The F lat Hat
Board of Visitors responds to federal DEI demands
Board passes anti-discrimination resolution, encourages 'merit-based excellence' at College
Friday, April 25, the College of William and Mary’s board of visitors passed resolution HC-3 titled “Merit-based excellence, student opportunity and freedom from discrimination.”
This resolution was introduced in response to increasing pressure from the federal and state governments to restrict universities' diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Across the country, this pressure has already led some institutions, like the University of Virginia, to eliminate their DEI programs entirely.
In contrast, the board of visitors’ resolution reaffirms the College’s commitment to a “values-based” and “merit-based” approach to education, without directly eliminating DEI.
“Therefore, be it resolved that the Board affirms William & Mary’s values-based and merit-based approach to advancing the success of all students before and after the attainment of their degrees,” the resolution said.
While HC-3 supports merit-based principles, it takes a neutral stance on DEI initiatives. The resolution affirms that College President Katherine A. Rowe must comply with any directives from federal or state authorities regarding DEI policies but did not announce changes to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion or the Center for Student Diversity.
“Be it finally resolved that the president shall continue to review guidance from the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Attorney General, the Virginia Attorney General, and other relevant federal and state agencies, and ensure full compliance with applicable laws,” the resolution said.
Several colleges and universities, such as Harvard, have lost federal funding after openly criticizing the Trump administration and refusing to implement its demands. The board’s resolution emphasizes the College’s long-standing principle of belonging in an apparent effort to rebrand inclusionary practices in a way that complies with federal demands on DEI.
“William & Mary highly values the full scope of scientific and
scholarly experience, thought, talent, and expertise, and cultivates an environment of belonging, seeking to ensure access and opportunity for all who come here,” the resolution said.
HC-3 reflects the broader trend of the College’s neutral response to unprecedented policies set forth by the Trump administration. Earlier this week, over 150 colleges and universities signed a statement denouncing the Trump administration’s interference in the higher education sphere.
The College did not sign the letter — a decision Rowe explained to the full board Friday morning. She acknowledged it as difficult, but necessary to maintain a nonpartisan campus environment.
“We strive scrupulously to be politically neutral, because that opens the widest space for true deliberation on this campus, which we are here to foster,” Rowe said.
Towards the end of the meeting, the board of visitors overwhelmingly passed the merit-based resolution, adopting the Trump administration’s language while also reaffirming the College’s desire to welcome all students. Fourteen board members voted in favor of the resolution, and two voted against.
Board member Kendrick F. Ashton Jr. ’98 voted against the resolution. He said he found it to be an unfair assessment of the College’s leadership, as he observes that the College has prioritized anti-discriminatory practices for decades.
“I believe that very few people that are close to this university believe that it is engaged in any form of discrimination,” Ashton said. “I think this suggestion that leadership here is engaged in discrimination is misguided and uninformed.”
Ashton pointed out that the board has historically stayed silent on issues of anti-discriminatory legislation, and thus questioned the timing and intent behind the board’s resolution denouncing “discriminatory practices.” He felt the resolution lacked substance and appeared political, which made it difficult for him to support.
“There’s no statement that’s important or resolution to do
anything,” Ashton said. “So why are we resolving now? I found it unnecessary. I found it to be political and unsubstantive, and as a consequence, while being firmly opposed to discrimination, I thought the suggestion, the implication and the rationale was just improper, unprincipled and I couldn’t be supportive of it.”
The second dissenting vote came from J.E. Lincoln Saunders ’06, who echoed Ashton’s concerns about the resolution’s political undertones. Saunders said he viewed the resolution as an overstep by the Virginia state government into the College’s academic affairs.
“From my perspective, knowing that this came down as essentially a mandate from the governor’s office, it felt to me like an overreach of the executive branch into the working of higher education,” Saunders said.
The board’s decision comes after campus-wide efforts to resist government pressure. Student Assembly presented its “You Belong” resolution during the full board meeting Friday. The document called upon the board to consider the importance of diversity programming, receiving positive feedback from board members, including former Republican Virginia state senator Thomas K. Norment Jr. J.D. ’73.
“I just wanted to compliment the students on that resolution,” Norment said. “The research that went into it, how you articulately and diplomatically presented your points on it — it was extraordinary.”
SA President Zoe Wang ’25 MPP ’26 listened to the board’s discussion of the “You Belong” resolution and believes their favorable reception of it may have led them to take a less definitive step when enacting HC-3.
“I definitely think the ‘You Belong’ resolution had an impact,” Wang said. “I think the resolution is their way of staying on the good side of the federal and state government while also not cutting our programs.”
Financial Affairs addresses potential funding cuts, anticipates setbacks
$68.26 million dollars in net revenue.
Wednesday, April 23 to Friday, April 25, the College of William and Mary’s board of visitors convened for its final quarterly meeting of the 2024-25 academic year. The board returned to Blow Memorial Hall after renovations finished earlier this semester.
The board’s eight committees met individually to discuss the College’s future, and the full board gathered Friday morning to report back on discussions and vote on resolutions proposed in the committees.
The committee on financial affairs convened Thursday afternoon to discuss and approve the financial year 2025-26 budgets for the College and the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences. Members also touched on the uncertainty surrounding
federal funding, laying out several hypothetical scenarios of potential losses for the College moving forward.
Assistant Vice President for Government and External Affairs
Ashley Hood presented on the College’s relations with the government in terms of maintaining essential funding.
She shared that pending further changes from the federal government, the Virginia General Assembly might need to convene a special session in the fall to reevaluate the budget. If this happens, changes would need to be made to the College’s budget.
“The landscape is changing rapidly,” Hood said. “Some of you may have seen that yesterday, the president issued seven executive orders, six of which apply to higher education and impact universities.”
One board member asked about potential funding cuts to the Jefferson Lab, an industry-leading physics and computing research center that partners with the College’s faculty and students. In February, Gov. Glenn Youngkin D.P.S. ’22 announced that the Jefferson Lab’s search for a new contractor had been halted to ensure compliance with Trump administration criteria.
Rowe explained that around 50% of the College’s physics graduate students are involved there. She clarified that the Jefferson Lab, which recently developed a $500 million computing lab, still awaits a long-term contractor to resume full operations.
Interim Associate Vice President of Finance and Operational Analytics Mike Maddalena presented a sensitivity analysis of three scenarios of federal funding cuts, all of which he
says inform the College’s conservative approach to the FY 2025-26 budget.
In a “moderate” outcome, the College would lose $26 million in net revenue due to indirect cost caps from agencies like the National Institutes of Health.
If the cuts reach a “significant” level, meaning a multi-agency reduction of funding coupled with a privatization and capping of Title IV loans and grants, the College’s losses could be closer to $56.16 million dollars.
Rowe underscored that 50% of the VIMS budget is reliant on federal funding. One board member asked whether the College can tap into its endowment to cover losses, which Rowe clarified is not a feasible solution in the long run to substitute lost funding.
In a “severe” case, Maddelena shared that the College could lose
Factors contributing to this scenario would be a decline in international enrollment, rising interest rates for long-term debt and a tax on endowment income.
To cope with any of these scenarios, Rowe highlighted the College’s financial strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic of reducing expenditures while still meeting students’ needs, saying that proactive scenario-building and planning are necessary steps.
Chair of financial affairs C. Michael Petters MBA ’93 concluded that emergency finance committee meetings before the board’s next meeting could be necessary to address sudden changes in federal funding as further announcements are made.
See BOARD OF VISITORS page 3
MOLLY MARTIN // FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR
MOLLY MARTIN / THE FLAT HAT
news insight
My advice would be to ask those questions, look at the structur es that exist at this institution and try to figure out how they work, especially if they donʼt s eem to be working well.
̶ Morgan Brittain
Friday, April 25, William and Mary announced its football programʼs intention to begin competing in the Patriot League at the beginning of the 2026-2027 season.
The Tribe will become the Patriot Leagueʼs ninth football member, joining the University of Richmond, Bucknell University, Fordham University, Colgate University, Georgetown University, the College of the Holy Cross, Lafayette College and Lehigh University.
In a statement released by the school, William and Mary Director of Athletics Brian D. Mann cited William and Maryʼs desire to position itself in a league that shares its athletic and academic priorities and its desire to join a conference with Richmond as key factors in the decision.
Tribe football will shed its CAA membership, which it has held since the league began sponsoring the sport in 2007. The conference change will not affect the 2025-2026 season, during which Tribe football will compete in the CAA.
Currently, the move only pertains to the schoolʼs football program. William and Mary fields 22 other athletic teams, all of which will remain in their current conference. 20 of those teams are affiliated with the CAA, while menʼs gymnastics is affiliated with the Eastern College Athletic Conference, and womenʼs gymnastics is affiliated with the Gymnastics East Conference.
The university has not indicated whether its non-football programs could change conferences in the future.
Graduate Senator Morgan Brittain discusses return to Student Assembly, fossil fuel research, teaching ambitions
Arts and Sciences Graduate Sen. Morgan Brittain handles the “unsexy” work in the College of William and Mary’s Student Assembly Senate. Brittain is a graduate representative to the Senate and a fth-year PhD candidate in American Studies. As a researcher, he is predisposed to ask questions and create structural methods in his position, self-proclaimed “unsexy work.”
He outlined what his position entails and the work he does in Student Assembly.
“I came back sort of in order to help with some of the transitions going on within Student Assembly just with regard to the addition of the new School of Computing, Data Sciences and Physics,” Brittain said. “I did some work to sort of help facilitate the incorporation of structure into Student Assembly leadership so that there is graduate student representation there.”
Brittain spent his undergraduate and master’s student years at the University of Iowa, earning a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in art history. After working in museums and higher education fundraising and pursuing a master’s degree in art history, Brittain found himself at the College, drawn to research about art in relation to the environment.
doing something that’s not student-facing now. I recognize that we’re in a very precarious moment in higher education, so I don’t know that ultimately my timing when I nish this degree program. Is it going to allow me to be a professor, to be in a tenure-track job? I hope it will. But, I think as long as I’m doing something that’s student-facing, I’ll be really happy with my career.”
Most of the senators in the Senate are undergraduate students. Brittain elaborated on the new perspectives his position as a graduate student brings to SA.
“I think Student Assembly had really su%ered from like a lack of graduate student engagement in Senate for several years,” Brittain said. “So, I think one of the things I brought is just trying to be a really engaged senator. If I were to talk about a theme of my work in Student Assembly, it’s really been about trying to put in place structures, adapt processes, and I know this is all sort of unsexy stu%, and I feel like a lot of my work in Student Assembly has been unsexy, to put things in a position to do the best work that they can possibly do.”
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He is currently writing a thesis on this topic under associate professor of art history and American studies Alan Braddock. is term is not his rst time working with SA. Brittain held the same position as a graduate senator during the 2022-23 academic year. He re ected on why he returned to the Senate.
“I had some things that I didn’t get to work on the rst time I was in Student Assembly,” he said. “Fossil fuel divestment being one of them, and once again, there were just other things that came up during this term in Student Assembly, so I didn’t get to do a lot. But we are working right now, I’ve introduced legislation that will hopefully pass this week to review the university-wide committee system and hopefully through that process facilitate better structures in which those sustained conversations can take place.”
Working with SA changes a student’s experience at the College in many ways. Brittain considered the e%ect of his time in the Senate.
“I think the thing about Student Assembly is it sort of automatically keys you to see the aws,” he said. “And that’s not to say that there aren’t great things about this institution, but when you’re a part of a governance organization, you’re automatically thinking about how can we improve this place, right? So, it’s caused me to look at William and Mary with a more critical eye in some ways. But also I think it’s really made me appreciate all the great work that is happening at various corners of this institution, not only in research and teaching, but there have been positive strides made to make this an institution that re ects on the problems of its past.”
Going into his PhD, museum curation initially interested Brittain. However, after teaching as a part of his master’s program, he developed a passion for working with students.
“Now, the thing I love most is interacting with undergraduate students: asking questions and seeing how they think, leading discussions and helping to mentor their writing and their research as well,” he said. “So I can’t imagine
Brittain described how he worked for six months drafting new policy and working with administration at the College, eventually securing 75% of graduate student fees to return to graduate governance organizations, as they are better suited to provide the resources their students need.
“So, probably my main legacy in Student Assembly Senate is when I came into Student Assembly, the way that our allocation model was set up, 50% of the fees that graduate students paid stayed with Student Assembly,” he said. “Graduate students in the schools never saw all of that money returned to them. We now have a situation in the Arts and Sciences Graduate Student Association where we’re much more comfortable, and much more able to do the work we need to do to support students because we have more autonomy over the funds that our students are actually contributing to the student activity fee.”
Brittain o%ered advice to current and future SA senators, pointing out the importance of paying attention to the details.
“My advice would be to ask those questions, look at the structures that exist at this institution and try to gure out how they work, especially if they don’t seem to be working well. And you might be surprised when you start asking about how they worked and thinking about solutions, the solution might not actually be as crazy hard as you think it is. Sometimes it is sort of these like unsexy tactical measures that really helped to facilitate a better process.”
He o%ered a nal remark, encouraging students to stay positive about the change they can make in the Senate.
