__At our Daily Grind coffee date, I quickly find that Richard Walsh’s animated handshake and bright orange polo shirt match his equally vibrant presence and personality. With charming social graces and a personable character, I can’t help but love talking and laughing with this senior about the role of humor in his life and why he loves the College of William and Mary so much. A fraternity man, three-year AMP member and fan of the Green Leafe Cafe, Richard is a great representation of the enthusiasm and dedication of the College’s student body.__

*You interviewed prospective students this summer for an internship at the College’s Admission’s Office and asked a lot of students what three adjectives they would use to describe themselves. What would your three be?*

Probably not “decisive.” I’ve got to work on that [laughs]. I would say “kind;” I think it’s always important to be kind to others. I would say “concerned;” whenever I hear about something that’s not right or something that could be better, especially if it’s something that I’m involved in, I want to do my part and do my best to help it. “Kind,” “concerned” and “diligent,” I would say.

*What news source do you most rely on?*

I like the newspaper. I also find myself going on CNN.com because that’s the way I can get most news quick. One of my big goals for the year is reading the news more often and being a more informed citizen. I’m very tempted to go to CNN and read an article about a flying squirrel, and I’m like no, read an article about gang violence or health care. I like the idea of having a physical newspaper though; I’ve always been a Washington Post kid, growing up.

*How do you feel about Jon Stewart ’84 and Stephen Colbert?*

I love them. I don’t like that everyone’s all excited about Jon Stewart when he doesn’t really like William and Mary because that’s really unfortunate, but I think Colbert’s satirical approach to the news is so funny. There was an issue of Newsweek recently that Colbert stepped in and was the news editor for, and it was hilarious. On the front cover there was a picture of him with a shaved head with “Iraq” on the side.

*What sense of humor do you most appreciate?*

I feel like satirical humor, like Amy and David Sedaris. I don’t know if you remember Kelly Quinn ’09, but she is one of my favorite people, and I love Seventh Grade Sketch Comedy’s shows. I love that silly and out-there humor.

*Who is your favorite comedian?*

I love Tina Fey. I absolutely love Tina Fey. I think that she’s awesome, and I respect her for being a great actress and the role of being a good comedian, but also for writing.

*Do you have a favorite word?*

I love the color orange and the word “orange” is pretty cool since nothing rhymes with it. I love the movie “Mean Girls” and the character Damien when one of the girls asks how to spell orange. I think it’s hysterical.

*Who is your favorite author?*

I think this is kind of a trite answer, but I like Mark Twain a lot, especially since I learned more about his life in a literature class I took here called Romance of the Road. I love just how Mark Twain was just his writing name and how he was so clever and so perceptive of what was really going on in the world at such an interesting time. And how he wrote “Huck Finn” and the big implications of it. I really admire people who ,broke the mold and who through amazing works of literature, were able to communicate their real opinions and thoughts about it at a time when it wasn’t socially acceptable.

*What are your feelings on dance parties? Fun or too sweaty?*

I think you have to make a commitment to be sweaty to enjoy it; but really I think they are much more freshman-to-junior oriented. As a senior in Kappa Delta Rho, I like to be around to help regulate and make sure people are safe since I’m kind of like a nerdy grandpa like that. Risk management. At the same time, it’s fun to go crazy at an impromptu dance club on campus before the Green Leafe Underground opens, which I don’t know if it will ever happen.

*Do you go to the delis often?*

I did this summer. I definitely got to know them well, especially Corona night, but I quickly realized that every penny I was making was being spent at the Green Leafe, so I haven’t been as much this year. But I really want to make sure I log some major deli time as a senior because I feel like that’s what you gotta do.

*What state would you most like to visit?*

I really want to go to Wyoming because it would be really interesting. I really want to explore the state parks. I feel like going abroad last summer was really cool to see a lot of Europe, but I haven’t even seen all of the United States, so I want to be able to do that before I have to get too settled in somewhere.

*If you could have any superpower what would it be?*

Teleportation. Flying is great, but what are you going to do when it rains? Have you thought about that? No, you haven’t. Swimming underwater, breathing underwater — nope, great, but you’re not going to go in the Crim Dell anyway.

*You mentioned you are a YouTube aficionado. What are some must-sees?*

“I like turtles” or “Zombie Kid Likes Turtles.” Completely awkward, hilarious, brilliant. I try not to laugh at misfortune, but when people put the videos up themselves it’s all right. So have you ever watched “Scarlett Takes a Tumble?” The remixes are the best. One more I’d say is “Grape Stomp.” I kind of feel really bad about that one, but a lot of people watch it.

