October proof

October 2013

The DoG Street Journal

Students and their family members were challenged to hit plastic golf balls into an inflatable dinosaur’s mouth.

Prizes and a raffle for two free rounds of golf at the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club were offered at this event that took place before the Tribe’s football game against Rhode Island. Photo by Jeffrey Knox.

EDITORIAL STAFF Editors-in-Chief Jeffrey Knox Christine Shen Managing Editor Molly Michie News Editor Eliza Scheibe Associate News Editor Sydni Scrofani

11 October 2013, Volume 11 Issue 2 www.dogstreetjournal.com

Style Editor Molly Earner Associate Style Editor Chelsea Pittman Opinions Editor Sean Sweeney Sports Editor Alex Cook Associate Sports Editor Scott Guinn Photo Editor Lauren Su Business Manager Melissa Goitia Web Editor James Szabo

What’s Inside? > A Much-Needed Pep Talk

Talk to us!

The DoG Street Journal The College of William & Mary Campus Center Basement Office 12B Williamsburg, Virginia 23185 757.221.7851 dogstreetjournal@wm.edu

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News > From West Point to the College

Style

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> Improv Thrives at William and Mary

COVER IMAGE Two students from Alma Mater Productions pose for the camera during the Family Weekend AMP Street Fair.

Photo by Lauren Su.

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Editorial

Opinions

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> Housing Goes Haywire

Sports

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> Profile of Al Albert, Former Tribe Soccer Coach

Editorial A Pep Talk As mid-semester approaches, work piles up, midterms loom in the near future, and the weather gets colder; it’s hard not to feel a bit depressed. It’s during this time that you really have to choose: what do you sacrifice?

You’ve heard it before. Choose two: sleep, grades, or friends.

To most students, grades are foremost. They spend endless hours in Swem pouring over mounds of textbooks and notes, while sleep, personal hygiene, and relationships fall by the wayside.

Yet there are always those who seemingly manage to do it all. You know, that one person who manages to effortlessly get all A’s, maintains relationships, participates in extracurriculars, and works out, sleeps, and eats healthily, all while looking puttogether and well-rested. How can we be more like these people?

For many of us, the thing that we lack is time. Time to relax, time to work out, time to sleep, time to study. We are running in an endless hamster wheel of days and weeks, just struggling to keep up with the pace. How can we possibly achieve everything when we are struggling to get by?

Sometimes we just need to take a step back and prioritize. Plan out the most important tasks you need to do and set your own deadlines ahead of when you need them. Even as work starts to accumulate, tackle it a little bit at a time. Take relief in the fact that it will all be accomplished in good time.

If you find yourself getting overwhelmed, think about what is stressing you out most. Is it that pile of laundry in the corner? The messiness of your room? That one homework assignment that seems impossibly hard? While you shouldn’t drop everything to correct one thing, replan and rethink what you are doing, making time to correct the cause of stress.

Is one topic giving you grief? Read the book carefully, go to office hours, study with other students, and talk to a TA if possible. If you are getting a headache and not making progress, try something else. Take a short break if you need to. Nothing will change if you don’t. The only obstacle in the way of your success is yourself.

But don’t push yourself too hard. The worst thing you can do is to not take any time to relax. Save yourself the potential meltdown and take a breather every once in a while.

If you do have a chance in between studying, don’t forget to give us a read. We’ve got great stories for this month. In News, read about the Glenn Close Film Festival and hear all about the non-social fraternities. In Style, take a look at our review of the 24-Hour Play Festival and check out the plethora of improv groups that exist on campus. In Opinions, hear one reporter’s take on gun control and another’s unique study abroad destination. In Sports, we discuss fantasy football and learn about a long-time, legendary soccer coach.

Remember: you can do it! All you need to believe in is yourself.

- Jeffrey Knox and Christine Shen

Save the Date October 18 What: Time Management Workshop Where: Campus Center 107 When: 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Why: Learn time management skills and create a study plan in a group setting.

October 24 What: Connected: The Surprising Power of our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives Where: Washington 201 When: 7 - 8 p.m.

Why: James H. Fowler will present his book, CONNECTED, which explores the powerful role of social networks in our lives.

October 25 What: Homecoming Parade Where: Around campus When: 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.

Why: School spirit!

OUR MISSION The DSJ is a monthly student magazine and online multimedia outlet which strives to provide an entertaining, thought-provoking, and interactive resource for the William and Mary community.

DSJ Co-Editors-in-Chief THE

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» NEWS

Tra n sf e r r in g from W est Poi nt to W il l ia m a nd Ma ry A Life-Changing Decision and a Complicated Process

Cadets march in front of West Point Military Academy. Photo courtesy of unigo.com.

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TYLER BRENT, DSJ STAFF REPORTER

The images of my brother graduating from West Point Military Academy and being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army this past May were still vivid as I returned to Williamsburg this fall. I had seen the long and strenuous process he went through from application to graduation. This year at the College, I have met students who had started this same journey but decided mid-way to change paths.

After meeting two West Point transfers by chance, Tim Courtney (’15) and Andrew Turscak (’15), the latter being a friend of my brother’s from West Point, I was introduced to two other former cadets, Justin Fenn (’16) and Nicole Waybright (’14). They all shared with me their journeys to and from West Point.

Interest in the military academy was sparked in various ways for these students. Two of the four had family ties to a Military Academy; Fenn’s brother is a 2010 graduate of West Point and Waybright’s father is a graduate of the Naval Academy. Turscak summed up a common sentiment among the group in their interest to apply.

“I never really wanted a desk job. I would rather have a career that has something with more meaning to it that serves other people. I figured the armed forces would be the best way to fulfill that,” said Turscak.

Another factor that played a role in their decision-making was the price tag. Zero costs for tuition and room and board for four years was enticing, but this comes with a commitment to five years active military duty and three years in the reserves. These four students, however, left before the second year signing on to this binding commitment.

An interested student cannot simply apply to West Point through the Common Application. The process in applying is

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rigorous, and starts early. To even be considered for acceptance, an applicant must receive a Congressional nomination from either a Congressman, Senator, or the Vice-President. This requires students to start applying and interviewing for this nomination in the spring of their junior year of high school. All four students would eventually receive a nomination from their local Congressmen, and one even interviewed for the Vice-Presidential nomination.

Although he did not receive his nomination, Courtney said, “I actually went to the West Wing of the White House and interviewed with Joe Biden himself. He had just gotten off the phone with the Prime Minister of Iraq.”

Once a student secures a nomination, they must pass physical and medical exams and a Candidate Fitness Assessment, which are factored into admissions. These are on top of the criteria used for other schools such as GPA, extracurriculars, essays, and recommendations. Regarding selectivity, US News and World Report statistics show the acceptance rate to be one of the lowest in the country, at just 8.9% of the applicant pool.

After this grueling process, both Courtney and Fenn had been accepted in the regular applicant pool, Waybright received a seat in her class in late May after receiving a phone call removing her from the wait list, and Turscak, like my older brother, received a scholarship to attend the Marion Military Institute for a year for a deferred admission program. After passing through the application gauntlet, they all decided to accept their appointments.

After deciding to take the plunge, the four had to quickly make the transition from civilian to cadet life. The summer after their senior years of high school, first year cadets attend Cadet Basic Training, which is colloquially called “Beast Barracks” or “Beast” for its rigor. Despite this difficult transition, the new cadets’ spirits were generally high.

» NEWS “I loved it!” said Waybright. “The camaraderie, the honor and pride in it and just learning to work as a team. The friends I made that were in my beast squad were the best friends I’ve ever had. It’s hard to explain that kind of friendship.”

Courtney concurred and said, “During Beast, I was all about it. I thought that I had made the right decision.”

“During the summer training, I was really into it. You get really close to your squad and get some really good friends,” said Fenn.

The transition into the academic year saw some changes in the mindset of some of these students. Although Fenn had made friends that first summer, he was quick to look for other options.

When asked if his decision changed after the summer, Fenn said, “I actually opened up West Point cadets listen to a lecture. Photo courtesy of usma.edu. the Common Application as soon as I got my computer.”

“What are my motivations for staying here? I was staying for the “When the leaves started to turn and weather got colder, it money, friends, education, and the challenge, but I wasn’t staying started to seem that the people in my Chain of Command weren’t for the army. When I tried to envision myself a couple of years interested in my development. I started to feel that way around ahead, could I see myself in a foxhole leading a platoon of soldiers the winter and thought that my friends were going through the into a combat I don’t believe in? Could I really write the letter to same thing,” said Courtney. their families saying their son died under my command for a cause The first year is highly structured, so although Waybright went I didn’t even believe in? How would I live with myself?” into West Point hoping to be an Arabic translator, she was not at Deciding that they wanted to leave was just the first step. To first able to pursue this path. transfer out, cadets have to go through multiple out-processing “They pick your classes for you, so I was not able to take Arabic interviews with staff and get the appropriate paperwork signed until Yuk [sophomore] year. I didn’t take a language my first year.” off. In total, the four students spent up to three weeks talking There was consensus among the group that thoughts of leaving to school administration about their reasoning, defending their are a part of the West Point culture. positions, and getting the final okay to turn back into a civilian.

“It really is a great institution that trains great officers, but This decision was not an easy one. “The hardest part about every cadet thinks about leaving at some point,” said Courtney. leaving is all of the judgment you get and I understand a lot of Fenn said, “If they say they never thought about leaving, they it. We are supposed to know what we are getting into,” said are lying.”

Waybright.

