The Flat Hat
Vol. 102, Iss.14 | Friday, October 19, 2012 | The Twice-Weekly Student Newspaper of The College of William and Mary
“ same
Fundamentally, we are the
human being.”
—His holiness the 14th dalai lama at kaplan arena oct. 10
Dalai Lama promotes human compassion His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama speaks to more than 8,000 at Kaplan Arena Oct. 10 bY katherine chiglinsky Flat hat news editor
His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso the 14th Dalai Lama spoke of compassion and world issues while donning a College of William and Mary visor at Kaplan Arena Oct. 10. The 1989 Nobel Peace Prize winner addressed a crowd of 8,200 students and community members at the College. An even larger audience tuned into the live streaming of the event which garnered 9,678 total views, according to the Office of University Relations. The Dalai Lama first spoke about the common threads of humanity. “Fundamentally, we are the same human being,” the Dalai Lama said. “I feel that many troubles we are facing are our own creation. There is too much emphasis on our differences — differences of religions, races, nationalities.” He explained that many of the troubles in the world come from the emphasis on these secondary-level divisions, when, as he pointed out, we are fundamentally the same. The Dalai Lama detailed a visit with former President George W. Bush in which he acknowledged the former President’s humanity while disagreeing with his use of force in the Middle East. “Really nice person on human level,” he said about the former President. “It was a very good motivation but never
use force.” He also noted that human intelligence forces our compassion for each other to a higher level. “Now, with the help of intelligence, we can extend our love, compassion infinitely,” he said. Recognizing and practicing compassion, he noted, would help communities coexist peacefully. “Happy life depend on rest of community,” he said. “Therefore, others
are the source of another’s future happiness.” Although he is the leader of Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama stated that compassion should go beyond the reaches of religion. “Please don’t think practice of compassion or love or kindness as some religious practice,” the Dalai Lama said. “We need secular way to approach human compassion.” Following the Dalai Lama’s speech,
associate professor of religious studies Kevin Vose read questions submitted by students, first asking His Holiness about the importance of multi-faith conversations. The Dalai Lama explained that the basic message of all religions encourages multi-faith conversations. “If you examine what’s the real message of these different religions, [it’s that] all deserve love, tolerance, compassion,” he said. “If you practice
sincerely, all have same potential to produce sensible human being.” The Dalai Lama warned the audience that if they ever choose to change religions, they should always respect their former religion. On the topic of technology, he felt that technology was a great improvement in recent decades but also told students to beware of choosing technology over their own brainpower. Mimicking a couch potato, the Dalai Lama’s impression of a technology addict induced laughter across the arena. Other students asked for the Dalai Lama’s advice on how to deal with feeling overwhelmed and about the Buddha’s role in modern society. After receiving a standing ovation, the Dalai Lama presented a khata, a Tibetan ceremonial scarf, to Vose, an act that is often a sign of blessing. Students led the charge to bring the Dalai Lama to campus. Collaboration among the Student Assembly, AMP and the International Relations club helped fund the event. “What makes the event especially significant is that [the College’s] students have been at the forefront of His Holiness’s visit from the very beginning,” Board of Visitors Rector Jeffrey Trammel ’73 said. Student Assembly President Curt
all photos by matt carpenter / THE FLAT HAT
See dalai lama page 3
All students on the waiting list were able to receive a ticket for the event and general public tickets sold out within 20 minutes.
campaign 2012
Williamsburg
City discusses pool’s future Students show support at Romney rally College asks for approval of renovation projects bY annie curran the flat hat
The future of a failing pool and renovations at the College of William and Mary were all on the table at the Oct. 8 Williamsburg City Council meeting. During a presentation of the proposed legislative properties for the 2013 General Assembly, the plans for renovation at the College were introduced. The College asked for approval for the renovation of Tyler Hall and Campus Residence Facilities. The projects would cost $16.4 million and $9.7 million, respectively. “The College asks that Williamsburg support William and Mary’s priority to
Index
News Insight News News Opinions Variety Variety Sports
secure a sustainable funding model that supports academic excellence, financial aid and faculty and staff compensation,” Assistant City Manager Jodi Miller said. Mayor Clyde Haulman discussed the goals he wants to pursue during the term, such as creating better signs for Prince George and Boundary Streets, incorporating new businesses into the tourism alliance, and encouraging community members to volunteer at elementary schools. Jason Saunders ’12 gave a presentation about the future of Quarterpath Pool. Saunders is a former city council intern and currently works as an intern at the Virginia
Today’s Weather 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
See city council page 4
Presidential candidate Mitt Romney outlines five-point plan
bY emily stone the flat hat
Members of the College Republicans weathered rain to hear presidential candidate Gov. Mitt Romney speak Oct. 8 in Newport News. Romney was appreciative of the crowd that showed up despite weather conditions. “People ask why it is that I’m so confident we’re going to win,” Romney said. “I’m confident because I see you here on a day like this, this is unbelievable.” The candidate touched on the recent debate and his platform,
Inside opinions
Preparing for Fisher v. Texas
Rainy High 75, Low 48
The outcome of Fisher v. Texas, a Supreme Court case on affirmative action, could potentially affect the College’s admissions process. If this happens, we should be ready. page 5
outlining his five-point plan to restart the economy. “Number one, I’ll take full advantage of our oil, our coal, our natural gas, our nuclear, and our renewables. Number two, I’ll make sure we get trade that works for us, open up new markets for trading, crack down on China if and when they cheat. Number three, I’m going to make sure our training programs work for the workers of today, that we get our kids the education they need. I’m going make sure that our kids, and their parents, and the teachers, they come first. And that the teacher’s
Inside SPORTS
union will have to come behind. Number four, I will get us on track to a balanced budget, and number five, I will champion small business. I’ll make sure our tax policies and our regulatory policies and health care, all these things come together to make it easier for small businesses to grow and thrive,” Romney said. Romney’s belief that the government does not effectively create jobs in the economy spoke to some College Republicans. “I joined the College See romney page 4
Dukes best Tribe in overtime
The College’s thrilling upset bid against James Madison falls just short as a result of a failed two point conversion attempt in the second overtime period. page 8