Members of the Virginia Senate, the upper house of the commonwealth’s General Assembly, are currently debating a bill which would ban smoking in all restaurants, unless owners displayed prominent “smoking permitted” signs at every entrance.

p. Here at the College, where the campus alcohol policy generally pushes students to drink off campus, particularly at the delis, the issue of smoking in bars and restaurants is particularly relevant.
Regardless of whether the bill ever reaches the desk of Gov. Kaine, the City of Williamsburg and local business owners should take the initiative to prohibit smoking in restaurants. While deli and restaurant owners may fear losing the business of smoking patrons, collective action by the city and these establishments will not only create a healthier and safer atmosphere, but will also minimize inconveniences for all persons involved.

p. Particularly at the delis, where patrons regularly enjoy food along with their drinks, a crowded and smoky atmosphere makes the entire experience less enjoyable. With warmer weather approaching, and generally favorable year-round temperatures, stepping outside for a cigarette is hardly an inconvenience when compared to constant exposure to second-hand smoke. These businesses would lose few patrons, considering the monopoly that the delis currently hold on local nightlife.

p. Given the recent ban on smoking in state buildings, a law which took effect Jan. 1 of this year and includes campus residence halls, the College must continue its efforts to make the campus and the surrounding area safer for students. The administration’s crackdown on student on-campus drinking has encouraged, if not forced, students to seek off-campus social opportunities and alleviated the school’s liability concerns in relation to alcohol consumption. However, the College still possesses a paramount responsibility to facilitate and ensure the well-being and happiness of students, and smoke-free delis would be in direct alignment with this responsibility.

p. Of course, there is only so much the College can do. Although there are few concerns that are more understandable or valid for local business owners than losing revenue and customers, deli managers nonetheless have several incentives to take action on this issue. Students are not only some of the most frequent visitors to the delis, but generally account for a sizable percentage of wait staff and servers as well. Smoke-free establishments would be cleaner, more comfortable and more accommodating to a variety of people, as well as producing a healthier and more energetic staff.

p. Ultimately, if the bill does not pass in the Senate, the burden of this issue will fall squarely on the shoulders of the City of Williamsburg. The concept is by no means a new one. Smoking bans have been implemented and have proven effective in a large number of American cities, including New York, Chicago, Birmingham and Washington, D.C. Smoking is banned in all restaurants in 19 states, and even in those states that have not banned smoking, there are several examples of cities or counties choosing to implement their own bans. Alarmingly enough, Virginia is one of only five states, along with Tennessee, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Iowa, where there is not a single municipality that has passed complete smoking restrictions in restaurants and bars.

p. Even for a state built on tobacco, this is simply unacceptable. Known worldwide for its historical significance, Williamsburg is now presented with another chance to make history by becoming the catalyst for a state-wide movement to improve health conditions. We hope the city will not let this opportunity go up in smoke.

While it is well understood that a majority of the student body pays little attention to the Student Assembly Senate, in Friday’s issue, The Flat Hat’s Staff Editorial made a very important point: the senate does matter to students. But if this is the case, then why would an editorial title such as “Student Senate grows increasingly irrelevant” be necessary for The Flat Hat to print at the same time? The answer to this question is two-fold.

p. First (as stated), the senate is very passionate about the processes of government. As a result, the public (via campus press reporting) is presented with events that would seem childish for a student assembly to execute, and in most cases I would certainly agree. However, such events (although important to note) are quite uncommon given the length of time and effort that the body operates in totality beyond the meetings in which these events may occur.

p. The second answer to this question can be found within the way the campus press, including The Flat Hat, has been reporting on the senate. By solely focusing on the proceedings of senate meetings, the campus press and subsequently the public have been unable to witness the great progress that senators have made around campus. The Flat Hat understands this and it must be commended on its new approach of looking at how proposed and passed bills will impact students rather than just reporting on the weekly procedural meetings to gauge the SA Senate’s progress.

p. When such an approach is taken, I believe the public will truly see how much progress has actually been made by senators. When health violations were reported at the University Center, Sen. Fitzgerald, a senior, brought hand sanitizers to all of our college’s cafeterias. As our energy consumption and cost on campus continues to escalate, Sen. Pilchen, a sophomore, continues to be a major advocate for change in saving both our environment and money.

