VARIETY // Catering to students, p. 6
Vol. 101, Iss. 48 | Friday, April 20, 2012
housing
The Flat Hat The Twice-Weekly Student Newspaper
of The College of William and Mary
Quality renovation
Developer announces plans for new student apartments by katherine chiglinsky FLAT HAT news editor
An under-utilized hotel on Richmond Road will be rejuvenated with a new development designed for students of the College of William and Mary. A proposal before the Williamsburg planning commission would add student housing at the current location of the Quality Inn and Suites, situated on Richmond Road near High Street. Real estate developer and planning commission member Demetrios Florakis proposes to convert the 118-bedroom hotel into a 94-bedroom student apartment complex called City Lofts. The complex would include wireless internet, fitness rooms, a computer lounge, a dining area, study rooms, a swimming pool and a bike garage. Florakis hopes to complete the project by April 2013. Unlike Tribe Square, City Lofts is independent of the College and therefore will not be included in the lottery system, offering an off-campus option for waitlisted students. “It’s projects like these
that showcase the progress that the city is making,” planning commission member Chris Connolly ’15 said in an email. “City Lofts is a step in the right direction in helping to address the lack of variety in off-campus student housing.” The proposal includes space for one property manager and four Resident Community Assistants to help with security and management. Florakis plans to have students serve as Resident Community Assistants, but he has not finalized management. The College is expected to add 150 additional in-state undergraduates over the next three years, which See HOTEL, page 3
Flathatnews.com | Follow us:
williamsburg
Businesses hiring more Local employment increases bY ariel cohen Flat hat staff writer
Despite continued high national unemployment rates, nearly half of all Williamsburg businesses hope to hire more employees in the next year. As Williamsburg makes an effort to increase tourism revenue, more local businesses are making an effort to increase in size. As a result, more College of William and Mary students have found their jobs searches in local Williamsburg restaurants and shops successful. In a survey conducted by the Greater Williamsburg Chamber and Tourism Alliance, county officials found that Williamsburg employment has increased 24.7 percent during the past year, while 47.3 percent of local businesses that responded to the survey said they would be adding jobs within the year. “I think that the people are very optimistic. You have half the businesses expecting to increase employment this year and that is occurring because they are optimistic about business conditions. And about half of them expect their profits to increase this year, as well,” President and Chief Executive Officer of the Williamsburg Chamber and Tourism Alliance Dick Schreiber said. But such optimism does not always produce the promised results. Last year, 48 percent of businesses said they expected to increase employment, but only 28 percent actually were able to achieve that goal within the year. “We have a case of optimism, but optimism at the time of the survey may not hold throughout the year,” Schreiber said. During the school year, many College students choose to work off campus at restaurants and local businesses in Colonial Williamsburg and New Town. With the opening of Tribe Square this year, many students have found jobs at The Crust, Pita Pit and Subway. Emma Merrill ’13 has worked at the Barnes and Noble Cafe in Colonial Williamsburg since the fall of 2010. “When I first tried looking for a job, I had to be very persistent because all students are looking for employment in the same general area,” Merrill said.
Katie demeria / THE FLAT HAT
See EMPLOYMENT, page 2
A developer proposes to convert the Quality Inn and Suites, located on Richmond Road, into a 94-bedroom student apartment complex. The building is expected to be closed by April 2013.
campus policy
Six proposed changes to handbook released for student comments Changes address medical amnesty policy, Student Conduct Council and intellectual property rights by meredith ramey flat hat assoc. news editor
Every year, the campus community has the opportunity to voice what it thinks should be changed about policies at the College of William and Mary by proposing changes to the student handbook. This year, there are six proposals, each of which focuses on different aspects of campus life. The first proposal involves intellectual property rights and would prohibit students from selling professors’ slideshows, handouts, notes, etc. to other students or the general public. Dean of Students Patricia Volp said this proposal is merely putting something that is already assumed to be a rule into writing. “A majority of people will look at that and say you’re kidding,” Volp said. “We’re filling a gap there.” Another important proposal will ask students to report their arrests within
Index News Insight News News Opinions Variety Variety Sports
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
72 hours of the incidents, regardless of where they occur. The issue, according to faculty, was partially spurred by the death of University of Virginia lacrosse player Yeardley Love and the involvement of George Huguely, another U.Va. student. The incident revealed the administration’s lack of knowledge of Huguely’s previous offenses, which resulted in the enactment of a similar policy at U.Va. “U.Va.’s policy has, in fact, served as a guidepost,” Associate Dean of Students Dave Gilbert said in an email. “Their experience with the Yeardley Love murder caused many institutions to evaluate the advisability of an arrest disclosure policy in order to ensure the safety of all students and other community members. … The disclosure policy would augment the information we already receive from Williamsburg and William and Mary Police and other police departments in the area.” The enforcement of the proposal, Volp noted, would depend mainly on
Today’s Weather
efforts by students. “Students are expected to comply, but we’re not going to force them to comply,” Volp said. Another proposal moved to rework the application process and makeup of the Student Conduct Council. The change broadens the applicant pool by expanding the number of possible positions for each grade, allowing the committee to choose the most qualified candidates from the whole group if there are not enough applications from a specific class. “The issue is about changing the membership to give a better chance for having a really good council,” Volp said. “A little bit more flexibility is all that it asks for.” Co-chairs of the Student Conduct Council Colette McCrone ’12 and Montana Young ’12 agreed with the changes this proposal could allow. “There’ll be a time when we have more people applying from one class and not enough for another class,”
Inside opinions
Inside “The Conduct Council is an essential part of the College, and as such, it should not have to scrape the bottom of the barrel just to have enough members from one social class.”
See staff editorial, page 4 already does not report these incidents outside of the College community. “It doesn’t disappear, but we wouldn’t report it internally [after a year],” Volp said. In addition, the proposal seeks medical amnesty protection for organizations, which currently can face violations if someone attending the organization’s event seeks medical See handbook, page 3
Inside SPORTS
The nature of motivation
Sunny High 78, Low 60
McCrone said. “If you have a perfectly good candidate, it seems silly to turn them away and have a smaller council.” The council currently follows a 6-54 distribution with six members of the council from the senior class, five from the junior class and four from the sophomore class. Another proposal suggests a revision of the sexual misconduct policy and procedure, specifically the clause regarding the responsibility of the reporting party to investigate his or her own case and report on it. The proposal would assign the task to the case administrator. The disclosure of incidents that received medical amnesty was the subject of a proposition put forth by the Student Assembly. The proposal suggests that the administration would not report incidents involving medical amnesty to College internal administration, such as campus employees, after a year has elapsed since the incident. The administration
Professors play an important role in regard to how motivated their students are, and so we should strategically place professors in certain classes in order to keep students motivated. page 5
College topped at ECU
East Carolina University’s eight-run sixth inning derails the Tribe on the road Wednesday. page 8
newsinsight “ flat Hat Insider
The Flat Hat
“
ONLINE TODAY
News Editor Katherine Chiglinsky Associate New Editor: Chase L. Hopkins Associate News Editor: Ken Lin fhnews@gmail.com | Friday, April 20, 2012 | Page 2
THE BUZZ
Autistic people like us have the same feelings as everyone else, we just express them differently.
