During the annual Stompfest competition Saturday night, participants from different Virginia schools competed for a $1,000 prize. Along with members of the College’s greek community, teams from Virginia Tech and Virginia Commonwealth University also competed. The event was sponsored by the William and Mary Black Student Organization.

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Sustainability is certainly the new catch-word on campus. With initiatives taken both by Dining Services for future composting and by professors who have students submit work via e-mail or Blackboard, the College of William and Mary is becoming fluent in modern, environmentally friendly lingo. The Office of Residence Life has also followed suit with a new special interest housing option — the Eco-House.

“We’re trying to find ways to make dorm living more sustainable and to share what we learn with the rest of campus,” Lauren Edmonds ’11, the founder of the Eco-House, said.

Located in the basement of Landrum Hall, the Eco-House is home to 20 females and eight males. Students who live in the Eco-House abide by a mission statement, which says that they aim “to practice environmentally sustainable living while serving as a model for the campus and the wider community, and also to serve as a testing ground for sustainability proposals directed at residential life on campus.”

Before succeeding last year, Edmonds and other students had tried to get approval from Res Life several times.

“Another student suggested [the idea of an Eco-House] two years ago, and it sounded like a really good idea,” Edmonds said. “Not only was the idea of an environmentally dedicated dorm appealing, I really liked the idea of a community of students working on sustainability together. I started working on the proposal with a group of other students, and after we were turned down the first time, some other students and I kept working on it.”

Since their success, the residents of the Eco-House have been working hard to make their presence known at the College. According to Edmonds, the residents have hosted a movie screening of “Who Killed the Electric Car,” hosted a public open house on Family Weekend, and took students on a camping trip to Chippokes State Park in Surry.

This Thursday, in collaboration with the Student Environmental Action Coalition, Eco-House residents will be hosting a panel of professors to discuss climate change legislation in the U.S. Congress.

“Right now we’re working on putting together a Sustainable Thanksgiving Dinner event to take place the week before we leave for break,” Sarah Sanford ’12, a resident in the Eco-House, said.

These 28 students were chosen from an application process last spring.

“The process is really not that difficult,” Luke Pickett ’11, a resident in the Eco-House, said. “I just had to sign my name to the form, pay the deposit for living in the house, and promise to take an environmental course each semester that I live here. As an environmental policy major, that’s not hard to do.”

Students accepted to live in the Eco-House are able to enjoy a wide range of activities and sustainable living patterns. Recently, the residents hosted their own hall potluck dinner and a canoe trip to Lake Matoaka. They plan to soon install an energy meter on the floor and hope to initiate a composting program. Residents are also encouraged to work toward a sustainable lifestyle on their own.

“[For Fall Fest during Homecoming] I cooked a special desert known as Sa Num Ma Kim — it’s Burmese — for the bake sale, which is to benefit SEAC, and worked with a group of committed individuals to clean all salvageable recyclable bottles and paper from Zable Stadium after Saturday’s game,” Pickett said. “It’s an epic job, I tell ya, but I’m grateful that the Tribe side of the bleachers left a fraction of the recyclables strewn about as they did last year.”

For John Kirn ’12, life as the resident assistant of the Eco-House has been a memorable experience.
“As the RA, I see it as my job to help and create a community environment that supports residents in their personal sustainability practices and allows them to share creative ideas that can help everyone be more green,” Kirn said. “The Eco-House is in its first year, so everything we do is a new and novel action. We have little recorded precedent to build off of, but that makes it all the more interesting, as we can forge our own path to a sustainable William and Mary.”

But despite the admirable practices that the residents have adapted to their lifestyles, the Eco-House has not been forgotten in other students’ jokes. To Kirn, these jokes are offensive.

“On numerous occasions I have heard people walk by and say [laughing], ‘Yeah, they don’t take showers,’ which is totally incorrect and stereotypical,” Kirn said. “Eco-House residents don’t abstain from showering, many of us simply take more efficient showers. We can’t see in the dark either, we simply turn the lights out when we are not present or are asleep. What easier way is there to help the College save money in these hard economic times?”