“One of the other pieces of advice that I would give students in senate, but also my students that I teach and mentor, is it’s really easy to be daunted by all that is happening in the world,” Brittain said. “But you can stay focused on your position and what your power actually is; those things collectively are not nothing. And perhaps that’s like overly hopeful or optimistic, but I really do believe like there is something really powerful about higher education and this potential to create informed critical citizens.”
MONA GARIMELLA / THE FLAT HAT
LILA REIDY // FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR
FLAT HAT NEWS BRIEF
COURTESY IMAGE / MORGAN BRITTAIN Brittain, a fifth-year PhD candidate in American Studies, resea rches the intersection of art history and the environment at th e College.
Brittain describes Student Assembly amidst addition of School of Computing, Data Sciences and Physics
William and Mary football to begin competing in Patriot League in 2026 season
Williamsburg Community Foundation celebrates 25th anniversary, reaffirms funding
Foundationʼs Board of Trustees discusses non-profit funding, community raises funds for local charity
This year, the Williamsburg Community Foundation celebrated its 25th Anniversary through a fundraising campaign, raising over $924,000 for local nonprofits. WCF is a local charity founded in 1999, aiming to connect people passionate about their community with meaningful causes. The foundation has built and maintained strong relationships with both donors and nonprofits which all work together to help those in need.
President and CEO Nancy Coté Sullivan reflected on the organization’s impact so far.
“The most rewarding thing about our 25th anniversary celebration and the response from our donors and community members is the trust that those folks have put in the foundation to use their gifts wisely,” Sullivan said. “The connections we have built with our donors and grant recipients over 25 years have led to better understanding of the needs in our community and the work done by local nonprofits to improve the quality of life for local residents effectively and efficiently.”
This 25th Anniversary campaign was not just a way to celebrate their past but to look towards the future and discover community.
WCF Development and Communications Officer Jenn Daley outlined the foundation’s dedication to fundraising for Williamsburg non-profits.
“Anytime you hit an anniversary as an organization, it’s a great opportunity to stop and reflect on where you’ve been and where you want to go,” Daley said. “We realized that the place we really wanted to make more of an impact was on our grant-making to the local non-profits.”
As the needs of the community grow and change, WCF wants to ensure that its ability to respond grows as well, and more funding is an essential part of that mission. Daley
emphasized that the campaign’s success relied heavily on collective action.
“It wasn’t about just one major donor getting a huge amount of money,” she said. “It was about a lot of people coming together and embracing that shared vision to help the grant-making for the community.”
This was shown through the foundation’s matching campaign, where generous donors matched the gifts of others by half, exponentially increasing the potential impact. WCF also started a surprise grant program, where attendees of the campaign’s launch event were entered in a raffle to choose one of the foundation’s non-profit partnerships to donate to. These initiatives boosted donor engagement by creating fun opportunities to get involved.
“It was a great, creative way to highlight the kinds of organizations we support, but also, to illustrate what it means to give to and through a Community Foundation,” Daley said. “The response was overwhelming.”
WCF works across all areas of community life, including arts and culture, children and young adults, environment and conservation, senior services and health and wellness. The foundation’s leadership, the board of trustees, plays a huge role in ensuring that grants address the most pressing local needs.
Daley points out that for the non-profits providing these critical resources, it is important that they receive not only funding, but also recognition for all their hard work.
“Every single one of them is so passionate about the people they serve, and they all do such great work,” Daley said.
One of the organizations benefiting from WCF’s fundraising campaign is Grove Christian Outreach Center, which runs Williamsburg’s first free grocery market, The Gathering Place. With over 41,000 visits and 10,400 families served last year, Grove relies on support from the community to meet growing needs. With WCF funding, Grove was able to buy more shopping carts, explore new refrigeration options
and expand its supply of fresh and culturally appropriate foods.
Grover Christian Outreach Center Development Manager Matthew Pollino explained how valuable the increased funding is to these growing organizations. However, their mission entails more than simply providing food.
“We want to make sure we break the stigma of what a food pantry is, to give people that opportunity to shop for themselves and to give them dignity back in what they’re doing,” Pollino said. “Not everybody that comes in here is below poverty, but there are a lot of people who are. We want individuals to feel comfortable, safe and cared about when they come in.”
He highlighted the importance of spreading awareness about issues like food insecurity, especially among college students.
“I didn’t know about this kind of stuff when I went to ’Bama,” Pollino said. “I wish I did, because now I’m excited when I see kids getting food, so the parents don’t have to choose between paying their bills or getting food for their kids. We have that ability to prevent that, and when you’re 19, 20, 21, 22, and you see that and you take that going forward, it totally changes the game and how you see life. Spreading the word is so important.”
Daley emphasized WCF’s goal to keep providing for the community by encouraging others to donate.
“Whether you have $10 or want to start a million-dollar fund, there’s a place for you at a community foundation,” Daley said.
She also encourages everyone, including students, to get involved.
“If you’re a student at the university, you’re part of this community. You’re part of the community foundation. Financial support is amazing, and I cannot stress how much we need that, but there is no value you can place on time, and for someone to come in and see the impact they’re making, it will change a student’s life,” Daley said.
Public Policy club hosts City Council woman Ayanna Williams, discusses term
Williams discusses new Student Assembly appointees, improving c ampus through pending legislation
Wednesday, April 23, in Chancellors Hall, the William and Mary Public Policy club hosted guest speaker Williamsburg City Council member Ayanna Williams ’26 to discuss her term goals and answer questions regarding the Council’s functions and plans.
Williams studies government at the College of William and Mary and was elected to the Council this past November. She is the rst actively enrolled undergraduate student to serve as a member of the Council, as well as the fourth student from the College to serve on the Council.
The College’s Public Policy club seeks to expand membership and craft a supportive community where students can work together to learn about policy-making. This event marked the organization’s second-to-last meeting of this semester.
Co-president Logan Snyder ’27 opened the meeting and introduced guest speaker Williams, who provided some initial remarks.
“City council is comprised of ve members here in Williamsburg, and they are the ones who
BOARD OF VISITORS
are responsible for legislation at the local level,” Williams said. “Student involvement here at William and Mary is unlike any other school. We actually, this past election, had the most amount of students come out and vote than any other Virginia school. I think that really is a testament to the people that we have here at the university and how we are able to come together and really, truly make a di$erence.”
She opened the %oor for attendee questions and input.
Several students inquired about speci c policies they hope to see on campus. Williams shared that she is integrating student opinion into council discussions surrounding the city noise ordinance and is working to develop new o$-campus student housing that will be available in the upcoming year.
One of the things that City Council aims to do is work alongside the university very closely, especially when it comes to student issues,” Williams said. “I hate the word politics, too, because it has a certain stigma around it. If you removed the stigma, it really comes to, this is going to sound cheesy, what can we do to just support the people around us and represent
everyone well?”
One attendee questioned about the possibility of a student liaison between the Council and the Student Assembly. Williams responded about her plans on the topic.
“That’s something in the works, actually, right now,” Williams said. “I can’t speak much on it, but that is something I’ve been working with Matt and Zoe recently to create. I do my best in conversations that are held on campus to kind of feel out what are some of the things I should bring to the table and also address with my fellow council members, but I think having a student liaison or committee or something of the nature would be also beneficial. What really, I think, for us students would make a huge impact as well is if we start showing up to the meetings.”
Co-president Snyder provided his insight on this topic.
“It would be interesting if part of being on [Student Assembly] would be the requirement of having to go to City Council meetings with people,” Snyder said. “Because, not that another committee wouldn’t be nice, but that’s kind of their responsibility to be representative of all students.”
Snyder and Co-president Ander Erickson ’27 asked Williams about the community council’s e$ect on her daily life.
“My day-to-day is di$erent every day,” Williams responded. “Every day feels like a brand new adventure. Right now, my responsibilities really consist of emails, my inbox is always full. Also, talking to people and keeping up what I did in the campaign — listening.”
Attendee and Public Policy club Secretary Katie Strohmeyer ’25 shared her insight following the session.
“Something that I’ve heard about before is how professional Ayanna comes o$ as, so it was really impressive to see her take this role seriously and come o$ as very genuine at the same time as being very polished in her approach,” Strohmeyer said. “I was very impressed overall. If students are having concerns, then they really need to come to meetings and say it. She can’t be the only person who has our interests at heart. She can ght as hard as she can, but it really depends on everyone showing up and being present.”
Board of Visitors meets, commends data science school, Rowe discusses AI use
BOARD OF VISITORS from page 1
e committee on student experience met Friday morning to discuss developments regarding student athletics and engagement on campus.
Director of Athletics Brian Mann celebrated the women’s basketball program and their Coastal Athletic Association championship win and advancement to the National Collegiate Athletic Association March Madness tournament, and the following win.
“ is was the rst No. 9 seed to ever make the nals of the CAA tournament, only the second time William and Mary had made the nals,” Mann said. “It was the rst CAA tournament victory for our women’s basketball team. First NCAA tournament appearance for either of our basketball programs.”
“And not to be outdone and not simply happen to be there, they won the rst ever NCAA tournament game in the history of William and Mary,” Mann continued.
Mann addressed the attention that was brought to the College during the tournament.
“It does remarkable things,” Mann said. “To put the university on a stage and in the spotlight that lets everyone around the country and around the world know all the amazing things that are happening here.”
Mann also celebrated the two CAA Institutional Scholar-Athletes of the year, Arianna DeBoor ’25 and Ben Parker MBA ’25.
Administration, Buildings and Grounds
e committee on administration, buildings and grounds convened
ursday to address campus construction, restoration projects and the College’s and VIMS’ six-year development plan.
Executive Vice President for Finance
and Administration Mike Todd began with an update from the Office of Business Affairs on the capital plan.
He highlighted efforts to implement AI chatbots on the College’s website to facilitate access to information.
“IT is in the process of testing AI chatbots to improve our website search functions, to improve overall customer service on the website at the university,” Todd said. “Those should be piloted this summer.”
Chief Information O cer Edward
Aractingi then provided an update on the College’s progress toward implementing Workday, the new online enterprise software platform slated to replace Banner starting in fall 2025.
Aractingi announced that they are currently in the test and train stage and are on track for a switch from Banner to Workday starting in July. He described the College’s next steps toward reaching that milestone.
“After we nish this stage in May, that’s when we’ll do an intensive training for users of the system, and we’ll start building for the hypercare support with the implementation partner for post-golive,” Aractingi said. Baker Tilly, the third-party auditing rm overseeing the Workday implementation, rated the College’s progress at a moderate-to-high risk level.
Aractingi reassured board members that they are taking feedback into account and making necessary changes.
Chief Business O cer Sean Hughes shared that campus construction projects are slated to be nished in the fall semester as planned. He noted that
construction teams are accelerating their hours to meet the original deadlines.
Hughes then gave an update on e$orts to renovate the president’s house located near the Wren building. He cited the presence of structural issues that raise the estimated renovation costs to anywhere from $13.15 to $15.64 million dollars, but estimates the real costs would exceed the estimates once the renovation is underway.
ere’s a baseline of stewardship that’s required to stop the degradation of the building, no matter what we use it for, and it’s not cheap,” Hughes said.
Finally, the Board approved the capital plans for the College and VIMS, passing resolutions 18 and 19.
e executive committee session spent most of its time closed to the public, but it did provide reports on what each subcommittee worked on and planned to do for the future.
e Equity and A$airs Committee, led by Barbara L. Johnson J.D. ’84, reported on its plans for its April 24 meeting, which was set to include a report from Associate Provost for Enrollment and Dean of Admission Tim Wolfe on admissions concerning the class of 2029, a report on the retirement incentive plan and bylaw changes resulting in faculty handbook revisions by Dr. Pamela Eddy and faculty service information presented by Provost Peggy Agouris.
e Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee, represented by Stephen Huebner ‘76, P ‘09, outlined their plan for their meeting, which included announcements by David Rasnic, who is the higher education programs audit
director for the commonwealth, and, as he understands it, the College is in great shape. Additionally, the committee plans to have a Workday implementation update by Tilly and Chief Compliance O cer Ms. Pamela Mason will also give a report. Mr. Kent Erdahl will give his report as the director of the total audit, then the session will be closed to discuss his performance. An update will also be provided on the search for Erdahl’s replacement.
e Compensation Committee reviewed both of Rowe’s goals for next year. In July, Rowe is set to give an update on how 2025 went and how that will in%uence the planning for 2026.
For nancial a$airs, they are approving the operating budget for the College, and the Government A$airs will give an update because any variance in the budget will result from their changes. Discussion on Richard Bland College of William and Mary, led by John Rathbone P ‘02, ‘05, included the operating budget, tuition and fees approval. The 2024 BOV meeting had approved an operating budget of $31 million, with a tuition increase of 2.5% plus 3% for mandatory fees and 5% for out-of-state, and this will stay the same for the 2025-26 academic year. There will be a resolution congratulating Richard Bland on their move to independence and one celebrating Jeff Brown, as he is retiring as chief development officer.
e Advancement Committee plans to focus on the success of both the One Tribe One Day event and the women’s basketball program. ey plan to discuss
with Rowe the relationship between national prominence and rankings. Additionally, the rankings task force will present to them.
e Subcommittee on Compensation was mostly held in closed session.
e parts that were open to the public included Rowe discussing the implementation of arti cial intelligence into campus processes and increasing its e$ectiveness.