—Author John Elder Robinson
BEYOND THE ‘BURG
This week’s Flat Hat Insider coverage includes the College’s LGBTIQ Pride Fest and the Williamsburg Neighborhood Council.
From “Channeling TV,” a blog by Katie Snyder ‘13 I was interviewing for an internship this weekend, and I used my opening networking question: “What is your favorite TV show?” Sounds like an innocuous and straight-forward question, right? Most people can name their favorite show, or at least a show they like. When gentleman and I were making
conversation, he told me he favored “The West Wing,” and I launched into my long-perfected spiel about how I can’t name just one, but “Bones” is my favorite [television] drama, “Suits” is my favorite hour-long light drama, and “Community” is my favorite sitcom. That was when he stopped me and said, “I hate sitcoms.”
New online videos
Streaming coverage of Tribe Athletics press conferences, including postgame interviews, press conferences and game recaps from @FlatHatSports.
For our weekly “That Guy” video column, Danesh Gilani ‘12 speaks about being an international student at the College, and how he had malaria as an OA.
A THOUSAND WORDS
For-profit universities considered in proposed U.S. senate legislation The scores of advertisements launched by for-profit universities have drawn the scrutiny of federal legislators. According to the Huffington Post, Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C, and Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, introduced a bill Wednesday that seeks to prevent federal dollars, whether in the form of loans or grants, from being used in college marketing initiatives. Hagan decried the fact that for-profit schools spend as much as 30 percent of their budgets on advertising rather than on education, and the proposed bill attempts to prevent this by requiring schools to report their advertising costs to the federal government each year. COURTESY PHOTO / WIKIPEDIA.COM
Members of the U.S. Senate have proposed legislation that would address comparatively high expenditures by for-profit college on advertising.
California’s attorney general blocks move by Santa Monica Community College The attorney general of California recently overruled a proposed tuition change by trustees of Santa Monica Community College, according to the Huffington Post. Santa Monica College attempted to raise tuition for highly
desired courses to $180 per credit unit, four times the usual rate. The office of attorney general Kamala Harris quickly informed the Chancellor of California’s community colleges that the move would violate California’s
educational code, causing the proposal to immediately be dropped. However, California’s community colleges still face an $800 million funding reduction resulting from in recent years budgetary cuts in Sacramento.
Government releases salary data according to major
Violence continues at University of Southern California
Students nationwide studying economics will, on average, make more money than any other major, according to the Huffington Post. The National Bureau for Economic Research recently published a ranking of the average salaries for American college majors. Their findings showed that economics, followed by mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and finance, have the highest average rate of pay compared to other concentrations. The Wall Street Journal added that persons who studied these fields make more than $30 per hour, on average.
The University of Southern California, still reeling from the shooting deaths of two graduate students last week, was rocked by violent crime yet again. According to the USC campus newspaper, “The Daily Trojan,” USC Department of Public Safety officers shot and wounded a robbery suspect at approximately 12:40 a.m. Wednesday morning. The suspect held up four USC students at gunpoint at an intersection adjacent to the campus, and fled on foot after two of the students gave chase and directed responding officers to the suspect’s movements.
Hazing scandal rocks champion lacrosse team in Pennsylvania
john lee / the FLAT HAT
Franklin and Marshall College announced Wednesday that women’s lacrosse coach Lauren Paul has been fired and 11 upperclassmen athletes have been suspended following hazing
allegations by teammates. According to Fox News, an investigation began following an anonymous tip to Lancaster police in February, and the school has acted based on their
own lines of inquiry into the matter. The players on suspension have been removed from the roster but have been permitted to remain enrolled at the Pennsylvania school.
CORRECTIONS The Flat Hat wishes to correct any facts printed incorrectly. Corrections may be submitted by e-mail to the editor of the section in which the incorrect information was printed. Requests for corrections will be accepted at any time.
CAMPUS POLICE BEAT
1
The Flat Hat
2 3
25 Campus Center, The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Va. 23185 25 Campus Center, The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Va. 23185 Newsroom (757) 221-3283 — Advertising Dept. (757) 221-3283 / ads@gmail.com Newsroom (757) 221-3283 — Advertising Dept. (757) 221-3283 / ads@flathatnews.com Editor flathat.editor@gmail.com Opinions fhopinions@gmail.com Editor editor@flathatnews.com Opinions opinions@flathatnews.com News fhnews@gmail.com Variety flathat.variety@gmail.com News flathatsports@gmail.com news@flathatnews.com Varietyflathatphotos@gmail.com variety@flathatnews.com Sports Photos Sports sports@flathatnews.com Photos photos@flathatnews.com
Jill Found Editor-in-Chief Mike Barnes Editor-in-Chief Vanessa Remmers Managing Editor — Katie Demeria Executive Editor Abby Boyle Variety Editor Katherine News Editor SarahChiglinsky Caspari Variety Editor Vanessa Remmers News Editor Mike Barnes Sports Editor Hailey Arnold Variety Editor Jared Foretek Sports Editor Katie Demeria Variety Editor Ellen Wexler Opinions Editor JaredDeBusk ForetekEditorial Sports Editor Elizabeth Writer
Ariel Cohen Assoc. News Editor Chase Hopkins Assoc. News Editor Chase L. Hopkins Ken Lin Assoc. Assoc. News News Editor Editor Meredith Ramey Maggie Kern Assoc. Assoc. News News Editor Editor Lin Assoc. MeredithKen Ramey Assoc. News News Editor Editor Chris Weber Rob MartyAssoc. Assoc.Sports News Editor Editor Natalie Ferenbach Chris McKennaAssoc. SeniorVariety News Editor Writer BaileyChris Kirkpatrick WeberAssoc. Assoc.Variety Sports Editor Editor Sophie AbbyMason Boyle Assoc. Assoc. Variety Variety Editor Editor Harika Peddibhotla Bailey Kirkpatrick Assoc. Assoc. Online Variety Editor Editor Alex Bramsen Copy Editor Sarah Caspari Assoc. Variety Editor Colleen Copy Editor Sophie MasonLeonard Assoc. Variety Editor Garrett Hendrickson Copy Editor Ellen Wexler Assoc. Opinions Editor Elliott Hay Assoc. Opinions Editor Alex Bramsen Copy Editor
Katherine Hoptay Copy Chief Elizabeth DeBusk Anita Jiang PhotoOpinions Editor Editor Stephanie Hubbard Copy Chief John Lee Photo Editor Katherine Hoptay Chief Zach Hardy OnlineCopy Editor Michelle GabroChief PhotoStaff Editor Ellie Kaufman Writer Walter Hickey Online Chris McKenna ChiefEditor Staff Writer Betsy Goldemen Copy Editor Claire Hoffman Copy Editor Liz McGlynn CopyCopy Editor Colleen Leonard Editor Megan Copy Editor Editor Lauren Elmore Becker Copy Meredith Luze Copy Megan Elmore CopyEditor Editor Allison Hicks Cartoonist Meredith Luze Copy Editor Molly Cartoonist RachelAdair Steinberg Copy Editor Rachel Cartoonist Allison Brooks Hicks Cartoonist Rachel PulleyCartoonist Cartoonist Molly Adair Nara Yoon Business Manager Rachel Brooks Cartoonist Karin Krause Media Manager Rachel PulleySocial Cartoonist Patricia Radich Graphic Designer Alex Cooper Editorial Writer Noah Willard Graphic Designer Nara Yoon Business Manager
Karin Krause Social Media Manager Anita Jiang Assoc. Photo Editor
1
Friday, April 13 — A person was arrested for driving with a suspended license , and without any vehicular insurance.
