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Students who serve: Veteran organization creates community on campus

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In 2007, Carlos Payan ’12 was deployed to Afghanistan to work as force protection security for Bagram Air Field. During his deployment, an F-15 strike eagle plane crashed, and 12 soldiers died in combat due to lack of air support.

“I saw the pararescue medics come back — their uniforms were bloody,” Payan said. “I can’t forget the look on their faces. They had been through misery.”

Every year, a few students enter the College of William and Mary with a slightly different experience than the average freshmen. The Veterans Society, along with the rest of the Tribe, are there to welcome them.

After he attended a Veteran’s Day event on campus, Lance Zaal ’09, M.B.A. ’12 met with friends and other former service members to play a round of pool at the Corner Pocket in New Town. That night the idea for their association was born, and the Veterans Society was founded to act as a resource for incoming veterans. Zaal served as president for the first two years.

Initially, the society worked on fundraising, and in the first three years it raised $75,000 from private donors working through the College’s fundraising network. Now the society has taken on a looser 501(c)(19), making it a tax exempt organization. Additionally, it functions as a hybrid between a student and an independent organization, allowing the society to maintain a degree of autonomy.

“I think it works because it’s not like other groups that are very organized and keep a strict schedule,” Zaal said. “I think that’s a recipe for failure.”

Now the society functions as a social network for veterans at the College and in the community, and as a way to foster friendship among veterans.

“It’s nice to know there are other people who can relate to you,” Kaitlin Burke ’11 said.

Some veterans on campus, like Burke, still serve in the reserves, taking off one weekend each month to train. The military can call them at any time to deploy overseas.

“It’s stressful to see the deployment lists coming out, and hoping you’re not on it, because I want to finish school,” Burke said.

Burke, 26, spent five years on active duty in the Navy as a hospital corpsman, providing medical care for the Navy and Marine Corps.

Now in the reserves, she spends her one weekend a month at Sewell’s Point Naval Base in Norfolk working in the immunization department. She helps conduct yearly health assessments and provides medical preparation for those who are expected to soon be deployed. The department also conducts screenings for mental health pre- and post-deployment.

Burke hopes to turn her experience in the field into a career, using her major in neuroscience to help protect against and prevent brain injuries sustained in combat. Many veterans feel that their time in the service now helps them in the classroom.

“I have connections to the real world,” Heather Murphy ’13 said. “I know Benzene is not just a molecule, it’s a carcinogen.”

A biology and environmental science major, Murphy spent five years as a bio-environmental engineering technician in the Air Force. Stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada, she conducted chemical evaluations at the base to ensure that airmen weren’t harmed by some of the dangerous chemicals and materials they were exposed to on the job.

Karl Larson, ’12 was accepted to American University his senior year of high school, but decided to turn the offer down

“I wasn’t mature enough yet,” Larson said. “I wouldn’t have graduated in four years.”

Instead, Larson decided to enlist in the Marine Corps. He spent four years as a rifleman in the Marines, deploying twice to Iraq and once to Djibouti. While in Iraq he encountered insurgents equipped with improvised explosive devices.

“We had to clear out a couple of houses controlled by the bad guys,” Larson said.

His experiences in the Marines have helped him through college.

“I’m not just older, I have more experience,” he said. “If I fail a test, I’m not going to break down and cry. I’ve been through worse.”

For Payan, his experience in the Air Force and in Afghanistan has helped him in his Wartime and Ethics class, taught in the religious studies department at the College.

“I’ve seen certain things that allow me to have a deeper view than most other people,” Payan said.

While there are advantages to the added experience, adjusting to life as a student and a civilian can be difficult.

“Just being a transfer student in general is a little rougher than being a freshman,” Larson said.

While the military often provides programs to help with the transition, these are focused more at older military people who are retiring after a full career.

Additionally, veterans at the College have faced issues with financial aid in the past, often in regard to their eligibility for both the Gateway program and the G.I. Bill.

“No one would tell you what your options were,” Zaal said.

