Sex is on the brain and in the car, the kitchen, the club, the bedroom and possibly on another planet in the solar system. We got it, Trey. Returning with his third LP, “Ready,” Richmond native Trey Songz crafts more erotic, sultry romps and boudoir confessions, all for the countless women lining up at his headboard, providing their own pillows. Straddling between mature, love-making songs and humorous, raunchy R.Kelly-esque material, Songz reaches a new level of sexual content with “Ready.”

It appears that the ultimate goal for this album is to get as many women out of their clothes as possible, while keeping their high heels on — which Songz references in many songs. Tracks such as, “Panty Droppin,” “Neighbors Know My Name” and “I Invented Sex,” explore the male grandiosity of animalistic pleasures, while other songs like “Black Roses,” “Holla If You Need Me” and the first single, “I Need a Girl,” expose the affectionate side of Songz’s lyricism.

Mixed in with slow-tempo tracks that warrant intimate encounters, playful R&B ditties emerge, with “Say Aah” — featuring Brooklyn rapper, Fabolous — and the third released single, “LOL:-),” featuring Gucci Mane and Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em — which exhibits suggestive text messages and double entendres for drinking and oral communication — pun intended.

Never tame, the album continues with charismatic, smooth vocals and evocative R&B grooves, as Songz flaunts and parades his established R&B singer status. He even pays homage to R&B/Pop icons Michael Jackson and Prince with melodic resemblances to unforgettable ballads, “Human Nature” and “Purple Rain.”
Although he advertises a faulty claim (“I invented Sex”) and features short, transition tracks, which falter immensely, he is still in the process of creating a high-quality, classic R&B album. Until then, we will accept the attempt and leave him to his confident swag and sexual explorations.

When people hear the word “constitution,” most associate it with the document that details the foundation of our government. However, at the College of William and Mary, a constitution about cupcakes is not uncommon.

A “cupcake constitution” at the College embodies the foundations of the club Cupcakes for a Cause. In order to start one of the many student organizations on campus, the only requirement is for interested students to write a constitution outlining the details of the club.

“We ask students to create a constitution,” Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs Mark Constantine said. “Once they write one, then we set up an appointment. It’s really an informative time for students to share ideas and to ask questions.”

For Sarah McKinstry ’12, writing a constitution about cupcakes was the beginning of a new club that has already grown to 200-plus members. Cupcakes for a Cause is dedicated to raising money for the non profit Cancer Care for Kids organization, which provides free, professional support to children and teens affected by cancer.

The cupcake constitution, provides a basic outline for its creators to use in starting their new club at the College. It includes the club’s mission, purpose, officers, membership requirements and election process, along with other information. As the process goes for all clubs, a club can begin operation after its constitution has been approved.

“If the constitution looks good, they will get a letter that says their organization has been recognized,” Constantine said. “We give all of our organizations an e-mail address and we add them on our website.”
McKinstry began Cupcakes for a Cause over the summer and was able to raise awareness by posting advertisements in the student happenings e-mails. The club’s main event this fall is Cupcakes Week, occuring from Sept. 21 to 27. Throughout the week, club members will be baking and selling cupcakes around campus.

“We are going to sell cupcakes on the Terrace, the Marketplace and Sorority Court,” McKinstry said. “We are going to have tables set up and be selling cupcakes all week.”

Although the club was just formed this semester, McKinstry already has many volunteers signed up to help. Elissa Wiese ’13 signed up for the club because it is a cause that is important to her.

“I signed up for it because I lost an uncle to cancer,” Wiese said. “I have always been involved in Relay for Life and other cancer fundraising events. This just seemed like a fun way to raise money for a good cause.”
The OneLife Campaign is another club focused on cancer awareness that has started this semester.

“The OneLife Campaign was formed in memory of Jacob Nisbet ’10,” Chair Ryan Cerone ’10 said. Nisbet passed away last year. “After his death, I felt like this is an opportunity to do something good. The organization is centered on raising awareness for lymphoma, fundraising for research and making positive changes in the lives of those who have lymphatic cancer or are directly affected by it.”

Cerone felt that the College supported his efforts to start The OneLife Campaign.