No matter the jokes, the Eco-House and its residents have become a noteworthy part of the College’s community. To them, however, living in sustainable special housing has the perks of any other dormitory.
“It’s been awesome not just to work on projects with these people, but to just hang out,” Sanford said. “It’s like a freshman hall.”

__Dana Taylor, a vibrant and colorful girl with an extremely loud laugh wears at least six earrings at one time — none of which match — and an array of unique necklaces. Her eclectic and carefree style jive with her love of life and diverse interests which range from sustainability and food issues to Usher’s new song, “This Ain’t Sex.” Here on campus, Dana is working toward sustainability as a vital member of the Student Environmental Action Coalition and Real Food Williamsburg. This campus group works to bring sustainable food culture to Williamsburg. As we sit under the big tree in front of Jefferson Hall, Dana fills me in on her no-retail vow and why students at the College of William and Mary need to step up the volume, and the joys of dreaded hair.__

*First, can you tell me a little bit about your background and what you’re studying here?*

My background: born and raised in good old Manassas, Virginny. Lived in the same house with my same family for 18 years, and then I came here. I have an older brother who just got married in January. He and I are close, but he’s up in Maryland doing the whole job thing. And I am an anthropology major and an environmental science and policy minor.

*Why’d you choose to come to the College?*

Well, because of the trees. Really, I toured other campuses, not many, but this one just spoke to me. I’m glad we got a spot under this big tree.

*Do you have a dream job?*

Dream job? Yeah. The World Food Program the United Nations does. Not only do they do disaster relief in the food area, but they also do long-term sustainable food engineering and logistics and implementation of their plan. And that’s worldwide obviously; somewhere I’d really like to get involved because I think I’d be an asset on the groundwork for implementation.

*What’s an attitude shift you think students at the Collge would benefit from?*

Well, I’ve been trying to change my attitude, and I’m doing a pretty good job right now; just like being direct. “Be direct,” I find myself telling people that a lot, if they’re debating about whether or not to tell people something or not, like “How should I say this?” I’m like “Dude, be direct.” And it’s been working out well for me.

*What are you busy with this semester?*

Real Food, [I] teach class at the Rec, live in a house — it’s work, that’s why they have people who take care of dorms. I have schoolwork, too; I’m doing an environmental study on policies regarding least turn populations in the bay area. I did fieldwork over the summer for it.

*What got you interested in the issue of food and sustainability?*

Well, the people that I have been hanging out with and the fact it emerged as an issue in SEAC. I started learning about it through peers, then I started taking classes, and I was like, “Man, this is my jam.” So I started doing Real Food.

*What do you think people should start being aware of in terms of food consumption and sustainability?*

We’re fine right now, we’re not suffering noticeably, but we’re in a bubble, a safety net here; the people here and the socioeconomic class, because most of us have money, and it’s a privilege to be here. You can’t blame people for it, but it’s hard to raise awareness about that, and it’s hard to put yourself outside of what you know.

*What is your favorite weekend activity?*

My best weekends always involve dancing, and there really hasn’t been enough of that lately. That’s why I’m really excited this weekend for the dance event and the step show; and there are a lot of parties to start dance parties at.

*What kinds of dancing are you into?*

I’m open to all dances. I mean, whatever. Whatever dance the most people are willing to do; whenever there’s music that makes people move, it’s the best when everyone’s doing it.

*What kinds of tunes are best to dance to at the moment?*

We just started Syndicate routines, so right now my repeat song is “This Ain’t Sex” by Usher [Laughs].

*You also teach classes at the Rec?*

True life. I teach Zumba right now. I mean I started out going to the Rec, I always went to the hip-hop class, and it was always really fun. Hip-hop with Crystal was my solid once-a-week-class. I came every time, and she told me I should try out to be an instructor, so I was like, “Hey. Good idea.” So I did, and I got it and taught hip-hop, branched out and taught cardio-dance, and then branched out some more and got Zumba-certified. I’ve learned some sweet salsa moves and reggaeton and merengue.