Zaal and the Veterans Society worked with the administration to act as a resource for incoming veterans.
Overall, members of the Veterans Society say the College offers a welcoming campus.

“You worry that you’re not going to be accepted as a veteran,” Burke said. “But people are very accommodating.”

Wardrobes to change the world

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If you’ve ever felt bad that the new shirt you just bought — and absolutely adore — only became available to you through the tireless work of those who endured terrible conditions for minimal pay, you’re not alone.
But when it comes down to it, it is hard to know where to shop to avoid this problem. The Sharpe Scholars in the Ethical Fashion freshman seminar prepared an event to show students there are plenty of local options for buying clothes and avoiding sweatshop labor altogether.

Last Saturday, this group of Sharpe Scholars brought the Fair Trade Festival to the College of William and Mary. The festival showcased local and campus vendors in the Sadler Center, where they had the opportunity to sell their environmentally safe and ethically made products.

“We came up with the project as a way to show people that they have a lot of power in influencing the production process of the goods and apparel they buy,” Elana Megerian ’14, one of the students who helped plan the Fair Trade Festvial, said. “Buying ethically made products can be difficult for college students, so we [brought] on and off-campus organizations together in one place to show their products.”

Students browsed the various products offered by the vendors while listening to live background music.
While they shopped, they were educated on the causes promoted by the vendors and the festival itself, learning about the injustices of sweat shop labor, and the practicality of buying products that are safe and helpful for the environment.

Vendors like Ten Thousand Villages, AlterNatives, Dessert Classies, Goodwill, New Forest Earth and the Dream Shop all participated in the festival on Saturday.

AlterNatives is a Richmond-based store with the mission of assisting indigenous artisans with their international marketing, providing them with the support they need in order to be successful. They sell jewelry, clothing, home decor and other gifts made by individuals all over the world.

“Some of these stores have connections with third world countries and go down and work with these co-ops who make jewelry or furniture,” Katherine Downs ’13, a teaching assistant for the Ethical Fashion seminar, said. “They make goods that are ethically produced in an environmentally friendly way, and [they] help these communities thrive by selling their goods.”

She cites her trashcan made entirely of old newspapers as one example of these products.
New Forest Earth, a campus-based group, focuses more on the environmental side of the Fair Trade Festival’s message. They promote products made from the natural world for long-term use and hope their vision will eventually help save the forests in North and South America.

Downs was a student in the Ethical Fashion seminar during her freshman year and found the causes discussed in class so compelling that she decided to become a teaching assistant for this year’s section, helping to supervise his year’s students’ plans for the Fair Trade Festival.

“I really didn’t know a whole lot about it when I chose the class last year,” she said. “I was really more into fashion, which is why I chose the class. Learning about the injustices that go on — it’s virtually slavery. Being paid two cents an hour doesn’t really count as a wage.”

While the fight for an end to sweatshop-made products is nowhere near over, and the need for a greener earth is as urgent as ever, the Sharpe Scholars helped take another step toward a more ethical way of living.

“Especially in our country, consumers have a responsibility to demand ethical practices in the production processes of the many goods we buy,” Megerian said. “Currently, big businesses maintain largely unethical production processes, yet they have shown that they respond to demands consumers make. That’s why it is important that people shop ethically when they can!”

Adminstration should join students waging campaign for workers

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Last semester, students on campus witnessed a battle between the Living Wage Coalition and the administration. Through talks with College of William and Mary President Taylor Reveley, posters, workers’ speeches, rallies and Facebook, the Coalition tried to get members of the student body, and of the community at large, involved in the struggle for fair wages for workers at the College.
More recently, the campaign has been organizing activities that demonstrate the support they have gained, including rallies, community forums and a walk out which took place yesterday.