p. When it comes to finding increasingly better ways for the SA (and not just the senate) to work together as a body for the students, Senate Chair Luppino-Esposito, a junior, and Senate Secretary Matt Beato, a sophomore, have been and continue to be instrumental. When problems arose from students not being able to receive weekend help at the Health Center, Sen. Walter McClean, a sophomore, and Sen. Sarah Rojas, a freshman, worked diligently to see that students have such access.

p. As for myself and Sen. Scott Morris, a freshman, we have also dedicated countless hours to serving the student body. We have eliminated the $5 fee students paid in the past as a result of a stolen ID, amassed a cause and referendum where on March 29 students will be able to vote if they want cheaper laundry costs, empowered our college’s Hall Councils by working to eliminate the ability for Residence Life to charge students punitive fees and continued to work with Facilities Management to pave the numerous mud pathways on new campus that have proven dangerous to some students. Also, let us not forget that the effort to bring back Medical Amnesty during alcohol-related emergencies also emerged in the senate.

p. All of these accomplishments have happened just this year alone. When it comes down to it, the student body would suffer a great loss if the SA Senate ceased to function. It has been said by many that the senate is the greatest forum of ideas on campus, and although we have our juvenile moments every so often, the students should not forget that the senate has and will continue to serve them well.

p. __Andrew Blasi, a Student Assembly senator, is a freshman at the College.__

The Virginia Gazette, a local newspaper, features a segment called “The Last Word,” in which whiny members of the community can anonymously vent their concerns. For obvious reasons, the College has been a popular subject lately. “William & Mary now stands for ‘What a Mess,’” someone wrote last week in response to the Sex Workers’ Art Show and the continued Wren Cross controversy.

p. Another angered citizen was inspired to declare, “I would not pay that school one cent for what it is obviously trying to teach. W&M used to be a source of pride for the community. While we are saying goodbye to morals, we may as well say goodbye to our beautiful Williamsburg.” My apologies: the above statement contains enough hyperbole to suffocate a small child or anyone with a tendency to be a “free thinker.” I ought to have given fair warning.

p. Last Saturday, Feb. 17, the University Center hosted an event that went relatively unnoticed by people at this institution, despite being decently publicized and well-attended by other nearby universities. Sam Sadler even mentioned it in one of his e-mails.

p. It was called the Tidewater Gospel Music Festival, and it was enough to dispel the sickening and rampant myth that the College is a valueless place for atheist sex-fiends looking to subvert the good will of upstanding Christian traditionalists whenever possible. Granted, I fall into that last group, but that’s beside the point.
I’ve had the good fortune to attend this concert two out of the past three years, and it only gets better with time.

Unfortunately, I’ve noticed that very few of our own students — less than 50, not including those who are members of Ebony Expressions — took advantage of the opportunity. Neither, of course, did Gene Nichol. In a desperate bid to woo back his Christian audience, Nichol paused during his busy day to express his disdain for the sex workers, but wouldn’t it have been a better career move to enjoy some gospel music? Instead of alienating his student body — you know, since many of us kind of enjoy sex — our president could have praised the talents of a group that certainly deserves as many compliments as we can muster.

p. The Gospel Music Festival ranks in the top three musical events I’ve heard on this campus. To give you an idea of what this means to me, those other two are The Roots and Wilco, internationally known acts who have visited William and Mary Hall — that is, Kaplan Arena — in the past two years (I’m not expecting My Chemical Romance to join their ranks anytime soon). Enormous gospel choirs from Virginia Commonwealth University, Hampton University and Virginia State University were all in attendance, each equipped with its own three-piece funk band. These were the kind of exemplary student musicians whose attention to dynamics and feel made even the whitest audience member feel like standing and clapping. Their incredible chops put the College’s indie rockers to shame.

p. VCU’s group, The Black Awakening, dressed in classy pink and brown outfits and ornamented their performance with the most soulful interpretative dance I’ve ever seen. How they managed to maintain four-part harmony and stay in sync with the band while pantomiming an earthquake is beyond me, but they did it so elegantly.

p. Of course, for readers of the Virginia Gazette, the icing on the cake is that this was a religious event: these performances were made to praise God. The Rev. Dr. William B. McClain offered sermons and anecdotes between the choirs. His book, “Songs of Zion,” was for sale in the lobby.

p. Perhaps the surly and misinformed “Last Word” writers may want to do some more research before they begin bashing our college. For every remotely controversial event, there are at least ten that even the most right-wing patrons would have trouble deeming “immoral.”

