The Flat Hat February 8 2023

T HE F LAT H AT

Local development proposal threatens College Woods, faculty members push back

Editor’s Note: This is a developing story. The most updated version can be found at flathatnews.com.

An October 2022 housing development project proposal is coming under scrutiny from faculty and Williamsburg City residents as mounting evidence suggests it threatens the College Woods. The original development proposal, drawn out by Cale Development LLC, calls for the rezoning of a 13.91 acre plot (RS-2 Zoning District) at 180 Strawberry Plains Road from a Single-Family Dwelling District (RS-2), to a Multifamily Dwelling District (RM-2).

In November 2022, 85 College of William and Mary and Virginia Institute of Marine Science faculty members signed an open letter to the Williamsburg Planning Commission and Williamsburg City Council conveying their concerns regarding development on this parcel of land. Concerns included fear of run-off from impervious surfaces and encroachment on the College Woods. According to this letter, biodiversity and water quality in the area would be irreparably impacted by the development proposal.

“We appreciate the need to build housing for a growing population, but rather than paving over ever more undeveloped land, we encourage you to focus on revitalizing developed locations (as was done with nearby Midtown Row),” the authors of the letter wrote. “The environmental consequences of developing this parcel could be severe and we are distressed to be unable to locate any impact study regarding this area.”

This plot and the woods boast an extensive history, with the original 1200 acres of the College Woods formally designated as “Matoaka Park” in the 1930s. Over time, its acreage decreased as various construction projects on the property began in the 1950s and 1960s. In November, a 1994 William and Mary News and Media article titled “College Affirms Its Commitment to Lake Matoaka And College Woods” stated that a draft report by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission suggested that Lake Matoaka and the College Woods should be declared a natural heritage preserve or surplus property. At the time, College President Timothy J. Sullivan claimed that the Board of Visitors recognized the College Woods as a “living laboratory.”

Following the development of Route 199 and Monticello Avenue in the 1990s, the College attempted to save the woods from development by purchasing adjacent land and designating 300 acres as a nature preserve. In 1998, the City of Williamsburg and the College confirmed a land swap agreement. Within this agreement, each party retained

CAMPUS

roughly 37 acres of land, with the currently contested 13.91 acre parcel being retained by the City, but still contiguous to the College Woods.

“The story of that piece of land is that back in 1988, it was owned privately,” Helen Murphy, associate professor of biology, said. “It's about 50 acres and the school tried to buy it and it didn't go through, so then the City bought it. And then in 1998, there was a land swap between the City and the College, and we got about 37 acres. We gave the City about 37 acres elsewhere. Then we owned most of it, except for this little remaining 13, 14 acre parcel that's right behind Berkeley Middle School.”

The Cale Realty Company presented the original development plan to the Williamsburg Planning Commission in fall of 2022. In a 5-0 vote,

units intended to be sold for $100,000 less than current fair market values to “purchasers whose annual household income does not exceed $60,000.”

“We were caught off guard with all of this, I guess I don’t want to say protest, but people opposed to it,” Cale said. “Affordable housing is a nationwide issue and it’s a major issue in the City of Williamsburg.”

According to the 2021 City of Williamsburg Housing Affordability Analysis, Cale is aiming his proposal at income categories labeled as “low” ($40-60k) and “M2” ($75-100k). Based on recommendations from the analysis, these housing units would range from $260,000 to $430,000. Even with these parameters, however, some are skeptical that this housing will be affordable for the targeted income categories. The current estimate for the market rate of these homes is around $325,000, according to the analysis, meaning the workforce housing units would be around $225,000.

“There’s zero chance that a family making $40-60,000 a year can get a down payment and afford a mortgage given these interest rates,” Murphy said. “You might ask yourself, what happens to those units? The developer buys them back and pays the City $100,000 for each of them. And the City gets $1.5 million because it was 15 units, and they would get $100,000 per unit.”

According to a 2023 tax assessment, the value of the plot increased from $633,700 in 2021 to over $2 million this year (a $1.5 million increase).

“I totally understand people saying this might not be as affordable for everyone who is trying to obtain affordable options,” councilman Caleb Rogers said. “A 20% down payment on a $225,000 home is still going to be quite pricey for someone who’s working hourly or newer in their careers.”

the Commission decided against recommending the proposal to the council due to traffic issues, affordability and environmental concerns, prompting the developer to revise the plan before its presentation to the council this spring. As of this month, Cale Realty Company is in the process of revising the development plan.

“We were caught off guard with all of this, I guess I don’t want to say protest, but people opposed to it. Affordable housing is a nationwide issue and it’s a major issue in the City of Williamsburg.”

According to Managing Broker of Cale Realty Company, John Cale, the development plan aims to provide affordable workforce housing. The original plan included 116 units of housing to income brackets ranging from $40,000-100,000 a year. Fifteen of these units would be subject to workforce housing deed restrictions, with these

Faculty continue to express concern over the proposal as a council vote on the development plan this spring becomes more likely. Multiple professors, including Murphy and Dr. Martha Case, associate professor of biology and college conservator of Botanical Collections, have approached the College administration and council with these concerns.

“We learned very early on that these areas harbor a lot of plant diversity, much more so than you would expect in your average woodlot around here, and it actually carries some very, very rare habitats,” Case said.

See DEVELOPMENT page 8

STLI hosts conference, debates future of artificial intelligence in higher education

Conference panel shares opinions on ChatGPT, generative AI in classroom settings; AI characterized as potential positive tool in academia

IAN HARMAN

THE FLAT HAT

Saturday, Feb. 4, e Studio for Teaching and Learning Innovation (STLI) hosted a conference to discuss the integration of arti cial intelligence (AI) in higher education. e conference brought together professors and sta from the College of William and Mary to share their experiences, research and insights on the impact and potential of AI in shaping the future of education.

e panelists included William and Mary School of Education associate professor Dr. Stephanie J. Blackmon, Associate Dean of Students Dave Gilbert, Chair of the Philosophy Department Matthew Haug and Professor Elizabeth Losh of English and American studies. Between the four of them, the bulk of the discussion centered around how ChatGPT and generative AI writing can be used in the College's education system.

"If one of your students didn't want to write a three-page paper that you had assigned, and so

they give the prompt to one of their friends and said 'Hey, do me a favor, write this paper for me' and then your student turns this paper in that the friend had written,” Gilbert said. “ at's clearly a violation of the honor code that's undermining the pedagogical goals of that assignment."

Gilbert compared this hypothetical example to giving ChatGPT the prompt to the student's paper. He and the panelists agreed that this usage of generative AI defeats the purpose of writing to learn. According to the honor code, this is considered a form of plagiarism, as the student would be turning in work that was not the product of their individual thought process.

"Our illustrious acting Dean sent out some initial guidelines that some members of the working group produced about using ChatGPT in the classroom. You know, one of those suggestions, which I think is a very good one, is considered using sca olding in your writing assignments."

According to the panelists, generative AI use in learning is not entirely negative. On the contrary,

the panelists agreed that using it correctly can facilitate some students' learning processes.

"Our illustrious acting Dean sent out some initial guidelines that some members of the working group produced about using ChatGPT in the classroom,” Gilbert said. “You know, one of those suggestions, which I think is a very good one, is considered using sca olding in your writing assignments."

Generating initial and broad writing ideas about the subject and then building o of the generated text to create writing of their own was considered by the panel to be one of the most positive uses of AI. is way, students can use the program to help with the creative process while still fostering the "writing for learning" value that many professors at the College strongly believe in.

Another central point of the conversation was AI's role in academia. For example, how do professors give credit if AI was used to help in the production of research analysis?

"Basically, an AI tool is not an agent, so it can't

accept the responsibility that goes along with being the author of a scienti c work," Haug said.

Although the discussion did not result in a clear answer, it contributed to an important question for the future of academia and the scienti c process.

Overall, the consensus from the discussion was that generative AI has great potential to be an overwhelmingly in uential tool in academia if used correctly. e panel made it clear that there are still aws with the system, speci cally regarding the program's logic, analysis and humor. When asked to tell a joke about the College, ChatGPT said this:

Why did the College of William and Mary student choose to study history?

Because they wanted to major in the "past-tense"!

When analyzing evidence or creating logical lines of reasoning, it produces similar responses that lack any form of syllogism.

EMMA HENRY FLAT HAT NEWS ASSOC. EDITOR

“We were caught off guard with all of this. I guess I donʼt want to say protest, but people opposed to it. Affordable housing is a nationwide issue and itʼs a major issue in the city of Williamsburg.”

-

John Cale, Managing Broker of Cale Reality Company

Cale Development LLC's housing development proposal met with negative reactions from faculty, development poses threats to ecosystem

College receives record increase in Early Decision applications, celebrates growing interest in binding admissions

Jan. 31, The College of William and Mary received a record increase of 18% for Early Decision applications. This is the second consecutive year the applicant pool increased significantly for the Early Decision phase of admissions.

The College hosts two separate rounds of Early Decision applications prior to the regular admissions process.

“We are honored and excited to see continuing growth in the pool of highly accomplished applicants for whom William and Mary is their top choice,” Dean of Admission Tim Wolfe said. “It says a great deal about the quality of the education, community and experience that we offer. It also speaks volumes about the extraordinary partners throughout campus dedicated to recruiting talented students to the university.”

The notable increase in Early Decision applicants includes both in-state and out-of-state students, as well as first-generation students and students applying with a fee waiver.

Wolfe mentioned the increase of first-generation students and those using a fee waiver may correlate with the Collegeʼs recent initiatives to increase affordability in the form of financial aid and scholarships, including the recent initiative to guarantee aid through scholarship for all in-state undergraduate students eligible for a Pell Grant.

