IN GENERAL Volume XIV | Issue II
IT TAKES TWO: TWINS ON CAMPUS
BEHIND THE BADGE:
IN DEPTH LOOK AT ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY SHERIFF
DECORATING DUBYANELL DORMS “FUNKING IT UP”: W&L ARTS LEAGUE
NEVER AGAIN:
REMEMBERING OUR PROMISE
IN GENERAL
CONTRIBUTORS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Caroline Sanders ‘17
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Katie Paxton ‘17
MANAGING EDITOR Caroline Blackmon ‘19
WRITERS Caroline Blackmon ‘19 Courtney Knight ‘17 Parker Butler ‘18 Laura Wang ‘19 Kara Lough ‘20 Xiaoxia Yin ‘19 Arlette Hernandez ‘18 Laura Bruce ‘20
LAYOUT Julia Gsell ‘18 Nuoya Zhou ‘18 Caroline Blackmon ‘19 Isidro Camacho ‘17 Katie Paxton ‘17
PHOTOGRAPHY Suzanna Mayer ‘18 Caroline Blackmon ‘19 Josie Hurst ‘19 Julia Jane Duggan ‘20 Ellen Kanzinger ‘18 Katie Paxton ‘17
To submit a letter to the editor or for advertising inquiries please contact: inGeneral Magazine John W. Elrod Commons Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA 24450
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FROM THE
EDITOR Dear inGeneral readers,
As the days begin to warm up, it’s hard to keep one particular fact from wiggling to the front of my mind: my time as a W&L student is coming to a close. On May 25, whether we’re ready or not, the rest of the seniors and I have to say goodbye to this place that we’ve called home for the past four years and move out on our own into the ominous and daunting “real world.” As hard as I try, I just can’t seem to forget that. While it’s not what I would call fun to have this looming over me (literally all the time), it has allowed me to contemplate all the things about W&L that I love and all the things I’ll miss when I leave. It’s cliché to say I’ll miss walking to an eight a.m. class on the colonnade, but I will. If you haven’t seen it in person, I guarantee you’ve seen it on Instagram about a hundred times. The sun pops up over Lee Chapel and makes the bricks and the grass glisten. I’ll let you know for sure when I get out there, but I have a feeling the real world isn’t quite so pretty. In fact, I bet the real world uses new bricks to pave their walkways. And although I’ve occasionally stumbled over the loose and uneven Lexington bricks, I’m going to miss them, too. I’m going to miss the wall-consuming bookshelf in Payne 212. I’m going to miss the faculty members who put down their research and grading to ask about the happenings of my life. I’m going to miss loaded fries at Coop, walks on the Woods Creek Trail, floats down the Maury, snow day sledding down Windfall Hill, taking drives through Rockbridge County, pulling over at the Goshen overpass, eating supper at Kenney’s,
and embarking on Saturday morning fast food tours that stop at Cookout, Sheetz, McDonalds, AND Wendy’s. Who knows, I might even end up missing Leyburn. But even more, perhaps, I will miss what the inGeneral staff has put between these pages: memories of my freshman dorm (Graham-Lees pre-renovation), classes that were untraditional and implemented technology and other learning techniques to really make me think and explore the possibilities of the subject, the connection with the greater Lexington and Rockbridge community, and the amazing individuals in the student body who are always innovating and creating new things for the benefit of their classmates. The single thing I will miss most, however, is on the cover. I will miss the people who wear the blue wristbands to remember their promise. I will miss the people who stand beside each other in times of trouble and tragedy. I will miss this wonderful community of friends who share not only this incredible place, but also a strong love and support for one another. While thinking of all these things makes me sad and nostalgic, there is one bit of good news. No matter where we end up going or what we end up doing after graduation, we get to take this wonderful love and support with us into the real world. That, and the colonnade Instagrams.
