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Articles by Sarah Smith
eLearning introduces new tools for college that aid students and staff alike
angel nickens, brainfuse, college, eLearning, northwest cc, students McCormick Administration Building, Northwest Mississippi Community College. (Photo by Carly Fox) By Sarah Smith, Northwest Mississippi Community College Northwest Mississippi Community College’s eLearning team has been hard at work implementing new tools to help students and staff alike as they work on building a better system for learning and life at Northwest. One of the latest additions has been a plugin called Brainfuse.
Officer accidentally discharges firearm at two of the College’s law students during traffic stop
Two of the College's law students involved in traffic stop where officer accidentally discharged firearm. COURTESY PHOTO / WYDAILY.COM During a Feb. 21 traffic stop involving two Marshall-Wythe School of Law students, a York County-Poquoson Police Department deputy accidentally discharged his firearm, according to a press release from their police department. The bullet hit the door of the vehicle but injured no one involved in the stop.
Breaking ground, making history: Thanks to private donations, work begins on the Tribe Field Hockey Center
When William and Mary head field hockey coach Tess Ellis first came to the College in 1992, she said she remembers dragging old sticks from the now-demolished equipment shed on Barksdale Field back for use. Her office is filled with photos — and even more have been moved to the archives — depicting the rich history of the team. This semester, through Century Project donations, the team is once again making history.
Save Hundreds With Your Teacher ID
It’s no secret that teachers have a hard job. They come in early, stay late and shoulder much of the responsibility for molding young minds as they prepare students for success in college and beyond. Most teachers get immeasurable satisfaction from working with eager students, but the job offers other rewards, too—tangible, money-saving perks.
10 Things You’ll Spend More on in Retirement
Accumulating wealth over time is, generally speaking, a pretty good thing. The more wealth you’ve collected, however, the more elbow grease it’ll take to manage that money and make it work for you. That’s where financial planners come in. Their services can be invaluable, but they’re not free. Depending on the management style you prefer, figuring out what to do with your money can become an expense in its own right.
Guide to State Sales Tax Holidays, 2018
These 17 states offer sales tax breaks on everything from clothing and back-to-school supplies to hunting gear this summer. Some states temporarily waive sales taxes on clothing, shoes, electronics and many school supplies to ease the financial burden of back-to-school shopping. Most sales tax holidays occur on weekends—and sometimes even last full weeks—in July, August and September. But students and parents aren’t the only ones who can save.
College unveils plaques April 19 honoring first women, African-American students in residence
Just days before College of William and Mary President Taylor Reveley read an official apology on behalf of the Board of Visitors for the College’s role in slavery and segregation, he unveiled two new plaques on the Sir Christopher Wren Building’s piazza. One plaque commemorates the College’s 24 first female students, the other commemorates Lynn Briley ’71, Karen Ely ’71 and Janet Brown Strafer ’71, M.Ed. ’77, the College’s first three African-American students in residence.
‘The news of these arrests was both surprising and disappointing’: WPD arrests 10 individuals in first phase of months- long investigation
According to Williamsburg-James City County General District Court documents, the Williamsburg Police Department, in a joint drug investigation with the Tri-Rivers Task Force, used a confidential informant to purchase drugs at various locations around the College of William and Mary’s campus, including two residence halls. This was part of the first phase of a several-month-long investigation that resulted in 10 arrests connected to the College. What happened in the investigation?
College compensates Danny Rosenberg ’17 for photos used without credit
Danny Rosenberg ’17 set out one evening in April 2015 around midnight to take a long-exposure photo of the Sir Christopher Wren Building. As he sat out for three or four hours experimenting with star trails — a type of photograph that that seeks to capture the apparent motion of stars — he didn’t know that in just a few months, he would be seeing his photo everywhere.
Board of Visitors passes 34 resolutions in April 18-20 meetings
The College of William and Mary’s Board of Visitors met April 18-20 to discuss topics including faculty retirements, admissions deadlines and the accomplishments of the Task Force on Race and Race Relations. These discussions resulted in the presentation and approval of 34 resolutions. Resolution 1: The Richard Bland College Committee dealt with this resolution about appointments to fill instructional faculty vacancies in closed session.
Fighting the stigma of an ostomy: Molly Atwater ’17, M.S. ’18 turns to MollyOllyOstomy Instagram account to share her story
In just a few weeks, Molly Atwater ’17, M.S. ’18 will walk across the stage at Commencement with her master’s degree in computational operations research. One month later, she will undergo surgery to have her colon removed. This last year for Atwater has been filled with medical procedures, graduate classes and a lot of ups and downs. Now, she has finally rung the Sir Christopher Wren Bell and is looking forward to graduating and moving to Washington, D.C. to begin a consulting job.
