Vol. 109, Iss. 21 | Tuesday, December 3, 2019
The Flat Hat The Weekly Student Newspaper
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of The College of William and Mary
Three fraternities, two sororities suspended for hazing
25 percent of Greek Life under investigation
GRAPHIC BY EMMA FORD / THE FLAT HAT
AIDAN WHITE // FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER Amid national dialogue about hazing in Greek organizations, the College of William and Mary’s Fraternity and Sorority Life community is experiencing an uptick in reports of hazing. According to President of the Interfraternity Council Liam McCloughlin ’20, the College has received credible reports of hazing in eight fraternities and sororities this semester, which has subsequently triggered investigations of the respective organizations. Five Fraternity and Sorority Life organizations have been put on full interim suspension as the remaining investigations proceed. These include Sigma Chi and Delta Phi, two organizations in the Interfraternity Council, as well as one National Panhellenic Council organization, Delta Sigma Theta. According to Panhellenic Council President Julia Lantzy ’20, a full interim suspension signifies a hold on all official chapter activities during the investigation’s proceedings. “That means meetings, philanthropy, everything,” Lantzy said. “It just ensures that we can fully proceed with an investigation without interference from the chapter meeting.” Lantzy also said that the university does not take suspension lightly and this measure is only taken if students are believed to be in danger or if it is in the organization’s best interest to halt activity. In addition to the FSL organizations placed on full interim suspension, other organizations are also being investigated despite currently not being placed under suspension. An investigation into Alpha Epsilon Pi, another fraternity at the College, ultimately led to a verdict of non-responsibility. Reports made against two
other organizations failed to provide sufficient evidence to move forward with a full investigation. As of now, there are still three ongoing investigations on campus. Two organizations — Chi Omega, a Panhellenic sorority, and Kappa Sigma, a fraternity in the Interfraternity Council — have been found responsible for hazing as a result of these investigations. The webpage of the Office of Community Values and Restorative Practices details the offenses committed by Chi Omega and Kappa Sigma and also outlines the chapters’ punishments. Both organizations were found to have engaged in hazing, as well as providing alcohol to underage individuals. According to the incident report, Chi Omega hosted an offcampus event where new members descended a flight of stairs after being given champagne. As punishment for this event, Chi Omega is on disciplinary probation and has lost social privileges until spring 2020. The chapter must also complete both a risk management program and new member action plan. Kappa Sigma hosted an event dubbed “Beer Olympics” at an off-campus house. At this event, new members participated in drinking games that resulted in multiple new members vomiting. As a result, the chapter is on disciplinary probation with loss of privileges until the end of the fall 2019 semester. They must also complete a review of the new member education process and a social event planning workshop. Each chapter member must complete three hours of community service. During the spring 2020 semester, all Kappa Sigma social events must be held in their on-campus house
and an advisor must be present for all new member meetings and activities. administration is treating these incidents
The College’s with severity. “Hazing, abuse of alcohol and drugs, and harming or threatening others are unacceptable behaviors,” College spokesperson Suzanne Clavet said in a written statement. “We take allegations of such activity very seriously and this type of conduct violates the stated mission and purposes of our student organizations.” The university’s investigations of hazing reports largely go through the Office of Community Values and Restorative Practices, with Dean Dave Gilbert and Dean April Palmer acting as lead investigators. Gilbert said that the first thing CVRP considers when receiving a hazing report is whether it presents an ongoing risk to students in the organization, as well as to the campus community as a whole. “In cases of ongoing risk, we consider conducting a rapid investigation that also informs us as to whether we need to employ interim action such as a suspension of the organization until the matter is resolved,” Gilbert said in a written response. “We use different strategies when we face no imminent safety concern, such as in the case of a report submitted reporting an See HAZING page 3
CAMPUS
College administration, UVA plans for carbon neutrality by 2030
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Both institutions plan collaborative efforts to decrease greenhouse emissions, use more renewable energy sources AVERILL MEININGER FLAT HAT CHIEF STAFF WRITER
