The Flat Hat, January 28

VARIETY >> PAGE 5

SPORTS >> PAGE 8

American Sign Language club hopes to introduce a new language to the student body.

Landon Funiciello excels as a gymnast and now looks to become a leader.

Leader in the works

Sign of the times

Vol. 103, Iss. 30 | Tuesday, January 28, 2014

The Flat Hat The Twice-Weekly Student Newspaper

STUDENT LIFE

of The College of William and Mary

Free speech:

VIRGINIA

a fine line

College receives “green light” on speech regulation policies Matters of free speech are not always black and white — this year, at the College of William and Mary, they were green. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education gave the College a “green light” in its annual assessment of university policies regarding speech regulation.

In order to receive a green light — the highest possible rating — a school must have no written policies which threaten free speech. This year, only 3.7 percent of the schools reviewed received a green light.

Out of 427 reviewed schools, 58.6 percent received a red light, meaning their speech codes contained at least one clear restriction of free speech or access to the school’s speech policies.

35.6 percent received a yellow light,

which means their codes had policies “that could be interpreted to suppress protected speech” or that “clearly … restrict only narrow categories of speech.” The remaining 2.1 percent of schools were not rated.

Chief Compliance Officer Kiersten Boyce expressed surprise that so few schools received green light ratings.

“We and many other institutions do pay quite a bit of attention to this study and issues that may be raised by FIRE, which … makes me find it surprising that so many institutions have not made much progress in getting out of the red zone,” Boyce said.

The problem, for many schools, seems to be striking a balance between preserving free speech and protecting students’ wellbeing. Many speech codes were criticized by FIRE for See SPEECH page 3

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BY SARAH CASPARI FLAT HAT ASSOC. VARIETY EDITOR

Attorney general challenges samesex marriage ban Herring refuses to defend law

BY ARIEL COHEN FLAT HAT CHIEF STAFF WRITER

Newly inaugurated Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring filed a brief last week pronouncing Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriages unconstitutional.

Refusing to defend the state law, Herring said he would support same-sex couples that have filed lawsuits challenging the ban.

If Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriage is eventually overturned, same-sex couples could wed in Virginia, and the College of William and Mary would potentially be able to offer samesex partner benefits to faculty and staff. At present, the College operates on the state’s health plan, which does not extend such benefits. The faculty assembly wrote a resolution advocating same-sex partner benefits Herring last fall.

Herring voted for the same-sex marriage ban in 2006.

Eight years later, he has deemed his previous opinion unconstitutional.

“Attitudes change and people change,” Marshall-Wythe School of Law Professor Neal Devins said. “Things that

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WHAT IS FIRE?

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According to its website, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education’s mission is to defend individuals’ rights at United States colleges and universities.

The group focuses on campus rights in four different areas: freedom of speech and expression; religious liberty and freedom of association; freedom of conscience; and due process and legal equality.

— Flat Hat News Editor Abby Boyle

CO

Flathatnews.com | Follow us:

ROAD TO RICHMOND College of William and Mary students, faculty and the Student Assembly will venture to Richmond this month in their annual Road to Richmond campaign.

SA President Chase Koontz ’14 promoted the event in an email to the student body yesterday. Participants will head to Richmond by bus Thursday, Jan. 30 at 6 a.m. to join Virginia state senators and delegates for breakfast in the Capitol building. After the meal, selected participants will discuss the College’s legislative stance and goals with select members of the Virginia state government.

According to Koontz, the participants plan to return to campus by early afternoon. An information session for the trip will take place today, Jan. 28, at 8 p.m. in the Board of Visitors Meeting Room in Blow Hall. The event is open to all and those with questions can contact the organizing team at roadtorichmond2014@gmail.com.

— Flat Hat Managing Editor Meredith Ramey

COURTESY PHOTO / THEFIRE.ORG

VIRGINIA

Creigh Deeds speaks out for mental health system reform Senator introduces legislation to change state mental health services in light of son’s November suicide

BY ROHAN DESAI FLAT HAT ASSOC. NEWS EDITOR

State Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath, is speaking out about the need to address mental health statewide following the death of his son Austin “Gus” Deeds Nov. 19.

Two months ago, Gus, a former College of William and Mary student, stabbed the senator in the chest and head before taking his own life.

Gus, who struggled with bipolar disorder, was placed under six-hour emergency custody order the day before the attack but was later released from the Bath County Hospital, as there were no psychiatric beds available and he was not deemed suicidal at the time.

Deeds, who recently appeared on “60 Minutes” and remarked that many who struggle with mental health issues “struggle in silence,” said he believes that the system failed his son.

“It’s clear that the system failed. … It killed Gus,” Deeds said.

In light of these events, Deeds has introduced

Index News Insight News

Opinions Variety Variety Sports Sports

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legislation to the new General Assembly session, pushing to change mental health services in Virginia. The legislation would increase the period a patient could be placed under emergency medical orders from six to 24 hours, granting doctors ample time to evaluate patients.

If passed, the bill would also create a statewide registry for available psychiatric beds as well as require that the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services review workers responsible for evaluating the state of mental health patients.

There is a nation-wide shortage of both psychiatrists and space in hospitals. Adding to the problem, insurances companies often refuse to pay for mental health coverage if the patient is not an eminent threat to himself or to others, ignoring the extended periods of time in which patients often need to be cared for.

Deeds said this incident is a much-needed opportunity to address mental health statewide.

See DEEDS page 3

Inside OPINIONS

Inside SPORTS

The MRS degree hasn’t gone away

Some women are still attending college solely to find a husband, and that’s incredibly problematic. page 4 Snow High 23, Low 18

COURTESY PHOTO / CBS.COM

State Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath, appeared on “60 Minutes” this week to discuss his push for mental health system reform.

Tribe storms back for win

Junior guard Marcus Thornton hit a buzzer-beater Saturday before the College overcame a haltime deficit to down the College of Charleston Monday. page 8

newsinsight “

The Flat Hat

| Tuesday, January 28, 2014 | Page 2

THE BUZZ

I can fire a gun into the air … [that] doesn’t mean it’s not going to hit somebody down the way. Was it intended? No. Did it cause harm? Absolutely. So, words are like bullets.

— Health Promotion Specialist Eric Garrison M.A.Ed. ’94 on the misuse of free speech

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THE DIGITAL DAY

News Editor Abby Boyle News Editor Annie Curran fhnews@gmail.com // @theflathat

AROUND THE ‘BURG

LAST WEEK’S “FLAT HAT INSIDER” Visit Flathatnews.com for the latest edition of “The Flat Hat Insider.” WMTV’s Tanner Russo and Mary Kate Winebrenner discuss the latest developments in Darren Sharper’s rape charges, new freshman housing and the addition of Sigma Phi Epsilon and Sigma Alpha Epsilon to fraternity row.

FLAT HAT FLASHBACK “COLLEGE BREAKS WITH POLICY”

Read about how College administrators and students in 1978 reacted to the co-ed housing “experiment” as Taliaferro Hall becomes the first dorm to mix men and women in the online exclusive, “From the Archives.”

A THOUSAND WORDS

COURTESY PHOTO / COLONIALWILLIAMSBURG.COM

The Regency Room and several other local Williamsburg restaurants were named in Coastal Virginia Magazine’s Platinum Plate Awards for 2014.

McDonnells plead not guilty

Republicans respond to Herring’s announcement According to The Washington Post, Republicans have been quick to defend Virginia’s ban of same-sex marriage following Attorney General Mark Herring’s announcement that he would join a lawsuit attempting to declare the ban unconstitutional.

