Ruined

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October 3, 2011

Mama Nadi runs a brothel. It is a safe house where women are protected from the mindless rape and violence of the outside world, but ironically, still are forced to degrade themselves for life’s essentials.

“Ruined,” a play written by Lynn Nottage, is based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country torn apart by civil war. Nottage, whose play debuted in 2008 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2009, visited the College of William and Mary on Sept. 29 to speak to students and give them just a tiny glimpse of her personality and creative process. William and Mary Theater will be presenting “Ruined” this April 19-21.

Nottage’s visit began with an unscripted and very intimate group conversation. Students and staff alike respectfully crowded around her, obviously pleased to hear her speak about the play, which many in attendance had read recently. Questions posed ranged from direct queries on the play’s mysterious symbolism to the author’s inspirations.

“Many came to the event prepared with scripts in hand and posed intelligent questions and I appreciated that very much,” Artisia Green, assistant professor of theater and the director of the College’s upcoming production of “Ruined,” said. “This intimate conversation with Lynn was somewhat equivalent to a networking event. It is important that students know who’s in the same room with them and are prepared to interact with give-and-take, not simply absorb. It was, after all, a conversation.”

Nottage drew comparisons between plays and different types of architecture: One play may be a Gothic Cathedral and the next may be an all-glass high-rise, but all are towering and meaningful. This philosophy on variety suits her — she stated that her next play is a fast-paced, screwball comedy.

“I am not a follower of hard-and-fast rules,” Nottage said.

Nottage’s range of writing interests is limited to theater, however. When writing, she said that her mind sees
a stage, and when she dreams of a character, he or she becomes the focus of the story, as opposed to the background.

“I just want to get them talking,” Nottage said with a laugh.

After answering questions, Nottage kept her audience spellbound for 20 minutes as she discussed on her research for “Ruined” and her life before critical acclaim.

“Her speech gave me the chills,” Marvin Shelton ’15 said.

To gather material for her play, Nottage traveled to the Congo to interview Congolese women who were
victims of unspeakable sexual violence.

“I want people to connect with the headlines, to see a living breathing human being,” Nottage said.

Nottage also addressed the naysayers of the stage. Constantly criticized for choosing to pursue a dying art form, but she fiercely persevered, because she knew she had the talent and the fire to defend her intellect.

“Theater allows uncensored dialogue between audience and artist,” Nottage said proudly.

Nottage also paid homage to Phillis Wheatley, the first African American woman to have her writings published. She obviously was inspired by Wheatley’s ability to overcome seemingly insurmountable racism and sexism.

“She had to defend her right to exist,” Nottage said.

Despite her fierce attitude of independence and an obvious sorrow for the sufferings of her fellow humans, Nottage’s work is filled with an underlying sense of optimism.

“I believe her optimism and strength were typical of the portraits she paints in most of her female characters, the ones in “Ruined” especially,” said Green. “She made it very clear that the women she interviewed opened their worlds to her and exposed levels of pain that were unbearable to hear. Afterwards they would gather, share a meal, and laugh. They go on.”

After her prepared keynote, the audience once again had an opportunity to ask questions of Nottage regarding her experiences and works.

Many in attendance are current theater students, who undoubtedly will want to pursue roles in the College’s upcoming production.

“I think that Nottage’s answers to the audience’s questions about “Ruined” gave them some great ideas on how to form character traits, sets and costumes,” said Shelton.

Speaking with Nottage will help Green prepare for the production of the play later this year.

“In preparation for the production, the cast and design team will consult a variety of secondary sources to help provide a contextual framework for potential artistic choices,” Green said. “When presented with the opportunity to engage with the playwright, ¬ a primary source material, these artists have access to a particular kind of truth that is inaccessible via typical modes of production research. My private conversation with her enormously impacted how I plan to execute my vision for “Ruined.””

This event was put on through the efforts of the Center for Student Diversity and William and Mary Theater.

