Nicole's Writings

By Nicole Ciarapica

At 4 A.M. on March 28, 1979, an accident happened at the Three-Mile Island power plant in Dauphin County, south of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

The partial core meltdown in Unit 2 released 13 million curies of radioactive noble gases into the air. This radiation release became the most significant incident in U.S. nuclear power history.

It was so significant that no nuclear power plants have been built since.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission was forced to become stricter in licensing, inspection, and enforcement of the 104 power plants in the country.

One of those plants, Surry Power Station, began operation 7 years before the Three-Mile Island incident. It’s the closest plant to Williamsburg, located across the James River.

“We’ve been doing modifications to the plant based on data gathered by Three-Mile Island. We modified 15 years to make sure none of that stuff could ever happen,” said Bobby Huskey, an Outage Planner at Surry.

But in 1986, Surry couldn’t prevent steam pipes from bursting. Four workers died at the plant. Surry was fined hundreds of thousands of dollars by the NRC for safety violations.

The modifications continue. Particularly in the area of safety plans, just in case they have a Homer Simpson in the Control Room.

“Once a quarter we have a drill that lasts half a day or two—They take us to General, that’s as bad as it could get,” said Huskey. “My feelings are it’s impossible, but we gotta be ready. We gotta protect you guys out here.”

A General Emergency is when a substantial amount of radioactive matter could have been released outside the station site. It’s not impossible, it happened at Three-Mile Island.

But it is unlikely. In his 29 years at Surry, Huskey has never seen anything higher than an Alert. An Alert is the second classification out of four. It could involve small amounts of radioactive matter being released inside the station. This is followed by the third, Site Area Emergency, during which a small amounts are released directly outside the plant. Notification of Unusual Event is the lowest ranked and could involve a water leak or something maintenance involved.

People within 10 miles have an evacuation plan to follow in case of a Site Area of General Emergency. Radiation isn’t something to play with. The effects that it’s had and will have on the people surrounding Three-Mile Island has not been completely revealed by the nuclear power industry. It is known that higher rates of cancer and chromosomal damage have been found in people and animals that were nearby.

“If an animal ate a piece of grass with radiation on it, it could cause damage in their cells. Radiation is harmful in three ways: it can cause your body damage, it can cause genetic damage to a fetus, and it can cause harm to future generations,” said Huskey.

For future generations, more nuclear power plants aren’t a sure thing. Although safety regulations have improved, the building cost hasn’t. Building one plant can cost up to $5 billion.

Another problem for the industry is the issue of waste storage. Surry’s waste is stored in a steel-lined, concrete vault filled with water and in dry containers at the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation.

Nuclear power may have to become safer, cheaper, and environmentally friendly to compete with more innovative sources. If not, it could be replaced by the new kids in town: wind and solar.

Info Box: Producing electricity begins with splitting uranium atoms in a reactor vessel. The vessel is filled with water which controls the fission process and removes heat from the reactor core. The water is kept under high pressure, but doesn’t reach boiling point although it is heated three times the normal boiling temperature. This pressurized water is pumped to nearby steel containers called steam generators. In the generators, the water passes through thousands of small tubes, transferring its heat to a second, slightly cooler water system. This secondary water becomes steam, which travels through large pipes to spin the turbines in the adjoining building. Spinning at 1,800 RPM, the turbines drive a generator that produces electricity. The steam is condensed back to a liquid by a third cooling system before it returns to the steam generator to start the process again. The third cooling system water is taken from the James River, and is returned to the river slightly warmer than when it was taken.

By Nicole Ciarapica

On May 17, William and Mary’s class of 2009 will say goodbye to Colonial Williamsburg and hello to the real world. Graduates will finally have the prestigious degrees they’ve worked four years or longer for. They’ll be out looking for jobs… right along with the other 13.2 billion Americans currently unemployed.

But WM seniors have high hopes. Their dreams range from being a member of congress to singing at the Opera Garnier to being a children’s book author to working in the Middle East.

The surprising thing is that most seniors don’t seem too worried by the economic crisis. They’re confident their hard work will pay off. It just might not be instant gratification.

A lot of seniors have decided to go straight to graduate school in the fall.

“Grad school is like something to bide your time until the economy is less shitty” said Tiffany Williams, a Chemistry major.

She’ll be spending the next five years at Cornell University, completing a PhD program in Material Science.

Katelyn Browne, a Math and History major, will also be heading to grad school. Her MA in Library Science will bring her one step closer to her dream job.

“Librarians are little old lady jobs and the few I know are retiring in the next few years” said Browne.

She’ll be ready to inherit the position, right after she’s finished at UNC—Chapel Hill.

“I feel like people say…’I have nothing to do. I’ll apply to law school’” said Browne, “But most of them don’t get in.”

Ken Buerger got in. In the fall, he’s attending Penn State University’s Dickinson School of Law.

But whether seniors are continuing their education or entering the workforce, most of them have checked out the WM Career Center.