Herring’s strongest opponents have threatened him with legal action due to his “misuse of the office.” The National Organization for Marriage even called for his impeachment. Other Virginia Republicans criticized Herring for going against his promise to not be “an activist attorney general.” Herring’s decision, which has divided politicians, may have made Governor Terry McAuliffe’s bipartisanship mission in Richmond even harder.

Magazine names Williamsburg restaurant the best Coastal Virginia Magazine named The Regency Room in the Williamsburg Inn the top restaurant in Coastal Virginia, the Williamsburg Yorktown Daily reported. In all, 16 Williamsburgarea restaurants received top scores in the magazine’s 2014 Platinum Plate Awards. The magazine referred to the Regency Room’s Executive Chef Travis Brust as a “culinary powerhouse.”

The next Williamsburg restaurants recognized were the Fat Canary at No. 8 and the Blue Talon Bistro at No. 10.

According to the Williamsburg-Yorktown Daily, former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell and his wife Maureen have both pleaded not guilty on all 14 charges brought against them. Authorities charged the McDonnells with asking for gifts in the form of money, clothes, private jet rides and more from businessman Jonnie Williams. In exchange, the former governor allegedly promoted Williams’ new product Antabloc to members of his staff. The McDonnells’ trial date is set for June 28.

Snowfall increases driving hazards According to the Virginia Gazette, the recent snowfall in the Williamsburg area caused a lot of problems for drivers in the area. Georjeane Blumling, a spokeswoman for AAA, said people were “having issues with batteries and sliding off the road.” Most people did not travel Tuesday night or Wednesday, but as soon as people were back on the roads Thursday, the number of calls to AAA jumped to 921. The number of calls dropped Friday to approximately 800.

While the main roads had largely been cleared, secondary roads posed a lot of problems for drivers in the area.

ALISON COHEN / THE FLAT HAT

CORRECTIONS

CITY POLICE BEAT

The Flat Hat wishes to correct any facts printed incorrectly.

Corrections may be submitted by email to the editor of the section in which the incorrect information was printed. Requests for corrections will be accepted at any time.

Jan. 24 — Jan. 26

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Friday, Jan. 24 ­— An individual was arrested for assault and battery on York Street.

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Saturday, Jan. 25 ­— An incident of damaged property occurred on Richmond Road.

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Saturday, Jan. 25 ­—An incident of drug possession occurred on Bypass Road.

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Sunday, Jan. 26 ­— An individual was arrested for attempting to commit a noncapital offense on Richmond Road.

NEWS IN BRIEF Bird species colonizing together

Chancellor to discuss book

Rising coastal waters prompt clinic

After conducting 200 hours of census research in over 900 tributaries in the Chesapeake Bay region, Bryan Watts and Bart Paxton of the Center for Conservation Biology discovered that great blue herons — the largest herons in North America — and bald eagles have been nesting in not only the same areas, but also in the same trees.

Although the great blue heron population has rebounded recently, the number of distinct heron colonies has been declining since the mid-1990s. Evidence suggests that eagles may steal heron chicks from nests to feed their carnivorous offspring.

Robert M. Gates ’65 L.H.D. ’98, former Secretary of Defense and now the College of William and Mary’s Chancellor, recently released a new memoir about his experiences as Secretary of Defense serving under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

The book describes trials and tribulations Gates endured, mentions iconic figures of politics, and discusses world government during his term. Over the course of his service, he dealt primarily with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Gates will present and discuss the book over Charter Day weekend at a free event at the Earl Gregg Swem Library.

A partnership between the Law School and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science’s Center for Coastal Resources Management allows law students to discuss the legal side of water management and policy management with data from the most recent science and analysis of the coastal region at the newlycreated Virginia Coastal Policy Clinic.

Students will gather more investigative and analytical legal knowledge and work with experts in different disciplines. The proximity of the College to the Chesapeake region allows students to look at various legal issues concerning the coastal area.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

The Flat Hat

Page 3

ACADEMICS

Professor designs e-learning course College to offer Principles of Macroeconomics course online for summer enrollment

BY MADELINE BIELSKI FLAT HAT ASSOC. NEWS EDITOR

While students may be accustomed to learning macroeconomics with 100 other students in the halls of Andrews or Millington, economics professor Till Schreiber is moving his course to a digital forum.

Schreiber is currently developing a completely online Principles of Macroeconomics course.

Currently, the College of William and Mary plans to offer the course to students who won’t be on campus but would like to take the class over the summer.

Schreiber said most courses in the economics department are at capacity, especially in introductory courses. One of the hopes is that by providing an easily accessible online version of the Economics 102 course over the summer, more students will have the chance to complete those courses.

“Part of that demand [for ECON 102] can also conveniently, for both the student and the instructor, be met through the online [offering] over the summer … and that might lead to productivity improvements,” Schreiber said.

For Schreiber, one of the challenges of creating a fully online course is making it similar to the course

that is offered in person during the fall and spring semesters.

“The challenge is to [create the online course] in a way that is consistent with the courses that we offer here. The goal of the Dean’s office and of myself and also everyone involved is not to have two versions of the course that differ in difficulty, differ in the way students are assessed, differ in the amount of material presented. … It should be the same course regardless if the student takes it in the classroom here … or [takes] it online,” Schreiber said.

The timeline for Schreiber’s Schreiber course is tight. The goal is to have a beta version of the course available for internal testing in May or June and to have it ready to go live as a pilot program for students in the summer.

Gene Roche, director of University E-learning Initiatives, aids the provost of the College in coordinating programs that involve technology. He said that he thinks technology is changing the way people consume knowledge and hopes that the College can continue to be part of that process.

“The world is experiencing changes in terms of

Deeds calls for change DEEDS from page 1

“We’ll use Gus, I hope, to address mental health and make sure that other people don’t have to suffer through this,” Deeds said.

“If he was hospitalized that night, they could’ve gotten him, medicated him. … I could have gotten him in some kind of long-term care.”

For Deeds, the manner in which mental health is viewed and treated both in Virginia and nationwide

must be changed.

He said he hopes the legislation introduced, which has already been approved

by Senate subcommittees, will address this inequity in mental health.

“There is just a lack of equity in the way we as a society — and certainly as a government and insurance industry, medical industry — the way we look at mental health issues … but the reality is [mental health issues] are everywhere,” Deeds concluded.

KEY PROVISIONS IN THE BILLS • •

• • •

Review requirements for workers evaluating people Increase the amount of time a person can be held against his or her own will on an emergency custody order from six to 24 hours Eliminate the need to ask a magistrate for an extension of an emergency custody order Creation of a mandated database of available psychiatric bed Organize a study of the mental health care system in Va.

the way knowledge is produced and distributed,” Roche said. “A lot [of] folks say the last time we did this was when we learned how to print books. Now we are in something that is as big a change for the future, as printing books was for that [technological revolution]. … The universities are a part of that whole process of producing and distributing knowledge, so we really need to know how we are doing that electronically.”

Dean of Arts and Sciences Kate Conley, has been working on e-learning initiatives in her department.

She said that she sees technology as another way for the College to communicate with its students in a medium with which they are already familiar. “[Students] have grown up with computers — [they’re] very comfortable with [their] online activities, whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, email or texting,” Conley said. “It’s a way of communicating with the students in a medium that is very familiar to them and it is also a way of using the advantage that technology can give us [to expand] the options of what we can do in a course.”

The College does not plan on sacrificing its teaching philosophy when transitioning into the online realm.

“We are approaching e-learning the way we approach all the courses in our curriculum in Arts

and Sciences,” Conley said. “Our number one priority is to have close contact with students, in person, in the classroom, in an experience that is intimate and that involves active exchange between the faculty and students.”

According to Conley, some e-learning initiatives that are being developed to take place during the regular semester at the College will rely on the Conley “flipped classroom” model, which relies both on in-person teaching and online components. The “flipped classroom” still involves an in-person class, but it is supplemented with online homework, lectures and exercises, which will be used for in-class discussions.

