Home Blog Page 412

MCR student tickets on sale through Friday

By
-

Tickets are still available for the April 28 concert featuring popular alt-rock bands My Chemical Romance and Muse in Kaplan Arena at William and Mary Hall.

p. The concert is being sponsored by the University Center Activities Board in conjunction with the promotional company ArtShow Productions. Tickets are available to the general public through TicketMaster, but UCAB is offering special student tickets.

p. This week, however, is the final week to buy tickets at the current student price in the University Center. Tickets will continue to be sold throughout the week at the UCAB box office from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. daily. Floor tickets are sold out, but mezzanine seats are still available for $15 with a student ID. Only cash is accepted.

p. After Friday, students wishing to purchase tickets will have to do so at William and Mary Hall or through TicketMaster and will forfeit the reduced price. Tickets at the Hall will still be available at the student price; however, a service charge will be added. Through TicketMaster, the price will be $30.25, 25 cents of which goes to charity, plus an additional surcharge.

p. Tickets at William and Mary Hall will be on sale between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily.

p. UCAB Music Committee Chair Emmagene Worley, a senior, stressed the importance of a good turnout.

p. “This is a big step for William and Mary,” she said. “If the student body supports the concert by buying tickets then there’s the opportunity for bigger, better concerts in the future.”

p. Worley wants the turnout to show promotional companies that Williamsburg is a lucrative area for concerts, which would encourage companies such as ArtShow to work with UCAB again in the future.

p. “While My Chemical Romance may not be your favorite band, next time it could be,” Worley said. “We have to make a good first impression.”

p. Worley also encouraged fans of Muse to attend the show, even though they are listed as openers. “It’s not going to be a normal opening set — Muse will probably play longer than a normal opener, so it’s a good deal to go just for Muse,” she said. “Muse is currently touring the U.S., so even for Muse fans, this is huge.”

Charles Center offers summer scholarships

By
-

Every year, the Roy R. Charles Center awards numerous scholarships to students at the College. Thousands of dollars are just an application away, but time is running out — applications for the various scholarships are due March 20.

p. The Charles Center serves the College community by supporting interdisciplinary and honors programs, faculty development, student research and the Monroe scholar program. It is located in the basement of Tucker Hall and annually doles out funding for students who excel in their chosen fields of study and are looking to conduct research both on campus and abroad.

p. There are at least 13 scholarships available, mostly ranging
between $2,000 and $3,000 with a few reaching up to $9,000. Most applications require a two- to three-page proposal, a 750-word personal statement and a transcript.

p. According to Lisa Grimes, the director of fellowships and undergraduate research for the Charles Center, “The scholarships are funded by alumni and friends of the College, including the Christopher Wren Association.”

p. Should students seek advice, they can consult a Peer Scholarship Advisor. PSAs are typically former recipients of scholarships and are current students who are available to share their experience and offer pointers for applicants. PSAs also hold office hours and advise students not only on the scholarships they themselves utilized, but also for all scholarships provided by the Charles Center.

p. Grimes encouraged students to consider applying for the many opportunities funded by their scholarships. Much of the selection process is not need-based, so students should not be deterred from applying if they think financial qualification would preclude them.

p. Past scholarships have taken students overseas, furthered their studies in international affairs and provided for summer research in Williamsburg. Last year, sophomore Elizabeth Budrionis was awarded a 2006 Charles Center scholarship for summer research in the United States. She unearthed the history and secrets of the Peyton Randolph House in Colonial Williamsburg and compiled her results into a documentary film that debuted at the Kimball Theatre this past fall.

p. For more information, contact Grimes at lmgrim@wm.edu.

Pressures of academia force questions of intrinsic social worth

By
-

It took an ice cream sundae, homemade guacamole and chips, two hours of cuddling and a fitness class to get me to stop bawling last Friday. I had just completed my first test in biophysical chemistry, and my brain seemed to have melted and had started leaking out of my eyeballs. This was not pretty, “America’s Next Top Model” crying either; this was a snot-filled, hiccupping, ugly cry — and people saw me. How could they not? I was paralyzed on the edge of Barksdale Field, sitting outside my dorm, calling my boyfriend for reassurance and trying to breathe.

p. All of this nonsense over a test that may very well have no effect on my life whatsoever. In fact, I’m almost certain that after May of this year, I will never have to recall any of this information ever again and I certainly won’t be asked to manipulate it sans textbooks. Unless research is my career path (which I assure you, it is not), I can’t help but ask, what’s the point?

