Cedric Rucker

Umw Campus Hub renamed in honor of longtime dean

By Lisa Chinn Marvashti

UMW Board of Visitors Rector Heather Crislip poses for a photo with Cedric Rucker President Troy Paino noted, "Since his arrival on campus almost 45 years ago, Cedric Rucker has dedicated his life to making the Mary Washington community better. UMW is a more caring, compassionate and inclusive place because of him, and this is a fitting tribute to honor that legacy."

As a junior, Rucker enrolled in a graduate program at the University of Virginia, where he later earned a master's degree, began a doctoral program and took a job in Admissions.

He made his way back to his first alma mater in 1989, becoming Mary Washington's dean of student activities, a position he held for nearly a decade, before moving on to his longtime role as dean of student life. In these roles, he has breathed immeasurable vitality into campus, serving as an energetic and consummate supporter of students.

As an adjunct faculty member for 33 years, Rucker taught sociology to hundreds and hundreds of undergraduates, and worked with his colleagues to create enlightening courses, like Ethnic Studies, designed to bring inclusivity into the classroom.

All this while he was regaling the UMW community with annual rituals that lifted spirits and fostered a sense of connection and caring. Every year, he hands out Halloween candy dressed as Winnie the Pooh, helps soon-to-be grads adjust their regalia, and simply shows up for the arts, for athletics, for the students.

A relationship-builder, Rucker is also a collector of antiques and all things "Mary Washington." And he's a world traveler, having peered into the Grand Canyon, hugged the giant sequoias, climbed inside the Great Pyramid, stood on the ground in Hiroshima, gone on safari and visited the Great Wall of China. And that's just for starters.

Upon retirement, he plans to join the Peace Corps, once again wielding his unstoppable energy far away from Mary Washington.

But Rucker will always be at UMW in spirit, with generations of future students reading his name every day when they enter the Cedric Rucker University Center to share meals with their friends, meet with their clubs and keep campus life moving … just like he has.

His big laugh and bowties may not be present at the University of Mary Washington much longer, but a decision at today's Board of Visitor's meeting ensures that Associate Vice President and Dean of Student Life Cedric Rucker's legacy will live on in the heart of campus.

The UMW Board voted today to name the University Center - the fourstory hub of student activity on bustling Ball Circle - the Cedric Rucker University Center. The renaming goes into effect upon Rucker's official retirement on June 24, 2022, more than four decades after he

arrived on Marye's Heights in 1977 as an undergraduate who'd go on to study sociology and weave himself into the fabric of Mary Washington.

T h e first AfricanAmerican male graduate to live in the residence halls, Rucker soaked up campus life, joining the anthropology club, working at the library and radio station, and forming unbreakable bonds with his classmates.

Rector Heather Mullins Crislip '95 said of the decision, "Cedric Rucker has had an indelible impact on thousands of Mary Washington students and alumni. He made us better people and inspired us to live lives that are authentic, pursue justice and seek to deeply understand

each other. I can think of no other person who perfectly defines the Mary Washington ideal than Cedric." "Mary Washington just felt like mine," he said during a recent interview. "I'm stunned," Rucker said through tears at this morning's meeting, where he received a standing ovation. "It's because of the level of engagement of this community that I'm able to dedicate myself to the success of the students and to the success of this institution."

In honor of Dean Rucker's upcoming retirement, the UMW Alumni Association will offer a dollar-for-dollar match - up to $5,000 - for gifts made April 5 during Giving Day to the newly formed Cedric B. Rucker '81 S.O.S. (support our students) Fund. The endowment will be used to support students with unexpected and life-altering emergencies.

Lisa Chinn Marvashti is the Assistant Director of Media and Public Relations

photo upper left by K. Pearlman Photography photos provided by UMW media

Penny A Parrish Guest Porch Editorial

Contributing Writers & Artists

Rita Allan Chuck Archer Sally Cooney Anderson Amy Bayne Laurie Black Dianne Bachman Sean Bonney Sonja Cantu Collette Caprara Janet Douberly Frank Fratoe Bill Freehling Jennifer Galvin Jon Gerlach Marcia Grimsley Ralph “Tuffy” Hicks Christie Hoerneman Nancy B. Kelly David C. Kennedy Lisa Chinn Marvashti Wendy Migdal Ray Mikula Vanessa Moncure Nancy Moore Pete Morelewicz Patrick Neustatter Penny A Parrish K. Pearlman Paula Raudenbush Rob Rudick Terry Rensell Jenna Elizabeth Russo Paul T,Scott Ted Schubel Debbie Seacreast Mandy Smith Christine Thompson Susan Van de Putt Rim Vining Tina Will Norma Woodward

Front Porch Fredericksburg is a free circulation magazine published monthly by Olde Towne Publishing Co. Virginia Bigenwald Grogan, Publisher.