*What’s your favorite song currently playing on the radio?*

I have terrible taste in music; like guilty pleasure music, and I love the Top 40. There’s this song by this new artist Jason Derulo called “Whatcha Say” that’s a sampling of Imogen Heap where he took the chorus and put it into this rap song. Also “Down” by Jay Sean. God, no taste, but it’s so good. It’s so bad, but it’s so good. When they have no staying power, you know they are not going to be around for long, but they’re damn good songs.

*What are your favorite places on campus?*

Lake Matoaka. Love Lake Matoaka. Dinwiddie, [my freshman dorm,] backs up to the Keck Lab and the dock, so I spent a lot of time on the dock. And the Amphitheatre is absolutely gorgeous.

*You were involved in AMP for three years. What has been a standout event for you?*

I miss AMP but it’s also been nice getting more sleep. Definitely Blowout Bash, the party on the Sunken Garden on the last day of classes. When I saw that baby pool full of ice cream it was like a dream come true. Imagine those Baskin Robbins-size things of ice cream without any wrappings; there were cylinders of ice cream like towers. You could just go at it with a spoon and I wanted to de-stabilize it to make it fall apart.

__As the interview ends and our conversation shifts into a comfortable chat, Richard and I start to talk about often-bashed campus housing structures, such as the Units and Botetourt. Richard defends life at the Units as someone who has been a resident there for the past three years, and gives the advice that in the end “It doesn’t matter where you live’ it just matters who you live with.” It’s a small expression of optimism, but I think it’s a simple way to sum up Richard’s sunny outlook on life.__

While field hockey players compete for ball possession in a civilized fashion and cross country runners coast by practice fields, the women’s rugby team practices by tumbling over one another in what appears to be a giant wrestling match.

The reason for this apparent wrestling match is team building, according to Elizabeth Forro ’11. This is a practice session for the women’s rugby club, and while to the untrained eye it merely looks like club members are taking spill after spill, they are in fact playing touch rugby. Falls usually occur as the players trip over each other.

“People think everyone gets injured. That’s not true. We have fewer injuries than you’d think,” Sarah Dean ’11 said. “That’s why we don’t have to wear pads.”

The lack of protection does not seem to deter new members. The main draw of the sport is that the rugby club teams do not feel like typical sports teams. There are no official try-outs; anyone is welcome to join, whatever their skill level and the team fosters an especially close bond.

“This Thursday night we have a social and we are together basically all day Saturday because we have games,” Forro said. “The Women’s rugby team in particular has a closeness that is not often seen. They give each other very distinctive nick-names: Diesel, Beans and Steiner are just a few of them. Outside of rugby, teammates often eat together and go to campus events together. Most of their social activities also involve watching football.”

In fact, Dean said it feels more like a club than a sport in many ways. Outside of rugby, teammates often eat together and go to campus events together.

“There is a very close feeling amongst players,” James McCulla ’10, the men’s rugby captain said. “It’s almost like a fraternity feeling.”

The Ed and Sandy Lee Tournament marks the end of the semester for the rugby team. The two-day tournament that determines whether the Women’s team can go on to play in the Mid Atlantic Rugby Football Union tournament in the spring. While the tournament itself is a bonding experience, there are other opportunities that weekend.

“After the tournament, there’s a themed-party, and we all go to target together and get outfits, it’s ridiculous, and so fun,” Forro said.

The closeness of both teams is evident just by watching them practice. The men’s team is so intensely involved in their scrimmages that they do not want to stop and reset a play. While discussing strategy, the players express their desire to get the talking over quickly so they can keep playing. When McCulla finally gives the instruction to play on, the team responds enthusiastically, screaming, “Maul.”

The women’s team has its own personality: everyone keeps laughing, even when they are getting bowled over by their teammates.

“We get really close,” Forro said. “Especially with rookies, because it’s hard to get new people interested, and then they’re excited, and we’re excited. It’s nice.”

A new addition to the women’s team this year is Coach Chris Ball. A professor of psychology at the College of William and Mary, Ball is also an experienced rugby player who had played for a club in his native Australia for over ten years. While he has only been with the women’s team for a few weeks, he is already impressed.

