IN GENERAL Volume XV | Issue I
GIVING BACK: VOLUNTEER IN LEX
BURSTING W&L’S BUBBLE: STUDENTS WHO DON’T FIT THE MOLD
STREET STYLE.... FASHION INSPIRATION
IN GENERAL
CONTRIBUTORS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Caroline Blackmon ‘19
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Julia Gsell ‘18
MANAGING EDITOR Sutton Travis ‘19
LAYOUT EDITOR Adit Ahmed ‘19
COPYWRITERS Madyson Bennett ‘21 James Berry ‘21 Emma Coleman ‘21 Lizzie Figueiras ‘21 Virginia Kettles ‘19 Kara Lough ‘20 Darcy Olmstead ‘21
LAYOUT Killian Green ‘21 Coleman Martinson ‘21
PHOTOGRAPHY Emma Coleman ‘21 Coleman Martinson ‘21 Darcy Olmstead ‘21
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,
This past fall semester was the busiest yet for me, and what seemed like the rest of the Washington and Lee campus too. My classes took me by surprise and my newfound responsibilites for the newspaper and this magazine threatened to overwhelm me. There were times when I thought this magazine would never be finished, and I would single-handedly kill what had, up to this point, been an evergrowing presence on campus. Along with all of the oncampus responsibilites I had, I also started applying for summer internships in October. This was not only mentally challenging (writing all of those essays reminded me of applying to college), but it was also emotionally challenging, as I continued to get denial after denial. All of this piling up at once made me dread any obligation that wasn’t forced upon me by possible expulsion from Washington and Lee. Therefore, I pushed it off, until I realized that I wasn’t happy with the person I had become. Pursuing journalistic endeavors had once filled me with excitement and euphoria. I did not look forward to telling the rest of the team how much work we had left to put together this magazine.
But, once I turned to the rest of our leadership team, Sutton, Julia and Adit, I remembered that I was not alone in putting this magazine together. It took all of those people to the left, as well as our predecessors, to make this magazine what it is. Once I shared my fears with them and we laughed about it, we got down to business, made a plan and created what became, in our humble opinion, the best inGeneral magazine to date. The momentary panic I felt made me realize how much I love writing, producing and editing a magazine. I remembered that I really enjoyed sitting for hours in front of a computer and painstakingly going through each detail of this magazine with the team. The dread I had felt before wasn’t of the work ahead, it was of failing. Now, I know I can do it. I can lead a team to build something out of nothing, and that feeling is irreplacable. So, I hope you have fun reading this issue, and enjoy this magazine as much as we do.
Happy Reading,
Caroline
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A LOOK INTO PRESIDENT DUDLEY’S FIRST W&L SEMESTER
10 EDUCATION IN THE WAKE OF PROTESTS IN VIRGINIA
INSIDE
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W&L’S TOP STYLISH STUDENTS
14 A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A MORMON STUDENT AT W&L
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A Conversation with Will Dudley Interview and Photos by Sutton Travis ‘19 No two days are ever the same for Will Dudley. As president of Washington and Lee, his calendar is an intricate puzzle of planning for the university’s future, traveling to introduce himself to alumni and even co-teaching a first-year philosophy seminar. But with such a varied schedule, Dudley said one of his favorite parts of his job is getting to know the students. Naturally, he made time to fill inGeneral in on some of the topics he’s been thinking about since taking on the role of university president in January. inGeneral: A common question we ask first-years is: “Why W&L?” We had a similar question for you: why was W&L a good fit? Dudley: I think it’s probably a lot of the same reasons that attract students. I like the size. I like the fact that it is big enough to be interesting, but small enough to be a really close-knit community. I like the beautiful setting in an interesting college town... But I also love the fact that we can get out into nature so easily. The quality of the school, the caliber of the students and the faculty and the educational enterprise, the resources that we have available to make such a good education possible. inGeneral: You had your own liberal arts undergraduate and teaching experience at Williams College, and now you’re at a similar liberal arts institution. How do you counter the argument that it’s better for a student to just focus on one discipline? Dudley: I think that what people often have in mind is that the primary or sole purpose of college is to help you with your career and your professional aspirations, and they think the best way to do that is to go study something that is very directly related to the kind of job that you think you want to have...Partly, I think, college is a time to develop and explore and discover interests that you didn’t know that you had, and I think that’s an important part of a liberal arts education: not locking yourself in too quickly to any particular professional track…I mean, I had never heard of philosophy when I went to college, and if I hadn’t gone to a liberal arts college, I wouldn’t have discovered it. And I became a philosophy professor, which was not my plan because I didn’t even know that was a job. inGeneral: Can you tell us a bit about your reaction to the August white supremacy rally and ensuing violence in Charlottesville? Dudley: It was hard to believe. I wasn’t in Charlottesville, but it was hard to watch on television and believe what you were seeing was happening in the United States in 2017. You wouldn’t want that to be happening anywhere, but of course