On July 1, 2020, in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic, national economic uncertainty and the Black Lives Matter movement that called for a stand against police brutality and racial injustice, A. Benjamin Spencer began his role as dean of the College of William and Mary Law School. After taking the reins of the law school over Zoom during an unprecedented year for the U.S. legal system, Spencer became the first Black dean of any school at the College.

An expert in civil procedure and federal courts, Spencer has been interested in the rule of law since his early childhood. He grew up in Hampton, Virginia and graduated as valedictorian of the 1992 class of Hampton High School before attending Morehouse College. As an undergraduate, Spencer studied political science and economics on a full scholarship. His father, James R. Spencer, influenced his decision to pursue a career in law. His father was a federal judge for the Eastern District of Virginia, Richmond Division and was appointed by President Ronald Reagan.

“I got to go to D.C. for his confirmation hearing,” Spencer said. “Ted Kennedy was the chair of the subcommittee that was dealing with my father. And I got to meet people on Capitol Hill and our U.S. senator at the time, John Warner, who was supporting my father. So, it was a great experience. And it just was the model of a career for me.”

During his senior year at Morehouse College, Spencer received the British Marshall Scholarship, which he used to earn his Masters in criminology and criminal justice policy at the London School of Economics. After receiving his masters abroad, Spencer returned to the United States to attend Harvard Law School, like his father.

“That’s a very challenging environment,” Spencer said. “It’s very intense. It’s extremely competitive. I had a lot of fun... I met great people who I’m still connected with today. It’s one of the strongest networks in the world. So, I enjoyed it. My best experiences academically at Harvard were around working on the law review. I was on the Harvard Law Review, and also I did moot court.”

Spencer originally went to law school to become a prosecutor. However, after taking a class with Professor Arthur R. Miller and working at a law firm during the first summer of law school, Spencer became interested in civil procedure.

“People always say that first year students don’t really understand how important civil procedure is until they get their first job in that summer… because it’s really hard to understand the abstract,” Spencer said. “But once you start working, you realize this is the whole game. Civil procedure is what it’s all about. And that’s what Arthur Miller taught us.”

In 2016, Spencer became a coauthor of the renowned, multivolume Wright and Miller Federal Practice and Procedure treatise, which is regularly cited in court.

“Every lawyer has heard of ‘Wright and Miller,’” Spencer said. “My professor at Harvard was the ‘Miller’ in ‘Wright and Miller. As he’s retiring, he’s giving out some of these volumes to other people. So, I got five of these volumes, basically, to inherit from him to keep on this tradition that had been going for over fifty years, this treatise. It’s really great to be part of that legacy and to keep it alive.”

In his time as Dean and Trustee Professor at the law school, Spencer continues his work updating his volumes of the treatise. For the past seven years, he has also worked for the United States Army Reserve as an officer for the Judge Advocate General’s Corp. Additionally, Spencer is finishing up his final year on the Advisory Committee on Civil Rules of the U.S. Judicial Conference, to which Chief Justice John Roberts appointed him in 2017.

“So, the advisory committee on Civil Rules is the committee that writes the rules and amends the rules of civil procedure,” Spencer

said. “So, to get to the point where my work and contributions to the field have been recognized, and the Chief Justice of the United States is going to appoint me to the committee that amends the federal rules of civil procedure, which is what I’ve been teaching my whole career, that’s a really high honor.”

Spencer also discussed the importance of his day-to-day conversations with students and professors at the College. One of his most rewarding student interactions as Dean of the Law School was around the subject of civil procedure.

“One of my times when I was walking around, I ended up in our cafe and ran into three guys who were interested in civil procedure,” Spencer said. “That’s the area of expertise that I have, and one of them was writing a paper on a topic that was related to things that I had written about before. I sat down with them at their booth and had a long conversation, I mean… at least 30 or 40 minutes. And in the end, I ended up hiring the guy who had the paper as my research assistant. He’s working as my research assistant this year and I really wouldn’t have known about him if I hadn’t stumbled upon him in the cafe.”

Regarding the current state of legal education in the United States, Spencer sees the polarization and politicization of the rule of law as challenges for current law students and educators. Lawyers, he believes, are integral in the protection of democracy in the United States and internationally.

“The concept of the rule of law is very important, and it’s up to lawyers to be guardians of that,” Spencer said.

Reflecting on his past three years as dean at the law school, Spencer is proud of the achievements and progress he has been able to make. Coming in during the summer of 2020 in the midst of a national movement against racial injustice, Spencer put together several initiatives surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion and helped start the College’s Center for Racial and Social Justice. Furthermore, Spencer discussed how he has been able to improve the business model of the Law School and its overall financial model.

“There’s more resources that have enabled me to provide pay increases on multiple occasions, on three occasions for faculty and staff,” Spencer said. “We’ve been able to fill in a lot of staffing gaps. You have people who are doing the job of two or three people. They would say, ‘Well, we do more with less,’ and I said, ‘Well, why don’t we try to do more with more? I’m going to provide more resources and we’re going to hire the people that we need and pay people appropriately.’ We’ve been able to do that. We’ve also been able to improve the quality of the entering class in terms of selectivity around LSAT and GPA. That has increased consistently each year. So that’s been really good. We’ve hired faculty, and they’ve added to the gender and racial and ethnic diversity of our faculty... The student body diversity has improved significantly. So we’re really happy with that. And our faculty is very productive in terms of scholarship, which is really important.”

On his maternal side, Spencer comes from a long line of educators. He notes that his mother and maternal grandparents had a significant influence on his interest in pursuing a career in legal education.

“My mother was an elementary school principal and her father was a professor at Notre Dame. He was the first Black professor that Notre Dame ever had… And his wife, my grandmother, she was a high school principal,” Spencer said.

Before coming to the College, Spencer held various professorships and academic appointments at Harvard Law School, University of Chicago Law School, University of Virginia School of Law, The George Washington University School of Law, Washington and Lee University School of Law and University of Richmond School of Law. Spencer lives with his wife and nine children in Williamsburg.

I hope my advocacy has helped foster inclusive environments, br idge the gap between different communities and empower individuals to reach their full potential.

̶ Sophia Hagos Haile ʼ23

Considering

Your Space In Race- Based Classes

Crystal Wang

As any person of color would have noticed on this campus, there are a lot of white students. It’s not a complaint, it’s simply an observed fact. We are an incredibly old, expensive college set in a Southern state with a long history of racism. I knew what I was getting myself into when I chose to go here. That said, the College of William and Mary does require its students to take courses dealing with societal issues in an effort to not churn out ignorant graduates (a fact that I very much appreciate). It’s for this reason that I wasn’t surprised by the number of white students I saw in my Asian American history class. It’s a COLL 200, and all students need a class like this to graduate. On top of that, they want to learn the history that has been deliberately erased from the public school curriculum.

I appreciate the willingness that these white students have to learn new things and unlearn any engrained biases that a racist society would tech them. However, in a class that often deals with the personal (and sometimes painful) racial experiences of your classmates, there is nuance in how different students should conduct themselves.

For example, tell me why the hands I see shooting up before the professor even finished asking his question are from white students?

This is absolutely not a problem if the question is as simple as “who can summarize what this historian writes in this section of their paper?”

That wasn’t the question asked that day, though. The question was an interpretive one, asking what we thought the historian was trying to say in response to the racism faced by Asian Americans. Why then, did my white classmates find it necessary for their opinion to be the first one voiced?

Why then, did they not take a moment to give space to the Asian American students in the class, of which there were quite a few? This isn’t just a problem with these select white students, the assumption that a white person’s opinion needs to be heard first and foremost is a societal issue.

After I took note of the white students’ hands eagerly shooting up, I exchanged a look with the girl sitting next to me. It was one of those looks that conveyed a deep familiarity with the subtle, everyday delegation to the background that marginalized people experience. I took another glance around the room to note the reaction of the Asian students in the class. It would be too dramatic to say they shrunk in on themselves. It was more like I could see them pulling back, losing interest, losing investment. I can almost describe it as dissociating.

So what is the point of my anecdote? I’ll tell you: I am making the argument that white students in an ethnic studies class (or any class focused on racial issues) need to make a conscious effort to make the class a safe space for the students that the class topics actively affect. Some context: according to University of California: Berkeley, ethnic studies “is the critical and interdisciplinary study of race, ethnicity, and indigeneity with a focus on the experiences and perspectives of people of color within and beyond the United States.” Ethnic studies classes are focused on the social construct of race. These classes were carved out with blood, sweat and protest. But that does not automatically make them safe spaces. Why?

Because they are still spaces of education for those unaffected by the racism discussed. And the insistence of white students to be heard does not foster a comfortable environment for those that have historically been silenced by whiteness. For white students, this might be one of the first times they should consider their race when thinking about how they act in an academic setting. So, let me offer some suggestions.

Let me preface by saying that I don’t want white students to just shut up in ethnic studies classes. That would be completely ridiculous of me to suggest, and it wouldn’t be helpful for anyone’s education. I know that the participation grade can be really important and I would never ask anyone to tank their grade. However, if you’re just raising your hand to say the same politically correct, white liberal thing you read online, you’ve missed the point of an ethnic studies course. What I am asking is that white students make an active effort to give space to students of color in these classrooms. Listen with the intent of listening and not with the intent of responding. Literally give it a few seconds before you raise your hand. Give space to the marginalized voices and listen, truly listen, before you comment. If that means you get to talk less, then so be it; you’ll learn more.