“They’re amazing,” said Sarah Brooks, a Psychology major, “Their whole job is to get me jobs.”

She’s continuing to grad school to major in Counseling or Social Work, with her goal of becoming a counselor for transgendered individuals.

“They help you not to make an ass of yourself in front of future employers” said Brian Lucey, a senior.

“Mock interviews were the most valuable thing” said Brittany Montalvo, another Psych major.

Montalvo will be working for Homeland Security after graduation and later going to grad school to become a marriage and family therapist.

But for the graduates hoping to have jobs next month, the Career Center’s advice is that if you can’t change your post-grad location, expand the kind of job you are looking for.

Hopefully the U.S. can prove that it’s still the “Land of Opportunity,” regardless of the 8.5% unemployment rate.

Sara Black, a well-known senior, plans to flee the country altogether.

“I am moving back home (Paris) so I will see what the French job market is like” said Black.

By Nicole Ciarapica

Gabrielle Carlson isn’t your typical Miss USA contestant. She grew up on a farm as the youngest of thirteen children. She went to Australia as a missionary when she was 11 years old. At 18, she founded Chesnut Haven Equine Training, a shelter for abandoned race horses and a rehab for mistrustful ones.

But you wouldn’t guess any of this by looking at her. Carlson, 24, is slender, around 6 feet tall, with long blonde hair and blue eyes. Her genuine smile forces you to like her. She looks very much like the other beauty queens, but she’s different.

She’s stubborn as a mule, and she doesn’t quit. She made four attempts at the Miss Maryland USA crown before winning. But this title isn’t her first and probably won’t be her last.

On April 19^th, she will be competing in the 58th Miss USA pageant in Las Vegas. Fifty contestants, one woman representing each state, will compete for the title.

Of course the long sought-after title has its perks.

“Who doesn’t want to live with Donald Trump in New York City and compete in Miss Universe?” she said.

But Carlson doesn’t want to win for fame and fortune. Her title would allow her to have a larger outreach for a very personal cause.

“I have a story to tell—a past of sexual abuse,” said Carlson. “Having the opportunity, I can lead a lot of women to see the brighter side and be a role model.”

As Miss Maryland, she’s working with The Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network, RAINN.

The obstacles she has overcome in her life make her the woman she is today.

“Being the youngest of thirteen children and not having the funds,” said Carlson, “If I wanted something, I really had to work hard for it.”

This farm girl can be rugged outdoors, heaving around mounds of hay for her horses and cleaning out the stalls. But she also has a glamorous side, and that’s taken over during the previous months before the pageant.

“It’s a lot of working out, eating properly, and continually shopping for and packing all my clothes,” said Carlson.

And she isn’t packing a weekend suitcase. Her stay in Vegas requires three complete outfits per day. And “complete” means that all 34 outfits “have bracelets, necklaces, earrings, shoes, and purses,” said Carlson.

Beyond her endless matching and accessorizing, Carlson attends meetings with board members and benefits being held for her. She is also in the process of reading a book by interview guru, Donald Baker, who she will meet before the big day. Baker will help her censor those sneaky “Uhh’s” and “Umm’s” from her speech.

But Carlson likely banned those fillers years ago. She has been 2003 Miss Somerset County Fair Queen, 2005 Miss Rocky Gap, 2006 Miss Maryland Beauties of America, 2007 Miss Greater Baltimore, Miss Eastern Shore 2008, and currently Miss Maryland USA.

Although the other 49 girls are battling for the Miss USA title too, she is more likely to think of them as friends rather than competitors. That’s what she did during the Miss Maryland pageant.

“The only competition you have is yourself,” she said, “and the other girls are amazing.”

It sounds cliché. But how else can you explain why a few of the Miss Maryland runner-ups are going to the Miss USA pageant to support her? They’re her friends and they’ll be cheering for her in the audience, right along with her parents, sister, and fiancé. Those girls even voted her to be “Miss Amity” during the pageant, an award much like “Miss Congeniality.”

Although she is “Miss Amity,” Carlson can still put you in your place. Recently, she confronted two hosts of an Eastern Shore radio station. She heard that was being talked about, and not in a good way. The hosts’ opinion was that she was using her sexual abuse experience to win Miss USA and that she was not as attractive as Miss Maryland Teen USA. Carlson wanted her side to be heard, so she went on the air.

“They didn’t give me any kind of briefing. They basically handed me the headphones and said ‘You’re on.’ I had never been on a radio show before. So I thought ‘If you want to play this game I can play too.’”

Carlson played their game and won. She made the reasons clear as to why she chooses to share her sexual abuse experience. And the reason is for one bigger than the Miss USA crown. But why was Carlson not given the courtesy of instructions for her first time on a radio show? It was, no doubt, to make her look unintelligent. Nice try.

“People assume we’re stupid,” said Carlson. “People think that the only answer we say is ‘world peace.’ A lot of us can say more than two words.”