Roche said he feels e-learning will help prepare students to face technology’s increasing prominence.

“Whatever [students] do professionally I can almost guarantee that most of [their] professional development over the years will be enhanced electronically. … Part of what we need to do at William and Mary is to make sure we are [teaching students] to make the best of those [technological] resources that are available to them,” Roche said.

Schools restrict free speech

58.6 percent of universities received a ‘redlight’ SPEECH from page 1

restricting free speech in an attempt to curtail harassment.

FIRE’s definition of harassment is “behavior so serious that it would interfere with a reasonable person’s ability to receive his or her education.”

Meanwhile, many schools defined it in much broader terms, thus earning themselves a red light. The University of Connecticut, for example, defines harassment as “actions that intimidate, humiliate, or demean persons or groups, or that undermine their security or self-esteem.”

It can be difficult to draw the distinction between free Garrison speech and harassment, but for Health Promotion Specialist Eric Garrison M.A.D. ’94, it can be as simple as determining whether the statement is true.

“The truth can be harmful or hurting, but that’s not a violation of first amendment speech,” Garrison said. “If there’s truth behind it, even if it hurts the other person, that doesn’t violate free

speech. It’s where we go beyond that and where there’s no truth to back it up.”

The College first received a green light ranking in 2009, and it has maintained it ever since.

In 2011 and 2012, FIRE released lists of the seven best colleges for free speech; the College appeared on both lists. This year, the only other Virginia schools to receive green lights were James Madison University and the University of Virginia.

For Jenna Milstein ’16, one of the best things the College does to preserve free speech is bringing a wide range of speakers to campus.

“I think the College itself does a really good job of promoting free speech and having forums with people to discuss different issues,” Milstein said.

However, while the College ensures that students are free to exercise their First Amendment rights, it may not always be right or moral to do so. Garrison warns that words can be harmful and should be used with care.

“I can fire a gun into the air … [That] doesn’t mean it’s not going to hit somebody down the way. Was it intended? No. Did it cause harm?

Absolutely. So, words are like bullets,” Garrison said.

Herring refuses to defend state law

Plans to support couples challenging marriage ban

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were not discriminatory at one point in time now seem horribly discriminatory today.

A lot of it is also tied to changes in the Democratic Party in general.”

Historically, it is the attorney general’s job to defend the laws of the state. This is not constitutionally required, but rather convention. If the attorney general does not agree with a law or statute and that law is then tested in a court of law, someone else with legal standing in the state can defend it.

“It has happened before, but it is uncommon, especially in Virginia.” Hamilton said, “This attorney general hasn’t been in office for a month yet, and so it’s a strong position to take on this important civil liberty issue.”

William and Larry cofounder Christian Bale ’14 said he views Herring’s refusal to defend the ban as a positive development for the state.

“He’s just going to lend his support — it’s just about political climate,” Bale said.

“It’s good for the College.

It’s this overall mentality in Virginia that equality has come of age right about now. “ According to MarshallWythe School of Law Professor Vivian Hamilton, if the courts find Virginia’s ban on samesex marriage unconstitutional, court clerks may be required to immediately begin issuing

marriage licenses to samesex couples in the state who meet the other requirements for marriage. Therefore, the College would also be required to extend to those couples the same benefits currently provided to legally married heterosexual couples.

Members of the College community have discussed the issue of same-sex partner benefits since the early 1990s.

In 2009, College President Taylor Reveley, along with other Virginia university presidents, wrote to former governor and current Senator Tim Kaine, D-Va., requesting same-sex partner benefits for

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university employees, but the initiative lost steam after Kaine left office.

Last semester, the College revisited the issue. The College’s Faculty Assembly unanimously voted Sept.

24 that the College should extend benefits to employees’ same-sex domestic partners.

The resolution emphasized that over 200 colleges and universities nation-wide currently extend such benefits.

At the moment, the District of Columbia — along with 17 other states — allows for samesex unions. If Virginia were to follow suit, it would be the first state in the south to do so.

As attorney general, I cannot and will not defend a law that violates Virginians’ fundamental constitutional rights.

— Newly elected Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring to The Washington Post about his refusal to defend the constitutional ban on same-sex marriages

COURTESY PHOTO / RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH

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HERRING from page 1

opinions

Opinions Editor Zachary Frank Assoc. Opinions Editor Kaitlan Shaub fhopinions@gmail.com // @fhopinions

The Flat Hat

EDITORIAL CARTOON

| Tuesday, January 28, 2014 | Page 4

STAFF EDITORIAL

Support Herring

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BY BRIAN KAO, FLAT HAT GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Boycott of Israel violates academic freedom oppose the Israeli government and support Palestinian initiatives.

A boycott cuts off communication with Israeli viewpoints — both supportive and critical of Israeli politics — essentially dismantling any opportunity to work toward global justice.

Using the boycott’s logic, it holds that the ASA will move in support of academic boycotts of those countries with policies FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR contrary to its ideals. It holds that the ASA would support a membership that only interacts and studies with those academics who actively support the ASA’s political platforms and social Intellectual freedom and the uninhibited exchange of ideas have agendas. become not only staples of American colleges, but a worldwide In no way does that logic support intellectual freedom and the standard. ability to freely exchange ideas. Letting the boycott stand would The American Studies Association recently spat in the face of force universities to adopt certain political ideologies as a guiding such scholarly ideals, voting to boycott Israeli universities. Following force, no matter how unfair those ideologies are, in order to remain an eight-day deliberation in December, the ASA felt it had an in the ASA and other academic organizations that might follow suit. ethical obligation to support suppressed academics in Palestine by Should the boycott remain in place, the line between politically boycotting Israeli universities. The ASA claimed the latter violated neutral academic study and advocacy becomes blurred. College human rights and impeded the work of Palestinian academic presidents and boards have every right to work toward the studies.

Although the ASA may not be wrong in its accusations of Israel, it is protection of their own. Take, for example, those college presidents who petitioned the U.S. Congress for wrong to boycott Israeli universities. Despite campus gun control following the shooting the ASA’s claims that the boycott is intended The American Studies at Newtown, Conn. to only limit institutional interaction and Association spat in the face of Academic leaders should not become not individual communication between scholarly ideals, voting to boycott involved in politics that do not directly academics, it is unrealistic to believe Israeli universities. affect the pursuits of their colleges. The such a sweeping declaration won’t ASA’s boycott does nothing to protect or affect relationships between academics advance its members and their academic pursuits but instead themselves. hampers potential academic work and solutions.

On the face of it, a boycott from a 4,000-member organization College of William and Mary President Taylor Reveley and wouldn’t ordinarily generate a reaction. The relatively small Provost Michael Halleran’s Jan. 3 rejection of the ASA proposal is association doesn’t impact the academic field substantially and has no official ties to Israeli universities. Still, the ASA has the potential to commendable, but more can and should be done.

The College is an institutional member of the ASA. Luckily, set a dangerous precedent. membership isn’t binding. Academic institutions, including The ASA boycott violates academic freedom; academics’ rights the College, should follow the stead of Bard College, Brandeis to free association disappear alongside any hope of open and free University, Indiana University, Kenyon College and Pennsylvania inquiry and study. If, as the ASA claims, Israeli universities unfairly State University at Harrisburg, all of which withdrew their ASA oppress Palestinian academia, then a parallel curtailment of rights membership. will do nothing to help stop Israel’s alleged abuses.