it hits closer to home when it’s in Charlottesville. Given the ways that contemporary political struggles are tangled up with these issues of how the history of the country, and in particular, the history of the Civil War, is represented, those are not issues that W&L can ignore or avoid, given who we are and where we are and our own history. When I arrived at W&L to be the president, I certainly knew which school I was coming to. I had no idea what was going to unfold in the United States in 2017…I didn’t arrive here thinking, “Oh, I definitely need to create a Commission on Institutional History and Community.” That had not occurred to me. But after Charlottesville…I thought it was important for me to facilitate a process by which our community can do some learning and reflecting and discussing and see where that leads us. inGeneral: There are some differing opinions over whether the university should retain Robert E. Lee’s name. Do you think the Commission on Institutional History and Community that you appointed is helping to mediate between those two sides? Dudley: It’s really not a Commission on [Robert E. Lee’s] name, so I think that’s important. I think a lot of people go right to the name, and I actually think, in some ways, the name is not the most interesting or important thing. I think more interesting and important is achieving, collectively, a fuller and more nuanced appreciation of our history that doesn’t oversimplify things. inGeneral: Are there any major goals that you have for your time as president at W&L? Dudley: I do think we have an opportunity, and a need, to continue raising resources for financial aid so that we can successfully enroll an increasingly diverse student body with more lower-income students and more students from underrepresented racial groups. Those are, frankly, not strengths of W&L at the moment. I think that they are educationally important, and I think that we are missing out on some talented kids. We do have an opportunity to contribute more to the future if we’re more successful at diversifying our student body. Some of that has to do with pure admissions work and getting the word out more effectively to kids from communities who are less likely to have heard of W&L. But then, also, you need to back that up with the financial ability to make it possible for those people to come when you find them. And W&L is very good at that, but we could be even better. inGeneral: What’s a fun fact someone might not guess about you? Dudley: I like to make furniture. That’s been a hobby that I’ve really enjoyed for...well, I started in grad school, so it’s probably gone on 25 years.
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WHO I NEED TO BE: NAVIGATING W&L AS A FIRST-GENERATION STUDENT By Madyson Bennett ‘21 The word first implies a period of change, of growth. Doing something for the first time is typically an introductory experience during which no reasonable person anticipates exceptional know-how or total mastery. You’re expected to mess up and try again and mess up and try again and mess up and try again. It can be embarrassing and emotionally taxing and thoroughly devastating, but you do it anyway because that’s what life is—a series of firsts. The term first-year student is fraught with its own connotations and presumptions. We’re the impressionable first-years—kind of oblivious, kind of pathetic, kind of pitiful. Young and dumb and full of potential and hope. The clichés are innumerable, though many of us will find common ground in learning to navigate shared first experiences. Think about all the inconveniences that already make us feel as if the world is crumbling at our feet, and imagine adding another layer of complexity—another first. Being a first-generation student, especially at a school as distinguished as Washington and Lee, presents its own unique challenges. I believe that the most daunting reality is the stigma ingrained in the words “first-gen.”’ When people first realize that you’re the first in your family to go to college, many will tell you how noble you are; they will explain at length how proud they are that you chose a path different than that of your parents, immediately assuming theirs was less admirable. The discomfort of others is unmistakable as they frantically scramble to change the subject. Some will instantly begin to regard you as a lost cause. And then there is the classic, “I never would’ve guessed.”
The person I need to be is a manifestation of the fear that by being vulnerable—by showing the authentic, unadulterated version of myself—I will screw up the chance of finding a place among the Washington and Lee community. She is the hope that becoming the ideal student, friend and peer will negate any of the disadvantageous stereotypes or perceived inadequacies associated with being a first-generation college student. Erin Mo Ferber ‘18 said that these preconceptions of first-gens have affected her personally. “I’ve had to learn how to navigate conversations about my parents’ college experiences because they didn’t have one,” she said. “It’s hard when people just assume that we all come from the same backgrounds when that just isn’t true. It can feel isolating at times, but my friend group is supportive.” Students have been working to change the atmosphere on campus by quelling preconceived ideas about what it means to be a first-generation college student through the First-Generation Low-Income Partnership, or FLIP. The idea FLIP took shape this previous summer when Taylor Reese ‘19, Kiki Spiezio ‘17 and Edwin Castellanos ‘20 began contemplating how the W&L community can better support first-gen and/or low-income students. Their efforts to bring more resources and advocacy to campus have thus far resulted in the establishment of the Lending Library and Mentorship-Meet Ups.