Throughout their first year, the cadets had mixed emotions After out-processing from West Point, these four students’ life regarding school. trajectories brought them to Williamsburg. Three of the students Although they had all flirted with the idea of leaving, there were coming back to their home state, while Turscak’s main was a definitive moment or event that was the impetus to decide draw from out-of-state was the College’s focus on undergraduate to transfer out. teaching.

“Camp Buckner is why I left. That is what broke me down. I am The transition to a “civilian” college student life has brought not a very fast runner and I was always getting stuff about how my them feelings of freedom, happiness, and contentment, but also soldiers would never respect me, no one was ever going to respect uncertainty and adjustment. me because I couldn’t run fast. I can’t run as fast as a man,” said “Coming here, having the freedom, it just makes you so happy.

Waybright.

‘So, you are saying I can wear what I want? I can have a girl in my She went on to say, “The whole culture is not very respectful room without having the door open?’” said Fenn. “I regretted not to females.” However, she reaffirmed, “West Point was one of the doing it sooner, because I would have had more time at William best experiences of my life and I don’t regret going. It just wasn’t and Mary. I realized it needed to happen and I haven’t regretted right for me.” it since.”

“I want to focus on my career in physics, and I spoke to certain “I’m able to focus more on academics, which I really like. I have professors who told me that if I want to focus on this, the military time to do my homework. I am able to talk to my teachers and is not the best place to do this,” said Fenn. develop a relationship with them, which you don’t have as much “The crux of the issues that I had with West Point was I was time to do at West Point,” said Waybright. not able to grow intellectually like I wanted to,” said Courtney.

Despite leaving on their own accord, all of these former cadets “People think I am just trying to trash West Point when I say that, expressed that they have the utmost respect for the school. but other people could get the experience they wanted and grow Courtney best summed this up when he said, “I really don’t want into the person they wanted to be. It was a me problem, so maybe to paint West Point in a bad light. It really is a great institution I didn’t belong there.” whose great officers go on to do amazing things.”

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Cult i vati n g Ch a n g e

How the Campus Garden Works to Create a Sustainable Community »

SAM GARDNER, DSJ STAFF REPORTER

Although there are a number of community gardens in my hometown of New York City that offer a respite from the concrete sidewalks, I never gardened in New York. However, this past summer, during the first week of my two-month internship at the Institute of Southern Jewish Life in Jackson, Mississippi, I and several others from the office went to volunteer at the Jackson Inner-City Garden with “Farmer” Tre’ Roberts. Tre’ explained to me the benefits of locally-grown food and the incredible legislative and agricultural obstacles to small local farmers, and although I did not become an avid gardener then and there, I gained a newfound appreciation for working the land with care. I volunteered on a weekly basis with Farmer Tre’ for the rest of the summer and learned about the process of growing local produce and the rewarding feeling that comes after a good two hours of helping at the farm. So, while scrolling through William and Mary’s listserv in search of interesting new activities to join this year, I was immediately drawn to the Campus Garden.

The Campus Garden project was started in 2007 as one of several student-led volunteer campaigns supported by the Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC). The group’s main mission is to increase and promote food sustainability on campus.

Student volunteers continue to give their time to make the most of the small garden. While the initiative has made a modest impact and become an established student group in the last several years, recent projects and plans for this year suggest that the group is making strides and “cultivating” its potential to make a lasting difference in the campus community.

The Campus Garden is located behind the Caf and adjacent to Busch Field. Because it is off the beaten path, the garden remains off of many students’ radars. Students grow vegetables and herbs

Students tend to the Campus Garden. Photo courtesy of Sam Gardner.

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such as carrots, tomatoes, okra, cilantro, and mustard seeds at the garden and can compost their waste in the large compost tumbler next to the garden. Ben Olinger (’16), a dedicated volunteer at the Campus Garden, is cultivating mushrooms this fall using logs to provide the necessary nutrients for fungal growth. Separate from the Campus Garden, Dining Services maintains the Campus Herb Gardens and uses the herbs in the food prepared at the dining halls.

Participants at the garden work for up to two hours each Sunday to help maintain the plants and upkeep of the garden and assist with any current projects or tasks. Michael Curcio (’15), who has worked at the garden for the past two years, coordinates much of the group’s activities. He and a couple of other active participants take responsibility for maintaining the garden throughout the week and are the driving force in keeping the project going.

Because most students are not on campus during the summer, the College’s Committee on Sustainability has given out a $3,500 research grant to someone who takes care of the garden.

A large fence was built this past summer to stop deer from eating the crops, which not only protects the plants but also increases the garden’s visibility to those travelling along Brooks Street or playing intramural sports at Busch Field. Along with the new fence, 12 new raised beds were installed in the garden, a major upgrade from the makeshift beds used in past years. Filled with healthy, new soil, the raised beds figure to increase the garden’s output and quality and will allow gardeners to grow companion plants together without any side effects to other crops.

According to Curcio, there is a tentative plan to use a portion of the new beds for a community garden in which students or faculty would be able to rent individual beds and grow their own food. The plan would take extend the garden’s campus network and increases its visibility while also taking some of the burden of garden upkeep off of volunteers. In the past couple of years, the extra produce not taken by volunteers has been donated to the Campus Kitchen. Students are free to pick any ripe vegetables and herbs for themselves; however, this is not widely advertised to the campus community. One need look no further than the Newport News Community Garden to find evidence of the model’s success. Due to popular demand, the number of rented plots there increased from 76 in 2011, the program’s first year, to 112 in 2012.

When asked why he enjoys volunteering at the Campus Garden, Olinger recalled a quote that resonated with him: “Gardening is immensely hopeful.” The garden offers students a great opportunity to engage with the environment, meet new people, and relax amidst the stress and pressures of college. Additionally, volunteers are free to come and go as they please and do not need to make a big commitment in order to contribute.

Given the prompt, “People should volunteer at the garden because…” Curcio said “volunteers gain a greater understanding of where your food comes from and the processes necessary to put it on your plate. Plus, it’s a lot of fun!”

The group holds a weekly meeting at the SEAC office in the Campus Center on Thursday and a two-hour work session from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Meetings are open forums and participants are welcome to give suggestions and ideas. The easiest way to get involved with the garden is to sign up for the Campus Garden listserv or to just come out and help on a Sunday.

» NEWS

William and Mary Honors Actress Glenn Close (`74) One of the College’s Most Distinguished Graduates Returns to Her Alma Mater After 39 Years to Receive the 2013 Cheek Award

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SYDNI SCROFANI, DSJ ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

This semester, William and Mary is taking part in a number of events to honor distinguished actress Glenn Close and to recognize her contributions to the arts.

For those who don’t know, Glenn Close is an award-winning actress who began her prolific and versatile career here at the College of William and Mary. Close graduated from the College with a double major in theatre and anthropology in 1974. She was an active member of the theatre department and performed in many productions during her years at the College.

During the week of Sept. 16, Swem Library hosted a Glenn Close Film Festival in the Botetourt Theatre that featured several of Close’s most popular films, including Dangerous Liaisons, 101 Dalmatians, The Natural, Albert Nobbs, and Fatal Attractions.

These viewings attracted students, faculty and staff, alumni, and Close fans as they gathered to view Close’s on-screen performances.

In addition to the film festival, Swem’s Special Collections Research Center has created an exhibit showcasing Close’s time at the college and exploring the ways in which William and Mary helped shape her career. The exhibit, Close Connections: Glenn Close’s lasting ties to the William and Mary community, reveals Close’s developing passion for theater during her college years.

The exhibit displays posters from plays she starred in as well as notes from fellow cast and crew members. The display reveals how greatly involved Close was with the campus theater community.

Her theater involvement at William and Mary marked the beginning of her acting career. Close’s class notes reveal that she was not only an excellent actress, but also a dedicated student.

Her invitation to the Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society is on display as well as Close’s notebooks, photographs from gradation, and other personal papers from Swem’s Special Collections.

Her post-graduation connection with the College is also featured. In 1989, she was asked to return to campus to give a commencement address in which she said: “I have felt in the years since I graduated an indestructible, visceral connection The event was moderated by sculptor to this place and its and alumnus David Terry. people—a connection

Glenn Close addressed a large group of students in the Commonwealth Auditorium. All photos by Lauren Su. which is vital and real and which has sustained me through good times and bad.” The exhibit will be on display in Swem Library’s Marshall Gallery until Jan. 15, 2014.

During William and Mary’s second annual Arts and Entertainment Festival, Sept. 26-29, the Muscarelle Museum of Art opened the Glenn Close: A Life in Costume exhibit. The exhibit showcases several of Close’s costumes from her films including the ensemble she wore in her portrayal of the evil puppy-snatcher, Cruella de Vil, in 101 Dalmatians, a film that many current students grew up watching.

Close and her husband, David Shaw, were presented with the 2013 Cheek Award during the weekend of the festival. The Cheek Award is given to individuals who have greatly contributed to the field of museum, performing, or visual arts.

“It is quite wonderful that Glenn Close and David Shaw will be in our midst to receive the Cheek Medal for their extraordinary contributions to the arts,” said President Taylor Reveley in an interview prior to the festival. “Glenn, of course, is one of our most gifted and distinguished alumnae and a beneficiary of the extraordinary teaching done in William and Mary’s theatre, speech, and dance department. And David is an established art collector and lifelong practitioner of the art of business and social entrepreneurship.”

I personally would strongly encourage students to take the time to explore the exhibits at both the Muscarelle and Swem. It is an incredible opportunity to see how a fellow member of the Tribe used what she learned and experienced while studying here at the College to formulate a successful career in the field she is most passionate about.