p. What’s the point of memorizing dates if you can get the general story right? What’s the point of memorizing act, scene and line numbers if you know the heart of the dramatic discourse? Are we waiting for the information apocalypse? Are the Canadians going to descend upon us sometime in the future and destroy all of our technology a la the Visigoths? And, if so, could anyone really tell me how to physically create a computer from scratch? Really.

p. Maybe that’s unfair. I maintain my firm values of academic curiosity and learning for the sake of self-improvement, but I have to cling to something as I drift aimlessly in the sea of midterms.

p. I understand the synthetic nature of tests and the value of internalizing material for application. The problem is that I also internalize the value system imbedded in the testing process. Friday afternoon at 2 p.m., there was no longer anything I could do about my grade; the test was in the hands of a higher (grading) power. All that was left was fear. And it took me three more hours to get over it — sort of.

p. As students, our fundamental responsibility in college is to learn and to be tested on our efforts in learning. If I fail at this simple definition of student, what does that make my experience here? My only job (for the sake of argument) is to do well in school for four years, and I can’t manage it. This, friends, was my mode of thinking; I was deeply unhinged.

p. Turns out that nobody other than admissions officials at other academic institutions will ask about your GPA, and then, of course, you get a second chance with graduate school (which almost guarantees that thereafter nobody asks what your undergraduate experience was anyway). This prospect seems a little grim. I don’t want to just muscle through my classes here. I like them and I respect (okay, idolize) my professors.

p. There’s the value system again. I want to be liked; I think everybody does. I imagine it’s hard for a professor to like a student who isn’t trying, but how can professors get a good sense of how hard a student is trying without tests? Now it’s not simply my personal worth as a student that comes into question, but my inherent desire to be a well-liked person that has me freaked out. That’s a lot of pressure — fail and you are not only an unworthy student, but you lose standing in the eyes of those judging you. Tough crowd.

p. For all outward purposes, academic success is not necessarily coupled with great grades. As far as I can tell, it’s about pursuing passions and expanding one’s mind in order to understand events and information later on, whether in a career or otherwise. Grades do not add up or average out to an intrinsic social worth, though I can’t break myself of my investment in the system.

p. Whether or not I continue to make myself crazy for what I consider (at times of clarity) meaningless evaluations, I can say with confidence that there is so much more to being here than grades. Feel lucky enough to have friends to cry to, to take you out or to watch a movie with you. The performances and experiences outside the classroom are character builders, not GPA boosters. Put effort into your work here because you want to, because you like it or, for everyone else’s sake, because classes are so much more fun when students are engaged and excited about the material. Besides, in a week, we’ll have some time to forget our academic failings for a while.

p. __Charlotte Savino is a Confusion Corner columnist for The Flat Hat. She kinda has a thing for some (read: all) of her professors.__

Recommendation by the Religion Committee on the Wren cross

By
-

The full text of the statement from the Committee on Religion in a Public University is reproduced below:

“The Wren Chapel cross shall be returned for permanent display in the chapel in a glass case. The case shall be located in a prominent, visible place, accompanied by a plaque explaining the College’s Anglican roots and its historic connection to Bruton Parish Church. The Wren sacristy shall be available to house sacred objects of any religious tradition for use in worship and devotion by members of the College community.”

Cross to be permanently displayed in Wren Chapel

By
-

p. The Committee on Religion in a Public University made a unanimous recommendation today to the Board of Visitors and College President Gene Nichol to return the cross to Wren Chapel permanently. The cross will be displayed in a glass case “in a prominent, readily visible place” with a plaque commemorating its history and explaining the College’s Anglican roots. The case will not be placed on the altar.

p. The cross can be displayed at the altar at the request of an individual but cannot be removed from the chapel upon request.
Nichol welcomed the decision.

p. “There has been a tremendous strain in our community over this issue,” Nichol said. “This might not be exactly the way I would approach it, but I think it is an approach which makes progress and honors the traditions of the College and the aspirations of its future, so it is one that I am happy with.”

p. Committee co-Chairs Alan Meese and James Livingston issued a joint public statement about their decision.

p. “We knew our short-term mission was to come up with a proposal that would allow this college to come together and move forward as a community. We are confident this recommendation accomplishes that goal. We now look forward to examining the broader question of the role of religion at a public university,” the statement read.