2
Wednesday, April 14 — A student was arrested for being a minor in possession of alcohol, and for public intoxication.
3
Saturday, April 14 — A traffic stop was performed by the Campus Police, resulting in a second driving under the influence offense filed against the driver.
4
Sunday, Arpil 15 — A driver was pulled over and determined to have been driving with a suspended license.
4
‘STABILITAS ET FIDES’ | ESTABLISHED OCT. 3, 1911 ‘STABILITAS ET FIDES’ | ESTABLISHED OCT. 3, 1911
Becky Koenig Managing Editor — Jill Found Executive Editor Ellie Kaufman Chief Staff Writer Katherine Chiglinsky News Editor Stephanie Hubbard Copy Chief
April 13 to April 15
Local businesses expect employment to increase next year EMPLOYMENT from page 1
“It would be nice if there were more job opportunities, but Williamsburg isn’t going to create more jobs to cater to students. But all the employers are very understanding [of ] student life and extremely flexible about scheduling, which is great.” The Blue Talon Bistro, a local restaurant famous for its free birthday dinners, fills up to 15 percent of its staff with College
students. Owner and Manager Adam Steely says he enjoys the fresh energy his student employees bring to the restaurant. “There is no question that they provide the energy and enthusiasm. They are great ambassadors for the rest of our customers because they are so excited to be here,” Steely said. “Sometimes, those who have been working with tourists for a while can become jaded, but our students here are always genuine and truly enjoy the interaction.” Although the College and Colonial
Williamsburg are close neighbors, Steely wishes there were more town-gown interaction, so as to facilitate a more mutually-beneficial relationship. “We feel that the experience of attending [the College] could be greatly enhanced if students knew what Williamsburg had to offer. I would like to see more collaborative stuff, inviting students into town,” Steely said. “We don’t need to do more things just for students, we need them to know what’s going on.”
Page 3
Friday, April 20, 2012
The Flat Hat
academics
High school team wins national competition
Law school helps coach first ever team of high schoolers for moot court competition in March by chase hopkins flat hat assoc. news editor
Seventy anxious people converged on a federal courtroom in Washington D.C. March 30, prepared to litigate a contentious yet fictitious legal case. These young men and women were not lawyers, but students from all across the country taking part in a moot court competition. The Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project facilitates this annual contest between high school students, who were guided in their preparation for the competition by law students and scholars from 14 of the nation’s law schools. The formation of the project’s chapter at the College of William and Mary was announced this year, just in time for the College’s team to win the competition. “Teachers will challenge students to understand both the costs and the benefits of interpreting the Constitution one way as opposed to another,” the College’s chapter of the Marshall Brennan Project said in a statement. “Students will be asked to choose or take a side on key issues, encouraging critical thinking and writing. Through preparing to discuss a constitutional issue in a moot court tournament, students will learn to speak intelligently on their feet.” At the heart of the project is a desire to empower
students to better analyze and tackle the problems they confront every day. Project administrators and teachers believe they accomplish this by inspiring students to dig deep into legal issues, in a process which is highly beneficial to all involved. “The experience challenges [WilliamsburgJames City County] students, ultimately making them feel like better, smarter, more responsible citizens,” Crimmins said. “The law students, who teach them, in turn, feel the same. All are better able to respect others and compromise.” The project, named for two former U.S. Supreme Court Justices, has chapters at 19 American universities, and two universities abroad. Designed to benefit high school students, the project offers an educational moot court experience for its participants. “The National Marshall-Brennan Moot Court Competition serves as an opportunity for high school students participating in MarshallBrennan classes to showcase their oral advocacy skills, network, and learn about careers in the law,” the Project said in a public statement. Crimmins believes that the project is especially important when it comes to national politics that many believe are spiteful and conducive to legislative gridlock. Part of this stems from the Charter Day speech given by the College’s 28th
courtesy photo / WM.EDU
Members of the high school team pose with judges and Law school students after winning the moot court competition.
Chancellor, Robert Gates ’65. “Chancellor Gates, during his remarks on Charter Day, noted that the United States’s entire system of government is based on compromise and that the U.S. Constitution itself is a bundle of compromises,” Crimmins said. “Graduates of the William and Mary and [Williamsburg-James City County Schools’s] Marshall-Brennan program understand that facts outweigh sound bites and
that issues must responsibly be analyzed from all sides. This awareness that students have gained through teaching and learning the Constitution, leaves the graduates uniquely equipped to lead our country in a positive direction going forward.” Faculty and students at law schools including the College, Yale University, University of California and even City University of Hong Kong facilitate the Project.
Student assembly
SA begins new session, appoints Senate chair, secretary Proposal to bring Dalai Lama to campus in October sent to Finance and Outreach committees by meredith ramey flat hat assoc. news editor
The 320th Senate held its first meeting of the session Tuesday. The Senate elected Kendall Lorenzen ’15 as senate chair and Jimmy Zhang ’15 as secretary. The senate chair, a position currently held by Noah Kim ’13, directs the weekly SA meetings. “I’ve served on the senate for the past two semesters,” Lorenzen said. “I feel I could do a great job serving as the
chair of the senate.” Zhang also spoke of his previous experience in the senate as an important factor in his qualification. “I’ve been involved in the senate for a year now,” Zhang said. “I think that I could take an even more [active role in] the student body by taking this position.” Lorenzen and Zhang are the only senators from the 319th senate returning for another term. They were nominated and elected unopposed.
For the first half of the meeting, Kim served as interim chair. Kim reviewed senate policy and procedure with the new senators. Sen. Zach Marcus ’12 introduced the His Holiness at the College Act, which will work to bring the Dalai Lama to campus next October. Student Assembly President Curt Mills ’13 spoke in support of the bill. “I apologize that this needs to come right now,” Mills said. “In order to get this to happen, the President of the
College needs to send an invitation in April in order for him to come in October. ... [The administration] needs a down payment to send this letter through.” According to the bill, the estimated cost of bringing the Dalai Lama to campus is $45,000. Fifteen thousand dollars would be allocated from the Student Activities Reserve to go toward that cost. Once the Student Activities Reserve receives additional funds over the summer, the bill would allocate
another $15,000 toward the event. “This is something Melanie and I are very interested in doing this year,” Mills said. “This is very much a college-wide effort. … Organizations are very much interested in doing what they can and chipping in.” Lorenzen sent the bill to the Finance and Outreach Committees. The senate made quorum with the 13 senators present by not counting the elected senators who are studying abroad and have yet to be sworn in.