A mural was signed and painted by students and faculty who support the campaign. At first the mural was displayed at the Sadler Center, but the Coalition was told they had to move it because the metal stakes they used to support the mural were deemed dangerous. They moved down the hill from the Sadler Center to the small amphitheater across from the Crim Dell to display the murals and to hand out information about the walk out. The idea behind the walk out was not to be disrespectful to the administration or faculty members, but to demonstrate that the student body and faculty members support the need for living wages for all workers at the College. Information and handouts about the walk out were distributed while students stood by the mural. Students have been encouraged to explain to their professors what they are doing, and to emphasize that it is not meant to be disrespectful.

So why, after all that the Living Wage Coalition has done to demonstrate the support they have from faculty, workers, students and the community in general, has the administration not addressed this issue? They have refused even to discuss the issue with the Board of Visitors, and although support for the campaign has been demonstrated repeatedly, they refuse to take up the issue with the student body.

Based on the cost of living in Williamsburg, workers at the College barely make enough money to feed themselves, and they definitely do not make enough to feed their families. As word of the campaign spreads, active members in the coalition include not only undergraduate students, but also graduate students and law students, who have brought up an interesting point: How can a college that seeks to educate its students about fair wages and working conditions by offering a class about workers’ rights not extend those benefits to its own workers?

The fact that workers at the College have to work more than one job in order to support their families is a travesty. The administration is forcing its workers to live in poverty, and refusing to confront the issues that the Living Wages Coalition is trying to bring before them. It seems that the administration thinks that this issue will just go away if it is ignored, but the reality of the matter is that members of the Coalition, the student body, the faculty and the community will only get angrier as the issue continues to be neglected. This anger does not help anyone, especially if the goal of gaining living wages for College workers is to be reached; it only causes more tension.

Members of the Living Wage Coalition, the student body and the community should work together with the administration and the Board of Visitors in order to accomplish this goal and to help eliminate the poverty in which workers at the College are forced to live. Just ignoring the issues and getting angry does nothing to help workers at the College, which, we must remember, is the real goal of this struggle.

New deli policies bar student rights

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The dismal relations between the Williamsburg community and the College of William and Mary are as old as the college itself. In 1854, a student publication called the Owl featured a piece in which antebellum students lamented that Williamsburg residents prey on students six days of the week and prayed for them on the seventh. With hostile neighbors, the largest student-to-police officer ratio in the state, and a local government that rates student houses as high profile and rules in favor of negligent landlords nine times out of 10, students still find little comfort in the city of Williamsburg. The three delis, which have traditionally provided a student-friendly haven in the midst of the community’s hostility, have now fallen under the city’s watchful eye.

Since its grand reopening, the new management of the College Delly has placed students under strict scrutiny. Instead of reacting to trouble once it arises, the new Delly treats every student as if the or she is an unruly child, rather than a paying customer. This approach is annoying, but it is reflective of Williamsburg’s popular opinion regarding students. Other new, anti-student policies of both the Delly and Paul’s, however, are not only annoying, but also illegal.

Since their redesign, both delis advertise strict credit card minimum policies. No purchase is allowed with a credit or debit card unless it exceeds $15. This policy forces students, who most often buy one $9 pitcher at a time (pitchers that were $7 last year), to buy more alcohol if they wish to use their credit or debit cards. Since the new Delly also refuses to stamp customers’ hands as they enter the door in order to mark who has already been let in, if students wish to run to Wawa they must again wait in line and have their ID checked before they can return to the bar. With such policies in place, the Delly and Paul’s have developed a way to ensure that students’s regular purchases are doubled.

Under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, credit card minimums cannot exceed $10. This provision went into effect on July 21, 2010, when President Obama signed the financial reform bill into law. The bill also declares all minimums on debit cards illegal. The delis have been quick to berate their student clientele, but it is their own actions that deserve scrutiny.

Once a retreat for students, the delis no longer cater to the College. The college needs to acknowledge the lack of entertainment in Williamsburg and provide for its students. During the 1970s, the College ran a bar on South Boundary Street. The drinking age was 18 and students kept the bar populated and profitable. Now that the legal drinking age is 21, the College has tried to distance itself from student drinking. The closest thing we have to a campus bar is Lodge 1, which rarely serves alcohol or even is staffed. Although pamphlets in Lodge 1 advertise daily specials and long hours, the pub is seldom open for business.