Happy Reading,
Caroline
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MEET THE MAN BEHIND “THE RADISH”
7 COOLEST DORMS ON CAMPUS
10 WHAT IS DIGITAL HUMANITES?
14 FUTURE OF THE PROMISE COMMITTEE
INSIDE
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LEXCHANGE: A SHOPAHOLIC’S DREAM
8 HOW CAMPUS IS A CANVAS: W&L ARTS LEAGUE
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BEHIND THE BADGE: ROCKBRIDGE SHERIFF
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SEEING DOUBLE: W&L TWINS
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One-on-One with Ford
Interview and Photos by Caroline Blackmon ’19
The Radish is Washington and Lee’s newest online publication and it’s changing the way this campus feels about vegetables. inGeneral sat down with Ford Carson ’18 who came up with the idea for the website. inGeneral: What made you start The Radish? Carson: One day, it was just a conversation in a group chat and people liked it and I thought there might be interest here. I think I published [the first articles] following Reading Days. So that whole four-day weekend I just sat in a room and thought, “What’s funny?” It luckily took off. It would’ve been quite embarrassing had it not. inGeneral: What is the purpose of The Radish? Carson: It’s just to make people laugh… It’s a really small scale operation; it’s not through the school, so we’re completely independent. I am a journalism guy too and I like this type of writing. W&L kids get a little in their own bubble. Everybody seems to be career-oriented and I thought to do something just for fun would be rewarding and it has been. inGeneral: How did you think of the name? Carson: This was hard because I was thinking of something like The Woods Creek Gazette, but I wanted it to be immediately, noticeably satirical. And you’ve got The Onion, of course. Other schools have The Eggplant and stuff. And so I thought, let me grab a vegetable that hasn’t been reserved yet.
ready for something like that to come to campus and what I’ve realized is I’m not nearly the funniest one contributing to this. I was just willing to start it. inGeneral: Who has been involved in this publication since the beginning? Carson: The starting guys that I was with [were] Emerson Scheinuk, Bryan Jun, Andrew Coats, Conor Habiger and Chris Baumgarten. The five of us were with it in the beginning. Most crucially was Emerson. I designed a first draft of our logo and it looked awful. He said, “I can’t let you publish this.” And he redid it and it went out. And that’s the probably the reason that [its popularity] picked up so quickly because it’s easy to notice. inGeneral: What have been some of your favorite satire pieces? Carson: I love everything that has to do with freshmen because I was kind of the pain-in-the-ass freshman at one point and it brings me back. I can’t think of the article specifically, but the one that the freshman has a lot of homework despite not being involved on campus and being in [zero] clubs. inGeneral: What do you hope for the future of The Radish? Carson: The goal is that, when I leave, to have it be self-sustaining and have its place.
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inGeneral: How did you get people involved? Carson: When we published the website, it was 20 articles that I [had written]. And I put it out there and I said if anybody on this campus has an idea, just put it in this Google doc. I didn’t know what to expect. At once, 30 people put tons of ideas and suddenly it was a full-time job for like a week. And it was hilarious… People were
: E G N A LEXCH A SHOPAHOLIC’S
DREAM BY KARA LOUGH ’20 PHOTO BY JULIA JANE DUGGAN ’20
W
ithin the past year, Washington and Lee University’s campus has been hit with a shopping trend that continues to grow in members daily. If you have yet to join Lexchange, then you should quickly hop on board. Lexchange is a private group on Facebook where clothes can be sold and bought at extremely affordable prices. At any time of the day, photos are uploaded as people dig through their closets and look to make a quick profit. Simultaneously, an individual may be getting on the Facebook group to see if there are any dresses available for whatever occasion is next. The process is simple. A potential buyer comments on a photo of something she would like to see, then discusses a spot to pick it up. She can try on the item at her convenience. If the item works, the buyer works out a payment method with the seller. However, if she does not like the item, she simply puts it back and messages the owner. W&L is the perfect place for a system like this. “At a school like W&L where fashion is so important to so many people, it is a great way to recycle a dress that you only wore once or think someone else would like more than you do,” Lexchange participant Mia Harvey ’19 said. In addition, Lexchange is supported by the Honor System. Clothes and cash payments can be left in public areas without the threat of theft. Founder Sarah Williamson ’18 implanted the program on campus. She originally got the idea from her hometown, Memphis, Tenn., where many of the moms are members of a similar Facebook page. “I sold tons of old
clothes on the page one summer and thought it’d do really well at W&L,” Williamson said. All that was left was to create the Facebook group page and get it set up for all the potential members. The only hard part in the beginning was getting people to understand and share the idea of an exchange program. Williamson said that she posted many items originally to show members of the group what types of things could be sold and how to go about doing so. Now, she mostly buys and enjoys looking at the growth of the group. For Williamson, the benefits include the easy process and the quick way to make money from things simply lying in your closet untouched. The downside, she feels, is how items tend to pile up in the sorority houses, which are often used as exchange spots. If an item is never bought, it accumulates until the house mom threatens to donate the whole pile. Just by word of mouth, the group has taken off and people must constantly monitor the group to get items before anyone else. “The one thing I don’t like is that you have to be pretty on top of the Facebook page to catch everything that goes up for sale,” Harvey said. At times, it can become a shopping competition. Overall, students had far more positive than negative remarks, saying they love how easy it is to buy at affordable prices and sell conveniently. As spring term approaches, never forget that a gorgeous blouse or stunning sundress is simply a few clicks away.
