end Sean McElwain rolling out to his right, which he completed for 13 yards. Unfortunately, this play was called back due to an offensive holding call on senior offensive lineman Charles Grant, sending the William and Mary punt team on.
Senior kicker Ruben Anderson punted the ball deep into VMI territory at the 11-yard line.
The Keydets looked to get on the board and started their drive with a rush by Rice down the middle, good for 5 yards. On second and 5, VMI sent sophomore wide receiver Destin Moore to the left for a substantial 13-yard rush.
VMI looked to pass on the next play but was broken up in the air by redshirt freshman linebacker Elijah Rainer. The Tribe doubled up on defensive excellence with sophomore linebacker Desmond Cook coming downhill to make a great open field tackle on a VMI rush attempt, forcing third and 1.
On a critical third-down play, the Keydets put Rice in a direct snap and rushed up the middle to convert the first down. With a new set of downs, Shannon went back to the air again and connected with redshirt senior wide receiver VJ Johnson for a five-yard completion.
Nearing the redzone, William and Mary looked to feed Yoder, utilizing him both with handoffs and direct snaps. Six consecutive rushes by Yoder proved too much for VMI to stop. On the final run, Yoder was able to punch the ball into the end zone from the one-yard line. With William and Mary drawing first blood and going up 7-0, attention now turned to stopping the VMI offense.
After a 13-yard return to the VMI 13, the Keydets offense began to work through senior running back Hunter Rice, who began the drive with a three-yard gain. Following the rush, VMI went to the air with redshirt sophomore quarterback Collin Shannon throwing to redshirt senior wide receiver Julio DaSilva on a wide receiver screen, good enough for the first down. VMI followed that play with another first down gain from a jet sweep by redshirt sophomore Ivan Thorpe.
After another short run by Rice, a couple of incomplete passes by Shannon resulted in a fourth and 4 situation at the William and Mary 37-yard line. Choosing to gamble and go for it, the Keydets ultimately came up short of the line of gain after good containment by the Tribe defense.
After the turnover on downs, the Tribe began its drive with a touch pass to senior running back Malachi Imoh going to the right side for a 3-yard gain. William and Mary went back to the touch pass, this time for Mathis which yielded a 39-yard touchdown. Unfortunately due to an offensive holding call on senior wide receiver JT Mayo, the ball was called back.
Following the penalty, William and Mary went to Imoh for back-to-back rushes up the middle for 12-yard and 7-yard gains, respectively. The Tribe then went to the air through Wilson rolling out to his right and finding Mayo for a 15-yard completion. On first and goal, Imoh got the call to punch the ball in down the middle to score the Green and Gold’s second touchdown of the day. With three minutes left in the first quarter, William and Mary led 14-0.
VMI looked to respond offensively, utilizing Rice in the ground game on three rush attempts, which resulted in minimal gains. VMI was unsuccessful
Facing second and 5, Shannon went to the air again but was unable to connect with his receiver. After the play, a flag was thrown for pass interference against the Tribe’s senior cornerback Jaedon Joyner. The penalty moved the line of scrimmage to the William and Mary 39, as well as an automatic first down.
On first and 10, Shannon looked to pass but was unable to connect with his receivers due to good coverage by the Tribe safety. Looking to pass again, the Tribe pass rush got to Shannon for a sack, resulting in a loss of four yards on the play. With third and 14 coming up, the Tribe pass rush once again got to Shannon, with redshirt freshman defensive lineman Ty Gordon recording the sack for a loss of two yards.
Facing fourth and 16, VMI sent its punt team on. On the punt, senior linebacker John Kearney got to the kicker and blocked the punt, sending the ball backwards. With the live ball on the ground, there was a scramble by Tribe players to scoop it up.
Redshirt freshman linebacker Clayton Dobler came up with the football, running toward the VMI end zone for a Tribe special teams touchdown. With the extra point converted, William and Mary went up 21-0 with seven minutes, 25 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
On the ensuing kickoff, VMI looked to get on the scoreboard with its following drive. After a touchback, the Keydets looked to get started with first and 10 on the VMI 25.
VMI began its drive with back-to-back rushes by redshirt sophomore running back Luke Schalow before going to the air. Shannon strung together two consecutive completions to Thorpe and Rice, driving the Keydets down at the William and Mary 35. VMI then went back to the ground game through Rice and Schalow. After back-toback rushes by Rice, VMI went back to him for a final time on second and 3 at the William and Mary 12-yard line. Evading multiple Tribe defenders, Rice strolled into the end zone, finally putting the Keydets on the board at 21-7 with two minutes, 16 seconds left in the half.
On the VMI kickoff, Harris returned the ball to
the 27-yard line as the Tribe looked to respond with its own drive. William and Mary began the series with a hand-off to Imoh toward the left side but was stifled by the VMI defense for a one-yard gain.
With less than two minutes to go in the period at its own 28-yard line, William and Mary took a timeout to talk things over, looking to score before halftime.
Out of the timeout, the Tribe ran a play action with Wilson, finding Mathis on a deep crossing route. Mathis then cut back inside for substantial yards after catch. Wilson looked to the air again on the next play for a one-on-one matchup but was ultimately unable to complete the pass.
William and Mary then ran a read option for Wilson, who scrambled up the middle of the field for 14 yards. Wilson fumbled the ball at the end of his run but quickly recovered the ball again.