The refusal to utilize the facilities at Lodge 1 is both impractical and unsafe. The administration needs to acknowledge that at least a quarter of College students can legally drink. Lodge 1 can easily require both state-issued IDs and College IDs; with competent staff, underage drinking would not be an issue. Using Lodge 1 as an on-campus pub would improve students’ relations with the town, as Williamsburg residents would encounter intoxicated students less often. The pub would be a safe, controlled environment, as well as an additional source of revenue for the College. With the blatant hostility between Williamsburg residents and students, and the loss of the once student-friendly delis, we need an alternative to off-campus bars. The College needs to acknowledge that there are students who stay up past 11 p.m. and students who drink legally. We should utilize Lodge 1 instead of simply advertising for it.

Confusion Corner: The politics of international relations begin at local Wawa

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What lies beyond those hallowed brick walls lining Jamestown and Richmond Roads? In the immediate vicinity, probably some delicious sandwiches at Wawa, philanthropic banners in Sorority Court, and a ton of churches. But let’s look further, out past Williamsburg, James City County and Virginia. Let’s look across the Atlantic, to Ireland. A good friend of mine, an 18-year-old student from National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Stephen Greene, has been staying with me for the last couple of weeks. Rejecting the doctrine of isolationism, I decided to get his take on a couple of the most beloved College of William and Mary institutions. I wanted to probe the mind of an Irishman in America.

Naturally, I had to begin with Wawa. What would he like about it? Would it be a novelty to him? It turns out, he likes the exact same thing about it we all do. “I like that it’s 24-hours; they’ve got food when I’m drunk.” Fair enough. What about the food itself, Stephen? “It can be a little crap, but I guess that doesn’t matter, does it?” And what about the beloved Wawa staff that patiently puts up with our antics? “Most of them are grand, but that little old woman that works there is the saddest thing on earth.” While I do not necessarily share any of these assessments, he seems to have a pretty solid handle on things.

What about two of the other great culinary establishments at the College, the Marketplace and the Cheese Shop? “[The Marketplace staff was] hilarious. They wouldn’t stop calling me baby. I also didn’t know you could melt cheese over so much stuff!” His review of the Cheese Shop is a little more glowing. “Oh it’s savage. It’s the only place whose lettuce is made of actual plants.” For the record, Stephen has been to the Cheese Shop nearly half a dozen times since his arrival.

Enough about food — let’s not act too much like Americans. What about the most beloved and reviled, depending on your deadline, of all College buildings: Earl Gregg Swem Library? “Here’s my thing about Swem. I go upstairs, and I’m like, ‘They could have fit a lot more desks up here.’ How are you supposed to study on couches? It’s like working in a coffee shop.” Apparently the Irish are ruthlessly efficient and have no patience for creature comforts. Duly noted. We’ll be installing the cold iron bars next week.

So we’ve covered academia and gastroenterology; what about leisure? What do you think of the units, Stephen? “I didn’t think the buildings were that bad. Then I went into Barrett and had something to compare it to.” He continues, “It’s a place to live. I guess it’s not completely horrible, I suppose.” Ah, my friend from across the sea, I hear you loud and clear.

Stephen did do a little sight-seeing, taking a tour of the College — led by yours truly — and a late-night ghost tour. “I tried to summon a ghost but it didn’t work.” Nice try, Irish kid. No ghost for you. He did learn something interesting, though. “I learned Virginia schools weren’t integrated until like the ’70s. What the hell?” It was actually the 1950s, but I suppose his point is still valid. What the hell, South?

Finally, I asked him which aspect of William and Mary, college and American life in general he enjoyed the most. After some thought, he responded, “The parties. It’s just like out of American Pie. The movie image of American parties, that’s what it’s actually like. You’ve got a bunch of guys shouting, ‘Yeah bro’ and using words like ‘brosef.’ And high-fiving. There’s a lot of high-fiving.”

