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Reves first to be buried in College cemetery since 1894

Wendy Reves will be the first person buried in the College’s cemetery near Blow Memorial Hall in over a century.

p. Although Reves died Tuesday, March 13 in France, her generous endowment to the College’s international studies program, which resulted in the creation of the Reves Center for International Studies, continues to impact the College.

p. A fashion model and art connoisseur with no prior ties to the College, Reves requested to be buried in the College’s cemetery, which has not been used since the death of former College president Benjamin S. Ewell in 1894.

p. “Reves was a true American original, a larger-than-life character who bestrode the worlds of fashion, art and politics with singular grace and style,” Vice Provost of International Affairs Mitchell Reiss said in an interview with the Virginia Gazette.

p. Reves had sought to memorialize her husband, Emery Reves, a prominent anti-Nazi advocate and writer, after his death in 1981.

p. After many million-dollar art donations, Reves finally found the perfect way to commemorate her husband’s life in 1987, with what she proudly referred to as “my building.” The $3 million donation, which allowed for the creation of the Reves Center, was made at the recommendation of a friend, as tribute to her husband. In doing so, she also rescued a historic building, the former Tyler Hall, from being torn down.

p. “Wendy Reves and her husband Emery inspired an international program at the College whose reach has almost equaled the esteem felt for its namesakes around the world. That is, as she would say, I think, among the greatest of her innumerable legacies. [The College] was beyond fortunate to have her friendship and will literally never forget her,” President Nichol said in a statement.

p. Reves spent the past 26 years working to preserve her husband’s memory through philanthropy with many other organizations as well, including the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the Dallas Museum of Art. James Bill, the Reves Center’s first director, remembered the benefactor as “magnetic, flamboyant and unforgettable.”

p. The College is currently talking to the friends of Reves and those in charge of her estate to finalize many of the details for her memorial service.

p. These arrangements were made during former College President Tim Sullivan’s time in office, as an exception to the standard rules because of Reves’ devotion to the College.

p. They do not indicate a new policy for burials in the campus cemetery.

p. “It is a small cemetery and it has few gravestones, including members of Ewell’s family and some faculty from the 1800s. We’ve certainly honored friends of the College in the past through a variety of forms such as memorial services, statues and plaques,” College spokesman Brian Whitson said.

p. In her efforts to honor her husband’s esteemed memory, Reves also made herself an intrinsic part of the College’s history through her donations and deep affection.

p. “Mrs. Reves’ support and friendship to the College has made sure that generations of [the College’s] students have the opportunities, education and experience they need to [become] leaders in a constantly changing world,” Whitson said.

Greek system protests blood drive

Because of a federal regulation that prohibits some gay men from donating blood, several sororities and fraternities at Iowa State University chose not to participate in a week-long, campus-wide blood drive.

p. According to reports from the Associated Press and The Des Moines Register, the protest caused a loss of between 400 and 500 donations from the largest student-run blood drive in Iowa.

p. The blood drive is part of Iowa State’s Greek Week, a series of philanthropy events and contests organized by the sororities and fraternities on campus. The protest began after Delta Lambda Phi, a fraternity for gay and bisexual men, objected to the blood drive because the Red Cross was unable to accept donations from some of the members.

p. The Red Cross’s reluctance to accept donations stems from federal legislation. In 1992, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines disallowed men who have had sex with other men since 1977 from donating blood. The FDA created the rule in order to keep the blood supply protected from HIV.

p. Traditionally, the blood drive receives a majority of its donations from sorority and fraternity members competing to see which organization could have the highest number of volunteers. Due to protests, Greek Week officials decided to end the competition.

p. “We don’t want to endorse events that don’t give equal opportunity to all of our members,” Iowa State senior Courtney Knupp, the general co-chairwoman to oversee Greek Week activities, told the Register.

p. Jennifer Plagman-Galvin, Iowa State’s Greek Affairs adviser, told the Register that the organizers ended the blood drive because some students cannot give blood due to medical history or religious affiliation.

p. Delta Lambda Phi praised the decision to end the competition between Greek organizations. No single fraternity or sorority expressed frustration with the decision, but members from several organizations spoke out against the protest.

p. By mid-week, Iowa State officials realized the effect that the protest was having on the blood drive. In 2006, the school received 713 usable units of blood and this March they only received 466.

p. This is not the first time the issue has occurred on a college campus. In 2005, the University of Maine’s student senate requested that all student organizations to stop participating in blood drives with the Red Cross.

p. While the American Red Cross did not oppose the 1992 regulations in the past, they have begun to protest more recently. In March, they lobbied the FDA to change the rule so that only men who had sex with other men in the past year are ineligible to give blood.