Well, yeah, that’s kind of the point.
“[We] hope to provide a platform for first-gen/low-income students to better advocate for the changes they wish to see in our campus community,” Reese said.
I’ve found that, up until this point, most of my energy has gone into maintaining a calm, collected image—a facade of normalcy. The pressure to detach myself from the misconceptions surrounding first-generation students has spawned an alternate persona: I call her the person I need to be.
The change I hope to see is a simple one: a shift in perspective, beginning with the understanding that being a first-generation college student is a part of who I am, but it is not what defines me. It is simply an inconsequential detail that I wish would have no bearing on how others regard my potential.
The person I need to be can be best described as a more palatable version of myself. She replaces introverted tendencies with mindless chatter. She rejects structure and tends toward spontaneity. She always knows what she wants, and she always goes after it. She gives everyone the benefit of the doubt, even when doing so is not in her best interest.
The first semester as first-gen was a tricky one—overwhelming at times and exhilarating at others. A friend explained it best when he recently reassured me, “Trust me when I say that it gets easier. Or maybe it’s that things don’t get easier, but we get better at dealing with what’s hard.”
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A Fish Out of Water: Low Income Students at W&L By Virginia Kettles '19
Eighteen-year-old first-year Amber* sat hunched on the brick wall outside of her dorm building, shivering against the chill. Behind her sprawled the manicured campus of Washington and Lee University, where her fellow classmates walked from their classes between trees changing with the season. Their khaki pants and pearl necklaces, their polos and Lululemon leggings, contrasted with Amber’s simple cotton T-shirt and jeans. Amber had only just arrived at the prestigious liberal arts school a few weeks earlier, but the culture shock had already set in. In a moment of panic, she had called her mother and revealed her growing fears of not being able to find a place at the university.
“How am I going to adapt here?” she whispered into the phone. “How am I going to fit in?” Amber’s concern for feeling at home at the school was justified. Washington and Lee University, with its sprawling green lawns and bleached white pillars, has a student body where nearly 20 percent of students come from the top one percent in family income, according to a recent study conducted by The Equality of Opportunity Project. This means one in five W&L students have parents that make more than $630,000 per year. To many students coming from wealthy backgrounds, the university’s culture can seem a mere step away from their affluent lives back home. But for low-income students, the the university can often be an unfamiliar, daunting place.
Amber grew up in a small town in Appalachia, spent her first few years in a trailer and had heard about W&L last minute through a scholarship that paid full tuition. On a whim, Amber applied for the scholarship, won and arrived at the university excited to be getting an education at a prestigious university without paying a cent of the sticker price. But W&L has other expensive activities, including Greek life, which, according to the school’s website, can add up to several thousand dollars. And a lot of the campus goes Greek. According to the Greek life campus director, 70 to 80 percent of the student body is involved in sororities and fraternities. Amber began to have second thoughts. She knew she couldn’t be spending extra money on sorority dues. “I had no idea how to relate to these people,” Amber said. “I did question if they’d automatically look at me as someone that wouldn’t be able to relate to them, and then not try to become friends with me.” But for other low-income students, Greek life doesn’t seem to be such an unattainable reality. Demoriya Phillips ’19, from Plainfield, a village outside of Chicago, Ill., accepted an invitation to join Chi Omega. Phillips managed to pay the dues with money she scavenged from her scholarship with QuestBridge, a non-profit program that links students with educational and scholarship opportunities at leading U.S. colleges and universities. And yet, while Phillips stands within the dominant social system of the university, she struggles with the cost of socializing with her sorority sisters. The daughter of a single mother who worked as a bus driver, Phillips lived off government aid all her life. Her childhood involved growing up on food stamps, Section 8, which supports low income people in search of housing, and other programs for light and gas. “There are just things that people here have the ability to do that is just beyond me,” Phillips said. “My best friends are my friends because I can afford to hang out with them.” The fact that Phillips is black also serves as yet another facet of how “other” she feels at the school. “I feel ugly here,” she said. “When