One speci c example of current AI usage includes maintenance ticket prioritization. Since implementation, the College has already seen an increase from 10% to 84% in ticket closures.
Rowe also mentioned how the College’s computer science and data science schools teach students how to use machine learning and write algorithms very pro ciently, but this teaching needs to be expanded into non-computational elds to be more productive.
Crossing this threshold would push the College’s leadership team above the median in comparison with other universities. Additional AI implementations include the creation of AI workshops and research into how AI can be used e$ectively in classrooms. Overall, an increased application of AI would allow campus workers to be more productive and e cient when completing their assignments.
In terms of other professional development campus-wide initiatives, Rowe discussed the continuation of professional development days from the last academic year and the intention to incorporate con%ict resolution workshops for faculty and sta$
SKYLAR HARTGERINK FLAT HAT VARIETY ASSOC.
Research shows that classical, instrumental pieces are less tax ing on working memory than lyrics
Finals are just around the corner, and it’s that time of year again for endless hours in Earl Gregg Swem Library, complete avoidance of dining hall food and most importantly, your favorite study music playlist on repeat.
But is the music you listen to truly the best for getting the most out of your study session?
A survey conducted by The Flat Hat reveals that most students at the College of William and Mary listen to music that is not beneficial for effective studying and retention.
While the research on study music is not conclusive, there are consistent findings and trends that support the idea that the type of music affects how much information one retains.
Research indicates that classical music is the best type of music to listen to while studying. A 2007 study found that “classical music, specifically, can help your brain absorb and interpret new information more easily.” Another model found that instrumental music is preferable because it’s less strenuous on the brain.
“Lyrics are auditive texts that burden the phonological loop (part of working memory responsible for auditory manipulation), leading to a larger decrease in learning performance compared to an instrumental song,” the researcher said.
However, most students are not listening to classical and instrumental music; The Flat Hat’s survey revealed that many students at the College are listening to artists like Hozier, Taylor Swift, Noah Kahan, Clairo and Gracie Abrams instead.
It is understandable why students might gravitate towards these artists. They all offer calmer, slower songs that are not too
distracting. However, some students listen to artists like Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX, whose music is the complete opposite, typically featuring fast and upbeat songs. Either way, neither type of music is optimal for effective studying. Our survey also revealed that even if students do not think it is extremely influential, they are still listening to music for the majority of the time they spend studying. As the graph below shows, over 50% of students listen to music 60 to 100% of the time they spend studying.
As a result, they may not realize its hindrance on cognitive performance and keep the music playing for longer than recommended. The second graph below illustrates that over 55% of students listen to music for more than 60% of their study sessions. The final graph shows that over half of the students believe listening to music while studying is at least
60% effective in optimizing their productivity and information retention. While some students listen to instrumental music, most included in the data do not.
One probable reason for this is that listening to music has been shown to boost mood and relaxation. Research has found that music can stimulate the release of dopamine, “a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward, which can increase motivation and engagement.”
It is no wonder, then, that when students must spend grueling hours doing homework, they will choose music that puts them in a good mood and motivates them. Unfortunately, listening to music with lyrics is harming their working memory, which is essential to processing information.
How do Williamsburg’s coffeehouses stack up against each other?
We asked 139 respondents where they get their favorite cups of coffee on and off-campus
Williamsburg o ers a wide range of co eehouses, cafes and bakeries that provide co ee, tea and other beverages of varying quality. The Flat Hat conducted a survey consisting of 138 students at the College of William and Mary to assess the frequency of cafe visitation and the popularity of each cafe. Respondents were asked a series of questions about a select number of popular cafes in Williamsburg, including on-campus options like Cold Pressed and Column 15. Here’s a look at what they said.
Respondents were asked to classify each cafe they had visited as ‘very poor,’ ‘poor,’ ‘average,’ ‘good’ and ‘very good.’ These were indexed into a scale from 1-5, where 1 corresponds to ‘very poor’ and 5 corresponds to ‘very good.’ Respondents rated Aromas most favorably at an average of 4.31, which corresponds to the range between ‘good’ and ‘very good.’ Other on-campus options like Boehly Cafe and Starbucks (ISC) received lower average ratings.
The survey also captured which locations students frequent most often. Aromas was again thea leader, with 131 respondents having visited, closely followed by the on-campus Column 15 at
Transfer
129 visitors. Bake Shop and Cold Pressed were also popular stops, each visited by 124 students, whereas locations like the Secret Garden Cafe (57 visitors) and Boehly Cafe (42 visitors) saw signi cantly less
tra c from respondents.
Interestingly, opinions on cafes varied only slightly across di erent class years. Graduate students expressed the highest average approval
rating, 3.61, with the class of 2028 close behind, at 3.57. The classes of 2026 and 2027 shared an average approval of 3.39, while the class of 2025 had the lowest average at 3.33. Lee Allenberg ’28 shared their preference for Column 15 over other on-campus choices, appreciating the “cozy atmosphere” and noting it had “that seating that allows people to congregate together and slow down...” They also liked the a ordability of Column 15 over other options and their o ering of half-priced baked goods. Finally, the survey looked to settle the debate between coffee lovers and tea fanatics. Out of those surveyed, coffee came out on top with 101 respondents choosing it over tea. The diverse landscape of coffeehouses at and surrounding the College reflects the complex equation William and Mary students solve daily: balancing cost, convenience, quality and the desire for spaces that foster community or focused study. The heavy use of on-campus spots like Column 15 reflects the powerful draw of multi-use study spaces. These choices paint a picture of a student body navigating priorities, seeking value and connection and ultimately shaping the character of the campus’s social and academic hubs, one coffee (or tea) at a time.
portal: roster-building in mid-major College basketball
More athletes than ever are entering portal, colleges look to m aximize success by making stragetic trades
An epidemic has spread across college basketball.
Since March 24, over 2,100 Division I men’s players have entered their names into the National Collegiate Athletic Association transfer portal. Created in 2018, the portal streamlines the process of transferring between schools. It continues to gain popularity in 2025: the average DI men’s program has su ered roughly 5.7 portal departures over the last month.
The portal process has been described by many in the industry as lawless and anarchic, an unregulated system of free agency with no longterm contracts.
“It’s truly kind of a one-year contract type of thing,” Jim Root, a college basketball journalist and a transfer portal analyst at The Athletic, told The Flat Hat. “A guy is there, and you’ve got to make sure you give him ample reason to stay, both rotationally and emotionally, but especially nancially. Otherwise, people are just going to hop around and play at four schools in four years.”
The portal has an outsized e ect on mid-major conferences, where teams typically don’t have the money or resources to fend o the bigger-name schools that raid their rosters for talent.
According to Root, roughly 70 to 80% of elite mid-major players enter the portal after every season.
The Coastal Athletic Association is one of the league’s conferences most a ected by portal drain. 13 of last season’s 15 CAA All-Conference honorees will don di erent uniforms in 2025-2026. But it’s not just the CAA’s stars eeing the league: Elon, for example, rostered just one AllConference selection during the 20242025 season but su ered a CAA-high nine transfer departures.
Even the CAA’s elite teams aren’t immune to portal drain. Charleston has won 13 or more conference games for three straight years and has reached the NCAA Tournament in two of the last three seasons. Nonetheless, a total of eight Cougars players who accounted for a combined 86.47% of the team’s 2024-2025 scoring output recently decided to enter their names into the portal.
In this era of discontinuity, what is the most effective way for the College of William and Mary and its peers to approach roster-building? Root said that, during his time tracking the portal, he has found the answer to be star retention.
The CAA’s most successful program of the post-COVID era has been Towson, which has won a league-best 75% of
“It’s de nitely something that midmajor coaches lament repeatedly,” Root said. “That ‘I invest in the guy. He probably wasn’t a big recruit, he develops into an All-Star or AllConference player, and before his season’s even done, he’s probably got an agent that’s either contacting schools or being contacted by schools.’”
its conference games over the last four years and has claimed two CAA titles during the same time frame. By no coincidence, the Tigers retain their elite players at an astounding rate. Since the 2020-2021 season, just one Towson AllCAA honoree has elected to transfer: guard Nick Timberlake, who only departed after playing ve seasons for the Tigers.
Towson will again bring back most of its key pieces next season. Just three of its players are currently in the portal, the fewest of any CAA team. Further, All-Conference sophomore guards Tyler Tejada and Dylan Williamson recently announced their intentions to return to the Tigers in the fall. The backcourt duo will become the only 2024-2025 All-CAA honorees to remain with the program they played for last season.
However, star retention is a pipe dream for most teams, as it is di cult for mid-majors to manufacture environments that will convince their best players to spurn bigger paydays. According to Root, non-monetary factors that contribute to retention are hard to pin down and can range from a coach’s likability to a school’s academic reputation.
“You never know exactly what the pie chart of reasoning is,” Root said. “Is it because they have a little more money than some of their mid-major counterparts? Is it that the coach is really good at creating relationships with his players? I think there is something to that. Some coaches are more comfortable saying, ‘Alright, I
can turn it over. Hired guns. Let’s bring them in. I’ll make it work.’ But for some, [relationships and retention] mean a little more.”
“I would say there’s probably a few programs that are good about it consistently,” Root continued. “That can kind of go back to the coach, or can go back to money, or just if a guy feels comfortable in the team’s style, if it’s fun to play, that can be part of it. You’ve also got the Patriot League and the Ivy League. They’re basically in their own world, because academics are so big there. They retain way, way better than any other conference, consistently year over year, even in this era.” Root considers Towson to be an outlier that can overcome nancial disadvantages with intangible elements that aren’t easy for other programs to replicate. In the majority of cases, he said, mid-major stars will go where they can earn the most money. READ MORE AT
ABHAYPRAD JHA
FLAT HAT DATA EDITOR
Nora’s Reading Nook #3: Poor Things
Hello all! Welcome back to your favorite book review column with a fresh new title. Some of you may be wondering: wait, wasn’t someone else writing this? The answer is no. I was writing it, but I simply am using a different name because I contain multitudes. Now back to the book at hand:
“Poor Things”! First introduced to me by visionary freak director Yorgos Lanthimos’ 2023 film adaptation, the narrative follows a woman born immediately into adulthood without conceptions of Victorian social norms (including but not limited to: gender roles, religion, capitalism, world hunger, sexual repression and politeness) traversing the world, unabashed and unafraid of the raw experiences that fill the movie. Burning through men, trying on such professions as prostitute and surgeon, Bella Baxter philosophizes, experiments and revises her own conclusions over and over again in a vibrant sequence of intense drama and humor. I will save the details for the movie, which I encourage you to watch. Now for the book, which I hopefully will convince you to read:
Overall, I think it is a bizarre and fascinating book. The structure of the novel mimics a historical investigation into the life of Bella Baxter (later known as Dr. Victoria McCandles) presented to the reader from various perspectives and sources. The ‘editor’ gives historical background and details; Archibald McCandles, the main author of the novel’s manuscript, describes meeting his wife and their life together; and, finally, Bella herself details her journeys with a voice that gradually matures as her knowledge of the world expands. These overlapping and sometimes contradictory narratives pull you in — who is telling the most accurate version of this story, and why are the others lying?
Did Godwin Baxter, Bella’s father, desire her sexually or not? Was Archibald McCandles, Bella’s husband, a man of natural intelligence or a dimwit? And was Bella actually the product of an infant’s brain in the body of a grown woman, or was Archibald’s description the product of an overactive imagination?
While I’ll allow the novel to reveal these secrets in its own time, I enjoyed how philosophy, literature and history coincide and interact throughout the novel. Bella’s ideas about the world formulate and change as more significant experiences and ideas become part of the equation for her, making for a very strange and dynamic reading experience. Bella goes from writing in childish sentences to iambic pentameter to the embarrassed, pretentious voice of a selfconscious professional begging the audience to accept her revised version of events. The novel, revolving around Bella and her worldview, never deviates meaningfully from the axioms that “only bad religions depend on mysteries” and that “truth, beauty, and goodness … are the commonest, most obvious, most essential facts of life, like sunlight, air, and bread.” That Bella never views any form of suffering as proof that the world itself
is evil (and instead sees societal evils like natural diseases, which can be cured) makes for an earnest and curious exploration of nihilistic, cynical theories about humanity juxtaposed with unbridled optimism about how the world can be improved.
This optimistic outlook and rejection of mystery gives the novel some of its more poignant moments. Bella’s denial of her origins and whitewashing of her father’s motivations for creating her (along with the rest of her ridiculously pious and idealized depictions of him) and the ultimate incomprehensibility of war, hierarchy and shame give the epilogue a more authentic note than if it had concluded with Bella being perfectly happy, correct about everything. She eventually adopts a worldview that she might’ve mocked in the beginning, but the grief of losing two sons and her unfettered desire to fix things shunts her into a fixation on ensuring children are loved enough. She urges parents to cuddle their children into adulthood and expose them to erotic behavior in a slightly unhinged pamphlet titled “A Loving Economy — A Mother’s Recipe for the End of All National and Class Warfare.” But again, even with such an absurd title motivated by obvious naivety, Bella describing how her “two youngest sons … let their beautiful bodies be mangled and crushed into mud” reminds us that she is, at heart, innocent and desperate to improve the world. In the epilogue, she has the frantic thought that instead of accompanying her husband in his last hours on his deathbed, “[she] could have done more good at other bed-sides.”