However, the effort to make marginalized people-focused classes a comfortable space doesn’t rest solely on the white students. I know that I’ve been specifically talking to the white students so far, but this plea to listen applies to students of color, also. Let me give you another anecdote. Last semester, I took a Black Playwrights class. Even though it wasn’t technically an ethnic studies class, most of our discussions focused on the complex racial issues faced by the Black community. I loved that class. I learned so much and I unpacked a lot of the biases that I didn’t even know I had. However, I was conscious of the fact that, as an Asian student, I can not

Cockroach Karma

This, of course, means that we have to decide which freshman dorms on campus are “the worst.” If we consider all of the general lore regarding this housing, I believe that the worst two dorm complexes are GGV and Botetourt. Botetourt because it’s miles away from literally everything, and GGV because it is A) the old frat housing and B) it is infested with both bugs and mold.

It’s time for a disclaimer. I have the distinct pleasure of being a resident of Lion K, and for the most part I’ve enjoyed my time here, but the only reason I’m in this dorm is because I had one of the last selection slots during the summer, and while the people here are good, I do have certain experiences that I believe should qualify me and my fellow residents for housing that is as upgraded as possible next semester. The instance that specifically comes to mind occurred on my second day here when I was sitting in my desk chair and felt a strange sensation on my arm.

I thought it was just a hair, so I brushed it away, but all the sensation did was move, so I looked onto my arm to see a giant cockroach sitting on my shoulder. I feel like that experience alone should qualify me for monetary reimbursement, or at the very least free therapy. Not to mention the amount of times our laundry machines have broken or the strange things in our ceiling — although I’m still afraid to check mine. There is also now the brand new problem of ants, which colonized my room over winter break and don’t seem to want to go away.

As proud proponents of an incredibly storied stress culture, we, the students of the College of William and Mary, have returned from a calm and relaxing winter break — hopefully — and immediately found new things to stress out about. For those rising sophomores — such as myself — that has by and large been the crisis that is selecting housing for next year. Whether that crisis is, “Oh my god, I still don’t have a roommate” or the extremely oft-used, “If I get Richmond Hall I’m transferring,” or even the, “Wait, we have to select housing now?” we’ve all picked something to stress about since the housing contract went live on Jan. 30. For me personally, I have picked the, “What time is my housing selection going to be?” This is by far the most pivotal, and least controllable, aspect of the housing selection for next year because it’s a random assignment. Never fear, I have a solution.

Now, keep in mind that this solution is completely theoretical, and most likely will never be put into use, since it might not be considered “fair,” but to my mind nothing could be more fair. The solution is this: those poor freshmen who were saddled with the worst dorms on campus get the first selection slots for choosing sophomore housing.

always speak or answer to issues that I had no personal experiences in. And I consider that a good thing. I am not Black. In case it has not been made abundantly clear, I am Asian. Though we have some shared experiences, I will never understand the racial issues that Black people face. This is why I (despite loving the sound of my own voice) made a conscious effort to not talk nearly as much as I did in my other classes. And I learned so much more because of it. Though marginalized people can understand each other on the basis of suffering under racism, the experiences of people of color are not universal. Ethnic studies classes are not just a place of education, they are a space of acknowledgment for that marginalized group. So, other marginalized people should take similar advice: give space to those directly affected by the class content.

As for the people that these classes are focused on, I encourage you to take up that space. These classes have been fought for and painstakingly carved out for you; stand up and take up your space. I understand the system has pushed us into the margins and it is easy to just fade into the background. But we have a part to play in this as well. This is a rare instance where the ethos lies not within

This is not to say that GGV is unquestionably the worst dorm on campus, but whenever I say that I lived in GGV, I always get a sympathetic wince, which I feel is representative of something.

Maybe it’s not the most important thing in the world that GGV picks first, but I definitely think that there are certain dorms that should pick last. Lemon is the one that springs most obviously to mind, and any dorm that has AC, since my dorm room is always just a little too warm even right now in February.

There aren’t many things in this world that can be easily balanced, but I think it would be fairly simple to balance the karma of those students who have been unfortunate enough to be stuck in dorms that — good as the people might be — are nothing but one pain after another. We collected the good karma of making the best out of our freshman housing situation, I just think it would be nice to cash it in.

Mollie Shiflett ’26 is an undecided major who will probably end up majoring in History. She plays on the Gold Women’s Club Soccer team for the College of William and Mary and is an avid fan of most sports, except golf. Email Mollie at mrshiflett@wm.edu.

whiteness, but within the experiences of marginalized people. Your insight is invaluable because it is backed up by real-life experiences. We can’t fault the white students for taking up space if we refuse to accept that space. If there is a long moment in a discussion where nobody raises their hand or offers a comment, how can we be upset at the white students who just want this awkward silence to be over?

The crux of my point boils down to this: if you are discussing a societal issue that does not affect you, consider listening to the people that it does affect before voicing your opinion. Listen to listen, not to respond. Make active choices that give space to the marginalized voices. And if you are those marginalized voices, take that space; it is yours.

CrystalWang’25isanEnglishMajorandintended History major. In addition to being Copy Chief for the Flat Hat, she writes for the DoGStreet Journal and is a member of The Gallery and William & Mary Review. Email Crystal at cwang28@wm.edu

Fuzzy Issue 30: Fuzzy Puts the “Trick” in Magic

COMIC BY ARIANNA STEWART

COMIC

Mollie Shi ett

GRAPHIC BY GEORGIA WESTBROOK / THE FLAT HAT

We need to talk...

It’s that time of year folks. The time of year when single people are not only reminded of their lack of a relationship, but also forced to look at heart shaped chocolates and gifts as they wander through the aisles of overly bright grocery stores. It’s the time of year when people who are in relationships must somehow create a date that tops last year’s, or new lovebirds have to create a first date so incredible they can only dread as next year comes, and they must kill their brain coming up with a new date idea. Yes folks, you guessed it: it’s Valentine’s season.

In the spirit of this lovely holiday, we thought it would be a good idea to list some of the best and worst breakup spots on campus because what goes up must always come down. When it comes to a breakup, there are a couple factors to keep in mind to make it go as smoothly as possible: it needs to be a somewhat neutral location but give a slight advantage to the person initiating the breakup. So, for example, it needs to be a place that the person wanting to break up frequents more than the significant other but still be a place the significant other knows — just not as much as the initiator.

When it comes to awful places to breakup, the third floor of Swem has to be near the top of the list. Although it could be argued that it provides the perfect excuse to avoid a post-breakup argument (they cannot talk back — or at all!), it is basically the College of William and Mary equivalent of breaking up over text. Unable to discuss the breakup and articulate the reasons behind it without receiving furious looks from everyone around you, there is sure to be miscommunication and hurt feelings.

Even with the weight of the myth, the Crim Dell Bridge is quite a nasty location to be when in a relationship. Maybe not as much if you are married, but for everyone else there is a certain amount of anxiety when hovering around that location. As a breakup spot, it is truly one of the worst. The myth of the bridge makes the weight of the breakup even heavier. It is also not that neutral to either party; and it is kind of public. However, the biggest reason to avoid the Crim Dell is that it creates an inevitable game of chicken: push or be pushed. Do you add salt into the wound of the breakup and push them in while doing it, or do you try to be nice and run the risk of instantly getting soaked yourself? Ultimately, if you need to breakup at the bridge, make sure

to do it before you’ve fully crossed it; there’s nothing that makes a break-up worse than a centuries-long curse. It is hard to find some good places to breakup — something to do with the tone of the event — but one place we had in mind was the Wren Courtyard. This might seem like an interesting pick as it is quite public, but it is also neutral to both parties. The scenery is nice and peaceful, but it’s close enough to the center of campus that you can avoid the long walk of shame from a similarly pretty location like Colonial Williamsburg (if you were to do it there, which we do not recommend). Be warned if you decide to act on a break-up in Wren Courtyard: the ground is strewn with sticks that could be used against you if the recipient of the “we need to talk” phrase gets upset. Otherwise, it is a decent location to end your relationship.

This next pick is probably our most obscure.

Hear us out when we say that the gates at Zable Stadium would be a good place to

GUEST COLUMN

Climate Calendar

Philip Ignato , Nicholas Park and Sydney Hintz

We live in an exciting time period. In the past couple of years, Congress passed serious climate bills that are moving us towards a green future. 2021’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocates billions of dollars to Virginia to improve public transportation, install electric-vehicle charging stations, strengthen the electrical grid and bolster natural disaster defenses. And last year’s Inflation Reduction Act tops that. Noted as “the most significant climate change legislation in U.S. history” by the Environmental Protection Agency, the IRA is set to be the catalyst for a green economy. Climate progress is happening and impacting you. Because of this, we, members of Citizens’ Climate Lobby at the College of William and Mary, are writing to highlight the most important climate news you should know for 2023.

First, the IRA’s incentives for individuals. The IRA provides incentives for energy efficiency and electrification projects such as purchasing electric vehicles and installing home insulation, electric heating and electric stoves. These projects are known to be the most effective ways a person can lower their carbon footprint. As an added bonus, they can also lower electricity bills and improve indoor air quality. It’s important to note that this part of the act will only succeed if people take advantage of the incentives. If you want to address climate change with the IRA and bring your home’s tech into the future, we have the following suggestions for you: Use Rewiring America’s online IRA calculator to see how much money you’d get, conduct either a professional or DIY energy assessment to identify your opportunities for cashing in, and upgrade!