This week in Flat Hat History (March 23)

**1930**
The College established a policy allowing students a maximum of four unexcused absences for each class per semester.

p. After five skipped classes, students would be automatically dropped from the class roll. If losing a class left students with fewer then the required number of hours, they would have to withdraw from the College. Only deans and medical officers were allowed to excuse absences.

p. **1952**
The William and Mary Theatre group finished preparations for their production of “Thor, With Angels.” “Thor, With Angels,” a religious play, was the first completely student-run production in College history. The proceeds were to go toward religious emphasis week in the fall of 1952.

p. **1988**
The Office of Residence Life bumped 495 of the 3,009 students who had paid a $100 deposit to be entered into the housing lottery. This was an increase from the previous year when only 380 students were bumped, College officials reported.

p. The large size of the class of 1990 contributed to the high number of students bumped from the lottery.

p. **1985**
Two students assisted Campus and Williamsburg police in following and capturing two armed robbers. Two men participated in an armed robbery at the corner of Cary Street and Jamestown Road. They escaped onto new campus where they were soon arrested.

News in Brief (March 23)

**Dining hall changes go into effect**

p. Previously open until 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, the UC will now close at 8 p.m. Dining Services Director Phil DiBenedetto said that, on average, 40 students used the UC Center Court between 8 and 9 p.m. each day, and only 10 used it between the hours of 9 and 10 p.m.

p. To accommodate students who want to eat late, Dining Services will keep the Student Exchange open until 9 p.m. and offer a meal plan option.

p. __By Maxim Lott__

p. **College alum pleads on list to replace Gonzales**

James Comey, ’82, is one of three people deemed “confirmable” by Democratic U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer to possibly replace Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who may be fired for the mishandling of the firing of eight U.S. attorneys. Comey, who left the Justice Department in 2005, was former deputy attorney general Larry Thompson’s replacement.

p. __By Carl Siegmund__

By the Numbers (March 23)

**186 percent**
The increase in textbook prices since 1986, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office. Since 1986 the price of the average consumer good has risen just 72 percent, while the cost of college tuition and fees has gone up 240 percent.

p. **1150**
The average SAT score of Tribe athletes. The score has been increasing over the last few years, according to a Feb. 2006 College athletic report.

p. **23.5 minutes**
The average amount of face-to-face socializing time that a person gives up for one hour of internet use, according to a 2001 Stanford study on the effects of technology on social contact.

p. **91**
The number of times that Sacha Baron Cohen, as Borat, was stopped by police during the filming of his movie, according to online movie database imdb.com.

p. **$300,000**
The cost of renting the country of Liechtenstein for a night, according to the Times of London. The tiny, wealthy country participates in the “Rent a Village” project, which allows corporations to rent it for conventions.

High school uninvites Nichol

College President Gene Nichol was uninvited to speak at the commencement ceremony at Walsingham Academy, a local high school. According to the Daily Press, the invitation withdrawal was the result of the Wren cross controversy.

p. According to the Virginia Gazette, parents at Walsingham Academy protested Nichol’s invitation and pressured the school to rescind. The situation was further complicated because Nichol’s daughter is a member of the graduating senior class.

p. The Virginia Gazette reported that the school had preferred that Nichol withdraw himself, but that he did not and as a result, the school revoked the request.

p. Nichol addressed the issue in a letter to the editor of the Virginia Gazette March 7.

p. “Months ago, when the Wren cross issue became so controversial, I contacted Walsingham officials and offered to withdraw as commencement speaker. I was informed that, as a matter of principle, my offer would not be accepted. … Last week I was told that the invitation was now being withdrawn. I asked only that it be clearly explained that the school made the decision, not me. Such an explicit commitment was made. It was apparently breached as well,” Nichol wrote.

p. While some were opposed to the president speaking at Walsingham’s graduation ceremony, others thought it wrong to revoke his invitation.

p. “I don’t have a problem with him being the speaker. I think we’ve had a close association with William and Mary and a lot of help from them. … I think the cross issue is overblown. It’s about the students, and I think outside of this issue he is very respected in his role at the university,” Bill Athayde, a parent of three children who have gone through the Walsingham Academy, told the Virginia Gazette.

p. A replacement speaker has not been announced.