94-bedroom complex proposed HOTEL from page 1
will put pressure on the limited on-campus housing spots. The recent addition of Tribe Square and the new fraternity housing complex are expected to alleviate some of the pressure, but off-campus housing options still remain popular among students. “[The Quality Inn and Suites] is an underperforming hotel, so as a reuse for the property, I thought it was the highest investment,” Florakis said. “Our hope is that by delivering this capacity to the market, it will help relieve some pressure on existing neighborhoods. There’s also a strong demand for student rentals.” City Lofts joins another proposed mixed-use development on Prince George Street as one of the newest off-campus options for students. The proposed development on Prince George Street will add seven apartments plus additional commercial space. Williamsburg City Council members noted that the new housing will help the College and ease town-gown relations. “There’s more than sufficient parking on the site, there’s great access to campus, it’s not in the middle of a neighborhood, and if we could put more beds in that property, that’s additional pressure that gets taken off of the neighborhoods,” Vice Mayor Paul Freiling ’83 said. “It’s not forcing anyone to live there, it’s just another option for students who are either bumped off campus by the lottery system or choose to live off campus because they want a little more independence.” The new housing complex also will have additional benefits for the surrounding area. “The subsequent increase in student presence in the High Street area will also benefit the City
economically, as more restaurants and businesses will cater to the additional demand for their services,” Connolly said in an email. A public hearing about the proposal to rezone the area for the new development will be held at the planning commission meeting May 16. The commission will either approve or reject the project at that time. If the proposal is accepted, the council will vote to either accept or reject the proposal at a later time. “When you look at the proposal, there are only up-sides,” Connolly said. “We’ll probably move to the consensus that this is what’s best for the community as a whole.” Williamsburg City Council members showed support for the proposed building at the recent candidate forum sponsored by Matoaka Court Homeowners’s Association. “They are creating positive housing options for students that they will more than likely be drawn to rather than living in some of the less-than-ideal circumstances that they feel forced into since they want to live close to campus,” Freiling said. “Let’s get behind this proposal and make it happen.” Williamsburg Mayor Clyde Haulman also noted the benefits of the development. “It takes pressure off of the other housing options that students look at,” Haulman said. “It’s a plus for students, it’s a plus for High Street and it’s a plus for the community as a whole.” Pending approval by the planning commission, Florakis hopes the new real estate development will help ease the concerns about off-campus housing for students. “What we’re hoping is that by providing this type of environment, we could create a nice sense of community,” Florakis said. “It creates a lot of options for students that currently do not exist.”
Comments on changes accepted until June HANDBOOK from page 1
organization’s event seeks medical amnesty. Young also spoke in favor of the proposed changes to the medical amnesty policy. “The medical amnesty updates can be really helpful,” Young said. “Bulleting the policy will make it easier to read … They’re really trying to clarify the policy.” The last proposal serves to put back wording accidentally removed during a previous review of the student handbook. The wording specifies certain areas of campus, such as the steam tunnels and window ledges, as places where students are
not permitted. In general, Volp hopes students look at the proposed changes and are aware of what the administration and their fellow students are trying to accomplish. “It’s not as big a load as we’ve had,” Volp said. “I hope students will pay a lot of attention to the recommendations that we’re making there.” Vice President of Student Affairs Ginger Ambler ’88 Ph.D. ’06 will accept comments from the student population until June 1. She will then review the proposals throughout the summer and use this information to decide which proposals she will send on to College President Taylor Reveley.
Page 4
The Flat Hat
Friday, April 20, 2012
LEcture
Author with Asperger’s tells personal story
“Aspergian” John Elder Robison speaks about his ongoing battle with the syndrome
by sarah caspari Flat hat variety editor
The story of one man’s battle with Asperger’s syndrome was at first a silent one. In light of National Autism Awareness month, the College of William and Mary’s Neurodiversity Working Group hosted “Aspergian” John Elder Robison Tuesday. Robison, best-selling author of “Look Me in the Eye” and “Be Different,” suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of high-functioning autism. He addressed a full lecture hall to share his experience with the syndrome. “I grew up in the 1960s, and they didn’t know about this Asperger thing,” Robison said. “They didn’t really offer me any kind of accommodation, they just said I was lazy, or I was no good, or I was defiant.” Though Asperger’s Syndrome has been on the medical world’s radar for several decades, it was not officially recognized until the 1990s. The condition is characterized by the inability to read social cues, resulting in impaired social skills. “Even though I didn’t understand why I was different, it was unmistakable,” Robison said. Despite constant social alienation, Robison enjoyed commercial success. His skills in the fields of music and electronics landed him on tour with musicians such as KISS and Pink Floyd working with sound equipment. He later engineered sound effects for toy company Milton Bradley. However, his undiagnosed disability prevented him from feeling successful. As a result, he quit his job and became a car repairman.
One day, a client — who happened to be a therapist — mentioned that he believed that Robison had a newly discovered form of autism, called Asperger’s Syndrome. “All I knew of autism was characters that didn’t talk and were sent away to the state school,” Robison said. Regardless, he picked up a book on Asperger’s by Dr. Tony Attwood. Instantly, Robison was able to relate to symptoms described in the book. “I opened up the book and it was the most shocking thing,” Robison said. “For me to look at that and see people with Asperger’s have good language skills but they can’t read the body language of other people. People with Asperger’s have difficulty looking other people in the eye. And all my life I had heard stuff like that. People would say that to me and I never knew why. And seeing the traits of Asperger’s in Dr. Attwood’s book, it was the most magical and empowering revelation.” The book outlined behaviors that Robison later learned to target and repress as a means of controlling his disability. Gradually, people began to reach out to him, and Robison found himself making friends for the first time. “I always looked at the world as an outsider, but suddenly, with the knowledge of Asperger’s, I was welcomed in,” he said. Robison wrote the memoir “Look Me in the Eye” to express the way Asperger’s patients experience the world. However, its enthusiastic reception suggested that his experience was not unique. “The thing that was amazing was that I thought I was writing a story that told how people like me are different from everyone else,” Robison said. “What’s
What is
. . .
Asperger’s
Syndrome?
An Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism affects individuals in different ways, but general symptoms include impairments in speech or communication skills that are usually recognizable from an early age. The disorder can affect the individual’s motor skills as well, and those affected are usually less likely to make eye contact and may have a fixation on specific parts of objects. Individuals with autism sometimes lack interests in developing relationships with their peers as well, and can sometimes lack the desire to engage in make-believe play.
. . .
How is it different from classic autism?
Asperger’s syndrome is, in many ways, a milder form of classic autism. Whereas those with autism do not attempt to create relationships, children with Asperger’s syndrome attempt to have interactions with others, though they may have difficulty understanding conventional social rules. Asperger’s syndrome does not usually affect language and communication skills as severely as classic autism. In fact, those with Asperger’s usually have a good handle on language skills without a speech delay.