“One of the great things about William and Mary is if you have a cause and really believe in it, the faculty and staff will really help,” he said.

William and Mary students tend to join multiple organizations, resulting in few additions to their packed schedules. “Many people on campus are involved in so many things.” Cerone said, “I got so many e-mails saying I want to come but I have such and such to do.”

Annah Mackin ’10, another member of the OneLife Campaign, agreed. “It’s a little difficult to get interest because there are so many groups on campus. We weren’t able to publicize a whole lot.”

There are over 400 student organizations on campus ranging from honorary societies to cultural clubs.
“We do not limit how many organizations we have at the College,” Constantine said. “Throughout the course of the year, we have about 20 to 25 organizations that start.”

Other new clubs this semester represent the diverse interests of the student body. One new club, Independent Feminist Fund, actually raises money to support other clubs.

“This is a group of students that really are looking to raise money and awareness for groups on campus that are feminist-friendly,” Constantine said. “A lot of people spend so much time trying to raise money for their organization, so this club is going to raise money for other organizations.”

Other new clubs include Operation Smile and a black pre-health professional organization. The black pre-professional organization is designed to create a support system for black students at the College.
“It is an organization that tries to provide knowledge, skills and support to African-American students aspiring to go into the medical field,” Constantine said. “It is so students know that there are other people who they can get helpful information from.”

Clubs can be formed at any point during the year.

“I’m sure I will see many more [new clubs] throughout the course of the year,” Constantine said.

Imagine being a young, 14-year-old girl on the cusp of adolescence, catapulting into the promising breadth of your teenage years, and receiving halting news of having breast cancer. Kierra Sewell was that girl, and is now a 16-year-old breast cancer survivor, bringing her motivating testimony to Williamsburg this Saturday, for the third annual Catwalk for the Cure Fashion Show, hosted by Walsingham Academy. The evening will be filled with fashion, entertainment and, most importantly, activities aimed at raising awareness of women’s health issues. This year, Walsingham students will participate alongside the local, Hampton Roads-based non-profit, Beyond Boobs! Inc.

Sewell is one of many young pre-menopausal members who join the group to provide breast health awareness, which should not to be confused with education on breast cancer. Members at the event will wear playful, yet informative slogans, such as “Check these out! At least once a month. Early Detection Saves Lives,” is a playful yet informative slogan, worthy of their cause.

“[Beyond Boobs!] is an exclusive club,” Co-Founder René Bowditch said, “It’s one nobody wants to join, we are not your typical support group.”

They also call themselves H.I.P. chicks, meaning hope, inspiration and power. All three virtues intend to motivate women to detect any cancer early through self-examination.

The organization was founded in September of 2006 when Bowditch met other breast cancer survivors at a retreat and befriended Co-Founder Mary Beth Gibson and other young women.

“I talked to her [Gibson] about how difficult it was for younger women — the challenges of intimacy, fertility. When we are dealing with young families, jobs or both, as well as the chemotherapy treatments, it’s a struggle,” Bowditch said.

What started as five women meeting for tea once a month after the retreat, rapidly expanded to a group of over 100 people. Eventually, the women recruited enough people for their cause to create chapters in the Hampton Roads area.

“We didn’t intend to do any of it, but we started to get the word out — contacted doctor’s offices, hospitals, etc. — and they started referring young women to us.”

The organization, which wants to distinguish itself from other grassroots organizations, used the group’s positive attitude as inspiration for name.

“We thought that we were beyond all that — being identified by our breasts, by our disease. It’s a controversial name, but it works,” Bowditch said. “You will not forget it because we deal with this subject in a unique way. We are not the average support group. We don’t meet in hospice rooms or hospitals, we meet in homes. And we have an amazing bond, like we are among long-lost friends.”

Awareness of breast health has greatly increased among men and women in the Hampton Roads area as a result of effort by Beyond Boobs!

“We are all so aware of it, but we are also scared of it,” Bowditch comments. “We want breast health to be as common as flossing your teeth or following a beauty regimen. Beyond Boobs! wants to give women the power to do what they need to do and know how to do it.”

