She claimed that she was nervous, but after managing a program for the poor, elderly and disabled, Deena Walls, Assistant Director of the Grove Christian Outreach center, knows how to overcome adverisity.

Walls, along with representatives from Pathways, Williamsburg Housing and Redevelopment, Grove Christian Outreach, Avalon and Community Action Agency, are agents of change in the community. Whether they are encouraging tutoring for disadvantaged children or teaching finance classes to low-income families, all of the programs endeavor to aid needy members of the community.

Walls and other volunteers spoke at the Office for Community Engagement and Services’s Evening of Gratitude last Thursday.

In past years, the event was an opportunity for students to write letters to civil rights leaders, but this year, the event had another focus in mind: the relationship between the campus and the community. The Stand-Up Campaign and OCES honored various groups to show gratitude for the variety of services they provide and to encourage a discussion between students and local service organizations.

Tina Purcell ’13, tutor coordinator for Project All, attended the event to celebrate the guests of honor and to learn from their experiences.

“Sometimes issues can seem overwhelming, and it’s important to always remember that there are others engaging in similar struggles that you can benefit from and make connections with,” Purcell said. “Because ultimately, as important as community organizing is, what we’re really trying to do is attack a larger problem.”

While the larger problem of community engagement united the various groups, each group also offered a unique opportunity to combat the various disparities within the Williamsburg area.

Director of Community Engagement Melody Porter recognized the diversity of the programs as evidence of many opportunities for community service within Williamsburg.

“The diversity of the groups is truly beautiful. People are coming at issues from all different angles, but their goal is the same,” Porter said.

Several groups aim to help disadvantaged youth within Williamsburg, but they each approach the goal in a different way. Williamsburg and James City County’s Community Action Agency promotes Project Discovery, a program to help disadvantaged youth attend college or trade school while Avalon, a shelter and resource for battered women and children, has a mentor program for youth in transitional housing.

Sarah Meacham, executive director for Avalon, stressed the fact that volunteers are an integral part of the mentor program.

“To be able to link a young boy in our shelter with a college student also shows that they can dream and they can be in the same place if they work hard and try,” Meacham said. “It’s a beautiful exchange in that way.”

The Community Action Agency even helps to weatherize homes for those who cannot afford to protect their homes from the elements.

As testament to the power of community service, Walls acknowledged the role of the Community Action Agency in her own life. Walls recently weatherized her home through the Community Action Agency’s program; she stands out as proof that the kindness of others through community service often has a reciprocal effect on the community.

Kristina Snader, a vista for the OCES, expressed declarations of gratitude before each speaker deliver his or her address. She acknowledged the importance that the recognition of the groups had on students who attended the event.

“The biggest emphasis of the event is giving students role models that are change-makers,” Snader said.
Will Morris ’11, who helped organize the event, stressed that the recognition of each group’s efforts could help the community and the students.

“Something as simple as this recognition can reignite their flame and keep them going the extra mile,” Morris said. “People need to be recognized for the good things they do.”

For Walls, the community engagement is more about personal involvement in the community than it is just statistics.

“My dream for our community is that we would never dehumanize the process of helping people,” Walls said. “Everyone has a story, a hurt, a pain, and when we engage them in sharing, walk along side of them, have an empathetic ear, we diffuse the emotional rollercoaster that they’re probably going through and allow them a voice.”

Sex is depicted most often by the media as a special relationship between two people that transcends the boundaries of real-world existence to end in a mind-blowing, angels serenaded, fireworks show of an orgasm — every time. The truth of the matter is that some aspects of doing the nasty are just, well, nasty, or uncomfortable at the very least.

Hickeys: An A-list hottie once told me, “A Hickey from Knicky is like a Hallmark card.” (Or at least that’s how it went in my seventh-grade fantasies.) If a hickey is like a Hallmark card, it’s like one of those huge obnoxious ones that you give to your mom on her 50th birthday, at her office (where there’s nothing she can do but carry the damn thing around all day), in order to embarrass the hell out of her. Once you have a hickey, there’s not much you can do about it. There’s a little to be said about icing it (it is a bruise, after all) or wearing a scarf (weather permitting), but mostly, you just have to wait it out.