Transgender author, activist Janet Mock fills Commonwealth
Wednesday, April 11, transgender author and activist Janet Mock sat down in the Commonwealth Auditorium with gender, sexuality and women’s studies department chair Jenny Putzi to talk about her writing, her views on popular culture and her experiences as a famous activist. This event was sponsored and organized by Student Assembly.
WPD arrests professor, students on counts of narcotics distribution
Tuesday, April 17 The Williamsburg Police Department and the Tri-Rivers Drug Task Force arrested ten people on charges related to narcotic distribution including one College of William and Mary professor and seven students. According to WPD Major Greg Riley, these arrests concluded the first phase of a months long investigation that began when information was received about unreported sexual assaults due to an increase in drug activity on and around the College’s campus.
Growing Roots: Planting, saving, protecting rare, endangered trees on campus
Outside Ewell Hall, in a small corner warmed by the College of William and Mary’s underground steam tunnels, grow two windmill palms — the northernmost palm trees on the East Coast. Nearby, in the Crim Dell Meadow, there are two dawn redwood trees, which until 1946 were thought to have been extinct for 13 million years. When plant explorers in Szechuan, China brought back seeds, some found their home on campus.
Vehicle crashes into Reves Hall, one room loses power
Just before 9:00 p.m. April 14, a single vehicle crashed into Reves Hall, a residence hall located on the corner of Jamestown Road and South Boundary Street. The accident caused one room to lose power. At this time, it is not clear whether alcohol or another substance was involved in the accident, but the William and Mary Police Department said that the driver was not affiliated with the College of William and Mary.
Freshman arrested, charged with felony possession of child pornography
The College of William and Mary Police Department arrested Turner August ’21 the morning of April 6 and charged him with six felony accounts of possession of child pornography. August, a 19-year-old from Richmond, was arrested at 7:30 a.m. in Griffin D, a residence hall in the Green and Gold Village. Following his arrest, he was transported to the Virginia Regional Peninsula Jail.
SA unanimously elects Sen. Ellie Thomas ’20 to serve as new chair of senate
One of the first business items the 326th session of the Student Assembly senate addressed was the election of a new senate chair. For the first time in at least four years, this election was uncontested: Sen. Ellie Thomas ’20 won with unanimous support. Thomas said that her goals include promoting initiatives to support a culture of encouragement instead of stress at the College of William and Mary, something SA President Brendan Boylan ’19 has stated is one of his administration’s goals.
Boylan, Tawalare sworn in at Student Assembly inauguration ceremony
Marking the formal start of the new Student Assembly session, SA President Brendan Boylan ’19 and Vice President Samir Tawalare ’19 were sworn into office in the Sir Christopher Wren Chapel Monday, April 9. Before the inauguration ceremony, College of William and Mary President Taylor Reveley commended outgoing SA President Elijah Levine ’18 and shared his thoughts on what it feels like to be an effective leader.
Bittersweet end: Local chocolate shop closes
April 6 was a bittersweet day for MAD about Chocolate, a local chocolate bakery and cafe located on Armistead Avenue. Earlier in the week, the shop’s owner, Mike Riordan, announced that it would be closing due to financial constraints but would reopen online with a different business model. According to Riordan, the cafe’s closing day was successful — there was no chocolate left hours before the store’s closing. “It’s been an amazing day. We had a record day,” Riordan said.
Nourishing bodies, healing spirits: Samantha Nichols Gonzalez ’18 talks recovering from eating disorder, finding peace
A few spontaneous choices, the support of several friends and one William and Larry t-shirt led Samantha Nichols Gonzalez ’18 to the College of William and Mary eager to pursue passions she had left behind during high school. Four years later, she’s ready to graduate after learning a few things about herself and developing a love for handbells. Before a friend recommended it and she conducted a fateful Google search, Nichols Gonzalez had never even heard of the College.
College faculty, administrators mourn loss of English professor Monica Potkay
Monica Potkay, an English professor at the College of William and Mary who also served as the assistant dean of academic advising and undergraduate education, died Friday, April 6, in hospice care. She was 60 years old. Potkay had worked at the College since 1989. Her death was confirmed by English department chair Suzanne Raitt in an email sent to English majors and minors April 7. The cause of Potkay’s death was bile duct cancer. She began teaching at the College as Monica Brzezinski.
Recreation classes to return as pass/fail options in fall: Current instructors ineligible to teach next semester’s courses
In 2016, the College of William and Mary announced that the Activity Program, a part of the kinesiology department, would no longer be offered after the spring 2018 semester. Since then, current students and alumni have written letters and drafted petitions to prevent this phase out from happening. The initial decision came from the desire to modernize the department and a concern that campus construction plans would one day mean that there was no space for courses like yoga and ballroom dance.