INFORMATION COURTESY OF AUTISM SOCIETY AND NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE Graphic by katie demeria / THE FLAT HAT
remarkable about the story is not that I describe different feelings, but that I guess it showed the world that autistic people like us have the same feelings as everyone else, we just express them differently.” The Neurodiversity Working Group consists of faculty, staff, administrators, students and alumni. “We came together with a common interest of thinking about autism on the
College campus,” Associate Professor of History and American Studies Karin Wulf said. While this was the group’s only event this year, plans for next semester are already underway. “One of the things that we’re interested in developing next academic year is a research panel, inviting researchers potentially from NIH as well
as having conversations with William and Mary faculty,” Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience Program Director Josh Burk said. The goal of the group is to bring awareness of disabilities to the College and support to the students they affect. “We want to support students on the autism spectrum and their peers who can learn from them,” Wulf said.
opinions
Opinions Editor Ellen Wexler fhopinions@gmail.com
The Flat Hat | Tuesday, April 20, 2012 | Page 5
Editorial cartoon
Staff Editorial
Addressing apathy A
Keeping up with the competition: Emphasizing STEM education in these areas. This gives these teachers the chance to learn more about the College’s own STEM programs and experience the facilities that the College has to offer. By holding the programs every year, the College is able to create solid relationships with teachers who always return to take part in the program. This creates a mutually Flat HaT Editorial Writer beneficial relationship in which the teachers are able to learn about new and creative ways to teach STEM classes, and in return, the teachers are more likely to recommend The College of William and Mary has always been known the College to their own STEM students. This will increase for its history and therefore has developed the reputation competitiveness to attend the College, which will boost the as a school with a focus on the humanities. Regardless, not standing in all degrees from the College. all students walk around quoting Chaucer, theorizing about Furthermore, this program provides a cohesive tie Kant or reciting the U.S. Constitution. The College has wellbetween the College’s School of Arts and Sciences and respected science and math departments. It is important School of Education. Not only, then, does this program that the College strives to emphasize these occasionally strengthen the College’s reputation in STEM areas, but it also overlooked areas in order to break down the inaccurate endorses the School of Education’s status among educators. stereotype that it is an institution only developed for the arts. As the College works continuously to improve its This importance is increased by the fact that more and more attention is being placed on education in science, technology, reputation, it must be able to follow through with STEM education. The emphasis on increasing STEM education engineering and mathematics. The focus on STEM education began with encouragement in the United States does not seem to be disappearing quickly, so the College needs to make from the U.S. government after the sure that it is doing everything possible 2006 Programme for International to meet this trend in education. Student Assessment comparison Not all students walk around In no way am I suggesting that the ranked the U.S. 21 and 25 out of 30 quoting Chaucer, theorizing College ignore the humanities — as developed countries in science and about Kant or reciting the an English and linguistics double math respectively. Currently, the White U.S. Constitution. major myself, that would be nearly House is sponsoring a movement called blasphemous. The College is a liberal Educate to Innovate, which shifts the focus of education toward STEM fields. As a response to this arts institution; it should emphasize all areas of education movement, education at all levels has focused on improving equally. It will probably never be known as an engineering powerhouse like Virginia Tech, but that isn’t the image the country’s standings in these fields. that the College needs to promote. Instead, it needs to As education promotes these fields, the College must be foster the image that it can provide a strong education prepared to do the same by promoting its science and math departments in order to break its humanities-only stereotype. for students in all subject areas, so that a degree from the College will carry significant weight in any field — not only The STEM-outreach summer programs are working to in the humanities. break down that stereotype by hosting K-12 science and technology teachers at workshops dedicated to improving Email Elizabeth DeBusk at epdebusk@email.wm.edu.
Elizabeth DeBusk
“
“
The staff editorial represents the opinion of The Flat Hat. The editorial board, which is elected by The Flat Hat’s section editors and executive staff, consists of Katherine Chiglinsky, Elizabeth DeBusk, Katie Demeria, Jill Found and Vanessa Remmers. The Flat Hat welcomes submissions to the Opinions section. Limit letters to 250 words and columns to 650 words. Letters, columns, graphics and cartoons reflect the view of the author only. Email submissions to fhopinions@gmail.com.
Comments @theflathat
Street Beat
What do you think about living in off campus housing?
“I really don’t think there are that many options close to campus that are economical.”
Caleb Helsley ’14
“I love off campus housing. You can have as much campus presence as you want and you have a place to go if you don’t want to be on campus.” Chris Shay ’13
“I tried living off campus. It’s really hard here because you don’t find out what’s available early enough.” Allison Yamagata ’14
“ “
Some things are foundational. The W&M Honor Code is one of them ... The Honor Code must not be changed to make it ‘easy’ or ‘relevant.’ What it teaches is foundational to maintaining an orderly civil society.
“[Living on campus] is a lot easier, especially if you have good options like Jamestown. Why not live closer?” Ian Anderson ’15
“ “
By Molly Adair, Flat Hat Cartoonist
pathy seems to have been one of the main themes plaguing campus organizations over the past year. From problems in the Student Assembly to student turnout at Williamsburg City Council meetings, students’s motivation to become involved is dwindling. A proposed change to the Student Handbook seeks to address this issue in the Student Conduct Council at the College of William and Mary. The proposed change will remove class quotas from the council’s selection process to ensure the most dedicated and committed students are selected regardless of social class. As one of the most important and powerful student organizations on campus, all of the members of the Student Conduct Council need to be committed to taking their positions seriously. There are some serious issues with allowing the selection of a potentially young and uninformed council. After witnessing the problems with the way the SA presidential election was conducted earlier in the semester, many of which were the result of inexperience on the part of the election officials, we’re hesitant to see the social class quotas lifted. Given that the Student Conduct Council is one of the most influential bodies on campus, however, we trust that all members of the council receive intensive and comprehensive training in the code prior to assuming their positions. After all, becoming a member of the Student Conduct Council is no small feat. If this new method for selecting the most driven members is successful, we believe that the members will be hard-working and responsible enough to complete a thorough training. The key to this proposal is that it relies on diligent efforts on the part of the students involved. If students feel that they are being underrepresented without these regulations, perhaps they should consider what they have done as individuals to guarantee their voices are heard. The Student Conduct Council is an essential part of the College, and as such, it should not have to scrape the bottom of the barrel just to have enough members from one social class. This proposal is just one example of an attempt to make the student body on this campus work more efficiently. If this particular change is implemented successfully, other student organizations may need to consider similar changes. In order to have a functional and useful group, all members need to be willing to contribute and do their share in all assigned tasks. As students, we must take an active role and active interest in our campus. At the very least, we all pay tuition — we should all care to some extent. Everyone at the College is busy but simply taking the time to read and discuss the proposed changes to the Student Handbook is a start. These are changes that will affect the entire student body at the College. Students need to make themselves aware of all of the proposed policy changes for the Student Handbook and make informed decisions as to whether they support these proposals. If not, then they really don’t have a leg to stand on if they complain about something later.
—OldVirginian on “Honor Code overhaul advised”
Allowing people to exercise their constitutional right to arm and protect themselves may go a bit further in improving safety ... Instead, prohibiting students from lawfully carrying firearms assures criminals that college students are defenseless.