Carlson is smart enough to know that the Miss USA dressing room will be total chaos. With 50 girls vying for the same title, emotions will be running wild backstage. She can remember the Miss Maryland dressing room vividly:

“You walk in and you literally see butts and boobs everywhere. We all have the same body parts,” she said. “You have girls running to get into their dresses. Tempers are flying at that point. ‘I can’t find my dress!’ ‘I can’t find my earrings!’ ‘My dress just broke!’ ‘I just got my period!”

But Carlson will survive the Miss USA dressing room just like she’s overcome everything else in her life.

Her personal motto represents a beauty queen with a backbone of steel.

“God will not have you walk on tough roads, without providing tougher shoes. Mine just happen to be high heels.”

And lucky for Carlson, she has approximately 30 to 40 pairs.

If You Watch: The Miss USA pageant is broadcast live on NBC on April 19^th from the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

By Nicole Ciarapica

WILLIAMSBURG– It’s that feeling of someone watching you but no one is there. It’s the unexplainable image in a photograph. It’s when your heart pounds in your chest and the hair on the back of your neck stands up. Some people like being scared. They enjoy it so much they’ll even pay for it.

In fact, that’s what the 14 ghost tours in Williamsburg bank on. So lucky for them and their customers, odd things do happen sometimes.

Take for instance, Mrs. Mary Monroe Peachy. Peachy owned the Peyton-Randolph house in Colonial Williamsburg in 1824, during which many tragic childhood deaths occurred. One boy fell from a tree to his death, one boy died from tuberculosis, and one girl died after falling from the top of a staircase. Legend has it that she was pushed by her ghostly best friend, Elizabeth.

Heidi Hartwiger, a 14-year tour guide with the Original Ghosts of Williamsburg Candlelight tour, believes that she saw Mrs. Peachy while with a school group. One of the girls took two pictures of the Peyton-Randolph house with her Polaroid camera.

“We went under the streetlight to see the first one develop. She said ‘Oh this doesn’t look good—just dumb cat eyes,’” said Hartwiger. “When the second picture developed, there was a lady in the doorway. Beside her was a great big cat with those same eyes.”

All year round, groups of tourists, locals, and William and Mary students walk through the town at night, longing for such strange occurrences.  

“Incidents occur in this town that are unexplained that continue to resurface” said Allison Wildridge, owner of Axwild Tours.

Wildridge was in front of the Governor’s Palace in Colonial Williamsburg with a tour group when they all saw a bright light on the top floor, flashing from one end of the building to the other. Wildridge believes it was more than just a light because it would have been separated by the walls as it went back and forth, but it wasn’t.

Axwild Tours has been around since 2003, while the Ghosts of Williamsburg Tour is in its 18^th year.  Wildridge retells spooky legends and experiences, and lets out her loud, deep cackle during tense moments. The Ghosts of Williamsburg tour guides base their stories on L.B. Taylor Jr.’s book, The Ghosts of Williamsburg. Taylor published stories of people who experience but can’t explain things that “go bump in the night.”

Both tours go to the President’s House and the Brafferton, located on the college campus. The Brafferton served as an American Indian school until 1779, and is now believed to be haunted by an American Indian boy. Legend has it that the young boy’s ghost runs at dawn on the grass in front of the building. A cool breeze can be felt as he passes by.

In addition the Peyton-Randolph house, the tours also stop at the George Wythe house in Colonial Williamsburg. The house was left to Wythe in 1775, who was Thomas Jefferson’s law professor. The building isn’t open for tours, but Hartwiger has repeatedly seen a ghost on the doorstep. She’s a slave woman known as “The Worrier,” because she always wrings her hands and looks anxiously up the road.

“I’m walking and the woman starts to disappear. Her head goes, her shoulders, and her body. The last I see is the tip of her aprons and she melts into the doorway,” Hartwiger said. “My heart was pounding and the little boy I was walking with said, ‘Where’d that lady go?’ So I saw her two or three more times, well parts of her.”

At times the people taking the ghost tours can be as bizarre as the supernatural. One of Wildridge’s customers identified herself as a paranormal psychologist. She stayed towards the back of the group to do her own sleuthing.

After the tour, the woman said: “We had a guest on our tour, a visitor. I started to feel a presence. When we were walking on those oyster shells, these footsteps behind me would start and stop. I turned around and no one was there. At the end of the tour, I told it ‘Thank you for your escort but your services are no longer needed.”

Tour guides and their groups hope that “visitors” like these will somehow show themselves. The groups walk by the light of a lantern through the streets of Williamsburg, eyeing colonial houses with suspicion and staring into the dark with wonder.

If You Go: The Original Ghosts of Williamsburg Tour runs on Saturdays at 8 PM in winter months, every night at 8 PM in the spring and fall, and 8:00 and 8:45 PM June through August. Tickets are $11 each, or $10 with student discount or for groups of 25 or more. Axwild Tours runs per request and is also $10 a ticket.