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R u s h in g a N on-Soci a l F ra terni t y A No n- S tr e s s f u l Way for St ude nt s t o Go Gre e k

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ELIZA SCHEIBE, DSJ NEWS EDITOR

Even if you’ve never taken part in the formal social rush process, you’ve seen the droves of well-dressed freshman and sophomore girls off to meet the Greeks, you’ve heard about the parties that go on every weekend, and you probably know someone who was completely stressed out by the whole experience. If nothing else, formal rush is a time-consuming and exhausting process for everyone involved—not just the students rushing, but also the Greek students organizing the events. For some, this process is too stressful, and for others, it just doesn’t work with their schedules.

For many, it’s both.

Fortunately, for William and Mary students looking for a less demanding way to join a Greek organization, there are the nonsocial fraternities. For the non-social fraternities and sororities on campus, rush is only a weeklong process, as opposed to spanning over several weekends, and it is not mandatory to attend all of the rush week events to get a bid.

“I think our rush differs from those of social Greek organizations in structure and intensity,” said Lucy King (’15), Vice President of Delta Omicron (DO) Music Fraternity. “We hold our rush over a week, with five, one-hour events that are not mandatory.”

Alice Fuller (’15), DO Co-Social Chair and Webmaster, also enjoys the fact that DO’s rush process is more easygoing than formal rush.

“I love that we're more laid back and really get a chance to get to know potential rushees before they commit,” said Fuller. “It's just a really enjoyable week for all of the brothers.”

When asked about the differences between formal rush and Nu Kappa Epsilon (NKE) Music Sorority rush week, Rush Chair Addie Merians (’15) said, “We are significantly less formal. Women do not have to dress up, we aren’t as strict about attendance, and there is less structure to our events.”

For Kayla Meyers (’14), Rush Advisor for Phi Sigma Pi (PSP) National Honor Fraternity, it’s the “casual yet quirky” atmosphere that sets PSP apart from most social fraternities and sororities on campus.

“The rush committee and I try to plan events that strike a balance between structured and casual,” said Meyers. “I think our

The ladies of Nu Kappa Epsilon are all smiles during their Spring 2013 Initiation ceremony. Photo courtesy of Addie Merians.

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There was a large turnout at the annual Meet the Music Greeks event in 2012. Photo courtesy of Alice Fuller. rush process is a lot more casual and relaxed. Also, probably a lot weirder.”

William and Mary’s non-social fraternities and sororities offer a wide variety of events to attend during rush week—everything from pizza parties to a cappella concerts to ghost tours in Colonial Williamsburg. NKE even hosts a “Nostalgia Night” for painting and listening to Disney music.

For James Chesnut (’14), Vice President of Phi Mu Alpha (PMA) Music Fraternity, what’s important is that each event helps potential members feel comfortable while getting to know the current PMA brothers.

“We schedule events where people interested in joining PMA can meet all the brothers in an informal setting,” said Chesnut.

“One night we order a bunch of pizzas and just hang out and talk.

Another night we go to Buffalo Wild Wings. Each event is very casual and we try to make those interested feel comfortable and at ease.”

Because DO and PSP are co-ed fraternities, unlike the social fraternities and sororities on campus, their rush events have to appeal to both guys and girls.

“This past rush week, we had events like going to Five-Dollar Burger Night at the Green Leafe, playing capture the flag, a video game night, a night where we went out to ice cream, and a ghost tour led by one of our brothers,” said King. “Events like these have become staples in our rush schedule, because they are largely popular with the brothers and pledges, and appeal to both guys and girls.”

It’s only natural that during rush week, students will come prepared with lots of questions. Because students who rush nonsocial fraternities or sororities are generally looking for a smaller time commitment than students participating in formal rush, their questions typically revolve around time commitment and required activities.

“Rushees usually ask us about group dynamics, philanthropy events, and time commitment,” said Fuller. “My general response is that we're a very close-knit group of about 30, so no one ever really feels left out in DO. We have multiple small social events

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Members of Phi Mu Alpha pose at Lyrefest 2012. Photo courtesy of James Chestnut. throughout the year, plenty of us hang out just as friends on our own, and then we also do events with both NKE and PMA. Philanthropy wise, we help out at Matthew Whaley Elementary in the music classes and do various projects to help out the music department.”

“I am usually asked most about time commitment,” said King.

“As the vast majority of our rushees are somehow involved in performance ensembles on campus, their schedules are pretty full, and they are concerned about being able to commit enough time to the fraternity. DO is typically a one-to-three hour commitment a week, depending on your role as a member and what events are going on.”

Although the non-social rush process itself is much more laid-back than formal rush, there are certain requirements that students must meet in order to join a non-social fraternity or sorority. For instance, in order to join PSP, students must meet a minimum GPA requirement. In order to join DO, a student must both meet a GPA requirement and be involved in a music class or a formal music organization on campus.

When asked what changes she would like to make about requirements in the future, King hopes to be able to drop the GPA requirement for first-semester freshmen.

“As a professional music fraternity, our national representatives feel strongly about GPA requirements, and as first semester freshmen do not have GPAs yet, we cannot rush them. This occasionally leads to us losing potential rushees to the other music

Members of Delta Omicron, the co-ed music fraternity, are shown here at their Spring 2013 Initiation. Photo courtesy of Alice Fuller.

Greeks, who do not have this restriction,” said King.

When it comes to getting a bid, though, students’ chances are generally pretty high if they meet all the requirements set by the non-social fraternity or sorority.

“Nearly all of the NKE rushees get bids. We say they need to attend three events, but we are not strict about that at all,” said Merians. “I would say a majority of girls accept bids. It is usually pretty obvious who wants to be in, as they come to a bunch of rush events and seem into it. Sometimes women come for an event and we offer them a bid, but they don’t accept, which makes sense if they were just trying to get a feel for us.”

Both Fuller and Chesnut estimate that the vast majority of DO and PMA rushees get bids, as well. So if you meet the requirements and decide to rush one of these non-social music fraternities, you are about 80 percent likely to receive a bid.

The one exception is PSP, which usually only extends bids to about a third of rushees.

“The voting process is so difficult,” said Meyers. “After a week of getting to know everyone, it is really hard to choose, and tensions can run high.”

One of the benefits of rushing a non-social fraternity or sorority is that you can still feel free to take part in formal rush, if you wish to do so.

“DO brothers are allowed to rush any other fraternity or sorority except another music fraternity,” said Fuller. The same rules go for PMA and NKE, as well. PSP members are allowed to rush any other fraternity or sorority on campus.

When asked about the most challenging part of the rush process, most of the active members agree that organizing the events is by far the most difficult aspect of it.

“The hardest part of the rush process is organizing events and making sure everyone knows all about the events. Choosing who gets bids is usually a hassle as well,” said Chesnut.

“As rush chair, I take part in all the hard behind-the-scenes work,” said Merians. “Scheduling rush, updating flyers, getting the publicity out there, getting the sisterhood involved, organizing the pledge period, organizing clue week. The actual visible work of running rush events is pretty easy. Everything else is time consuming and hard.”

However, active members will also agree that getting to know potential new members and seeing their excitement during rush is what makes it all worthwhile.

“My favorite part of the rush process is getting to know people in the music department that I wouldn't have otherwise met,” said Fuller. “We're a small group of people, but it can be hard to get to know people in other ensembles without DO bringing us together.”

“I think the most rewarding part is seeing rushees come back night after night,” said Merians. “You can definitely get a sense of when a woman wants to be part of NKE, and that is just the most validating feeling. The stress of organizing it is worth it for those moments.”

Joining a Greek organization is a great way to make new friends and get involved with philanthropy on campus. Nonsocial fraternities and sororities offer both of these opportunities while requiring less of a time commitment for students with busy schedules.

“I knew I wanted to get involved in an organization that was service oriented, but I had no idea I would find such a wonderful group of people,” said Meyers. “There was this general sense of acceptance, like I could be my totally crazy weird self, that kept me coming to the rush events two years ago.”

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STYLE

Improvisational Comedy at the College of William and Mary

Where Everything is Made Up and the Points Don’t Matter »

MOLLY EARNER, DSJ STYLE EDITOR

Wikipedia’s definition for improvisation: “a form of theater where most or all of what is performed is created at the moment it is performed.”

Improvisational comedy is going strong here at William and Mary. To use hyperbole, one may even call it the Improv Renaissance here on campus. Two different student-run groups have started up in the past two years alone: Sandbox Improv and the Improv Club. 7th Grade Sketch Comedy, a sketch group that uses improv to enhance its Saturday-Night-Live-style performances, is in its sixteenth year. I.T. (Improvisational Theater, not Information Technology) has been around since 1986 and is the oldest studentrun theater group on campus. I managed to snag a member from each group to ask them about who they are, what they are, what improv is, and how it all fits into the crazy scheme of life (see Zach Hurst’s Philosophy of Improv, below).

I.T.: Zach Hurst (’16) “I.T.: It’s kind of a cult.”

Sophomore Zach Hurst got involved with improv comedy in his freshman year at William and Mary almost by accident. “First week or so of school and someone said ‘Hey, you wanna come to this show?’ and I said sure and it was really cool… I decided I really wanted that in my life,” said Hurst. The show he saw was I.T.’s first show of the semester. He went to their auditions, and the rest is history.

“I didn’t really know that improv comedy was even a THING until I got to college… Last year a whole world opened up to me,” said Hurst. I.T., which is short for Improvisational Theater, has

made a name for itself here on campus. What makes it different from the emerging groups? “The only difference is the fact that there’s so much tradition involved,” said Hurst. I.T. was founded in 1986 and has produced alumni who have gone on to do work at Second City, in Chicago, as well as other places.

