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2 T H E D S J - F EBRUARY 2014

The DoG Street JournalThe College of William & MaryCampus Center Basement Office 12BWilliamsburg, Virginia 23185(757) 221-7851dogstreetjournal@wm.edu

February 2014, Volume 11 Issue 5www.dogstreetjournal.com

EDITORIAL STAFF

The DoG Street

Journal

Talk to us!

Editors-in-Chief Jeffrey Knox

Christine Shen

Managing EditorMolly Michie

News EditorEliza Scheibe

Associate News EditorSydni Scrofani

Style EditorMolly Earner

Associate Style EditorChelsea Pittman

Opinions EditorElizabeth Edmonds

Sports EditorAlex Cook

Associate Sports EditorScott Guinn

Photo EditorLauren Su

Web EditorJames Szabo

COVER IMAGE

20-21

18

3Editorial

News

> Winter Break Service Trips

> Showcase on Sports Clubs

> Changes in the College Curriculum

> Concussions in the NFL

> New Year’s Resolutions

Style

Opinion

Sports

Reverend James Blair looks across campus on a wintery day.

Photo by Lauren Su.

What’s Inside?

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10-11

The Lord Botetourt Statue and Wren Building appear even more spectacular than usual with a fresh blanket of snow.

Photo by Jeffrey Knox.

Est. 2003

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New Year, New Resolutions

Editorial Save the Date

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The DSJ is a monthly student magazine and online multimedia outlet which strives to provide an entertaining, thought-provoking, and interactive resource for the William

and Mary community.

OUR MISSION

Although it’s a bit late for New Year’s resolutions, I’d like to make a toast. A toast to taking charge of changing ourselves for the better.

Breaking old, bad habits and forming new positive ones, cutting out the fat and focusing on the important things in our life, or taking that first step in the right direction - no matter how big or small, let’s create positive change in our lives.

Change is difficult. It’s hard to break out of old habits when it is so easy to mindlessly repeat. It takes constant effort to steer yourself against the current, constant reminding of the future reward. Our primal instincts demand that we live in the present, but to become what we want ourselves to be, we must live in the future. Cast aside the negative self-talk and support yourself. For every step forward, there will be at least one backward. Don’t get discouraged; trek forward.

Like muscles, we cannot become stronger unless we are damaged and re-heal. Choose to forcefully break those old habits and grow stronger in your success. Whether it’s healthy eating, exercising, being more organized, or becoming a better person in general, make an effort to destroy your old habits and create a new goal.

For myself, I have one main goal. My goal is to become more in touch with my feelings. I’ve realized recently that I am sometimes too cerebral for my own good and can get lost in my thoughts, without giving much consideration to my own body or my personal feelings. This resulted in some very uncomfortable conflicts between my mind and my heart. This year, I’m learning to recognize these conflicts and attempt to take a step back to listen to how I feel.

Although it may be daunting, set a daily, manageable goal for yourself and increase the difficulty every day until you are accomplishing what you set out to do. For example, if your room usually gets messy within a few days and you become stressed and claustrophobic from the mess, you may want to change this situation. Start off by clearing out the mess piece by piece. Do your desk one day, the closet the next, etcetera, etcetera. After your room is finally cleaned (which may take a while), begin to identify the causes of the mess. Maybe it’s getting delivery food, or not hanging up your clothes at the end of the day. Make a new daily goal of cleaning up these messes immediately after you make them.

Many goals are not end-all-be-all solutions. They need daily maintenance and progress. Like cleaning your room, eating more healthily, or losing weight are not once done is done sort of deals. These require massive change in your perspective and personal tolerance to the effort required. Although it will take time, keep at it. If you’ve heard that it only takes three weeks to form a habit, bad news: it’s bogus. Some habits can be quite easy to take up, while others may take months to form. The important thing is repetition.

Embrace the change, and whether you succeed or fail, remember that tomorrow is another day. Strive onward my fellow TWAMPs, for I am sure 2014 will be a great one.

Feb. 7-8What: Charter DayWhere: William and Mary Hall When: Ceremony on Feb. 7 at 4 p.m., concert on Feb. 8 at 8 p.m.Why: Join the 321st anniversary celebration of the awarding of the royal charter by King William III and Queen Mary II in establishing the College. Listen to keynote speaker Governor Terry McAuliffe at the ceremony and see Wiz Khalifa perform.

Feb. 14What: Valentine’s DayWhere: EverywhereWhen: All dayWhy: Schedule a date, have dinner with friends, or wallow in your perceived everlasting solitude.

Feb. 21What: Black Sea Hotel ConcertWhere: Ewell Recital HallWhen: 7:30 p.m.Why: Enjoy the free concert of this Balkan a capella trio.

Jeffrey Knox and Christine ShenDSJ Co-Editors-in-Chief

P.S. Check out our newly redesigned website! Go to www.dogstreetjournal.com.

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» TYLER BRENT, DSJ STAFF REPORTER

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Winter Break Service Trips Making a Difference Alongside Classmates

“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” – Miriam Beard

As William and Mary students finished final exams and made the trek back home for winter holiday, some students had palm trees, beaches, and tropical climates in mind. After the break, I sat down with two students from the College who did in fact leave Williamsburg for more inviting weather. Instead of reclining on the beach with cocktail in hand, these students exemplified one of the revered qualities of members of the Tribe all over the world: service.

Kendra Jackson (’14) and Nuha Naqvi (’15) are just two examples of the countless William and Mary students who spend their time, money, and energy over breaks to make a difference all over Virginia, the United States, and the entire globe. Both biology majors at the College, these two students worked to use their skills to give back and help those in need.

Returning for her second year on the trip and assuming the role of group leader, Jackson went to Managua, Nicaragua with a group of 15 students on the William and Mary Medical Relief trip. Currently in its fifteenth year in operation, this organization was the first medical relief trip through the College.

In order to fund the cost of providing medical aid, dental care, and health education to a village in Nicaragua, the preparations for the trip began last February. To cover the finances, Jackson works part time as a substitute teacher, serves as a camp counselor in the summer, and will work the parking at football games.

“I was actually the homecoming queen and at the same game I worked parking and people would recognize me and say, ‘Aren’t you the homecoming queen? Is this part of your duties as Queen?’ I said no, it’s for my service trip,” said Jackson.

To prepare themselves for the work they will be doing, the group meets weekly and gives presentations on different diseases they will encounter and also discusses various aspects of the culture of Nicaragua.

William and Mary Medical Relief consists of a cohort of pre-medicine, pre-dental, and pre-pharmacy majors who work with local physicians in Nicaragua. They assists the doctors in taking vital signs, interviewing patients, and reviewing their medical histories so that the doctors can help more patients. During this trip, Medical Relief students helped over 270 patients in their local community.

After spending two weeks helping to provide medical care for those who might not otherwise receive it, Jackson notes, “It’s really hard to see that people are suffering for such a long time. I met a woman who had a fungal infection that had been eating away at her foot for six months and she could not afford the medication even though she had been seen by a doctor.”

It is moments like these that inspire Jackson to continue her work in Nicaragua. She is headed to medical school next year and plans on returning in the summer to do public health research.

Naqvi also participated in an international service trip geared towards medicine. Through the Branch Out International AIDS Tanzania organization, Naqvi traveled to Arusha, Tanzania with

six other William and Mary students. This group teams up with the United African Alliance Community Center (UAACC) with a focus on HIV education. Throughout the two-week trip, team members held several HIV seminars at the community center and the University of Arusha, where they talked about symptoms, prevention methods, how to implement them in the local community, and why it is important to eliminate the negative stigma about people with HIV in their community.

Initially worried about how seven foreign, college-educated women would be received as educators in the HIV community, Naqvi acknowledges that it was positive overall.

“When it came time, there was no pushback because we were women at all.” She notes that the community was excited, welcoming, and extremely friendly to the entire group.

During a question-and-answer session after one of the presentations, Naqvi vividly remembers one of the questions she fielded from an audience member: “You keep telling us how we can prevent HIV and how important that is, but what I want to know is how do I destroy HIV?”

Naqvi said, “Especially that question made me think that the work we are doing here is so important to these people. Their goal is to have a generation without HIV; it is such a terror that is going around and they don’t have the resources to treat it.”

She later made note that a lot of people say that service trips are more beneficial to the people participating in them than the people they are helping. She believes this is not necessarily the case.

“I think we made a difference to those people in that classroom in the community center, to the people we directly spoke to who will then turn around and share that information with their friends and with their family and will educate others that they love. It doesn’t have to be a big impact. We really did help.”

Members of AIDS Tanzania pose with local children.Photo courtesy of Nuha Naqvi.

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The MeridianA Hidden Musical Oasis

The Meridian—some may have heard of this student-run coffee house, venue, and art space, but many others haven’t. This substance-free spot right at the edge of campus does tend to go unseen, even though there’s a pretty dope sparkly flag in the front yard and comfy car seats on the porch. Located a couple of houses down from Hunt Hall, it has been at 207 South Boundary Street since 1992.

In its early days, the Meridian was funded by a grant given to the College by the alcohol task force to support non-alcoholic activities. It was founded for individual expression, especially for those underage, by graduate students. In 1995, it was passed down to undergrads and officially assumed its present identity, the space known as the Meridian. It was used as a music venue even during this time, when the William and Mary Middle Eastern Music Ensemble used to play a couple of times a year. Back then, there were significantly fewer campus bands compared to present day, and as a result, local high school bands stumbled upon this place in 1996 and began playing shows.