Professor receives grant

Physics professor Henry Krakauer was recently awarded a $500,000 grant to continue his research on piezoelectrics, according to a press release from Joe McClain.

p. “[Piezoelectrics are] materials that convert energy from one form to another,” McClain said. According to the press release, piezoelectrics are considered crucial in both military and civilian applications and their uses range from serving as transducers in naval sonar systems to medical uses and automobile parts.

p. The grant was given by the U.S. Department of Defense through the Office of Naval Research as part of the government’s multi-million dollar campaign to increase research of equipment. McClain said that the money will be used to buy and install a new computer cluster at the Center for Piezolelectrics by Design. The computer cluster will be used at the CPD to continue studying piezoelectrics and their applications.

p. According to the CPD’s website, www.cpd.wm.edu, it is a multi-institutional center funded by a grant from the Office of Naval Research that conducts “research into the theoretical prediction and experimental realization of new members of a unique class of materials.”

p. Because piezoelectrics have the ability to convert sound energy into electric energy, they are very useful in naval operations.

p. “Some of the immediate technological challenges being tackled at the CPD will result in increasing the performance, effectiveness and longevity of naval electronics,” McClain said.

p. “[Krakauer’s work] has generated more than $7 million in funding over the last five years for the College,” Dennis Manos, the College’s provost for research said.

p. This important research will continue to be influential as the CPD continues to search for better applications for piezoelectrics. “It will increase the CPD’s computing power tenfold,” McClain said.

Student Assembly Candidates

**President and Vice President**
Zach Pilchen and Valerie Hopkins
Brad Potter and Brett Phillips

p. **Class of 2010**

p. **President**
Ali Snell

p. **Vice President for Advocacy**
Roxanne Lepore

p. **Vice President for Social Affairs**
Alyssa Wallace
Matt Sullivan

p. **Secretary**
Laura Nelson
Robinson “Woody” Woodward

p. **Treasurer**
Andrew Noll
Sonam Shah

p. **Senator**
Ray Ciabattoni
David Cooper
Ryan Eickel
Divya Gongireddy
Sara Guruswamy
Khaleelah Jones
Wes Mabee
Steven Nelson
Sarah Rojas
Orlando Watson

p. **Class of 2009**

p. **President**
Kevin Dua

p. **Vice President for Advocacy**
Kristin Slawter

p. **Vice President for Social Affairs**
Kristen Seay

p. **Secretary**
No Candidates

p. **Treasurer**
Ashley Wheelock

p. **Senator**
Matt Beato
John Constance
Cliff Dunn
Walter McClean
Caroline Mullis
Sean Sheppard
Brian Story
Ellie Thomas

p. **Class of 2008**
President
Nick Faulkner
Daniel Izdiak

p. **Vice President for Advocacy**
Matt Brown
Ashley Slaff
Shariff Tanious

p. **Vice President for Social Affairs**
Patrick Donaldson
Bryan Jones

p. **Secretary**
Ashley Pinney

p. **Treasurer**
No Candidates

p. **Senator**
Will Angley
Gordon Auduong
Devan Barber
Larisa Gervasi
Joe Luppino-Esposito
Thom Silverstein
Matt Skibiak
Tiseme Zegeye

Married alumni strengthen bond in Iraq

Alyssa and Kris Waldhauser have been married over four years, but they have only lived together for six consecutive months. The couple, who met as students at the College, have both been deployed to Iraq. They say the experience has brought them closer together.

p. The couple graduated from the College in 2002. In an e-mail, Alyssa described herself as “any normal college student.” She performed in a comedy troupe and studied at Arizona’s Biosphere project during her sophomore year. Kris was a focused member of the college’s ROTC program where they met as members.

p. At the end of 2002, only months after graduating, it became apparent that Kris would be sent to Iraq. The couple married in Dec. 2002 in a ceremony officiated by a Justice of the Peace.

p. “Since I was getting close to completing my training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, we wanted to make sure we were legally married before I could get sent off to war,” Kris said.