I go to parties, no one looks at me. And, on the off chance that somebody does, it’s just that I’m exotic, or new, or different.” She spoke of being told that she had a “weird accent” for speaking properly, of constantly having an identity crisis for not fitting into the image of what an American is. Students also said that their peers often assume that all their classmates come from affluent backgrounds just like theirs. Once, Phillips was browsing T-shirts that were being sold by a fraternity on campus when a student told her to buy a T-shirt by putting it on her card to be paid by her parent, saying that it wasn’t “real money anyway.” As a black student where only 2.1 percent of her classmates look like her, according to the school website, Phillips admits that she has to constantly convince herself that she isn’t worthless, that she is beautiful and that she does deserve everything she has. She said that this constant struggle, along with being poor, makes her feel trapped. Phillips said she often feels she shouldn’t be allowed to get an education because, without her scholarship, she wouldn’t have been able to afford one. “Being poor is more than just the money. It’s your appearance, it’s how you dress, it’s how you talk. It plays into so many aspects of your social life,” Phillips said. “Just having the two things in conjunction—being poor and being black—it’s a lot to handle socially at once.” However, the university has been making a serious effort to change. Sally Richmond, the Vice President for Admissions and Financial Aid at W&L, is working hard to diversify the campus, both socioeconomically and ethnically. “When I was hired, it was made very clear to me that one of the goals was that...socioeco-
nomic, educational and ethnic diversity needed attention,” Richmond said. “If our mission is to best prepare our students for the 21st century, and the dynamism that is the 21st century, in my opinion, the best way to do that is to create a classroom environment where there are different voices at the table.” According to Richmond, while W&L wants to attract more low-income students, the admissions office doesn’t know the family income for a significant portion of the applicant pool, because one-third of applicants don’t apply for financial aid and are therefore not required to provide any information related to income. W&L’s recent efforts to attract low-income students have included restructuring the admissions homepage to better advertise its affordability, as well as going into more detail about the types of aid, costs of attendance, scholarships, applications for aid and scenarios about financial aid based on family income. The structure of the financial aid award has also been simplified into a four-page document. As for convincing the students to attend, the admissions office is making serious efforts to reel in prospective students by communicating with students who apply for admission immediately and helping their families walk through the process. While the large number of wealthy students can make many of a more modest background feel discouraged, one student, who remains anonymous for personal reasons, sees the fact that he’s surrounded by wealth as a source of inspiration. “It’s a motivator if it’s anything,” he said. “The fact that there are people who start out with more than me is no deterrent. If anything, it’s an encouragement that if you do work harder than those people, you can end up with what they have.” Having come to the university from a more rural background, the student admitted that when he met his current friends his first year, he sensed that they initially saw him as a “hick,” based mostly on his clothes. But although there may be judgment for his lower-middle class background, the student’s response to it is simple. “Let ‘em judge,” he said. “They will be shown to be incorrect.” *Name is changed for privacy.
“The fact that there are people who start out with more than me is no deterrent. If anything, it’s an encouragement that if you do work harder than those people, you can end up with what they have.”
STREET STYLE ON W&L’S CAMPUS
BY DARCY OLMSTEAD ’21
I’m constantly hyper-aware of the clothes walking around me. Sometimes I feel like I’m less likely to notice the people than I am their shells. This isn’t crazy–it’s a symptom of being human. We’re attracted to the shiny stuff, the glitz and glam all around us. Hence our love of aesthetics–we appreciate effort and artistry. So when I see people who put a lot of thought into their style, I take notice. I develop “fashion crushes.” Acting on a few of these crushes, I pulled some people aside for some short features. I was looking for people I’d seen who seemed to dress flawlessly and originally every day. Elspeth Suber ‘21 is already known across campus for her unique and eccentric looks. Gabriela Gomez-Misserian ‘21 always skims the line between comfort and style. Brittany Aiello ‘19 rocks heels confidently nearly every day. Together they represent different corners of the fashion scene on W&L’s campus, but their passion for clothing is equally inspiring.
