College students sign up for prizes and free giveaways at William and Mary night at New Town.

__Students register to vote in Williamsburg in record numbers, registration drive continues__

The demographics of the Williamsburg voter population are shifting rapidly, as 234 registrants were added in just 13 days, raising the number of registered voters from 6,192 Sept. 4 to 6,426 Sept. 17. The overwhelming majority of the new voters, according to Registrar Winifred Sowder, are students.

p. Sowder estimates that in the first month of school, 400 students from the College registered to vote in Williamsburg — enough to have closed the gap between David Sievers ’07, who ran last year for Williamsburg City Council as a student, and the highest vote-getter in that election, Mayor Jeanne Zeidler. The two highest vote-getters won spots on the council, and Sievers would have needed 155 more votes to win a spot.

p. Student Assembly Senate Chair Matt Beato ’09 confirmed Wednesday that he may seek a position on the council, but that he will not decide until January. “It’s something I’ve thought about, but I would only consider it — and I mean this — if it’s the only way to achieve our strategic objectives,” he said. “This isn’t about any one student.”

p. Those objectives include relaxing noise ordinances, attracting College-oriented businesses to locations near campus and changing the Williamsburg law that allows no more than three unrelated people to live in a house together. “It’s not about abolishing [the three-person rule], but about finding a fair and creative solution that doesn’t prohibit four students from living in a six-person house,” SA President Zach Pilchen ’09 said Wednesday.
Pilchen also said he hopes to change the time of City Council meetings from 2 p.m. to a time when both students and daytime workers can attend.

p. “Only retirees can go,” Beato said. “And that has a direct influence on policies.”

p. By increasing the number of College voters, Beato and Pilchen believe students will become a political force in the city and that local candidates will have to appeal to students to get elected.
Pilchen, Beato and other SA members organized the voter registration drives that have been enticing hundreds of students to register to vote in Williamsburg since the start of the semester. They use an online form that requires students to answer 20 questions.

p. The form, which was programmed online by Beato, solves a problem that had been inhibiting potential student voters: They don’t know their on-campus addresses.

p. “What is the address of, you know, Yates 105?” Pilchen said. “It turns out they all have physical addresses. The program allows you to select a dormitory, and it looks up the physical address.”

p. Computers connected to the website, https://sa.wm.edu/voteinwilliamsburg, have been set up at special events like freshman orientation and football tailgates on the Sunken Garden. They will be available outside the University Center dining hall during lunch and dinner next week.

p. Pilchen said that more than half of the students registering to vote were not previously registered in any location.

p. For years, the majority of students had been denied the right to register to vote in Williamsbrug. Former Registrar Dave Andrews typically rejected student applicants because he did not consider them domiciled in Williamsburg. In late April, Andrews was fired for unknown reasons.

p. Sowder, his replacement, evaluates student applications differently and typically approves them.

p. “I’m not going to treat [students] any differently than I treat anybody else,” she said. “I think you’re adults, and you know what you’re doing here.”

The chemical spill that sent four employees to the hospital and led to the evacuation of the Campus Center Tuesday revealed problems in the College’s new emergency alert system.

p. Vice President for Student Affairs Sam Sadler told the Daily Press that the alert service was activated at 11:15 a.m., explaining the discrepancy between the event at 9:30 a.m. and the alerts. When the alert system is activated, calls and text messages are sent to the nearly 19,000 people who are signed up, including students, faculty, staff and parents.

p. The system is new to the campus this year. A test of the system is scheduled for this Monday at 10:30 a.m., during which a 120-decibal alarm will sound on campus and adjoining areas.
A College press release described the test.

p. “The drill will allow campus officials to verify the number of … students, faculty and staff who have signed up to be notified by the alert system, and it will test the campus community’s knowledge of what to do in a real emergency situation,” the release stated. “The siren test will allow both the campus and the local community to become familiar with its sound.”

p. The release added that the College will activate an emergency website that describes the situation in place of the usual home page.

p.According to Sadler, administrators decided to send the message only to those on campus or those affiliated with the Campus Center — about half of the 19,000 signed up. However, at least one student not enrolled this semester received a call, and many parents were notified, including those in other states. Sadler added that 157 people did not receive a message or a call at all.
In a follow-up e-mail to students, Sadler explained that the incident revealed several problems with the system which would need to be fixed. Another failing of the system was the alert siren, which should sound during the upcoming test.

p.According to the Daily Press, the system costs approximately $20,000 annually.

p. Sadler was unavailable at press time for further comment.

Yesterday the College’s Landscape, Energy and Environment (LEE) Committee decided to endorse the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, which proposes measures to make the campus carbon neutral by 2020. An official recommendation to President Nichol will not come until Monday.

p. The Student Environmental Action Coalition is viewing the endorsement as a positive step. SEAC has been pushing for Nichol to sign onto the PCC since last year. When presented with the document last spring, Nichol deferred the decision to the College’s standing committee of experts on College environmental issues, the LEE Committee, which met yesterday to discuss the proposal.