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BEST
ON-CAMPUS HOUSING: BY LAURA BRUCE ’20
PHOTOS BY JULIA JANE DUGGAN ’20
Sierra Terrana ’20: Graham-Lees Single Terrana’s dorm in Graham-Lees is impeccable. Decorated in beige, black, white and gold, the atmosphere is calming and refined. The desk and wall décor is covered with fashion, Asian and Frank Sinatra references. The window overlooks Washington Street and the mountains in the distance. “I tried to make it as personal to me as possible,” Terrana said. “I love Frank Sinatra, Gustav Klimt and Chloe is my favorite designer, so I decorated my room with references to them. I made sure that no space is wasted.”
“I tried to make it as personal as possible.” -Sierra Terrana ’20
Harris Billings ’20: Gaines Single “Once I got the dimensions for the dorm, I drew a grid online and found furniture that would nicely fit with the layout of my room,” Billings said. His astute planning allows for a large television, a medium-sized sofa and two mini, “hang-out” chairs. It is perfect for any quick social gathering. The watercolor paintings and small, yellow lights offer a nice contrast to the dark couch and television set. The layout causes the room to appear larger than its actual size. “I don’t like the white, florescent lights on the wall, so I decorated the dorm with incandescent lamps and Christmas lights,” Billings said.
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WHO SAYS A
DORM CAN’T BE
COOL? Jake Rosen ’18: Third-year Housing Rosen’s neon lights, creative red solo cup lamps, and other decorations give his dorm a hipster and bohemian atmosphere. “The American and British flags represent my dual citizenship. I’m also trying to get a license to be a bartender, which you can see in the corner,” Rosen said. There are also references to Jake’s swimming accomplishments. The palm tree ocean tapestry is visually appealing in front of the neon-lit bar.
Janie Martin ’18: Third-year Housing Martin’s dorm in third year housing is girly and vibrant. It features several Lily Pulitzer patterns and numerous references to her sorority, Pi Beta Phi. Janie lives with three other Pi Phis in a spacious suite. All of the girls’ rooms reflect each occupant’s own unique personality. “I want a dorm that is as fun and lively as me,” Martin said. “It’s also cool since the other girls I live with have dorms that look way different than mine. Each dorm speaks to our unique, awesome selves.”
Nikki Doherty ’20 & Juliana Kerper ’20: Gaines Loft “It’ll be super hard moving out of this dorm,” Doherty said. With ocean accents and calming vibes, Doherty and Kerper’s dorm is a true oasis. It features two spacious floors connected by a spiral staircase. The first floor is decorated with a plush futon, a built-in closet, two desks, a refrigerator, a microwave, a multitude of pictures and an Endless Summer poster.
“Nikki has a beach house, and we both love the beach. We thought the references to the ocean would remind us of the wonderful days near the sea,” Kerper said. “I really like that one of us can be chilling out upstairs and the other can be studying downstairs, and neither of us will bother the other.”