The Meridian has gone through phases as particular groups of people came and went. At one point, it was even described as a place full of “punky goth English majors.” More recently in the past, WCWM radio members and LBGT group members have inhabited the place. At the moment, it’s made up of a pretty diverse group, in terms of personal interests. The vibe you initially get from the Meridian depends on who is in the house at that particular moment. The crowd at the Meridian is ever-changing with the yearly graduations followed by the new faces of adventurous freshmen who brave the outskirts of campus to find the place.

It’s pretty alive nearly every weekend with bands scheduled to perform, consisting mainly of student bands, such as Car Seat Headrest, and bands from all over Virginia. Sometimes even bigger bands that are on tour come to perform at the Meridian. For example, The Suzan, an all-female Indie Pop band from Japan currently living in New York City, stopped by last year and enjoyed a large audience. Some clubs use this place for shows, such as Metal Club, whose annual Metalfest has been held there a couple of times in the past. All genres play here, whether it is Electronic, Metal, Rap, or somewhere in between.

Yearly events are held at the Meridian, such as the following coming up this semester: Battle of the Bands (sometime in mid-February), Art Slam, and Sky is Falling. Battle of the Bands is just what it sounds like. It consists of William and Mary bands musically battling it out. Winners gain honor and fame – well, pretty much everyone does since you’re a winner for life if you had the guts to start a band in the first place amidst the busy academic life of William and Mary. Art Slam involves playing with a lot of paint, glitter, and any other art supplies you can think of to make arts and crafts masterpieces. Sky is Falling is a spring all-day cook-out and outdoor music fest at which people can perform whatever

they want for fellow attendees. Though people can play whatever they want to people inside the Meridian on a regular basis, what’s special about this event is that it’s outside and during the daytime. Hello, sunshine.

When events and shows aren’t taking place, students run shifts from 7:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. during which coffee, tea, and snacks can be served to visitors for a small fee. Other than being personal coffee servants for a few minutes, shifts consist of hanging out, planning, studying, playing music, reading books, drawing, and basically whatever other activities you’re into.

» VICKIE GOLDSBY, DSJ STAFF REPORTER

Students chill at a casual jam session at the Meridian. All photos by Sara Suarez.

The Meridian regularly hosts guest artists and acts by students from the College.

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Dollar General Supports National Literacy

» ELIZA SCHEIBE, DSJ NEWS EDITOR

Since its founding in 1993, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation (DGLF) has been offering programs to support literacy for adults, children, and family alike. These include summer tutoring programs and classroom reading sessions, as well as ESL and GED programs. This year, Dollar General celebrated National Family Literacy Day on January 27, acknowledging over 20 years of service to 40 states nationwide. In total, Dollar General has impacted roughly five million people’s lives through its $85 million in grants and GED programs. There is no doubt that Dollar General is an organization dedicated to literacy advocacy.

In order to learn more about Dollar General’s efforts to support literacy, I spoke with Crystal Ghassemi, the Public Relations Manager at Dollar General. Ghassemi started by telling the personal and touching story of how the company was established. Dollar General was founded by Jay L. Turner and his son Cal Turner, back in 1939, as a wholesale supplier. Because Jay Turner had dropped out of school in the third grade, he was functionally illiterate. Although Jay had created a successful business for himself, he went though life believing he “could always learn something more,” and that he might have been more successful had he become literate.

In 1993, Jay Turner’s grandson Cal Turner, Jr., the President and CEO of Dollar General, founded the DGLF to honor his grandfather and to promote literacy nationwide. Today, the DGLF is comprised of about five million employees and has raised over $7.4 million in the past five years alone.

“We are very strong stewards of education,” said Ghassemi.Every year, the DGLF offers grants for schools and other

community organizations interested in providing literacy programs. Applications are available starting in January, and grants for summer programs are given out in May. Grants for school programs are typically given out in August, at the beginning of the academic year.

The DGLF also provides a “book buddies” to assist elementary school students in learning how to read, as well as ESL and GED programs for both children and adults. Having read to elementary schoolers herself, Ghassemi can personally attest to the positive effect the experience had on the students, as well as on her.

For Ghassemi, it’s “seeing the direct impact that you make on people’s lives” and “seeing them make that connection when you’re reading to them” that makes it all worthwhile.

Literacy programs aren’t all that Dollar General has to offer when it comes to community outreach, though. The company also holds school supply drives and holiday gift drives for less fortunate families, as well as food drives for local food banks. As Ghassemi puts it, Dollar General’s community service isn’t a monthly or annual event, but an “ongoing process throughout the year.”

After Hurricane Katrina, the DGLF was there to help rebuild damaged and destroyed libraries in New Orleans through its emergency relief fund. “In an ideal world, that fund would never be used,” said Ghassemi.

However, if it weren’t for that fund, who else would have stepped in to save the libraries of New Orleans?

When asked why she chose to work for Dollar General, Ghassemi said that she wanted to work for a company that shared her value for community outreach, which has been “ingrained in [her] from a young age.” Since she was a young adult, Ghassemi has been actively involved in several community service organizations, with a “mission of serving others.” She has fundraised for causes such as breast cancer research and arthritis treatment, ailments that can impact the day-to-day life of the women and the elderly that we know and love. Ghassemi has also assisted the homeless, giving them resources like food and shelter, and served as a Sunday School teacher, where her love of reading to children may have been instilled in her.

Having a child of her own, whom she reads to every day, Ghassemi realizes just how important it is to educate young people, as literacy is a determining factor in a person’s success in a highly developed country like the United States. She believes it is important to support literacy programs because not all children are lucky enough to have their parents read to them on a regular basis. In Ghassemi’s opinion, teaching someone how to read will help better him- or herself in the long-run.

“Education is something you can never take away from someone,” said Ghassemi.

As college students and faculty, many of us at William and Mary would agree with that statement. However, most probably take for granted the fact that we were raised by families who read to us and valued education, ensuring our future academic success. Not all families are like that. So the next time you’re looking for community service opportunities, consider tutoring. If you’re looking to work for an organization that values service and literacy, consider Dollar General. Teaching someone how to read will benefit that person for the rest of his or her life.

Celebrating Over 20 Years of Service

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation supports the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Photo courtesy of

edinburghkids.com.

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Sinfonicron’s Sullivan and GilbertA 49th Anniversary Salute

» REBECCA HEINE, DSJ STAFF REPORTER

Sinfonicron forms an important part of the William and Mary theatre life. An entirely student-run organization, Sinfonicron stages masterpieces in the space of two weeks. These students return to campus early from winter break to rehearse, choreograph, and create the productions that inaugurate the beginning of spring semester.

Since the first production during the 1965-1966 academic year, Sinfonicron has performed the various works of master entertainers William Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. For this year, the 49th anniversary of Sinfonicron, the company put together one of the most unique shows ever written by an artistic duo: Sullivan & Gilbert, a light-hearted yet sincere comedy written by Gilbert and Sullivan themselves, with the aid of playwright Ken Ludwig. This show commemorates the unique friendship and professional partnership of Gilbert and Sullivan, featuring true historical characters from their real-life experiences and songs from no fewer than nine of Gilbert and Sullivan’s various operas.

Director Kelsey Schneider (’14) described Sullivan & Gilbert as the “perfect show for our company. Not only is it an exciting and new challenge, but it allows us to celebrate the lives of the composer and lyricist whose works we have been performing for forty-nine years.” Schneider has participated in Sinfonicron productions for the past four years, starting as the assistant stage manager for Patience in 2011, moving on to stage manager for Thoroughly Modern Millie in 2012, followed by directing Iolanthe in 2013 before this year’s Sullivan & Gilbert. Until Sinfonicron, Schneider had no experience with Gilbert and Sullivan, except for the fact that her mother happens to be “a huge fan of the ‘Penzance’ movie with Kevin Kline.” Having finished off her Sinfonicron career with Sullivan & Gilbert, Schneider will not be able to direct again for next year’s 50th anniversary. She was able to say that “I have heard rumors that the plan is to do one of the big three: The Mikado, Pirates of Penzance, or H.M.S. Pinafore.

Again, these are only rumors, but that’s what I’ve heard.” Regardless of the choice of show, Sinfonicron is sure to produce

yet another masterpiece performance by the duo. Schneider did acknowledge that, to many modern audiences, Gilbert and Sullivan operettas can be seen as ridiculous, farcical, and frivolous. Yet as Schneider pointedly said, “Gilbert and Sullivan wrote pieces to entertain and delight their audiences because they believed that was the purpose of theatre.”

Sullivan & Gilbert is no exception to the artists’ long-standing tradition of delightful and entertaining shows. The playful banter of the opening scene immediately captivated the audience and introduced the lively relationship of Gilbert and Sullivan as portrayed by Ricky Portner (’14) and Ryan Warsing (’14), respectively. Portner and Warsing brought a delightful and historically accurate blend of the tension, friendship, and artistry to the characters. Dramaturg Taylor Schwabe (’15) made a note of the trials the pair overcame in their working relationship: “Gilbert wrote comedies based on absurdities and disruption of social order. Sullivan desired realism, and artistic expression beyond what their comic operas could allow him. Despite their differences, however, their shows were—and are—immensely popular.”

Each member of the cast displayed impeccable comedic timing throughout the production, infecting the audience with contagious laughter within the first ten minutes. Aiden Smith (’16) was notably hilarious in his performance as the errant Duke of Edinburgh, not to be outdone by the intense and energetic brilliance of Tyler Bell (’16) playing the much-abused Richard D’Oyly Carte.

Vocal director Sarah Schuessler (’14) created an auditory masterpiece with perfectly balanced vocals and subtle lilting harmonies. Choreography director Megan Tatum (’15) staged deceptively elegant dances that created an authentic Broadway tone to complement the musical numbers. Overall the entire three-hour experience was delightfully witty and simply charming.