To be fair, I did then ask him his least favorite part of American life. “The ridiculous amount of politics you all talk. You hear about Americans and their views on things like Planned Parenthood, and then you find out they’re taking this whole-heartedly and you’re like, ‘Oh my God.’ There’s not a single person in Ireland who doesn’t want free health care.”

We forget too often that our country is foreign to 95 percent of the world. Stephen’s told me that he loves it here. Not for the food, or the buildings or the colleges, but for the people. “The people are very friendly to me. They’re so welcoming. I’d love to come back.”

Cheers to that, mate.

The Science Guy: Entertainer, scientist encourages inventive, green ideas

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Did you know?

Bill Nye the Science Guy has nearly three hundred bowties.

Many childhood dreams came true last night as scientist and educational television star Bill Nye took the stage at Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall. Demonstrated by their standing ovation at the sold out show, students at the College of William and Mary clearly believe that science rules.

In a presentation meandering from the landscape of Venus to corn fungus, Nye displayed the same breathless enthusiasm and mental elasticity that endeared him to millions of children during the five year run of his PBS television series. The brainy entertainer arrived on campus with a message, encouraging students to support and undertake science-based global reform.

“I’m just a speck on a speck orbiting a speck in the middle of speckle-ness,” Nye said. “But with your brain you can imagine all of this, you can understand nature, you can know your place in space. With our brain, you can, dare I say it, change the world!”

“Bill Nye the Science Guy” aired from 1993 to 1998, during current College students’ early elementary school years. The television show featured experiments, music videos and jokes designed to engage children’s interest in science and technology. Nye’s manic energy and humor also appealed to his young audience members and helped distinguish the show from other educational programs.

“I think [Nye’s presentation was] fun, as it harkened back to our childhood,” Rey Perez ’13 said. “Everyone had that elementary or middle school teacher who put the Bill Nye video in, and it was the best day of class.”

Nye’s fans at the College are all grown up now, and the scientist’s show had a more mature tone than that of his episodes. The program had the academic air of an environmental science lecture, but was buoyed by the liveliness of Nye’s personality.

The Science Guy took advantage of his audience’s adoring attention by opening with a humorous anecdote, about a College student who asked whether “Bill Nye” is his real name. (It is.)

Once the room settled down, Nye began his PowerPoint presentation. He spoke about the importance of space exploration and noted that the students at the College are members of the “Space Generation” — born after the launch of Sputnik on October 4, 1957.

“I’m a big supporter of space exploration,” he said, “and a big supporter of it at an economical level.”

Global climate was the next topic of discussion. Nye explained that the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reached 389 parts per million in 2010, which also registered a temperature increase of 0.7 degrees Celsius. Nye acknowledged that the planet experiences natural temperature fluctuations but said the speed of these spikes indicates they are the result of human activities.

“The world has never gotten this warm this fast,” he said.

Among the American practices Nye gently criticized for contributing to global climate change were livestock farm subsidies and NASCAR racing. According to Nye, the former artificially drives down the price of and increases the consumption of meat, the production of which requires a lot of energy. The latter encourages fuel waste, he said, since NASCAR vehicles run on leaded gasoline and only get five miles per gallon.

“When I was young, racing tested new technology,” Nye explained. “Now it’s a celebration of the past at a time we have to be proactive.”

Scientific innovation has the potential to alleviate the problems caused by climate change, Nye asserted. He cautioned that nuclear energy is not a viable solution for the world’s impending energy crisis, citing the recent disaster at the Japanese Fukushima power plant as an example of its dangers. Calling himself “kooky for wind power,” he described the solar energy panels and solar water heaters he uses in his own home and proposed a new highway design to provide room for bicycles rather than sport utility vehicles.

“I submit to you: You can change everything,” he said. “There are things that we are absolutely sure of that are just wrong.”