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A Splash of Color: The Student Arts League at Work
By Xiaoxia Yin ’19
Photos by Suzanna Mayer ’18
W
ashington and Lee University’s campus is rife with color: the red of the bricks, the white of the columns, the green of the Colonnade grass. The Student Arts League has taken these colors and expanded them, seeking to bring beauty and creativity to even the most mundane places on campus. The Student Arts League was founded to promote the arts on campus and the greater Lexington area in order to foster a more creative community. The organization also wants to create a conversation among various art forms including (but of course not limited to) painting, photography, graphic design, dance and music. The Arts League has technically existed since 2008 but has gone in and out of existence, wavering as the energy of the students waxed and waned. Last semester, however, Arts League became active once more, organizing events that created and promoted student works. Sara Dotterer ’18, president of the Arts League, is one of the students who led the charge to reestablish the club. Dotterer and a crew of likeminded individuals have initiated many art projects on campus. Perhaps the most noticeable is the mural
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Sarah Dotterer’18
behind Tucker Hall. The mural not only insulates students from the dangers of the construction site it hides but also brings visual enjoyment to those walking by. “We decided to focus on Cy Twombly’s art [because] he is a native of Lexington and a world-renowned artist,” Dotterer said. “The construction wall by Tucker Hall would have been a bland wooden fence for the rest of the year and Arts League wanted to funk up the walk to CGL and the science center.” Participants who helped paint the mural also loved the experience and think it is valuable for the community. “It provided such a cool experience in that it prompted interactions and conversations with students of different majors as they passed by the section of the mural I was painting,” said Alice Cannon ’17, a member of Arts League who helped paint the mural. “I had the chance to talk to others about Cy Twombly and Arts League and invited those who were willing to stand with me and paint for a while.” Besides the mural painting, the Arts League has also done various projects and promotions including an original student art sale, a recreation of a pop art Andy Warhol screen play,
and music performances by student bands. Dotterer said that her favorite project thus far is the student art that has recently been installed in the Third Year Village common rooms. “That was the one idea I had coming into
”
W&L and it is amazing to finally see it come to life,” Dotterer said. “Our goal was to bring the talent of our student artists into more areas of campus besides Wilson Hall. We also wanted to spice up the Village space a little bit, as it can be a bit drab.” Maren Lundgren ’18, a student who has seen much of the art on campus, said that she is very pleased by the work of the Arts League this year. “The mural outside Tucker Hall is much more amusing than the ugly constructions,” Lundgren said. “It makes walking there more pleasant. It’s definitely a good work.”
“Our goal was to bring the talent of our student artists into more areas of campus besides Wilson Hall.”
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DIGITAL WHAT?: THE ROLE OF DIGITAL HUMANITIES ON THE W&L CAMPUS
BY ARLETTE HERNANDEZ ’18
I
n the past decade, the term “digital humanities” has made a home for itself in several universities and colleges. Washington and Lee became one of those schools in 2013 when, after a year of discussion, the Dean of the College, Suzanne Keen, established the Digital Humanities Working Group (DHWG) and the Digital Humanities Action Team (DHAT). According to DH @ W&L’s website, “The Working Group is primarily designed to encourage awareness of and participation in DH” and the Action Team “is a resource for partnering with humanities and social science faculty in exploring digital approaches to teaching, learning, and scholarship.” Still, a single question remains in many people’s minds: what is ‘Digital Humanities’? The truth is that the answer varies. Digital Humanities librarian Mackenzie Brooks said, “DH can be a lot of things.” For some people it is a “fad” or “neoliberal tool,” and for others it is, as W&L postdoctoral fellow Brandon Walsh said, “about the rich and generative possibilities that happen when fields intersect.” Yet, at its broadest definition, Digital Humanities means just what it says: making the humanities digital. Brooks defined it well when she said, “it’s a chance to learn about humanities topics through technology.” From developing a search engine for ancient graffiti to creating a map of a literary network, a quick browse through the DH website will reveal all the different ways in which projects can take shape. Incorporating DH into the W&L campus was no easy feat. According to an article published in The Academic Commons by W&L faculty and staff, “The primary challenge for digital humanities at a small liberal arts college is in adapting research-oriented digital practices as teaching strategies that enhance critical thinking among undergraduates.” To overcome this challenge, the DH teams organized a grant that would award the winner $1,000 and technical support in
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PHOTOS BY KATIE PAXTON ’17
the implementation of DH course projects. Hence, more and more classes are integrating digital humanities methodologies like data mining, markup languages and website construction. In fact, the DH website affirms, “To date, 16 W&L courses require a DH project in lieu of a traditional term paper.” History professor Sarah Horowitz has begun to incorporate DH into her own research as well as in the classroom. “The great thing about incorporating DH into classes is that students get really excited about the possibilities of exploring and using new tools and so often invest more in their work and take ownership of it in wonderful ways,” Horowitz said.