The cast takes the stage. Photos by Taylor Nelms, courtesy of Sinfonicron Light Opera Company.

A humorous scene featuring actors Ricky Portner (‘14), Ryan Warsing (‘15), and Aidan Smith (‘16). Photo

courtesy of Sinfonicron Light Opera Company.

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Virginia Senate Race Heats Up

» CHANDLER CRENSHAW, DSJ STAFF REPORTER

Every year is an election year in Virginia. Once one election ends, Democrats and Republicans start looking forward to the next November general election. With control of power in the United States Senate up for grabs in the 2014 elections, the eyes of the nation will be watching the race for the U.S. Senate seat in Virginia.

Mark Warner, the current occupant of the Senate seat, announced in March 2013 his intent to run for re-election. A Democrat, he won his bid on the same night of the election of Barack Obama in 2008. Before serving as senator, Warner held the office of Governor of Virginia. Supporters of Senator Warner believe that he has built a reputation as a bipartisan compromiser. This will be his third attempt to win a Senate election, having narrowly lost his first attempt in 1996 against then-senator John Warner. Barring an unexpected entrance by another Democrat into the race, Mark Warner should receive the nomination unopposed.

On the other side of the aisle, the field of candidates has been established for the Republican Party of Virginia (RPV). The RPV will be holding a convention in Roanoke in June to determine who will be the candidate. As of right now, three Republicans have declared their intent to oppose Warner. The first person to enter the race was Howie Lind. A native of Northern Virginia and a former officer in the Navy, Lind recently served as 10th congressional district Republican chairman and was an active member on the State Central Committee. He also considers himself to be a member of the Tea Party caucus. In addition to Howie Lind, Shak Hill entered the race in early 2013. Although he has never held a public office before, Hill is a grassroots activist.

A big shift in the field occurred in early January when Ed Gillespie decided to enter into the race. Ed Gillespie served as a White House counselor to President George W. Bush, and he also was elected as the Republican National Committee chairman. Most recently, he was a senior strategist on the Mitt Romney presidential campaign.

“Over the years, with lots of people’s help and advice, I rose from that parking lot to the West Wing, serving as counselor to the president of the United States,” said Gillespie in a press release.

Although there are three candidates who have declared, many party members and political pundits believe that Gillespie is the strong favorite going into the convention. As opposed to the other two candidates, his exposure to national politics gives him the ability to raise funds and build a reputation on a national level. He is very well respected among all factions of the Republican Party of Virginia, as well. On a more local scale, he’s already gaining traction with some students on campus.

“Unfortunately, over the last few years the American Dream has become less of a reality for many because of failed federal policies,” said Peter Lifson (‘14). “Ed will fight to make today’s ‘new normal’ the ‘old mediocre’ by working to repeal Obamacare and helping Virginians ascend up the economic ladder.”

If he receives the nomination, Gillespie plans to run his campaign on Mark Warner’s voting record. In his initial press release, he claims that Warner was the deciding vote on the Affordable Care Act in 2010, and he has not helped improve the economy of Virginia as senator. On the contrary, Warner will attempt to label Ed Gillespie as a Washington insider. Public opinion polls show Mark Warner as the most popular politician in Virginia, and he will certainly use this information combined with his reputation of bipartisanship to make his case to Virginians.

Zach Woodward, President of the William and Mary Young Democrats, stated that Warner “maintains high favorability ratings and a sizeable polling lead among Virginia voters.” He also noted the the Young Democrats “will be in full force” come election season, encouraging students and local community members to get out and vote.

Although the election is months away, pundits are already making predictions regarding a potential outcome. Before Ed Gillespie entered the race, many pundits believed that Mark Warner was headed toward an easy victory. The addition of Gillespie has made the race that much more interesting.

Larry Sabato, a professor at the University of Virginia and the founder of the Center for Politics, is known for his accuracy in predicting election outcomes. He believes that Warner’s popularity and incumbency currently gives him a strong advantage in the race. However, Gillespie can be a formidable challenge.

“Assuming he makes the general election, Gillespie is a serious candidate who will be able to raise a ton of money,” said Sabato in a press release. “This race is now on the competitive board as Likely Democrat, a shift from Safe Democratic.”

A recent poll conducted by Rasmussen declared that Mark Warner would defeat Ed Gillespie by 14 points if the election were held today. Still, the Gillespie campaign released a statement showing that similar poll numbers existed in the 2006 Allen-Webb race. George Allen, who was the incumbent senator and a former governor, dominated the polls early on. However, he ultimately lost in a terrible year for Republicans.

While predicting the outcome of an election remains tough, the field has been set and the strategies are already determined. As Virginia continues to become a more purple state, the upcoming Senate election will definitely garner national attention.

Likely Republican candidate Ed Gillespie (left) and incumbent Mark Warner (right) Photos courtesy of Ed

Gillespie for Senate and warner.senate.gov.

Candidates Established, Campaigning Begins

Would you trust a group of college students with your money? That’s exactly what the Mason School of Business has done for multiple years now, and the results have been remarkable. The Student Managed Investment Fund (often identified by its acronym, SMIF) began in the spring semester of 2010, after Dean Larry Pulley agreed to allot $100,000 of the business school’s endowment to a BBA equity fund. Now entering its fifth year as an elective course for Finance majors, the fund currently boasts holdings with a market value of approximately $170,000.

The 3-credit course is offered every semester and comprises about 15 analysts, the majority of whom have little or no experience in portfolio management or equity analysis. The fund invests fully in the equity market, purchasing both growth and value companies with mid to large market capitalizations. The investments are diversified across all ten sectors of the Standard & Poor’s 1500, which is the benchmark index of choice. Sector Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are also purchased in cases where no stocks are held in a particular sector. Stocks are selected with a “bottom-up” philosophy, meaning that undervalued securities are bought with the hope that they will outperform their sector.

Analysts are assigned to a particular sector (such as energy, utilities, or finance) of the S&P 1500. Within that sector, they must track the progress of current stock or ETF holdings for the fund. If that stock is not performing up to a certain standard, then a “sell” recommendation is administered, removing it from the portfolio and opening space for a new purchase. The bulk of the coursework, however, revolves around selecting a company within the sector that may be undervalued. Analysts must develop an “investment thesis” that supports their conclusion as to why the stock is undervalued, and then support their arguments through written reports and oral presentations before the class.

Matt Renn (’14), a finance major who took the course in consecutive semesters, said that the stock pitch was his “favorite part of the class, because you can learn a lot about different companies, see how other people analyze companies, and utilize your creativity.” Other analysts critique and evaluate the pitch, and then vote whether to buy, buy half, or pass on the stock. Thus, SMIF is highly democratic in nature.

Three faculty advisors—Professors Gjergji Cici and James Haltiner, along with Peter Gore, a local wealth management advisor and CFA—oversee the Fund and provide students with the knowledge and skills they need to effectively research and evaluate companies. Yet, Professer Haltiner notes that the fund is “truly student managed,” and that students “need to and do take it very seriously,” as they are dealing with real money. As such, the purpose of SMIF is to provide real-world experience in financial analysis and valuation.

This “learn by doing” attitude is manifested in the due diligence that is required of students, as they must understand a company’s business model, its competitive environment, and its financial standing from top to bottom. Analysts are taught the standard techniques of fundamental analysis, which is based on quantitative analysis of a company’s financial statements and reports. Company valuations are computed using methodologies such as Discounted

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9

Student Managed Investment Fund

Cash Flow (DCF) and Comparable Firm analysis.Historically, analysts have presented 122 stocks, and 96 have

been bought. The average purchased stock is held for a period of 9 months. The current portfolio contains 16 stocks, and the best performing stock has been Blackrock, which was bought at a price of $164 back in 2010, but has since appreciated to nearly double that original price, as it sits at just over $300. About half the stocks are purchased in the previous semester, meaning that turnover can be fairly rapid.

After the initial cash infusion of $100,000 back in February 2010, the fund has seen significant growth, especially in the past year and a half. At just over $170,000, it’s only a matter of time before the fund doubles in total value. In fact, the compound annual growth rate amounts to almost 15 percent. Yet, in comparison to the S&P 1500, SMIF has actually been lagging slightly behind. Had the same amount of money been invested in the S&P 1500 ETF back in 2010, the fund would be worth about $183,000. The fund performed exceptionally well in 2013, as it grew nearly 30 percent, but it still couldn’t match the 32.8 percent increase recorded by the benchmark index. A central goal for the 2014 analysts is to beat the S&P 1500.

Clearly, SMIF has been quite successful financially, but its value to students is much greater than any great stock pick. Haltiner notes that the course allows students to “see the value of all their coursework in the business school.”

Mirroring that statement, Renn found that SMIF provided “greater exposure to investing, finance, and accounting.” He also mentioned that it helped in his job search, as “people during interviews become very interested and impressed…when I explain to them my experience in SMIF.” Renn highly recommends the class, as would most people who get to learn about finance while making money for their school. In this way, SMIF offers a unique experience that accomplishes both the financial, and more importantly, educational, goals of the Mason School of Business.

» JEFFREY KNOX, DSJ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Realizing Financial and Educational Returns

This chart shows fund performance since its inception relative to the S&P 1500. Illustration courtesy of James

Haltiner.

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Not Your Everyday SportsSenseis, Snitches, and Swimsuits

» MICHELLE ZHU, DSJ STAFF REPORTER

You probably haven’t heard of these sports clubs—or at least, their goings-on are probably shrouded in mystery. In addition to being unaffiliated with college athletic conferences, the practices of Shotokan Karate, Outdoors Club, Quidditch, and Synchronized Swimming are unfamiliar to most of us, as they deviate from the mainstream ideas of a sport. These clubs are sustained by the few—indeed, they are composed of a small number of people—who are attracted to novelty. The clubs deservedly project an unusual, off-the-beaten-path feel, whether it be because of an interest in the adoption of a foreign culture, deliberate distancing from materialism, bringing fiction to life, or creativity through atypical mediums.