“We have traditions passed down that no one has ever learned the origin of.” When asked if he could give us examples of any these traditions, Hurst said, “It’s pretty much all secret. There are a lot of things that we would be running around doing and none of us would even know why. I.T.’s…. kind of a cult.”

I.T. may be well known around campus, but Hurst urges that people go to other comedy shows and audition for them as well: “There’s just a lot of talent…. It’s really cool that there are other groups now because these people really should be doing comedy…

Back in the ‘80s, I.T. may have been enough. But this campus is way bigger now. We need more groups because the talent is here.”

Hurst waxed poetic on the importance of improv as a form of theater: “In improv, you need to embrace being okay with not knowing what’s going on. This can apply to life as well… After awhile, you just forget to be afraid.”

7th Grade Sketch Comedy: Jordan Obey (’14) “If we laugh, it’s good. If we don’t, it’s… y’know.”

Right off the bat we need to get one thing clear: 7th Grade is not an Improv group. Its members do sketch comedy. Improvisation games and techniques are involved in their practices and auditions, but otherwise their shows are completely sketch-based. In my conversation with senior Jordan Obey, we discussed the difference between SNL and Whose Line, or (more generally) between sketch comedy and improv comedy. “It’s definitely a writer’s game. I don’t mean to emphasize that too much, but that’s what we do.”

7th Grade Sketch Comedy was founded in 1997. Originally “Etch-a-Sketch Comedy,” the club had to change its name after “some group in Ohio” complained.

Why “7th Grade?”

Obey said, “We were called 7th Grade for reasons I am not entirely sure of. I believe it came about with the kind of half-assed mentality of ‘Oh, that works!

Let’s do that.’”

How does their process work? “7th Grade is kind of a writer’s group. We meet three times a week, write for two hours, come together with sketches—if we laugh, it’s good. If we don’t, it’s… y’know,” said Obey.

When asked what type of people the troupe looks for in auditions, Obey said, “During auditions we look for people that are balanced. I, personally, look for really 7th Grade Sketch in action. Photo by Lauren Su. good writers. For the performance aspect

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you normally have to rev up for that anyway, and in my opinion it’s harder to teach people how to write than it is to perform.”

(Obey also wanted to plug a shout out to The Botetourt Squat.

What up Botetourt Squat?)

Sandbox Improv: Peter Ronson (’16) “I don’t know where the name came from. I think Claire was just walking through a sandbox one day.”

“I really loved comedy a lot. In high school I tried to make like an Onion for my school… but I never really performed improv until college,” said sophomore Peter Ronson, who auditioned for and joined Sandbox Improv in the second semester of his freshman year. That also happened to be the second semester of the club itself. Senior Claire Favret founded Sandbox in the fall of 2012. A long-time lover of improv, she had completed a semester of study in Chicago, taking classes with Second City. She recognized that there was “a lot of interest in comedy on campus.

There are definitely enough funny people here that we can have more than two comedy groups.”

Despite the club’s short history, Ronson wasn’t entirely sure where the name came from: “I think Claire was just walking through a sandbox one day.”

What makes Sandbox different? “We do long form improv— characters that repeat, lines that repeat,” said Ronson. I.T. has done long form, though they also specialize in short form improv games. Long form is a more common form of improv that is great for getting a new group like Sandbox to bond together: “Like any other improv, you ask for a word or phrase. With really great improv, you start with a game and no one knows what’s going on at first, but then a pattern starts to emerge…”

Obviously aware of its “new club on campus” status, Sandbox is looking to expand, primarily through doing more shows. “Next week we’re doing a show in Richmond at a comedy club. Opening for a real improv group in Richmond – it should be cool,” said Ronson.

Any nerves before a show? Ronson said that the main source of his nerves when he does regular theater is the fear of forgetting his lines: “Now I just have to worry about being able to come up with new stuff!”

Photo courtesy of I.T.

Photo courtesy of Sandbox Improv.

Improv Club: Scott Shapses (’14) “Just have fun.”

The newest (and most elusive) new addition to the improv comedy culture here at William and Mary is the Improv Club.

Founder Scott Shapses, when asked to describe Improv Club, called it “a general, short form improv club which could expand, and because it is new we’re not quite sure what direction we’re going in yet.”

Perhaps the primary difference between Improv Club and all the other groups on campus is that it is exactly what it’s called: a club. “I noticed there was a bunch of different groups to do improv on campus… and though they are inclusive, they have to also be exclusive by their very nature as performance troupes. But I didn’t feel like there was a club on campus that was just open to anyone,” said Shapses. “I thought it would be cool to have a club where people could come and practice and other improv clubs could come and practice and bring their individual styles to the table.”

The philosophy of the Improv Club basically ties together all the previous conversations I had with the other groups. People on this campus want more improv and more access to people who want to do it. Improv Club strives to make the form of theater more accessible, especially to those who may not otherwise do it.

“It’s not to perform, it’s more to just do improv.

Just have fun. It would be cool to have all the various improv clubs come in and just collaborate,” said Shapses. The club has hour-long meetings once a week. People can simply come, play improv games, and workshop what they did.

What can an everyday person learn from improv?

“You really have to learn to listen. And you really have to learn to say yes,” said Shapses- a lesson that can be applied to life and comedy alike.

Want to know more about these groups, their showtimes, and improv in general?

“Like” I.T. (Improvisational Theater), Sandbox Improv, and 7th Grade Sketch on Facebook!

Additionally, Improv Club meetings are open to everyone and held at 9 p.m. in Washington 307 every Wednesday.

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24-Hour Play Festival: A Review Time Constraint Makes for an Hour and a Half of Laughter

Laughter and excitement abound at the 24-Hour Play Festival. All photos by Sam Girdzis.

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CHELSEA PITTMAN, DSJ ASSOCIATE STYLE EDITOR

From a human intelligence robot looking for love to a heroic penny…man saving the day, the 24-Hour Play Festival, put on by the Alpha Psi Omega Theatre Honors Society, was nothing short of a comedic adventure in the form of eight short plays put together in a day’s time. The challenge in creating an original script, holding auditions, casting, and rehearsing all within the time span of one day, without losing the sophistication of a wellwritten play, or in this case, vignette, was met by each playwright, director, and actor, which ultimately led to an enjoyable one hour and twenty minute comedy.

The structure of each play was made so that each vignette tied into the next by using the last line of the preceding play as the first line for the following play. The repetition of these lines created a continuity that was pleasant in the absence of a continuing story line between each episode. Also, because each play was unique from the others, the repetition of that last line would be rather humorous because the context would be vastly different and therefore the line would seem hilariously ridiculous in its new setting.

The casting was brilliantly done, as I could not tell who was a freshmen and “new” at this particular type of production. Each actor and actress had command over his or her roles no matter how small, which was important due to the ten-minute time span that the play was allotted. Therefore, it was vital for the cast members to capture the audience’s attention within their first few seconds on stage in order to have an impact and really sell their roles and the vignette as a whole. Despite each actor’s impressive performance, Andrew Perry as Mama Guildenstern in “Burning Bush” (by Nathan Arries and directed by Hilary Adams) and Scott Vierick as Nelson in “Table for 2.0” (by Ryan Warsing and directed

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by Tyler Bell) are definitely worth accolades, as their roles as a Jewish grandmother and a human intelligence level robot were not only well executed, but completely hysterical.

Behind these talented actors and actresses, however, are the equally talented playwrights and directors who put together each concept and organized the production in a way that allowed the cast to thrive. These students also ranged in status from freshmen to seniors, and once again, from watching each play as an audience member, there was no way to tell which plays were done by firsttimers and which plays were put on by seasoned participants.

The concept behind each play was clearly to make the audience

Two actors gesticulate during their scene.

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entertainment.

The opening play, “Intervention” by Michael Panciera and directed by Jason Via, about a boy whose mother forces him to go to sex therapy because she believes he is addicted to sex, despite him being just a 15-year-old virgin who has discovered porn and his hormones, certainly set the mood for how the rest of the vignettes would follow: hilarity delivered in wellwritten plots of absurdity.

The festival was also for a good cause. Upon entry, guests were asked for twodollar donations to benefit Clowns Without Borders, a non-profit organization that serves communities of The event consisted of eight plays, which were held in an intimate environment in the Studio crisis by bringing “laughter and joy to all people, Theater in PBK Hall. especially children.” It is unfortunate that I just heard of the 24-Hour Play Festival as a laugh, and that goal was certainly met. The originality that spilled senior, because I would have loved to have had the opportunity from each concept was a breath of comical fresh air from even the to attend this event on a yearly basis; however, for those who do familiar stories of a cheating boyfriend trying not to get caught have the opportunity, the 24-Hour Play Festival certainly will be (“Apartment Hunting” by Shaan Sharma, directed by John Ponder a worthwhile experience, and one that will have you laughing White) or a guy that will go through extensive lengths just to from beginning to end. avoid telling the girl he likes he forgot her name (“Name” by Kevin Xu, directed by Genny Ceperley). In “Table 2.0,” the slow realization and development of the character Nelson and the fact that he was actually a robot and not a human speed dating gave the episode some intriguing depth. The story was no longer just a guy encountering the strange characters that go on speed dates, but a robot designed to look, think, and act like a human being, looking DCSI fellows earn W&M credit by studying with a W&M professor, networking with experts and alums through guest lectures and site visits – and working in a for the one thing that separated him from his counterparts: love. guaranteed internship at a dynamic DC institution.

It was strangely touching in the midst of the ridiculous hilarity that also ensued.

