Tribe knocks off Rams Confusion Corner: High School Musical: The extracurricular Better than you think juggling act SEE REVIEW PAGE 5 SEE BACK PAGE SEE PAGE 5 The twice-weekly student newspaper of the College of William and Mary — Est. 1911 VOL.98, NO.17 TUESDAY, OCtoBER 28, 2008 FLATHATNEWS.COM THEY CALL THEM TING TINGS ELECTION2008 City may Prof talks amend higher ed 3-person politics Feldman compares higher education plans ordinance of McCain, Obama Williamsburg officials, SA By ADAM LERNER working on codifying exceptions Flat Hat Staff Writer On Oct. 15, presidential candidates By AUSTIN WRIGHT John McCain and Barack Obama stepped Flat Hat Editor-in-Chief CAITLIN Fairchild— THE FLAT HAT onstage at Hofstra University to engage The Ting Tings rocked Matoaka Amphitheater Saturday. For coverage of the Homecoming concert, see page 5. in the final presidential debate of the 2008 Williamsburg soon could budge on the three-person election. The debate was the third such rule, a 17-year-old zoning ordinance that has caused ten- event to take place at an institution of sion between students and the city. higher learning, yet little discussion was City leaders and members of the College of William devoted to higher education itself. and Mary Student Assembly have been meeting pri- Trayless SC still in debate During the first two debates, the word vately for about six weeks, hashing out the details of a “college” was only used a total of six times potential amendment to the three-person rule, which al- were still in the discussion phase — all by Obama. At Hofstra, “college” lows no more than three un- Dining Services: Sadler Center may be and could change at any time. came up twice as often as it did in both of related people to live together too crowded for traylessness “We don’t want to put things the first two debates combined — but even ONLINE in a Williamsburg home. A out before they’re finalized,” she then only in roundabout, vague terms. Read the entire proposal dated Oct. 6 — pro- By ISSHIN TESHIMA Life Liz Thomas recommended said. According to economics professor Da- Oct. 6 proposal vided to The Flat Hat by an SA Flat Hat Assoc. News Editor that the dining hall go trayless by According to Dining Services vid Feldman, a specialist in higher educa- flathatnews.com member under the condition fall 2009. In addition, they report- Director Phil DiBenedetto, effec- tion economics, Obama’s plan has fewer of anonymity — would allow Last Tuesday, the Student As- ed that the establishment should tively changing the policies of a total items listed, but is more specific than four people to apply to live together in a Williamsburg sembly Executive Cabinet dis- go trayless through a gradual dining hall consists of more than McCain’s. home if they adhere to strict guidelines. cussed a possible trayless policy reduction of the number of trays simply having a student consen- Feldman is currently co-authoring a In conversations with The Flat Hat yesterday, city and for the Sadler Center dining hall. available. sus on the issue. book with fellow economics professor Rob- student leaders made it clear the proposal was prelimi- According to the SA cabinet However, Thomas stated that DiBenedetto said that more ert Archibald entitled “Why Does College nary — months from being voted on by the City Council, minutes, Secretary for Student all facts discussed in the meeting research needs to be done before Cost so Much?” if ever — and that coverage of the proposal in this news- Dining Services can ascertain “One should not read anything into the paper could jeopardize its chances. whether or not going trayless will different number of points each side rais- “It’s just something we’re trying to work through,” be beneficial to the Sadler Center. es, believe me,” Feldman said, “because, said Williamsburg Mayor Jeanne Zeidler, who has seen “Before we need to do any- actually, although the Obama site lists two, an early draft of the proposal but wouldn’t say whether thing, we need to study it,” he they’re very specific. The McCain site lists she supports it. said. “We need to study the cus- five, and there’s nothing there.” “I support looking for more flexibility in the three-per- tomer in the location [where] we The first of Obama’s proposals is a son rule, but we need more conversation,” Zeidler said. are going to implement the new $4,000, fully refundable tax credit that SA President Valerie Hopkins ’09 said she’s disap- policy.” would be given to college students