Chanello’s Pizza argument ends in gunshots, suspect later arrested
The Williamsburg Police Department responded to the discharge of a firearm at approximately 12:40 a.m. Saturday, April 7. The incident occurred outside Chanello’s Pizza on the 1400 block of Richmond Road, near where Richmond and Bypass roads intersect. Responding officers said that they discovered an argument between two individuals had turned into a physical fight. A third person tried to assist one of the individuals by pulling out a handgun and firing several shots before fleeing the scene.
College to unveil plaques honoring first women, African-American residential students April 19
The Sir Christopher Wren Building piazza is adorned with plaques commemorating notable College of William and Mary firsts, from the first law school to the first honor code. At a public ceremony April 19, the College will unveil two new plaques honoring the university’s first female and African-American residential students.
Student Assembly hosts inaugural symposium on race in higher education
This weekend, Student Assembly hosted “Tending Our Roots,” an inaugural symposium on race in higher education that reflected on the College of William and Mary’s history — and the history of similar universities across Virginia. This symposium was held Thursday, March 29, through Saturday, March 31. There were several events each day, including a film screening with Claudrena Harold, a discussion on the historical context of “hate speech” and a keynote address by Mayor of Richmond Levar Stoney.
Website to display disciplinary history of organizations
In an effort to increase transparency, the College of William and Mary began a new initiative April 2 to make public the disciplinary history of recognized student organizations through the Office of Student Conduct’s website. Although this information was available previously to individuals who requested it, it was not readily available to the general public.
From Conduct Council to City Council: Williamsburg Vice Mayor Scott Foster ’10, J.D. ’14 reflects on his time in office
All it took for City of Williamsburg Vice Mayor Scott Foster ’10, J.D. ’14 to decide that the College of William and Mary was the right school for him was a weekend football game during the fall of his senior year of high school. Two degrees from the College and two terms on Williamsburg’s City Council later, he’s looking forward to having more time to enjoy living in Williamsburg. “William and Mary ended up losing the game by a field goal at the end,” Foster said.
SA to host CNN town hall with James Comey, Anderson Cooper April 25
Earlier this morning, Student Assembly President Elijah Levine ’18 and SA President-Elect Brendan Boylan ’19 announced in a campus-wide email that CNN anchor Anderson Cooper will moderate a discussion with former FBI Director James Comey ’82. The town hall will be held April 25 at 8 p.m. in Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall and will be broadcast nationally and internationally on CNN.
NEDA walk brings hope to survivors, raises awareness about eating disorders
Students and community members gathered Sunday, March 25, outside of Campus Recreation for a walk sponsored by the National Eating Disorder Association. This walk was previously scheduled for over spring break, at the end of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, but was rescheduled to maximize participation. NEDA is the largest nonprofit organization that supports individuals and families affected by eating disorders.
College releases sexual misconduct climate analysis
A year ago, the College of William and Mary sent out a survey asking for feedback on the campus climate surrounding sexual misconduct. Now, the results are in, as 2,672 respondents — just over 30 percent of the student body — have shared their experiences. The university’s female, LGBTQ and Fraternity and Sorority Life populations are still much more likely to have experienced sexual misconduct than the rest of campus. What does the data say?
U.S. Senator Mark Warner to speak at 2018 Commencement address
As the class of 2018 prepares to walk through the doors of the Christopher Wren Building and into the world after graduating, they will come together May 12 for the College of William and Mary’s Commencement ceremony. Guiding them out of the College and into the world will be U.S. Senator Marker Warner (D-Va.).
‘We’re going to earn this vote’: For first time in SA history, candidates run unopposed in presidential race
Each year, the two weeks after spring break are filled with debates, campaign posters and the launch of new websites and Facebook pages as pairs of students prep for Student Assembly elections. The last two years, these election cycles have ended in narrow wins: both former SA presidents Eboni Brown ’17 and Elijah Levine ’18 won elections by less than 50 votes. This year, Sen. Brendan Boylan ’19 and his running mate Samir Tawalare ’19 face no opposition.
DNCE, D.R.A.M. to perform at annual spring concert April 19
Student Assembly and Alma Mater Productions announced today that pop group DNCE will take the stage at Kaplan Arena for the annual spring concert. DNCE, a group featuring vocalist Joe Jonas, formed in 2015 and released their hit single “Cake by the Ocean” shortly thereafter. They are also known for songs like “Toothbrush” and “Body Moves” and recently-released single “Kissing Strangers” featuring Nicki Minaj. The group also won Best New Artist at MTV’s 2017 Music Awards.