On the other hand, though still funny, “An Elegy for Summer 2013 Institutes Charmington DeRue” by Coleen Herbert and directed by Joseph Biagini, was nothing more than haphazard amusement about Leadership and Community Engagement Institute Taught by Professor Drew Stelljes an overzealous singer mourning her loved one, who also would defend him whenever he was referred to as a “chicken nugget,” National Security Institute which in this play happened to be a very debased insult. Although Taught

by Professor Kathryn Floyd the absurdity is what made the play amusing, the overall plot had no real stability and was not clear to follow, unlike the other short New Media Institute plays in the program.

Taught by Professor Ann Marie Stock “The Arrangement” by Sara Rock and Directed by Leigh Seitz was about a girl, Juna, who was almost forced into an arranged marriage with her rich suitor, Sir Whendon, who did not have a Information Session: Wednesday, October 3rd green thumb but still gave a dead flower as a token of marriage.

6:00pm Both Juna and Sir Whendon were able to escape the planned fate by telling Juna’s Uncle Pete that Sir Whendon was the very thing he hated, a musician. The play kept with the flow of comedy, though on a smaller scale in comparison to its counterparts, which made the play forgettable.

In the intimate setting of the Phi Beta Kappa Hall Theatre Lab, the 24-Hour Play Festival certainly delivered in content and

Sadler Center, Tidewater B Applications Online:

www.wm.edu/dcsi Available 9/10 – 10/17

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Best Of’s:

A Random Assortment of the Five Best Things

BEST OF: NETFLIX SHOWS TO MARATHON » CINDY

CENTENO, DSJ STAFF REPORTER

Classes are starting to ramp up – your first exams of the semester, loads of reading, and possibly pulling your first all-nighters of the season. No matter what year you are, we’re all feeling quite worn out already. So, what do we do? We put on some sweatpants, a large T-shirt, and take out all our snacks (possibly order some take-out) and become bums for a few hours. Whether you’re alone or with a group of friends, it’s pretty relaxing to just sit back and take your mind off of all that studying and homework that awaits you. Therefore, it’s imperative that we make those few hours of relaxation count. How so? Netflix! So, loosen up those sweatpants, grab those bags of chips and M&M’s, and get ready for a Netflix marathon! Here’s my list for the top 5 Netflix (Comedy) TV shows— 1. The Office (2005) I’m sure you all know and love the talented and quite funny Steve Carrell. So, I’m positive you are familiar with the highly acclaimed comedy sitcom, The Office. The hit TV show chronicles the shortcomings of disgruntled office workers led by their deceiving boss, Michael Scott (Carrell). With a mix of captivating characters, touching relationships, and half an hour of comedy in each episode, a “The Office” marathon will surely get you in a great mood after a tough week of classes.

2. Parks and Recreation (2009) This American comedy TV series, starring the hilarious Amy Poehler, focuses on Leslie Knope (Poehler), a perky mid-level bureaucrat who works as an employee in a rural Parks and Recreation department. The series follows Leslie’s energy-driven personality and the way bureaucracy shoots down her good ideas. Now starting its sixth season, it would be a good idea to check out this funny sitcom for a night full of laughs.

3. How I Met Your Mother (2005) This is, personally, one of my favorite comedy sitcoms in the entertainment business at the moment. Starring the unbelievably funny cast of Josh Radner, Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris, and Alyson Hannigan, this famous sitcom focuses

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on Ted Mosby’s (Radner) grand search for his soul mate. Told through flashbacks, Ted recounts to his kids how he met their mother along with countless memories of his interesting group of friends. Its next and last season begins this fall, so if you want to refresh your memory with some of its episodes, a HIMYM marathon is the answer!

4. 30 Rock (2006) This is another personal favorite. Starring the unequivocally hysterical cast of Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, and others, this comedic TV show follows the life of Liz Lemon (Fey) as she heads an eclectic team of writers on a fictional NBC variety show in New York. With the mix of the funny cast and tons of satire (which we William and Mary students LOVE), a “30 Rock” marathon will most definitely leave you with a tummy ache from all the laughing. Besides, you’ll get nice abs.

5. Scrubs (2001) Finally, this medical comedy-drama focuses on attending physician J.D. Dorian (Zach Braff), and his fellow doctors as they practice medicine while learning life lessons at the Sacred Heart teaching hospital. Although their jobs are mostly about saving lives, the show brings up important questions about life as well as some mischievous and hilarious experiences. I’m sure this television sitcom will bring about many laughs while you enjoy your relaxation time.

Better yet, think about the flashbacks you’ll get to see from J.D.’s and Turk’s (Donald Faison) college days at yours truly, William and Mary! Laughs & Tribe Pride makes “Scrubs” your #1 pick for your next Netflix marathon!

Photos courtesy of Google Images.

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BEST OF: CHEAP EATS IN WILLIAMSBURG » TIFFANY

KUOK, DSJ STAFF REPORTER

1. Green Leafe Half price burgers; what about that doesn’t sound good?

Now usually most of the burgers cost around $7, unless you order the man vs. food burger, which costs around $14 (but you get 4 patties). But go on a Monday, and Photos courtesy of Jeffrey Knox. the burgers are half off! That’s around $3.50 per burger! And these are good size burgers, with actual meat patties, like the ones that Burger King shows in its ads, not the ones Burger King actually serves.

2. The Cheese Shop Okay, so most of the food at The Cheese Shop is really expensive.

However, order the bread ends, which come at $1 per bag, and a jar of house dressing, and you have got yourself a pretty sweet deal! You get a very decent amount bread – not to mention the house dressing is just so darn good! Also, go on a Wednesday with your William and Mary ID for a student discount!

3. Pierce’s Pitt Not everyone loves the outdoors, but everyone loves barbeque. At Pierce’s Pitt, not only is the barbeque good and indoors, but it’s also cheap! And everyone knows that cheap food is good food. At Pierce’s, all the barbeque sandwiches cost less than $6! You can even get burgers here for $4.29 and hotdogs at $2.39. Go! 4. The Grecian Plate This little mom-and-pop restaurant is owned and run entirely by the cutest old couple ever. They alone should be reason enough to come here since, as everyone knows, cute old couples are second only to cats, and there are no cat cafés in Williamsburg. However, if cute old couples aren’t enough for you (freaking robot), come for the delicious Greek food! You can get a chicken/pork souvlaki for $6.99.

Go on a Wednesday or Saturday, and you get 50 percent off!

5. Cookout First of all, it’s open till 3 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. How many places (other than Wawa and Walgreens) in Williamsburg stay open that late? Moreover, all the food is dirt cheap. An order of chicken nuggets and cookout fries with chili and cheese on top costs $3.09 with tax. Don’t have a car to get there? I suggest bribing your friend with a car for a free Cookout meal. If you are really strapped for cash, you can offer to share with them the Cookout tray combo, which is one entrée and two sides for only $3.99! Also, did I mention that quesadillas count as a side?

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BEST OF: NEW ALBUMS » SLOANE

NILSEN, DSJ STAFF REPORTER

1. AM - Arctic Monkeys Coming from someone who has never listened to an Arctic Monkeys album before (please don’t hurt me), this is the best album I have heard in a long time. As you progress through the tracks, you will slowly transform from innocent college student to alternative badass. All the way from the catchy, guitar-driven lead track “Do I Wanna Know?” to the synthesizing beats of “Knee Socks,” your enjoyment level will only rise. (When your roommate questions why you are in such a good mood, your response may include something along the lines of “this album is arctic-ly cool.”)

2. Halcyon Days - Ellie Goulding Although I would refrain from recommending that you try to sing along with Ellie Goulding, everyone needs to have jam seshes. Alone. In your room. Ideal album: Halcyon Days, from Ellie Goulding. “Lights” will never get old, but why not add songs like “Burn” and “Anything Could Happen” to your collection? All will provoke you to dance, and trust me, the less clothing on the better. (That was just a joke – please stay decent, everyone.) Also it is good to note that if you are in the mood for crying and/or remembering ex-boyfriends/girlfriends “How Long Will I Love You” will be your new best friend.

3. Loma Vista - Family of the Year Okay so I don’t if this qualifies as “new,” but this album came out in July. So I’m going to write about it anyway. It’s the most emotionally satisfying album I have heard recently. With the sweeping ballad-like “Hero,” Family of the Year continues to create a melting pot of different tracks including the Caribbean themed “St. Croix” and the folky “The Stairs.” This is a perfect album to listen to whilst in the Sunken Garden on a slightly cool day with a good pair of sunglasses and thermos of hot liquid.

Seriously though.

4. True - Avicii If you haven’t heard “Wake Me Up,” I suggest you hurdle every obstacle in your path to reach Spotify or some other musical application. And get ready to find your Swedish groove. I know each of you has it in you, somewhere deep down there. Right off the bat the album gets you pumped up for what’s coming your way. Tracks such as the initially tranquil “Hey Brother” and the epic, orchestral “Heart Upon My Sleeve” will leave you in a permanent state of inception. The other plus of listening to this album is the fact that you instantly become more European. That’s a good thing.

5. Bad Blood - Bastille You know that really good song called “Pompeii”? You may have heard it on the car, on the way to class, or just chilling in your dorm. Yeah, well, turns out that artist (his name is Bastille) came out with a new album that is pretty rocking. And alternative. Whether listening to tracks such as “Bad Blood” or “Flaws,” you will be pleasantly surprised by his smooth voice. Indeed, listening to “Bad Blood” (the album) may be as soothing as drinking chamomile before bedtime.

