The Weekly Student Newspaper
Vol. 116, Iss. 3 | Wednesday, March 18, 2026
The College of William and Mary
GRAPHIC BY NAMAN MISHRA
flathatnews.com | @theflathat
CENTER: MADDIE MOHAMADI / THE FLAT HAT
CORNERS: COURTESY IMAGES / IDA GUERAMI
Amid war, Iranian American students navigate heritage, family ties MADDIE MOHAMADI // FLAT HAT MANAGING EDITOR Students reflect on cultural connections, uncertainty, resilience as conflict continues in Middle East
As war escalates in Iran, Iranian American students at the College of William and Mary are balancing campus life with concern for family abroad. For Ida Guerami ’27, Sarah Morid ’27 and Arvin Rajabzadeh ’26, these worries are inseparable from a profound connection to their heritage. “In general, the Middle East is more than the headlines that we see,” Morid said. “We’re lands of poets, mathematicians, engineers, adventurers, and we’ve been on this land for generations, rebuilding and loving it.” Guerami echoed a similar sentiment. “It’s a culture of depth, of excellence, of
knowledge, of richness, of such good food,” she said. “There’s just so much love, and so I’m sad to see that this love is being overshadowed by such divisiveness.” Guerami also noted that the timing of the war coincides with the Iranian New Year, which will take place Friday, March 20. “We’re at the most important time of the year for us, waiting for these new beginnings, a start for something better for our people, our reset,” she said. “But we’re starting it in a time of mourning, a time of cognitive dissonance between so many people.” Morid emphasized that opinions on the war vary widely within the Iranian community. “Iran is such a huge country, and there are
so many Iranian voices,” she said. “Part of listening to Iranian voices should be listening to the diversity of the voices as well.” For Guerami, Morid and Rajabzadeh, these perspectives are personal. Each has immediate family in the United States and extended relatives in Iran. Morid and Rajabzadeh’s families are from Iran’s southwestern Khuzestan province, the primary battleground during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. Guerami’s father’s family is from Isfahan in central Iran, and her mother’s relatives are from Kerman in southern Iran. Both of Guerami’s parents lived in Tehran. Guerami, Morid and Rajabzadeh have each visited Iran.
“It’s a beautiful place with a clear, deeprooted, thousands-of-years-old culture, and the people are probably the most welcoming and hospitable you’ll ever meet,” said Rajabzadeh, who last traveled to Iran when he was 14 years old. Morid has visited her family in Iran three times, most recently in 2023. “Every moment I can spend with them is so valuable,” she said. “There are so many people who are Iranian who don’t get the chance to visit Iran because of circumstances, so I’m just really grateful whenever I can visit.” SEE STUDENT LIFE PAGE 4
POLITICS
Student workers express support for state minimum wage increase Tutors, TAs, Sadler employees hope to see pay raises as governor reviews legislation LIAM GLAVIN FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR Wednesday, March 4, the Virginia Senate passed SB1 following approval from the Virginia House of Delegates. This law codifies the state hourly minimum wage of $12.77 per hour that went into effect on Thursday, Jan. 1 this year. The law seeks to gradually increase Virginia’s minimum wage to $13.75 per hour on January 1, 2027 and to $15 per hour starting January 1, 2028. While Gov. Abigail Spanberger D.P.S. ’26 has not officially signed the bill, she has pledged to do so. Spanberger has until Monday, April 13 at 11:59 p.m. to take action on this legislation. Despite Virginia having the lowest number of low-wage workers compared to other states across the South, tens of thousands of minimumwage workers across the state are poised to see positive financial improvements from this increase. University workers are especially
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positioned to benefit from this higher wage. Among these statewide university workers, students at the College of William and Mary see this increase in Virginia’s minimum wage as beneficial. Tatem Lydens ’27 is a kinesiology major at the College who works as a building manager for Student Unions and Engagement. “It's a lot of interacting with various people that come up, making sure everything around the building is going smoothly,” she said. Lydens said she works around 10-15 hours per week, where she typically sits at a desk. Lydens’ friend inspired her to apply for the position. She said she has come to appreciate the daily interactions she makes with people who visit the SUE office. “It's kind of like the hub for campus,” she said. “Literally everyone comes there.” SEE POLITICS PAGE 3
MADDIE MOHAMADI / THE FLAT HAT
Kinesiology major Tatem Lydens '27 works the front desk of the Sadler Center to pay for recreation and day-to-day needs.
Inside Opinions
Inside Variety
Inside Sports
Michael Gabriel '28 discusses how beautiful Swem library could have been page 6
Oscar-winning Chloé Zhao film captures mother’s grief, creates Shakespearean historical fantasy page 8
36,000-square-foot training facility brings Tribe athletics to forefront page 10
We deserve an ornate library
Reel Talk: ʻHamnetʼ
Mackesy Sports Performance Center opens its doors