The Japanese practice of Shotokan Karate, one that is most familiar to us as something that boys tried to get black belts in during elementary school, thrives unexpectedly well within the College’s group of aficionados. Sarah Bradshaw (‘15), the secretary of the club, likes to claim that Shotokan Karate is one of William and Mary’s “best kept secrets.” Many of the members had no previous martial arts experience before coming to William and Mary, so the club has a sensei at its disposal who drives from Newport News on Mondays and Thursdays to train members. The main goal of karate is self-defense, but Bradshaw says the club does make time for the “fun stuff,” such as rolling across the floor or flipping someone across your hip or shoulder.

More interestingly, Bradshaw explains that karate seems different from any other sport she has done, calling it an “interesting workout.” Conforming with Eastern ideals of order and perfection, karate, as Bradshaw explained, becomes more difficult as you perfect your technique and become stronger—

but even more so than with other sports. A kata, or basic series of movements that indicates your level of mastery (there are many katas), can be constantly improved upon; one of the first ones a student learns is the Heian Shodan, and yet it is useful for beginners and experts alike. The club does travel and compete along the east coast. Bradshaw maintains that “the bigger the better when it comes to karate”—but if you don’t see joining the club in your future, at least watch Dwight perform karate in The Office (prominently in Season 2, Episode 6). Maybe you’ll be convinced?

The attitude of the Outdoors Club, as presented by trip leader Liz Saccoccia (‘14), is enthusiastic and adventurous. They provide a flexible club environment, asking only for gas money for, most commonly, hiking and backpacking trips within Virginia. For their upcoming trips, the trip leaders are looking at river trips, canoeing and maybe tubing. Whether you are seeking to become one with nature or are already an outdoors buff, Saccoccia insists that there is a wide range of outdoors involvement within the club, from day hikes to most intensely, in her opinion, caving in Blacksburg, which involved eight hours of darkness and lots of mud. Backpacking, she says, provides a lot of quiet zen time. To the newbies, Saccoccia also says that sneakers are completely okay as alternatives for hiking boots. She also likes to wear running leggings on hikes, pointing out that she does not exclusively wear North Face (contrary to popular opinion).

Perhaps one of William and Mary’s most touted clubs when advocating for the school’s nerd cred is Quidditch. Before dismissing Quidditch as a fantasy role-play by hardcore Harry Potter fans running around on broomsticks, know that the game of Quidditch is actually organized by the International Quidditch

The William and Mary Outdoors Club on a trip to Blacksburg, VA. Photo courtesy of the Outdoors Club.

The Quidditch team praciticing in the snow (above) and celebrating a win (right). Photos courtesy of William and

Mary Quidditch.

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Association (IQA), the logo of which is visually similar to the MLB. The IQA develops the rules of gameplay, and a World Cup is held every year. As member Caroline Golino (‘17) explains, Quidditch is a Muggle adaption of the game in the Harry Potter books; it is a violent, co-ed, full contact sport. No, you cannot hit other players with your broomstick. Instead, when tackling an opponent, you must run at him within his line of sight in an attempt to slow his progress or push him back. The broomsticks also provide much of the challenge in the sport: In addition to avoiding being impaled, you must also become accustomed to running with the broomstick between your legs, and throwing and catching with one hand. The broomsticks themselves are, disappointingly, not replicas of the models seen in the movies. It turns out the aesthetic tails make the brooms too end-heavy. Instead, the most economical broom option is a stopped PVC pipe, while the fanciest ones are made completely of wood with bristles at the back and a seat dip.

A Quidditch tournament was held in Williamsburg in the fall, with William and Mary coming in third. More accomplished Quidditch teams reside in Virginia though, with the University of Richmond ranking 18th in the world. This year, our Quidditch team accepted all players who consistently came to practice three days a week. Speed is essential in the game, especially for the Seeker, who is charged with catching the human Snitch by pulling a sock containing a ball off the Snitch’s pants. Golino theorizes that the sport attracts two types of people: diehard Harry potter fans and athletes who recognize Quidditch’s intensity. “The game seems silly, but it does get intense. When explaining the game to people who don’t know it’s from Harry Potter, they take it seriously until you mention that it originates from a fictional work,” Golino says.

Perhaps the least known sports club, Synchronized Swimming attracts the tenacious few who truly are open to learning a new

skill, and it welcomes new members with a trip to Sno-to-Go. The club has two teams within itself—the Gold team for girls who already knew the sport before coming to William and Mary, and the Green team for beginners. The club is assisted by two coaches, with the Gold team girls also sometimes helping the Green with skills. They are currently preparing for their competition season, which starts at the end of January and ends in March.

Francine Cilke (‘14), president of the club, had never done synchronized swimming herself before college, and reports that only a few in the club have even been on a swim team before. Like any other skill, the complexity of the sport becomes more manageable the more you practice the basics. “The hardest thing for me was, and still is, breath control,” Cilke said. Along with holding your breath, synchronized swimming also demands a considerable amount of grace and strength. “While upside down in the water,” Cilke explains, “your arms are constantly moving so that you don’t sink.” When competing, they also keep their eyes open underwater to keep track of their teammates.

The members perform in team routines, trios, or duets. The Gold team choreographs its own routines, and the Green receives some creative assistance from Gold and the coaches. Their current routines are choreographed to music that includes the Emperor’s New Groove soundtrack, themes from James Bond films, and a mix of Harry Potter theme music. Underwater, a speaker plays the music.

I asked Cilke whether or not she had seen the Buzzfeed article “Synchronized Swimming Faces Are Terrifyingly Hilarious” posted during the 2012 Olympics. “It is accurate,” she confirmed. “You’re trying to smile while gasping for air at the same time.”

All the clubs, though small, are far from cultish. If you’re looking for a more eccentric sport to pick up, consider one of these friendly groups.

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A Random Assortment of the Five Best ThingsBest Of’s

BEST OF: DATE NIGHT IDEAS

» CINDY CENTENO, DSJ STAFF REPORTER

Welcome back, fellow Tribe members! It’s been a few weeks, but now it’s time to get back to crunch time as the semester begins to power up. I know shouldn’t be giving you more things to worry about, but I will. February is here and that means there’s one thing coming up that we’re dreading the most: Valentine’s Day. It’s the time to be incredibly romantic with your significant other (according to Hallmark, at least). However, Valentine’s Day is one of those days you just don’t want to mess up! Here are some date night ideas you could try out during this month of love and friendship:

1. Classic Dining + Fun Outing = Success! Starting with one of the most simplest and old-fashioned date

night ideas, we have a romantic dinner at a restaurant followed by a fun outing. Luckily for us, Colonial Williamsburg has a variety of small, but elegant, restaurants and taverns you could take your partner to, such as the Blue Talon Bistro or Berret’s Seafood Restaurant & Taphouse Grill. In case you want to go somewhere a little further, there are plenty of other restaurants in Williamsburg, especially in New Town, which you could go to and enjoy a nice dinner. Afterwards, plan to enjoy a movie, take a walk around New Town, or go bowling nearby.

2. Walk in the Moonlight In addition to grabbing dinner at a fancy restaurant, a nice walk

guided by moonlight is pretty romantic. We’re pretty lucky when it comes to walks because of how beautiful Colonial Williamsburg can be at night. Taking a walk down Duke of Gloucester Street or even walking through campus in the middle of the night is romantic when two people enjoy each other’s company. Take

advantage of where we go to school and its surroundings, because they are truly some of the most beautiful, romantic, and peaceful places.

3. Midnight Picnic (Bundle Up!)If you’re a couple who would rather enjoy a nice dinner without

being surrounded with other people or couples attempting to enjoy their night, then I would definitely recommend going with the idea of a midnight picnic. The Lake Matoaka Amphitheater or the giant field out in Colonial Williamsburg are wonderful locations to enjoy a midnight dinner and look at the stars while enjoying all the nature that surrounds you. They’re such quiet and peaceful locations and you crazy lovebirds might even get lucky and catch some shooting stars.

4. Ride Through the RiverIn case you all did not know this, there is an opportunity for

a free ferry ride in Williamsburg. Yes, free. Take the Jamestown Ferry for a 15-minute ride across the James River and enjoy a peaceful and relaxing night. The best part about this ferry is that it runs 24 hours a day, so after grabbing dinner with your lovely partner, ride on the ferry and enjoy the stars.

5. Don’t ForgetMy last piece of advice to you all is just to enjoy your time

together. Don’t stress about whether the waiter mixed up your orders, or if you had to wait an hour in the cold for a ferry ride, or if a squirrel ended up eating your picnic food. Just enjoy the time you’re spending with your partner and make the most of it. Also, if you’re a couple that isn’t so lovey-dovey and would rather stay in, have a movie marathon, and snuggle while eating some popcorn; that works just as well. Remember that the time and place isn’t as important as who you’re spending those moments with.

All photos courtesy of Google Images.

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» ASAAD LEWIS, DSJ STAFF REPORTER

2013 has been quite a marvelous year for music. With sparkling debut albums by promising new artists and leftfield turns for established artists, 2013 did not disappoint! This list is of the best albums that did not chart within the Billboard Top 20.