The evening ended with a question-and-answer session, which showcased Nye’s expansive knowledge of all branches of science. He spoke about the importance of early science and math education — especially algebra — in creating the next generation of space explorers and engineers.

“Science education changed my life,” he said. “We don’t have enough elementary science teachers. Everybody who got excited about science got into it before they were ten.”

Nye’s final piece of advice to College students was to exercise their right to vote in order to support the implementation of legislation based on sound science.

“We need a scientifically literate populace when we have problems and we go to pass laws,” he said.

Nye’s sense of humor was on display throughout the evening. The scientist is a master of physical comedy, performing amusing impersonations of geology majors and reenacting the fear he felt lying face-down over the crater of Mt. St. Helens. He also knew his audience; Nye very subtlety slipped in a reference to College alumnus Thomas Jefferson.

The presentation concluded with Nye’s recitation of the inscription on the Mars sundial he helped send to the Red Planet.

“ ‘To those who visit here, we wish a safe journey and the joy of discovery,’” he quoted. “That’s what science is about. That’s why I got into this. That’s why, I suspect, you watched the show.”

As he was applauded off-stage, the Science Guy delivered a final benediction to the devoted fans who grew up inspired by his wisdom.

“I would like you to do one thing,” Nye said. “Go forth and change the world.”

College students and professors seek to convert algae into biofuel

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The College of William and Mary has submerged itself into the world of microbiology and biofuels. Since last spring, a group of College professors and students have been working to take algae from Lake Matoaka and use it as a replacement for fossil fuels.

Karl Kuschner, physics professor and project manager of the ongoing study, has worked with a small-scale algae extractor near the Keck Environmental Field Lab. The small-scale experiment is associated with the Chesapeake Algae Project, a consortium developing algae cultivation and harvesting equipment for natural environments including rivers, bays and oceans.

“It has a possibility of being a very green energy; it also doesn’t use any arable land,” Kuschner said. “That’s a huge problem with corn for example, you’re taking people’s food and you’re making gas out of it.”

Professors from the College were put in contact with professors from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, who were working on their plan to have wild algae converted into biofuels. According to Kuschner, they were put in contact with Blackrock Energy, a local research firm, and Statoil, a Norwegian energy firm.

“The idea is that you would put some sort of substrate in the water, and the algae would grow on it, then you would harvest the algae and use it as biomass, same a corn for ethanol,” Kuschner said. “This is a big alternative energy push to use biomass for fuel. Algae are a well-known biomass, but it’s not something that is economically feasible yet.”

In September, the U.S. Department of Energy awarded the College $500,000 to support the pursuit of some basic-science issues that helped the project. Along with funding from Statoil, the project at Matoaka has been in development for a year. This May, however, unless those involved can find a new source, the project will run out of funding, causing a halt to all research.

“I think it’s something that definitely needs to be done, it’s a good avenue, it looks very promising, and we made good progress,” David Henry ’14, a student who worked alongside the team of students and faculty, said. “Right now were currently looking for funding, because we run out in May.”

The project was started after pollution in the Chesapeake Bay became evident. In an attempt to clean the bay and to create an alternative energy source, the Chesapeake Algae Project is developing the ability to convert a harmful part of the ecosystem into biofuel.

“What happens is, all this waste water and fertilizer and stuff pour into the Chesapeake Bay, and then you have this big algae boom,” Kuschner said. “It just loves the stuff, and that’s good because it sucks up carbon dioxide and releases oxygen because it’s a plant. But what happens is that oxygen goes into the atmosphere, the algae quits growing, and it starts dying and settles to the bottom. Then it starts sucking oxygen out of the water as it decomposes. The water becomes a big dead zone.”

Most algae fuel research projects are based on the cultivation of a single species of algae that has high lipid content. Dennis Manos, the College’s Vice Provost for Research, notes that the project differs from other algae biofuel initiatives in using wild, naturally growing algae species as a basis for various energy products.