That she immediately follows this up with “Never mind. I may want company during my own last days, so am glad I did not refuse it to him” speaks to the eccentricity of the mind that the story springs from, the lens through which Alasdair Gray’s novel looks at humanity. It’s hard to say exactly why I feel this book is important; it’s just so intriguing and stimulating. It encourages you to question and judge and conclude, and then make fun of your own conclusions. But the tone is never cruel in depicting incredible folly, and instead it is somehow gentle and kind. Every person in the novel is described as a ‘poor thing,’ hence its title. Discovering the depth of the characters’ intelligence, stupidity and emotional composition engenders a real affection and a feeling that each of them is just a poor thing trying to figure out their way in the world.
NoraYoon’27isaChemistrymajor. Theyenjoywritingpoetryforthecampus literary magazine, The Gallery and reading whatever books have a good vibe to them. They also like sitting by large bodies of water, drinking lotsofcoffeeandoverthinkingmovies, songs and things in general. Contact thematgiyoon@wm.edu.
COMIC
STAFF COLUMN
Brace for impact: finals week is here
It’s 3:00 a.m., your sparkling Celsius has gone flat, your to-go box from the Sadler Center is empty and your computer freezes just as you open yet another tab. Welcome to finals week — a whirlwind of stress, sleep deprivation and constant anxiety, as college students scramble for that coveted A grade. With one finals week under my belt, I feel qualified to say that as a student body, the way we glorify cram culture isn't helpful: frankly, it's dangerous. Whether talking to friends, family or professors, every semester I hear students “complaining” about how little sleep they’ve gotten during the finals sea-
son, seemingly competing to be the most unhinged. These badges of perceived success reinforce the false narrative that if you’re not pulling all-nighters, you’re slacking. But this isn't true. The cram culture here at the College of William and Mary has come to expect students to work themselves to the point of exhaustion, all under the guise of “the college experience.” But at this point, are students really learning anything? Or are they simply revealing their own immaturity and short-sightedness?
Despite what the looming deadlines, staggering workload and limited time might suggest, you CAN maintain a healthy sleep schedule AND do well on your finals. When we stop glorifying overworking, we can address sleep loss, anxiety and burnout for what they truly are: problems.
If I could offer my own advice, start by making a realistic study plan. Working yourself to the point of exhaustion, isolating on the third floor of Earl Gregg Swem Library and chaining yourself to a desk isn’t a good plan. Instead, break your study material into chunks and take breaks. Seriously. Even
when you’re in a time crunch, make time to stretch, walk and breathe — not just scroll through TikTok. With a manageable study plan, sleep like it’s your job. Aim for seven to nine hours. Your brain processes information while you sleep. Let it work for you while you rest. Eat what’s healthy, not what’s easy. I get it, the struggle to walk past the Sadler ice cream station and not cave is real. But when you have eaten a balanced meal and not a plate full of french fries or chicken nuggets, your body will thank you. Finally, talk it out. Vent to a friend, family member or stranger in Swem. Study with a buddy or just check in with someone. You’re not alone. Others are in the same boat. Trust me. To wrap-up, I understand that there are factors outside of students’ control that can necessitate this cram culture, but PLAN. That is the best way to avoid unwanted stress and anxiety. Remember, you're doing your best, and that’s enough. Good luck! MatthewPreneta’28isadevotedcinephile withasharpinterestinpoliticalsatire.Heenjoys spendingqualitytimewithfriendsandfamily andlovestobecreativeeverychancehegets. Contacthimatmdprenata@wm.edu
Don’t pass on America’s pastime
Baseball It’s too long. It’s boring. How can you sit and watch that for three hours?
I get it. Baseball can be boring, but I don’t know what else to say — it’s my favorite sport.
When I was little, I played tee ball and then baseball in my local police precinct’s youth league. It was a lot of picking grass, getting chased by bees and looking directly into the sun, of course. I enjoyed it, but to the disdain of present me, I eventually stopped playing in the fourth grade.
I attempted to make a comeback in March 2020. I had even gotten a brandnew glove and bat, but I guess the world wasn’t ready. I knew I didn’t really have a chance on the high school team, so I ended up running track instead.
So, if I never really played baseball, why is it my favorite sport? Well, a part of it is because I grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y. Brooklyn and the greater city have a rich history of baseball. At one point, the city was home to three teams: the Yankees in the Bronx, the Giants in Manhattan and the Dodgers in Brooklyn. Of all the World Series played between 1905 and 1955, these New York teams combined won 22 of them (the Yankees won the bulk of them with 16). These teams were
Willy and Mary # 10
COMIC BY MICHAEL GABRIEL / THE FLAT HAT
home to baseball legends, such as Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and Jackie Robinson. New York City was a baseball town.
Unfortunately, both the Dodgers and the Giants would pack their bags for the West Coast after the conclusion of the 1957 season. Two entire fan bases were left heartbroken and with no team to support. My great-uncle was one of these fans. He had immigrated to the United States from Greece and took a liking to baseball, choosing the Dodgers as his team.
While some fans tried to keep up with the now Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants, others switched allegiances to the Yankees and many sat waiting for a new team to return to New York. Eventually, one did.
In 1962, the New York Metropolitans, or Mets for short, took the field at the Polo Grounds, the longtime home of the Giants. In an effort to join the two old fan bases, the Mets took on the colors of both clubs: the orange from the Giants and the blue from the Dodgers.
My great-uncle was then proud to don a Mets cap, and passed along the love for the team and the game to his Americanborn children, nieces and nephews, including my dad, who passed it along to me. The orange and blue run strong in the Gabriel family.
I grew up watching David Wright (a Norfolk native, funnily enough) play third base for the Mets. When I was ten, Wright and the Mets made it to the World Series.
One of the games was on Halloween, and I dressed up as their ace pitcher, Matt Harvey. They lost the Series to the Kansas City Royals the next day. This past fall, the moment I left New York, the Mets, of course, went on a deep playoff run. Ask any one of my dorm mates and they’ll tell you how excited I was. I probably wore a Mets jersey or hat every day for three weeks straight. It was a great run,
even if it ended with a couple of blowout losses to the eventual World Series Champion Dodgers in the National League Championship series. I'm not here to argue that baseball is the best sport, but it is my favorite because there is just something about it that can't be found in other sports. There is no set time for the game. There are nine innings, but sometimes there are more. A called strike versus a ball often depends on how an umpire is feeling that day. Players can be fat, skinny, tall, short, fast, slow and even only have one hand (I’m not joking. Look up Jim Abbott). Each club plays 162 games in the regular season, amounting to a whopping 2,430 games played overall. It is insane.
Yes, the games are long, but after a long week of classes, it’s nice to just sit and watch a couple of innings of a Mets game. As the weather has been getting better on campus, I’ve been making good use of the glove I got back in 2020, too. Playing catch with a friend or two on the Sunken Garden on a sunny day is a great way to take a break from the stress of schoolwork.
Many will still think of baseball as a boring sport, and that’s alright. This is just why I enjoy the sport, and I encourage everyone on campus to take some time to reconsider their opinions on the sport. Hey, we could even talk it over at a Tribe baseball game at Pulmeri Park! Michael Gabriel ’28 is currently undecided on his major, but he enjoys history and the sciences. Here at The Flat Hat, he is one of the Graphics Editors and contributes an issue of his WillyandMarycomicalmosteveryedition. He is a big baseball fan, likes the outdoorsandisalwayshappytotalkto anyoneaboutanything.Contacthimat mdgabriel@wm.edu.
GRAPHIC BY HANNAH YANG / THE FLAT HAT
GRAPHIC BY MOLLIE SHIFLETT / THE FLAT HAT
FLAT HAT OPINIONS EDITOR
Nora Yoon
FLAT HAT GRAPHICS EDITOR
Michael Gabriel
STAFF COLUMN
GRAPHIC BY MICHAEL GABRIEL / THE FLAT HAT
Eva’s Apple #6: The gauntlet
Welcome to Eva’s Apple #6. Often, when I sit down to write my apples, I think about what my readership would most benefit from this week. Seeing as we are approaching finals, I would expect that you are looking for something lowstress and funny. Look somewhere else. It is not my job to entertain you. When the Instagram post went up to poll for questions this week, my grandma texted me saying that if I give her a question I want to write about, she would submit it on my behalf. If that isn’t love and loyalty, I don’t know what is. My grandma helped me realize that I have not been putting myself first. It’s always “What questions do my readers want me to answer?” and not “What questions do I want to be asked?” For those of you who are annoying, no, I didn’t take up
my grandma’s offer and compromise my journalistic integrity. But, honestly, doing so would be nothing close to the crime that is hiding behind your screen and selfishly submitting whatever questions you want without any regard to what questions I WANT.
So, for my last apple of this semester, I have arranged a little competition. I was asked ten questions this week. Today, I will be answering six of them. Of the four I did not pick, two are being saved for their own issue and two were (how do I put this kindly?) garbage. There is no way of knowing which category you fall in. Either way, you should take my omission of your question very seriously and quite personally. For those of you whose questions I am answering, the order is not random. I have ranked them from my least to most favorite. If you didn’t ask me a question this week, shame on you. If you did ask me a question this week, I wish you good luck. Let the games begin. 6th place: “Advice for summer internships?” Yeah. Have you ever wanted to become a lobbyist? I want you to lobby The Flat Hat for me. I’ll pay you in words of affirmation.
Hear me out: Flat Hat merch shop.
I get a royalty because it’s my intellectual property. #sharktankmindset. Imagine shirts that say “Goose #6” (callback to Eva’s Apple #2), bucket hats that say “Start Humble” (callback to
this Apple… read on) or hoodies that say “Grounddawg” (callback to Eva’s Apple #4). Now imagine every member of the student body wearing one or all of these. Epic behavior.
I really think I struck gold here. If the paper won’t monetize this, I will. All I need is an investment of $200,000 for 5% of my company, which is a four million dollar pre-revenue valuation. If you don’t want the lobbying gig, go get a really lucrative summer internship so you can take advantage of this fiscally promising investment opportunity.
5th place: “What is the most efficient way to move out of one’s dorm” I have a dog named Pretzel, and she’s crazy. My move-out plan is to sprinkle shredded cheese all over my dorm and let Pretzel use her discretion to decide which of my belongings are a snack that pairs well with mozzarella. Everything left intact gets thrown in a car and taken home. I haven’t run this by my roommate, but I’m sure she’ll be fine with it. I’ll let you dogsit Pretzel for the day if you supply your own mozzarella. I’ve got a winning plan; time to follow suit.
4th place: “how does one become as awesome and amazing as you”
Has anyone ever told you to stay humble? They’re wrong. All you have to do is start humble. Earn trust, and then you can be arrogant. There are two reasons to be disliked. One: You’re cool
The racism of College Republicans
Monday, April 14, the Young Independents at the College of William and Mary hosted a debate on immigration in the James Room of the Sadler Center. The discussion was between themselves, College Republicans and Young Democrats. After shooting a video for Flat Hat Online, I decided to check out the debate. The event began with opening statements from each group. It then transitioned into a rotating format, where every club had an individual speak and take one question from each organization.
I decided to go up during this segment and speak on behalf of WMYD. I argued how much of the anti-immigration sentiment that comes out of the right is rooted in hatred of minority groups, ethnonationalism and racism. As an example, I brought up how Donald Trump has repeatedly parroted the language of Adolf Hitler when describing immigrants. A widely publicized example of this came from one of his New Hampshire campaign rallies.
“They let — I think the real number is 15, 16 million people into our country. When they do that, we got a lot of work to do. They’re poisoning the blood of our country,” he said.
Donald Trump’s usage of “blood poisoning” to describe immigrants is concerning for many reasons. For one, this language directly replicates Hitler’s exterminationist language related to Jewish people. Secondly, this Nazi rhetoric is disturbing in how it tacitly endorses the racist and anti-semitic ‘Great Replacement’ conspiracy theory. Proponents of the Great Replacement are similar to Donald Trump in that they’re also worried about the ‘blood poisoning’ of immigrants. The
conspiracy theory falsely claims that non-white immigration into this country constitutes an ‘invasion’ and an intentional plot to replace the white population and culture of the United States. Many right-wing terrorists, including Nazis and white supremacists, have been directly inspired by this conspiracy theory to engage in hate crimes and acts of violence against marginalized groups.
After I finished speaking, I took a question from WMCR. The individual who asked the question began by refusing to say whether or not WMCR supported or didn’t support the Great Replacement theory. This person then went on to qualify this supposed ambiguous support with a hypothetical scenario. Seemingly making a comparison to what the Great Replacement argues, they asked what I’d think if I were a native person, witnessing my culture disappear during the 18th-19th century genocide of American Indigenous peoples. Genocide and peaceful immigration are obviously two very different things, so that confused metaphor made no sense. What did make sense about this question was its intention.