1. Haim - Days are GoneWith all the hype surrounding Haim even before the release

of its debut album, it would have been easy to dismiss this band as one of the many overrated rock bands that the various music magazines praise in this “death of guitar music” climate. However, upon listening to the album, these theories are largely discounted. From the infectious TLC-esque beats of “Forever,” to the Fleetwood Mac-like “The Wire,” to the Justin Timberlake rehash of “My Song 5” and Danielle’s alluring vocals throughout the record, it’s a great surprise. Haim was able to illuminate its diverse influences to craft one of the most eclectic and pleasurable albums of the past year.

2. Chvrches - The Bones of What You Believe

BEST OF: ALBUMS OF 2013 (THAT DIDN’T MAKE THE BILLBOARD TOP 20)

You often hear Chvrches being described as synth-pop for people who hate synth-pop. This is because Chvrches seems to take influence not only from contemporaries such as Purity Ring and The Knife. You can also clearly see the influence from older artists such as New Order, The Cocteau Twins, and Kate Bush. Upon first listening to Chvrches you are hit with a unique combination of Lauren Mayberry’s childlike vocals and infectious electropop beats. However upon further listen the lyrics begin to assert their presence. What You Believe often explores the theme of the deterioration of relationships from the two dysfunctional siblings in the “Mother We Share” to the spiteful lover found in “Gun.” The lyrical dissonance makes it a great album.

3. The Knife - Shaking the HabitualThis Swedish duo has become a sort of anti-pop group with a cult

following here in the states. Upon listening to this album one can hear the post-rock of Stereolab, the IDM of the Aphex Twins and even a tribal element. This is especially heard in the opening track “A Tooth for an Eye,” where there is a presence of both African drums and a flute that stand out from the electropop beats. One of the themes of the album seems to be a critique of Western politics. There is even a reference given to gerrymandering in the opening track: “Drawing lines with a ruler/Bring the fuel to the fire.” While on the track “Full of Fire,” Anderson laments: “Of all the guys and the signori telling another false story/ Liberals giving me a nerve itch.” Despite these obvious jabs at Western government and politics the rest of the lyrics seem to be rather abstract. This album is reminiscent of Radiohead’s Kid A in its abstraction and subdued critique of Western politics and capitalism.

4. Laura Marling - Once I Was an EagleOnce I Was an Eagle functions as the perfect breakup album

with its broad emotional range. The album opens with the scathing lyric “You should begone beast/Begone from me” as she laments and reflects on failed relationships. Instead of rehashing this theme with different lyrics and chords, she is able to move on and take you through the various feelings of a breakup and its aftermath, leading finally to acceptance. On the final track “Saved these Words,” she seems to accept the breakup and even offers the olive branch to her previous lovers: “When you are ready into my arms come/ Love’s not easy.” It is the variety of emotions and the authenticity of this emotion that makes this album the premier singer-songwriter album of the year.

5. Arcade Fire - Reflektor Although one would think that the combination of universal

acclaim for their previous albums and the sudden commercial success of their last album would lead to either a tepid rehash of Arcade Fire’s last product or a smug and overly ambitious new release, Arcade Fire instead chose to experiment with electronic and dance sounds. In the title track you can hear the influence of Season of Glass era Yoko Ono and Parklife era Blur. Other tracks such as “Joan of Arc” reveal a glam rock influence in the vein of David Bowie and Trex. You can almost hear the glam stomp of “Gary Glitter Rock n roll Part 2.” Arcade Fire’s Reflektor is one of the best albums of the year because of its ambition and willingness to incorporate a diverse array of influences.

All photos courtesy of Google Images.

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A Look at Finding and Working Summer Internships

» CHELSEA PITTMAN, DSJ ASSOCIATE STYLE EDITOR

Spring semester is always a time for fun events. From Charter Day to “I Am WM Week” and Spring Blowout, the semester brings its fair share of good times. However, the best part about spring semester is that once it’s over, summer break begins, and the best time to start thinking about what to do during the summer is right now.

There are a variety of options available to students as to what they can choose to do for summer break. Many students will take summer classes at William and Mary, others will study abroad, some will travel on their own, and a number of students will do just what summer break implies: relax and take a break. Despite all of these great summer choices, however, a lot of students will also be working either summer jobs or summer internships. An internship is an opportunity for students to work and learn in a field, hopefully geared toward their interests, without being an actual employee. Some internships are paid while others are not, and some internships provide more of a learning experiencing about a given field, while others can seem to be more assistant-based. Either way, depending on the type of internship you are looking for, and the type of internship you end up doing, an internship can be a productive way to spend the summer and also a good way to get a head start on future career endeavors. Whether you have no clue what you want to pursue as a career, or you know exactly what you want to do, an internship can leave you with a new passion, or help you realize that a field may not be a great fit for you after all. An important part of the internship search and of working an internship is that it should be a learning experience one way or the other, and just because an internship is paid does not mean it provides that lesson.

Where to look for internships is another challenge. With all the various Internet search engines, it can seem impossible to go through every internship opportunity. There are websites that post hundreds of internships on a daily basis, and it can become overwhelming to try to go through each and every one in order to find an internship that best suits your needs. On top of that, internship search engines can have plenty of internships posted, but only some of them are recent enough to still be relevant and open for applications. Therefore, it is best to narrow the places in which your internship search begins.

William and Mary’s Cohen Career Center and Tribe Careers are excellent resources in finding summer jobs and internships. The Career Center not only provides ongoing workshops throughout the semester on how to get internships, but through the Tribe Careers website, it works with companies who have partnered with the College in order to recruit students. That means that there is an ongoing list on the Tribe Careers website where companies post their summer internship openings. Although the

“I Know What You Did Last Summer”

Tribe Careers internship search narrows down the possibilities a little, there is still a great number of internships posted. But through filters such as location, job type, and whether or not it is paid or unpaid, the choices can be narrowed down further. Also, the Career Center is a great place to help with landing these internship opportunities because of its resume and cover letter workshops, as well as workshops on how to interview effectively.

Another great resource for looking for summer internships can be networking via sites such as LinkedIn. Through LinkedIn, students can join groups such as the College of William and Mary Alumni Network and contact alumni of the College who are working in fields that they are interested in to find out about internship opportunities in that field, or to ask what kind of internships, if any, they did, and whether or not it helped them land their current occupations. Networking is a great way to learn about and procure internships, and while you’re working, networking within the internship is a great way to turn that internship into a job later.

For those who already have an idea of which companies they want to work for or what field they want to work in, going straight to the companies’ websites and looking to see if they offer internships is another way to find a good internship. It not only narrows the search significantly and avoids the “middle men” search engines, but it also allows you to already be in a position to research the company and see what the company is like through its personal website.

Many students of the College have already completed internships, or are currently involved in internships, and their experiences have shaped how they continue to look for future internships and jobs, as well as the internships they look for. Tanisha Ingram (’14) has been interning at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation since the summer of 2013. “I found my internship through a recommendation from two professors, who sent me information about the internship via email,” said Ingram. Even though the field in which her internship is in is not exactly what she wants to do, she still finds the internship beneficial in many ways. “I chose this internship because it relates to my major in Africana Studies. Working in the museum field isn’t exactly what I plan to do; however, it will lead me to my future goal of becoming a professor,” Ingram said. In regards to whether or not she will do another internship, Ingram said, “I would do another internship if it was paid. They give you the necessary work experience without having to commit to a job for years, and it’s good for those who are seeking education full time.”

Another senior, Grace Oxley (’14), also participated in a summer-turned-fall internship in the summer and fall of 2012 with the United Way of Greater Williamsburg. On how she received the internship, Grace explained that she received an email from the Cohen Career Center. “The Career Center emailed me an advertisement [from United Way] seeking to hire for a Data

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Entry Position, and the following fall I was asked to stay with the company and turn my employment into an internship for an additional semester.” Even though initially the position did not cater specifically to what she wanted to pursue, as the internship continued and she received more responsibility, she began to take away more from the position. “As my position advanced within the company, I realized that this was a field that I could see myself working in someday, and this internship was extremely beneficial in developing my interpersonal skills, public speaking, understanding complex problems, and navigating a social and semi-political atmosphere,” said Oxley.

Edith Amponsah (’16), although only a sophomore, has done a couple of internships since being in college. Although only one of her internships was geared towards what she is interested in specifically, while the other just taught her general skills, she still believes both were valuable experiences. “I believe internships are a great foundation to getting paid in your chosen career field. My advice in getting a great internship is to start as soon as possible, apply to as many as possible, allow professors ample time for recommendations, and choose wisely when you receive an offer,” said Amponsah.

Internships are meant to be learning experiences. They should teach you more about a specific field and allow you to gauge your interest in that field. They are valuable in that they provide work experience in the careers students want to pursue after graduation, and they acquaint students with organizations and people they can network with later when their internship searches become job searches. Summer internship deadlines for 2014 are quickly approaching, so what better time to start thinking about summer 2014 than right now?

Students of the DC Summer Institute Program, a William and Mary Program that combines coursework and internships (top). Student Clayton Southerly (‘15) visits the White House as part of

his internship (above). Photos courtesy of W&M DCSI.

campaign promises for political gain, though they may the first foolish enough to admit it in front of Honest Mr. Gates.

It is a very idealistic view, is it not, to expect politicians who try to work within the trivial, faintly corrupted, and morally questionable American government, to not make decisions or promises based on political gain? Which introduces a fact that the media seems to forget: Gates was the Secretary of Defense. He can be disgusted by the politics of Washington all he likes, but when it comes to the military, no praise is too high. He is frequently said to praise the troops in his book, holding them in the highest of regard – and rightfully so. Coming from an Air Force family myself, I have seen first hand the capabilities of our military and its sacrifices as it serves our nation.