“We take these excess nutrients, we grow the algae, but we take the algae out of the water before it dies,” Manos said. “So were taking live algae out and harvesting it, along with its nutrients, and then were using that for other purposes. So you don’t get this dead zone, and you get all these excess nutrients pulled out of the water and you get biofuels.”

If they receive additional funding, members of the project want to see an increase in productivity.

“Now that we have the basic structure down, we’re just trying to be efficient in our extraction of the algae,” Henry said. “You don’t need any heat, you don’t need any light, you don’t need any pumps, you use the natural tidal flows, you use the nutrients, natural sunlight, existing fertilizer, and existing water, so the only energy costs are building the thing and harvesting [the algae].”

Although the project stresses the environmental advantage of using algae as biofuel, the team recognizes that there are still risks and downsides to the research.

“The big problem is that it is wild algae and these all kinds of other critters in there, so we have to figure out how to harvest it, when to harvest it,” Kuschner said. “The engineering problem with putting large algae farms in the open water is very difficult because we don’t have that kind of engineering expertise here. It would certainly be a very sustainable fuel source, whether it could replace fossil fuels I don’t know, but it’s a very promising fuel source.”

Provide fuel for project

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The College of William and Mary is a supporter of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science program to create a more environmentally friendly form of fuel. The goal of the research project is to convert wild algae into fuel. This unique and intriguing project offers for the College an exciting opportunity to become involved with breakthroughs in biofuel.

The Chesapeake Algae Project collects algae from three locations: the York River, the Chesapeake Bay and our very own Lake Matoaka — where students from the College are conducting their own ChAP-related research. As part of the program, the College experiments with different methods of extracting algae to find which is most cost-effective. Although the purpose is not to eliminate the need for fossil fuels completely — that would be overly ambitious — the algae conversion will help combat pollution in the Chesapeake Bay, caused by fertilizer runoff. The pollution also contributes to the dead ocean problem in the bay. Most Virginia residents are aware of the worsening condition of the bay. The pollution and dead algae could be put to a stop with research obtained by ChAP.

The Department of Energy and Statoil, a Norwegian energy company, are currently funding the project. Unfortunately, ChAP will run out of funding this May if the project continues at its current place. This will halt research to eliminate the pollution in the Chesapeake Bay, and the College will lose any recognition it may have received.

The College is a traditional liberal arts college, but with this program, it has the opportunity to become more. If ChAP continues to operate, the sciences at the College could gain publicity and see an increase in funding.

It is exciting to see the College and VIMS working to find solutions for the growing problem both globally, by reducing dependency on oil — and locally — by reducing the pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. We hope funding comes through for the program, and we hope students both become aware of and this research. ChAP has great potential, but it must have the opportunity to fulfill this potential.

Mashall Wythe talk discusses LGBT discrimination

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Members of the College of William and Mary community gathered at the Marshall-Wythe School of Law Wednesday to discuss the state of LGBT rights in the commonwealth of Virginia.

According to Claire Guthrie Gastanaga, legislative counsel of Equality Virginia, a gay rights advocacy group, Virginia has been slow to accept increased legal rights for LGBT residents. Despite a stronger push by advocacy groups for more legal recognition, including marriage and adoption rights, Virginia has followed national trends in rejecting these claims.

“Unfortunately, there isn’t much to talk about in terms of actual positive affirmation of the rights of LGBT people in the commonwealth of Virginia,” Gastanaga said.

Gastanaga said that such attitudes are present in state governments throughout the South. However, Gastanaga said that certain areas Virginia outpaced the rest of the region. However, given the large presence of non Virginia-born residents, such changes are often overlooked by the public.

“It’s hard for people to see victories, where they’ve been accomplished, or to see them in the context of a southern state,” Gastanaga said.

Virginia became one of the first southern states to loosen hospital visitation restrictions, allowing patients to determine who may visit them while they are receiving hospital care.

“For a southern state, we’ve been able to actually accomplish things,” Gastanaga said. “We lead the region in some fundamental things.”