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OPINION

Don’t Stop Talking About Gun Control

What the Navy Yard Shooting Reveals About America »

ELIZABETH EDMONDS, DSJ STAFF COLUMNIST

Very few of our nation’s policies and attitudes still possess the capacity to amaze me. Of the fixation on war, the lack of general healthcare, and the insistence that we live in a nation of the free and equal while denying marriage to an isolated group of our citizens, I remain ashamed, but not astonished. Within the past week, however, I have managed a feeling of bewilderment regarding the country’s reaction to the recent shooting at the Washington D.C. Navy Yard.

Aaron Alexis, a 34-year-old contractor, walked into the Naval Sea Systems Command Headquarters at 8 a.m. on Monday, September 16 and opened fire. He killed 12 people and wounded eight. Police gunned him down within the hour. After a complete lockdown and thorough search of the base and city, police determined Alexis was working alone, and the risk of another attack was over.

We are a nation founded on the principles so dearly protected in the Second Amendment, and I have no desire to change that.

This is a horrific, awful assault on innocent lives, made by a mad man without a discernible motive. However, the most sickening thing about this attack was its preventability. I am not referring to the security of the Navy Yard, nor to the possible drills civilians could have taken in case of such an emergency. I am instead referring to an absolute lack of precautionary gun control.

Have no fear, America. I would never stand by a removal of your personal guns. I’m not an advocate of a firearm-free society by any means. We are a nation founded on the principles so dearly protected in the Second Amendment, and I have no desire

A wreath-hanging ceremony was held at the Navy Memorial in Washington D.C. to honor the victims of the

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to change that.

What I would like to take notice of, however, is the complete want of necessity for assault rifles in private, non-military, or law enforcement related homes, as well as the seemingly carefree way firearms are distributed.

Alexis did not come to D.C. with adequate arms for his attack.

He instead drove the 17 miles to Lorton, Virginia, where he was able to purchase two boxes of ammunition and a gun for $419. His purchase was in no way examined, despite a history of violence that includes discharge from the Navy, firing a gun after an argument with a neighbor, and using a gun to blow out another man’s tires in what Alexis described himself as an “anger-filled blackout.”

I label the selling of firearms as carefree, for if there were any restrictions at all in the way of purchasing a gun, then I highly doubt a discharged soldier with a background of anger-fueled and gun-related arrests would be allowed to immediately and without question purchase a firearm and ammunition.

My main source of contention, however, stems from the media’s perspective on the affair. Nothing is mentioned regarding gun control. The focus rests entirely on security within the building and Navy Yard. While security is an issue in a case involving a military base, it should by no means be the main topic of conversation. Questioning only the safety of the environment and not the strength and effectiveness of preventative laws is avoiding the real issue.

The only possible explanation is the media feeling they have exhausted the topic of gun control. Clearly, they have not. It is incredible news that a man with such a thoroughly violent history is able to purchase semi-automatic weapons, and it should be awarded the attention it deserves.

This is a terrible, tragic incident that never should have happened. However, it is one thing to memorialize the tragedy, and another thing entirely to make a concerted effort at change to ensure this will never happen again. This is what I advocate; this is what I support – not taking away amendment rights, but the simple addition of background checks on the sale of firearms, especially assault rifles.

Many who are opposed to such background checks complain it is already too difficult to obtain a firearm, and that strict rules need not get stricter. They claim it is a mindset, not a law that allowed this incident to occur, and that not every gun owner is like Alexis. After Virginia Tech, Aurora Theater, Sandy Hook, and now the Navy Yard, I wonder how many still believe this.

No one is trying to take firearms away from responsible gun owners. But background checks do need to happen so people like Alexis, with a serious history of violence, are unable to purchase weapons without question.

Elizabeth Edmonds is a staff columnist for the DSJ. Her views do not necessarily represent those of the entire staff.

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OPINION

You Want to Go Where?

One Student’s Unorthodox Study Abroad Destination

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SAM GARDNER, DSJ STAFF COLUMNIST

When students discuss the option of study abroad, rarely does the conversation start with Canada. Usually, the phrase “study abroad” implies studying overseas. I am currently a junior majoring in Psychology and Religious Studies, and as I began to think about study abroad options last spring, I was drawn to the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver and the University of Victoria (UVic). Canada is an atypical abroad destination and is more culturally similar to the United States than most other options.

For many people, one of the key benefits of studying abroad is experiencing a new culture, possibly of academic interest, and gaining a more global perspective. I lived with two housemates this past summer, both of whom took English classes abroad last year: one in Istanbul, Turkey and one in Mumbai, India. They raved about their study abroad experiences and urged me to consider studying in an unfamiliar culture. However, I believe that studying in a culturally similar place offers its own benefits, too. Studying in Canada, I will have a relatively easy time adjusting to my new college environment, which will allow me to better integrate myself into the campus community. I think there is great value in being able to lead a normal student life while abroad and experiencing what it is like to be a student at the school.

As someone not studying a foreign language at the College, I decided that I wanted to go to a university where English is spoken.

In making this decision, I understand that I am closing myself off to some extraordinary study options and the chance to experience life outside of the English-speaking world. However, if I can only take English language courses, I will most likely be placed in a class full of American students at a foreign institution. Being able to integrate myself into the campus and larger communities is important to me, and studying in an English-speaking country gives me the best opportunity to do so.

Additionally, UBC and UVic offer excellent research opportunities that correspond with my majors and research interests. Finding a school that has relevant research is important to me because I will gain valuable research experience and

The Rose Garden at UBC offers an idyllic landscape with its view of the North Shore Mountains. Photo courtesy of the Univ. of British Columbia.

further insight into what I would like to do after graduation. UBC and UVic have courses that correspond with my studies here in Williamsburg but which are not offered here at the College.

Academically, both schools fulfill my needs for an abroad program and will allow me to expand my horizons.

After attending a study abroad workshop at the Reves Center a couple of weeks ago, I opened the binder that lists the destinations and programs of William and Mary study abroad students in recent years. The binders are organized alphabetically by country, and there were maybe two or three students listed as having studied in Canada. Those students had all participated in an exchange program with McGill University in Montreal, but the College is not offering that program this year. I was not sure if William and Mary accepted credit from UBC and UVic, but the Global Education Office confirmed that credits earned at those schools would be transferable.

You may be wondering to yourself, “Why Canada over England or South Africa? You haven’t given any reasons for that preference.” Actually, the trip from my hometown of New York City to London is quicker than the trip from New York City to Victoria. There are several universities in other countries that match up with my academic interests just as well as the Canadian universities and offer a quality abroad experience. In choosing Canada over these other places, my decision was not as much a matter of complex reasoning as it was of personal preference. I am intrigued by the opportunity to see how both academic and social life at William and Mary is similar to and different from that of UBC or UVic. Both Vancouver and Victoria are internationally renowned cities and have much to offer beyond the university, and I hope to take advantage of those opportunities. Additionally, nobody from William and Mary has studied abroad at either of these schools, and I like the idea of carving out my own unique path.

I am still in the process of deciding exactly which university best suits my needs and interests and making the necessary connections with professors and research labs to ensure that my semester in Canada is a worthwhile experience. While some may think it a waste to take a semester abroad in Canada, UBC and UVic meet my needs and desires, which is key for any student interested in studying abroad. I am excited to continue determining my plans for next semester and discovering the possibilities that lie ahead.

Sam Gardner is a staff columnist for the DSJ. His views do not necessarily represent those of the entire staff.

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OPINION

College Botches Housing Revamp Looking Back on What Could Have Been

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CHARLIE PERKINS, DSJ STAFF COLUMNIST

Last summer, the College of William and Mary announced that it had acquired the Williamsburg Hospitality House and that it would be rearranging housing assignments to make space for a larger freshman class. The former rager-ravaged Fraternity Units were converted into the “Green and Gold Village,” a freshman housing complex that would offset the loss of dorms such as DuPont and Barrett to upperclassmen.

In the months since the housing changes, a series of health and safety issues have set the College's administration on its heels. Several residents of One Tribe Place, formerly known as the Hospitality House, have reported mold growing along the walls and ceilings. While many envisioned living in refurbished hotel rooms would be a great experience, health hazards have meant many residents have had to move to other dorms, such as Chandler Hall.

One might think that, had the College done the proper inspections, such a situation could have A student walks toward the newly minted One Tribe Place, where been avoided. When added to the mysterious discoveries of mold and a lack of available student parking have led delay in opening the parking garage, one can't College administrators to change their housing plans. Photo by Lauren Su. help but ask if other options shouldn't have been pursued. what dorm life is often cracked up to be.

The Dillard Complex, for example, is located about three miles With these recent revisions to housing, the maintenance crews from campus on Ironbound Road. It has only been out of use as are backed up on work, as well. The new fraternity houses were a dormitory since the opening of Jamestown North and South in barely complete by move-in, and the new community building for 2006, meaning it’s a coat of paint and some shrubs away from being the complex has yet to be completed. Both Sigma Chi and Delta viable undergraduate housing once again. While the distance is a Chi were informed last May that their new houses wouldn't be drawback, the complex is large, picturesque, and fits the aesthetic complete by the original deadline, but the work crews rallied to of an ideal college dorm. To offset the distance from campus, the make the homes inhabitable on time. A maintenance crew for the College could have offered incentives for living there, such as new frat row had yet to be hired in early September, leaving the parking passes for these “commuter” students or a lower cost of short-handed staff weeks late to complete vital work-orders such boarding. A quick drive by these former dorms shows that the as doors to one of the new houses that wouldn’t lock.