who pointed the proposal was leaked to The Flat Hat, as city Moreover, DiBenedetto cited committed to completing 100 hours of leaders provided a copy to SA members under the spe- that traylessness may not be ap- community service. cific condition that it not end up in this newspaper, ac- propriate for the Sadler Center “The virtue of the proposal is that it’s cording to several SA sources. because of the dining hall’s fairly going where the issue really is. And where “It undermines the relationship that we’ve had,” Hop- compact design. The flow of the issue really is, is access, and access is kins said, adding that city leaders were considering re- customers is considerably tight governed by your means,” Feldman said. leasing the proposal publicly in early November. throughout the area, so the con- “So, if, in fact, this proposal has the refund She added that a final policy proposal has yet to be venience of holding a tray to keep idea that works like a negative income tax reached and that it’s unclear whether the proposal will CAITLIN Fairchild — THE FLAT HAT food together is greater at that or an earned income tax credit so that it’s Director of Dining Services Phil DiBenedetto said that more research is See RULE page 3 necessary before the Sadler Center can go trayless. See TRAYLESS page 3 See HIGHER ED page 2 In book review, Rowing team vies for world record By ANGELA DELGADO Nichol writes The Flat Hat The College of William and Mary Rowing Team tried to row its way into about College the world record books Saturday. “Power Your World,” a fundraiser held at Berret’s By MILES HILDER Seafood Restaurant and Taphouse Grill, Flat Hat News Editor attempted to raise not only money and support for the team but also awareness Former College of William and Mary President Gene Nichol of environmental sustainability. discussed the movement to oust him from office in a column in The main attraction of the day was an the Oct. 31 edition of The Chronicle for Higher Education. attempt to set a world record for the most Commenting on a new book written by University of Cali- people to row on a single rowing machine fornia-Santa Barbara Professor Christopher Newfield detailing in a 12-hour period. This event marked an alleged conservative assault on public universities, Nichol the first time anybody has tried to com- said that his experiences at the College provide evidence for plete this feat. Newfield’s assertions. He cites the Wren Cross controversy as “We applied to set it with the Guinness an example. Book of World Records, but they didn’t “My own controversial tenure as president of [the College] send a representative out,” rowing team offers a good deal of evidence to ratify Newfield’s claims,” president T.J. Wallin ’10 said. “So we taped Nichol wrote. “After altering the way a Christian cross was the event to apply for the record ex-post displayed in a public facility, on a public-university campus, in facto.” a chapel used regularly for secular events both voluntary and Rowing Vice President of Fundraising CAITLIN FAIRCHILD — THE FLAT HAT See NICHOL page 3 See ROWING page 2 Students and community members helped create the world record as rowing club members look on. The Flat Hat will resume its regular printing schedule Tuesday, Nov. 4, with the results of its 2008 Presidential Election survey. Page 2 Tuesday, October 28, 2008 News Editor Alex Guillén News Editor Miles Hilder NEWS INSIGHT [email protected] STREET BEAT What was your favorite part of Homecoming? ‘Stabilitas et Fides’ 25 Campus Center, The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA. 23185 Newsroom (757) 221-3281 — Advertising Dept. 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I listened to them all Alex Guillén, News Editor Taylor Martindale, Copy Chief Miles Hilder, News Editor Vanessa VanLandingham, Copy Chief Tribe outfits.” summer long.” Kasi Kangarloo, Variety Editor Caitlin Fairchild, Photo Editor Ashley Morgan, Variety Editor Maral Noori, Photo Editor Andrew Pike, Sports Editor Alexander Ely, Chief Staff Writer Penny Mahoney ’09 Laila Selim ’10 Jess Unger ’09 Sam Grill ’09 Sarah Sibley, Opinions Editor Tom MacWright, Web Director — photos and interviews by Maral Noori-Moghaddan Mike Crump, Assoc. News Editor Leah Fry, Copy Editor Isshin Teshima, Assoc. News Editor Amanda Goodman, Copy Editor Maggie Reeb, Insight Editor Logan Herries, Copy Editor Summer Finck, Assoc. Variety Editor Megan Keeling, Copy Editor CITY POLICE BEAT Jessica Gold, Assoc.