*You have a colorful and eclectic bunch of jewelry on. Tell me about your style.*

I made a vow last November to not purchase retail. I declared that I would not buy retail anymore unless it’s something I really need or is worn out. I’ll check the thrift store first, and if they don’t have it and I still need it, I’ll buy it somewhere else. A) It saves money; B) I got sick of shopping; and C) I didn’t want to participate in the consumerist mass herding of going to the shopping mall as a pastime. It’s just a challenge, and trading clothes with your friends is great.

*What’s your favorite article of clothing?*

It’s a skirt; 100 percent cotton, but it’s got a couple layers. It’s black and dark blue, and my mom passed it off to me. The best part about it is that it’s really twirly.

*You had dreads for a while. What was that like?*

It was really fun. My roommate from last year had them freshman year, and she wanted them back; so I just kind of felt like doing something crazy, and she encouraged me. So I encouraged her, and we did dreads. It was a great bonding time, and it was definitely fun and got us through the semester.

*What word do you think best captures your essence?*

First one that came to mind was loud [Laughs]. I just feel loud. I walk around and say hey to people and realize that I’m louder than I should be given the situation. Like there might be a meeting here, and I’ll be like, “Hey.” I laugh really loud, I just feel really loud.

__Nearing the end of the interview, I spot Dana’s patterned, vintage sunglasses among her books on the table. When I tell her how cool I think they are, she tells me she found them in a box belonging to a great aunt. Upon her encouragement I try them on, and Dana loudly yells, “Case in point, girl, get it. Those look so good.” Dana Taylor just wants you to keep it spicy, and keep it loud.__

Studying a language can be a difficult task when the only place to practice is inside the classroom. While the College of William and Mary does offer many study abroad programs that focus on language, it also offers an alternative much closer to home. Instead of going abroad, students can practice their language skills with native speakers who act as language house tutors.

Each of the eight specialized language houses occupies an individual floor in Giles Pleasants or Preston Halls in the Randolph Complex.

The tutors, one for each language, provide a valuable resource for students living in the house and for students studying the language by planning activities and providing educational individual tutoring.

“I have conversation hours, movie nights, tutoring hours and dance classes,” Spanish House tutor Alicia Fernandez said.

The tutors provide students with many opportunities to practice their language first hand while interacting with other students. Additionally, the tutors also educate students on the culture of their language.

“They are a valuable resource,” Jasmin Harper ’13 said. “They are native speakers so they are useful for questions about the language and also about getting insight into their culture.”

Language House tutors are chosen through a variety of programs. Arabic House tutor Randa Tawfiq was invited to the College through the Fulbright Scholar Program.

“My professor was a Fulbright scholar, too,” Tawfiq said. “He showed me the ad in the newspaper. I had the things they required. They interviewed me and gave me the grant.”

Once Tawfiq was selected, her application was sent to universities in the United States. Tawfiq and other students accepted to the Fulbright Scholar Program do not apply to specific universities. Instead, they are chosen by a university.

“They ask you in your application where you prefer to live, but I didn’t write down anything,” Tawfiq said. “I hadn’t heard of William and Mary before, but I looked it up on the internet, and everyone told me that I was lucky to go there.”

Fernandez was selected to be a language tutor through an offer from her summer job where she taught English to Spanish speakers.

“I found out about the job through the company I worked for, MundoLengua,” Fernandez said. “A lot of foreign students go to learn Spanish through this program in Spain for about five weeks during the summer, or for a semester during the year.”

Through MundoLengua, students from the College study abroad in Seville for a semester or in Cadiz for a summer. As an aspiring teacher, coming to the United States to teach students Spanish is a step in the right direction for Fernandez.

“My goal is to be either a Spanish teacher or an English teacher,” Fernandez said. “This is a stress-free job. I like teaching, so I like helping people with languages.”