Even with minor victories, the legal standings of most LGBT residents remain muddled, forcing same-sex couples to explore complex legal channels and processes to obtain rights similar to those of heterosexual citizens. According to Gastanaga, the wording of Virginia state statutes voids any contracts and agreements, such as wills and property divisions, that mention same-sex relationships. To expedite similar processes, Equality Virginia is working with other national groups to establish an advanced directives registry, which would allow easy access to necessary legal documents for same-sex couples.

According to Gastanaga, the main obstacle to equality for LGBT citizens is the recognition of same-sex relationships. With the current political climate in Virginia, Gastanaga said that gaining recognition for same-sex couples was extremely unlikely without significant legal action, potentially from the United States Supreme Court.

Despite numerous setbacks, Gastanaga said that the LGBT community has gained greater acceptance in Virginia. According to Gastanaga, 85 to 90 percent of Virginia voters support equal protection and anti-discrimination laws for LGBT residents.

“People shouldn’t be in a position where they live next door to somebody and worry about whether they’ll be received as good neighbors,” Gastanaga said. “We have to continue to look for opportunities to make a difference in a definite, different definition of victory.”

Baseball: A whole new season

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William and Mary started its regular season February 18, more than a month prior to Major League Baseball’s opening day. But at the start of March 31, when the first big league games of the 2011 season are played, the Tribe — 28 games into its season — will have one thing in common with all 30 MLB teams; a winning percentage.

On a soggy, cold Wednesday night, William and Mary picked up its eighth win in the past nine tries, beating Norfolk State for the second time this season 9-4. The win moves the Tribe to 14-14 — the first time the team has been at .500 since the season started.

“Tonight wasn’t our best effort,” head coach Frank Leoni said. “I felt like the concentration wasn’t there for nine innings … but we just want to get better every time we go out.”

Sophomore starting pitcher Matt Wainman had an excellent outing for the Tribe given the conditions, going five innings and allowing only one run and one hit, while striking out eight. The only thorn in his side was Norfolk State right fielder John Lynch, whose single in the third was the Spartans’ only hit off Wainman. Lynch also got Norfolk State on the board in the first when he walked, stole both second and third, and eventually scored on a fielder’s choice.

The Tribe wasted no time responding. In the bottom of the first, freshman third baseman Ryan Lindemuth and senior shortstop Derrick Osteen walked, and a bunt by junior left fielder Stephen Arcure led to a throwing error by Spartans junior catcher Chris Warren, which scored Lindemuth and put runners on second and third. After two strikeouts, senior designated hitter Jonathan Slattery was hit by a pitch to load the bases for freshman catcher Devin White, whose two-run single would eventually prove to be the winner.

“I tried not to think too much about it,” White, who went 2-3 with 3 RBI on the night, said. “Where I get into problems is where I guess.”

The College extended its lead in the third following singles by Slattery and junior first baseman Tadd Bower. White singled to score Slattery and advanced to second on the throw home. Sophomore right fielder Derek Lowe then doubled, bringing in two and extending the lead to 6-1.

Three singles in the sixth scored a run for the Spartans, but the biggest threat to the Tribe’s lead came in the eighth.

After an error and walk, Norfolk State shortstop Chris Joyce singled in a run, and when shortstop Kevin Curd was hit by a pitch, the bases were loaded with one out and the go-ahead run at the plate. It took two strikeouts by sophomore reliever John Farrell to get himself out of the jam and preserve the Tribe’s 6-3 lead.

“I think that was a huge wake-up call for us,” White said. “We were kind of just going through the motions.”
The Tribe put the game away in the bottom half of the inning, however. After a two-run single by sophomore center fielder Ryan Brown, a base knock by sophomore pinch hitter Jackson Shaver gave the College its eighth and ninth runs of the game.

“[The first, third, and eighth] innings were great,” Leoni said, referring to frames in which the Tribe put up three apiece. “The other five were a problem.”

The College will host conference-rival Hofstra in a three-game series starting tonight at Plumeri Park.

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