“Nichol has made it clear that he really respects the counsel of the LEE Committee,” SEAC Media Coordinator Ryan Lintelman ’09 said.

p. Over 400 other institutions, including 11 in Virginia, have signed the PCC. Government Professor Maria Ivanova and
collaborating students issued a report in May 2007 documenting that the College “is currently lagging behind its peer group on the issue of climate change.”

p. The PCC provides a framework with guidelines for institutions of higher learning to implement carbon neutrality on their campuses.

p. However, it leaves room for interpretation for each school. SEAC has proposed suggestions for the College to meet guidelines laid out by the PCC, such as having a freshman orientation program or GER focused on environmental sustainability or having a Sustainability Coordinator who would serve the functions of sustainability education, facilities improvements and policy advising in the area of energy and sustainability, Caroline Cress ’10 said. Cress is a student member of the LEE Committee.

p. Prior to the meeting yesterday afternoon, nearly 100 students showed their support by participating in a rally led by SEAC facilitators Jake Reeder ’09 and Josh Wayland ’08. Students surrounded the Marshall-Wythe School of Law, where the committee meets, wearing green and carrying pinwheels and signs to show their support for renewable energy.

p. “SEAC members who marched to the law school showed up before the meeting and stayed for a while during it. They walked around outside, past the window of the room in which we were meeting,” Cress said. “It was great– the entire committee looked outside and saw them waving pinwheels and holding up signs. It was a great demonstration of student support.”

p. Last year, the College used 68,306,552 kilowatts of electricity, costing the school over $3 million. Total energy costs were over $6 million. The energy consumption has increased over the past three years, which has resulted in a greater price to pay, both economically and environmentally.

p. SEAC also created a faculty and student petition in support of the PCC, which was signed by 780 students and 300 faculty.

p. “With all the research students have done on the feasibility of committing to carbon neutrality, signing his name on the paper is probably the hardest thing Gene Nichol will have to do,” SEAC member David Sievers ’07 said.

Tuesday, the College’s chapter of the NAACP held a rally to show
support for the Jena 6, a group of six black students from Jena, La. currently facing serious charges for their alleged involvement in a high school fight.

p. About 100 students, dressed in green and black, attended the rally. The students walked from the University Center Terrace to the Wren Building, where they heard speeches from various members of the College and the Williamsburg community. Ashley Shuler ’08, organizer of the College’s Jena 6 campaign, Justin Reid ’09, president of the College’s chapter of the NAACP, and Clarence Wilson, president of the Williamsburg NAACP were among the speakers.

p. The theme of the rally was “it is time for change.” The rally focused not only on the Jena 6 campaign but also on other aspects of the continued racial inequality in the nation. It concluded with Nubia Dickerson’s (09) rendition of ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing.’

p. The Jena 6 were arrested after a period of high racial tension
stemming from several violent encounters between black and white students.

p. According to the Chicago Tribune, the tension began when a
black student sat under a tree that was apparently considered white students’ domain.

p. By the following day, white students had hung three nooses from the tree limbs. The white students responsible were suspended from school for three days, enraging members of Jena’s black community, who wanted to see more severe punishment for the students.

p. The hanging of the nooses and the suspension of the culprits
were followed by several altercations within the community. In one fight, the Jena 6 were arrested and charged with the attempted murder of one of their classmates.

p. The boy that the Jena 6 allegedly beat was knocked unconscious but did not suffer any serious injuries.

p. The only boy to stand trial as of yet is Mychal Bell. According
to the Washington Post, Bell was convicted of aggravated battery,
but the case was appealed and the charges reduced because Bell
is a minor and cannot be tried as an adult for battery. Bell is also
the only boy who has been unable to pay his bond.

p. The Jena 6 students are facing what many think are inflated
charges, considering that they inflicted minimal damage and that their white counterparts face much less serious charges. According
to CNN, the boys deny all guilt.

p. Figures such as the Rev. Al Sharpton, the Rev. Jesse Jackson,
Martin Luther King III and Sen. Barack Obama have all participated in denouncing the proceedings, online organizations have formed the core of the support effort.

p. The website ColorOfChange.org organized an online petition in
support of the Jena 6. The site has over 215,000 signatures and plans to send the petition to both District Attorney Reed Walters and Gov. Kathleen Blanco, asking them to drop all charges against the Jena 6. The other main online support effort has been on Facebook., where over 340 groups concerning the Jena 6 have formed.

p. The College’s Facebook group supporting the Jena 6 has over 750 members.

p. “This is an issue we’ve got to confront on a personal level, in our everyday lives and in everyday interactions,” Student Assembly President Zach Pilchen ’09 said in his speech at the rally.