The biggest win for DH occurred in June 2015 when W&L received an $800,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. So far, this grant has been used to develop one-credit “DH Studio courses,” digital technology labs that work alongside traditional humanities classes. The grant also funds summer research projects and conferences. Perhaps one of the most unique opportunities to arise from this grant is the Andrew W. Mellon Undergraduate Fellowship, the goal of which is to “give students the opportunity to develop technology skills and share what they’ve learned with others.” One of the fellows, Abdur Kahn ’17, joined the team in fall 2016, pursuing a DH component to his French honors thesis. His project uses DH to aid the text analysis of four French manuscripts and create a home for the documents online. “DH [to me] is the marriage between what I love most about literature and old manuscripts and the technology we have every day,” Kahn said. “It’s about putting [these texts] in the hands of the average person who may not like books or have access to them.” Aidan Valente ’19, another fellow who joined in fall 2016, works on
DH projects with Special Collections and Art History professor George Bent. For him, the fellowship has been an enriching experience. “I now know more about web design than I ever expected to as a Medieval & Renaissance Studies and Art History major, and I’ve been given a number of incredible opportunities that I never would have encountered otherwise,” Valente said. For some people, DH can be off-putting. Not only does it suggest familiarity with knowledge relegated to the STEM fields, but also a reinterpretation of traditional humanities. Nevertheless, DH is for everyone. Brooks said, “I often encounter a lot of students who label themselves as ‘bad at technology.’ I hope that DH @ W&L, whether through a course, a fellowship, a speaker, or a project, helps students gain confidence with technology.” The DH staff provides constant support for students looking to learn to code or how to build a website, eroding many barriers faced by technology novices. As a suggestion to other students considering an exploration of the digital humanities, Kahn said, “Don’t be discouraged by how unknown it is. It’ll become a lot more important to learn how to do these things [in the future].”
“The great thing about incorporating DH into classes is that students get really excited about the possibilities of exploring and using new tools and so often invest more in their work and take ownership of it in wonderful ways.” -History Professor Sarah Horowitz
W&L Students utilize Digital Humanities to examine topics in Jane Austen’s Emma in English Professor Taylor Walle’s course “Radical Jane.”
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A LOOK AT THE MAN BEHIND THE BADGE By Parker Butler ’18 Photography by Ellen Kanzinger ’18
W
e’ve all seen them. They spoke to us at freshman orientation to welcome us to the area. Perhaps they pulled you over that time you were late to class and drove a little too quickly down Greenhouse Road. And unfortunately, you’ve probably seen them when a Pole House party got a little too loud after a certain time of night. The Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office is constantly visible, patrolling the over six hundred square miles in the county in order to keep students and residents safe. Although we see them everywhere, what do we really know about them? Rockbridge County Sheriff Chris Blalock sat down with inGeneral to help students get to know more about the local law enforcement. inGeneral: What led you to a career in law enforcement? Blalock: It kind of found me. I took a job working at the Lexington jail down by the courthouse about 30 years ago. I moved up to chief deputy for 20 years, and then I ran for Rockbridge County Sheriff for the first time in 2011 and was elected. I was just reelected for the second term earlier this year. inGeneral: What’s your favorite thing about Rockbridge County? Blalock: I like the small town [feeling]. We have a very safe community in a beautiful location. We’re fairly safe considering some of the other counties near us. inGeneral: Lexington can be considered a “college town.” What are your biggest concerns when it comes to overseeing the residents and the students in a town like Lexington? Blalock: My biggest concerns are [about] students’ safety when they’re out and going to parties. The Traveller system is certainly a good thing and students should always take advantage of that and know that their actions have consequences. You can’t take your safety for granted. In some of these various places where students are partying where there are no sidewalks or lighted streets, [there is] local traffic that can be unexpected, so that’s always something I worry about. Although it’s less common, I ask that students are more aware of the possibility that they can be victims of crime. Lexington is a safe town, there’s no denying that. However, we have plenty of issues with larceny, break-ins, things like that. Students need to be very cognizant of that— lock your doors and don’t leave valuable things lying around.