Men’s soccer: College wins conference match in Atlanta

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October 3, 2011

William and Mary didn’t dominate against a weak Towson team Saturday afternoon, but the team did enough to score a goal in the second half, eking out a 1-0 victory. And as long as senior goalkeeper Colin Smolinsky and the Tribe defense keep blanking their opponents, that’s all they’ll need.

“It’s another good win for us,” head coach Chris Norris said. “We were fortunate to get a goal in the second half and then hang on.”

Smolinsky recorded his fourth straight shutout in the fourth-straight win for the Tribe (6-3, 3-0 CAA). He has now made 17 saves in a row over the course of the past four matches. The defense has held those four opponents to 14 shots on goal, compared with 23 for the Tribe offense.

“We’ve got good personnel back there,” Norris said. “We’re at a point now where we’re not making the kind of mistakes we were making early in the season. We were gifting teams easy chances and we’ve cut that out.”

In addition to the clean sheet, the Tribe scored its sixth goal in four games in the 65th minute. Sophomore defender Will Smith sent a pass into the box, and freshman forward Patrick O’Brien got the best of a Towson defender to head the ball past the keeper and give the Tribe the only goal they would need. The goal was the first of O’Brien’s career.

“The team has recognized Patrick’s ability to hold the ball up front, and also his ability to win aerial battles,” Norris said. “He read the flight of the ball very well, held his defender off and got his head to it.”

The teams battled evenly in the first half, but the College took the offensive momentum coming out to start the second half. After the goal, the Tribe came out and continued the pressure — the Tribe would wind up with 10 shots in the second half to the Tigers’ five after being outshot in the first half — but couldn’t add a second goal. Towson controlled the ball at the end of the second half as they tried to equalize, but were unable to put one past Smolinsky.

“Defending is more about concentration and effort more than anything else,” Norris said. “It really means a lot to them to set that foundation to succeed.”

The Tribe finishes up its road trip in Atlanta tomorrow night against Georgia State before returning to Williamsburg Saturday to face George Mason.

Pay it forward

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October 3, 2011

Last week, the College of William and Mary Board of Visitors made a small yet important move toward improving salaries on campus. During their fall meetings, the BOV proposed to increase faculty pay by 5 percent and to increase staff pay by 4 percent, pending approval of the six-year plan by the state government. The move is by no means official and has no real secure funding — it is simply an item on the College’s wish list for the state — but it is significant because it signals a move in the right direction by the College.

This decision, which could potentially benefit the faculty and staff at the College, was announced quietly. We understand that nothing is set in stone, but we are surprised that the College isn’t treating this with more fanfare. While this could represent a victory for the College, it should not be considered a victory for the tactics of Living Wage Coalition.

All along, the students and the administration of the College have been on the employees’ side. However, the students and the administration have not been on the side of the LWC and their policy-breaking, alienating tactics. Their goals have always garnered support; problems arise when considering the methods they use to achieve these goals. With this quiet decision, the LWC has been presented a rare gift: success. Although we are sure there are other factors that have gone into the BOV’s decision, there is no denying that the LWC has brought the subject to the center of campus discussion and directly to the BOV. Because of the LWC’s toxic relationship with the BOV, the announcement almost goes unnoticed, and more students are hearing about the BOV member arrested for public intoxication near the delis than the wage increases.

We hope that this move by the BOV is not misconstructed as the College caving to LWC tactics, because it is not. For one, will this type of behavior — trespassing, yelling at College President Taylor Reveley, and getting arrested — set a precedent at this school? We don’t want more unchecked radicalism. Some tactics are just plain foolish and could result in serious violations of the student code of conduct. The LWC has had members charged with conduct violations already this year: This should not become the norm for campus campaigns.

This announcement raises many questions. Will this change the LWC’s stance at all? Potentially, its goal has been reached.Will the LWC silently fade into the background of campus life, or will the organization find a new goal? And finally, will the LWC decide that this isn’t enough and continue to use alienating tactics toward campus administration and students?

This one movement could have brought the campus together to find solutions to budget problems pertaining to people who are vital in the school’s function. Instead, the LWC turned the cause into a negative one, which has prevented the school from openly acknowledging a decision we all should be celebrating.
We are happy the BOV is prioritizing pay increases, but we would like to see more pride from the College regarding this decision. Instead of feeling happy that this happened, there is an overwhelming sense of uneasiness and too many misgivings.