Now at the VMI 13-yard line, the Tribe turned to the ground game through Yoder. After recording a nine-yard and no-yard gain — putting the Tribe at the VMI 4 — William and Mary took a timeout with 20 seconds left in the half.
Out of the huddle, the Tribe put Mathis in motion on a jet sweep, handing him the ball for a four-yard rush to the right pylon, resulting in a touchdown to close the half.
With minimal time on the clock, Shannon kneeled the ball for VMI, sending both teams to the locker room at halftime. The Tribe led VMI 28-7.
Coming out of halftime, VMI received the ball and returned for substantial yards. After a series of rush attempts, the Keydets found themselves at fourth and 1. On this critical down, VMI ran the ball to the left but was stopped before the line to gain by the steadfast Tribe defense.
With the turnover on downs, the Tribe offense came back on the field at its own 39-yard line.
Wilson began the drive hitting Yoder on a checkdown, who turned up field and made VMI defenders miss a substantial 21-yard completion. Yoder was then fed the ball via handoff this time for an eight-yard rush to the right.
On second and 2, the Green and Gold ran a wide receiver screen for Kendrick on a five-yard completion, enough for a first down. With a new set of downs, the Tribe ran another wide receiver screen — this time for Harris — but resulted only in a minimal gain.
At the VMI 26, William and Mary put Mathis in motion on another jet sweep to the right. Mathis turned up the field and sprinted to the end zone for a 26-yard touchdown. With the extra point being converted, the Tribe increased the deficit 35-7 with 9:55 left in the third quarter.
As the VMI offense took the field again following the Tribe kickoff, the Keydets continued to falter with a three-and-out. After a series of downs that resulted in a fourth and 1 situation, VMI once again sent on its punt team to kick the ball away.
With junior cornerback Jalen Jones calling for the fair catch at the William and Mary 39-yard line, the Tribe offense took the field again with 8:19 left in the quarter.
On the first play of the drive, Wilson found Harris on a deep route, losing his defender for a 30-yard completion. The Tribe then went to the ground through Imoh, who went to the outside for a strong two-yard rush. Imoh was given the ball again on a half back toss to the left side, which he turned up the field for 11 yards.
William and Mary then ran an option play for Wilson, whose toss to Imoh was unsuccessful. Imoh needed to recover the ball on a 14-yard loss. Now facing second and 24, the Tribe ran a running back screen for Imoh, who turned up field for a 16-yard gain with his blockers. Now on third and 8, Wilson scrambled out of the pocket toward the line to gain but was stopped 2 yards short. Sending the field goal team on, Tribe senior kicker Eric Bernstein converted the place kick. During the kick, a flag was thrown on the play against VMI for offsides, giving the Tribe offense a second chance.
At the VMI 5-yard line, William and Mary fed the ball to Imoh on a counter run down the middle, good enough for a four-yard gain. Handing the ball off to Imoh again, the VMI defense stopped the Tribe for no gain, still at the VMI one-yard line. On the next play, Wilson ran a play action and rolled out to his left. On the move, Wilson found McElwain open in the end zone for another Tribe touchdown. With Bernstein missing the extra point kick, William and Mary now led 41-7 with 2:59 left in the third period.
The ensuing Tribe kickoff resulted in a touchback, placing the VMI offense at its own 25-yard line to start the drive. After a short run by Schalow, Shannon went to the air but was intercepted by Tribe senior safety Marcus Barnes. Immediately after the interception, Barnes fumbled the ball, which was recovered by VMI sophomore tight end Nathan Lhotsky.
Despite this second chance, a short run and two incompletions resulted in another fourth down for the VMI offense. With the punt team coming on, Kendrick returned the football to William and Mary’s 29-yard line.
It was at this time that many Tribe starters were pulled from the game, with the win all but secure. The score would remain the same for the remainder of the game, as neither team put points on the board.
In what was a convincing victory for the Green and Gold, Wilson was clinical, throwing for 190 yards and two touchdowns. The ground game also thrived with the Tribe amassing 205 yards and three touchdowns, with Yoder and Imoh accounting for a majority.
On the defensive end, senior linebacker Alex Washington recorded a team-leading eight tackles. Barnes and freshman safety Jaden Ratliff each recorded an interception of their own.
London was content with his team’s performance in the season opener.
“Darius did a good job throwing the ball to the different receivers, and defensively, guys got after it, pitching a shutout in the second half,” London said. “Special teams being able to block a punt with the scoop and score was a great opportunity. Obviously, there’s a lot of things we need to continue to work on, but I thought the coaches and players did a good job bringing energy, knowing the situations and just playing really good football.”
Saturday, Sept. 7, No. 13/14 William and Mary football (1-1, 0-0 CAA) fell to Coastal Carolina (2-0, 0-0 SBC) 40-21 in its second game of the season at Brooks Stadium in Conway, S.C.
The Tribe look to right the ship against Wofford (2-0, 0-0 SoCon) Saturday, Sept. 14 at Gibbs Stadium in Spartanburg, S.C.
RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT
Senior quarterback Darius Wilson recorded two passing touchdowns during the game, also rushing for 32 yards on six carries.
RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT
The matchup marked the Tribeʼs first Thursday night season opener since 2007 and the teamsʼ first meeting since 2011.