p. The assumption by some members of the Williamsburg community seems to be that it is the duty of a liberal arts institution to teach its students a specific moral code, and to restrict any number of worldviews in favor of one objectively correct lifestyle. Should this assumption take hold in our curriculum or in our extracurricular events, it will mean the death of a truly well-rounded education.

p. Gazette readers — assuming they dirty their hands with this filthy, youth-run Flat Hat — may find it interesting that our English department has books like “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” and “Ulysses” on its syllabi. These books are brimming with sexual intercourse and other deplorable smut and, what’s more, they’re acclaimed as world-class literature. Students can read them in the Wren Chapel whenever they’d like. Isn’t that appalling? Phone your congressman immediately.

p. With any luck, next year’s gospel festival will get far more attendance from students at this school and people who live around Williamsburg. It is an event that is at once entertaining, informative and welcoming; moreover, it appeases those who mistakenly believe that our school is headed for the gutter whenever it attempts to show its students what goes on out there in the “real world.” For the last song of the night, all of the choirs took to the stage and performed together with the joyful noise that characterizes soul music. As they worshipped, I looked around the U.C. Tidewater and noticed that there wasn’t a Christian symbol in sight. I never heard a complaint — but perhaps the Gazette will print one next week.

p. __Dan Piepenbring, a junior at the College, is a Staff Columnist. His columns appear every Friday.__

A couple weeks ago, some friends and I went to New Town to see “Hannibal Rising” and, although I wholeheartedly suggest you don’t see that movie, I do recommend you check out New Town. While it does feel vaguely Hollywood-esque with the faux windows that line the streets, the place has a lot to offer on any night of the week.

p. But, New Town is a bus ride away for most of us, and what’s more, when Williamsburg had the opportunity to add vitality to its own downtown scene, it was bullied into a compromise by what amounted to an angry mob of voters. Now that it appears students are getting the right to vote, we’ll have the chance (the duty?) to elect officials who’d favor livening things up a little closer to home.

p. But let’s step back for a moment to see what makes New Town great. It’s built on the “new urbanist” concept that says people are happier living in neighborhoods which combine housing, shopping and business. This allows them to get to a variety of places on foot — no need to hop in the car. Evidently, planners were getting tired of the cookie-cutter subdivisions and strip malls that defined urban sprawl.

p. On a more practical level, New Town gave us options as soon as we arrived: the movie theater, the pool hall and many affordable restaurants, all within walking distance from one another. The big problem, though, is that New Town’s a bus ride away — it’s in James City County rather than in Williamsburg. Instead of integrating new buildings downtown, New Town was forced to spring forth fully formed, like some architectural Athena. In fact, ten minutes from my house back home, a similar development sprouted out of what had once been a soybean field. Its name? New Town. Funny, that.

p. It’s important to remember that, despite New Town’s appeal, it fails to add appreciably to student life because it’s far away. Developers should not be blamed because they’d just as happily build downtown, but their opportunities are being curtailed by Williamsburg regulations. I’d be selling city officials short, however, if I didn’t mention their approval of a New Town-ish plan near Yankee Candle, but again, it’s too far away.

p. It may surprise you to learn that the city’s recently approved plan includes measures to add vibrancy to the downtown scene by converting some vacant lots off Armistead Street and by the Law School to newer, denser housing developments. Right now, when all the tourists leave Merchant’s Square after dark to do whatever it is tourists do at night, it’s obvious most of the area shuts down, unlike New Town.

p. Even Mayor Zeidler agreed that the lower residential population downtown might have led touristy businesses to replace the more practical ones. More to the point, did you know there used to be a drug store in Merchant’s Square that sold things a student would actually want to buy? If Williamsburg had pursued this development plan to its fullest extent, there might be a different set of businesses downtown, like those that draw a lot of us to New Town on the weekends.

p. December’s city council meeting, however, made it seem that we’ll never know. A coalition of incensed citizens strong-armed the council into a compromise by booing opposing speakers, telling them to shut up and shouting at council members. In the end, the compromise plan was even more conservative than the one recommended by the planning department — the same planning department that finds four students living in the same house unacceptable.

p. In my Feb. 9 column, “Appreciate the College,” I referred to “the entertainment vacuum that is Williamsburg.” Well, maybe as registered voters, we can start to have a voice at those same city council meetings, a voice perhaps, that will someday make Williamsburg a much more exciting place to live.

p. __Andrew Peters, a sophomore at the College, is a Staff Columnist. His columns appear every Friday.__