That being so, it cannot be said the military is in any way a separate entity, completely free of political detritus. Nor can it be said that the President’s cabinet is out of line to weigh in on military matters. Gates reveals his disgruntled feelings towards UN Ambassador Samantha Powers’ input regarding Libya, either ignorant to or willfully ignoring the implications a strike on Libya would hold for her position among other members of the UN.

Gates also, more famously, criticizes Obama for a troop surge the President’s heart wasn’t in. The Secretary of Defense could not fathom the President becoming involved in a war where lives would certainly be lost, without fully committing himself. Gates then allegedly disagrees with Obama pulling troops out of the Middle East. He poses quite the catch-22 for the President – either the troops remain in a war Obama’s heart wasn’t in, or the troops leave suddenly, prematurely, and foolishly.

William and Mary’s Chancellor also claims Obama was certain the 30,000 troop surge would fail, begging the question – why did the Secretary of Defense not offer other options? And if the President truly possessed the stubborn distrust of the military Gates claims he does, then how did the capture of Bin Laden or the strike against Libya form? Contradicting himself seemingly immediately, Gates even goes so far as to say Obama made critical, immediate decisions, based solely on evidence and information from the military. That does not sound like a man who distrusts his defense team.

I don’t mean to insult the former Secretary of Defense. He is a very capable, intelligent man, who possessed admirable calm and foresightedness regarding his nation’s military matters. I merely wish that such a respectable figure, of both our nation and the College, were able to remain free from hypocrisy. There are ways of presenting the truth without appearing biased or contradictory. Gates, however, will not walk away from this looking honest and insightful, but naïve and idealistic.

Chancellor Gates

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The Truth in a Memoir

I had never entertained an opinion on our Chancellor, Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, prior to the release of excerpts from his memoir, Duty. I try to avoid making assumptions regarding issues and motivations I don’t fully understand. That being said, his excerpts made me curious as to his own motivations. Either his publisher is very keen on what sells and adept at generating the kind of buzz public relations professionals only dream about, or Gates is a very eager individual.

Let’s begin with the first possible motivation for releasing such thoroughly controversial excerpts. His publisher should be thrilled. Circulating excerpts containing both high praise and damning criticism of Obama generates a buzz of non-news for the media to mull over. While a smart move for publicity, the book reveal is an uncharacteristically catty action from Gates, known for his calm and collected demeanor. For someone supposedly appalled by the political machine, he takes quite kindly to the publicity machine.

However, since his memoir apparently contains endless accounts of exasperation and disappointment, perhaps he truly wished to inform the public of his displeasure regarding the presidency as soon as possible. And yet, what are another couple months after apparent years of silence?

Gates claimed to hold his tongue while the President and then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton admitted to making campaign promises and holding positions based purely on the political advantages they created. He stood by, “surprised and dismayed” by their political incentives. For someone who has worked with seven presidents, does it not seem naïve, or at the least largely biased, to criticize only one for playing the political game? Certainly the man is involved in the defense of the nation, not the political game of Washington played by so many politicians - but honestly? Obama and Clinton are most certainly not the first to utilize empty

For someone supposedly appalled by the political machine, Gates takes quite kindly to the publicity machine.

Robert Gates, Chancellor of William and Mary. Photo courtesy of Google Images.

» ELIZABETH EDMONDS, DSJ OPINION EDITOR

Elizabeth Edmonds is the Opinion Editor for the DSJ. Her views do not necessarily represent those of the entire staff.

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Dining Services DonationsMeals and Dining Dollars go to College Employees

Sharon Hartzell is a staff columnist for the DSJ. Her views do not necessarily represent those of the entire staff.

ran a campaign advocating for a living wage. While students have continued organizing for workers’ rights on campus, the public attention that accompanied previous campaigns for a living wage has all but evaporated, leaving behind a notable silence and the overwhelming impression of student disinterest and apathy.

In looking back on the 2010-2011 living wage campaign, I remember responses ranging from a hesitance to get involved in anything perceived as too contentious or “activist,” to the belief that we had little control over what happened within our campus community and that attempts to change the system were idealistic and futile. I saw evidence of disconnect within our student body that remains pervasive. Despite our desire to “change the world” through service and volunteerism, we remain hesitant to critique the institutions, including our own university, that keep our society a largely unequal place.

This article is not meant to discourage service or volunteerism. In a purely practical sense, meal donation programs provide more concrete assistance to people in need than any amount of social critique. However, we should not limit ourselves to service. Through my work with the Branch Out Alternative Breaks program, I was introduced to a concept called the Active Citizen Continuum. The Continuum is a tool to conceptualize our roles within our communities, which range from the apathetic “Member,” to highly involved “Active Citizen.” Moving along this continuum requires moving beyond service, engaging in deeper conversations about the root causes of inequality, and critically assessing the power that we have to create change.

Before we leave these brick walls and go on to our service careers, to our pursuit of “making a difference” in outside world, we should take a critical look at how we are involved within our own community.

Though I’ve been off the meal plan for over a year, I can still appreciate walking into a room full of freshly prepared food, especially during the finals season when time is scarce and hot stir-fry and pizza provide immeasurable comfort to students. One day last semester I entered the Sadler Center and took note of a stack of papers at the cash register that offered students the option to donate excess meals and dining dollars. The recipient organizations? Not a local food bank or Campus Kitchens, but something even closer to home: William and Mary Dining Employees and Hourly and Classified Workers of William and Mary.

It’s no secret that many members of our campus community struggle to make ends meet. There is something particularly unfortunate about the reality that the people who work hard to keep our student body well fed often struggle to do the same for themselves. These forms are a sobering reminder of the inequality that exists on our campus, and also evidence that we have the power to institute programs and initiatives to combat this problem.

I learned more from Dining Services about the meal donation program, which has been ongoing at the College for almost fifteen years. The program collects donations of excess meals and Dining Dollars each semester, which go toward providing nonperishable goods to employees the College identifies as in need of assistance—about 45 employees each year. An average of 50 students participate in the program in a typical semester. This program is obviously a great resource for some of our campus employees.

However, I think that it is also time for our campus to engage in a broader conversation about the reality that many of our workers do not make enough money to live on. We should ask ourselves if signing a donation form twice a semester is enough. This program serves to challenge the silence that surrounds the inequality between our largely privileged student body and the employees we depend on to provide us with food and clean our dormitories.

As a campus, we pride ourselves on dedication to service. In October 2013, William and Mary was ranked first in a list of national universities for graduating students who enter service careers. We consistently produce alumni who go on to join the Peace Corps and serve overseas. The William and Mary Service website reports that a full 75 percent of our campus engages in service projects each year, with the student body racking up over 300,000 service hours annually. We don’t just learn about social justice – we act alongside communities to make it a reality.

I know many students—myself included—who are willing to travel hundreds or thousands of miles for community engagement trips, dedicating weekends and breaks to service projects. But are we doing our part to address the needs of our own campus, or does the inequality we so easily recognize in distant communities go unnoticed when it shows up in our own dining halls and dormitories?

Of course, these conversations are nothing new. In the 1990s, the Tidewater Labor Support Committee began to advocate for wage increases at the College. A more recent incarnation of the campus labor movement emerged in the 2010-2011 school year, when the Living Wage Coalition, a group of workers and students,

Dining services donations provide nonperishable goods to employees the College identi es as in need of assistance.

Photo courtesy of Google Images.

» SHARON HARTZELL, DSJ STAFF COLUMNIST

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» CHARLIE PERKINS, DSJ STAFF COLUMNIST

Charlie Perkins is a staff columnist for the DSJ. His views do not necessarily represent those of the entire staff.

‘Liberal Arts’ aren’t so Liberal AnymoreCollege Votes to Change Core Curriculum

With a controversial vote on December 12, faculty members elected to change the College’s current liberal arts curriculum to a more rigid, catch-all series of core curriculum courses. Of the 601 full-time academic faculty members, 184 showed up to vote on the curriculum change. The result was 101 in favor, meaning that while only about 32 percent of the faculty even showed up, a whopping 17 percent of the total academic faculty was all that it took to change the face of the College’s liberal arts curriculum. The College has come under criticism for the timing of the vote, which occurred right around exam season—possibly a reason for the small attendance. In short, the change eliminates GERs and replaces them with mandatory interdisciplinary classes under the tag of “College Curriculum” (COLL for short) courses.

Freshmen take COLL-100 and -150 as introductory courses which are intended to help students acclimate to collegiate-level course work—essentially another level of freshman orientation. Sophomore year requires students to take three COLL-200 courses that broadly cover the reasoning, contextualization, and main themes behind the sciences, humanities, and social sciences. Juniors will be encouraged to broaden their horizons by studying abroad or taking a seminar of COLL-300, and seniors must enroll in a “capstone” COLL-400 course so they can analyze the experiences and knowledge gained from their undergraduate education.

As a result of making these courses absolute requirements for students, AP and IB courses will only count toward the 120 credits needed for graduation—one cannot complete half of their liberal arts requirements with courses they took in high school. This change alone will make prospective students think twice about attending William and Mary, since this change throws a curveball to anyone looking to finish their degree in less than four years. While it may not be deliberate, the College stands to gain more profit from students this way, as well—if these changes make early graduation more difficult, students will be forced to pay tuition for the year of education that would be unnecessary under the current curriculum.

The inherent beauty of the previous system was that students had the freedom to choose their preferred area of focus within a fairly broad selection of GER-fulfilling courses. If a student struggled in biology and would rather avoid the subject altogether, options were available to ensure that the GER could be completed without ever walking into a bio lab.