WMCR understands that they cannot explicitly endorse the Great Replacement because of how outwardly hateful and racist it is. What they can do is indicate support for this rhetoric while attempting to maintain a veneer of plausible deniability. Why else would you refuse to say whether or not you don’t support it? Why else would you not outwardly object to it? Why would you qualify your statement with a confused metaphor, indicating that you actually seemingly agree with this racist conspiracy theory?
WMCR has also done many other things that we can con -
strue as being racist. For instance, they released a statement responding to Trump’s New York criminal convictions last summer. Among other things in the post, they referred to the conviction of Derek Chauvin as a “sham trial.” Derek Chauvin is, of course, the police officer who murdered George Floyd in a racially motivated incident, sparking protests and a nationwide racial reckoning during the summer of 2020.
WMCR has also invited a member of a white supremacist organization, the Proud Boys, to speak at one of their meetings. The person they invited was Jonathan G. Mellis, who was convicted for assaulting law enforcement at the Capitol Jan. 6, 2021. Mellis was later pardoned by Donald Trump for his actions in attempting to interfere with the certification of the 2020 presidential election. They invited him back to speak at one of their meetings a couple of months later. During the meeting, WMCR took a group photo with Mellis and posted it on their Instagram page. In the photo, you can clearly see Mellis flashing what appears to be a “white power” hand signal. With the context of Mellis belonging to a white supremacist organization, it’s relatively easy to deduce what exactly he meant by flashing that symbol. Although WMCR wants to claim that inviting a white supremacist to speak to their club doesn’t amount to an endorsement of these beliefs, it’s a bit harder to reasonably make that argument when you invite someone like Mellis not only once but twice to one of your meetings. What should we do about this? At the very least, we should be more aware of what WMCR stands for as an organization. We should familiarize ourselves with the instances of harm that they have engaged in as an organization, especially when their actions negatively impact marginalized members of our community. LiamGlavin‘27(he/him) isagovernmentmajorfrom FallsChurch,Virginia.Heloves running,readingandspending timewithfriendsandhopes toinstillvaluesofpoliticaland civicengagementacrossthe community.Contacthimat ljglavin@wm.edu.
and boy do you know it. Two: You think you’re cool but you’re not. The goal is to be the former. People tend to like weasels who are good company but do not fully understand, nor flaunt, their own immense swag and worth. Impersonate the weasel and then emerge as the wolf. Or werewolf. Like Jacob from “Twilight.”
And now, for the podium…
3rd place: “eva- how do i pick my schedule for next year?”
Wondering why this made the podium? This lovely reader decided I was worth the common courtesy of a name.
The key to a holistic education is to try new things. The best way to do this is to step out of your comfort zone and jump into a new discipline. Sign up for all the high level classes you can in your least-familiar subjects. Then, never ask questions. That’s weak. If you are ever confused, make up the answers with such conviction that you have the entire discipline questioning their authority on the topic. People say college should teach you how to think, not what to think. By this logic, the content of your beliefs is wholly unimportant. You just have to come about them in an interesting way.
2nd place: “Dearest Eva, how do I slay my finals?”
What a kind way to address your favorite satire advice columnist! The rest of you should be taking notes.
The best way to slay your finals is to take an overwhelmingly creative
approach. All your short answers should rhyme. Every multiple choice question should be answered with “all of the above” and a haiku justification. If you are ever unsure, just write “Why are you asking me? Aren’t you the professor?” Guaranteed A+.
1st place: “Eva, how should I introduce my delinquent roommates to my parents on move-out?”
WOW. Wow wow wow wow wow. This is how it’s done. This is a perfect question. This is the very first perfect question I’ve answered during my entire tenure as a satire advice columnist. Not only does it address me by name, it is properly capitalized and practically begs for a personal anecdote.
Unfortunately, I am the delinquent roommate in my roomie duo. Please defer this question to Miss Julia Peavey of the Jaber-Peavey residence.
Alrighty. Congratulations to the winner and tough luck to all the losers. You’ve got until next semester to think of new questions. They better dazzle me. Go live your best life, start lobbying for my merch line and H.A.G.S..
EvaJaber‘28(she/her)isaprospectiveEnglishorinternationalrelationsmajor.Sheisamemberofthe Cleftomaniacs,anacappellagroup, anESLtutorandhopestoencourage peace-mindedadvocacyoncampus. Contactheratehjaber@wm.edu.
Alex’s guide to faux-tography
This article is about a terrible mistake.
It all started in a fit of boredom. As I watched the Colonial Williamsburg tourists amble by, I sighed and wished for a spark of excitement. Dear friend, many stories start this way. Not all have happy endings.
Dying for an adventure, as I had been since I read too many “Percy Jackson” books as a child, I clicked on a mysterious link in a mysterious email and entered my personal information.
Now, you may think you see where this is going. It was a phishing scheme! I was hacked! My computer virus is writing this very article!
Well, dear friend, I wish that were the truth. First of all, that would save me a lot of work. Secondly, it would rescue me from an even more tragic fate.
A lovely group on campus was hosting a red carpet event. They posted an announcement requesting paparazzi. There it was! My spark! Ignorantly thinking that anyone can take photos, I eagerly signed up. Little did I know, this innocent notion was a flaming lie, capable of setting my pants on fire.
This was the perfect opportunity to practice my budding (nonexistent) photography skills with low stakes, since after all, “paparazzi” is plural. I was assured there would be many backup experts to take the real photos.
Perhaps this is a lesson in jumping to conclusions, but unfortunately, when I reported for duty, a disappointment awaited.
Ten minutes after I arrived, I waited eagerly for some professionallooking people to appear. Shouldn’t the GlamBot guy be here, after all?
But as the clock ticked toward the event’s start and people began to conglomerate on the beautiful red carpet, my heart dropped.
Camera case from Swem Library in hand, I was a lone “paparazzo.”
Clearing my throat, I fiddled with the camera buttons, trying to keep my face smooth and placid, like someone who had seen a camera before. I massaged my imaginary goatee in what I viewed as a photographer-like fashion.
Everyone at the event was incredibly sweet. They kept thanking me for coming and asking if I needed anything. I tried not to reply, “Would you mind taking the photos?”
It was too late for that, as people already strutted down the red carpet in tuxedos and pretty dresses, looking fantastic. I raised the camera to my eye, fumbling for the theoretically user-friendly photo-taking button. The flash went off, much like a lightning bolt had struck the
interior of the Sadler Center. They smiled, posed again.
Click, click. Pretty smooth, I thought. This isn’t so bad, I thought. That is, until after about half an hour, when the camera began to malfunction.
Frowning, I looked down at the display and cocked my head. I even double checked that I was pressing the right button (yes, I am capable of pressing the wrong button on a machine with essentially one button.) A busy signal flashed on the screen. I waited for smoke to come out — the perfect excuse to stop taking photos — but nope. It was the terrible sort of half-way broken.
“Oh, that’s new. Just one moment,” I muttered, in a not-atall panicked voice. I glanced up at the group of fashionable people, their faces frozen in the awkward smiles that emerge when it is unclear whether the photographer is doing their job or not.
It turned out that the Swem camera needed about one minute to recover between photos from then on. I got a lot of those special smiles.
The final hurdle was, well, seeing the photos. You see, I had glanced at them previously. Upon further inspection, however, they revealed themselves to be … the work of a faux-tographer.
Point A: If the sun ever goes out, we can all use the flash on the Swem cameras as a source of light for photosynthesis. Pretty much every photo turned out overexposed (thank you, Google, for the photography terminology).
Point B: Surely, if I did not take good photos of anyone, then I could at least get everyone in frame. Well,
dear friend, don’t be naive enough to believe that. To the person who was cut out of the group photos (I can tell you were there because I can see the edge of your hair), my sincere apologies.
My sincere apologies, in general, to the wonderful and talented people on the red carpet that day. You posed artistically, you came in style. The paparazzo, however, did you dirty. Here, we get to the moral evaluation of my actions. Would Aesop conclude that one simply should not attempt new things in case one becomes the evil undoer of a red carpet? Perhaps. However, if one never attempted things one was underqualified for, then one would never try anything new. In fact, one would never become qualified for anything.
So, I am not discouraging trying new things. However, be warned, you might accidentally cut someone’s head off (from the picture, that is). It is delusional to expect a beginner, or an anybody, to be perfect. Shockingly, some of the photos I took that night were good. Some were okay. Of course, some were downright terrible. But guess what? It wasn’t the end of the world. Those pictures might not have been Instagrammable, but the universe did not combust. The Swem camera is another story, though.
AlexandraHill’28isaprospectiveEnglishmajorandcreative writingminor.Shedoesresearchat theIICConservationGISlabandis amemberofVox.Whenshe’snot submittinghercolumnslate,youcan findheryapping,daydreaming,or dancingreallybadly.Contactherat abhill@wm.edu.
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variety
Ode to Iconic Campus Dorm
Saying goodbye to GGV evokes mixed emotions from students
ANNA WOOD // THE FLAT HAT
If you have walked around campus recently, you have likely noticed the construction happening behind many of the fraternity houses on Ukrop Way. Rising in their shadow is a brand-new fleet of dorms, set to open next fall. While this marks an exciting new chapter for the College of William and Mary’s community, it also signals the end of a cherished era and the loss of spaces that, for generations, have fostered connection and felt like home.
One of those spaces soon to be replaced is the Green and Gold Village. The current GGV Community Council hosted a farewell ceremony Sunday, April 27 in anticipation of the upcoming demolition. The event, which had been in the works since October, was designed as a celebration of the life and legacy of GGV.
Community Council President Frank Herman ’28 described the motivation behind the event.
“The impetus behind doing so was that I think GGV deserves such a celebration of life,” Herman said.
Held on the Intramural Field adjacent to GGV, the ceremony featured live music and had
impressive attendance. The attire was black tie optional. Former and current residents gathered to honor the space, reminiscing and sharing laughs.
Originally built in 1965, GGV has long held a special place in the hearts of both alumni and current students. First used as fraternity housing and later converted into freshman dorms, this complex has seen thousands of residents, absorbed countless stories and served as the setting for decades of unforgettable memories. Though beloved by many, not everyone was immediately fond of its quirks.
“Griffin D was nothing like I expected it to be,” former resident Solana Neeley ’27 said. “I was scared and upset when I found out I was going to be living in GGV, but I think it was very formative to my time here at William and Mary, and it has made me some of my best friends and best memories.”
Veronika Owen ’28 had a similar favorite part of living in GGV.
“It’s definitely not the architecture, it’s definitely not the plumbing — but the people are pretty great,” Owen said.
Like Neeley and Owen, many former residents agree: It’s not the buildings themselves, but the people inside them who made GGV feel like home.
One particularly meaningful part of the event invited attendees to write their favorite GGV memory on a sticky note, which they then placed in a time capsule — a gesture aimed at preserving the spirit of GGV for years to come.
“I really like having everyone write their favorite memory and put it in a time capsule. I’m definitely going to go back and read those later,” Herman said.
After about 30 minutes of live music, speeches began. The first was a poem inspired by Dr. Seuss’s “Green Eggs and Ham,” cleverly tied to the GGV experience. This was followed by a eulogy given by Herman, who reflected on the ways GGV fostered community and served as an irreplaceable part of the freshman experience.
To commemorate the event, attendees received gold cups featuring a graphic of the
GGV sign and lime green wristbands that read, “I survived GGV.” A reception in Tazewell Hall followed, complete with pizza, chicken fingers, cake and drinks.
Not every resident is mourning the end. Some, like Owen, acknowledge the need for change.
“Of course, these dorms are 50 years old. They were frat houses beforehand. Obviously they have a lot of history: good, bad, ambivalent. I think for the sake of future generations, it’s time for it to go,” Owen said.
The new West Woods housing complex will open next year and house 935 students. Whether it will foster the same close-knit environment that defined GGV remains uncertain for Neeley.
“Honestly, I don’t think it will be the same in the newer dorms,” Neeley said. “I think the reason that community was so strong in GGV was because people wanted to be in the lounge where they weren’t stuck in their small, damp, moldy rooms, but instead were with other people in a large, bright, AC-filled space.”
While newer, more modern dorms may offer comfort, they may not replicate the sense of community that arose from shared challenges. Still, there is hope that the next generation of students will forge their own version of GGV’s spirit.
As a final reflection at the funeral, attendees were asked to describe GGV in one word.
“I would say large. Large in every sense of the word — large in personalities, large in size, large in population, large community,” Herman said.
Owen added her own heartfelt summary of the distinct dorm experience.
“I feel like GGV kind of just sums up what it means to be the Tribe, you know? You’re in a community together — there are ups, there are downs — but through it all, you make it work and you have fun along the way,” Owen said.
As students say goodbye to GGV, what remains is a deep sense of gratitude for the friendships formed, the stories shared and the legacy left behind. The buildings may be forever removed, but the spirit of GGV will live on in the hearts of those who called it home.