We realize that the majority of people reading this don’t own a house. If you fall into this category, you can still make a difference by letting other people know about the IRA’s incentives (i.e., your parents).

breakup, specifically at night. It is a generally neutral place as I don’t think many people “hangout” outside of Zable unless it’s game day. Our recommendation is that you wait till the evening to breakup as there will not be many students walking by the gates. Another reason it is a decent place to breakup is there are no miscellaneous objects lying around in case your ex-significant other is more than upset.

All in all, the thing to keep in mind when breaking up with someone is doing it in a place where you both are comfortable. The moment one party is uncomfortable the breakup becomes much harder. Also, please don’t breakup with people over text: it is shallow, and I think we are all old enough to look someone in the eyes and shatter their heart. Don’t call them to break-up either (also very shallow). For everyone who is in a relationship this Valentine’s, we wish you many more to come; but if you ever decide that “many more to come” is too many then please feel free to use our advice. For all our single people out there, just remember relationships are totally overrated (we are for sure kidding). Happy Valentine’s everyone!

Andre Poniewozik‘26 is a sociology major and is currently involved in Radio Club andVinlyTap. He plays guitar and is obsessed with theTV show Survivor. Contact at asponiewozik@wm.edu.

Avi Joshi‘26 is an English major and is an active member of Phi Mu Alpha and big supporter of Metal Club. He plays the drums and likes to read. Contact at asjoshi@wm.edu

Next, the battle to keep Virginia in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative . RGGI is a cap-and-trade program that incentivizes utility companies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by charging them for the pollution they produce. The money generated is given to enhance natural disaster defenses and low-income energy efficiency projects. This policy is an effective way to address both the causes (reducing carbon emissions) and effects (natural disaster funding) of climate change. Despite these benefits, Governor Youngkin’s administration is making it a priority to end Virginia’s participation in RGGI. Last December, Virginia’s State Air Pollution Control Board voted to withdraw Virginia from RGGI. A legislative oversight committee objected to this decision, but nevertheless, the battle over RGGI continues. Between Jan. 30 and March 31, a comment period will be open for citizens to voice their opinions on RGGI. As of Feb. 3, only 566 comments have been submitted.

This means that adding your voice would matter. In addition to this, there will be ample opportunities this year to support RGGI (i.e., writing letters to the editor, contacting your politicians, attending rallies). The best way to learn more about these opportunities is by reaching out to an environmental organization in your area.

Let’s not forget why we are doing this. Southwest Virginia experienced severe floods and mudslides due to excessive rainfall in July 2022, and the state’s coastal region is threatened by sea level rise. Today, burning fossil fuels is vital to modern society. However, if this status quo continues, the stability of tomorrow’s climate will be in peril. Because of this, it’s imperative for us to take action to protect the well-being of present and future generations.

The challenges are daunting, but there is more hope now than ever before. The most effective ways Virginians can participate are by taking advantage of the IRA’s incentives and supporting RGGI. We can prevent the worst effects of climate change, and this is how you can help.

PhilipIgnatoff‘23isaPhysicsMajorwhoco-leadsthechapterofCitizens’Climate Lobbyoncampus.Heplanstousehiseducationtodeveloptechnologiesneeded toaddressclimatechange.Inhisfreetime,helikestoread,becreativeandeatlong mealsatSadlerwithfriends.Contactatpignatoff@wm.edu.

NicholasPark‘23isapre-medicalstudentmajoringinBiologyandminoring inCAMS.HeisanattendingmemberofthechapterofCitizens’ClimateLobby oncampuswhoplanstobecomeaninfectiousdiseasespecialist,withafocuson utilizinghiseducationtohelptreatpatientswhoaredirectlyorindirectlyaffected byclimatechange-exacerbateddisasters.Inhisfreetime,helikestoreadandwatch sciencefictionandresearchfactsanddiscoveriesrelatedtopaleontologyandextreme meteorology.Contact atnkpark@wm.edu. SydneyHintz‘26isanIntegrativeConservationandEnvironmentalPolicydouble majorwhoisamemberofthechapterofCitizens’ClimateLobbyoncampus.She hopestoworkinenvironmentalpolicyandsciencecommunication.Shehasworked withthenonprofitPlanetWomenandtheCommonDescentPodcast,andsheis currentlyworkingonadocuseriesonwomeninconservationwiththeInstitutefor IntegrativeConservationandresearchondielverticalmigrationinthepelagicocean withVIMS.Sheenjoyscrafting,listeningtomusicandplayingwithdogs. Contactat slhintz@wm.edu.

Why we need The Flat Hat and other student publications

In 1945, then Editor-in-Chief of the Flat Hat Marilyn Kaemmerle wrote an article for the paper advocating for racial integration and equality. She wrote in the context of World War II, denouncing Hitler’s white supremacist ideology. Although these words may seem obvious today, public uproar led to the Board of Visitors threatening to expel her from the College of William and Mary. While this did not happen, she was still fired from the Flat Hat.

Although this was over 70 years ago, the conversation of maintaining independence as a student newspaper remains salient for the Flat Hat. Is there a time when the school’s administration can step in when an article is deemed too controversial? On the contrary, do those who write for the paper need to be mindful of what they write for a paper

Alex Nakamitsu

associated with the College?

Although we live in a time when many controversial topics are frequently circulated in the media, students should maintain the right to start productive dialogues through the medium of student journalism.

Publications such as the Flat Hat acts as a platform for students to voice their opinions on topics that are pertinent to the College’s community. Every college should have a platform where students can have productive conversations, and where students of any background are represented. the Flat Hat also acts as a means of accountability for the College and its administration. The Flat Hat frequently reports on controversial acts taken by the administration, such as forced hospitalizations and faculty’s concerns with the College. As long as they are well-researched and don’t slander

the College, student publications should maintain the right to report on topics that the student body might perceive as unpopular. The administration may not always be transparent with their actions, and the Flat Hat can keep students informed on the state of the College. This does not mean, however, that any article can be published without any limits.

The Flat Hat does draw the line between freedom of speech and misinformation and hate speech. As the Flat Hat’s Opinions Philosophy states in writing, “The Flat Hat will neither tolerate nor publish opinion pieces that rely on hateful, inflammatory, or otherwise unproductive rhetoric.” Articles are also encouraged to be well-researched and go through fact-checking

processes before being published.

There is also a designated Standards and Practices editor, or ombudsman, with the Flat Hat. Standards and Practices is an independent branch of the paper that ensures journalistic integrity and ethical practices are upheld. The ombudsman addresses any complaints to the publication as well as makes corrections to articles that may have gotten some facts wrong.

In an environment where local news outlets are on the decline, and much of the national media is deeply politically polarized, small publications such as student papers can be the few places for students to get reliable news about their community.

Alex Nakamitsu ’26 is planningonmajoringinphilosophy.Sheis JapaneseandSwedishandlovestheoutdoors. Email Alex at aanakamitsu@wm.edu.

Avi Joshi and Andre Poniewozik THE

Is there a time when the schoolʼs administration can step in when an article is deemed too controversial?

Students should maintain the right to start productive dialogues through the medium of student journalism.

New social media app comes to the College of William and Mary, advertises around campus Fizzin’ Up with Fizz

and online classes, Solomon and Cofer aimed to create a stronger undergraduate community through Fizz, which serves as a discussion medium meant to connect students to others of their universities. With a layout resembling that of Reddit, students can post confessions, polls, dubs, memes and more. Users can “ReFizz” (or reshare), comment on posts and either upvote or downvote a post. Furthermore, Fizz posts are anonymous, allowing for individuals to be authentic with what they say.

“I find Fizz very entertaining,” Nicole Hagopian ’26, a new Fizz user, said. “It connects a lot of people together, and it makes jokes but also asks serious questions sometimes, and I think it’s really fun.”

the app’s availability to further colleges.

“I was surprised when going on there, seeing just how many upvotes a lot of the posts have,” Jillian Dalrymple ’25, another recent Fizz user, said. “It’s like you go on YikYak, which has been around the school for a long time and…a really popular post would have like 100 upvotes. I went on Fizz, and it’s like several hundred upvotes.”

resulting in a mass disclosure of personal information. Users’ phone numbers and emails were accessible to the hackers, and posts were able to be traced back to its original author. All anonymity was taken away, and it became possible to edit posts, upvotes, downvotes, moderator status and karma values.

Fizz, a social media app designed by two Stanford University dropouts, officially made its way around the College of William and Mary’s campus Jan. 24. Through copious marketing strategies by co-founders Teddy Solomon and Ashton Cofer, the private platform has received downloads through incentivization of free donuts or quick cash. For Jada Jones ’25, she became involved with Fizz after her suitemate, a paid student promoter of Fizz, offered her a quick opportunity to make money.

“I was able to make $50 by just passing out free donuts for three hours to people who downloaded the app,” Jones said.

Fizz was originally released in the summer of 2021 at Stanford. Amidst COVID-19 restrictions

The most unique aspect of Fizz, however, is its exclusivity to certain universities. As opposed to YikYak, an app open to all individuals within a five-mile radius, users must have an authentic university email address to have access to Fizz. Ensuring all posts can only be seen by others in their respective colleges is meant to contribute to creating a stronger campus community.

“It is more specific to William and Mary and the community, not to outside people, so I feel like it’s more relatable,” Hagopian said.

This exclusivity also contributes to content moderation. Because each user can only have one valid university address, being banned results in no further access to the app. Content moderation is done through paid moderators, who are students of the College hired by Fizz for the parttime, remote job.