p. This is similar to a policy at the University of Virginia.
When asked about a $12 million donation to the College that was recently rescinded because the donor was unhappy with Nichol’s decision regarding the cross, Nichol said he plans to work to regain lost support.

p. “It is my charge and obligation to work hard to reach out and to create an environment and heal our relationships with all our alumni,” he said.

p. Senior Kate Perkins, a member of the Committee on Religion in a Public University, said she was surprised by the quick decision of the committee, which came after its second official meeting.
Both Perkins — a member of Our Campus United, a group that opposes the political nature of the controversy — and Meese, who said he disagreed with Nichol’s policy from the beginning, said they were pleased with the compromise. The unanimous decision came during a private deliberation after yesterday’s open meeting of the committee.

p. Meese said he didn’t think an open discussion on the cross could have occurred “in the public eye.”

p. “It was a very full and frank discussion yesterday,” he said. “These issues … touch upon very deeply held beliefs, very well-considered opinions.”

p. The most vocal groups on both sides of the issue have embraced the decision, signaling a possible end to a nationally debated controversy.

p. SavetheWrenCross.org released a statement praising the committee for coming to the swift decision that the cross should be returned to the chapel.

p. “We believe that the Religion Committee has acted in tremendously good faith and with the best interests of William and Mary uppermost in their minds,” the statement reads. “We resolve further to remain engaged in the future life of the College, especially in matters relating to protecting and celebrating its heritage.”

p. Our Campus United, a group that sought a quieter discussion of the issue and criticized SavetheWrenCross.org for using the controversy for political gain, issued a statement of full support for the decision that urged SavetheWrenCross.org to also accept the compromise.

p. “The kind of bold-faced negative attacks that have been leveled against President Nichol, his family and William and Mary serve only to degrade and debase an important discussion,” the statement reads. “The behavior of these politically-motivated activists has been shameful, and I hope they can move on and accept the William and Mary community’s forgiveness.”

p. The full text of the statement from the Committee on Religion in a Public University is reproduced below:

p. “The Wren Chapel cross shall be returned for permanent display in the chapel in a glass case. The case shall be located in a prominent, visible place, accompanied by a plaque explaining the College’s Anglican roots and its historic connection to Bruton Parish Church. The Wren sacristy shall be available to house sacred objects of any religious tradition for use in worship and devotion by members of the College community.”

Game over

By
-

A 40-foot heave by Georgia State University’s Leonard Mendez ended the Tribe’s season Friday in the first round of the CAA Tournament in Richmond. The 68-70 defeat drops the College to 15-15 overall for the season and their all-time CAA tournament record to 3-22.

p. “I saw the clock with one second and threw it up towards the rim,” Mendez said. “I gave it a heave. I didn’t know if it was on target.”

p. His buzzer-beating shot, however, touched nothing but net and allowed the Panthers to escape with a victory after a furious comeback attempt by the College. Trailing by 10 at halftime and by as many as 13 in the second half, the Tribe rallied three times in the second to trim double-digit leads down to workable margins.

p. Two free throws from sophomore Alex Smith with one minute, 17 seconds remaining cut the Panthers’ lead to seven. A missed free throw gave the Tribe the ball back with 55 seconds remaining and junior Nathan Mann drilled a long three-pointer from the wing to close the gap to four. With 42 seconds left, Georgia State’s Ron Larris connected on one of two free throws and kept the door open for the College.

p. The Tribe got the ball to Mann, who created his own shot at the top of the key and drained the three-pointer, bringing the College within two with 25.3 seconds left. After another Tribe foul, Georgia State’s Ryan McBride stepped to the free throw line and missed, allowing Adam Payton to grab a rebound and dribble down the court.

p. A solid screen from Smith freed Payton, who took off down the lane with his left hand and kissed the ball off the glass for a layup. Payton was fouled on the shot and he knocked down the free throw to put the Tribe ahead by one with 4.7 seconds left.

p. Enter Mendez. Georgia State Head Coach Michael Perry drew a play up to get Mendez the ball for the final shot. Although Mendez lost control of his dribble after passing midcourt, he regained possession in time to release his game-winning shot.

p. “It looked like it was good from the minute it left his hand,” Head Coach Tony Shaver said.

p. Mendez’s last-second heroics were worthy of the lead segment on ESPN’s SportsCenter 6 p.m. telecast Friday.