In the Spanish House, the language tutors alternate between dialects from Mexico, Argentina and Spain, since the College offers study abroad programs in each country.

Tristan Sardelis ’10, a resident of the Spanish House, applied last spring to live in the house.
“I am a Hispanic studies major, and I just came back from studying abroad in Seville,” Tristan Sardelis ’10 said. “I wanted a way to keep up with the language.”

As a prospective French major, Harper agrees that living in the language house and having more frequent access to the language tutor can benefit learning and language fluency.

“I am considering living in the language house sophomore or junior year because I want to major in French,” Harper said. “I would be surrounded by people that have a similar interest, and I would have the opportunity to speak French to people in my hall whenever I felt like it.”

In order to inform students who do not live in the language houses about activities, tutors post on the bulletin boards in Washington Hall and tell language professors about their activities.

“I created a Facebook group,” Tawfiq said. “I send schedules each month to all of the Arabic professors if I have an activity.”

On top of their responsibilities as language house tutors, they are also enrolled in one or two classes each semester.

“We are not students or faculty, we are in between,” Tawfiq said. “My favorite part of the job is interacting with students and learning about their culture.”

Fernandez agrees that working as a language tutor at the College has allowed her to meet many new people from a wide variety of backgrounds and cultures.

“It is a great experience,” Fernandez said. “I think everyone should do this once in their life. I am trying to get everything I can out of this experience while I am here.”

When it comes to sex, having an open mind is just as important as having open legs. This not only applies to how you do the tango under the sheets but also with whom. Everyone who breathes longs to moan, and everyone who thinks has dirty fantasies. This means that the world is your sexual oyster — slippery, slimy and so deliciously good.

The only factor limiting with whom you exchange bodily fluids is you. Just because I am a straight, 21-year-old white female doesn’t mean my undercover lover has to be a straight, white male within a year of my age.

Social convention and habit close our eyes to the possibilities around us. The horizontal mambo can be done in a near infinite number of ways. None of them require heterogeneity of the partners, yet many of us feel restricted. Therefore, I thought we could go through a number of lusty situations and dispel the myths associated with them.

First, and most obviously, it must be noted that none of this applies to relatives, people under 18 years of age and non-consensual partners.

Age gaps are a good place to start, especially in college. This match-up tends to be rare because people generally hang out with others their own age. However, there is no good reason why people over 18 shouldn’t be together. With the rise of cougars and the iconic status of men like Hugh Hefner, sex with much older, or younger, individuals is on the rise. As far as I’m concerned it is a win-win: An older person teaches the younger person the tricks of the trade, and in return gets to hook up with someone with a firmer body and youthful zeal.

Engaging in the lust and thrust with someone of a different race or ethnicity can also be very rewarding. The mingling of different skin colors and body features is sexy as hell. This pairing is often discouraged by cultural pressure, but there is no reason that black women have to be only with black men. No group has a claim over their members’ members.

People tend to shy away from hookups with others of different sexual orientations or fetishes. An easy way to overcome this aversion is to pursue anyone who may be interested. Remember that regardless of your race or who you’ve hooked up with before, they can be into you.

Ironically the most common grouping is the one that presents the most difficulties: dissimilar body types. When you’re playing doctor with someone considerably taller or shorter, larger or smaller, problems often arise. Getting down can take some effort, and some positions may not work. As with all of the differences in this column, these can be overcome. My best tip: Search the internet. When it comes to sex advice, there is no better source.

As a linguistics major, my favorite incongruity is the language gap. Luring a mate who doesn’t speak English well — or at all — can be a bit of an obstacle. But I assure you, foreign tongues can be incredibly sensual. Hips don’t lie in any language — pelvic yearnings are universal.

There are many other differences that may arise when picking a mate: political ideologies, intelligence, religion, etc. But when it comes down to it, we’re all the same. We all just want some good, good loving. So stop setting up roadblocks and embrace free love. You will be happier for it.

__Maya Horowitz is the Flat Hat sex columnist. She would love to study abroad someday.__