Advertised at being at other big universities such as Stanford, Dartmouth and Wake Forest, Solomon and Cofer hope to continue expanding

Fizz’s extreme advertising strategies serve as a plausible explanation for many posts’ high numbers of upvotes. Fizz marketing included Instagram promotions, a donut for a download campaign and flyers around campus with a QR code leading to the app. Students who promoted Fizz on social media had the opportunity to receive $15 in cash, further incentivizing students to endorse Fizz. These minimal effort, quick reward advertising strategies, however, would often result with a download but little or no use of the app.

“I heard about Fizz from someone that was tabling inside Sadler, and they were offering donuts, and my friend wanted one,” Madeline Cornejo ’25 said.

Cornejo went on to explain that she does not use the app often and simply downloaded it for the donut. Despite many students downloading the app for the rewards with little long-term use, Fizz posts are still able to receive extreme amounts of upvotes with some posts even reaching up to 700.

While Fizz’s financial and statistical information is currently not available to the public, its history is not faultless. In November 2021, Fizz experienced a serious data breach uncovered by three Stanford students. Reported in The Stanford Daily, the app was hacked,

According to the aforementioned article in The Stanford Daily, once the hackers notified Fizz of the security vulnerability, Fizz took legal action, stating that any disclosure of the vulnerabilities would result in disciplinary charges. A letter stating the full legalities from Fizz (previously called Buzz) can also be found in the original Stanford Daily article.

The incident ultimately resulted in a statement titled “Security Improvements Regarding Fizz” on Dec. 7, 2021. Though Fizz has largely resolved their data vulnerability issues, most students are unaware of its history due to the app being so new to campus. However, knowledgeable students remain skeptical of the app.

The Flat Hat reached out to Solomon and Head of Community Engagement Sophie Cline on Fizz’s current security status on several occasions but did not hear back. A summary of its security practices can be found on their website in a statement titled “Security Practices at Fizz.”

Fizz’s past history has resulted in much controversy. The Fizz team, however, sees this as no reason to stop pursuing their goal: connecting college students through authentic social media.

“I think that Fizz’s marketing strategies are very promising, and I think that they’re very effective, especially because the students that are promoting Fizz are downloading Fizz themselves,” Griffin Martin ‘26 said.

Give a Royal Welcome to the Queen’s Guard

The Queenʼs Guard marches onto campus, promotes tradition, camaraderie

“The Queen is coming!”— While this iconic phrase may be recognized worldwide, only the Queen’s Guard at the College of William and Mary has had the opportunity to honor it.

After a brief hiatus, 2022 marked the official return of Queen’s Guard, a pre-professional fraternity founded in 1961 at the College after Queen Elizabeth II visited the College in 1957.

Captain John Babbits ’24 fondly remembers his excitement at being asked to help in bringing back the Queen’s Guard to campus.

“My sophomore year, I was talking to a few of the members who had been part of the organization before, and they were talking about how the organization was getting restarted in Spring of 2022 and asked me if I was interested in being part of it,” Babbits said. “When I was applying to the school, I’d seen it on the website and found out the organization was no longer in existence at the time. And when it came back, I was excited to join.”

The society, made up of both ROTC cadets and nonmilitary affiliated students, follows the motto of “Corona Veniet Delectis,” or “victory shall come to the worthy.”

While the Queen’s Guard is most certainly a social club, their duties consist primarily of performing the color guard, otherwise known as ceremonial rifle drills for the town and the College’s official events.

And while it’s not primarily a military organization, many of its aspects resemble that of the military, which offers students an opportunity to experience a rare military and networking opportunity as part of a branch of the National Society of Pershing Rifles.

“The Queen’s Guard has a very rich history,” Social Chair George Hage ’25 said. “[By joining] I got to see past members. A lot of alumni have done it.”

Members attest that the club’s extensive history is part of what makes the Queen’s Guard experience so unique.

“We’re not existing for the sake of existing, we exist to keep history alive, which is rifle drill and to preserve the historical presence of that organization,” Evans said. “It’s just a dedication to practicing something to a level of excellence and really committing and fostering that sense of discipline.”

With a tartan sash and gold tassels, the color guard uniforms vaguely resemble that of the Royal Scots Fusiliers. They also bear the symbol of the Phoenix, which alludes to the Wren building’s history of burning down yet rising from the ashes; the intentionality of the drill ceremony

SUMMER KING // THE FLAT HAT

speaks to the significance of its past.

Most notably, in honor of the Queen’s passing, members dressed in red and black were posted outside the Wren building at attention. Additionally, they perform at a plethora of events including the Christmas Parade, local and away football games and, should another royal visit occur, they would welcome the royal family member.

When given the honor to perform at such events, weeks of training come to fruition for newer members as they are taught to carry out rifle tricks that have been passed down for years. While the rifle tricks are taught to every member, some can opt to carry one of the three official flags: the Virginia flag, the College flag and the United States flag.

“It’s pretty satisfying,” Vice President Rocky Carr ’24 said. “It’s an honored position, and it’s pretty rewarding. I think even doing the football games when we don’t get paid, I think it’s pretty cool. You get to go out there in the middle of the field and you’re holding the flags during the anthem, which is arguably the most sacred part of the game.”

Once accepted as a member of the Queen’s Guard, members endure a six-week-long training process to learn the rifle tricks. On a weekly basis, they meet for an hour to go through their agenda then train for another two hours. Members note that no prior experience or supreme strength is needed to join and carry out the official tasks.

“You start with just basic facing movements, so that’s essentially how to move in unison, which is, of course, is very structured,” Sean Evans ’24 said. “After you get through basic facing movements, you’ll start working with your rifles. The rifles we use are dummies, so they’re made to look like a very old, real rifle. None of them fire. You start with basic movement across the body before moving to aerials, where you’re throwing the rifle.”

While the rifle drills may be the club’s specialty, another highlight of the organization is earned camaraderie. As an official co-ed fraternity, the Queen’s Guard hosts many social events throughout the year, including mixers, group dinners and outings to Mellow Mushroom. Like many other social

groups on campus, each new member, known as a Little, is paired with a senior member, or Big, to help integrate them into the group and build community.

“I think the thing I’ve gotten most out of this is just being around a group of people who are very like-minded, have similar goals and have just become genuine friends of mine,” First Sergeant Payton Nolan ’25 said. “So it’s just another way to spend time with those people. I think friendship is the best thing I’ve gotten out of this.”

Looking forward, the Queen’s Guard hopes to expand their activities to include future rifle competitions and further philanthropic opportunities. So far, the Queen’s Guard has partnered with a local group — Collegiate Companions — to give back to the community.

“Members get matched with someone in one of the local districts or local youth centers, and they give them advice on applying to college and pursuing passions, getting jobs, public speaking or working on physical things like getting into shape together, things like that,” Babbits said. “It builds close bonds, and that’s something we find really important because something that we pride ourselves on is mentorship.”

Overall, members agree that rifle training, structure and camaraderie have been their biggest takeaways from their experience in the club. Evidently, the ritual of marching and performing rifle tricks builds new skills and strengthens the friendships of the fraternity.

Furthermore, the Queen’s Guard prides itself not only on being welcoming, safe and inclusive, but also accessible to anyone on campus. For any interested potential members, the Queens Guard recruitment period lasts for the first couple weeks of each semester, and the club encourages anyone searching for a community of dedicated and honorable students to join. As Nolan emphasized, the honor of having been in the Queen’s Guard is something that can be held even after graduation.

“I think people should join because it’s a fantastic group of people,” Nolan said. “But for the bigger purpose of what the Queen’s Guard is, you’re doing something that has a very high level of honor attached to it. You’re doing something that’s significantly bigger than yourself or anything you know.”

PHEBE FAHMY // THE FLAT HAT

A smoothie a day keeps the doctor away

healthy dining options,

Nestled in Midtown Row lies a new smoothie restaraunt for students and visitors alike. The Juicing Life Bar is a new juice bar that offers both blended drinks and cafe options for those on the outskirts of campus.

Juicing Life Bar provides an array of cold-pressed juices, smoothies, smoothie bowls, wellness shots (perfect for when you can feel a cold coming on) and even liquid meals. I was particularly interested in their smoothie collection for a quick pick-me-up and took my roommate with me for the ride.

Current Midtown can be quite the hike for students living on campus without a car, reducing the accessibility of the juice bar.

Once inside, you are struck by the fun and cool atmosphere of the cafe. The store’s interior is full of fun colors as well as an Instagram-worthy, geometric mural right in front of the door. In my opinion, the music and atmosphere make this juice bar the perfect place for casual studying and light homework. Pair that ambiance with good drinks and a large food selection, and you never have to leave.

At first, looking at the menu can be pretty daunting since there are two for food and drink, respectively, and an abundance of options. To keep it simple amid so many choices, my roommate and I decided to go for the smoothies. Personally, I like a more simple smoothie, so I opted for the Peach on the Beach smoothie, which consisted of strawberry, banana and peach. My roommate, on the other hand, is a bit more adventurous, so she got the Juicy Dreams smoothie, which consisted of strawberry, banana, pineapple and mango. Altogether, the smoothies were relatively pricey. Nevertheless, we paid and waited for our drinks. They were

pretty fast, especially since we were the only customers, so our order was ready in about five minutes.

