Walking along the dimly lit path obscured even further by the driving rain, one might wonder why on earth people were going toward Matoaka Amphitheater, where there was no shelter, instead of away toward their warm, dry dorm rooms. Granted, the downpour was not a freezing rain, but it was miserable nonetheless. The answer was that these enthusiastic students were heading to see Carbon Leaf perform at the first concert of the year at the College of William and Mary.

The heavy precipitation defined Friday night’s Welcome Back Concert featuring Carbon Leaf and Sleeperstar. It had all the traditional makings of a good show at the College: members of AMP stressed and running around in blue shirts; a concerned Mark Constantine waiting in the wings with arms crossed; and an enthusiastic crowd of students excited for the first concert of the year.

The youthful, pop-rock group Sleeperstar opened for the established folk-rock veterans Carbon Leaf and created an atmosphere that appealed to a variety of people.

Sleeperstar returned to the College after a successful Friday @ 5 performance last spring. The band quickly won more students’ hearts with their catchy choruses, as well as the boy-band good looks of lead singer Chris Pearson.

Highlights of the Sleeperstar performance included a guitar-driven cover of the Postal Service’s “Such Great Heights” and the ballad “Texas Rain,” which began, as if on cue, at the same time as a downpour over Matoaka.

Mid-set, the band proclaimed their nerdy love of board games and Harry Potter, to which the college students enthusiastically cheered.

“We found our people,” Pearson cried. “This is seriously the best show we’ve ever played.”

Sleeperstar then cleared the way for the headliners. Carbon Leaf, who hails from Richmond, is popular among many in-state students.

Around 9:30 p.m., Carbon Leaf took the stage and a thoroughly energized crowd welcomed them. They played the requisite, familiar hits such as “The Boxer,” “What About Everything” and “Life Less Ordinary,” but also showcased more blues and folk-based songs off their latest album, “Nothing Rhymes with Woman.”

In between their original hits, the band transitioned out into classics like “Somewhere over the Rainbow” and “Day-O,” which, despite the crowd’s enthusiastic sing-along were cut short to be replaced by one of the bands more unfamiliar new songs like, “Miss Hollywood.”

Throughout, singer Barry Privett’s Jethro Tull-like use of several different tin whistles — conveniently kept tucked in the back of his pants — lent an almost Celtic feel to their repertoire.

Before beginning their classic song “Changeless,” Privett, with his hand over his heart, advised the crowd to cherish their time at the College.

“Four, four short years, man; four short years,” he said to the crowd.

When another bout of rain hit, Privett dedicated their song, “Drops of Rain,” to the members of the audience who stayed despite the drenching.

“Thanks for hanging with us through thick and thin guys,” he said to the soaked audience.

For an encore, they took the stage and closed with a slight departure from their other songs: a fervent cover of Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion,” which pumped up the portion of the crowd who had actually heard of the song.

__Dawson Lindauere has a long family history in Pennsylvania, having attended the same high school as both his parents and his grandparents near the town of Economy, Penn. Deep roots haven’t kept this member of the College of William and Mary community from branching out; he visited Brazil as a teen and both India and Africa on recent trips. Around campus Dawson has a notable presence as a tour guide, Student Exchange employee and AMP executive. He has also been involved in Pep Band, the Admissions Office, Honor Council and has been a part of Residence Life for three years. His shaggy blonde hair and unique beaded hemp necklace pair well with his casual and friendly nature, and it’s a pleasure to chat with this senior about interning at the Wildlife Institute of India, what he drinks from his Late Night mug and how the flip of a coin played a part in him coming to the College.__

*Along with Government you are also majoring in Environmental Policy. Do you consider yourself an environmentalist or an advocate for environmental issues?*

I’m interested in studying it, and in things I’m involved in, I do my best to keep green, if you will. I recycle a lot, cut down on paper, do e-mails instead of paper stuff, and conserve water. I’m mindful, I don’t do too much of the protesting and stuff but I do bring environmental awareness to things I’m involved in.
What is your AMP Late Night mug filled with usually?

*I either drink Diet Coke, water, skim milk or orange juice. If I put a mixed drink in there it would be Long Island Iced Tea because it’s my favorite mixed drink.*

*How did you end up coming to the College from out of state?*

First, I wanted some distance and wanted to be in a completely different area just to experience a different place. The summer between junior and senior year of high school I was talking to my mom’s best friend’s stepdaughter who went here during the ’80s, and she said she went to William and Mary and that it was a great place and I should check it out. So I was looking at William and Mary and another school to visit [Lehigh University] that were both about six or seven hours away, so I flipped a coin, and it landed on the William and Mary side — so I came and visited here. We drove seven hours down and took a tour, had a meal at Season’s and drove all the way home that same day. I liked it a lot and decided to apply Early Decision last minute; I think I turned in my application the day it was due, so I had to put in all these special requests to my teachers for my high school recommendation.

*So you said you flipped a coin about which College to visit. Do you think you tend to live your life like that?*

I mean, most of the things I’ve done have been pretty spur-of-the-moment. The summer between sophomore and junior year I decided pretty haphazardly to study abroad in Cape Town, South Africa for the summer, and I had been thinking about doing the Ireland program; but I saw the picture of Cape Town and without looking at the courses that were offered, I just decided I wanted to go.