Scratches: There’s something moderately terrifying about seeing your hook-up roll out of bed and being able to pin-point the exact path your hands took the night before. Make sure to cut and file your nails before your go there. While your hookup might not mind it at the moment, it could make the next day’s shirts vs. skins pick-up basketball game really awkward.

Semen: It can be very nice for sex to end in orgasm. For about half of the population, orgasms end in semen. I find this to be an unfortunate fact for two reasons. One: This is the number one messiest part about sex in many cases. Two: Semen conglomerates. What looks so unassuming and harmless on a tissue, or in an open space, feels so uncomfortable in an enclosed area. It doesn’t move well, it’s slippery and it sticks to itself and you. Reason number 860 that condoms are the best invention ever_ right behind STI and pregnancy prevention — is: “saves you from physical evidence of your last sexual exploit three days later.”

Sweat: The best way to get warm is to get naked with someone else. The best way to get hot is to get naked and rub your bodies against each other, rolling over and changing positions and elevating your heart rate. After a good tumble, dripping in your own, or your partner’s sweat is not unlikely, which can be more than a little disconcerting depending on your comfort level. Let’s be honest. I don’t regularly volunteer to shower in my own sweat, let alone someone else’s (David Beckham excluded). The worst part is that in the post-coitus cuddle, someone inevitably ends up in the sweat spot. Gross.

Chafed nipples: Nipples are wondrous things, because they’re one more place that is home to pleasure-inducing nerve endings. So, by all means, play with nipples — with your hands, with your mouth, with whatever else you and your partner decide is OK. But beware: That area is super sensitive, and there can be too much of a good thing. I, for one, am liable to kick you in the teeth if you bite. You’ve been warned.

Queefing: In some cultures, it’s considered a huge compliment to the chef to belch after a very hearty meal. This is the best justification I have for the potential embarrassment caused by the vibration of your vaginal lips as excess air escapes. Queefing occurs following the forcing of air into the vagina, most often by vigorous thrusting, although it can also happen during more public activities like exercise. Imagine sitting in your completely silent yoga class and … it happens. Terrible in a public setting for sure, but at least you can turn around with everyone else and pretend you have no idea where the sound came from. Unfortunately, unless your sex life involves an entire yoga class, that kind of anonymity is impossible in the bedroom.

In spite of the inherent grossness of two or more people exchanging bodily fluids, sex is all around us, driving our everyday lives. Even through the hickeys and sweat and semen conglomeration, and in spite of the fact that all of this happens without the promise of that immaculate orgasm, we still decide to eat the hearty meal. Good thing we know how to thank the chef.

The masked man held the gun high and close to his face as he crept silently up the running trail behind the Botetourt Complex.

His targets had hunkered down behind trees and stumps. They waited patiently for the inevitable attack. After all, there was a 10-minute time limit in place on this particular battle.

“He has the right idea,” President of Tribe Paintball Tyler Crowe ’12 said, pointing to the gunman.

Tribe Paintball hosted a series of 10-minute death matches Saturday, spackling the woods around Lake Matoaka – and the participants – with bright yellow paint.

In 10-minute death matches, the last team standing wins.

“If a ball breaks on a player or their gear, they’re eliminated,” Vice President Ryan Shintani ’12 said. “It’s an honor system.”

After hosting three events last semester, the club is attempting to raise awareness of the sport on campus. Although event turnout was slow early on, Shintani said that interest has been growing steadily.

“We’re slowly gaining popularity,” he said.

The club has already had some success and is planning to arrange an exhibition match between members of the Chi Phi fraternity and William and Mary Police Department, Crowe said.
Approximately 10 people participated in Saturday’s event.

“The big thing about this is getting people into the sport,” Crowe said. “I’m thrilled that we have this many people.”

Saturday provided an opportunity for participants to develop their own war stories.