— photos and interviews bY Ellen Wexler
—Veritas76 on “On the right track”
When attempting to keep students motivated, dynamic professors are the key Elaine Oestreich Flat Hat Staff Columnist
While many students can identify a moment in college when a faculty member helped develop their interests, or when they became excited by a certain topic or discipline, some studies are finding a decline in motivation as students continue through college. The big question is, where does motivation come from, and how can it be fostered? Based on recent studies, the most important factor is faculty. Given my experience so far at the College of William and Mary, this finding resonates with me. I am an accounting major, so the subject matter in my classes
is not always the most thrilling. It doesn’t help that there are numerous inaccurate stereotypes about accounting that affect students before taking even one class. However, the Introduction to Accounting class that I took as a freshman is a perfect example of the theories presented in the motivation studies. I was lucky enough to have professor Jim Irving for my first accounting class, and he definitely fostered my interest in accounting and made me feel excited about going to class every week. I know he had a similar effect on a lot of students and created a starting point for their interest in the subject, since many later became accounting majors. As much as I enjoy accounting now, I’m not sure I would have been as motivated to work through the often dense and tedious material had I not had an inspirational, exciting experience with my first class. It makes sense to have professors
who are particularly effective in motivating students teach introductory courses, where they can reach more students. Freshman year is a very important time for students; their experiences, especially in academics, will affect whether they decide to stay for the remaining three years, what they might major in, and how successful they can be. However, given some of the studies’ findings that motivation begins to drop off in the later years of college, I think it’s also important to place dynamic professors strategically in upper-level classes in order to maintain the initial level of interest and motivation that students display earlier. I am very thankful that my experiences with accounting professors in upper-level classes have continued to be highly motivating. However, in some other classes, I have had detached professors at both the introductory and upper levels who
have failed to motivate me. The bottom line is that facultystudent interaction is incredibly important to a student’s success and motivation, and therefore it is similarly important to the College. I believe most of our faculty truly care about their students and want to
interact with them in order to motivate them as much as possible. Moving forward, this should be an area on which the College continues to focus in order to ensure the continued success of our community. Email Elaine Oestreich at ecoestreich@email.wm.edu.
Graphic by Rachel Brooks / the Flat hat
variety
Variety Editor Abby Boyle Variety Editor Sarah Caspari flathat.variety@gmail.com
The Flat Hat | Friday, April 20, 2012 | Page 6
The Crust specializes in creating a student-friendly atmosphere
ALL PHOTOS BY ANITA JIANG / THE FLAT HAT
The Crust, located in Tribe Square, has created a College-friendly atmosphere by both hiring students and acting as an entertainment venue on weekends. In addition to providing lunch and dinner, the restaurant has hosted events including DJ nights, musical performances, and Greek date parties since its opening.
BY MEREDITH RAMEY FLAT HAT ASSOC. NEWS EDITOR
While the name may not give you an appetite, students at the College of William and Mary are flocking to The Crust for their pizza fix. Whether it’s a Saturday lunch, a Tuesday dinner or a thirsty Thursday DJ night, The Crust always appears to have a student or two hanging around (and I’m not counting the employees). Student groups and Greek organizations are hosting events at The Crust more frequently. Tab nights, band performances, Greek date parties, a capella performances and even recruitment luncheons have all taken place there in the last few weeks alone. “One of the biggest criticisms you have about William and Mary is that there’s not a lot to do,” Nikolai Morse ’15 said. “I think that these new restaurants like The Crust solve a lot of that problem and give students another option besides the three delis and Wawa.” The Crust offers a variety of promotions to increase its popularity among students. Some of these include a “Create Your Own Drink” option as well as $2.50
cocktail nights and $3 off pitchers on Thursday nights. The Crust is also a versatile establishment, catering to those seeking a delicious meal while also providing a fun bar and dance scene late into the evening. Unlike some of the other bars in Williamsburg, The Crust allows underage students to continue enjoying the nightlife, just without drinking the alcohol. “It’s very different than any other venue within walking distance,” Crust employee Melanie Levine ’13 said. Emily Wilson ‘13 agreed, commenting on the atmosphere of the restaurant as a whole. “It’s a nice little environment. I always find someone I can say ‘Hi’ to,” Wilson said. “It’s like a little subset of the William and Mary community.” The events themselves aren’t the only things making The Crust a topic of conversation, however. The restaurant is College-friendly, something students do not hear as often as they would like. The company predominantly hires students from the College and has been working to create a studentfriendly atmosphere. “Working for The Crust is really fun. They hire mostly students,” Levine said. “The CEO and CFO
are really open to hearing the ideas of the students.” Levine helps plan and schedule many of the events hosted at The Crust each weekend. The Crust managers received her name through the College administration over the summer before the restaurant opened in the fall. “Restaurants can be really uptight,” employee Tiffany Daughtery ’13 said. “The Crust is really laid back … They really understand that you’re a student.” Students also appreciate the fact that the waiters and bartenders at the restaurant are mostly students and friends. “Tip well. These are students too, and they work hard,” Wilson said. The establishment caters to a variety of tastes, boasting a thriving bar scene as well as a cozy outdoor firepit. “The pizza is great, especially compared to campus food,” Cristina Dubchuk ’13 said. Fellow employee Matt Schofield ’12 agreed, adding that it’s nice working in an area where students come both to work and hang out. “You’re getting paid to come in and hang out with your friends,” Schofield said.
ABE’S S E L F
Part time servers are needed for the casual and fine dining venues at our retirement community located in the New Town section of Williamsburg. Email your resume to wmdcareers@vumh.org or download an application from www.winsdormeade.org
S T O R A G E
Store your stuff with us! We are a 1/2 mile from you! Call for Student Specials!