New watering hole needs a twist: Owners should quench students’ wants

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October 3, 2011

Some semblance of a vibrant nightlife has been the quixotic desire of students at the College of William and Mary. For all the historic charm and pastoral allure, the College lags behind the competition in promoting the kind of social scene that would jettison the colonial motif toward the modern age. All hope is not lost, however: The owner of Paul’s Deli plans to develop a late-night student bar and restaurant to complement his current property. While the addition has potential, clustering three bars in the same lot fails to enhance the viability of the social scene beyond the walls of our hallowed campus.

When applicants face their four years of college, two prevailing factors sway their decision: academic fidelity and student satisfaction. Few would doubt the integrity of the College’s intellectual prowess, but a perceived dissonance between the College and the local residents slows student-oriented development to a glacial pace. Laws pertaining to noise levels restrict the ability to construct late-night venues, which leads to quarantined fun zones — as we can see with the deli triangle.

The best campuses strike a balance between stunning architecture and a thriving community of independent shops that specifically target students. While the Tribe has access to Duke of Gloucester Street, most restaurants far exceed the budget of a typical college student. Furthermore, the fashion merchandise in Colonial Williamsburg is middling; one either finds fancy suits and Bill Cosby-esque sweaters marketed to retirees or colonial garb sold to elementary school students on field trips. These shopping opportunities stand in contrast to The Grind, which thrives on campus because it is convenient and replicates the authentic coffee house experience people seek when they leave home.

Another bar on Scotland Street will help combat these issues. Yet the novelty of a sports bar loses its luster if the space adds nothing new to social interaction. Paul’s Deli currently fills the void for sports junkies, and the College Delly now features a comfortable outdoor patio with a slightly different menu. Both bars are under the same management and ownership, and as the owner plans to expand his empire, how will the new bar distinguish itself from the other two?

The options are limitless in this regard, but I worry that the owner will play it safe. I am consistently surprised by how neither of the delis have pool tables or dart boards; I’d like to see more adventurous design changes. Why not offer a completely original menu? The interior design should take a cue from bars in major cities and give the impression of sumptuousness. Install a killer sound system that morphs the space into a quasi-dance club in the afterhours. The driving motto of the enw bar should be quality over quantity — otherwise, the owner will find an unlikely competitor in himself.

BOV ban on firearms is a loaded issue

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October 3, 2011

I strongly support the individual right to bear arms guaranteed by the Second Amendment of the Constitution, and I believe that law-abiding citizens should have the ability to purchase firearms for defense or recreation. However, I feel that firearms should not be allowed in certain places, and a building on a university campus such as the College of William and Mary is one of them.

The Board of Visitors recently passed a policy to prevent faculty members from carrying firearms in campus buildings, as the Faculty Handbook previously lacked a gun prohibition clause. Just last week, representatives from the National Rifle Association held an informational session at the College and part of their presentation focused on dispelling the myths of gun control. They briefly touched on the issue of concealed carry at colleges by stating that they supported it, while acknowledging that any action on the matter at present would be politically unfeasible.

It has been argued that a student’s First Amendment right to free speech is not lost when they step onto a college campus, so why should Second Amendment rights be any different? The right to free speech has limitations when it threatens public safety, as in the classic case of shouting fire in a crowded theater, so the right to bear arms should be restricted in certain circumstances.

The federal government already bans personal firearms from its facilities, offices and courthouses, as well as on all airplane flights. Most state governments also prohibit carrying guns into state buildings and public schools. Such bans are reasonable: Not only are such locations relatively contained, but there is usually a significant security presence, so allowing people to carry guns would increase the likelihood of an incident.
At worst, authorities could mistake someone carrying a concealed weapon as a potential threat and preemptively react.