*Have you had a memorable professor or class at the College?*

Just because it was freshman year first semester, my most memorable professor was definitely Professor [George] Grayson in the Government department. It was Intro to American Politics, and the first day of class he was like, “You need to spit out that gum, this is collegiate class.” He had everyone pass their hand over a candle and swear to be good members of class. He was kind of joking, but it was pretty intense. I made a lot of good friends in that class; people that I’m still friends with now. My one friend who I met in that class who was a year above me ended up having me as her plant during tours, so she would always see me after class with her tour group, and I would say something, usually about the weather because she would always catch me off guard. She also hosted poker parties at her house that I would go to. Various other good friends came out of that class, and it was also the class that made me want to be a government major.

*You’re wearing a hemp necklace and several woven bracelets and anklets. Do they have a story?*

I’ve been wearing the hemp necklace since junior high. Not the same one because [the necklaces] break, but I’ve actually recycled the beads every time they’ve broken and put the old beads on a new necklace I’d make — but this summer I lost my necklace, so this is a new one. This bracelet is from one of my friends who studied abroad in Chile; they’re lucky beads. The anklet is a friendship bracelet from summer camp this summer; there were three of us, and we each made each other friendship bracelets. The other one is from a friend who went to Guatemala over spring break.

*What are you hoping to do in the future?*

I want to work abroad as an American, whether it’s for some division of the government or for a company. I’m really pretty open, but I do like environmental things — it’s just an interesting and ever-growing field. This summer I interned at the Wildlife Institute of India doing internal research for them with another student. It was great but really hot. The internship went really well, and we used their data and made a report using a lot of GIS analysis. I also got to travel every weekend and got to visit two friends from here, one who did an exchange program last fall here and one who’s just a full-time student. I was six hours northeast of Delhi; one friend lived in Delhi, and the other in Mumbai.

*You’ve traveled a good deal. What has that been like, and how has travel been significant to you?*

Actually, everywhere I’ve been has been a developing country except for Canada. I did the Honduras spring break trip, and I’d been to Brazil in junior high, and then South Africa and India. It’s not so much traveling; I don’t even like to call it traveling. I like living there, experiencing the culture, using public transportation and not just running around taking pictures.

*What do you think is one of the defining aspects of the College?*

It’s just kind of like a big home. I’m saying that in the sense that I’d feel comfortable wearing my pajamas anywhere on campus except maybe the new business school.

__Just before our conversation comes to a close, I find that Dawson received an award for the best RA in the commonwealth of Virginia, meaning he has topped the state’s charts at keeping his residents at the College happy, developing successful community building and carefully handling some tough residence-life situations. Walking out the door for the next segment of a full day, Dawson heads off to begin AMP setup for this weekend’s activities.__

Deadlines, papers, exams, meetings — it’s enough to drive anyone insane. Even when doing what we love, stress can still take a toll on us. Once in a while we need to take time out and relax, regroup and restructure our lives. For some people, taking a walk through Colonial Williamsburg and sitting on a bench in front of the Governor’s Palace with a journal is the best way to relax. No matter what method you choose, de-stressing is a must at the College of William and Mary.

Stress, if it reaches a chronic level (even just a few hours of non-stop stressing) can lead to bodily deterioration. Stress increases cortisol levels, which stop your metabolism, increase food cravings and decrease your immune system, according to an article in Business Week Magazine called “Vander’s Human Physiology.” This response, which initially gave cavemen the quick burst of energy needed to run from a predator, can harmfully affect the body after a certain period of time. As a result, those with high levels of stress are more likely to contract illnesses, gain weight and have a higher risk of depression. Additionally, anxiety attacks, obesity and binging, decreased sexual performance, and even cancers in the long run are common side effects of stress.

One of the most effective ways to manage stress and cool down is to exercise. The Student Recreation Center offers a wide variety of activities, ranging from yogilates, Zumba, hip-hop and the climbing wall. While strengthening and conditioning may provide de-stressing benefits, for maximum health benefit cardiovascular exercises such as running, swimming and biking are most effective.

The releasing of mental stress physically through exercise has multiple other benefits. Exercise decreases the risk of depression and increases confidence, while the dilation of blood vessels and increase of blood flow has cardiovascular benefits such as a decrease in LDL cholesterol counts, an increase in good HDL cholesterol counts, a decrease in blood pressure and a decreased risk of heart disease according to the “Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology” by Robert S. Weinberg. Exercise helps boost your energy levels during the day, promotes better sleep and a better sex life.

Thirty minutes of exercise daily keeps stress levels at bay, gives you added health benefits and can help you from getting that dreaded freshman fifteen. Other daily behaviors to decrease stress levels include sleeping at least eight hours and eating the right foods. Tara Geise, a registered dietitian in Florida and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, stated that there are 10 main stress-relieving foods:
BEEF: (organic and low-fat) is filled with B vitamins, iron and zinc, all of which contribute to stabilizing mood. Great to eat for dinner the night before a big test day.

Cottage Cheese with Fruit: the natural sugars in fruit, combined with the protein and calcium in the cottage cheese, are a stress-fighting combination. The vitamin C in fruit is an antioxidant that fights the free radicals released during stress, which can be harmful to the heart.

Almonds: contain vitamins B2, E, zinc and magnesium. Vitamin E, also found in these nuts, fights free radicals. Grab a handful to snack on between classes.

Tuna: a low-fat protein, which contains vitamins B6 and B1. Canned tuna makes a cheap lunch after hitting the gym.

Blueberries: rich in antioxidants, contain vitamin C and are a low-calorie snack.

Milk: believe it or not, milk is high in antioxidants (the organic kind), contains essential vitamins B2 and B12, protein and calcium. A glass every morning goes a long way.

Cornflakes or Rice cereal: provides B vitamins and folic acid to provide serotonin.

Asparagus: high in folic acid and B vitamins (both are used to make serotonin — a mood stabilizer).