(757) 221-7201 abesselfstorage.com
WindsorMeade of Williamsburg 3900 Windsor Hall Drive Williamsburg, VA 23188 (757) 941-3615
5435 Richmond Rd. (Route 60) Behind Carolina Furniture and across the street from the Moose Lodge
RUINED Friday, April 20, 2012
The Flat Hat
CONFUSION CORNER
The four people you meet at the College Jason Rogers
Page 7
confusion corner columnist
I believe there’s a book out there called “The Five People You Meet in Heaven.” I think there was also a Hallmark Channel movie of the same name. I don’t know — I refuse to be a slave to the paper industry, and I don’t care for movies about particularly brave golden retrievers. However, my understanding is that the story tells of the five types of people you will encounter there. Clever title notwithstanding, it got me thinking: Who are the four people you’d meet at the College of William and Mary if you were an incoming freshman? What professors, athletes, staff or students would greet you at the Bricky Gates? The first person you meet at the College is the griffin. No, I’m kidding, the griffin sucks. The first person you meet is the Embittered Caf Worker. He may be leaning a few feet back from the serving line, crossing his arms and looking at you, daring you to make him do his job. You may smile at him; it won’t help. You may ask him how his day went; he won’t answer. He’ll just growl a gruff, “Whatchu want?” and sidle up to the mashed potatoes like an old cowboy to the bar. You’ll cheerfully request meat. You won’t receive meat; instead you’ll receive the dry cauliflower at the end because “ain’t nobody else eatin’ it.” If you protest, he’ll scowl at you until you leave. Walking away, disappointed, you’ll see him make no attempt to hide the fact that he and the rest of the workers are now laughing at you. The second person you’ll meet is the Guy Who Was Cool In High School. Never seen far from his “Clover Hill Lacrosse” pinny or his “Senior Class 2013: We’re Sexy and We Know It!” t-shirt, you want to punch this kid in the face, grab him by the collar and scream, “The real world doesn’t have lunch periods or spirit weeks!” and then go weep quietly under a research paper. He is always quick with a story about his favorite teacher, Mr. Rickman, and how it’s cool that Mr. Rickman wasn’t like other teachers, and other anecdotes you can’t even pretend to care about. Some private school kids will harp about how prestigious their school was; remind them that your education was free and that you’re both here. Some public school kids will brag about how tough their high school was and how many altercations occurred; remind them how to spell altercations. The third person you’ll meet is Bro McFrat. Mr. McFrat has J.Crew shorts in every color of the pastel rainbow and never met a Sperry he didn’t like. He can tell you why George Bush was more of a bro than Bill Clinton and when the Dow last broke 12,000. He’ll dismiss your iPhone as “a toy for kids and housewives” and mock your gorgeous cargo shorts. Remind him that Zac Brown is just a fat guy with a beard, and he should leave you alone. The fourth and final person you’ll meet at the College is the Professor Learning English While Teaching Science. Nothing reminds you more of the fact that you’re paying tens of thousands of dollars for your education than a professor who, far from having mastered the English language, appears to be locked in mortal combat with it. I understand the Eastern Bloc only fell 20 years ago and free choice still scares you, but if you can’t properly conjugate or pronounce “respond,” don’t expect me to do it well. Even if I do giggle every time you say hypotenuse. No, the College is not heaven. It’s more like purgatory, with everyone waiting for Holy Reveley to decide when it’s time for us to move on. However, there are far worse places to spend four years, and far worse people with whom to spend them. For all their idiosyncrasies, the people of the College are some of the most interesting you’re ever likely to meet. Hypotenuse. Jason Rogers is a Confusion Corner columnist and he always had to eat cauliflower whenever he ordered meat at the Caf.
ALL PHOTOS BY HAYLEY TYMESON / THE FLAT HAT
“Ruined,” the last mainstage show of the season, will be performed this weekend in Phi Beta Kappa Hall. The Pulitzer Prize-winning play was written by Lynn Nottage and deals with the repercussions of violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The play is based on interviews with real Congolese women.
Play makes a commentary on exploitation in the Congo BY IAN GOODRUM FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER
Unspeakable horrors are spoken with chilling regularity in “Ruined,” Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer Prize-winning account of life in a Congolese brothel, and what’s most surprising about the repeated retellings of commonplace atrocities is the power each utterance contains. The crimes committed against these women are so sickening that there is no way for the mind to process them as anything but monstrous aberrations of common human decency, yet the characters have experienced it all. Family murdered? Children kidnapped? Your very womanhood “ruined?” Have another beer, my friend. The band plays on. However, the raw, unflinching monologues of the victims in “Ruined” only make up a portion of the play’s shocking strength. By structuring the action in a traditional dramatic arc, Nottage removes any extraneous concerns about formality or experimentation and makes the focal point of the drama these women and their appalling treatment by men. We are eyewitnesses to the dissolution of any comfort that could be found in Mama Nadi’s (a mesmerizing Tamara
Middleton ’14) pleasure palace, as the ravages of civil unrest find their way into the bar and take hold for good. The affiliation of the troops in Nadi’s brothel is of no consequence, as men from each side take turns one-upping each other for the most stomach-turning act of war when not abusing the girls offered. More than the Belgian chocolates Nadi enjoys or the uncut diamond she covets as an “insurance policy,” this is the legacy of colonialism: The unending pillaging of the Congolese people by their own countrymen. Artisia Green’s production is a taut, capable rendering of this awful reality and an especially worthy send-off for the theater, speech, and dance department’s 2011-2012 season. Anchored by Middleton’s simultaneously warm and hard-hearted turn as Nadi, “Ruined” is at times lacking in empathy but all the better to drive home the struggles of the very real people the characters represent. The stories of women like Salima (Bria Brown-Farris ’15), taken from her home by soldiers who killed her infant child, are if anything sanitized disclosures of far worse wrongs. Brown-Farris is a dynamo of vengeful and righteous anger and becomes the tragic nexus of “Ruined,” more so than even Leah
W&M Class of ’83
Beyer ’14’s Sophie, whose heinous abuse lends the play its title. Salima’s suffering is unfettered and emotional; Sophie hurts silently, masking her shame and revulsion behind her songs and education. The revelation of her torment is a quiet admission, one almost whispered for fear of giving her anguish ground in the battle for her sanity. It’s a set of performances that runs the gamut of reaction to the despicable, made better by a supporting cast dedicated and determined to provide context for the three main actresses. If you’ve been counting the synonyms for “disgusting” I’ve used thus far, you’ve realized this is not a light evening at the theater. These graphic portrayals of the revolting day-to-day in the Congo barely scratch the surface of the truth the characters signify, but as a piece of theater that relates such cruelty in a barely-palatable manner for a mainstream audience, “Ruined” is a powerful work of art. Going to a play won’t bring back Salima’s daughter or fix the irreparable damage done to women like Sophie each day in the Congo, but it will, perhaps, convince us to do something for the people lucky enough to have survived, and try to prevent similar atrocities in the future.
sports SPORTS IN BRIEF
Sports Editor Mike Barnes Sports Editor Jared Foretek flathatsports@gmail.com
The Flat Hat | Friday, April 20, 2012 | Page 8
BASEBALL
4
quick hits
w&m tribe
13
ecu pirates
tim tebow
new york jets qb
Tebow to be Colonial All-Pro Football Camp instructor After being booed at Yankee Stadium, New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow will head back south of the Mason Dixon Line — where he was much better-received at an Easter speech in Texas — for the Colonial All-Pro Football Camp at Zable Stadium June 24-27. The always-divisive Tebow will be joined by some of the NFL’s top receiving talent in Arizona Cardinals wideout Larry Fitzgerald and Super Bowl Champion New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz. The camp is held for players as young as 8 and as old as rising seniors in high school. Guest instructors from previous years include New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, Saints safety Darren Sharper ‘97 and others.
jeremy lin
new york knicks guard
Lina Yeh ’12 creates YouTube campaign to woo Jeremy Lin Lina Yeh ‘12 is just weeks from her sorority’s senior formal and still without a date. But the member of Kappa Delta isn’t settling. Yeh made a YouTube video asking New York Knicks superstar Jeremy Lin to her big night. The video, complete with cameos from College president Taylor Reveley, women’s basketball forward junior Emily Correall and Wawa Pam, quickly went viral after being posted Sunday. As of Thursday evening, it had over 59,500 views. As for Lin, who rose NBA journeyman benchwarmer to Beatles-like fame with a streak of dominant performances in early February, he’ll have to make time amidst a busy rehab schedule if he wants to attend after suffering a meniscus tear that’s kept him sidelined since March 25.