In the year’s shortest meeting so far, the Student Assembly discussed a potential website to run the College’s elections and the prospects for the consolidated reserve.

p. The meeting took place at 7 p.m. Members may have been looking ahead to the freshman senatorial candidate “meet and greet” at 8 p.m., a few senators were late and most of the graduate school representatives were absent. After Matt Brown ’08
finished a phone call with an unknown party, he was heard saying, “He just chugged a beer, he’ll be right over,” to Senate Chairman Matt Beato ’09.

p. Shortly after the call and about 10 minutes after the meeting was supposed to start, Senators Matt Skibiak ’08 and Joe Luppino-Esposito ’08 entered the room; the meeting was soon called to order.

p. The elections committee presented the SA with a proposal on votenet.com, the internet company that the College is considering hiring to run student elections. The service costs $2,500 a year; the company does not charge per election and has two secure off-site servers to ensure confidentiality of results. The College’s alumni committees recommended the website. The biggest problem with votenet.com is that it does not offer instant run-off
voting, which prevents officials from seeing progress during an election.

p. “SA constitution says undergrads are elected by instant run off voting,” Beato said.

p. If website is approved, it will have to change its constitution, which would be voted upon at a later date. Many senators assured the freshman candidates in attendance that Tuesday night’s meeting was a poor reflection of usual SA proceedings.

p. “If you’re going to go out and drink before the meeting, fine, but please try and be on time,” Beato said at the end of the meeting.

**Tuesday, Sept. 11 —** A faculty member reported a stolen bike worth $100 from Andrews Hall. An officer was dispatched. **(1)**

p. **Wednesday, Sept. 12 —** A Chandler Hall student reported receiving threatening phone calls. **(2)**

p. **Thursday, Sept. 13 —** The superintendents’ trailers near the Integrated Science Center were spray painted. The estimated damage was $1,000. **(3)**

p. — A student reported his bicycle stolen from the bike rack outside the post office. It was worth $80. **(4)**

p. — A construction worker reported that his wallet was stolen. Its value is estimated to be $500. **(3)**

p. — A $260 bike was taken from Monroe Hall. The bike’s college tag was 10895. **(5)**

p. — An unregistered bike worth $100 was reported stolen from Dupont. **(6)**

p. **Saturday, Sept. 15 —** An officer met with Blow Hall Career Center staff about a stolen computer. Staff reported that nothing had been stolen. **(7)**

p. **Sunday, Sept. 16 —** A student at the Units was referred for underage possession of alcohol and being drunk in public. **(8)**

p. — A student reported that her purse was stolen at a Pi Kappa Alpha party the previous night. The purse was found but the contents were missing, including a wallet and phone. The total value was estimated to be around $350. **(9)**

p. — A bike, worth $100, was stolen from Monroe Hall. **(7)**

p. **Monday, Sept. 17 —** Staff at the University Center reported that credit card slips and $165 in cash had been stolen. **(10)**

**1929**
The U.S. Government placed the first post office on campus in the Citizenship building that was torn down in 1931. Due to the demands of a government post office, the building was renovated to hold the new office.

p. **1951**
A special edition of The Flat Hat was released Sept. 20 that contained an apologetic statement by members of the faculty regarding academic irregularities in the athletic departments. A meeting revealed that the athletic program had hit a point when the athletic life of certain students was considered more important than academic life.

p. **1967**
The Commons, now known as the Caf, was opened, giving the College a second dining hall. The Commons greatly relieved overcrowding in Trinkle Hall of the Campus Center, which was then used as a cafeteria. Students could only eat breakfast and dinner in their assigned food halls, but lunch could be eaten at either cafeteria.

p. **1984**
Blow Gymnasium, now known as Blow Memorial Hall, was closed temporarily to discuss security protocols.. The gymnasium was open to students and alumni. However, it was found that a number of people who were not alumni, students or faculty members were using the gym.

Due to financial constraints, Swem Library will not be able to extend its hours on weekends as planned. For now, Swem’s weekend hours will remain the same: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays; and 1 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sundays.

p. The original plan, according to Dean of University Libraries Connie McCarthy, was to open at 10 a.m. Sundays and close at 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

p. McCarthy said Swem may extend the weekend hours in the future, but the current budget does not allow for this. Swem has also cut student workers because of the rise in minimum wage and is keeping fewer permanent staff than necessary for the weekend hours.
Swem will still remain open until 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday.

p. “We felt this was the top priority for students, so it is important to retain the late closing. We worked for over two years with the Student Assembly to put this in place, and it has been very well received by students,” McCarthy said.

**$200,000**
The reported amount that Virginia Tech is paying the College for the Tribe to play the Hokies in a football game this weekend in Blacksburg.

p. **20 Percent**
The percent of people who said in a recent poll of 1,011 adults that they felt they spend less time having sex because they are online. The survey was conducted by advertising agency JWT. Twenty-eight percent admitted to spending less time socializing because of the internet.

p. **15**
The number of fire alarms that went off in undergraduate dorms during the first five days of the semester. A fire safety officer cited cooking fires as the main cause.

p. **$25,000 a day**
The amount that Caitlin Upton, the Miss Teen USA contestant who became a YouTube sensation after giving an embarrassing answer to a question about U.S. education, may now earn at her new contract with Donald Trump’s modeling agency.

p. “If I had answered that question right and happened to win, I’d never [have] been given the opportunities,” Caitlin told local news channel WIS. Fifteen million people watched her pageant mistake on YouTube.