One participant was downed between two small trees; he exited the game covered in sticky yellow — albeit washable — paint. Another was tagged sprinting across his opponent’s line of fire, punctuating his game with an “Ahhhh, crap.”

The two-acre battlefield was roped off by yellow caution tape and bordered by the running trail that starts at the end of Wake Drive, near the Botetourt Complex. Participants were divided into two teams, with half the group wearing makeshift caution tape armbands.

Before starting, Crowe and Shintani took a few minutes to explain safety precautions to participants unfamiliar with the sport. No blind-firing, no shooting at point blank range, always wear a mask, and keep gun barrels covered unless you are actively participating in the match.

And even if it is tempting, they said, don’t shoot kayakers.

Other than that, participants had free range within the confines of the battlefield.

After moving through the brush to their respective sides, the teams uncovered their gun barrels, pulled down their protective masks, and commenced shooting.

And there was a lot of shooting. The normally pastoral running trail exploded with the sound of thudding pops, punctuated by expletives or less vulgar exclamations.

“Try to get behind good cover with a lot of openings,” Shintani advised participants. Paintballs explode very easily and could be punctured by leaves if players try to shoot through brush, he added.

The matches were halted or postponed on several occasions to accommodate hikers and joggers who stumbled upon the conflict.

Paintballing isn’t cheap. According to Crowe, a typical day of paintballing generally costs approximately $60. Fortunately for the club, Tribe Paintball is sponsored by Valken Paintball.

The paintball outfitter provides the club with the necessary gear and equipment to hold events on campus at a reduced cost. On Saturday, the club provided participants with paintball guns, masks, air cartridges and 500 rounds of exploding yellow ammunition for $25.

“They understand that we are college kids,” Shintani said. “We’re essentially advertising for them.”

LiVE, a student-run organization on campus, held its third annual AIDS Walk Saturday. The goal of the organization is to promote public health on campus by holding events that bring awareness to different health issues.

“It also serves to promote a positive self image among both men and women on the campus of William and Mary,” Courtnie Gore ’12, co-president of LiVE, said. “The main goal was to educate and motivate the community.”

For each event, the group discusses and selects a single health issue and then researches the disease or ailment and ways to inform students about both prevention and support. The organization frequently fundraises for HIV/AIDS research.

“HIV/AIDS can be such a touchy or ‘eerie’ subject to discuss,” Gore said. “By bringing the Williamsburg AIDS Network toour everyday, casual setting it encourages students to take the necessary precautions and actions to live a healthy life, and even encourage their colleagues to do the same.”

On Saturday, the AIDS Walk aimed not only to present students with information about AIDS prevention, but to support community members who suffer from the disease. The money raised by the event will be donated to the Williamsburg AIDS Network, which LiVE has worked with since the club began.

“The speaker is…important not only because she provides a lot of information on AIDS, but it also bridges together our community with a local organization,” Blari Howell ’12, LiVE historian, said.

The AIDS Walk was separated into three main events. Participants were provided breakfast as they arrived, and invited to decorate shirts with a reserved space on the back to write about what inspired them to support HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.

After breakfast, participants were invited to hear speaker Reverend Kellie Schorr of the Williamsburg AIDS Network share her experiences with people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and their stories. Schorr focused on promoting healthy promotions and also erasing the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS that often hinders discussion, openness and treatment.

“So many people know of this epidemic, but very few people know about it, its causes and how it can be prevented,” Gore said. “The social stigma towards this disease and the people who may have it is something that also needs to go.”

Afterwards, the group and other participants made a loop around campus and stopped at three different locations where they received different objects, such as awareness buttons. At the end of the walk, participants had the opportunity to get tested for HIV/AIDS at no charge.

LiVE, which started three years ago, has had to face the challenges of a new organization in terms of recruiting and publicizing tits events. However, members have learned to use their other organizations and groups as a starting point from which to draw support.

