‘HERE
The Flat Hat
Vol. 107, Iss. 15 | Tuesday, September 12, 2017 | The Weekly Student Newspaper of The College of William and Mary
TO
’ STAY
AMELIA LUCAS / THE FLAT HAT
Dreamers rally for DACA
Following Trump’s announcement, community stands together MEILAN SOLLY // FLAT HAT CHIEF STAFF WRITER Following U.S. President Donald Trump’s Sept. 5 decision to phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, the future of 23 College of William and Mary students protected under the act is uncertain. However, members of the community, from College President Taylor Reveley to Student Assembly President Elijah Levine ’18, as well as other campus leaders, have mobilized in support of those affected. Former U.S. President Barack Obama launched DACA, an initiative that allows individuals illegally brought into the United States at a young age to work and study without fear of deportation, in 2012. 800,000 immigrants collectively known as “Dreamers” are currently protected under the act. Trump’s decision is the latest in a tenure marked by a tightened border control and immigration policies, including a January executive order that banned visitors from seven predominantly Muslim countries, part of a vetting plan he formed to keep out “radical Islamic terrorists.” Now, lawmakers have six months to pass a suitable replacement for DACA. However, if the currently gridlocked Congress fails to create an alternative plan in this highly debated pursuit, then the Trump administration will phase out DACA. Because of their uncertain immigration status, recipients of DACA are reluctant to be identified publicly. The Flat Hat
MISSING HALL COUNCIL FUNDS RECOVERED On Monday, Sept. 11 at 7:33 a.m., Assistant Director for Fraternity and Sorority Housing Shylan Scott sent an email to residents of Richmond Hall informing them that hall council money was missing when she checked Sunday night in the process of reconciling the funds. At the time of her email, she said that a police report had been filed with the College of William and Mary’s Police Department, but that if the money were returned, they would move forward without pressing charges. Later on Monday, at 12:15 p.m., Scott sent a second email to Richmond Hall residents alerting them that all of the money had been recovered, and that the investigation by the WMPD would cease. The money, in the amount of $1,600 was in fact not stolen, according to College spokesperson Suzanne Seurattan. — Flat Hat News Editor Sarah Smith
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status private, but in the aftermath of Trump’s election, he said he felt obligated to speak out. Within the Dreamer community at the College, there was a strong sense of helplessness coupled with fear, as the student said he and others struggled to make sense of Trump’s presidency. “I knew I was protected under DACA,” he said. “However, my family members are not, and knowing that this man made public declarations that he was going to target groups of people [was] an attack on my family.” As the Trump administration took office, Dreamers faced widespread uncertainty. The threat of deportation, both for themselves and their friends and family, became an urgent concern, but the junior said that support offered by the College alleviated some of this stress. School officials contacted those protected under DACA and offered them resources including a Counseling Center support group, an online information hub and assistance from a local law firm. The junior said that Reveley’s public declaration of support, as well as a similar statement released by the Student Assembly, further demonstrated that the College community values Dreamers.
See DACA page 3
DINING
The Grind to undergo management change in 2018 At end of 5-year contract, Scott Owen will leave campus coffee shop The Grind NOAH PETERSEN FLAT HAT ASSOC. NEWS EDITOR
Eighteen years ago, a new round of renovations on Earl Gregg Swem Library was just beginning, the College of William and Mary’s chancellor was Margaret Thatcher, and most members of the class of 2021 had been born no more than a year earlier. It was also 18 years ago that a group of students approached the administration about adding a coffee shop on campus, and a year later, The Daily Grind was born. Throughout those 18 years, one face has remained the same at the College and in the coffee shop. That face belongs to Scott Owen, the general manager of The Daily Grind. Owen has been roasting coffee and serving sandwiches for nearly two decades since the restaurant’s inception, but soon he will walk away because after this year, he is retiring. The Daily Grind is officially listed as part of the Sadler Center and operates under a five-year lease, according to state regulations.
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spoke to one of the 23 College students protected under DACA, a junior who arrived in the United States at age four, regarding his experience, but in order to protect his privacy he will remain anonymous. When the student received DACA during his senior year of high school, it had a dramatic effect on his plans for the future — instead of entering the workforce directly after graduation as he expected, he was able to attend college. “It sounds exaggerated, but it gives you a sense of purpose,” he said. “Because without that you really have no short or long-term goals. I could have graduated high school with my 4.0 GPA, and everyone would have assumed that I’d go on to college, but no, I would … be taking jobs in construction, gardening, restaurants, and it’s not like I would have been paid minimum wage either. There would have been back door deals, [and] obviously I would have been exploited. That’s really hard. That’s something that really affects your self-worth and how you view yourself.” Equipped with his first official U.S. ID card, the student enrolled at the College and immersed himself in newly available opportunities. He said he dreams of going to graduate school and eventually working with young immigrants, who he hopes to inspire with his own story of overcoming adversity. For most of his college career, the student kept his immigration
The current lease will expire at the end of 2018, and Owen does not want to work for another half-decade. “I’m retiring at the end of next year because I’ll be almost 62 years old, and to be honest with you, I don’t want to go till I’m 67,” Owen said. “This is kind of a bittersweet year for me because, like, this is my last class that I’ll see all the way through.” After the group of students petitioned former Vice President of Student Affairs Sam Sadler ’64 for a coffee shop in 1999, the College granted a lease to the local company Williamsburg Coffee and Tea, owned by Todd Arnette. Arnette, who owns The Daily Grind, originally planned to have students manage the store, but the experiment failed and the store needed a manager. “[Arnette] approached me about coming in with my retail experience and taking it over, and it was sort of an agreement between he and I that whatever I could do with the place, it was mine to do,” Owen said. During his tenure, Owen has grown what he called a “little tiny stand with
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See GRIND page 4
When a fueling system malfunction occurred Tuesday, Sept. 5, a diesel spill was reported behind the Earl Gregg Swem Library at 11 a.m. The Williamsburg Fire Department contained the scene by 12:30 p.m. For the rest of Sept. 5, part of Landrum Drive near Ukrop and the Crim Dell was closed, and the parking lot adjacent to Swem has been closed indefinitely. “We are grateful for the quick response of both the William & Mary Police and Williamsburg Fire Departments and thankful that no injuries have been reported,” College Spokesperson Suzanne Seurrattan said in an email. Per state guidelines, the incident was reported to the Department of Environmental Quality, which signed off on the procedures followed to clean up the spill. At this time, full costs of the damage and repairs are not known. — Flat Hat News Editor Sarah Smith
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In support of the coat of arms
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coffee” into a popular spot on campus and in the Williamsburg area. He said he centered its image around selling organic, locally sourced produce without trying to turn a large profit. “I am a terrible businessman, you know, I will be the first one to say that,” Owen said. “It’s nice to have money, don’t get me wrong, but I always looked at money as being the byproduct of my actions, not the reason why I’m doing [them].” And though money has not been his goal, Owen said he still believes The Daily Grind has been a “tremendously successful” business. “I would rather have long-term customers than short-term profit,” Owen said. Before the lease ends next year, the College will entertain bids for the space from any interested parties. At the end of this period, the College will review all the proposals and choose the one it considers best. Robert Knowlten, the director of the
DIESEL SPILL CLEARED AFTER SEPT. 5
Jack Bowden ’18 highlights the College’s shift away from the coat of arms and calls for its return to prominence. page 5
A long recovery
From a hospital bed in Missouri to the College’s Dean’s List, Ali Pete ’20 made a comeback after a car accident in January 2017. page 8