On one hand, it stands to reason that students should strive to become better at subjects they struggle with. On the other, humanities majors shouldn’t have to pay copious amounts of money for an introductory course to a field of knowledge that they have little interest or skill in. Liberal arts schools are designed to produce well-rounded students, indeed—but those students are more likely to retain the information and concepts learned from a class that they actually wanted to take.

I can’t say that I’m surprised, however; American education systems are continually moving toward a standard of jackhammering information into student’s heads. Growing up in Virginia, I’ve seen the ineffectiveness of implementing core standards firsthand.

More affluent and populated areas of Virginia have little problem with their students passing the state’s standardized tests,

the SOLs (Standards of Learning), but areas with perennially weak academics aren’t helped by these standards. Instead of being a guideline, the curriculum becomes an instruction manual. In order for struggling students to pass the SOL tests, teachers must drill information into students’ minds, becoming dull, boring fact-pushers who face the threat of being fired if their students don’t pass. Young students are left frustrated and uninterested in academics, as learning is simply to pass a test, not for the pursuit of understanding the world.

The same principle applies to college curricula. The College is forcing students into regimented cursory classes for the purpose of casting as broad of a net as possible. The current system should result in students who studied subjects that interest them and can be applied on the job; this is where liberal arts degrees truly shine, because each student has a unique skill set and knowledge base derived from not only their major, but also from what they’ve chosen to study.

The new arrangement is, well, too systematic, quite possibly churning out cookie-cutter “well-rounded” students who learn the same information from the same handful of professors while consequently drowning the individuality of William and Mary students. After all, we’re paying for this liberal arts education—why shouldn’t we be allowed to decide what we study for that money, rather than simply being given another high school-esque checklist of what we supposedly need to know to produce a bunch of watered-down renaissance men (and women)?

Cue Malvina Reynolds’s “Little Boxes.”

Illustration by Abby Kahler.

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» S P O R T S

There are 32 teams in the National Football League (NFL). Forbes estimates a combined worth of about $35 billion and an annual revenue of more than $9 billion, making the NFL worth more than Lockheed Martin as well as the top five U.S. cancer-related charities combined. The NFL has become a colossal entity not only in sports, but in all of entertainment. For many, football has become a weekly ritual, just like going to church. Unfortunately, the wealth of the NFL comes at a steep price. One paid not by those who profit from its gains, but by those who give everything they have—body and mind—into its success.

The “concussion crisis”, as it has come to be called, has only recently emerged on the national scene as a serious issue. For more than a decade the NFL has downplayed the potential link between head injuries and permanent brain damage. A recent Frontline investigation, League of Denial: The NFL’s Concussion Crisis, begins with the story of ‘Iron’ Mike Webster, a Hall of Fame center who anchored four Superbowl teams for the Pittsburgh Steelers. During his 17-year career in the NFL, Webster became the model of a hard-hitting, thick-skulled offensive lineman. His reputation for digging it out in the trenches gained him the respect of players, coaches, and fans. But after his retirement in 1990, that glory quickly disappeared. Webster began to suffer from constant fatigue. He found himself unable to maintain his thoughts, he was unable to consistently hold a conversation, and became increasingly confused. He experienced bouts of rage and an inability to sleep that at times he could only overcome by tasing himself. His family life began to fall apart and for a time he was living out of his truck. His son remembers him saying, “I’m actually getting to the point where sometimes . . . I’m cold and I don’t realize I can fix it by putting a jacket on.”

In 1999, Webster filed a disability claim to the NFL. The findings admitted that Webster was suffering from cognitive disability and serious brain damage that was caused by football. And although the NFL would not publically announce these findings, Webster began receiving monthly disability payments. Unfortunately, ‘Iron Mike’ would only live two more years, dying at age 50. Webster’s death, and the events that unfolded thereafter, would become a turning point in the history of the National Football League.

Dr. Bennet Omalu was the medical examiner who examined Webster’s brain and the first to diagnose a former football player with a disease known as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). Previously the disease had only been found in boxers and jockeys. Since then, the disease has been found in 50 additional players, many of whom experienced similar symptoms to Webster in their later years of life, one as young as 17. The real concern is not only the discovery of CTE in football players, but how the League has responded to this discovery.

Their game plan was simple—denial. Dr. Omalu’s findings were discredited and slandered, even after Terry Long, another Steelers’ linemen, took his own life by drinking antifreeze, and offensive guard Thomas McHale was found dead at the age of 45 after an apparent drug overdose. There was also Junior Seau, a linebacker for the San Diego Chargers, who shot himself in the chest at the

age of 43. Defensive back Andre Waters shot himself in the head at age 44. Offensive lineman Justin Strzekzyk, who after calling up his friends ranting about the “devil,” “doctors who controlled people with anti-depressants,” and “evil people in Pittsburgh,” crashed his car by driving 90 miles per hour into oncoming traffic. All of these players were posthumously diagnosed with CTE. But the NFL refused to acknowledge any connection between a career in football and later life problems.

In the summer of 2007, Roger Goodell, the Commissioner of the NFL, organized a conference to discuss the research being done on concussions and the potential risks of head trauma in the NFL. All teams were required to send doctors and trainers to the event and experts from across the country were in attendance. Dr. Omalu, the leading medical expert on CTE, was not invited. Nevertheless, his findings were shared by one of his colleagues in front of NFL doctors

The Concussion Crisis in the NFLProtecting the Shield

» SCOTT GUINN, DSJ ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR

Frontline’s dramatic documentary was based on this book by ESPN reporters. Photo courtesy of Google

images.

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The number of diagnosed concussions by position in the NFL during the 2013 season. The most often concussed

were wide receivers on offense and cornerbacks on defense. Photo courtesy of the Frontline Investigation website.

and Commissioner Goodell himself. It was the perfect opportunity for the NFL to confront the issue head on.

But they stuck to the game plan. “Anecdotes do not make scientifically valid evidence,” said the Head of the NFL’s Concussion Committee at the time, Dr. Ira Casson. “I a man of science. I believe in empirically determined, scientifically valid evidence.” Medical experts would agree that more research was needed to determine definitively that yes, football caused brain damage, and at what rate it caused it. A pamphlet was released to players saying that current research “has not shown that having more than one or two concussions leads to permanent problems if each injury is managed properly.”

In 2009, six brains had been examined for CTE in former football players—and six were confirmed as cases of CTE. By 2010, the number rose to 19 out of 20. In 2009, Goodell was brought before Congress and the NFL’s response to the research was compared to that of big tobacco. He was publically embarrassed and could no longer deny the claims. In December of 2009, NFL Spokesman Greg Aiello admitted to the New York Times that, “it is quite obvious from the medical research that’s been done that concussions can lead to long-term problems.” Goodell and the NFL vowed to continue investigating the issue and to continue to ensure the safety of its players. The game plan changed from deny to delay.

In a private meeting with Dr. Omalu back in 2002, an NFL doctor warned Omalu that, “If ten percent of mothers in this country would begin to perceive football as a dangerous sport, that is the end of football.” For the NFL, it is that simple. Player safety takes a back seat to profit margins, and as long as the NFL is able to delay dealing with this problem, nothing will change.

By now, 46 brains of former NFL players have been examined and 45 of them have been diagnosed with CTE. The NFL recently committed $30 million to sports injury related research but substantial changes have not yet been made to protect the players during the game or after they retire. There have been some minor rule changes, including the unpopular “Defenseless Receiver Rule,” which provides that a player who “initiates unnecessary contact against a player in a defenseless posture” should be penalized by a loss of 15 yards. Sometimes a fine is assessed to especially vicious hits.

The problem is that it is not only the diagnosed concussions that can leave lasting brain damage. According to Frontline’s

NFl commisioner Roger Goodell testi es before Congress in 2009. Photo courtesy of ESPN.com.

investigation, when offensive and defensive linemen collide, as they do on every play of every game, it results in an impact of around 20 g’s. That is the equivalent of driving a car at 35 miles per hour into a brick wall. This says nothing of the hits that make highlight reels or knock players unconscious. This is just the routine, fundamental operation of the game. In order to eliminate these types of hits, you would have to change the game significantly. To get rid of this problem, you might have to get rid of football.

In the courts, more than 4,500 retired NFL players have filed a lawsuit claiming that the NFL fraudulently concealed the risk of brain damage. The suit originally demanded roughly $2 billion from the League. A settlement was later agreed upon by both sides at $765 million, but as of January of this year, the federal judge has declined to approve the settlement on the grounds that the funds are insufficient to cover the potential necessary compensation. If both sides provide sufficient documentation to show that the deal will be large enough to cover all eligible parties, then the suit will go through and the NFL will not be required to make any admission of guilt or wrongdoing to its players.

Future civilizations may look back upon these days the way we look back on the gladiator games of ancient Rome. Hundreds of thousands of spectators stood by and watched as their heroes threw themselves at one another for the glory of the sport. The competitors were issued false promises and kept in the dark as long as possible. Meanwhile the emperor sat upon his throne, basking in his wealth. The question we must ask is how long will we allow this to go on? How long before we the fans demand a change?

I fear it will be quite some time.

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» ALEX COOK, DSJ SPORTS EDITOR

The Ashes

for the time being, and another member of the team needs to throw six times before also being temporarily substituted.

A cricket pitch, as in the area where the ball is pitched, is twenty-two yards long, about five and a half feet longer than the distance between the pitcher’s mound and home plate. Behind the bowler are three stumps or stakes that are nearly three feet tall with two wooden cross pieces, or what’s referred to collectively as a wicket. The pitcher’s object is to strike those stumps with the ball, and knock the cross pieces off, “breaking” the wicket. If the bowler can break the wicket, the batter, who is attempting to prevent the ball from hitting the wicket by striking the ball, is dismissed, or out.