“They’ve already improved just from where they were,” Ball said. “They’re all very dedicated, and they’re working so hard. It’s a complex game. People don’t appreciate that … [these players] have courage.”

Ball, like his players, is not scared to get his hands dirty. He jumps in to adjust their scrum — the distinctive tackle-like move that is more of an art form, according to Ball. He also teaches new members how to properly fling the ball and helps with strategy.

“It’s not gonna be perfect every time,” he said. “You have to adapt to it.”

Although rugby is not a common sport in the United States, that does not seem to discourage members of the men’s and women’s clubs at the College. The players are enthusiastic about the sport, even and perhaps most especially if they have not studied it before.

“We get a lot of converts who are bored with other sports,” Forro said. “I’m the exception, not the rule.”
While Forro played rugby for a team at her high school, having experienced players is not a common occurrence. Sarah Reschovsky ’11, a transfer student from Kenyon college in Ohio, began playing on Kenyon’s rugby team and decided to continue when she came to Williamsburg.

“The learning curve for rugby is very different, because most people [in the U.S.] haven’t been exposed to it,” Reschovsky said.

With a new batch of players this year, both the men’s and women’s teams like their odds.

“We have a lot of great rookies … I think it’s gonna be a great season,” McCulla said.

However, the team does not only play to win — they play because they truly enjoy the sport.

“You don’t get a lot of disgruntled rugby players,” Forro said. “Because you have to love it, you have to be really into it to play. That’s why we all get along really well — we’re all having fun.”

Oh, what I wouldn’t give to live in a sexual vacuum where every man is pressure-sealed and packaged just for me. There would be no complications, no exes and no prior history to deal with.

But I don’t live in a vacuum. All my hookups aren’t packaged with my approval all the time. I live here, in Williamsburg, with a meager 5,850 undergraduates to choose from. You’d think with a number that high we could all hook up with different people, but somehow it never happens that way.

At some point during these four years, many will find themselves hooking up with someone who has already been with their friend. It’s bound to happen at a school our size or of any size, really. Friend groups form, and incest follows. It’s the natural way.

So what is proper etiquette in this situation?

Accept that there will be a little awkwardness. Tell yourself that awkwardness isn’t that bad. Often times, acknowledging that a situation is awkward will fix the problem — and a little tension can make sex even spicier.

Ask yourself a few questions about your new lover’s past. How recently was he or she with your friend? How long were they together? How far did they go? Are there still residual feelings? Most importantly, find out why it ended … from both of them. If there’s a lesson to be learned from hooking up with this person, find out what it is before you learn it the hard way.

With those questions answered, try to move on. Don’t form your opinion of your potential mate based on your friend’s experience. Let your feelings for this person develop organically, without speeding up the process by learning their life story from your friend. Who knows? She might have missed something. It would be a shame for you to miss out on how cute his face can be in bed just because your friend keeps her eyes closed during sex.

Absolutely do not compare notes. This is insensitive to all parties involved. A little dish about your bedroom romp is fun, but everyone deserves privacy. You don’t want anyone’s feelings getting hurt — you could lose those sweaty love sessions, or you could lose a friend.

Leave your baggage at the door. Don’t bring up your friend unless the time calls for it. You don’t need to know about every detail of their time together; it probably won’t change your relationship with either of them. It also creates distance between the two of you with constant talk about someone else. Talk about yourself, you’re the disco stick she wants to ride on.

As always, use protection. I remember my high school health class videos saying this, and I think it bears repeating: Every time you have sex with someone, you’re having sex with everyone they’ve ever slept with.

Spread the love among your friends, but not the sexually transmitted infections. Due to the current widespread panic over H1N1, I feel I should remind everyone that you should also administer a throat swab and culture it to see if they have the flu before even holding hands. Condoms and hand sanitizer are where it’s at.

Also remember to look for red flag’s. Has this guy hooked up with more than two of your friends? Is he manwhoring himself out to your sorority? Has this girl moved from one of your friends to the next in less than a week? Is she truly interested in you and not using you to get back at your friend? Will your booty call screw up your groups’ dynamics? All of these questions should be considered before getting together.

If you follow all of the above advice, there is a huge positive in this situation: You are doing the dirty with someone you know you can trust, and whom your friends already approve of. In the words of Paris Hilton, that’s hot.

__Maya Horowitz is The Flat Hat sex columnist. She keeps a Venn diagram of all lovers and friends, just in case.__