By providing annual breast health calendars — which can also be used as a manual for breast self-exams — attending health fairs, speaking at the College of William and Mary and holding events such as Catwalk for the Cure, the organization advocates the pursuit of knowledge including risks, health factors, screening methods, procedures and other facets of breast-health awareness. Beyond Boobs! Inc. hopes to interact more with William and Mary students in the future.

“Beyond Boobs! will talk to any group that wants to hear us,” Bowditch said. “We really want to get on-campus and bring the message of breast health to students.” Beyond Boobs! was invited to participate in the William and Mary Health Fair and have spoken to several resident halls through educational programs. Last year, Beyond Boobs! Inc. spoke at the screening of “Sex and The City,” sponsored by Health Outreach Peer Educators.

“They are trying to raise awareness of breast cancer in women. Women our age don’t think it’s possible for them to have cancer.” Wesley Ng, ’11, Vice-President of Substance Abuse branch in H.O.P.E., said. “[Beyond Boobs!] is a great resource for young women,”

Generous supporters from the Hampton Roads area, including Walsingham Academy and Merchants Square, have assisted in spreading Beyond Boobs!’s message.

“I am not even a breast cancer survivor. I am just a mom who wanted to reach out and help. René and Mary literally save lives every day,” Judi Thomas, a member of Beyond Boobs!, said.

The Catwalk for the Cure Fashion Show will take place on Saturday at 7 p.m. in Walsingham’s McAuley auditorium. The benefit will showcase lovely fashions from local shops such as The Carousel, The Campus Shop, Bella Lingerie and Loungewear. Tickets are $5 for students and $8 for adults. Reserved seats along the runway may be purchased for $12. Pick up tickets in advance at Walsingham or by calling Carrie Karnes at (757) 259-4673. Tickets will also be sold at the door the day of the event.

Bowditch hopes that this will be yet another event that increases student awareness about breast cancer. “Any opportunity we can have to talk to students we would love. This is the age we really want to reach students. If we can teach young women to start checking their breasts now, it will become a life-long habit that will eventually save their lives.”

Despite our collective image as motivated, diligent students, it goes without saying that sometimes, under certain, limited circumstances, we don’t give classes our undivided attention. Even during class, the combined distractions of Facebook, AOL Instant Messenger and the doodles in the margins of your spiral-bound notebook are often enough to completely overcome our more scholarly motivations. But, with the possible exception of Introduction to Psychology, these distractions never constitute a majority of class time; they’re merely a brief respite from the grueling process of actually applying oneself. It’s a short reprieve, but a necessary one.

Yet, professors, I’ve come to find, tend to disagree with this reasoning. They’ve prepared an hour-long discussion on the ways Greek mythology reflects the cultural norms of ancient Athenian society, and they’re excited about it, gosh-darnit, so put away your Facepage.

Normally, when professors are concerned, they merely outlaw computers from the classroom entirely. But those who allow them to remain still employ a sort of scare tactic to prevent aimless web surfing. “If you’re on Facebook, I can tell,” they say in their first-day speeches. “I can see the reflection in your glasses.” Nevermind that more than half the class doesn’t even wear glasses, and such a feat would require a degree of supernatural vision greater than that of Superman. But they’ll still know. Just like when your mother told you she’d know if you stole a cookie from the jar before dinnertime, they all have the very clear conviction that they can peer straight into your soul and discern any impure impulses, like a revivalist preacher to his flock.

I was determined not to be fooled by their threats of omnipotence. Sure, I chose not to bring my computer to class — I did, in fact, wear glasses — but that certainly wouldn’t stop my mind from wandering on occasion. Instead of doodling — not exactly a skill of mine as the only thing I seem able to draw is a series of particularly creepy-looking eyeballs — I’d try and turn their lectures into a series of that’s-what-she-said jokes. Of course, I wouldn’t tell these to anyone, unless the professor was unfortunate enough to use the phrase, “And why is it so big?” in which case the kid next to me was definitely hearing about it. But, for the most part, it was more for my own amusement. At least it kept me listening, less for content than for a turn of phrase that could be misconstrued as innuendo, but listening all the same. Suddenly, I found myself excited to attend a macroeconomics lecture on injecting liquidity, and that’s certainly a first.