Building Wren brick by brick
College collaborates with Charles Fulcher on community LEGO pro ject
PEERAWUT RUANGSAWASDI // STAFF WRITER
While the Class of 2025 may not be able to fully enjoy the architecture of the Sir Christopher Wren Building towards the end of their academic career, they will be the ones to kickstart a new project: constructing the building and the historic campus out of LEGO bricks.
e community-driven project will involve over 200,000 LEGO bricks, encompassing the Wren Building, the President’s House and the Bra erton Building. Funded by D. Bruce Christian ’73, the model will be around 8 ft sq. and be put up for public display in the Wren Building. Director of Wren Operations and Events Charles E. Fulcher Jr. ’99 is spearheading the project. He says the two most exciting goals he has for this project are the educational opportunity and the chance for the community to come together. Fulcher also oversees and works with the Spotswood Society, a student organization that gives tours of the Wren Building to the general public.
“What this model will do when it’s completed, it’s [an] 8 feet square model. It will give [the Spotswood Society] a way to talk about the relationship between the historic campus buildings, to talk about the age of the building,” Fulcher said. “When you look at the red on the outside, the di erent brick patterns inform the age of di erent parts of the building, the chapel has largely di erent brick than the rest of the building because it was added later and that will be re ected in the LEGO model, so they’ll be able to use that as a tool to talk about the structure.” Fulcher is partnering with Sensational Bricks, a company based in England who specializes in large LEGO builds. Ed Diment and Romão Santos, who lives in Portugal, work with Fulcher to design the LEGO build itself.
“Although this is designed by somebody across the Atlantic, it’s being built by the Tribe. It’s all those hands and those parts of the community coming together,” Fulcher said.” I’ve seen some other colleges who have big builds like this, like e Ohio State University has like a giant version of their football stadium or Notre Dame was a big thing. I even checked our sister up in Charlottesville, they have one of the Rotunda. It’s only 6,500 pieces, but all of those other projects are the work of one person.”
Fulcher has started undertaking the building process. After coordinating with Dean of University Libraries Carrie Lynn Cooper, he recruited about 20
Swem Library Ambassadors to come sort the LEGO bricks. e build itself is divided into di erent modules, with pieces sorted from other sets.
He conceived the idea after re ecting on another project he worked on: LEGO Cathedral, a replica of the Washington National Cathedral. He brought this previous work to Senior Vice President for University Advancement Matthew Lambert ’99, who coordinated the Wren Building e ort with University Advancement.
Fulcher worked at the National Cathedral for 14 years, eventually serving as its director for Visitor Programs from 2014 to 2020. Santos, who is designing the model for the College’s project, also designed the model for the national cathedral.
“We started work on it in about 2018, publicly launched it in 2019, but the idea was to engage families and kids and people who maybe don’t go to church but who might be fascinated by the building itself or the architecture, or even people who are really into LEGOs, and to get them involved with the building because you don’t have to be a Christian or even a person of faith necessarily to be sort of captivated by the architecture of this place,” Kevin Eckstrom, the cathedral’s chief public a airs o cer, said. “And so, the LEGO project was one more way to invite audiences in to experience the building, but also to see it on a little bit more of a human scale.”
e cathedral project is still active, with the plan to utilize approximately 500,000 LEGO bricks.
“If you missed the 83 years of construction it took to build Washington National Cathedral, now’s your chance to watch the Cathedral rise again – only this time out of LEGO® bricks! When completed, over 500,000 LEGO bricks will form a 1:40 scale replica of the Cathedral that’s more than 13 feet long, eight feet tall and bigger than a minivan!” the cathedral’s website reads.
Eckstrom says projects like these are a great way for the public to learn more about buildings and appreciate them more as a lived environment. One moment he still appreciates was when former U.S. secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg visited the National Cathedral in 2020 and helped build the model with his children and Eckstrom’s children.
“Charles has never met a LEGO project that he doesn’t like, so he’s exactly the right person to be leading this for William and Mary, because he was the one who had the vision of what this could be here at the cathedral. I think yours is probably
going to be done well before ours, but that’s okay,” Eckstrom added. Fulcher aims to take di erent parts of the model to di erent events, such as events for the Class of 2025 or alumni events, to allow for broad community participation in the model’s construction. is will come to light by everybody’s hands coming together to build it. I think that’s one of the other great reasons for the Tribe: Class of ’25 helping us through this soft launch just to get it o the ground, see them o the door with something special, and then over the next year roll it out much more broadly,” Fulcher said.
ANNA WOOD / THE FLAT HAT
“Gospel Explosion” Concert Review
DEVYANI THAKARE // THE FLAT HAT
Thursday, April 24 at 7:30 p.m., the Ebony Expressions Gospel Choir, the College of William and Mary’s first and only gospel choir, celebrated its 50th anniversary. The Music Arts Center’s Concert Hall was filled with spirituality and community connection as the choir performed their “Gospel Explosion” show, consisting of worship songs, hymns, a praise dance, soloists and medleys.
Historical displays outside the concert hall showed news clippings from Flat Hat articles on Ebony Expressions through the 20th century. The exhibit also displayed the choir’s previous robe costumes.
The charismatic emcee Kenneth Ferguson ’25 opened the show with a warm and energetic welcome. He then reminded the audience that this concert honored Timothy Ernest Allmond Jr., who founded the choir in 1975 and passed away due to various illnesses and advanced Parkinson’s complications March 12.
Incoming choir co-president
Sam Koranteng ’27 reflected on participating in a group with such a storied legacy.
“I was just elected as co-president for my junior year, and I’m so excited to try new things for our choir as well as continue old traditions,”
Koranteng said in a message to The Flat Hat. “The fact that I get to serve as one of the Presidents for this illustrious organization that started all the way back in 1975 is extremely honorable.”
The Ebony Gospel Choir kicked off performances with the song “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Ferguson introduced the piece as the Black national anthem, which the song is often recognized as because of the hopeful lyrics representing liberty for African Americans. With its spiritual invocation of God, the song became a rallying call for the Civil Rights Movement.
“Elijah Rock” was the second traditional African American spiritual of the night, which told the story of how Elijah, a prophet from the Bible, challenged the worship of Baal with unwavering faith. The song encouraged the listeners to keep their trust in God even during the most difficult times. Arranged by Jester Hairston, Ebony Expressions performed the piece with power, showing musical variety, vocal layering, dynamic rhythms and harmonies that kept the number engaging and full of life.
Before the choir performed “Better,” they encouraged audience members to contribute as much
As the semester draws to a close, sometimes it feels there is an even more menacing foe than finals looming on the horizon: continuing to eat dining hall food. As a pescatarian who is also a picky eater, I feel like I exhaust all my options in the Sadler Center Court over the course of a day, let alone a semester. There are only so many lackluster salads (especially dressed with the false abomination that is light ranch) and bowls of unidentifiable lentil slop a girl can stomach. Commons Dining Hall is marginally better, offering vegetarian options in colors other than beige, but, as a One Tribe Place resident, my proximity to the Sadler Center means the other dining hall might as well be on the other side of the planet. Plus, at a point of true ravenousness, eating dining hall food feels like throwing a shoe at a bear. And when the craving strikes for a real, hearty non-dining hall meal, at this point in the semester, my dining dollars for other on-campus options are already long gone, thanks to the Bento Sushi poke bowls available in Sadler’s Student Exchange. For all of these reasons, last week I made a decision that I am slightly, though probably not sufficiently, ashamed of: Over the course of 8 days, I ate at Oishii Japanese Ramen & Hibachi Grill not once, not twice, but three times. But wait; hear me out, O fading bank account balance of a broke, unemployed college student. Your sacrifice was not in vain; I had a good justification for every visit.
On my first trip to Oishii last week, my high school best friend was in town, and I had to show her what I believe to be the best dining
energy as they could to the performance, including singing along, dancing or clapping along with the choir. Audience participation created a communal spiritual feeling that was uplifting and encouraging, built up by rhythmic claps and drum beats.
After the first three songs, Ferguson introduced a Bible trivia game. Though he only managed to pull up two people on stage, he jokingly called it a game of sudden death.
Ferguson then welcomed the Praise and Worship team to the stage. This team consists of soloists and small ensembles of students in their senior year at the College.
“The senior showcase was once again me stepping out of my comfort zone tremendously to do my small solo,” choir co-president Ukamaka Ozed-Williams ’25 said in an email to The Flat Hat.
Multi-talented choir member Temi Abiodun ’25 played the acoustic guitar and sang a melody with fellow seniors called “Blessed Assurance, It is Well, Great is Your Mercy, and Precious Lord.” Performers each sang their own segment of the song as a bittersweet send-off moment.
Abiodun earned praise during the show for his significant musical contributions to the choir, as he
establishment in Williamsburg for reasons I will get into later. The second time, I had dinner plans with an upperclassman friend whose dining dollars and swipes for the semester just so happened to be exhausted, leaving us with absolutely no other choice but to take a delicious step off campus.
The third time, I was hungry and wanted poke. All valid reasons. Dulce et decorum est to die for one’s sushi, little bank account balance.
Stepping into Oishii for the first time is an experience you will never forget. The shop on Prince George Street has a casual mom-and-pop feel with quirks that give it personality. You may be struck by the pet videos and Fail Army compilations playing nonstop on the two TV screens or the uncanny acoustic covers of songs you never thought needed an acoustic cover playing over the speakers. Customers order at the
sings and plays the guitar, drums and keyboard during their shows.
COVID-19 took a toll on membership numbers for many on-campus organizations, Ebony Expressions included. Ukamaka recounted this difficult experience.
“When I joined Ebony in Spring 2023, there were only 10 of us. COVID had decimated our numbers, and hardly anyone on campus knew who we were despite our almost 50-year history,” Ukamaka said in an email to The Flat Hat.
Hope was not lost for the choir though, due to the work of thenpresident Senam Amevor ’24. In her efforts to resurrect the choir, Senam worked with administration to allow students to fulfill their ARTS requirement through the group, and created strong relationships with the Center for Student Diversity and local churches.
The fifth piece of the night was a unique departure from the Gospel Choir and embraced movement and expressive, physical worship. The Praise Dance performed by Me’Sharlia Fountain ‘28, Brianna Furman ‘27, Ty’Jenya Pinkney ‘27 and Anyah Allen ‘28 and choreographed by Aniyah Tarpley ‘27 was an entrancing and passionate expression of performers’ surrender to God. The dancers wore long black, flowy gowns with gold crosses rippling down from their necks to their ankles.
counter and seat themselves for a meal that will not disappoint.
I am always impressed by the wide range of dishes on Oishii’s menu. Whatever I may be craving, from ramen to poke to hibachi to sushi, they’ve got it. There are still plenty of menu items I’m keen to try in my inevitable future visits, including their cartoon character macarons and boba tea. Now, I don’t venture to attest to the authenticity of this food. This is my obligatory disclaimer that I am a simple white woman who loves raw fish-derived Japanese dishes so much they’re the only thing keeping me pescatarian and not fully veggie. However, what I can do is dive into what I ordered on my three recent trips to Oishii and provide a few of my favorite recommendations to any potential diners, especially those of you who don’t eat land animals.
On my first visit to Oishii last week, I ordered a favorite for a well-rounded dinner: the salmon poke bowl. At $15, this bowl is the same price as, but twice the size of, the ones available at Bento (just sayin’). The vessel bigger than my head contains tantalizingly sticky white rice, salmon that is the perfect consistency (neither too tough nor too soft), greens that balance the bowl out with a light freshness and an optional drizzle of spicy mayo, which I add for a little zing. This bowl offers phenomenal bang for your buck and a meal of diverse flavors that varies with every bite.
On my next visit, I ordered what is, in my mind, Oishii’s main attraction: the sushi. My usual combo is a California and a salmon
Following this passionate praise dance was the Brothers and Sisters in Christ Gospel Choir, visiting from Longwood University to sing at the 50th anniversary. The B.A.S.I.C. team contributed to the show’s explosive energy with their performances of “Mighty God,” “He’ll Make It Alright,” “Don’t Give Up” and “It’s Me Oh Lord.”
The talented singers from Longwood also make up the first and only gospel choir at their university.
Ferguson then welcomed the Ebony Expressions team back to the stage for the tenth number, “Every Praise,” an uplifting worship anthem calling everyone to put their hands together and preach that “all the praise belong to God.” A performance of “Revelation 19.1” then broke from the energy of rhythmic clapping and slowed down to melodic snaps and soothing tunes.
The choir then performed “Stomp,” an extremely successful gospel song from the 1990s featuring more theatrical hand and body movement like foot stomps and overall deviating from the traditional gospel sound.
Several Ebony Expressions alumni joined the current members for the final song, “Total Praise,” which featured a delicate melody sung with a piano accompaniment. Ukamaka said this concert and the progression of Ebony Expressions was meaningful to the alumni.
“A lot of alumni were so happy that Ebony was now recognized by the music department, and were still working hard to carve themselves into the fabric of William and Mary. One of them even said that this concert healed some of the resentment the Black students of the ’70s and ’80s held toward the College,” Ukamaka said in an email to The Flat Hat.