The College of William and Mary has unveiled two major initiatives that will be implemented within the new year to meet standards for sustainability and conservation. First, the College has partnered with the University of Virginia to reach a goal for carbon neutrality by 2030. Second, the College has procured funding through an anonymous donation to create the Institute for Integrative Conservation. The IIC will provide a multifaceted, interdisciplinary venue for research and conservation efforts, according to the press release. The partnership with UVA stems from common goals between Virginia’s public institutions. Director of Sustainability Calandra Waters Lake M.A Ed. ’08, broke down the partnership and said it will enable shared conversations on planning, engagement and support to other higher education institutions in Virginia. Furthermore, Waters Lake said the concerted effort will expediate action. “We were both headed towards neutrality dates of 2030 independently and when we discovered that was taking place, it made a lot more sense to collaborate instead of compete against each other,” Waters Lake said. “Sustainability is really a team sport — you can’t be sustainable alone. Plus, both our universities face a lot of the same struggles. Our largest greenhouse gas footprint is from electricity, same with UVA.” Building off his colleague’s thoughts, Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Public Affairs Henry Broaddus explained that the decision to work with UVA felt natural since both universities already share information regarding wellness. “There is an existing collaboration with
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We’re going to begin by reaching out to conservation partners to explain what the Institute is going to be and how we hope to impact conservation and looking for partners that we want to be involved. Involvement now means identifying key projects as well as helping us think about curriculum for students that will best prepare students to work in the conservation field. — Robert Rose
UVA where we’re trading information about wellness,” Broaddus said. “And Calandra always reminds us, wellness is at the individual level what sustainability is at the macro level. So, in a way, this is a perfect bookend partnership with UVA. This is a starting place for partnership, and it’s not intended that this is an exclusive partnership. Any university that is working on a goal of this sort benefits from sharing lessons and best practices.” As Waters Lake described, electricity will be the one of the primary focuses as the College progresses toward carbon neutrality. Renewable energy, particularly in the form of solar energy from nearby solar farms, will help reduce the emissions from this source. A consultant will also be invited to the school next semester for advice and source identification. Engagement with the campus about greener habits will be another important step. “We can turn all of our electricity to green power, but really, it’s people’s ability to change what their doing on campus that’s also going to influence how fast we get to carbon neutrality,” Waters Lake said. “There will be portions of this surrounding transportation, food and waste that will involve interaction with the campus community. We’re also hoping it will be something that people can take home with them and influence their own personal footprints.” Waters Lake and Broaddus explained that the goal of carbon neutrality is only one aspect of climate action. This is why the IIC will be a critical asset to the College, in reaching this goal and also taking further steps in the realm of climate action. Director of Geospatial Analysis Robert Rose described that the purpose of the Institute is to move beyond traditional conservation curriculum and create a vast conservation network.
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See CARBON NEUTRAL page 4
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Space for debate provides insight into College’s capacity for harmony
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Rose worked alongside biology department chair and professor John Swaddle and others at the College to develop the concept and will bring it to fruition. “It comes at it from two significant standpoints,” Rose said. “One is to build a whole new curriculum for students that will go beyond traditional conservation science curriculums, that will bring together people from all across campus including the business school, the law school, VIMS and Arts and Sciences, to really develop a new curriculum that looks at conservation broadly and integratively. It will cover the science but it will also cover things like design-thinking, communications, and the business of running NGOs.” As for student involvement in the collaborative efforts, Rose is excited for what comes next. “We intend to launch some research projects pretty quickly, and we’ll have students involved in those projects,” Rose said. “It’s very heavily student-focused.” The other “significant standpoint” of the IIC will be its cultivation of a conservation network. As the institute begins its legacy at the College, it hopes to establish many partners to collaborate with. “We’re going to begin by reaching out to conservation partners to explain what the Institute is going to be and how we hope to impact conservation and looking for partners that want to be involved,” Rose said. “Involvement now means identifying key projects as well as helping us think about curriculum for students that will best prepare students to work in the conservation field. So, we want NGOs’ input on the types of students they want to hire, what sort of skills and expertise they want to see.” A theme of collaboration throughout and outside of the campus community rings true
Anna Boustany ’21 says the diversity of reasonable opinions at the College is a good opportunity for intellectual growth. page 6
Football is a waste of resources, College should invest elsewhere Gavin Aquin-Hernández writes that the football program’s continued mediocrity is a bad investment. page 7