The ASA boycott handicaps intellectual freedom. The College Rather, the ASA and other academic organizations should foster should not stand for that. global connections with Palestinian and Israeli academics if the eventual goal is, as the ASA states, the pursuit of global justice. Only Email Chris Weber at cmweber@email.wm.edu. through interaction can change come about — hiding behind an VARIETY idealistic boycott does nothing but worsen existing problems.

The ASA wishes to systematically accuse all Israeli universities For The Flat Hat’s coverage of the American Studies of unethical treatment of Palestinian academia. In doing so, the Association’s boycott of Israeli colleges, see page 6.

ASA discredits and ignores those Israeli universities which actively

Chris Weber

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FH

“ “I don’t know anyone who it would affect, but if I knew someone who wanted to [get married] I would support it.”

Kieran Cleary ’14

“I think it’s pretty clear cut that gay marriage should be legal, so anything supporting that, I’m all for it.”

Aaron Buzek ’15

“I agree with it. It’s a step in the right direction.”

Molly Menickelly ’15 ­— PHOTOS AND INTERVIEWS BY KAITLAN SHAUB

Whether a consultation is best conducted over webcam or while sitting together in a room depends on a number of factors including what is most convenient for the person seeking counselling, the subject matter being discussed, risk concerns and the approach that best suits the subject matter under discussion.

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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 Abby Boyle, Matt Camarda, Katherine Chiglinsky, Meredith Ramey and Ellen Wexler. 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

Va. Attorney General Mark Herring announced that he will no longer defend the Va. gay marriage ban, and support a lawsuit against it. How do you feel about this?

ust 12 days after his inauguration, Virginia Attorney Gen. Mark Herring announced he would refuse to defend the Virginia Marriage Amendment — a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage — in federal court. While Herring’s move reflects a national shift toward support for same-sex marriage, that it comes from Virginia is extraordinary. Virginia’s history is rife with legal discrimination overturned by judicial rulings, on issues such as interracial marriage, female admission to Virginia Military Institute and sodomy. We support Herring’s attempt to put Virginia on the right side of history, to help give same-sex couples the legal recognition they deserve. Until full equality is achieved, we urge students of the College of William and Mary to fight for this issue — for their faculty, friends, family and themselves.

The issue of same-sex marriage is hard to ignore especially because most Americans know at least one person who is gay.

This did not used to be the case. Gallup reported in 1998 that 37 percent of Americans had a friend, relative or coworker tell them they were gay. That number in 2013 was 75 percent.

Even if the idea of two men or two women marrying seems unnatural or repulsive, it becomes much harder to say so when you find out your close friend, brother, sister, son or daughter is gay. You don’t want that person to be any less happy than you, nor do you want to deprive them access to an institution central to life itself, and the source of strength and joy for billions.

Rarely do we get the chance to be part of a movement with such a simple purpose, even if the legal roads to achieving it are complex. As College students, participating has and will continue to come in many forms: campaigning, voting, speaking publicly, lobbying the state and serving in student clubs and organizations. The College’s gay-straight alliance William and Larry continues to raise awareness for the lack same-sex domestic partnership benefits for faculty. Thursday, the Student Assembly will sponsor Road to Richmond, an opportunity for students to meet with state legislators to discuss pertinent issues. Students passionate about same-sex marriage and faculty benefits should bring it up in Richmond and remind their representatives that it has been 20 years since the College’s Faculty Assembly first endorsed a proposal to extend benefits to same-sex partners of faculty. Resisting it hurts the faculty and quality of every public school in Virginia, by discouraging certain professors from teaching here.

This is not the first time we have dedicated an editorial to the subject of gay rights. For those already on board, it may seem like we are beating a dead horse. We are not. This issue is far from resolved, nor is it likely to be in the foreseeable future. Although we have an ally in Herring, opposition is still fierce and unrelenting in many states including our own. The fight for marriage equality will be arduous and continue long after people assume it has been resolved completely. That is why we will keep writing about it — for our faculty, friends, family and future.

—ash rehn counselling on “Online therapy is a useful resource, but shouldn’t replace in-person sessions”

Why women should be going to college to get a degree — not a husband Kaitlan Shaub

FLAT HAT ASSOC. OPINIONS EDITOR

I came to the College of William and Mary to marry into old tobacco money, or at least that was the running joke in my Pennsylvanian household.

Unfortunately, this sentiment isn’t always a joke. For some women, the “MRS” degree is still the real objective of a college education, an objective that society pushes women to view as acceptable and, even worse, preferable to the self-betterment of a real degree.

In 2011, Dr. Catherine Hakim of the London School of Economics published a report that showed greater numbers of women choosing to marry men with a

higher earning capacity than themselves than in the 1940s. Call me crazy, but I’m sure this type of trend is completely unrelated to the publishing of books such as Elizabeth Ford and Daniela Drake’s book “Smart Girls Marry Money: How Women Have Been Duped Into The Romantic Dream — And How They’re Paying For It.” It should be clarified that this book doesn’t necessarily say, “Go be a gold digger,” but to tell a woman that she should marry someone who will financially support her isn’t exactly telling her not to be a gold digger, either.

So where exactly can a woman find a man with a high earning capacity?

That’s simple: college.

Society tends to equate higher levels of education with higher earning capacity. The continual search for a bread-winning, educated husband yielded the infamous MRS degree — the

idea that women should go to college not to learn, but to find a husband.

It strikes me as odd that smart women, who attend some of the most esteemed colleges of our country, are willing to buy into this pathetic scheme.

I support the idea of marrying someone who is financially stable; that’s called planning your life. I don’t, however, support the idea of giving up your own motivation to become a contributing member of society just because you find someone who is financially stable — that’s called being lazy.

Books like “Smart Girls Marry Money” only tell women one side of the story: A well-to-do husband may make life a lot easier for you in the long run. They should be telling women that life will be easier both partners are individually financially stable. Relationships with a clear bread-winner aren’t always healthy relationships. Income differences can

lead to financial dependency, which can lead to a whole other array of problems.

Women need to realize that the MRS degree is a cop out. It’s a colossal waste of your money, your professors’ time and your intelligence to go to college for the sole purpose of finding a husband. If you happen to find one while you’re there, good for you, but don’t lose track of the

importance of what an education can do for you, both financially and individually.

So to all the women at the College who have declared their MRS — stop being lazy. You got into this school for a reason, not for a man.

Email Kaitlan Shaub at kcshaub@ email.wm.edu.

GRAPHIC BY DANI ARON-SCHIAVONE / THE FLAT HAT

variety

Variety Editor Áine Cain flathat.variety@gmail.com

The Flat Hat | Tuesday, January 28, 2014 | Page 5

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American Sign Language Club founders seek to teach, bridge barriers with language

BY DALE WOLF THE FLAT HAT

They went to an elite school. They had a professor who proved to be enormously influential.

Before they attended the College of William and Mary, Allison Shomaker ’16 and Merci Best ’17 attended the Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School for Government and International Studies. They took American Sign Language under the tutelage of Ms. Brenda Thornton. And then they brought American Sign Language here.

Last Thursday at 8:00 p.m., nearly 40 people crowded into the third floor lounge of Blow Memorial Hall for the inaugural meeting of the American Sign Language Club. Attendants showed diversity in age, ethnicity and familiarity with the language. The only unifying thread was interest.

“I wanted to learn sign language for a while,” Barclay Sparrow ’17 said. “I’m in theatre and I’m going to try and get involved in theatre for the Deaf.”

Some students came with personal stories.

“I’ve always wanted to learn sign language,” Maggie Skorup ’15 said. “I’m involved with Campus

Buddies and I work with kids with special needs so I thought this would be helpful.”

In addition to being a language for the Deaf, ASL has been documented extensively as benefiting children with autism.

Individuals with all levels of experience in ASL participated in the meeting.