Offensively, the batter is basically aiming to hit the ball as far as he can in order to score runs. A batter can score runs in one of two ways. If he strikes the ball, and the fielding team cannot catch it before it hits the ground, the batter has free reign to run to the wicket on the other end of the pitch. He scores a run by touching the ground near the opposite wicket with either his body or the cricket bat (while running, the batters carry their bats). The batter also scores automatically if he can hit the ball beyond the boundaries of the cricket field, which, like baseball fields, is further away or closer depending on the venue. If he hits it over the boundary, he is awarded six runs immediately, and if the ball strikes the boundary but bounces in the field of play first, he is awarded four runs. Typically, runs for four, that is, hits where a batter runs between the wickets four times, are not uncommon, whereas runs for five or more are usually rarer given the size of the field. Running is a calculated risk, as a runner chances being dismissed, or called out, by virtue of a fielding player striking the wicket while the runner is “out of his ground.” This is one of the ten ways that a player can be dismissed, and one of the four more common ways. The others being bowled out, being caught out where a fielding player catches a struck ball before it hits the ground, or basically being tagged out. A batter continues to bat until he is dismissed. Often times, a player

Two days after Australian cricket’s first test match victory on English soil, English Cricket was declared dead in a mock obituary published in The Sporting Times on the 2nd of September, 1882, in London. It read, “In Affectionate Remembrance of English Cricket which died at the Oval on 29th August 1882, Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing friends and acquaintances...R.I.P....N.B. — The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia.” The monumental upset appalled English cricket fans. As Australian fast bowler Fred Spofforth dismissed batter after batter in a truly legendary performance, the British crowd at the Oval fell dead silent, unable to comprehend what was happening. The two-day test match signaled the beginning of an epic rivalry that took its name from that mock obituary. Captain of the British squad, Ivo Bligh, latched on to the popular note and vowed that he and the rest of England’s cricket team would return to Australia to reclaim those ashes. Since then, England and Australia have been trading those very same mythic remains in a series that is affectionately known as The Ashes.

The last iteration of this century-old rivalry only concluded on January 7th of 2014 as Australia regained the Ashes for the 32nd time in their history, one more time than England. In the five tests that took place across the Australian continent, Australia utterly outperformed a sorry English side claiming victory in every match. In the history of the Ashes, this was only the third clean sweep ever. As a courtesy to my readers who are as oblivious to the rules and customs of cricket as I was just a few hours ago, I’ll be outlining the sport in general and hopefully answering a few questions that at least I always had about the sport. Questions like: How does the score get so high? How could a match last five days? What are those pole things behind the player that looks like a cross between a baseball catcher and a hockey goalie? Why is it called cricket? All of these mysteries and more shall be unraveled soon enough. Also, to my readers who are cricket fans, I apologize if I glaze over anything. For the sake of brevity, I couldn’t help it.

A cricket game begins with a coin toss, though the toss carries a lot more weight than your typical opening flip. The winner of the toss decides whether to bat first, however, because a cricket game has at most 2 batting innings, the decision to try to set a score that the opposing team can match or to bat second is a strategic one. There are eleven players on each side and essentially four main roles those players can occupy when on either offense or defense: bowler, fielder, wicket-keeper, and batter. A wicket-keeper is essentially a catcher. He tries to catch the ball like the rest of the fielding team; he simply stands much closer to the batter. He is also the only defensive player allowed to wear a glove or helmet. Other fielders need to catch the ball with their bare hands. The bowler is the marquis defensive player during a given play, in a position analogous to the pitcher in baseball. However unlike baseball, the bowler is required to be changed after six legal bowls, in what’s called an over. As a result, any eleven person team will usually have around four or five bowlers. Basically his time as the bowler is over

The Ashes urn, one of the world’s most famous trophies, and a regulation cricket ball. Photo courtesy of The Mirror.

The Greatest Sports Rivalry You’ve Never Heard Of

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will only be dismissed once in a match, if the teams are playing a single inning. Once ten players are dismissed, the inning is over, and the next team tries to match the runs posted by the previous team. This concludes a gross overview on a sport that has been developing nuances and intricacies since its birth in Tudor era Britain. Now let’s get back to Australia, the Ashes, and the Ivo Bligh.

We last left the honorary captain Ivo after he vowed to reclaim the ashes of English Cricket in Australia. There are a number of variations on how Ivo eventually got those ashes back, although there is a particularly charming version that speaks to the mystique and legend of the Ashes. Three weeks after the dramatic seven run defeat, Bligh and his comrades set off to tour Australia to return the Ashes to their rightful home, playing three scheduled matches against the Australians, and a number of less formal, more social contests. Bligh and a few of his teammates were spending Christmas with Sir William and Lady Clarke at their elegant and stately home near Melbourne. The estate was named Rupertswood. The afternoon of Christmas Eve, Bligh and a few of his fellows decided to play a friendly match with the Clark’s estate workers. Also at the house was Florence Morphy, a close friend of Lady Janet Clarke, and governess and music teacher for the Clarke children. The match ended with the Brits ahead, just as two of the three official test matches would eventually end. However, the trophy that would eventually contain those ashes appeared at this little Christmas match at Rupertswood. After the match was over, Morphy, Lady Clarke, and a few other ladies disappeared into the house with the bails that sat atop the stumps during the match. Florence and her girl friends scorched the bails, symbolically cremating them, and put them in an empty perfume bottle that Florence had had. Florence jokingly presented the honorable captain Bligh, the Eighth Earl of Darnley, with the perfume bottle and told him that they were the ashes of English cricket, that he had earned them back, and could take them home to England, which he did. A year later, he returned to Australia to Rupertswood with the intention of marrying Florence, which he did. For his lifetime, the iconic captain kept the perfume bottle that eventually came to be called the Ashes urn, treasuring it as a personal gift from his future wife. After Ivo passed away in 1929, Florence presented the urn to the

Rupertswood, Sir William Clarke’s estate, and the original home of the Ashes urn. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org.

The original obituary published in 1882 satirically declaring the death of English cricket. Photo courtesy of

Google images.

Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the world’s biggest cricket brand, and also the issuer and reissuer of the Laws of Cricket.

The urn, which stands only eleven centimeters high, still belongs to the Marylebone Cricket Club, and is on display at the MCC Cricket Museum. Since being taken back to England in 1884 by Bligh, the once-perfume bottle has only returned to Australia twice, as the trophy itself isn’t actually traded or awarded to the victor, the winners win the metaphorical ashes as it were. The minuscule terracotta bottle had a label pasted over top the perfume label after the third test match in Australia, and today it still reads, “When Ivo goes back with the urn, the urn; Studds, Steel, Read and Tylecote return, return; The welkin will ring loud, The great crowd will feel proud, Seeing Barlow and Bates with the urn, the urn; And the rest coming home with the urn,” the names of course referring to English cricketers. Now, it is one of most valuable athletic trophies in the world, and truly a material icon vibrant in the minds of Australians, Britons, and fans of cricket the world over.

Cricket, a sport that I have never seen played live, and the second-most popular sport in the world behind soccer gives us not only this mythical story about underdogs, death, humor

and eventually love but a number of our common turns of phrase. If you’ve ever been “bowled over”, if you’ve ever encountered a “sticky wicket”, if you’ve ever been “stumped”, then you’ve been in contact with cricket, at least tangentially. It’s a sport that I wish I wasn’t so ignorant of, its history is rich, its stories grandiose, its characters larger than life. In Australia, people still use the name of a member of the cricket pantheon in everyday conversations to describe sheer excellence. If you hear an Aussie say something is Bradmanesque (after Don Bradman, of course), know that they’re speaking from a place of great respect, and historical reverence for a significant character in their history, in the history of this great sport.

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Ask a TWAMPFor the questions you need answered but don’t want shared

Dear TWAMP:

I guess it’s just that time of year. The new semester has started, but I’m already looking forward to the summer time. The winter break just went by so fast.

It doesn’t help that the weather has been frigid (although the one and a half snow days have been nice). Plus, I’ve got studying to do, club meetings to attend, and applications for summer positions to ll out before their deadlines.

I know we’ve got a ways to go before the weather warms up, but I could really use some advice on how to get through this next month or two!

Regards,February Flameout

Dear FF,

Keep your head up! I know it can be hard when you’re trying to get back into “school mode,” and the cold weather certainly isn’t helping. Even if you’re stuck inside most of the time, there’s still plenty of ways to get over the winter blues.

First off, don’t get lazy. It’s hard to motivate yourself to go for a run or workout when you’re scared you might lose all

feeling in one of your digits by going outside. Bundle up and head to the rec center instead. It can be quite busy there this time of year, so it might be best to go in the morning before class or in the evening. If you get enough exercise, you’ll sleep better at night, trust me.

Embrace the snow! Williamsburg has already been hit by a couple of snowstorms in the past month, and what’s more fun than playing in the snow? Build a makeshift sled, have a snowball war with friends, or play some snow football. Just make sure you’ve got some gloves, a hat, and warm socks on before you do.

Finally, you should try something new. If you’ve never been to a William and Mary basketball game before, go! Consider joining a new sports club, such as volleyball or gymnastics, that practices indoors. Or put your dancing shoes on and join ballroom dance or the salsa club. You might even consider brushing up on your writing skills and apply to be a staff writer at a campus publication like the DSJ!

I hope you don’t get too bogged down with work this semester and can nd time to have some fun. And instead of thinking about summer, consider this: spring break is less than a month away! You can make it!

TWAMP

e i not a uali ed advi e olu ni t lea e do not ta e er i too eriou l e S i not re on ible or an on e uen e in urred ro ollo in t e above advi e

Salsa Dance Club>> Lauren Su, DSJ Photo Editor