Upon receiving my smoothie, I was slightly impressed with how big the cup was. Some high-end health places usually give smaller portion sizes, but my Peach on the Beach was a pretty good size. It was also a delicious drink too. From the taste of the smoothie (and the fruit bits that were trapped in my straw at times), I could tell that the smoothie was made from real fruit. My drink was a classic smoothie with a twist of peach, and I finished it pretty quickly after I got it. My roommate’s drink definitely had more of a tropical feel, and

I was surprised by how much you could individually taste each fruit in it. In my opinion, the smoothie tasted good enough to be about nine dollars and is a good option when you have room to splurge a bit. My overall review of Juicing Life Bar Cafe is a positive one. With its funky and relaxed atmosphere, this place would be the perfect hangout for someone trying to both get some work done and get their vitamin boost. However, this applies most conveniently to those who live in Midtown or near the area or those with a car. Unfortunately, underclassmen may not completely reap the benefits of this new hangout spot. Their various smoothies, juices, smoothie bowls, sandwiches and wraps provide a healthy yet still yummy option. They even have a few vegetarian options, which expands the food choices for nonmeat eaters. Even though it may be relatively pricey, the Juicing Life Bar is a good place to eat on occasion. I would definitely recommend these refreshing smoothies in the summertime heat and humidity. Therefore, I would suggest everyone try Juicing Life Bar at least once, if not to just try it out, then to grab a quick pick-me-up that doubles as one’s daily fruit intake. The cafe could act as a great stop in between an outdoor run or a nice place to sit down and relax after a stressful day. So, I give Juicing Life Bar an 8/10, with points deducted for pricing, proximity to campus and a slightly cluttered menu.

I love sweet things, especially all things chocolate. As a result, I have developed a slightly absurd obsession with hot chocolate and have consumed a lot of the beverage, and I have high standards on what makes a good hot chocolate. However, my hot chocolate naughty and nice list currently can only be found in my head, so I think it’s time I shout it into the oblivion as well.

Like many others at the College of William and Mary, I have taken Research Methods, so I know that any decent analysis must clearly describe their criteria to establish credibility. I will judge on cost, taste and flexibility. Cost is self-explanatory, but for reference all prices will come from what is listed on Target.com. Taste will be pretty subjective — personally I

am not a huge dark chocolate fan, so I prefer a rich milk chocolate flavor for hot chocolate. I will be judging the taste based on the mix being prepared with milk. Flexibility is the variable that will need the most explaining: I am technically (definitely) lactose intolerant, so sometimes for the sake of my sanity and stomach, I will do the unspeakable and make hot chocolate with water. Since I have to commit such a heinous act for my health, it’s very important to me that a hot chocolate mix be consistent in taste and texture regardless of the liquid it is prepared with. My list will focus on three hot chocolate mixes: Swiss Miss, Starbucks and Ghirardelli.

Starbucks Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix — Eight count

Overall: -3/10. This may be a hot take, but I absolutely hate Starbucks hot chocolate.

Cost: 4/10. Starbucks comes in at $7.49 for an eight pack or $0.94 per pack. Honestly, the price probably is not too bad if compared to the price of buying a hot chocolate at an actual Starbucks location, but I simply think it tastes so bad that it deserves a bad cost ranking.

Taste: 0/10. As mentioned earlier, I do not like Starbucks hot chocolate. It does nothing for me with its very chalky taste and utter lack of sweetness. Deep down inside, I only wanted to write this article as a hate letter to Starbucks for their hot chocolate, because, seriously, why is it so bad? What did society do to deserve such a mediocre hot chocolate from one of the largest hot drink sellers in the world? Trust me, I have given Starbucks hot chocolate several chances, but each and every time I have felt cheated and deprived of the joy of my favorite drink.

Flexibility: 8/10. I may be a hater, but I will be an honest hater: the one time I made Starbucks

hot chocolate with water instead of milk, it held up very well. I still do not like it though.

Ghiradelli

Eight count

Overall: 9/10. The Ghirardelli hot chocolate mix is an underrated gem on the hot chocolate aisle. It is not a hot chocolate I think I could have everyday, but it is a true pleasure.

Cost: 6/10. Ghirardelli comes in at $6.49 for an eight pack or $0.81 per pack. On the pricier side for hot chocolate mixes but definitely worth it.

Taste: 9/10. A rich, creamy, delightful taste of chocolate with the bonus treat of little chocolate chips in the drink! Nobody in the game (to my knowledge) is doing hot chocolate mix like Ghirardelli is, a very luxurious experience.

Flexibility: 10/10. Ghirardelli hot chocolate mix is a superstar in terms of flexibility. Incredibly consistent whether it’s milk or water.

Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix

— 8 count

Overall: 7/10. Swiss Miss hot chocolate is easily the most popular grocery store hot chocolate mix. Very classic and nostalgic; it instantly reminds me of the pre-Christmas streaming of Polar Express in elementary school, so it automatically gets a couple brownie points.

Cost: 10/10. Swiss Miss comes in at $2.19 for an eight pack or $0.27 per pack. Out of all the mixes being judged, Swiss Miss gives you the biggest bang for your buck price-wise.

Taste: 9/10. As mentioned above, Swiss Miss is a simple, dependable hot chocolate. Personally, I really enjoy the smooth texture, and the flavor is very nice and not too rich.

Flexibility: 5/10. Legally, you can make Swiss Miss with water. Morally, you should not make Swiss Miss with water. The times I have

had to resort to making Swiss Miss with water have been dark days. If your mornings go like mine, you’ll make your coffee, tea or hot chocolate 10 or so minutes before you head out the door so that it is drinkable on your walk or drive to your destination. Without fail, the hot chocolate separates into murky water at the top and thick chocolate syrup at the bottom during these ten minutes. While it’s only a minor inconvenience to stir it back up, it’s still disappointing.

In all, among the three grocery store hot chocolate giants, Swiss Miss is the clear choice if you are looking for an everyday hot chocolate. Swiss Miss delivers great taste at a very affordable cost if you are willing to overlook the flexibility issue. If you are looking to splurge for a self-care night, I highly recommend Ghirardelli’s hot chocolate mix. A tad bit pricey but very worth it for the taste and flavor.

Rich Chocolate Instant Cocoa —

Tribe escapes with Golden Game win

Casey, Wagner combine for 49 points in victory

Sunday, Feb. 5, William and Mary women’s basketball (12-10, 7-4 CAA) edged out Monmouth (11-12, 6-6 CAA) 73-68 at Kaplan Aren.

Sunday’s game continues a hot month for the Tribe, who boasts a 7-3 record since the beginning of 2023.

The Tribe came out strong defensively, forcing a turnover on the first play of the game. The play led to senior forward Bre Bellamy’s put-back layup for the Tribe’s first points of the day. This layup was only the beginning for Bellamy, who continued her recent scoring surge with 16 points on the day, in addition to success on the defensive end of the ball.

Monmouth quickly responded, but turnovers continued to be an early problem for the visiting team. Knock-down shooting from key players kept the visitors alive.

Aside from Bellamy, who scored the first six points for the Tribe, graduate student guards Riley Casey and Sydney Wagner had strong offensive showings, finishing with 27 and 22 points, respectively. Both guards penetrated the paint and created shots for themselves early on. The duo also facilitated pick and rolls for forwards, leading to easy layups.

As the first quarter came to an end, Monmouth picked up momentum and cut the Tribe’s lead to two.

During breaks between quarters, Tribe head coach Erin Dickerson Davis emphasized to her players the importance of maintaining composure and being patient.

“We are getting wide open shots,” Dickerson Davis said to her team. “Just calm down and have some fun.”

Entering the second period, the Tribe came out with a new relaxed energy. After a crafty bucket from Wagner and a new fullcourt trap defensive scheme, both the Tribe’s offense and defense kicked into high gear. The team went on a 12-4 run to start the second quarter, capped off by a Casey threepointer to extend the lead to 10 points and force Monmouth to call a timeout. Although the Hawks went scoreless for almost two minutes in the quarter, they stayed within

MENʼS BASKETBALL

eight points of the Tribe heading into the locker room.

When the second half began, both teams came out ready to shoot. Casey and Wagner each knocked down threepointer shots early in the third quarter, but Monmouth graduate student guard Bri Tinsley matched them. Tinsley, who finished the game with 30 points, scored eight points in the third quarter alone.

As the third quarter continued, Monmouth slowly closed the gap. With five seconds left in the quarter, Monmouth freshman Amiya Carroll’s shot from behind the arc brought the Hawks within three points of the Tribe.

The fourth quarter went back and forth with Monmouth looking to play through their bigs, relentlessly crashing the boards and posting up in the paint.

Monmouth graduate student forward

Lucy Thomas scored six points in the paint, bringing the score to 61-60 with just under six minutes left in the game.

The Tribe soon countered. Bellamy and junior forward Rebekah Frisby-Smith led the team on defense with strong rebounding off Monmouth’s shots in the fourth quarter.

“Rebounding is only 10% strategy and 90% want,” Dickerson Davis said.

“They knew that us rebounding was the difference between winning and losing

and we were not going to lose because of that. We just let our heart come out at that point and we secured those rebounds”.

The Tribe’s smothering defense led to multiple empty offensive possessions for the Hawks, allowing the home team to gradually extend their advantage in the fourth quarter. With timely free throw shooting from Casey and putback layups from Bellamy and FrisbySmith, the Tribe closed out Monmouth with a final score of 73-68.

Despite strong scoring runs by Monmouth throughout the game, the Tribe endured and ultimately picked up the victory to continue their win streak. Many Tribe players cite their team’s resiliency for the success against Monmouth and other games alike.

“That’s something we’ve been really working on,” Casey said. “Staying composed when they go on runs. I really think that something that’s helped is the experience on our team. Me, Sydney and Bre all being seniors and being on the court, that is something that really helps us stay composed on the court. We’ve been here before and we know that they may have momentum now but it changes.”

The Tribe look to continue their hot streak on Friday, Feb. 10 against Elon at the Schar Center in Elon, North Carolina.