“The turnout was especially encouraging, and I did not feel overwhelmed by the fluent members,” Kelsey Graf ’17 said. “I feel very prepared to learn and I feel like I could really grow in this environment.”

The number of attendees impressed Best, who serves as the club’s president.

“Through the cold snow, people pressed their way to get here,” Best said. “It was very exciting because we had various … levels of signers here: people who didn’t even know sign, people who were fluent. … It was really good to see the wide variety of people who are interested in the club.

It really confirmed that ASL Club needed to be something here at William and Mary.”

Co-founder Shomaker did her research prior to enrolling at the College.

“I checked to see if [the College] offered courses,

or maybe there was already a club, and neither existed. I went a whole year without any ASL, no practice or anything,” she said.

When she learned her friend was coming to the College, they began making plans.

Originally, they intended for the club to meet on a monthly basis; that was before more than three-dozen people showed up to the first meeting.

Currently, Best and Shomaker are planning monthly silent dinners on campus, which would provide opportunities for both fluent and novice signers to practice.

They also want to gauge member interest in making bi-monthly trips to Newport News, Norfolk or Richmond for silent dinners with the Deaf communities there.

“We’re from Richmond,” Best said. “The Richmond Deaf community is very tight-knit. Here in Williamsburg, it’s very spread out. It’s not really prevalent here.”

On Jan. 31, members of the ASL Club will be signing the song “Where is the Love?” by the Black Eyed Peas as part of the Voices Against Violence program sponsored by the campus chapter of

the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

The ASL club’s first “gig” will take place in the Commonwealth Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Best called this “a really big opportunity” to make a name for the club.

That name doesn’t come with any dues attached.

Not yet, anyway.

“If we start doing the monthly trips to Newport News, we might impose a due, but it wouldn’t be any more than two bucks or something,” Shomaker said.

Several graduates of Shomaker and Best’s high school, who are now students at the College, attended the meeting. The majority of these individuals had taken ASL in previous years.

“We had so many people who showed up from our high school,” Shomaker said. “That kind of unity from a high school … We were all in the same ASL class, taught by the same woman, and we pulled together as a group to create something this wonderful.”

She said that Best put it best: “Brenda would be proud.”

That’s a wrap: Campus preps for Global Film Festival Students in one-credit film studies courses attend pre-Festival screening series, special guests planned

BY DALE WOLF THE FLAT HAT

It’s that time of year again. The William and Mary Global Film Festival will soon premiere a series of prefestival screenings introducing its theme: “Journeys and Passages.”

The films will be shown at the Williamsburg Regional Library on Scotland Street and are intended to “provide a rich array of alternatives to the standard multiplex offerings,” according to festival director and professor Timothy Barnard.

“We’re doing two different series of screenings,” the festival’s public relations representative Elyse Endick ’14 said. “One is our pre-festival series — Wednesday nights at 6:30 p.m..

Those are films appropriate for collegeage individuals.”

Chief of public relations Lizzy Pelletier ’14 described the Saturday series, held at at 1:00 p.m., as showings for local families.

Pelletier expressed satisfaction in the screenings’ venue.

“The fact that these screenings are at the public library means that a lot of people that we don’t usually see at College events will come to them,” Pelletier said.

Both sets of screenings are free and open to the public, and each screening will feature a raffle for a DVD copy of the shown movie. The series is part of a one-credit College of William and Mary Film Studies course which was, according to the website, “designed in

conjunction with the festival.”

Nathaniel Chen ‘16 participated in the Pre-Festival Series course. The class prepared for this event with readings, lectures and discussions that focused on the “history of film festivals and how they contribute to film as a whole,” Chen said in an email.

At the beginning of the course, students were challenged to produce a program of films that fit the “Journeys and Passages” theme.

“The atmosphere of the class is very unique because it is heavily discussion driven; the class provides an atmosphere where students are able to work with each other and really get to know each other,” Chen said in an email.

The series will feature films from

around the world, and each Wednesday film will be introduced with a brief presentation by a College faculty member. However, films shown on Saturday will be screened without an introduction.

Endick was also quick to quell rumors of fantastic guests for question and answer sessions.

“It’s very up in the air,” Endick said.

“And the guests for the film festival itself are also up in the air [until] the last minute. The question and answer sessions with guests are mostly going to be for the Wednesday screenings.”

While Endick acknowledged that last year’s festival featured “Moonrise Kingdom” star Jared Gilman in person and Bones Brigade documentary subject Tony Hawk via Skype, she

cautioned potential filmgoers against too much speculation.

“We never were going to have [‘Back to the Future’ director] Robert Zemeckis on Skype,” Endick said.

One of the few confirmed guests is Ecuadorian filmmaker Tania Hermida, who will introduce her film “How Much Further” at its screening Wednesday, Feb. 12. She will also stay to assist in judging a student film competition.

Barnard emphasized the variety of films shown in these pre-festival screenings.

“We’ve got films from Japan, Mongolia, Germany, the Ukraine, Ecuador. …” Barnard said. “We’ve really got a wide array of countries covered.”

Flat Hat Associate Variety Editor Haley Arata contributed to this article.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Page 6

The Flat Hat

Boycotting the boycott

“

Colleges and universities need to engage one another to expand the frontiers of human understanding, not shun one another.

”

— College President Taylor Reveley and Provost Michael Halleran in a statement

BY SARAH CASPARI FLAT HAT ASSOC. VARIETY EDITOR

The College of William and Mary is officially boycotting a boycott.

In December 2013, the American Studies Association voted to boycott Israeli academic institutions, responding to pressure from Palestinian civil societies. Much of the Palestinian community has been urging organizations since 2005 to denounce Israel for violations of Palestinian students’ rights. Following the ASA’s announcement of the boycott, a large and growing number of U.S. universities, including the College of William and Mary, spearheaded a wave of opposition.

College President Taylor Reveley and Provost

Michael Halleran released a statement rejecting the boycott Jan. 3, claiming, “Colleges and universities need to engage one another to expand the frontiers of human understanding, not shun one another.”

“The American Studies Association is a relatively small body, but the position they took was so — in our view — inimical to the basic tenants of academic freedom, free exchange of ideas, that it seemed important to make clear that we rejected their resolution,” Halleran said.

In opposing the boycott, the College is in good company: George Mason University, University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University and Virginia Tech join the College on the list of Virginia universities to formally reject the ASA’s resolution.

Within the ASA, 66.05 percent of members voted in favor of the boycott, while 30.5 percent

opposed it and 3.43 percent abstained.

In the official statement on its website, the ASA describes the boycott as “a refusal on the part of the ASA in its official capacities to enter into formal collaborations with Israeli academic institutions, or with scholars who are expressly serving as representatives or ambassadors of those institutions (such as deans, rectors, presidents and others), or on behalf of the Israeli government, until Israel ceases to violate human rights and international law.”

Arguments for the rejection of the boycott vary among critics. Many people see the boycott as counterproductive toward general educational goals. Tamara Sonn, religious studies professor at the College, acknowledges that Israeli academic institutions have violated Palestinian civil rights, but she argues that a boycott is the wrong path to take to promote change.

“I would rather see efforts to establish solidarity among university students and faculty in support of compliance with international law and global human rights, including Palestinians,” she said.

For others, however, the issue is much more personal. Jenna Milstein ’16 and her family have strong connections with Israel. She defends the country, which has historically been a target of widespread violence. Clearly, Palestinians are not the only ones who feel as though their rights are being endangered.

“There’s no other country in the world that is under daily terrorist attacks from multiple terrorist organizations on all of its borders and all sides, and no one says anything except for ‘Attack it,’ which makes no sense to me,” Milstein said.

Milstein commends the College on its rejection of the boycott, not only because of her own feelings about Israel, but also because she believes that, by

instituting the boycott, the ASA is defeating its own purpose.