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“When you’re publically intoxicated, you’re opening up a whole new list of issues and concerns because you’re putting yourself and others at risk depending on your actions.” - Rockbridge Co. Sheriff Chris Blalock
inGeneral: W&L’s Campus Community Coalition (CCC) was founded in 2006 in an effort to promote better communication between the county’s community, the police departments and W&L students. What is your take on student and law enforcement relations? Blalock: The issues happen when residential housing and W&L housing mix. Residents sometimes have no idea when W&L parties start happening in the fall that they’re now neighbors to college kids. The coalition has really helped to bring everyone together—they give everyone a voice. It also helps students to realize that they are in a residential area. So [the CCC] definitely opened up communications and bettered the relationships. The students put themselves out there to interact with the neighbors, giving them phone numbers for direct lines of communication which is great.
“All we ask is that students are respectful when working through issues with law enforcement officers.” - Chris Blalock
inGeneral: What are the dangers of these off-campus parties and students drinking? Blalock: When you’re publically intoxicated, you’re opening up a whole new list of issues and concerns because you’re putting yourself and others at risk depending on your actions. I advise that students never drink enough to get intoxicated. If a student is not being cooperative when approached by one of us while under the influence of alcohol, my deputies are to assume that the student’s judgment is impaired—that’s what my deputies are looking for. We aren’t targeting students by any means or trying to up the count on our arrests—we’re working to keep students safe.
inGeneral: What should students do when they are approached by one of your deputies? Blalock: All we ask is that students are respectful when working through issues with law enforcement officers. You are obligated to identify yourself but you do not have to accept the Breathalyzer. However, what my deputies are telling students during confrontations are in the students’ best interests. inGeneral: What do you like to do for fun when you’re out of uniform? Blalock: We have a family farm nearby where we raise sheep and beef cattle, so I love spending time there whenever I can. Most recently, I’ve taken up kayaking. A few of my deputies are into it as well, so I’ve joined them on a few trips. inGeneral: What’s your favorite sports team? Blalock: I’m honestly not that into sports. I mean, I can name a good few teams, and I watched the last quarter of the Super Bowl this year, but other than that I’m not a big sports fan. inGeneral: What’s your favorite thing to do in Lexington? Blalock: Eat! Lexington has some great restaurants, and I love a good variety of the tastes the restaurants in town offer. I also love just looking at Lexington’s architecture. It’s so unique and absolutely breathtaking.
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REMEMBERING
OUR PROMISE BY COURTNEY KNIGHT ’17 PHOTO BY JOSIE HURST ’19
I
magine this: It is the first Monday back from Thanksgiving break. Excited to see your friends, you pregame together before waiting for a ride to an off-campus party. When your ride finally arrives, you and your friends pack into the minivan and are laughingly told you have broken the evening’s record of bodies in the car. You arrive at the party and begin to socialize when an upperclassman warns you that this is a crowded party and to secure a ride back earlier rather than later. An hour later, you feel tired and wander outside to wait for a ride. When a Tahoe pulls up, you are suddenly in competition to secure a place in the car. The backseat is full, so you and a few eager friends climb into the trunk. Once the car is well beyond its passenger capacity, the trunk is shut and the driver puts the car into drive. This situation sounds like a standard going out evening for W&L students. In fact, that was the experience of Pinkney Beal ’17, one of the students involved in the fatal drunk-driving accident that occurred on December 3, 2013 that took the life of Kelsey Durkin ’14 and devastated the W&L community. “It felt like something out of a movie,” Beal said. “The accident felt like it had come out of nowhere because it was just a normal night.” The Promise Committee was established shortly after the accident to try to protect students from the dangers that come with such a seemingly normal evening. The committee serves to educate students on drunk driving, implement programs like the yellow flag system and distribute reminders like the “I Promise” bracelets. While the accident will have long-lasting effects on the students that were at W&L in December 2013, the majority of the current student body