Elspeth Suber ‘21 Elspeth Suber, the visionary behind theelspethinfluence.weebly.com, strode onto campus in August and instantly turned heads. Her eccentric taste draws you in instantly. It’s no wonder most of her inspiration comes from the cult classic film Dazed and Confused (1993). Suber is a vintage fashion connoisseur. She entered her first thrift shop in seventh grade and hasn’t looked back since. “I was just amazed at how cheap everything was. I could just buy some shirt that would be $12 cheapest at Old Navy for only $2. I just bought everything in mass quantities and I was able to just play around with it.” Suber garners a fairly large Instagram following. She’s also played a role in helping style businesses on several other social media platforms. Therefore, most of her style is heavily influenced by the Internet. “I like the feature Instagram has where you can save stuff. And on my explore page sometimes a bunch of random fashion bloggers will come up. You see, fashion blogging is such a ‘thing’ now. More so than it was three years ago. And everybody’s blog looks the same…So when I do find somebody on my explore page who’s different, I’ll save it. I love using social media too as a way to show that I’m different. I’ll use the filters on VSCO that nobody else uses or I’ll post weird angles.” She’s also known for her ways of transforming clothes into new looks. Her blog mentions that she can make button-downs into skirts and scarves into crop tops. “I’ve been able to look at runways and at really bold street-style blogs and mimic the kind of ‘hacks’ that they do. Like skirt pants? I had those before everyone else. I just love wearing clothes that other people don’t wear.”
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Brittany Aiello ‘19 When most of us wake up in the morning, with homework deadlines and extracurriculars, the last thing on our minds is looking good. Brittany Aiello ‘19 wakes up two hours early every morning to get ready. I know–I was shocked too. I was impressed by her dedication. “I definitely dress up for class every day. You won’t see me in a T-shirt. I’ll wear them to study but otherwise I will not. It’s all for myself. I feel more confident when I get dressed up, you know? For example, I’ll strut to class. It’s so funny! I talked to someone the other day and he was like, ‘I’ve never seen you not wearing heels and doing your little strut!’” Her style wasn’t truly developed until she came to W&L. “I’ve always had this weird thing about being tall. I went to high school in South Florida and I don’t know why but everyone’s short in South Florida. All of my friends are 5 feet tall–that’s it. So when I came here, everyone was much taller. So I took advantage of that–going around wearing heels every day. Also because everyone here wears Lilly [Pulitzer] and very preppy stuff, I felt like I could separate myself and wear, like, black all the time. I feel like it made me more confident. People noticed me, said stuff to me about it, and I liked it. I wanted to keep it going. And it matches my ‘gram.” Gabriela Gomez-Misserian is the epitome of that effortlessly cool girl you’d expect to find kicking it with Cole Sprouse on your Instagram explore page. She can style something as simple as a grey tank top like a pro. All of it is based on a fresh face–makeup that doesn’t necessarily look like makeup–and comfort clothing. “I love neutrals. Or just things that are soft and flowy like linen. Big fan of denim, things that can pair easily with each other, and bows–especially shirts that tie in interesting ways. Oh and things that seem sort of handmade but obviously aren’t. Like embroidery,” she sighs. “I love embroidery.” Most of her inspiration comes from Tumblr and Instagram where she says a certain “aesthetic” developed. A casual-chic aesthetic is what she’s going for: somewhere between the French models she follows on Instagram and the Glossier blog lookbooks. With her love of Instagram and Pinterest models verging on obsession, it may look a tad materialistic to outsiders. When asked about whether she was falling into the vanity of fashion she replied: “No. For sure not. I think fashion is definitely an art. Especially for someone who likes art and aesthetics. Yes, they’re material items–you can say that about a lot of things...Materialism is fulfilling sometimes, just the joy it can give you.”
Gabriela Gomez-Misserian ‘21
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A Seat at the Table: W&L Students Get a Different Taste of the University’s By James Berry ‘21 and History Lizzie Figueiras ‘21
The city of Charlottesville, Va., voted in February and April of this year in favor ofthe removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee that stood in Emancipation Park (formerly Lee Park). In August, white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups conducted a torch-lit march on the city and clashed with anti-racist counter protestors, causing many injuries and one death. This tragedy sparked nationwide debates regarding Confederate symbols and their place in society today. This forced many public and private institutions with ties to Confederate history and figures, including Washington and Lee, to re-evaluate their perspectives of their history. President William Dudley stated in an email on Aug. 24 that, as acommunity, “we should educate ourselves and others more fully about the history of our university and our namesakes.” Dudley said he has been educating himself on our institution’s history since he was hired for the position around February 2016. “I thought, ‘You can’t lead an institution if you don’t understand it,’and when it’s as old as W&L,there is a lot of history to learn, which I think is really fun,” Dudley said.“I would encourage everyone associated with this placeto do the same.” Dudley heavily emphasizes the need to study our institution’s history, particularly Lee’s role in the university’s gradual development. His suggestions for reading material include General Lee’s College, written by a former W&L history professor Ollinger Crenshaw. This covers the beginning of the institution in 1749 up until roughly 1930. He also recommends Washington and Lee University, which explores the history of the university from 1930 to 2000. Photo by Julia Gsell
Other novels he has found to be worthwhile are The Man Who Would Not Be Washington, Lee: The Last Years and Reading the Man. These works examine Lee, his connection to Washington and how it pertains to Washington and Lee University’s rich history.