College could've saved a lot of money by simply utilizing existing President Reveley's email last March made the acquisition real estate. of the Hospitality House sound like a no-brainer: hotel rooms We can turn to the former Units for an example of how little is converted to dorms, a parking garage to help our hellscape of needed to restore a dormitory. Renaming the complex the “Green a parking system, and a bar on the ground floor…what's not to and Gold Village” seems to be the biggest change brought about, like? The results of the purchase have been underwhelming: mold as I've seen little more than fresh paint and some new furniture problems, slow responses from workers due to busy schedules and added to the buildings. After two years of living in the Units, my new housing assignments, and a slew of annoyed and disgusted heart aches for the poor souls who won't enjoy their first year of students. college in a more open, classically-arranged residence hall, such as Perhaps the College took on too much for one summer by adding DuPont. Anyone who's been in a Unit room packed wall-to-wall and rearranging so many dormitories at once. At face value, a lot with people on a Friday night can attest to the prison-like confines of progress was made, but I'm not sure the most sensible decisions of the space: one small window, dull white walls and low drop- were made. With talk abounding that the University of Virginia ceilings with mysterious prizes of beer cans and bags of trash just wants to undergo de facto privatization, William and Mary may overhead. The narrow halls never see daylight, as the sun only consider following suit, meaning future additions like these would peeks through skinny panes into the simplistic stairwells which prove far more costly to the College. sit behind heavy doors formerly used to keep drunken vandals Charlie Perkins is a staff columnist for the DSJ. His views do not out. The Green and Gold Village could be passed off as a fortress necessarily represent those of the entire staff. against a horde of zombies, but to freshmen it must be a sham of

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SPORTS

Dream Big

Fa nt asy F ootba ll Sw e e p s th e N a tion »

SCOTT GUINN, DSJ ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR

We are more than a quarter of the way through the football season and, to a lucky few, that means we are that much closer to the celebration of our gridiron heroes dumping the Gatorade and taking the stage as fireworks fly and confetti rains down upon the masses. At this point, most of us still remain hopeful that this season might just be the one. In all likelihood, though, few of us will get the chance to experience the thrill of our team winning the Superbowl. Some of us may never enjoy that moment. Fortunately, the twenty-first century has provided an alternative way to bring glory home to millions of fans around the country – at least an imagined, fantastic sort of glory.

Fantasy football has swept the nation over the last 10 years. This year there are more than 33 million people playing fantasy sports and almost 80 percent of those people are playing fantasy football.

The industry, for that’s exactly what it has become, has an economic value in the billions, rivaling corporations such as Burger King and Hostess. The average fantasy player spends annually over $100 on league fees, according to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association.

(Yes, there is such a thing.) Furthermore, the average fantasy player

SI ran an issue in August that provided in-depth stories and analysis on Fantasy Football to preview the upcoming season. All photos courtesy of Google Images.

spends almost nine hours per week adjusting his or her roster, researching the latest waiver picks, or otherwise procrastinating through the fantasy addiction. Studies have been done to calculate the impact of fantasy sports on work productivity.

Estimates say that employers lose between $1.5 and $6.5 billion yearly due to the distraction of fantasy sports.

The “Fantasy Dude” has become a This national popular icon amongst fanatics. phenomenon is affecting more than just the economy. Its impact has made waves in recent years even amongst the athlete community. On the one hand, many support the craze citing boosts in television ratings and increased popularity of the sport. Many players even have their own fantasy teams. On the other hand, some athletes have spoken out against it, saying that fantasy owners lose respect for the players when they think of them merely as point totals. Arian Foster, while recovering from a back injury, expressed his frustration through Twitter, writing, “4 those seriously concerned, I’m doing okay & plan 2 B back by opening day. 4 those worried abt your fantasy team, u ppl are sick.”

But how obsessive really is fantasy football? According to a recent survey released by Yahoo! Sports, 16 percent of respondents would give up sex for the entire football season to win their fantasy league.

Thirty-nine percent would give up beer. Seventy-five percent are willing to wager real money on fantasy while 12 percent are open to wagering more than $250 in their league. If sex, beer, and money won’t stop them, nothing will. The reality is that fantasy sports are here to stay. Players, athletes, coaches, and, well, all sports fans will have to learn to deal with it. In fact, most of us probably already have teams of our own.

Fantasy football provides an excuse to watch the games other than just cheering for your team. It is one of the only games where the outcome is dependent upon real life actions. Sports fans love it: finally, our wealth of previously useless knowledge of random football statistics, play-by-play analysis, and often errant predictions has found a reason for existence. At the heart of it all, every football fan dreams of one day being that athlete holding up the Lombardi Trophy at the end of a long, tiresome season. Once we overcome the depressing realization that such an experience is out of reach, most of us turn to the Shiva.

Best of luck on Sunday. May the fantasy become a reality.

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SPORTS

A Man Named Al

A Portrait of the College’s Long-Time Soccer Coach »

ALEX COOK, DSJ SPORTS EDITOR

Arguably the most successful coach in the history of William and Mary athletics, Albert’s foray into the other football came his If you’re a student at William and Mary, it’s safe to say you freshman year at the College after he found himself in a gym class probably didn’t come here for the sports. I know I didn’t. On that had soccer on the syllabus. He had never played soccer, or any Admitted Students Day before my freshman year, I remember other organized sport for that matter, before becoming a member sitting next to my dad in the bleachers of Zable during the Spring of the Tribe, but he took such pleasure in the beautiful game that football game, thinking, “Where is everybody?” Simply put, he went out for the team his sophomore year. Albert competed on athletics may not be what we do best at the College, nor what we the pitch for the Green and Gold that year and as a senior before try to do best, and everyone – coaches, players, and students alike graduating with a degree in sociology in 1969, and returning to his seem to acknowledge the fact that our athletes are here to put in hometown Baltimore shortly thereafter. their hours in the library as well “I actually taught in the same school as the gym. However, it can’t be as my mother,” Albert said. “She taught denied that the Tribe has had its geography, and we actually had home moments of glory and its halcyon rooms next to each other.” Though every days. We’ve had our share of great young man’s dream is to work alongside leaders, too. his mother, Albert’s stay in Baltimore What I’m setting out to do was short-lived. After a year of teaching, here is shine a light on one of Albert got a call from his old soccer coach, the namesakes of our soccer field Jim Carpenter, asking if he’d like to assist at William and Mary, Al Albert, him with both the soccer and lacrosse a name that’s meant “soccer” to teams. Albert pounced on the opportunity, the Williamsburg community and returned to his beloved Williamsburg. for some time now, and a man Within only a year, Carpenter retired, that has made William and Mary leaving Albert in control of both squads. synonymous with “winning” on At the ripe age of twenty-one, Albert was the national soccer stage. He’s at the helm of two teams with no real brought league championships coaching experience to speak of, and on back to Williamsburg. He’s top of that, the College also asked Albert coached All-Americans, and to teach six classes. As the country’s, the commanded the Daily Show’s Jon College’s, and coach Albert’s love for Stewart. He is among the ten most soccer grew, lacrosse eventually fell by winningest coaches in Division 1 the wayside for Albert, who dropped the men’s soccer, and he has all of his second coaching job after seven years. wins with the William and Mary Two years after starting the job, Albert Tribe. Albert is truly a pillar of the posted his first winning season in 1973 community not only at the College, with a record of 6-5-1 as a member of but throughout the Williamsburg the now-defunct Southern conference, area. His commitment to soccer though the record was only good enough is truly an inspiration to fans of Al Albert on the sidelines of a Tribe soccer game. Al’s to earn Albert and the Tribe fifth place in the sport and really anyone with 401 victories places him at eighth all-time on the list the conference. The U.S. Naval Academy’s a human heart or a soft spot for a of the winningest coaches in NCAA Division 1 men’s soccer coach at the time, Greg Myers, once story of a self-made man. said, “When we first started competing soccer history. Photo courtesy of wm.edu.

In the year of 1965, Albert against each other, Al was just beginning found himself at the College of William and Mary, a wide-eyed to get into soccer on a full-time basis, and he gave you some 16-year-old ready to explore all the campus had to offer and rearing things you could attack. But then, in about three or four years, to get a taste of all there was to try. Save for trying out and getting there weren't very many flaws in their game at all.” In their first cut from the area’s Little League team when he was only ten, Albert meeting in ’73, Navy dispatched with the Tribe easily, scoring five never really got a chance to play organized sports, and was more of goals to William and Mary’s one. However, it was in 1975 that the a pickup soccer and lacrosse player in his Baltimore neighborhood. wheels really started turning for Albert and William and Mary, as In an interview with the Daily Press, Albert commented on his the team put up an impressive record of 9-4-1 en route to second youth, “If you believe in a genetic propensity for certain behavior,” place in the conference. More importantly, the 1975 season marked he said, “that probably applies to me because there's nothing in the first of 29 straight winning seasons for the men’s soccer team my environment that pushed me toward athletics.” His freshman at the College, as the coach who was only formally introduced to year, Albert joined the baseball team, which must have been sweet the sport ten years before was learning the nuances of an age-old considering his Little League shortcomings. game. He was poised to build the Tribe soccer program into a squad

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Jon Stewart (‘84), now of Daily Show fame, played soccer under Coach Albert. Photo courtesy of sneakerreport.com. that had serious staying power.

In his time at William and Mary, Albert earned 401 victories for the Tribe, as he saw many young men go on to careers playing soccer professionally in the United States and elsewhere. In 2012, many years after Albert retired, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America rewarded Al for his lifetime commitment to soccer with the NSCAA honor award. On the Daily Show, Jon Stewart congratulated Albert for his achievements and his reception of the award, also sardonically remarking that “if it hadn’t been for him, I would have become a better soccer player, and then who knows how poorly my life would’ve turned out...none of this ever would’ve happened.” Obviously, Stewart didn’t meant exactly what he said, and I have to assume that he and the old coach still have a good rapport. Albert published a novel-length history of the College’s soccer program just three years ago, and Stewart contributed the foreword to the piece, entitled William and Mary Men’s Soccer: Images of Sports.