does not have a personal connection to the people who were involved. With the Class of 2017 graduating in a few short months, it is up to the underclassmen to continue the legacy of the Promise Committee. Michael Beal ’19, a member of the Promise Committee Executive Team, said, “If you look at the pattern over W&L’s history, there has been a fatal drunk driving accident every four years. By the time the last class who was on campus at the time graduates, nobody has a personal connection to the accident.” With a pattern like this, the underclassmen Promise Committee members understand the importance of their role on campus to continually remind students how to break the fatal pattern. “Our upperclassmen have laid vital groundwork that we hope to build off of,” Promise Committee member Susie Fields ’19 said. “No one wants to see another tragedy like this. As underclassmen, we feel it is our duty to uphold the legacy of Kelsey Durkin, as well as all other past victims, and to continue striving for the change that this W&L community deserves.” In the upcoming months, the Promise Committee will reassign its leadership roles and brainstorm new ways to keep the student body safe. With “New Member Education” for fraternities now over, the committee anticipates a decrease in the opportunities for students to get sober rides when Traveller is not available. The Promise Committee plans to meet with the freshmen in Greek organizations to educate them on the dangers of drunk driving and ways to get home safely. The main advice Michael Beal and other young members continue to give is “to use the yellow flag system, don’t pack into cars, use sober drivers and understand that there are always sober ride opportunities.”
“It felt like something out of a movie... The accident felt like it had come out of nowhere because it was just a normal night.” -Pinkney Beal ’17
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:
DOUBLE
TAKE
TWINS ON
CAMPUS
By Laura Wang ’19 Photos by Ellen Kanzinger ’18
I
t happens all the time: you see someone on campus, wave at her excitedly and call out her name until you realize she is not the person you thought she was. It’s an embarrassing but fairly common occurrence, especially if the person you thought you were talking to is a twin. Darby and Sydney Lundquist ’17, Dana and Eliza Schultz ’18 and Brianna and Brittany Osaseri ’19 experience this often as three sets of twins who attend Washington and Lee University together. None of these twins anticipated going to college with her sister. Eliza and Dana realized they wanted to go to the same school the spring of their senior year when they were sitting on a soccer field discussing how much they would miss each other in the fall. “That’s when we decided we would rather share memories of college than spend time apart,” Eliza said. When the Lundquist sisters were recruited by Coach Christine Clancy to play basketball, they fell so in love with W&L that they agreed to attend even if the other sister did not get in. Eventually, they were both accepted and the choice was simple. Having a twin at school can make it easy to find a roommate. At least that’s how the Osaseri and Schultz sisters felt. Sydney and Darby, however, intentionally chose not to room together during their freshman year. “We wanted to make different friends and not isolate ourselves,” Sydney said. In their four years at W&L, Sydney and Darby have never roomed with each other. Although they did not live together and avoided talking to each other about rush their freshman year, the Lundquists eventually ended up making
many of the same friends and joining the same sorority because of their similar personalities. The Osaseri sisters have similarly fallen into the same social groups because they share the same major, the same career goals and the same general interests. One thing that all three sets of twins have in common is the frequency with which they get mixed up on campus. One time in D-Hall her freshman year, Sydney heard someone call out her sister’s name seconds before she received a huge bear hug. She had to tell the embarrassed boy that she was not, in fact, Darby. Darby, on the other hand, has let people believe she is Sydney at times. She once had a full conversation with one of Sydney’s classmates in which she pretended to be her sister. Professors often have trouble identifying the twins, as well. Brittany and Brianna became tired of this and have learned to help people out by wearing difference glasses and styling their hair differently. They hope that people who might be confused about which twin is which will still say hello anyway instead of ignoring them in order to avoid embarrassment. Besides being confused for each other, there are a few downsides to going to school with one’s twin. Because W&L is such a small school, “it’s pretty hard to be an individual here,” Sydney said. For the most part though, these sisters love sharing W&L with each other. For Brittany, having Brianna by her side means she has a constant source of support that she can always turn to. Eliza feels the same. “Not everyone gets to have a lifelong buddy by their side, and that makes me feel lucky,” Eliza said.
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