‘This won’t go away’: Students plan walkout, VA legislators push for stricter gun policy in wake of Parkland, Fla. shooting
*NOTE: As students prepare for a walkout this week, The Flat Hat spoke with students planning protests across campus and took a closer look at existing weapons policies and what the state’s lawmakers are doing in response to student voices. For 17 minutes on Wednesday, March 15, at 10 a.m., students all across the country will be leaving their classrooms and walking out for gun control. Each minute honors each of the 17 victims killed at Stoneman Douglas High School Feb.
SA campaigns kick off
For the first time in many years, one student, Sen. Brendan Boylan ’19, is running unopposed to be Student Assembly president. Next Thursday, March 22, the College of William and Mary will elect new representatives to SA. Campaigns for senate, class president and student body president and vice president officially began March 12.
Coltrane, Ginsberg and all that jazz: Student Assembly President Elijah Levine ’18 reflects on academic journey, year in office
For most of his teenage years in McLean, Virginia, SA President Elijah Levine ’18 was set on attending the University of Virginia, studying business and securing a job after graduation at Barclays, a financial services company and multinational bank. However, after he attended events at the Raymond A. Mason School of Business with his father, he found himself considering the College of William and Mary.
Sigma Chi, Alpha Epsilon Pi to move in on Ukrop Way
At the start of the 2018-2019 academic year, fraternity row on Ukrop Way will house two new organizations: Sigma Chi and Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternities. At the end of the fall 2017 semester, the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity was required to vacate its on-campus house as a result of sanctions placed on the chapter due to a party held in the spring 2017 semester. The house at 720 Ukrop Way is not currently the home to a fraternity chapter.
Construction project breathe new life into campus, revitalize new buildings
As spring weather arrives in Williamsburg and the ground begins to thaw, construction on projects new and old begins on campus. While some current projects will not be complete until 2022, others will be open to students as early as the fall 2018 semester, such as Landrum Hall.
Student Assembly senate discusses bills on funding, accountability
During the College of William and Mary’s Student Assembly meeting Feb. 20, senators discussed six new bills, including one that would prevent excess money in SA’s reserves fund from rolling into the Fund for William & Mary, the College’s largest unrestricted funding source that acts as an endowment. Currently, SA code mandates that all unused funds in the reserves account in excess of $100,000 go to the Fund for William & Mary.
A Culture of Silence: Discovering David Dessler
*NOTE: This is the final installment in a series on former government professor David Dessler. It explores how Dessler’s story relates to the culture surrounding mental health at the College and provides closing thoughts on the case’s significance. In April 2015, the College of William and Mary garnered national attention after experiencing four student deaths, including two confirmed suicides, in one academic year.
Board of Visitors elects Katherine Rowe to be College’s 28th president
When the College of William and Mary’s Board of Visitors unanimously voted to elect Katherine Rowe to serve as the College’s 28th president, the months-long search to fill the soon-to-be empty seat came to an end. With this vote, Rowe also became the first woman in the College’s history to serve as president. Rowe will succeed College President Taylor Reveley, who will retire June 30 after two decades as a part of the College faculty, including one decade as president.
“A standing that I’ve never heard of in the academic world”: Discovering David Dessler
*NOTE: This is the third segment in a series on former professor David Dessler. It focuses on the College administration’s handling of his case based on stated procedures regarding faculty leave and termination. Next week, The Flat Hat will explore how Dessler’s story relates to the culture surrounding mental health at the College. Visit SoundCloud to hear the podcast version of this series.
The Last Jedi Rebuttal
On New Year’s Eve, I went to a party and argued about Star Wars with a guy from my high school. We were standing in a big circle, he and I and a few of our other friends, talking about pretty much the only thing left for estranged classmates to bond over. I didn’t know him very well; he’d been a friend of a friend. But his take on The Last Jedi was as follows: “I hated it.
Gates ‘optimistic’ about future despite current state of politics in U.S.
When College of William and Mary Chancellor Robert Gates ’65 took the stage of Commonwealth Auditorium the evening of Feb. 8 to discuss the national political climate, he had one resounding message — that he was optimistic about the future, and others should be too. The former secretary of defense joined College President Taylor Reveley to celebrate Charter Day with a question and answer session for the second year in a row.
Charter Day honors College’s 325th birthday
While students, faculty members, administrators and alumni gathered to celebrate the College of William and Mary’s 325th birthday, there were two other anniversaries of note: the celebration of 50 years of African-American students in residence and that of 100 years of women in residence. As the campus community came together Feb.
Muscarelle Celebrates Female Artists to Commemorate Women’s Centennial at William and Mary
As students gathered in the Muscarelle Museum of Art Saturday, Feb. 10 there were two exhibits opening. One, “Women with Vision: Masterworks from the Permanent Collection,” kicks off the College of William and Mary’s celebration of the 100th anniversary of women in residence. In February 1918, the College’s Board of Visitors met to pass a resolution that would allow co-education starting later that year in September.
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