Ebony Expressions showcased their talent again two days later in the Spring Combined Choral Concert, which also included the Barksdale Treble Chorus, Botetourt Chamber Singers and William and Mary Choir.
avocado roll. The salmon roll has that same delightfully tender fish and soft avocado your teeth can glide through. Meanwhile, the California roll provides a refreshing crunch of cucumber and delicate strings of crab. While these suit my personal taste, I don’t think you can go wrong with any sushi roll that strikes your fancy at Oishii.
For purposes of journalistic integrity, I am obligated to tell you that on my third visit I got the poke again. However, for the sake of this article’s tripartite structure, I’ll ask you to indulge the narrative that I ordered my final favorite menu item, the vegetable hibachi. This is the perfect dish for a colder day when you’re in the mood for hearty comfort food. Paired with starchy white rice, the vegetable offerings of zucchini, broccoli and onion are mouthwateringly savory. With a drizzle of yum yum sauce (the nectar of the gods), this delectable plate goes down all too easily.
In the hellscape of finals, I highly encourage you to follow in my footsteps and treat yourself to some meals outside the dining hall. The psychology of the ‘little treat’ is sound: food can and should be more than sustenance. In a Sadlerinduced stupor, it can be easy to forget how food with real flavor can put an instant smile on your face. Oishii is my pick for this break in routine due to the breadth of its menu and its accessibility as a casual spot in close proximity to campus. Whether you’re an intrigued first-timer or a regular like myself, give it a try — you might just see this author on her second or third scrumptious study break.
MEGAN RUDACILLE / THE FLAT HAT
COURTESY IMAGE / KYLIE TOTTEN
COURTESY IMAGE / KYLIE TOTTEN
COURTESY IMAGE / KYLIE TOTTEN
sports
Womenʼs tennis faces tough offseason as four key seniors set to graduate Tribe falls to Elon, denied fourth straight championship
CHARLES VAUGHAN FLAT HAT SPORTS EDITOR
For the first time since 2021, William and Mary women’s tennis will return from Coastal Athletic Association championships empty-handed.
Sunday, April 27, the three-time defending Coastal Athletic Association champion William and Mary women’s tennis (146, 4-1 CAA) was denied in its quest for a fourth straight trophy, dropping a heartbreaking 4-2 decision to Elon (19-5, 4-0 CAA) in the conference tournament’s title match. Before April 19, the Green and Gold had not lost a CAA match since March 19, 2022. William and Mary has now dropped two in eight days, both against the Phoenix, which bested the Tribe in the final match of the regular season.
Entering the 2024-2025 campaign, William and Mary had beaten Elon in ten of the programs’ 11 all-time meetings, including a 4-1 win in the finals of the 2022 CAA tournament. Three years later, the Phoenix took its revenge, cruising to the doubles point and pulling out a series of hotly-contested singles matches to clinch its first-ever conference title.
William and Mary kicked off the weekend with a convincing win. The No. 2 seed Tribe received a bye into the tournament semifinals and began play Saturday against No. 3 Delaware. Although the singles portion of the contest proved to be competitive, William and Mary ultimately took every match and claimed a 4-0 victory. At the time of the first serve, the Green and Gold sported a perfect 11-0 all-time record against the Blue Hens, a mark it upheld with ease.
The afternoon began with a lopsided doubles win for the Tribe. William and Mary seniors Hedda Gurholt and Ine Stange overwhelmed the Delaware duo of senior Alina Vasilenko and freshman Cornelia Kack 6-1 on court No. 1. Gurholt, the two-time defending Most Outstanding Player of the CAA championship, said that the Tribe leaned on its postseason experience to overcome the nerves it felt heading into the tournament.
“We have an old team,” Gurholt said. “We have a lot of seniors, a lot of people who have played at this before, so we kind of knew what we were getting into, but there’s always a little nerves when you come in and play. Especially now, coming straight to the semifinals. Everyone was a little nervous, but we were all very excited. So it definitely made a difference that we’d played before.”
William and Mary proceeded to clinch the doubles point after senior Emma Fernald and junior Sia Chaudry defeated the Delaware pair of seniors Greta Schieroni and Samantha Svendsen 6-1 on court No. 3. Senior Alessandra Anghel and sophomore Francesca Davis, the Green and Gold’s winningest doubles duo in 2025, left their match on court No. 2 unfinished.
TrIbe freshman Mira Kernagis built on her team’s momentum to begin the singles matches, sweeping past Kack in straight sets on court No. 6. Kernagis’ 6-3, 6-1 victory marked her 11th
MENʼS GYMNASTICS
singles win of the dual season and the first postseason win of her career.
Leading 2-0, William and Mary had a championship bid within its reach, but Delaware did not go down without a fight. Blue Hens players split the first two singles sets with their Tribe counterparts on each of the top five courts. It was Davis that righted the Green and Gold’s ship, edging out Schieroni for a 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 victory, before Gurholt slammed the door on Delaware. The Tribe’s top-seeded player coasted past Delaware junior Maryia Hrynashka in a tiebreaking set, winning the match 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.
William and Mary women’s tennis head coach Jessica Giuggioli praised her squad’s resilience and fighting mindset, something she said the Tribe had been working on in its pretournament preparation.
“We competed hard at every position,” Giuggioli said. “That’s something we’ve been talking about heading into this tournament, making sure that we compete at every position, and I’m very happy that everybody showed up today and did that.”
The Tribe continued to put its competitive spirit on display in the early stages of the doubles matches against Elon. On court No. 3, Fernald and Kernagis defeated the Phoenix duo of senior Miray Konar and freshman Heidi Bulger 6-1, turning the tables from the program’s regular-season meeting, when Konar and Bulger edged out Fernald and Kernagis 6-4. The win put the Tribe within striking distance of the crucial doubles point, a factor that Giuggioli identified as deciding in William and Mary’s April 19 loss to Elon.
However, the Phoenix roared back. On court No. 2, the pair of Anghel and Davis, which had previously suffered just two losses on the season, fell to Elon freshman Lisa Kranec and junior Helen Sarikulaya 6-3. On court No. 1, Gurholt and Stange could not handle Elon sophomores Simone Bergeron and Mariana Reding, one of the conference’s top doubles teams. Sharing the court for the 55th and final time in their careers, the William and Mary seniors fell 6-4.
With the doubles point secured, the Phoenix proceeded into singles, needing to win just three matches to clinch a CAA title. Anghel pounced on Reding, rattling off a quick 6-3, 6-4 victory and becoming the first player all season to score a win against her on court No. 2, but Bulger responded with a 6-2, 6-0 drubbing of Chaudry on court No. 4.
On court No. 3, Stange kept William and Mary alive with a 6-3, 6-3 straight set win over Sarikulaya. As Stange’s match finished, it seemed as though Kernagis was closing in on a potentially game-changing victory on court No. 6. The Tribe freshman won the first set 6-3 against Kernagis before she streaked ahead 3-0 in the second, but Elon again manufactured a response. Facing defeat, Kranec won six of seven games to tie the match at one set.
The story shifted in the tiebreaking set, as Kranec was the one
to accumulate a substantial lead, racing out to a 5-1 advantage. Kernagis mounted a spirited resistance, winning two consecutive games with her back against the wall, but Kranec ultimately emerged victorious and put Elon up 3-2.
The championship came down to court No. 1, where Gurholt took on Bergeron, whom she had beaten 6-3, 6-2 during the regular season. The pair played a much more competitive match this time around, splitting their first two sets by razorthin margins, but a Bergeron surge in the third set proved too much for Gurholt to overcome. The Elon sophomore took a 5-2 lead, and although Gurholt cut her deficit to 5-4, Bergeron took the tenth and final game and crumpled to the court as her teammates piled onto her.
Despite its loss, William and Mary remains the standard for success in the CAA. The Tribe has reached ten consecutive conference championship matches, won 29 CAA titles and boasts a 73-10 record in CAA tournament games.
However, one of the winningest classes in program history is graduating: Gurholt, the two-time reigning CAA Player of the Year, Fernald, a 2023 and 2024 all-CAA honoree, Stange, a 2023 and 2024 all-CAA honoree and Anghel, a 2024 all-CAA honoree, will not don a Tribe uniform again as the four are set to graduate. Giuggioli and her staff face an offseason full of questions as they are tasked with beginning a new era.
Tribe falls short, shows promise at NCAA Championships
Three Green and Gold freshmen reach finals during qualifying round
CHARLES VAUGHAN AND SYDNEY WITWER THE FLAT HAT
Friday, April 18, and Saturday, April 19, No. 12 William and Mary men’s gymnastics competed in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Men’s Gymnastics Championships at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Mich. Although the Tribe has sent individual athletes to the event in each of the last three seasons, this season marked William and Mary’s first team appearance at the NCAA Championships since 2021.
The Green and Gold began competition Friday, when it participated in a qualifying session alongside No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 4 Nebraska, No. 5 Penn State, No. 8 Air Force and No. 9 California. William and Mary failed to make it to the finals as a team, scoring a session-low 307.691 points, but the Tribe sent a school-record five individual athletes into the finals, an accomplishment William and Mary Director of Gymnastics Mike Powell attributed to the mindset the team has cultivated in recent weeks.
“I think the team went out there and followed the theme that we’d been pushing and talking about,” Powell said. “Really just being proud of what they had accomplished, owning the fact that they belong on the biggest stage and being proud to show off what they can do on the biggest stage. Once they got comfortable and then settled into doing that, they showed it off and got rewarded with the spots in the finals.”
At the time of the team’s last NCAA Championships berth, William and Mary had recently reversed its decision to eliminate the men’s gymnastics program. The brief period of uncertainty surrounding the program’s future, along with the departure of an eight-man class of seniors in 2021, contributed to the Green and Gold’s four-year postseason drought.
Powell said, for the most part, the Tribe has not spent much time reflecting on the program’s near-death, but the completion of William and Mary’s rebuild is significant to graduate student Sam Lee, the only member of the team who was around for the 2021 season.
“I think it has [come up] a little bit in terms of reflecting,” Powell said. “The captains get a chance to reflect at the banquet and things like that. So it’s come up, but not as much as you would think. For Sam Lee, I think that the experience is particularly meaningful because he was a freshman that year. So this is sort of bookending his career. The last time that we made championships as a team was his freshman year, and now in his fifth year, it’s sort of come full circle, and he’s been with us on that whole journey.” Friday, Lee advanced to the individual event finals on vault and parallel bars after adding a risky new dismount to his parallel bars routine. Lee had been pulling off the maneuver in practice for months, but he was not able to replicate the feat
in meets throughout February and March. With Powell’s advice, he decided to bring the move to the NCAA Championships less than two weeks before the competition. The choice ultimately paid off.
“We tried using it starting in the middle of the competition season,” Powell said. “He had some trouble landing it, especially in competition. It had been going well in practice, but he struggled with it in the meets. So to just hit a solid routine and get through conference championships, we decided to back down to an easier dismount, hoping that that would help build some confidence, and then he could come into the championships and put it down, which he did.”
Lee was the only William and Mary gymnast to significantly modify his routine for the event. Powell said most of the Tribe’s athletes found success through the effective execution of their existing routines.
“For the most part, we really just executed really well,” Powell said. “[Junior] Ricky Pizem added a half twist on his vaults, and then any other upgrades that we made were in finals. Once the team had done really well, and we’d gotten the guys through the finals, [freshman] Luke Tully added a release move to his high bar routine to try to increase that difficulty in and move him up in the standings.”
Lee and Tully were joined in the finals by freshman Connor Barrow on vault, sophomore Niko Greenly on parallel bars and sophomore Evan Wilkins on floor and parallel bars. Powell said the four William and Mary underclassmen in the finals served as evidence of the program’s strong developmental record and bright future.
“That was a part of building this team over time,” Powell said. “We’ve had to work through the initial steps and help the guys realize just how good they are and how good the team is. And that was a part of being proud and owning the fact that they’ve earned their way to this level, and that they’re able to execute on the biggest stage with the best guys. So they deserve a lot of credit for owning that opportunity and owning their abilities and being able to go out and show off on the big stage.”
“Props to them, because this is what we consider the first step and not the last,” Powell said. “So we’re looking to continue building this team, and they’ll obviously play a big role in that, as they’re early in their careers, leaning on the upper classroom for guidance. We’re excited to see what we can do in the future.”
Powell specifically praised the progression of freshmen Barrow and Tully, who discovered the extent of their talents as the season went on. Powell said Tully’s growth process was steady and drawn-out, while Barrow could point to a single moment in which he realized he was NCAA Championship-caliber.
“When he stuck his vault, that was at Springfield [Feb. 16],”
Powell said. “One of the long-time judges came up to us and said he thought that might be the best vault he’s ever seen. It was a huge moment for him and very concrete, and he put up a score that put him in our all-time record books. It was one of the top five scores in the country at that time in the season. So that was just a very concrete moment of, ‘OK, we are top-tier.’” Barrow turned in a similarly impressive performance in the NCAA finals, scoring a 14.0 on vault to finish 20th in the nation. Tully finished 20th after putting up a score of 13.133 on high bar, Greenly tied for 25th with a score of 13.133 on parallel bars and Lee recorded scores of 13.433 and 13.966 to finish 20th and 22nd on parallel bars and vault, respectively. Wilkins was the Tribe’s highest finisher, coming in 19th on floor with a 13.466 and 27th on parallel bars with a 13.033.