Before retiring in 2004, Al Albert amassed five CAA tournament titles, five regular season CAA titles, 10 NCAA tournament appearances, and two runs into the Elite-8 of the NCAA tournament.

He received the CAA’s coach of the year award on five occasions, and the South Atlantic Region’s Coach of the Year award in five separate years. Albert was only the seventh men’s soccer coach to reach the 400-win milestone, and now sits at the eighth spot for most Division 1 wins. In his time at William and Mary, Albert has cultivated an intimate relationship with his players that has been its own reward. When asked what he enjoyed most about coaching at the College, Albert said, “I think the quality of people we get to deal with. Just to do anything at this school is a pleasure. Basically, the kids we have here our highly intelligent and highly motivated. And I just think Williamsburg has been a great place to raise my family.”

Since retiring, Albert has stayed in the Williamsburg area and serves as the Associate Director of Development for William and Mary’s athletic department, gathering funds for soccer program at

the College. Albert’s prowess as a fundraiser, and as a mobilizer of community support can’t be discounted when looking at the development of not only the soccer program at William and Mary, but also the growth of the sport in the Williamsburg area in general. The Williamsburg Soccer Club, an organization that puts on a number of highly successful soccer camps in the area, was Albert’s own brainchild. He also founded the Soccer Community Partnership in Williamsburg shortly after his retirement from college coaching. The Partnership’s primary aim is to give local elementary school children the opportunity to play in an organized soccer league regardless of socio-economic status. Where most youth club leagues require parents to pay a fee to register their children to play, Albert’s Community Partnership is funded by numerous private donations and made possible by the work of a vast number of committed volunteers.

Had Albert not ended up as a soccer coach, the Tribesman probably could have headed a multi-national corporation; he’s that good with money. For most of the years that Albert coached, he was able to raise more than $25,000 a year for the team, and he also negotiated the uniform deal that the team still has with Nike. If that wasn’t enough, we also have Albert to thank for the construction of the College’s Busch Field, which used to be the home field of both the men’s and women’s soccer teams as well as the field hockey team.

For his 30-some years with the College, Al Albert has proved to be an invaluable resource in near countless areas. Albert’s story is of a time past in the history of American sports, a time when a 21-year-old could get two coaching jobs and a teaching position all at the same time. We probably won’t hear a story like Al’s for some time now with the parity that characterizes modern collegiate athletics. We probably won’t hear a story like Albert’s because there simply aren’t that many people like Al, a man who used a simple game to transform our Williamsburg community.

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SPORTS

Trademarks, Money, and College Sports

Te x a s A & M ' s J o h n n y M a n z i e l S t i r s U p Questions of NCAA Players' Rights »

CHARLIE PERKINS, DSJ STAFF REPORTER

Love him or hate him, the flamboyant, gunslinging Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel can not be denied of one trait: talent.

As the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy, the one they call Johnny Football has incited a Tebowmania-esque following from sports media, sans brimming fundamentalism.

In August, Manziel was brought under scrutiny from the NCAA for allegedly accepting payment for signing autographed memorabilia. He was not found guilty of such acts, but still received a halfgame suspension-- not that it would matter, as A&M handled the Rice Owls before and after Manziel took the field for the second half.

Manziel's response to the half-game suspension was curtly shown on the field: six completions on eight attempts for 94 yard.

Three of those were touchdowns, one of which was followed by Manziel making a gesture akin to having money in his hands. He had done it the year before as well, but the media lambasted him for mocking the NCAA, and he promptly received a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.

“That wasn't very smart, and that's why he didn't go back in the game, either,” said A&M Head Coach Kevin Sumlin of Manziel's taunt. “He wasn't going back in the game, no matter what was happening.”

The reckless, electric, even 'magical' Johnny Football on the gridiron contrasts with Manziel's personality off the field, however.

On the field, he is a violently competitive playmaking machine. In interviews with the media, he is down-to-earth and makes light of the controversy that he stirs up. He comes across as a humble young man who realizes the criticism he'll receive for making mistakes, and apologizes for offending anyone while never claiming sainthood.

July saw Manziel come under fire for being kicked out of a fra-

Johnny Manziel is the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy. Photo courtesy of nydailynews.com.

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ternity party at the University of Texas. Manziel surely knew that controversy would ensue from the action; we can all agree that it wasn't a smart decision, along with additional incidents such as being caught with fake IDs. He finds himself in a difficult position, however, so how much blame does he deserve? Living up to being a Heisman winner as a freshman, defeating then no. 1-ranked Alabama last season (in Tuscaloosa, no less), and being expected to carry the Texas A&M football team to a BCS National Championship after the school is a year removed from joining the SEC? Tack on the standard worries of being a college student and wanting to have a social life outside of football (which, yes, in a lot of cases includes the act of underage drinking)-- talk about pressure.

Did I mention that Johnny Football is already a registered trademark? Manziel created a corporation to claim the trademark, though it cannot profit from his name until he's left the NCAA. What's puzzling is this: Manziel is known for being from a wealthy family-- money should be virtually no concern of his, especially given that he's looking at a potentially stunning NFL career.

He has a trust fund for college and a multi-million dollar contract coming in a few years, barring a travesty, so why accept money for signing lots of memorabilia? The NCAA found no conclusive evidence, so it would seem that logic holds true.

The controversy has stirred up a larger issue, however; in cases not involving Johnny Manziel or players with no financial worries, why should taking money for signing autographs be verboten?

Surely we've all heard the story of a small-town football player from a poor family who puts his talents to use and tries to become the next Horatio Alger story. NFL dreams become the golden ticket, but the sad truth comes to light, and not all players pan out or get drafted; they're left wishing for a training camp spot, and would be satisfied just to get a six-figure salary on an NFL practice squad-- and most don't even reach that.

Every time we turn around, the NCAA is investigating another school for paying players under the table or some sort of disallowed financial compensation for their hours of blood, sweat, and passion given to a game which may be history after graduation; the oftmentioned “glory days” of high school athletes, which seemed to be the peak of their life, are only put off four or five years--the weight of adulthood, responsibility, and using their degrees drops on their shoulders, but with no shoulder pads to help now.

Bearing this in mind, is barring players from making money on their names—possibly at the climax of their “glory days”-- really a hazard? If the NCAA is attempting to protect its players from swindlers, maybe letting the players have agents or legally bound managers could protect against such actions. Or the whole issue could simply be put to bed by paying NCAA players: give them a stipend, assist them in making sound business decisions, and let them do what every college student is trying to do-- secure an independent future without being inundated in debt for most of our young-adult lives.

Ask a twamp

For the questions you need answered but don’t want shared Hey there TWAMP: I am a freshman and I can honestly say that my first month at college has been a blast. I just heard about this whole “Fall Break” ordeal and have no idea what to do during that fourday weekend.

The majority of my friends from my hall are heading home, but I’m from Pennsylvania and have no car. Plus, it’s too late now to get a cheap flight.

So what should I do? Hang out in Williamsburg while everyone is away?

Thanks in advance for the advice!

Nowhere to Go

chemistry classes were interrupted by some clothes-less goon in a santa hat and aviator sunglasses.

His pranks are pretty funny, I’ll admit. The poem he left for my organic chem professor in the spring was well written. But I think this guy might have some sort of a problem.

I heard he even streaked the Screen on the Green event earlier this semester. I know William and Mary can be stressful at times, but does that really induce people to strip naked in broad daylight? Somebody please put an end to this madness.

Save me.

Scarred by Streaker Dear Scarred by Streaker:

Dear Nowhere to Go: Fall Break is nearly upon us! Seriously though, where did the semester go? It’s hard to believe that we’re reaching the halfway point of the fall semester.

Since we have a discernible lack of days off during the school year (see Labor Day), Fall Break is the College’s way to make up for it. But honestly, four days is hardly enough time to justify a trip home unless you’re a Virginian or have easy access to transportation elsewhere.

If you really want to escape campus during this time, your best options are to try to hitch a ride with an upperclassman.

Check with friends, look on College Cambio, and try to carpool with someone. Or you could buy a last-minute Amtrak ticket up to Philadelphia and have your family pick you up there.

Otherwise, I recommend just hanging out in Williamsburg.

Besides, the TWAMP will be around! Campus is very nice and serene over the break. There are essentially no lines at the dining halls and the Rec Center is nearly empty. Swem will be even quieter than usual. Most of all, though, you’ll be able to spend that would-be travel time catching up on sleep or schoolwork.

As a TWAMP, I typically don’t condone any action that would potentially distract me from studying or paying attention in class. But I have to make an exception here. Long live the Santa Claus Streaker! I’m sure he’ll be back come Fall Blowout in December.

Cheers, TWAMP

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May you have a restful yet productive Fall Break!

TWAMP Dearest TWAMP: I have seen and experienced quite a few far-fetched things during my time at William and Mary. These memories have made me laugh, cry, and everything in-between. But there’s one image that’s etched into my mind forever: naked Santa Claus.

I’m not having nightmares or anything like that, but I can still see the Santa Claus streaker everytime I walk past a big lecture hall. Last year, during Fall and Spring blowouts, my

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The TWAMP is not a qualified advice columnist; please do not take her/him too seriously. The DSJ is not responsible for any consequence incurred from following the above advice. Looking for answers? Send your questions to the DSJ TWAMP at dogstreetjournal@gmail.com.

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Family Weekend 2013 >> Lauren Su, DSJ Photo Editor, with contributions by staff photographer Sam Girdzis and Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Knox