The mission of Front Porch Fredericksburg is to connect the diverse citizenry of Fredericksburg with lively features and informative columns of interest to our community’s greatest resource, its people.

Messages from our readers are welcome. All article submissions must be received by e-mail by the 16th & calendar items the 19th of the month preceding publication.

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Copyright 2022

ON THE PORCH

meet the belles

by penny A Parrish

For many of us, COVID has meant the loss of habitat where friends meet: restaurants, concerts, libraries, art galleries, exercise and sports venues. We stayed home and attacked in-house projects we'd put off for months or even years (I sorted and labeled family photos). But even the "to do" list dwindled and we needed something to save our sanity.

Enter Pickleball (PB). I had taken lessons a couple of years ago, and played indoors at various locations. Now those places were closed. Rosemary Pitts, a friend and fellow PB player, noticed the courts at Pratt Park were usually vacant. So she invited me and a few other ladies "of a certain age" to play PB there outside once a week. We began in May 2020 and we're still going strong almost two years later.

When we started, PB lines were on the courts where we played, but the lines were so faint our old eyes could barely see them. A request to Suzanne Smith, Stafford County Community Recreation Manager, brought out a crew with bright yellow paint. We had fun "supervising" the guys.

During the past 20+ months, there have only been two or three weeks when we didn't have enough to play (we need four) or the weather did not cooperate. Mary Raye Cox and I have taken turns as the weather guru, who on Sunday night picks the best day for our outing: warm as possible and no precipitation. Sometimes we're actually correct. Our group needed a name. Several were proposed, including the "Broom Brigade." After rain or snow, we'd sweep the courts and push the water/snow aside. It was Mary Raye who decided we are the Pickle Belles. Meet our other main members: Barbara Barrett, Sheila Johnson, Ann Misener, Debbie W e s t m o r e l a n d , Barbara Tokar and Judy Thielman.

Since we play outdoors, the Belle's have to factor in certain issues that can cause our games to deviate from the official rules. For example, when it's windy we use the boundaries for tennis so we have more room to maneuver. If it's sunny, and you're facing the glare, you can be forgiven for missing a ball because you were blinded. If geese fly over and you

look up, there's a built-in excuse for a bad serve because of Mother Nature. If dogs run around outside the fenced court, it's okay to take a break and pet them. Most importantly, it's acceptable to forget what the score is, who is serving or even what someone's name is. Serious pickle ball players would be appalled at our "rule book" which we dub "The Pratt Park Pickle Belle Playing and Problem-Solving Compendium." The goal is fun and exercise, not winning. Passersby who see us playing will often hear us use the words "you're in the kitchen!" It's a PB term and has nothing to do with stoves or refrigerators. So I am sure confusion reigns supreme when they see a bunch of older ladies screaming about the kitchen (it's an aspect of the weird rules and scoring that are part of pickleball).

Our start time depends on the season. In the winter, we usually play at 1:00 pm. As it warms up, we move to 11 am. By the middle of summer when steam is coming off the courts, we begin at 8:00 in the morning. Since I retired a decade ago, the Pickle Belles are the ONLY reason to get up that early!

In between sets, we drink water and chat, share stories of family and friends, talk about TV and movies, and laugh. When the weather is warm, we sit under a tree or gather at nearby Chatham for a picnic. We swap egg cartons for shopping at the Fredericksburg Food Coop. We trade copies of books and share Front Porch Magazine. We celebrate birthdays and holidays with cards and little gift bags (usually involving chocolate).

Front Porch Magazine fosters friendship, community, caring and laughter. So do the Pickle Belles. Enjoy the read!

“PBelles at Net” “Penny Pickle Belle ”

Penny A Parrish enjoys photography and writing and lives in Stafford. Photos by Norma Woodward of Fredericksburg