William and Mary loses 70-63 in close game

Mullins leads Tribe in Gold Rush game with 19 points

Saturday, Feb. 4, William and Mary (9-16, 4-8 CAA) battled back but fell short against UNC Wilmington (19-6, 9-3 CAA) 7063 at Kaplan Arena.

Fans filled Kaplan Arena for the Annual Gold-Rush game against Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) foe UNCW.

Despite a determined defensive start, the Tribe was stagnant offensively, in large part due to UNCW’s strong defense. After several tough defensive possessions, a Tribe timeout, three Tribe turnovers and seven UNCW points, the home team needed a spark.

Graduate student guard Chris Mullens scored the Tribe’s first points on an inside jumper with 16 minutes, 29 seconds left in the first half. UNCW senior forward Amari Kelly immediately responded with a jumper of his own.

After a quick 6-0 UNCW run and three more Tribe turnovers, junior guard Jake Milkereit scored the Tribe’s second basket with 10 minutes, 8 seconds left, cutting the lead down to 11 points.

After a brief timeout, graduate guard Anders Nelson, junior forward Noah Collier and sophomore guard Gabe Dorsey reentered the game with a change in strategy that provided the offensive spark the Tribe needed.

“I think it was a little bit of an adjustment going smaller

and opening up the floor a little bit,” head coach Dane Fischer said. “We made an adjustment with how we were attacking ball screens and we were popping our bigs to try to open up the floor a little bit more to allow for better reversal.”

During the next Tribe offensive possession, Dorsey nailed a deep three-pointer off an assist from Nelson. The crowd erupted in cheers, but

UNCW sophomore forward Trazarien White drained a three-pointer of his own to silence the Tribe fans sporting Gold Rush t-shirts.

The teams began to exchange baskets, including notable shots from Chris Mullins and sophomore guard Tyler Rice.

UNCW sophomore Trazarrien White and sophomore guard Donovan Newby led the visiting team’s offense.

Towards the end of the first half, the Tribe began picking up steam. The Green and Gold went on a 9-3 run, cutting UNCW’s lead down to three points. With the clock expiring, Nelson missed a three-pointer that would have tied the game heading into the locker room.

Entering the second half, Fischer made an adjustment to his lineup, starting Rice instead of Collier.

“I just thought we had a good way about us with those with three guards out there.

Anders Nelson, Chris Mullins and Tyler Rice,” Fischer said. “The three of them playing together, I thought, is what

gave us our best look in that first half.”

However, the Tribe started off slow in the second half. The once manageable three point deficit quickly ballooned to nine points after UNCW went on a 7-1 scoring run.

Five minutes into the second half, the Tribe found their groove after a Nelson assist led to an easy Milkereit layup with 14 minutes, 56 seconds left in the second half. Similar to the middle of the first half, both teams battled back and forth for the next several minutes. The Tribe managed to pull within five points of UNCW, but was unable to even the score.

Nearing the end of the game, the Tribe had one final

chance to make a run and force overtime. For five straight minutes, the Tribe scored on every possession, but failed to contain the UNCW offense. On top of consistent scoring, UNCW forced the Tribe to use up the shot clock on nearly every possession. In short, despite a hot offensive performance to end the game, struggling defense and long possessions caused the Tribe to run out of time.

Mullins led the Tribe with 19 points on eight shots. He drained seven of his eight free throw attempts. Rice finished the contest with 14 points. The Tribe will look to recover against Elon on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. in Alumni Gym in Elon, North Carolina.

MENʼS TENNIS Brailovsky

Green and Gold su er defeat against Liberty

shines

at No. 2 singles spot in home loss

6-2, respectively, increasing Liberty’s lead to 3-0.

Saturday, Feb. 4, William and Mary (1-2) dropped a close match against Liberty (3-3) 4-3 at the McCormackNagelsen Tennis Center. This match marks the third of four season-opening home matches for the Tribe.

Despite momentum from its previous comeback victory against South Carolina State, the Tribe once again failed to win the doubles point.

Liberty’s doubles No. 3 team of senior Beau Pelletier and junior Thando Longwe-Smit defeated the Tribe’s team of graduate student Daniel Pellerito and sophomore Alexander Karman 6-3.

In the No. 1 doubles match, the Tribe found success with the tandem of graduate student Bill Duo and senior George Davis. The pair lead Liberty seniors Josh Wilson and Christiaan Worst 5-4, but Liberty clinched the contest with a doubles point win from the Flames’ No. 2 team of junior Deji Thomas-Smith and freshman Luis Felipe Miguel. The visiting pair defeated graduate students Joseph Brailovsky and Andres Silva 6-4.

The Tribe is yet to claim a doubles point in its three matches of the season so far.

Liberty extended its lead to 2-0, when Pelletier handily defeated Duo 6-2 and 6-4 in the No. 3 singles slot. At the No. 1 spot, Liberty’s All-Atlantic Sun Conference first-teamer Josh Wilson battled with Davis in a tightly-contested bout.

Davis won the opening set 6-3, only to drop the following two sets to Wilson 6-3 and

Senior forward Bre Bellamy plays an integral and expanding role in the success of William and Mary’s women’s basketball team (12-10, 7-4 CAA).

The Tribe, who is 7-3 in their last 10 games, continues to find success this year, in large part due to Bellamy on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.

Bellamy, who is averaging 7.1 points per game and a team-leading 6.2 rebounds per game, has been on an offensive tear for the last few games. She finished with a season-high 18 points against Hampton, one point short of a career-high, and recorded her third career double-double. In her next game, Bellamy found similar success, putting up 16 points in the team’s win over Monmouth on Feb. 5.

Bellamy attributed her recent success to her newfound aggressive mentality.

“I definitely feel more confident shooting the ball,” Bellamy said. “It helps to see it go in early on. But, I think most of all is the support that I have. I mean, constantly, no

Felipe Miguel clinched the team victory for Liberty at the No. 5 singles spot with a win over Pellerito [6-3, 7-6] in straight sets.

The Tribe rallied back with Karman securing the first point for the Green and Gold at the No. 6 singles slot. After losing the first set to Liberty’s Longwe-Smit 6-4, Karman recovered with back-to-back set victories, winning the second set 7-5 and the tiebreaker 10-5. After transferring from Penn State, this marks Karman’s first dual-match victory with the Tribe and his seventh overall on the year.

At No. 2 singles, Brailovsky won in straight-sets, outplaying Liberty’s other AllAtlantic Sun Conference firstteamer Thomas-Smith, 7-5 and 7-6. Brailovsky advances his record at the No. 2 spot to 2-1, while improving his team-leading singles record to 12-6 on the year.

Joseph claimed the third and final point for the Tribe at the No. 4 singles spot. After winning the first set 6-4, Joseph dropped the second set 6-1 to Worst, pushing the match into a tiebreaker set. Joseph overpowered Worst in a commanding 7-1 performance, clinching the point and resulting in a final score of 4-3 to Liberty.

The Tribe will look to bounce back against Hampton University in its first Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) conference match of the season on Friday, Feb. 10, at the McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center. This game will mark the end of the Tribe’s four-match season-opening homestand.

matter what, trying to not be discouraged. But I do miss those shots because the game of basketball is going to happen.

So I know that my teammates are always picking me up.”

While her success on the offensive end has certainly helped the Tribe recently, Bellamy’s value to the team goes well beyond the box score.

Bellamy’s defense is integral to the team’s success. She is constantly relaying screens and switching to her teammates. Bellamy has 26 steals and eight blocks so far this season, each ranking in the top five on the team.

MAX GRILL / THE FLAT HAT

RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT

Graduate student Riley Casey drives to the basket during the Green and Goldʼs win against Monmouth at Kaplan Arena on Sunday, Feb. 5. Casey finished with a team-high 27 points and 2 steals.

RYAN CODY THE FLAT HAT

ELLIOT LEE / THE FLAT HAT

Graduate student Anders Nelson facilitates play at the top of the key during the Tribeʼs loss to UNC Wilmington at Kaplan Arena on Saturday, Feb. 4.

College honors students, faculty with 2023 Charter Day awards

Students receive prizes in leadership, academics alongside faculty honored for teaching excellence

ursday, Feb. 2, e College of William and Mary recognized students and faculty for a commitment to excellence ahead of the 330th anniversary of the College’s Charter. is year, Sophia Hagos Haile ’23 received the James Monroe Prize in Civic Leadership, Yuxin Qin ’23 received the omas Je erson Prize in Natural Philosophy, Professor of Law Stacy Elizabeth KernScheerer received the omas Je erson Teaching Award and Professor of Business Administration Ronald R. Sims received the omas Je erson Award. e ceremony also honored Haynes Professor of Law

Paul Marcus, recipient of the 2022 omas Je erson Award.

In addition, the College honored 11 faculty members with the Plumeri Award for Faculty Excellence. e award, established by Joseph J. Plumeri ’66, D.P.S. ’11 in 2009, recognizes exceptional faculty members at the College. Each recipient receives a $20,000 stipend to continue pursuing their scholastic endeavors. is year’s recipients are as follows:

Nicholas Balascio, Associate Professor of Biology

Dawn Edmiston, Clinical Professor of Business

Marjorie Friedrichs, Research Professor of Marine Science

Rebecca Green, Associate Professor of Law

Heartley Huber, Associate Professor of Education

Betsy Konefal, Associate Professor of History

Molly Swetnam-Burland, Professor of Classical Studies

Andrew Wargo, Associate Professor of Marine Science

Douglas Young, Associate Professor of Chemistry

Tess Ellis, Head Field Hockey Coach

Christopher Freiman, Associate Professor of Philosophy

A ceremony recognizing recipients of each award was held in the Raymond A. Mason School of Business ahead of the Charter Day ceremony.