I thought I’d hit the jackpot when my professor announced in international law that today’s lecture would focus on the distinctions between hard and soft law. Normally, I would have drifted into a semi-comatose state at the mere thought of the subject, but now I sat up with rapt attention. The opportunities were endless. A bit too endless, in fact. I mean, a person doesn’t use the phrase, “you can’t just go from zero to hard” without some indication of its ulterior implications. And as I sat there, double entendres flying left and right, I realized these were phrases I never wanted to hear a professor utter, at least not in the context I had imposed. Once I’d started, though, there was no stopping it; my brain had officially flipped the switch to dirty. But then, around the time she posed the question, “Where, on the spectrum from completely hard to completely soft, can we find the right tool?” I figured out her scheme. She knew. Somehow, she had pieced together my little game — with her inhuman powers of detection — and had decided she’d make me regret it. And this was my punishment, having to hear my professor use the phrase, “sometimes soft is just easier to deal with.”

By the end of the class, I was entirely repentant. I was converted, dedicated to a life of diligence and academic piety. At least as long as I never had to hear the phrase, “So, how do we make it hard?” ever again.
Kevin Mooney is the Flat Hat confusion corner columnist. If you see him zoning out in class, just give him a poke and remind him to stay on top of things, she can’t go on for the full hour.

__Kevin Mooney is The Flat Hat Confusion Corner columnist. If you see him zoning out in class, just give him a poke and remind him to stay on top of things, she can’t go on for the full hour.__

The relentless summer heat is beginning to subside and cooler days are ahead at the College of William and Mary. With crimson leaves on their way, you may be looking to break out of Earl Gregg Swem Library and take in the beautiful autumn weather. Here are some fun and affordable ways to enjoy a Saturday during Williamsburg’s most colorful season:

Every Saturday through Oct. 31, a multitude of vendors transform Merchant’s Square with a bright array of food, flowers and shoppers. This weekly event offers the perfect place to take a morning stroll through the Williamsburg Farmers Market. From 8 a.m. until noon local producers line Duke of Gloucester Street to sell locally grown products ranging from squash and sunflowers to artisan cheeses and pastries. Live music and a visiting chef bringing local restaurant cuisine to the street welcome all who pass by into the market. The Williamsburg Farmers Market was recently named “America’s Favorite [Mid-size] Farmers Market” by Farmland Trust and is a great place to do your grocery shopping or just grab a cup of coffee.

To experience the great outdoors without leaving campus, head no further than Lake Matoaka. At the Matoaka Boathouse next to the amphitheater you can rent canoes and kayaks free of charge with a student ID. Runners and nature lovers alike can explore the 10 miles of paths surrounding the lake and take in the spectacular fall foliage.

Autumn is the perfect season to take advantage of all the picturesque spots and quaint shops in Colonial Williamsburg. If you take a walk down DoG Street, be sure to stop by Kimball Theatre, where the purchase of a $10 travel mug includes unlimited hot cider refills through the end of the year. The purchase of the mug also includes free refills of Coca-Cola fountain products at Shields Tavern and Chowning’s Tavern.
Nearby, the Wythe Candy and Gourmet Shop sells caramel apples — a fall favorite — starting at $3. The widely popular Cheese Shop sells bread ends for $1 and the Peanut Shop always offers free samples. If you are looking for a place to picnic, the Palace Gardens offers many shaded benches.

On those rainy fall days in Williamsburg, which happen so often, cozy up in a nearby cafe to study or relax with friends. Besides Aromas and the Daily Grind, try New Town’s artcafe26 located on Center Street. Advertised as “a touch of Europe in Williamsburg,” artcafe26 showcases paintings, ceramics and glassware and offers hot beverages and breakfast on a student budget. However, if you are willing to splurge, they also have a creative and extensive culinary art menu.

Fall means football season. After a surprising victory over the University of Virginia and rising to no. 7 in national polls released by the FCS Coaches and the Sports Network this week, the College is sure to have some exciting games ahead. The team has five home games this season; the next is Saturday at 7 p.m. With free student admission and a winning team, this fall activity is a must. And if you feel inspired, the campus offers plenty of places from the Sunken Garden to Yates Field for a fun pick-up game.