p. Many of the Panthers’ shots were good Friday, as they connected on 11 of 19 three-pointers, including seven of nine in the second half. Four Georgia State players reached double figures, including Mendez, who led his team with 17 points, while his teammate McBride scored 14 points, hitting four second half three-pointers.

p. Payton’s 15 second-half points kept the Tribe in the game as he finished his career with a 19-point, six-rebound and three-steal outing in 37 minutes.

p. “I think Adam Payton carried the team on his back,” Shaver said.

p. “I don’t think I’ve seen a team with this will to win. The will to win was incredible in the huddle in the second half.”

p. This desire ignited the offense, as the College erupted for 49 second-half points while shooting 60 percent from the floor. Three players joined Payton in double figures – Mann with 12, Smith with 10 and junior Laimis Kisielius with 13.

p. “We had a good season,” Kisielius said. “You always remember the losses, especially if it ends this way.”

Historic season brings promise to men’s hoops

By
-

At the beginning of the 2006-2007 Tribe men’s basketball season, I predicted a double-digit win total. Nevertheless, deep down I did not expect 15, including eight CAA victories. As an impartial, objective observer of the program (I try), I still harbored hopes of a winning season filled with upsets, but it seemed unlikely after three consecutive seasons of 20 or more losses.

p. It all started in December with the Tribe Tip-Off Classic, which the College won after a thrilling comeback against Cornell University in the championship game. The Tribe went 6-1 in December, with a seven-game winning streak pushing its record to 10-4. The streak included an eye-opening CAA road victory over George Mason University that helped the College improve to 3-1 in conference play. CAA regular-season champion Virginia Commonwealth University ended its winning steak and the Tribe lost five straight, falling to 3-6 in the conference. Suddenly, it seemed like this season would be eerily similar to the past three.

p. The College alternated wins and losses until a Feb. 7 victory over James Madison University got the Tribe rolling again. A week later, the College earned its biggest victory in years as they defeated Drexel University 60-47 in a game that they controlled from start to finish. This was a Drexel team that had beaten two major Big East Conference teams — Villanova University and Syracuse University. It was as if the Tribe had turned the corner, and at 15-11 a winning season seemed reachable.

p. Down the stretch, the College’s offense sputtered. In three of its last four games – all losses – the Tribe managed only 13, 17 and 19 first-half points, respectively. These poor first halves left the College with big deficits but, unlike teams in the past, this year’s outfit always battled back. In the second half at Drexel, the Tribe cut a 25-point deficit to seven. Friday, against Georgia State University in the second half, the College fought back time after time and eventually took the lead, only to see the season come to an end on a desperation shot at the buzzer. The season ended too early for the Tribe.

p. I made the quick trip to Richmond Friday afternoon for the Tribe’s first-round game against the aforementioned GSU Panthers. I watched Adam Payton take over the game and push his team into the lead. I saw Payton fall to the floor in dismay at the end of the game. I knew he deserved better. Head Coach Tony Shaver thought his team deserved better. But this season was not in vain.

p. This season was historic. The 15 wins mark only the fifth time in the 102-year history of Tribe basketball that a team has won at least 15 games. It signaled the arrival of a new breed of basketball here at the College, and while it may not evolve into a championship caliber program, it will become competitive. Players and coaches from around the league are already taking notice of the Tribe’s transformation.

p. After his team held off the Tribe for a victory, Old Dominion University Head Coach Blaine Taylor noted that the College had become “more consistently competitive.” ODU senior Drew Williamson echoed his coach’s sentiments, saying, “they compete with everybody night in and out.” Moreover, Drexel Head Coach Bruiser Flint – after his team lost at Kaplan Arena – remarked, “They outplayed us in all aspects. They out-toughed us out there.”

p. Clearly, the College has improved. Coach Shaver knows the program made great strides this year, but I trust he does not want it to end here. I do not think he came here to settle for .500 seasons.

p. After all, he did say, “we hope to make another step next year.”

p. So too does this objective observer.