p. Due to complications with troop deployment, Kris was not deployed to Iraq until March 2004. He then served as a platoon leader in the neighborhood of Alamel in Southwest Baghdad. The couple remained in contact through e-mail and infrequent phone calls.

p. While Kris served in Southern Baghdad, Alyssa spent her time in Iraq’s Al Anbar province. As a pilot and leader for Medical Evacuation, she assisted in carrying wounded Marines. During her experiences as a MEDEVAC pilot, Alyssa described seeing, “the worst of the worst.” She did not comment on any particular experiences.

p. Time spent anxiously worrying about each other did not tear their relationship apart. According to Alyssa, time spent in the military shaped their marriage. In the two years they were deployed in Iraq, Alyssa estimates that they “probably fought a total of four times.”

p. “When you are serving in a hostile nation at the same time as the person you love more than anything else in the world, and you know that every phone call or e-mail may be your last, you don’t have time to fight about the insignificant things,” Alyssa said.

p. In the past two years, both Kris and Alyssa have served two tours of duty in Iraq. Some of their service time overlapped, but one partner was often left at home. These periods created an understandable distance between them.

p. “Simply put, it is very easy to misunderstand and miscommunicate in that situation,” Kris said.

p. The couple has recently relocated outside of Fort Rucker, Alabama where Alyssa will be stationed. Kris currently works with the Alabama Army National Guard. Looking back on time spent in Iraq, the couple expressed mixed feelings about the war.

p. “I think the war on terror is real and should be pursued. How should it be pursued? Honestly, I don’t really know anymore,” Kris said.

p. Both expressed disagreement with a characterization of the war as “the spearhead of the war on terror.” While the motive behind the Iraq war might not have always seemed clear to the couple, they remain proud of their service.

p. “The Army and the Army experience has made us a force to be reckoned with. We are now more tenacious, belligerent and indestructible than we ever were before.” Alyssa said.

Religion committee moves past cross

The William and Mary Committee on Religion at a Public University convened Wednesday, March 21, at 1 p.m. in Blow Memorial Hall. The Subcommittee on Speakers opened the meeting and announced Erwin Chemerinsky, Duke University Law Professor, as the first in a series of committee-sponsored speakers. At 6 p.m. April 5, he will speak on “Why Church and State Should be Separate” in Millington Hall.

p. Co-chairs Alan Meese, Ball Professor of Law, and James Livingston, Professor Emeritus of Religion, discussed recent meetings between alumni and the committee. They reported on meetings with alumni in Chicago and the Board of the Alumni Association of the College. In February, the committee announced plans to meet with alumni from northern Virginia, Richmond and Chicago. The meeting in Richmond is scheduled for March 26, and the meeting in northern Virginia is scheduled for March 28 at Falls Church High School.

p. “The purpose is to inform alumni about the process the Committee employed before reaching its decision, the exact content of the recommendation and resulting policy promulgated by the President and the Board and the activities of the Committee going forward. We will, of course, be soliciting any feedback they might provide and fielding any questions they might have,” Meese said.

p. “At the meeting with the Board of the William and Mary Alumni Association, we were asked what alternatives we had considered, including whether we had considered as an alternative the policy that existed before the President had issued his new policy in October 2006. As I said at the March 21 meeting, we did not divulge the contents of the Committee’s deliberations,” he said.

p. Meese and Livingston summarized a previous discussion with Louise Kale, director of the historic campus, to determine the exact nature of the cross display. The meeting’s focus then shifted to conferring on such issues as providing alternative spaces for student worship and prayer. Meese spoke on the short and long-term mission of the group. He mentioned goals including coordinating talks for the community, examining the role of religion in a liberal arts college, discussing multi-culturalism and religious diversity and suggesting an essay contest on the role of religion in a public university. Livingston concurred and stated that the committee has an educational role to play.

p. Julie Galambush, associate professor of religious studies, brought up three facets of the group. She discussed the committee’s need to examine broad philosophical issues, such as the separation of church and state, to clean up the controversy generated by Nichol’s original decision about the Wren cross and to provide practical places of worship for students.

p. The next meetings for the William and Mary Committee on Religion at a Public University are scheduled for April 9 and 11.

p. __Sean Dalby contributed to this report.__