Carolina blues
JARED FORETEK / THE FLAT HAT
Senior right fielder Tadd Bower went 1 for 3 with a walk and a strikeout in Wednesday’s game against East Carolina. The College ultimately succumbed to the Pirate offense in the 13-4 final.
Rough sixth inning haunts Tribe as East Carolina deals College 13-4 loss BY MIKE BARNES FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR
B
aseball, like any other game played at a Division I level, has an extremely small margin of error. One swing can change everything — and a close game can instantly be blown open. William and Mary experienced this phenomenon Wednesday night in Greenville, N.C. The Tribe was tied with host East Carolina 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning when the complexion of the game suddenly changed. The Pirates reeled off eight runs in the bottom of the sixth, spurred by a sacrifice fly by ECU’s Ben Fultz, which scored Jay Cannon. ECU never looked back, downing the Tribe by a convincing 13-4 final. With the loss, the College falls to 24-16 on the season while the Pirates advanced to 26-10-1 on the year. Junior pitcher Matt Wainman (3-4) took the loss for the College. Wainman put in five largely flawless innings of work, but ultimately faltered in the sixth. ECU’s Andy Smithmyer earned the win by pitching six innings of relief, improving to 3-2 on the year. The game began on a positive note for the College. The Tribe’s leadoff hitter, junior second baseman Kevin Nutter, began with a single. Junior centerfielder Ryan Brown followed with a single to the right side, allowing Nutter to move to second base. Sophomore third baseman Ryan Lindemuth grounded out, but Brown and Nutter advanced to second and third, respectively. Freshman first baseman Michael Katz grounded out, but Nutter was able to beat the throw and score the first run of the day. Shortly thereafter, Brown scored on a passed ball, giving the College a 2-0 advantage. The Pirates then pulled starting pitcher Deshorn Lake, fearing that the game would get too far out of hand. Smithmyer entered the game for East Carolina, and quickly got freshman rightfielder Josh Smith to fly out. Smithmyer and the rest of the Pirates’ staff would ensure the Tribe would not score another run until the eighth inning. The Pirates responded in the bottom of the first. Cannon
flied out to center on a sacrifice fly, bringing in Jack Reinheimer and cutting the Tribe lead to 2-1. Reinheimer was the last run scored before both teams fell into a period of meager offensive production. Neither team would score again until the fifth inning, as both sides used capable pitching to retire batters with ease, halting any momentum. ECU struck again first. The Pirates’s Corey Thompson singled, but advanced to second base, which allowed Sam King, who was previously on second base, to score. King’s score was aided by a pair of errors on the same play by the Tribe. With the score knotted at 2-2, the teams entered the sixth inning. The College’s portion of the inning went quickly, as senior left fielder Tadd Bower recorded a hit, but was caught stealing second base. The Pirates, however, would not leave the sixth inning empty handed. After Cannon scored on Fultz’s sac fly, Wainman struck out another Pirates player, giving ECU two outs. Despite being one out away from ending the inning, the Pirates would score seven more runs. King singled to left field, allowing ECU to score another. Wainman would exit in favor of senior Chris Yates, who surrendered six more runs before the inning ended. After a scoreless Tribe seventh, East Carolina would add two more runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. The College would go on to score a run in both the eighth and ninth innings, leading to the eventual 13-4 final score. Despite the disappointing sixth inning, the College was competitive and played well against the Pirates. The College hopes to shake off the loss quickly, as the squad returns to conference play in a three game set against Virginia Commonwealth in Richmond starting this Friday.
COMMENTARY
Inside the numbers: Tribe enters the home stretch Jared Foretek
Flat Hat Sports editor
The major league season has just kicked off , but William and Mary is nearing the homestretch of its 2012 campaign with a one-game hold on the final playoff spot in the CAA. With 12 conference games remaining — 16 games left overall — before the CAA Tournament, we break down the year that has been so far and what’s still to come as the Tribe attempts to make a post-season push. Home is where the heart is
Plumeri Park has been kind to head coach Frank Leoni’s squad this season, but the team’s play hasn’t travelled well. The Tribe holds a 16-6 record at home
but is just 8-10 on the road. Some of that can definitely be attributed to the way non-conference schedules are typically organized, in which the team of lower stature usually travels — contrast the Tribe’s four-game home sweep of the New York Insititute of Technology with the way it dropped three straight in Gainesville against Florida. The College will have to find a way to win on the road with its last series of the year coming at second-place Hofstra and the CAA Tournament being held in Harrisonburg. Closing time
Fans who don’t have the time for all nine and like to beat the traffic love this Tribe team. A late College lead has been good as gold all year, thanks in large part to junior closer John Farrell, who boasts a 1.71 ERA, 24 strikeouts to just seven walks, and leads the team with seven saves. The Tribe has an outstanding 22-2 record when leading after six innings and has lost just one game all season when
leading through seven. Power on the corners
When opponents scout the Tribe, their attention undoubtedly turns to the men on the corners. Sophomore third baseman Ryan Lindemuth has been knocking the cover off the ball all season, with a team-leading .358 AVG — good for eighth in the conference — an outstanding .459 OBP, four home runs and 33 RBIs, a total only second to freshman first baseman Michael Katz. Slotted in the clean-up spot from opening day, Leoni has asked a lot of the rookie and he hasn’t disappointed, slugging his way to team-highs in home runs (8) and RBIs (42) while posting an impressive .311 AVG and a .534 SLG. He’ll have plenty of time to do so, but Katz could learn to develop more patience at the plate, having walked just 18 times with a .379 OBP — a number that becomes less impressive when considering his high average.
It’s all in the rotation
Anchored by senior righty Matt Davenport, the College features perhaps the best pitching staff in the conference. Davenport’s been lights-out all year, with a 1.80 ERA and an incredible .787 WHIP, but he’s hardly alone in that regard. The team’s 2.90 ERA is the lowest in the CAA and opponents’s .232 AVG against the Tribe is also the lowest number in the CAA. Not quite elite
On paper, the College looks like it should be among the best in the conference in terms of record. But after nearing the peak on a few different occasions, the Tribe has been unable to truly get over the hump and position itself alongside the CAA’s elite ballclubs. Back in early April, the Tribe was rolling along on a four-game win streak — having recently taken two of three from fifth-placed Towson — entering a threegame homeset with Delaware, to whom the Tribe was tied in the standings.
But the College has struggled to pull out close games all season — it’s 4-8 in one-run games and 1-3 in tworun games — and Delaware was no different, as the Blue Hens snatched two of three from the Tribe, 16-14 and 7-6. Then, just last weekend, the team fell in two of three to Georgia State, losing both games by just one run. Looking ahead
The Tribe’s positioning could be drastically different when the regular season is said and done. Of its remaining four conference series, two will be against the top two squads in the league — May 10-12 at home against UNC-Wilmington and the season-ending road series with Hofstra. The College is within just two games of third-place George Mason, so plenty remains up for grabs, but those two series in particular will tell us exactly where this Tribe squad will — and should — stand.