Mason grabs series victory

By
-

The Tribe faced off against George Mason University this past weekend, looking to extend its four-game winning streak against the Patriots. After earning a solid 21-11 victory in the first game of the series, the College was defeated 5-11 and 9-10 in the last two games.

p. The Tribe pushed its winning streak to five in the first game of the series against GMU. With 24 hits against 13 for GMU, it was a clear victory for the College. Junior designated hitter Tim Park, senior third baseman Greg Sexton, sophomore first baseman Mike Sheridan, sophomore rightfielder Ben Guez and sophomore leftfielder

p. Robbie Nickle all scored three runs, and junior centerfielder Paul Juliano, senior second baseman Brent McWhorter and sophomore catcher Jeff Wera all finished with two. Freshman Max Axelrod earned his first career win in relief.

p. McWhorter began Tribe scoring in the top of the first with a double down the left field line, scoring after a Sexton single. The College did not score again until Nickle homered in the fourth. By the top of the fifth inning, GMU was holding the game at 9-2, but the Tribe responded by scoring four runs. In the sixth, the Tribe grasped the lead and held it for the rest of the game with a six-run inning. After a scoreless seventh for both teams, the Tribe dominated the eighth inning, scoring eight runs. Both teams scored one more run for a final score of 21-11.

p. In the second contest, the Patriots held exclusive control of the game until the eighth inning. GMU came out strong, scoring nine runs in the first two innings. Starting pitcher Kevin Landry (1-2) recorded the loss. The College got on the board in the eighth as junior designated hitter Aaron Hurwitz started off with a double down the left field line, advancing sophomore shortstop Lanny Stanfield — who had walked earlier — to third. Stanfield scored as Juliano flied out.

p. Sophomore Brett Conner, pinch hitting for Park, singled to advance Hurwitz, and a fly from McWhorter scored Hurwitz. Sophomore James Williamson pinch ran for Conner and scored on a Sexton double. The Tribe finished with three runs, and though they scored two more in the ninth, it wasn’t enough to take the win.

p. The last game of the series was a close contest with several ties and lead changes. Park began Tribe scoring in the first with a home run to left field. GMU tied it up in the bottom of the fourth at 8-8, and the two teams were knotted until the top of the seventh, when junior designated hitter Greg Maliniak walked. Sophomore Jeff Jones, pinch running for Maliniak, scored to give the Tribe a 9-8 lead, but the surrender of two runs in the last two innings was too much for the Tribe to overcome.

p. A GMU home run in the bottom of the eighth tied up the game again at 9-9. Unable to score in the top of the ninth, the Tribe allowed the Patriots to score one in the bottom of the ninth, ending the game in a 9-10 loss.

p. The College hosts the University of Richmond for a 3 p.m. game today and welcomes Northeastern University for a three-game series this weekend at Plumeri Park. The Tribe will have a busy spring break schedule, traveling to Washington, D.C. to take on George Washington University next Tuesday, returning home to host Iona University next Wednesday and playing Towson University in a three-game home series March 16-18.

Women set win record, go to 9-0

By
-

The women’s tennis team traveled to Boston this weekend to play two top-ranked opponents, Harvard University and Northwestern University. Due to inclement weather conditions in Chicago, the Northwestern Wildcats were unable to make the trip to Boston to challenge the Tribe. Still, the 10th-ranked Tribe defeated Harvard, 6-1, setting a school record of nine consecutive victories.

p. The Harvard Crimson is the sixth ranked team the College has defeated this season. The Crimson were 0-6 going into the match, having played all ranked opponents thus far in their season.

p. The Tribe won the first and third doubles matches. Senior Megan Moulton-Levy and sophomore Katarina Zoricic, the no. 1-ranked doubles team in the country, represented the Tribe for their 19th straight win, 8-2. Freshman duo Lauren Sabacinski and Carmen Pop beat Julia Forgie and Vilsa Curto, 8-2.

p. In the singles matches, all but one went to the Tribe. Senior Moulton-Levy beat 56th-ranked Beier Ko in the first two sets, 6-4, 6-1. Katarina Zoricic, ranked 51st in the nation, was defeated by Harvard’s Lena Litvak at the second position. The match was very close with three very trying sets; the final score was 7-6, 4-6, 10-5.

p. At the third spot, Ragini Acharya beat Harvard’s Preethi Mukundan, 6-1, 6-1. This was Acharya’s 13th-straight victory. Sophomore Barbara Zidek beat Elizabeth Brooke for the fourth spot, 7-5, 6-2. Sabacinski and Pop defeated both of their opponents for the fifth and sixth positions. This was Sabacinski’s first victory at the fifth position and her 16th of the season.

p. The Tribe will look to break new records as they travel to Colorado for spring break where they will face the University of Denver and the U.S. Air Force Academy.

2007 CAA Women’s Basketball Championship Bracket

By
-

1...411412413...456Page 412 of 456
© 1911-Present. The Flat Hat. All Rights Reserved.