“ ese awards represent together who we aspire to be as an institution,” President Katherine Rowe said.

e James Monroe Prize in Civic Leadership, awarded to Haile, recognizes a student with a commitment to leadership and addressing the needs of society. Haile was noted for her work with the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers to advance STEM education in underrepresented groups.

“Through your tireless efforts to advance inclusivity for students of color pursuing STEM, you make our community a more just and welcoming place,” Chief Academic Officer Peggy Agouris said.

Haile is also a member of the African Cultural Society and a Writing Resources Center peer consultant. She worked to consolidate research on Vietnam War veterans to help loved ones reconnect, researched the treatment of Black adolescents in the criminal justice system and fundraised to support Ethiopian refugees.

“I hope my advocacy has helped foster inclusive environments, bridge the gap between different communities and empower individuals to reach their full potential,” Haile said.

The Thomas Jefferson Prize in Natural Philosophy, awarded to Qin, recognizes a student for academic excellence in science. Majoring in Mathematics and Studio Art, Qin maintained a 4.0 GPA, is developing an honors thesis and plans to pursue a career as an actuary.

New research highlights history of displaced local Black reservation community

School of Education sponsors event highlighting College faculty, student research uncovering local history

Saturday, Feb. 4, over 250 people filed into the standing-room only Matoaka Woods Room at the School of Education to attend the unveiling of the “Life in the Reservation Community” online exhibit uncovering the lives of Black residents displaced by the U.S. government for the construction of what is now the Yorktown Naval Weapons Station.

“I am honored to be here today as we gather to remember the families of the reservation, those oystermen, fishermen, midwives, entrepreneurs, those folks who build livelihoods, families and vibrant communities along the York River,” Jacqueline Bridgeforth-Williams, founder and executive director of the Village Initiative for Equity in Education, said.

The research is part of the work of the Local Black Histories Project, a collaboration between The Village Initiative and Black descendant communities in partnership with the College of William and Mary. Sociology professors Monika Gosin and Amy Quark led the research for this project. The Institute for the Study of Education, Democracy and Justice and the School of Education sponsored the event.

The reservation community, located a few miles east of campus, was home to hundreds of families until 1918 when the federal government took control of the land and pushed out residents over the following few years.

“William and Mary did a study back in the ‘90s that said there were 600 families [in the reservation community] and my uncle who was born there said there were 800 families… and right now we probably have about 30 or so families that we have found,” Mary Lassiter, who has been researching the community for the past year, said.

For Sydni Palmer-Washington, a Newport News resident and descendant of multiple families who lived in the reservation community, the event is more significant than just the online unveiling.

“It’s so important for us to understand the hidden history of Black people in the community… it’s little known history that is finally coming into light,” Palmer-Washington said.

Names of families who lived in the community were called out as descendants stood up to be recognized. Descendents composed at least a

third of the room. Descendants Allen Stephens, Rev. Carlon Lassiter, Johnette Gordon-Weaver and Brandon Lee gave presentations and discussed the lives of individuals and families who had lived in the community before displacement.

“Many Black families pieced together a variety of income sources to make a living, the most lucrative of which was oystering and fishing,” Gordon-Weaver said. “In the early 1880s, a correspondent from the New York Times visited oysterers working on the James River and marveled at their skill balancing in rough waters and their narrow canoes as they worked. Visit our online exhibit and learn about these

education, but nevertheless taught himself the law.”

For individuals and families living on the reservation, churches served as a community gathering spot.

“Churches were the primary community center in the reservation,” Rev. Lassiter said. “The first church was Rising Sun Baptist Church, which was established shortly after the Emancipation Proclamation and before the end of the Civil War on November second, 1864.”

Rising Sun Baptist Church, St. John Baptist Church and Little Zion Baptist Church were all founded by residents of the reservation and are still active today.

“We would like to recognize Mrs. Rosa Lee, who has done extensive research at the National Archives in D.C. and found full testimonies from reservation residents advocating for just compensation. Following Rosa Lee’s paper trail, we recently sent two students, Molly Robinson and Breyonna Rock, to find the testimonies that the archivists said didn’t exist, and they returned with more than 3,600 pages of testimony as well as 150 claimant files and over 300 photos and maps,” Bridgeforth-Williams said.

Molly Robinson, a second-year PhD student in American Studies, Breyonna Rock ’24, Phoebe Linnell ’24, Annaliese Santana ’24 and Lauren Payne ’24 are working on the project as part of the Local Black Histories Project.

“Living in Williamsburg, going to William and Mary, it’s very nice to see people…knowing that this work is important to the community, and they welcome you in with open arms,” Rock said. “So, when I see Jackie or Mary Lassiter, they’ll give me a big hug. It makes me actually feel like the work I’m doing is important. And then, of course, events like this one makes it worthwhile because it’s like, wow, like the stress. Like me and Molly being tired, getting ready to go to the archives the next day was more than worth it. Like, both of us would do it again, you know, again, until it’s found.”

oystermen like Humphrey Payne, who sold the oysters as far as Richmond and forged autonomy as an independent entrepreneur.”

Gordon-Weaver also spoke about reservation residents operating a range of businesses outside of oystering and fishing.

“Justice Augustus ‘Tack’ Roberts served as the first Black Justice of the Peace in York County when living on the reservation, a position he held for 33 years,” Gordon-Weaver said. “In the online exhibit, you can listen to the voice of Miss Grace Ratcliffe, recalling how her grandfather, Justice Roberts, did not have access to formal

After the presentations, Bridgeforth-Williams discussed how the unveiling of the online exhibit is the first step of many.

“The next segment will explore the U.S. government’s use of eminent domain to displace families, and will highlight the activism of the reservation community,”Bridgeforth-Williams said. “The third segment explores how families rebuilt after the displacement, and the final segment explores the activism of the families today, who are telling the story.”

She also highlighted some of the researchers who contributed to the project.

After the presentation concluded, attendees explored two breakout rooms of exhibits related to the reservation community as part of a catered reception. Jamestown High School students also presented their research on reservation families, alongside the Virginia Institute of Marine Science’s exhibit showcase on oystering. The Fairfield Foundation provided an exhibit on the role of archaeology in uncovering history alongside informational posters about members of the community.

Some of the reservation community families presented posters tracing their genealogical history. One such poster spoke about Emily Byrd, a woman who lived on the reservation prior to relocation, and her first husband, Samuel Minkins.

“Emily Byrd had one son, Alexander Minkins, when she married James Monroe Lee. Her first husband was Samuel Minkins.

Professors argue local development proposal west of campus threatens College Woods

Original

development plan calls for building 116 homes off of Strawberry Plains Road, 15 of which set aside for workforce housing

DEVELOPMENT from page 1

“I have had major studies going on in the woods and publications…and we have documented 745 plant species in the woods…in the most recent curvy my graduate student did in 2016, we documented 196 plant extinctions.”

Murphy, geology professor Christopher “Chuck” Bailey and biology professor and director of the Keck Environmental Field Lab Randolph Chambers all expressed similar a ections toward the College Woods and emphasized its importance to students, faculty, researchers and the environment as a whole.

“One of the things that we are gravely concerned about if this development were to go in is having issues with

stormwater management, e ectively runo from impervious surfaces, which could lead to extensive environmental degradation in the College Woods,” Bailey said. “And to me, this is not a hypothetical. We’ve actually seen this happen in the time I’ve been at William and Mary.”

Bailey previously wrote about the “Williamsburg Grand Canyon,” a gorge formed by mismanaged stormwater that goes through Strawberry Creek, a tributary of Lake Matoaka. e canyon has rapidly worsened due to runo from a nearby stormwater retention pond built by the Virginia Department of Transportation when constructing Route 199 in the mid-1970s.

“I’ve walked the site with three of the professors,” Cale said. “So we’re

looking at ways, if we develop it, to make it more environmentally friendly and get their feedback.”

Cale detailed his e orts to remedy concerns about stormwater management by updating and increasing the size of an existing stormwater retention pond, or best management practice, near the development site.

“I’ve walked the site with three of the professors,” Cale said. “So we’re looking at ways, if we develop it, to make it more environmentally friendly and get their feedback.”

Case and Chambers mentioned that BMP’s are not always the best option, and often can cause more harm than good. “ e best management practice does

not mean it is the best solution,” Case said. “ ey are political constructs that do not solve the problems at hand. ey mitigate a little bit, but they don’t solve the problem…we know from time and time again they [BMPs] do not work.”

Chambers echoed this concern, mentioning that these practices are out of date.

“Stormwater ponds fail to mimic the ows of water that existed prior to land development, with the subsequent negative impacts downstream,” Chambers wrote in an email. “More forward-thinking methods of stormwater management try to allow the stormwater into the ground, rather than routing the water into a large basin and then releasing downstream as surface water.”

These concerns echo the November letter faculty sent to the planning commission, which Cale said he has read and considered. However, he does not believe his development plan will make environmental damages better or worse.

“My one thought is that most of that [the letter] is not a concern or not going to happen,” Cale said. “And then also, a lot of people don’t realize that Lake Matoaka was a man-made lake. It’s not some pristine environmental resource… you can’t sh and swim in there because it’s polluted anyway.”

Case disagreed with Cale’s statement, noting the importance of the lake for research purposes.

RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT

President Katherine Rowe celebrates student and faculty achievements while batting a case of bronchitis.

ELLIOTT LEE / THE FLAT HAT

Devin Canaday and Brandon Lee, who are both descendants, played music and and pulled audience members to act at the beginning of the event.

DANIEL KALISH CHIEF STAFF WRITER