“I think the American Studies Association has its place, and its purpose is to … talk about American Studies, essentially, and to enhance those freedoms of discussion about issues, and to me this is kind of the opposite of that,” Milstein said.

Although many believe the ASA’s boycott is counterproductive, it may even go beyond that: The boycott may be illegal. Because it targets people from a certain national origin, many classify it as unlawful discrimination. The ASA is currently facing the possibility of multiple lawsuits on these grounds.

Although backlash against the boycott has been strong, there is also general agreement that any effects it may have will be limited. One reason for this is that a boycott that involves so many people on opposite sides of the world will be difficult — and likely impossible — to enforce. Another claim is that the ASA is not powerful enough on a global scale to foster change; at best, the boycott is symbolic.

“Some institutions have power,” Halleran said.

“Others can lend a moral voice. … As a body, they were making their views heard. If it will have any impact at all other than a probably undesired impact of having over a hundred universities reject it, I don’t think it has influence, except as a moral statement — not as a practical matter.”

OPINIONS

FH

Check out page 4 of The Flat Hat to read one columnist’s take on the American Studies Association’s boycott of Israeli academic institutions.

CONFUSION CORNER

Bieber Vortex: America’s week of hell

Citizens struggle to cope with temperatures, rampaging 19-year-old Canadian immigrant

Zoe Johnson

CONFUSION CORNER COLUMNIST

This past week was one of great shock and turmoil for Americans.

At a time like this, I can only quote the Black Eyed Peas to describe our pain and confusion: “What’s wrong with the world, Mama?”

Thank you Will.i.am, Fergie and the other two for this great question. Early in the week, winter proved that a little global warming goes a long way as it — taking its cue from Miley Cyrus — came in like a wrecking ball and forced us all into the Polar Vortex.

Now the question remains, is this Polar Vortex forever? We are being held hostage by winter, and I can’t make sense of it. It’s challenging to wake up flawless, like Beyonce, when winter decides to cut us down.

Early last week we were frozen and flawed, but still hopeful — and then, things took an abrupt turn for the worst.

A 19-year-old Canadian immigrant terrorized

the streets of Miami with his posse of aggressors.

Justin Bieber was arrested early Thursday morning for a DUI and several other charges, including resisting arrest and drag racing.

Justin, this is not “The Fast and the Furious,” alright? There are real life consequences for driving like Mr. Diesel and his crew.

I apologize if my tone comes off as condescending, but Justin needs to learn. He is playing games with our hearts, and it just isn’t right.

One day he claims he aspires to be a role model for his young fans and the next he pulls a stunt like this. I have looked up to JB on several occasions.

In fact, one of the main motivations for my writing is to match the unprecedented skill of his song writing, most specifically in his multiplatinum hit, “Baby.” Seriously, how does that much talent come from one person? Who will I turn to for inspiration now?

Gosh, Justin, I am hurt. We are all hurt by your actions. A few acquaintances of mine are attempting to organize a National Day of Grieving for everyone who still needs time to process this event.

This is the time when Americans turn on their televisions and radios to look for answers and comfort for these multiple crises. CNN then hit the nail on the head when they devoted 10 minutes of Don Lemon’s one-hour show to

dissecting Justin Bieber’s actions.

First of all, only 10 minutes, CNN? Really?

You all spent approximately one minute on John Kerry’s discussions about Iran’s nuclear power, as if anyone cares.

Call me crazy, but that precious time should have been used for further Justin Bieber updates, which is exactly what the average CNN viewer is undoubtedly more concerned with.

The 10 minutes began with the introduction of experts to demystify Justin Bieber’s antics, including former child star Corey Feldman and Michael Lohan, father of beloved teen idol, Lindsay Lohan.

Feldman and Lohan were quick to blame the Beebs’ parents for condoning his behavior and suggested that perhaps parents of young, wealthy celebrities should set up rules for their starlets.

This advice coming from Michael Lohan is almost too ironic. The father of a celebrity with a criminal record up the wazoo is going to tell JB’s parents how to parent?

Okay, ethically speaking, CNN, that was a great call. Now you have my attention.

Feldman’s professional opinion that Justin Bieber’s parents should act like his parents and not his friends is controversial to say the least and offers no insight into the root of Justin’s innermost demons.

Can you please elaborate on what a “parent’s role” should be when your child is wealthy

enough to buy and sell you?

In addition, Justin is a teenager; he does not need his parents all up in his grill, bro. How can Feldman suggest that Justin Bieber needs better role models when the Beebs is a decorated role model himself?

CNN’s segment only further added to my confusion about the incident; however, I am glad we can turn to world-class news organizations for in-depth analyses about everyone’s favorite Canadian.

Sorry, Drake and Canadian bacon, but that’s the raw truth.

This was a rough week for Americans, but where would we be if our media companies spent more time trying to determine how to prepare for the next Polar Vortex than how to prepare for the next Justin Bieber downfall.

That would be shameful and no doubt puts journalistic integrity in question.

I am proud of CNN for uniting us and attempting to comfort us during this difficult time.

Keep Justin in your thoughts and lean on family and friends during this time — not just for support, but truthfully, for added warmth, because the weather outside is frightful.

Zoe Johnson is a Confusion Corner columnist and is making arrangements to flee the county before Justin “Baby” Bieber resumes his reign of terror and Polar Vortex: The Sequel hits.

sportsinside

The Flat Hat

| Tuesday, January 28, 2014 | Page 7

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

College earns first conference win, 69-60

20-point halftime advantage propels Tribe past Towson for first win of 2014

BY SAMANTHA COHEN FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER William and Mary (4-13, 1-4 CAA) won its first Colonial Athletic Association game and received its first victory of 2014, beating Towson (9-10, 3-3 CAA) 69-60 Sunday.

After losses to CAA opponents College of Charleston and Drexel earlier this month, the Tribe began to play to its potential.

The College dominated the start of the game, leading Towson by 20 points after a half that saw the Tribe score 41. The College shot 58.3 percent from threepoint range, making 7-of-12 attempts.

Mathieu “We were just moving better, our zone was moving, we were communicating better. … It seemed like everybody was connected on a string, especially on defense,” head coach Ed Swanson said.

Sophomore point guard Brooke Stewart highlighted the College’s success in the first half, sinking three three-point shots in the opening period.

“She played her role; I thought [Stewart] was Reggie Miller there for a little bit,” Swanson said.

“The team did an excellent job of finding her, and she

did a great job getting her feet set and knocking down those shots.”

One of the main threats to the Tribe in the second half was Tigers point guard Tanisha McTiller.

McTiller ended with 28 points, outscoring Towson’s second-leading scorer, forward LaTorri Hines-Allen, by 11 points.

Senior forward Kaitlyn Mathieu, who scored 19 acknowledged McTiller’s offensive ability.

“She’s a quick guard. … [McTiller’s] game is driving to the basket, but she also has a nice pullup game so it was hard to defend her,” Mathieu said.

“She’s just one of the top players in the league ... and she attacked us in our weak spots.”

With McTiller’s leading the way, Towson outscored the Tribe 39-28 in the second half. Still, the Tribe played an aggressive half and did not let its lead falter.

The Tigers physical play lead to a 45-37 rebound advantage, offset by the College’s 11 steals.

“We saw the strides that we’d been taking in practice, and we just didn’t let up. Preparation for the game was key and then we came in and just started hitting our shots,” Mathieu said. “We didn’t let up in the second half, so I think that was a big key to our win.”

Mathieu and junior forward Jazmen Boone led the College in turnovers and impressed defensively.

Boone chipped in four assists alongside her 12 points.