“The most challenging part was most definitely promotion and advertising,” Gore said. “After reaching that obstacle, promotion…was at first very hard. Encouraging students to come out on a Saturday morning to walk [was difficult]. But…we have a great amount of students who care enough to do so.”

Its next event, a fashion show to support multiple sclerosis on April 15th, will include other organizations on campus to raise support.

“This year we’re doing a global theme, so we’ll have groups such as Syndicate perform all the way to the African Cultural Society,” Gore said.

The range of events and health issues that LiVE covers gives students and community members the ability to help promote a healthy lifestyle.

“The fashion show is a lot of fun to be in and to watch, we love that we get to bring in local high schoolers to the event,” Shartania Askew ’12, LiVE’s treasurer, said.

The goal behind learning and educating others about different diseases and health issues is not only to raise awareness, but to make subjects that are difficult to talk about more approachable.

“The most important thing is to know your status,” Askew said. “That should be the first priority. Then the second priority is to help others protect themselves and to protect yourself as well.”

LiVE, a student-run organization on campus, held its third annual AIDS Walk Saturday. The goal of the organization is to promote public health on campus by holding events that bring awareness to different health issues.

“It also serves to promote a positive self image among both men and women on the campus of William and Mary,” Courtnie Gore ’12, co-president of LiVE, said. “The main goal was to educate and motivate the community.”

For each event, the group discusses and selects a single health issue and then researches the disease or ailment and ways to inform students about both prevention and support. The organization frequently fundraises for HIV/AIDS research.

“HIV/AIDS can be such a touchy or ‘eerie’ subject to discuss,” Gore said. “By bringing the Williamsburg AIDS Network toour everyday, casual setting it encourages students to take the necessary precautions and actions to live a healthy life, and even encourage their colleagues to do the same.”

On Saturday, the AIDS Walk aimed not only to present students with information about AIDS prevention, but to support community members who suffer from the disease. The money raised by the event will be donated to the Williamsburg AIDS Network, which LiVE has worked with since the club began.

“The speaker is…important not only because she provides a lot of information on AIDS, but it also bridges together our community with a local organization,” Blari Howell ’12, LiVE historian, said.

The AIDS Walk was separated into three main events. Participants were provided breakfast as they arrived, and invited to decorate shirts with a reserved space on the back to write about what inspired them to support HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.

After breakfast, participants were invited to hear speaker Reverend Kellie Schorr of the Williamsburg AIDS Network share her experiences with people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and their stories. Schorr focused on promoting healthy promotions and also erasing the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS that often hinders discussion, openness and treatment.

“So many people know of this epidemic, but very few people know about it, its causes and how it can be prevented,” Gore said. “The social stigma towards this disease and the people who may have it is something that also needs to go.”

Afterwards, the group and other participants made a loop around campus and stopped at three different locations where they received different objects, such as awareness buttons. At the end of the walk, participants had the opportunity to get tested for HIV/AIDS at no charge.

LiVE, which started three years ago, has had to face the challenges of a new organization in terms of recruiting and publicizing tits events. However, members have learned to use their other organizations and groups as a starting point from which to draw support.

“The most challenging part was most definitely promotion and advertising,” Gore said. “After reaching that obstacle, promotion…was at first very hard. Encouraging students to come out on a Saturday morning to walk [was difficult]. But…we have a great amount of students who care enough to do so.”

Its next event, a fashion show to support multiple sclerosis on April 15th, will include other organizations on campus to raise support.

“This year we’re doing a global theme, so we’ll have groups such as Syndicate perform all the way to the African Cultural Society,” Gore said.

The range of events and health issues that LiVE covers gives students and community members the ability to help promote a healthy lifestyle.

“The fashion show is a lot of fun to be in and to watch, we love that we get to bring in local high schoolers to the event,” Shartania Askew ’12, LiVE’s treasurer, said.

The goal behind learning and educating others about different diseases and health issues is not only to raise awareness, but to make subjects that are difficult to talk about more approachable.

“The most important thing is to know your status,” Askew said. “That should be the first priority. Then the second priority is to help others protect themselves and to protect yourself as well.”