As a community, “we should educate ourselves and others more fully about the history of our university and our namesakes.” -President William Dudley
In addition, Dudley has organized a commission composed of faculty, students and alumni to help engage the community in, what he called, “a critical analysis that goes beyond the caricatures of one-dimensional heroes and villains to understand who we have been, whowe are and who we can become.” The committee, headed by law Professor Brian Murchison, is intended to facilitate dialogue between members of the W&L community and to gain a better understanding of the University’s history in terms of how it affects the W&L mission and environment. The committee has invited students to participate in the conversation by hosting events to discuss the university’s connection to Lee and how this has shaped the community today. The first event was ‘A Seat at the Table’ on Nov. 9, where the student body was encouraged to register for discussion with a representative of the committee to discuss the events of Charlottesville, Lee’s influence on Washington and Lee and our community today.
Elizabeth Mugo’19, a member of Dudley’s commission, said the primary goal was to help start the conversation and reach out to the students themselves. “I feel like it is a conversation people are having within certain groups, but not as common among different organizations,” Mugo said. “The seat at the table event is to invite members of the community to have conversations that can help broaden perspectives about our school’s history and about how we learn from it to become a more open, engaging and welcoming community to these discussions.” The committee hopes that,through these events, students, faculty and alumni can share in a better understanding about what it means to be a part of W&L’s history. All have a role to work towarda future in which have the opportunity to share in the discussionand our community.The best we can do as students is pause and think. It is easy to rush to action and immediate decisions when shocking events such as the violence in Charlottesville occur. The commission’s message is to rather engage in intelligent discussion and encourage education. We must learn about and understand our past, while appreciating the community and university we have today.
“I feel like it is a conversation people are having within certain groups, but not as common among different organizations.” -Elizabeth Mugo ‘18
Data from W&L Fact Book
Giving Back By Kara Lough ‘20 What do you do in such a small town? This is a question prospective students and parents often ask tour guides when visiting Washington and Lee University. Even first-years are unaware at times of all the possibilities in Lexington. One of the best responses is simple: volunteering. Volunteering can be a rejuvenating escape from the hectic academic schedule here at W&L. It is a chance to see a bigger picture, something besides the geology lab and the accounting test. It’s also a way to connect with the community outside of campus. Lexington and Rockbridge County can be fascinating to explore. Students can also begin to feel a part of it through the lens of volunteering.
to Lex The Campus Garden is a beautiful oasis, tucked away behind W&L’s baseball field. The garden grows an assortment of vegetables, fruits, herbs, edible flowers and bouquet flowers. Examples include: pumpkins, beets, rosemary, peas, peppers, strawberries, tomatoes and raspberries. The produce from the garden goes to W&L Dining Facilities and Campus Kitchen, while the flowers are sent to the Lee House for small events and to the Rockbridge Area Hospice for patients. Nicole Poulin oversees the volunteers of the garden as the Campus Garden Manager.
While there are so many places to volunteer, and every one is significant, there are a few fan favorites of W&L students: Campus Garden, Campus Kitchen and the Rockbridge SPCA. They are all very easy to get involved in and welcome all W&L students. Students don’t even have to volunteer every single week. They can go as many times as they want during the school year. It’s a great chance to go with some friends to make a difference.
“We use sustainable and organic farming practices in the garden, as well as permaculture techniques, which help promote a healthy environment, help grow nutrient-rich/chemical-free produce and conserve biological diversity,” said Poulin. The garden continues to grow larger every year: 1,500 pounds of produce have already been grown so far this year. A lot of this growth can be
attributed to Poulin, the sustainability interns and volunteers from W&L and the community. Poulin said volunteers are essential to keeping the garden going. One volunteer, Mikki Whittington ‘20, said volunteering at the garden is one of her favorite pastimes. “I enjoy working in the garden because there is an unreal serenity within the fencing of the garden,” she said. “You’re surrounded by the sounds of nature, from the wind in the leaves of the trees to the flowing water of the Maury River.” There is one Saturday every month in which volunteers can come help; simply email Poulin at npoulin@wlu.edu if you’re interested. Campus Kitchen works very closely with the Campus Garden, since a lot of produce is used for the meals that the Campus Kitchen prepares. Volunteers at Campus Kitchen make and deliver balanced meals for the low-income community members in Rockbridge County. In the process, volunteers have the opportunity to make life-changing connections with the people they serve.