“[Boone] has a lot of energy up there; she’s just so good at reading people in the front line, and she’s the one that gets us going at the top,” Mathieu said.

Alongside Mathieu, freshman guard Marlena Tremba added 17 points. Swanson pointed to the College’s 18 assists as key to its offensive success.

“It helps when you make shots, but also when you have 24 field goals and 18 assists on those field goals. That shows good team basketball,” Swanson said. “Where you look on the other side, and [Towson] had 25 field goals and five assists.”

Tremba’s performance continued an outstanding freshman campaign. Despite being new to Swanson’s system, Tremba enjoys regular playing time, notching 28 minutes against Towson.

“It’s great that I get a lot of minutes as a freshman. I wasn’t expecting it when I came in.

I thought I’d probably get 10 to 20 [minutes],” Tremba said. “I thought my teammates did a great job of getting me open and hitting me when I was wide open with passes.”

As the College continues CAA play, Swanson is encouraged by his team’s performance. Swanson said a point of focus is answering opponents’ runs. “[The key] is to continue to weather the other team’s storm, because the game is a game of runs, and when a team [made] a run today we had answers for their run, and that’s what we need

MEN’S TENNIS

Tribe leaves empty-handed Penn State, St. Johns roll in tournament, College falls to 2-4

BY JACK POWERS FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR

William and Mary (2-4, 0-0 CAA) fell just short of splitting its win-loss total for the season Saturday, falling to St. John’s 3-4 (1-1) after being denied by host Penn State 2-5 Friday.

The St. John’s match came down to the No. 6 singles match between senior John Banks and Vaidik Munsahw. Banks and Munsahw’s decisive match exemplified the even play and intensity between the two programs.

Banks rallied back from an opening set tiebreaker loss, 6-5, to take the tiebreaker in the second set, 6-5. With the entire match at stake in the third set, Munsahw bested Banks 6-4 to give St. John’s its first win of the young season.

The Tribe won the doubles point against the Red Storm to grab the first point of the match. The team’s No. 1 doubles team of juniors Will Juggins and Aaron Chaffee defeated Munsahw and R.J. Del Nunzio, which improved the team to 4-1 in dual-match play at the No. 1 slot on the season.

Banks and senior Ben Hoogland responded in the No. 3 doubles position with another win to cement the first point for the Tribe.

After the switch to singles play, the Tribe found less success. Senior Ben Guthrie and freshman Damon Niquet were the lone singles winners for the College, in the No. 2 and No. 5 positions, respectively.

Guthrie topped Erick Reyes in straight sets — 6-4, 6-4 — to boost his season singles record to 6-4. Niquet decisively defeated his Red Storm counterpart, Freddy Ruiz Acevedo, to capture his second straight victory with a score of 6-3, 6-1. Although a freshman, Niquet’s 11 wins this season leads the College.

However, for all the Tribe’s success during the match, it lost each of the other four singles matches. A win that was within grasp from the start of doubles play slipped away as the Red Storm outplayed the Tribe individually.

The prior match against host Penn State was less competitive but, nonetheless, featured several encouraging performances from the Tribe.

Chaffee and Juggins got the College out to an early lead in the doubles competition by besting Russell Bader and Leonard Stakhovsky, 6-4, at the No. 1 doubles position. But the Tribe dropped the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles spots, giving the Nittany Lions the early advantage. Stakhovsky increased Penn State’s advantage by defeating Hoogland at the No. 1 singles position.

The Tribe’s sole points came from Juggins in the No. 3 spot and Niquet in the No. 5 spot, both of which were straight-set triumphs. Guthrie narrowly lost a tense match to Bader, who outlasted Guthrie in the third set tiebreaker.

The Tribe’s two losses at St. John’s and Penn State add to the team’s losing streak, which now stands at four matches. Before heading to University Park, Pa., this weekend, the Tribe was also blown out on the road at No. 29 Notre Dame and No. 32 Northwestern the weekend before.

The College returns home to the McCormick-Nagelsen Tennis Center this weekend for a busy four-game slate against Princeton, South Carolina State, Temple and Howard. The action starts 6 p.m. Thursday against Princeton.

COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS

Junior Will Juggins won in the No. 1 doubles match against St. Johns Saturday.

Tribe moves to 12-7 on season with wins BASKETBALL from page 8

for 20 minutes.

Sheldon responded well, providing the linchpin for the Tribe’s 3-2 defense.

“You couldn’t make me believe coming into this game that Tim Rusthoven was going to play 15 minutes, and we’re [going to] win this ballgame,” Shaver said. “Sean Sheldon played great — just a lot of guys making things happen for us.”

Four minutes into the second half, the Tribe engineered a 13-2 run that was built off sound defense coupled with miraculous three-point shooting. On three successive possessions, the Tribe knocked down threes, including senior guard Julian Boatner’s only two field goal attempts of the game.

“The way they played defense, they weren’t helping out on the shooters at all,” Britt said.

“Coming off the ball-screens, we were able to drive the ball. But Boatner came in and made two big shots, and Marcus is always making tough shots.”

Prewitt’s transition dunk after a steal by Britt punctuated the stretch and sent T r i b e fans into hyster ics.

Prewitt Mo n d ay ’s victory extended the Tribe’s home win streak to five games.

The Tribe nabbed five steals and forced seven turnovers in the second half, during which the Cougars only scored 29

points. Charleston’s inside game deteriorated over the course of the final 20 minutes. In the second half, the Cougars offense became one-dimensional and relied on deep threes. Charleston attempted 23 three-pointers to the Tribe’s 13, an unusual statistic that belies the Tribe’s 53 percent shooting percentage for the game.

“Terrific second half and the difference was our defense,” Shaver said. “The second half we were much better defensively, much better on the boards, and that allowed us to get transition baskets, to relax a little more on offense. But I thought our defense in the second half was the key to the game.”

The slowdown in the Cougars offense was possibly due to fatigue. Charleston’s starters each played over 27 minutes, and three

of them played over 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, the Tribe reaped the rewards of a deep rotation, sending out just two players for more than 25 minutes.

“We got a lot of guys, a lot of depth, three starters on the bench,” Thornton said. “So we can just play freely, get into our sets, and find a rhythm.”

With a game against the current Colonial Athletic Association leader Delaware Wednesday, Shaver was candid about what he wants from his team as it heads into its final nine regular season games.

“We really want to be a good basketball team,” Shaver said. “We really want to be a challenger in this league. We [have to] be good defensively.”

The Tribe hosts Delaware Wednesday at 7 p.m.

coming up in the next two games,” Swanson said.

The Tribe will face Drexel once again Thursday in Philadelphia and College of Charleston Sunday at 2 p.m. at Kaplan Arena.

COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS

Junior guard Kyla Kerstetter scored 12 points in the win.

MEN’S SWIMMING

College nabs historic win over odu Sophomore Will Manion led William and Mary to a momentous victory over Old Dominion 144-120 Saturday. The win boosted the Tribe’s overall record at home to 53-52, the first time it has held a winning record at the pool since 1990.

Manion won the 100 back and 200 back, setting new records in each event. Besting seven other competitors, Manion won the 100 back in 48.39 seconds, two-and-a-half seconds faster than the closest competitors.

To start off the meet, the Tribe’s 200 medley relay team, comprised of Manion, senior Andrew Strait, freshman Greg Rogers and freshman Alex Montes de Oca, swam the event in a winning time of 1:31.89. The Tribe’s second 200 medley team, comprised of sophomore Austin Glass, junior Chris Dong, sophomore Justin Barden and sophomore Billy Russell, came in second place with a time of 1:32.59.

Strait and Sophomore Jeremiah O’Donnell finished first and second in the 100-meter breaststroke. Senior John Rittenhouse finished third in the 100-meter and 200-meter butterfly — his time of 51 seconds in the 100 fly was the 13th fastest in school history.

