The past five years have been far from uneventful. For The Flat Hat newspaper, stories from the Variety and Opinions sections have ranged from pieces covering the infamous emergence of Yik Yak across campus to tales of barefoot students meandering around Swem Library. Sorted by view count and interactions with individual posts, the following fifteen stories have been some of the most attention-grabbing pieces from the past 1,827 days.

On February 7, 1945, The Flat Hat newspaper released an issue containing an anonymous editorial written by Editor-in-Chief Marilyn Kaemmerle ’45. The editorial was titled “Lincoln’s Job Half-Done” and promoted the inclusive treatment and admission of Black students to the College of William and Mary in the postwar period. Twelve days later, Kaemmerle found herself removed from the paper and all but expelled from the College. How did this brief editorial result in Kaemmerle’s rapid removal from The Flat Hat and incite a slew of nationwide coverage?

In 1776, the College of William & Mary established an American tradition with the nation’s first fraternity, Phi Beta Kappa, originally consisting of five students. Since then, Greek social life has dramatically expanded, not only at the College but across the country. Join Managing Editor Bailey Langhans ’26 as she explores hazing and drugging concerns at William & Mary.

On September 22, 2022, the College of William and Mary revealed its intentions to explore a new school for computing, data, and applied sciences. The announcement comes at a time when technology is the buzzword of the century, with the College seeking to cement its place as a data-driven destination for higher education.

*record scratch* *freeze frame* 

Yup, that's me. You're probably wondering how I ended up in this major... 

Join us on our Reflection era tour as we reminisce about the classes that changed us. (Apologies to Marion: we know you wrote an article last semester about how aestheticizing ourselves is bad, but just this once, ok?).

If there’s one thing Flat Hat Magazine staff is good at, it’s gossiping. So, buckle up, y’all: we’ve got major tea to spill. The craziest, funniest, and most chaotic true stories we’ve heard, all in one place.

The most recent installation on the College of William and Mary’s campus is an unpopular one. Students most certainly have some opinions about the fence.

Have you ever seen a ghost tour on campus or around Colonial Williamsburg at night? Are you curious what it’s like, but don’t have room in your budget after your latest Wawa run? Join your Flat Hat Magazine ghost tour guide, JR Herman ‘24, as she tells all.

On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 case that guaranteed a constitutional right to abortion. The debate regarding abortion, however, is not a new one and has made its presence known on college campuses around the country. But how exactly does the debate function amongst students and faculty at the College of William and Mary?

Facebook has evolved to become a vital tool in the transition process from high school to college for parents and students alike, and the community at the College of William and Mary is no exception. Well into their children’s college years, parents flock to whatever social media resource they can find to get the quick answers they desire. Today, the W&M Family Group on Facebook fills this need, and it is known within the College community as a hotspot for parental drama. Some say that any perceived cattiness in the group’s discourse is a feature, not a bug. But this melting pot of hot takes had humble beginnings.

Over the last decade, higher education institutions have made great strides in fostering LGBTQ+ inclusivity. The College of William and Mary is no exception, with the campus receiving a 4 out of 5 stars rating by the Campus Pride Index. Yet, conversations about LGBTQ+ visibility tend to leave out asexuals — a small but significant group. Asexual students at the College enjoy the same umbrella of welcoming sentiment from the student body, but entrenched misconceptions about desire and romance prevent asexuals from achieving full recognition.

With housing close to campus at a premium, it’s natural for people’s curiosity to be piqued at the sight of three houses nestled between Wawa and the College Delly on Richmond Road. Two of these are student apartments for the College of William and Mary, the other serving as the college’s Archaeological Center. 333 and 331 Richmond Road, or “the Threes,” as they’re called, have something of a reputation.