And while the Campus Garden and Campus Kitchen are affiliated with W&L, there are also volunteer opportunities outside of the university, such as the local animal shelter. The Rockbridge SPCA works to prevent animal cruelty and to provide a home for hundreds of homeless and mistreated animals. It is located off of Greenhouse Road in Lexington, or on the way to “Poles,” a simple ten-minute drive from the W&L campus. The Rockbridge SPCA helps all animals, both domestic and wild. There are a multitude of dogs and cats that need love at the shelter. While adopting would be the best way to help these adorable animals, volunteering can be equally significant in showing these animals that they are not alone. The most common ways to volunteer include cat socializing, which involves cuddling, brushing and playing with the cats, and dog walking, which involves a refreshing 30-minute walk on the walking trail next to the shelter. The dogs and cats love to see people and it really makes their day to have some human interaction. Volunteering requires a very brief training session upon arriving at the shelter for the first time, and then you are ready to go.
Campus Kitchen has a wide range of programs so students will feel encouraged to get involved. One is called the “recovery shift” where food that would otherwise go to waste is picked up from places like the Lexington Walmart and brought to Campus Kitchen. Another is a cooking shift where individuals get hands-on experience actually cooking the meals that will be distributed all over the county. Yet another shift is partaking in the delivery of the food while interacting with the clients. You might get the chance to bring some kids an afternoon snack while helping them with their homework, or you might get the chance to eat with some elderly individuals and play Bingo. There is nothing like hearing a child laugh as you joke around with him or seeing a smile light up the face of a woman who reminds you of your grandma. “It’s wonderful to set aside time in your week to help others who need it. It helps remind you that all of your worries in the world pale in comparison to the struggles of others,” said Spencer Alascio ’19, who is on the student leadership team of Campus Kitchen. You can go to the Campus Kitchen website to sign up for a shift any time you want.
“I love walking dogs at the animal shelter because it makes the dogs so happy,” Gabby Moore ’20 said. “They are confined to their cages for most of the day so being able to walk on a trail, even if it’s only for a few minutes, is a big deal to them. Seeing them get excited when I put their leash on makes me happy.” It might seem like you have no more time left in your day to go volunteer. You have tests to study for and papers to write. You have club meetings to attend and tabling for special events. But even giving an hour of your time each week makes a difference in these people’s and animals’ lives. “Volunteers are an integral part of our community and its organizations,” said Ann Remington, a Lexington resident and a coordinator of volunteering between W&L students and the community. “Faculty, staff and students bring a variety of skills and knowledge to the table and this enriches the scope and services available in the schools, local helping organizations, and so on.” By helping the local community, you come out feeling happier and more at peace than you have felt in days. And volunteering is beneficial for everyone involved. There is nothing quite like knowing you have left an everlasting impact in your community, giving back to the place that is your home away from home.
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A Day in the Life of a
Mormon
at W&L
By Emma Coleman ‘21
I
am a Mormon. A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. One of a small handful here on campus. That doesn’t mean that my life is harder than everyone else’s. It just means that it’s different.I go to class just like the rest of you. I eat at D-Hall with the rest of you. I do homework and go to the gym like most of you. And, yes, I go to parties. Not every night, no, but I do choose to get out of the dorm from time to time, and I enjoy it. Going out, dancing and spending time with awesome hallmates is fun. That doesn’t mean it’s not weird for a die-hard Christian. One time, at a frat party amidst loud music and the stench of sweat and beer, an upperclassman asked me to hold his drink for him so that he could try to perform an impressive, albeit shocking, dance move. Never had I felt so uncomfortable, and not because of the guy’s dance skills. The fact that I had a drink in my hand was enough to put me into a state of momentary shock. I had never planned to come into such close contact with something that could deprive me of the agency that I believe God has given me. You really could say that I have a drinking problem. I won’t drink alcohol. Or coffee. Or tea. Or any soda that contains caffeine. Some might say that isn’t the best diet for a college student who gets limited amounts of sleep due to the homework load of a liberal arts education, but I have my reasons. The way I see it, alcohol and caffeine alike have the ability to control me and take away my agency because they are addictive, and I want to be able to make choices that best lead me to eternal happiness. I have alternative ways to stay awake and have fun, though. Nutella is a necessity on late nights, and exercise picks me up on long days. It is hard, though, I’ll admit. I walk into my dorm room some days when my room-