Sophomore Charles Bowles cemented the College’s victory by winning the 400 individual medley in a time of 4:07.56.

The Tribe travels to East Carolina Saturday, looking for its third straight win. The meet is set to start at 1 p.m.

— Flat Hat Sports Editor Jack Powers

sports

Sports Editor Jack Powers Sports Editor Chris Weber flathatsports@gmail.com // @FlatHatSports

The Flat Hat | Tuesday, January 28, 2014 | Page 8

MEN’S GYMNASTICS

Model of

COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS

Two-time NCAA All-American senior gymnast Landon Funiciello has twice captained the College’s program, owns two College records (rings, parallel bars), and finished a tenth of a point away from an NCAA championship in 2013.

Senior gymnast Funiciello chases national title while expanding leadership role, eyes medical school A rope hangs from the ceiling in Kaplan Arena’s gymnasium. Halfway between the ceiling and the floor is a pair of rings, and it’s these rings that have been so instrumental to senior gymnast Landon Funiciello.

The two-time National Collegiate Athletic Association All-American holds the William and Mary record on rings and parallel bars. Funiciello, though, would rather describe a rope circuit than boast of his accolades.

Starting at the base of the rope, Funiciello and his College teammates climb to the halfway point where they switch to the rings to complete a particular routine. After the routine finishes, the gymnasts climb to the ceiling, back down to the rings, perform another routine, and then climb down to the floor. All too eagerly, Funiciello explained the variations of the circuit: duration cycles, speed trials and weight vests topped the list.

Alongside rope circuits, Funiciello’s skill and dedication to his sport have propelled him to the upper echelon of collegiate gymnastics. Funiciello’s rings routine placed him a 10th of a point removed from a national championship a year ago. Oklahoma’s Michael Squires won the event.

“It’s definitely something I think

about when I work out. I guess maybe a friendly rivalry … a bit of a rivalry, yeah,” Funiciello said of Squires.

Despite the intricacies of gymnastics, Funiciello says captaining the Tribe has been the most difficult — and rewarding — experience of his career.

“It’s definitely been challenging. I’ve been doing gymnastics for awhile, so the working out part and getting better as a gymnast is something I’m used to,” Funiciello said. “The leadership role is different.”

“

working team, but also to be able to lead and direct them,” Funiciello said. “To me, they’re just my teammates, the guys I work out with everyday.”

While Funiciello seeks the balance between teammate and captain, his teammates applaud what Funiciello has done thus far, awarding Funiciello with the Rock Award. “[It’s] basically the person who can be counted on consistently from week to week,” Funiciello said of the recognition.

Funiciello’s leadership doesn’t stop

image and help any way we can.”

A kinesiology and health sciences major, Funiciello looks to continue serving communities after graduating.

In the past 40 years, 30 of the College’s gymnastic alumni have gone on to medical school, a route Funiciello will follow. While awaiting more decisions, Funiciello has already been accepted into State University of New York’s Upstate Medical University.

“It’s been a long and tough process, but gymnastics definitely helps. Time-

I feel like as long as I work as hard as I can and do my best, whatever the result is, is good enough for me because that’s all you can expect from yourself.

As a captain his junior year, Funiciello benefitted from the leadership of fellow two-year captain senior Daniel Potemski and graduate Kris Yeager ’13. Funiciello took note of leadership characteristics and learned how best to address the team. Still, leadership has presented its challenges.

“It’s a little bit strange, to me at least, to be a teammate and still be a part of the

“

BY CHRIS WEBER FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR

— Senior Landon Funiciello when he leaves Kaplan Arena. The College’s gymnastics team recently collected 2,953 pounds of canned goods for the local FISH food bank; over the past six years, the program has collected approximately 14,500 pounds of food.

“I think it’s really important; I think it’s good to do community service as a team and to get the name out there,” Funiciello said. “I think it’s good to have a good

wise, it makes you really focus and use your time wisely. It also teaches you to not be afraid to fail and to just go after something,” Funiciello said. “I feel like as long as I work as hard as I can and do my best, whatever the result is, is good enough for me because that’s all you can expect from yourself.”

As Funiciello looks forward to life after graduation, he knows there is still work

to be done in the gym. Having competed and won in the elite levels of collegiate gymnastics, Funiciello now wants to see the College win the Colonial Athletic Association and advance to the NCAAs as a team.

“Now, the most exciting thing is getting the whole team there. I haven’t gotten the chance to go to NCAAs with everyone,” Funiciello said. “I think that’d be really exciting. That would be the most exciting accomplishment at this point.”

Even with an emphasis on team excellence this season, Funiciello still longs for the national title on the rings.

Having come so close in 2013, another title run isn’t out of the question.

“You have to compete three days in a row. For rings, especially, three days in a row is hard. It takes the difficulty of just doing your routine well and adds the difficulty of doing it well three times in a row,” Funiciello said. “By that third day you definitely don’t feel as well as you did the first day.”

Regardless of this season’s outcome, Funiciello holds a place in College history.

“There have been some really good gymnasts who have come through,” Funiciello said. “At least I’ll be there after I graduate, at least for a little while.”

Come next year, don’t be surprised to find a plaque with Funiciello’s name on the wall behind the rope hanging from the ceiling. It’d only be fitting.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Strong second half sends Tribe past Cougars, 74-63 Thornton, Britt fuel second half run as College overcomes nine-point halftime deficit to move to 12-7, 4-2 CAA

BY JACK POWERS FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR William and Mary’s last two games can be summed up in two plays: junior guard Marcus Thornton’s buzzer-beating three-pointer to beat Drexel 68-66 and freshman guard Omar Prewitt’s two-hand transition dunk that catalyzed a momentous run culminating in a 74-63 victory over Charleston.

While Saturday’s matchup turned on a single play, one that qualified for SportsCenter’s “Top 10 Plays,” Monday night’s matchup came down to an entire half of phenomenally efficient offensive playmaking — the kind that, like Prewitt’s dunk, no one thought possible. The

Tribe (12-7, 4-2 CAA) scored 49 points in the second half on 69.9 percent shooting with no turnovers.

Both turnarounds revolved around Thornton, who scored 26 points in each game, most of which came in the second half.

“The overall thing is Marcus Thornton is a guy I don’t have,” Charleston head coach Doug Wojcik Thornton said.

Thornton’s heroics merely marked the most memorable of the Tribe’s performances Monday. Senior guard Brandon Britt scored 15

points in 23 minutes, including six pivotal lategame free throws.

Charleston provided tough matchups in the frontcourt for the Tribe. Power forward Willis Hall, one of the most prolific big men in the conference and dangerous on the offensive end both inside and outside of the paint, proved an especially hard cover.

The Tribe’s defense slouched through the first period, as Charleston’s big men controlled the tempo in the interior area. Senior center Tim Rusthoven was in foul trouble virtually the whole game, which led head coach Tony Shaver to play sophomore center Sean Sheldon

SPORTSCENTER

THORNTON’S SHOT MAKES “TOP 10 PLAYS” Junior guard Marcus Thornton received the in-bound pass from freshman guard Daniel Dixon and drove up the right side of the court before cutting towards the center of the court. Trailing by one-point with the game clock about to expire, Thornton cut back to his right.

One cross-over and one three-point shot later, the celebration ensued as Thornton stomped his way upcourt.

Thornton’s cross-over not only shook the Drexel defender but also added to the sheer quality of the play. ESPN’s SportsCenter agreed, airing the game-winning possession in its “Top 10 Plays” segment Saturday night. The shot can be viewed on YouTube.

— Flat Hat Sports Editor Chris Weber

See BASKETBALL page 7