With the season complete, Powell said the Tribe will take a brief break from training before implementing more difficult maneuvers into its routines in preparation for the 2025-26 campaign.
“Obviously, the guys who need it [will be] getting that rest and recovery from a long season and a lot of great work,” Powell said. “Then, it’ll be straight into thinking and planning for the future. Any changes that are coming to the rules, adapting to them and getting right back into training more and more difficult skills.”
sports
Former high school wrestler became football All-American at William and Mary Charles Grant drafted by Las Vegas Raiders in third round
Seven years ago, Charles Grant ’25 was a 220-pound high school wrestler who had gone his entire life without setting foot on the gridiron. Friday night, he became the highest-drafted William and Mary football player since 2009.
Many of the players selected during last weekend’s National Football League Draft live in front of a camera and have been bombarded with media attention from the moment they rst showed up to campus. Former Tribe o ensive lineman Grant, who was chosen by the Las Vegas Raiders with the No. 99 pick, is still adapting to the spotlight, which he said began to shine when he attended the NFL Scouting Combine Feb. 24.
“ e whole process has been surreal,” Grant told e Flat Hat. “I’d say the main moment it [started to feel real] was de nitely getting on the plane to go to the combine. at was de nitely the moment. I remember I was in the airport, and somebody came up to me like, ‘Are you going to the combine?’ and I was like, ‘Yeah,’ so we were talking about that for a little bit.”
ere were a couple times where I had interactions with guys or people in the airport,” Grant said. “I just explained what I [was] doing. ey had questions, and I was answering the questions. It was kind of like my rst time getting fanfare.”
Grant’s unfamiliarity with media attention is a product of his circuitous path to the NFL. At the beginning of his junior year at Churchland High School in Portsmouth, Va., Dontrell Leonard, the school’s football coach, witnessed Grant take down an o ensive lineman during a wrestling tournament. On the spot, Leonard o ered Grant a place on the team, which he hesitantly accepted.
Grant’s decision paid o instantly. He was selected to the all-state and all-district teams during his rst year of organized football, and he earned another all-district award after his senior season. Grant racked up his accolades while weighing just 270 pounds, an unremarkable mass for a tackle looking to play in college.
Despite his impressive resume, Grant’s relatively slight frame and lack of experience meant he received just one Division I scholarship o er upon his 2020 high school graduation. William and Mary defensive coordinator Ras-I Dowling, who grew up fewer than 30 minutes from Grant’s hometown, was alerted to the lineman’s talent by coaches in the Hampton Roads region. When he made the trip out to a Churchland game, Dowling saw an athletic, agile prospect the Tribe sta was willing to take a gamble on.
“I know people probably looked at him initially and shied away because he didn’t look ready-made or ready-grown, but that’s what happens sometimes,” William and Mary football head coach Mike London told e Flat Hat. “Some schools want guys who are readymade, but in college athletics, particularly college football, with linemen, you have to be able to project. Could they get to the requisite size and strength and things like that? It was a no-brainer as far as Charles doing all that.”
e William and Mary sta was enamored with Grant’s potential as a player, but according to London, Grant’s potential as a person had already been ful lled by the time his recruitment began. It was after interviews conducted with Churchland High School employees, London said, that the Tribe coach knew Grant was a worthy addition to his program.
“You take the visits, when you sit down and you talk to him and his parents,” London said. “You take the things that people have said about him. You go in, and you talk to the librarian, you talk to the bus driver, you talk to not necessarily the principal or the coach, because they have a vested interest in him doing well. I’m not saying that all the other people that I just mentioned don’t have a vested interest, but they observe him when he’s not even looking. You ask a lot of people about, ‘What kind of guy is he? How does he treat other people? Have you seen him interact? Have you ever seen anything that might raise a red ag?’”
“You have a collective group of people in a high school that sees everything,” London said. “When they say from one person to the other that [he’s] a great young man who treated people with dignity and respect, then you say, ‘OK, he’s got some potential for growth. Now it’s our job to get the right kind of training and coaching and teaching to get that done.’”
Upon his arrival in Williamsburg, it did not take long for Grant to grow into his body and establish himself as one of the best o ensive linemen in the country. In fall 2021, he appeared in 11 games for the Tribe, starting ve of them. In 2022, he started all 13 of William and Mary’s games and was an All-Coastal Athletic Association rst-team honoree. In both 2023 and 2024, he was named an FCS first-
team All-American.
Grant became more and more physically imposing as the years progressed, gaining 30 pounds in three seasons and holding his own against the Tribe’s uber-talented defense in practice.
“We had [former William and Mary defensive lineman] Nate Lynn ‘23 — Nate Lynn is playing for the Detroit Lions,” London said. “We had a guy that was here that ended up transferring — [former William and Mary linebacker] John Pius was here. He was the Buchanan Award nalist for the one of the best defensive players in FCS. He left and went to Wisconsin. ey would go against [Grant] in practice.”
Before long, scouts were ling into the stands at William and Mary games to watch Grant excel in matchups against FBS schools Virginia, Coastal Carolina and Charlotte. Soon enough, the Tribe’s coaching sta realized they had an NFL prospect on their hands.
“We played really good FCS teams, but we started playing FBS teams where [Grant] was holding his own against quote-unquote the caliber of talent that was graded above him,” London said. “When you start seeing that on a consistent basis, you know you’ve got something special.”
As Grant’s star began to rise, scores of o ers from big-name programs began to ood in. According to London, several FBS teams tried to coax Grant into the transfer portal throughout his William and Mary career, and the NFL wasn’t far behind. Multiple professional teams asked Grant if he was willing to leave college after the 2023 campaign.
However, Grant ultimately chose to stay put in Williamsburg, citing the Tribe’s decision to give him a chance out of high school when no one else would.
“I was talking to someone earlier, and I was like, ‘William and Mary is family to me,’” Grant said before the draft. “[ ere were a] pivotal ve years of my life where I’m developing as a man, and they were there through it all, helping me every step of the way. So it’s family. It’s going to be like I’m getting drafted with my family.”
Grant also praised the school’s focus on fostering well-rounded students: in his opinion, William and Mary contributed as much to his character development as it did to his football development.
“[William and Mary] focuses on on- eld stu , but o - eld stu as well,” Grant said. “So it’s not just about being a football player here. It’s about growing as a man, and growing as a — whether you’d be a father at a point, you’d be a husband, it just kind of touches on all aspects.”
London said Grant’s strong connection to William and Mary can be partially attributed to the football program’s extensive network of NFL connections.
“[Pittsburgh Steelers head coach] Mike Tomlin ’95, [Bu alo Bills head coach] Sean McDermott ’98,” London said. “When I was here [as an assistant coach] in the mid-90s, Dan Quinn was the assistant D-line coach with me, and Dan is now the head coach of the Commanders. [New York Giants head coach] Brian Daboll was an assistant coach here. So there’s scouts, there’s player personnel directors from William and Mary.”
“I coached a year in the NFL,” London said. “Ras-I Dowling was a
second-round draft pick with the New England Patriots. [William and Mary special teams coordinator] Darryl Blackstock played seven years in the NFL. [William and Mary defensive line coach] Keenan Carter played in the league.”
In London’s opinion, William and Mary’s wealth of coaches and alumni with big-league experience allowed the Tribe to assure Grant it would help him live out his NFL dreams.
“When you have an NFL family — but also you have coaches that have been there, done that — irregardless of the level that you’re at, you’re able to see and you’re able to service some of the things that a young man who starts to realize he’s got hopes and dreams,” London said. “And then the reality of playing on Sunday, it starts to come to fruition.”
Those dreams came true Friday, as Grant became the first William and Mary player to come off the board in the third round since former Tribe cornerback Derek Cox ’09 was selected with the No. 73 overall pick in the 2009 draft. Grant also became the second Tribe offensive lineman to get drafted in the last two years, joining Colby Sorsdal ’22.
Grant kept in consistent contact with Sorsdal, his William and Mary teammate from 2020 to 2022, throughout a frantic NFL Draft process that put him in constant transit to cities across the country.
“I’ve de nitely leaned on him for some advice,” Grant said. “Every time a new process of the journey comes up, that’s when I start asking questions.”
London, who coached both players, believes that Grant and Sorsdal reached the next level due to a shared mindset allowing them to ignore the underdog label and prove their worth to scouts.
“Character is what you do when nobody’s looking,” London said. “When they were working out by themselves or with their teammates, they got that in the back of their mind of all the people that said they couldn’t, that they didn’t look like what was going to be necessary to [make it to the NFL]. And the mindset of those guys was like, ‘You know what? Don’t talk about it. Be about it.’ en those guys developed themselves into really good prospects for the NFL and to have long careers. I’m extremely proud of them.” Ultimately, London emphasized the pride he takes in Grant and the program that produced him. In his opinion, Grant’s journey is a triumph of community, player and university, a testament to the lineman’s character and the advantages William and Mary provides. According to London, Charles Grant encapsulates what Tribe football is about.
e kind of people that have gotten their degree here and have gone on in whatever aspect of this society to be productive citizens, either in sport or out of sport — he’s associated with that from here on, forever,” London said. “I’ve been doing this for a while. It makes me proud to know that there’s some Charles Grants out there that will probably get overlooked because they don’t t the criteria for an FBS team. ey’re looking for an academic situation that’s going to be beyond the NFL, which stands for ‘Not For Long.’ Charles is that, and our goal is to keep nding those kind of guys.”
Offensive explosion propels William and Mary to win in season finale
Draddyʼs six goals, Gilbertʼs four goals power Green and Gold to Senior Day victory
Saturday, April 26, William and Mary women’s lacrosse (6-10, 2-6 CAA) defeated Campbell (3-12, 1-7 CAA) at Martin Family Stadium in Williamsburg, Va., in its nal game of the season.
e Tribe started strong in the rst quarter, with senior mid elder Paige Gilbert and senior attacker Ainsley Huizenga taking over the game. Gilbert recorded two goals and an assist in the rst quarter alone, and Huizenga recorded a goal and a key draw control that would lead to a goal by junior mid elder Kate Draddy that would put the Tribe up 5-2 at the end of the period.
Draddy then quickly scored another goal in the second quarter to make the score 6-2. e Camels fought hard to come back, soon scoring two quick goals and forcing a William and Mary timeout. e Tribe got back in stride coming out of the timeout. Gilbert immediately scored with an
assist from Draddy. It was the seniors Gilbert and Huizenga who led William and Mary to an 8-4 lead at the half, with a late goal by Huizenga, who was putting heavy shot pressure on Campbell junior goalie Alana Lepore for the entire half.
Campbell came out of the halftime break with a new energy that the Tribe struggled to deal with.
e Camels scored ve goals to William and Mary’s one in the early stages of the third quarter, which tied the game up at nine apiece.
The Tribe was desperate to stop the Camels’ offense, and it managed to hold its ground after the five-goal run for a while, before calling a timeout. Then, senior attacker Justyce Barber scored her first goal of the season coming out of the timeout, and it could not have come at a better time for the Tribe.
Campbell, once again, was quick to rally, scoring two back-to-back goals to take the lead from the Tribe.
Draddy nished the third quarter strong,
scoring two rapid goals, with the rst assisted by Gilbert. e senior duo was all over the o ensive side of the eld and proved to be a major problem for the Campbell defense. e Tribe was up 12-11 at the end of the third.
e fourth quarter began with a Campbell goal, slotted by graduate student mid elder Sam Bischo e William and Mary seniors were determined to win the last game of their careers, however, and the Tribe controlled the remainder of the fourth quarter. Gilbert took the lead back with a goal, then got another draw control to give possession back to the Tribe. Sophomore mid elder Finley Ho man then scored on a freeposition shot after a Campbell foul.
Gilbert recorded another draw control after, which turned into another goal by Huizenga, putting the Tribe up 15-12 with 12 minutes to go. Campbell scored again, but Gilbert stopped another Campbell run from happening by getting a draw control.
Tribe senior attacker Anna Dawson then scored on a free-position shot, after which Campbell responded with a goal. It was back and forth throughout the fourth, but one constant was Gilbert’s dominant draw controls. She was essential in getting the edge over Campbell when the Tribe was only up by one goal in the middle of the fourth.
Gilbert would win another after the Campbell goal. Draddy then struck the eld, hitting two key back-to-back free position goals, to put the Tribe up 18-15. Draddy had a Tribe game high of six goals on the day.
Barber scored a huge goal with three minutes remaining, coming o an assist from none other than Gilbert. e Camels scored again with two minutes left, but it was too late.
e Tribe won the game 19-16. Gilbert recorded four goals, three assists and eight draw controls to lead the Tribe to victory in an exciting nal game for the senior class.
EAMONN MCALOON FLAT HAT SPORTS ASSOC.
RYAN GOODMAN / THE FLAT HAT
Charles Grant (60) spent the last four years protecting the blind side of Tribe quarterbacks. He will be tasked with replicating the feat with the Las Vegas Raiders.