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.

For the past three years, Cameron Lynch ’23 has been advocating for the needs of the immunocompromised. Currently working as an intern for Save the Children, serving on the Board of Directors for the Disability Law Center of Virginia, and acting as the undersecretary for Disability Affairs on campus, Lynch’s life centers around disability advocacy.

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.

Richard Bland College of William and Mary is governed by the College’s Board of Visitors. Its alumni and administration say it’s time for them to chart their own destiny.