Owning a gun for home protection is understandable; a gun owner has every right to defend his or her property from an intruder. However, a dorm room is not the property of the student and a classroom is not the property of the faculty member — the buildings are College property. Just as a homeowner has every right to bar visitors from bringing in guns, school administrators should dictate whether or not firearms can be brought into campus buildings. Furthermore, how exactly would guns be stored in a dorm room when not being carried around campus? Dormitories lack the privacy that a regular residence affords, and it would not be easy to secure a firearm in such a setting.

There is a reason why the people responsible for student safety — administration officials and campus police — support campus-wide gun bans. They want to ensure the safety of the people on campus. Gun rights groups and politicians who oppose such bans are not the ones responsible for campus safety and have no right to force schools to accept guns in school facilities.

So who will protect us if our lives are endangered? The College Police Department is always on call and response times are likely to be very rapid on the College’s small campus. The department should receive more funding for additional officers to increase patrols and cover a greater area of campus. The hours of training and safety courses that all officers undergo make them better suited to respond to violent incidents rather than armed citizens. The College already has an obligation to provide for the safety of students and employees, and it should have final say on the issue.

Women’s soccer: Schaffer’s third two-goal game propels College

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October 3, 2011

William and Mary kept up the torrid start to its conference schedule with a 3-0 win at UNC-Wilmington Saturday, moving its unbeaten streak to six games and its winning streak to five as junior midfielder Mallory Schaffer recorded another two-goal game to go along with an assist.

The shutout victory gives the Tribe (9-1-2, 4-0 CAA) a cushion atop the CAA, with Northeastern, Old Dominion and Drexel all trailing with conference records of 2-1-1.

As it did against Georgia State Thursday, the College put the game away early, scoring all three of its goals in the first half, with the last coming in the 23rd minute. From there, the defense took over as junior goalkeeper Katherine Yount recorded her CAA-leading shutout of the year on just one save.

While delighted with the team’s ability to set the tone from the start, head coach John Daly was concerned that the team was lessening the pressure as the match wore on.

“It’s tough to keep your foot on the gas when you’re three up,” he said. “And for the rest of the first, we really didn’t play that well.”

Schaffer gave the College an early lead with a penalty kick in the ninth minute, the result of a Seahawks foul on junior forward Cortlyn Bristol inside the 18-yard box.

Schaffer then doubled up the Tribe’s lead just 12 minutes later. Freshman forward Anna Madden sent a cross from the right wing into the box, finding the Pennsylvania native, who headed it past the UNC-W goalkeeper Chandler Follett. Daly called it a “superb header.”

The win marked the continuation of an incredible stretch of play from the junior. It was Schaffer’s third two-goal game in the College’s last four matches and increased her goal-scoring streak to six games. Her 11 goals tie her for the league lead.

“Mallory is playing exceptionally well,” Daly said. “She’s a very dangerous threat. She’s doing a good job in both directions. She’s such a strong force in the middle of the field; she has to be an early favorite for [CAA] Player of the Year.”

Schaffer was named to Top Drawer Soccer’s National Team of the Week and as CAA Co-Player of the Week, both for the second week in a row Monday.

Just minutes later, the Tribe all but sealed the win. Schaffer took a pass on the right wing, controlling the ball and sending a cross to Bristol, who beat Follett from about 10 yards out, ultimately ending the day’s scoring.

The College dominated the first half in every way, outshooting the Seahawks, 5-0, before coasting to the shutout win in the second period.

“We’ve been playing quite well,” Daly said. “We’re playing some pretty attractive, entertaining soccer.”

The team’s feeling about its winning streak, however, will undoubtedly be tempered by the real tests that are yet to come. The College’s four conference wins came against four of the league’s bottom-five schools.

Daly’s squad still has tough road challenges against Northeastern and Old Dominion — both tied for second place — and CAA-favorite James Madison.

“We give ourselves a pat on the back, but we have to also make sure we’re not glossing over things,” Daly said. “We have some very tough games to go, and the teams we’ve beaten thus far have been in the bottom half of the conference. We can’t rest on our laurels; we’ve got to keep working hard.”

Before its five-game, season-closing road trip, the Tribe will come home to play Drexel — also tied for second in the conference — Friday and Delaware Sunday.