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mate has just made coffee, and it smells heavenly. She offers me some on nights when I’m struggling to stay awake, and I have to turn it down.It really isn’t easy. Coffee is everywhere on this campus, and it poses as big of a challenge to me as does beer in a frat house basement. Weekends can be weird for me, too. For Mormons, Sunday is the Sabbath, a day of rest and reflection, as it is in other Christian faiths, and church attendance is a must. So, as I have every Sunday since the day I was born, I rise early and go to church, for what always ends up being between three and four hours of the day. Also, the only Mormon church in the area is in BuenaVista. I get a few surprised looks from hallmates upon my return that say, “Hey! Glad you’re back. Where have you been?” I only do homework when I return to campus if it is absolutely necessary, and I spend the rest of the day wondering what I missed on campus while I was gone. I miss out on the Wednesday night parties, too, because I attend what we call Institute, a Bible study class. If I don’t have Wind Ensemble rehearsal, I spend Wednesday nights in a conference room on the bottom floor of VMI’s Preston Library, reading and discussing scripture. I walk there and back, devoting about two hours total to the class led by fellow church members and accompanied by Mormon VMI cadets. So, no, now that I think about it, I’m not completely alone here in Lexington. There is a whole school, Southern Virginia University, of LDS students over in Buena Vista, and there are about five or six students at VMI. That doesn’t mean I don’t feel alone at times. Granted, I’m sure many of us feel alone in the college sphere. Navigating academics, athletics, social scenes and more is hard enough as is. It’s just harder when you’re literally the only one in what feels like a million. There is constant pressure to be what I’m not and difficulty in being what I am. A Mormon.
One-on-One with Mason Grist Interview and Photos by Adit Ahmed ’19 To serve as president of the Executive Committee is to play an important role in guiding the Washington and Lee student body through the ups and downs of an academic year. Mason Grist ‘18 is a Lexington native who is no stranger to these challenges, currently serving his second year as EC president. inGeneral sat down with Grist to learn more about his role, being a local and his time at W&L. inGeneral: This is your second year as student body president. How has that experience been? Grist: It’s different in the fact that I’ve done it, so I kind of have a general set of expectations, and I think it could’ve been really easy for us to just go through the motions like we normally do. But, when you become the president, there’s this very steep learning curve because, even if you’ve been on the EC before, jumping into the role of the president is this huge change because you’re kind of running the show, making the calendar, making everything kind of flow. Part of the reason why I decided to run again was that there weren’t necessarily flaws, but maybe inefficiencies in the way that we’ve done things historically…we’ve still got kinks that we’re working through, but they’re kinks because we’re trying to change things to ultimately make them better and more efficient. inGeneral: You didn’t run for any EC positions during your junior year. Why is that, and what made you decide to return? Grist: It’s exhausting, quite honestly. I knew I couldn’t, and wouldn’t, be able to do another year as president immediately after the crazy year we had [my] sophomore year. I also knew that I didn’t want to be on the EC and have the new president feel like I was looking over his shoulder…I served on a couple committees, which was cool because, I mean, as a sophomore, I appointed people to these different committees, and I actually applied for one and was lucky enough to be put on the committee, which was a sort of different experience to see, but that was pretty cool. inGeneral: What’s your favorite part of your job? Grist: I love meeting the number of people who come in for committee appointments, and people who try and create new clubs and organizations…to see them get really fired up about something they’re doing on campus is always really exciting to me because all the people who come in for clubs are like, “This is what we really love and are passionate about.” So that is really fun, and also really inspiring. inGeneral: Outside of being president of the EC, what have been some essential parts of your W&L experience? Grist: I studied abroad the summer after my sophomore year…After having done it, I think that every single student here should study abroad. Even if it’s for a summer. I was fortunate enough to have an internship and work for the summer abroad, and I think that was a really formative experience for me...The other, I’d say, big thing has been the Outing Club. I was a trip leader for three years for pre-orientation trips. The trip leaders are an incredible group of people, and just the greater Outing Club is just so fun...in the same way that everyone should go abroad, I think that everyone should do their best to go on some sort of Outing Club trip at some point, because they’re really phenomenal. inGeneral: How does it feel to be able to serve as a leader at a school that is right here in your hometown of Lexington? Grist: It’s cool, you know. It’s funny to talk to some of the people from in town because, for whatever reason, a good number of people know that I’m serving this role. I hear people be like “Oh, what’s the club you’re in charge of again?” I kind of have to explain it, but it is cool because my dad has served in a lot of leadership capacities in town...so it’s been kind of been cool to inhabit my own space here at W&L and sort of, not really come into my own, but really find a thing that I can do on campus. It’s really been fun.
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