The Blue & Gray Press

THE

BLUE &GRAY

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON STUDENT NEWSPAPER

APRIL 9, 2015

VOLUME 88 | ISSUE 22

PRESS

SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE

1922

Students fundraise for Guatemalan education

HOPE RACINE News Editor

Catherine Purtell, Commuter Students Association President Evan Smallwood and Diversity and Unity Coordination Committee Chair Kopper Carter voted against the motion. Academic Affairs Chair Sarah Clay and Interclub Association President Matt MacAloon abstained from the vote.

The motion, which proposed to have the SGA publish a statement of support for DivestUMW originally passed the Senate the previous week.

The proposed statement would read: “The University of Mary Washington Student Government Association supports DivestUMW’s continuing action to ensure student voices are heard by the administration and the Board of Visitors, given the

Fourteen students left a spring break trip in Guatemala with a new found purpose to support and enrich the educational experience of the country’s youth.

On March 30, students launched a “Go Fund Me” campaign to raise $6,000 for the Community Cloud Forest Conservation, a school that teaches young women about self esteem, nutrition and sustainable farming practices during a 25-day program. The school currently has no energy, and classes are held in the dark. The goal of the fundraiser is to raise money to invest in a hydroelectric turbine that will run electricity to the building and improve the quality of education.

“Power would give them the opportunity to use computers and projectors as study tools,” said junior geography and studio art double major Kacie Waters-Heflin in a release from the school. “And it would give them light for operation.”

While visiting the conservation over break, the program’s director approached students and asked them to make a brief video about the school in order to raise interest and funds for their program. Inspired, the students took it a step further.

These fundraising projects are not new to the university. This April is the fourth annual month of microfinance, which serves to examine the effectiveness of grassroots financing programs and their effect on poverty.

In addition, April features the $2 Challenge, where students spend a week learning about the realities of living on $2 a day.

Students face challenges such as cutting off their electronic use, boiling water be

•STUDENT SENATE | 2

•MICROFINANCE | 10

Alumni donations push ampitheatre renovation closer to reality | 10 Ginny Clark / The Blue & Gray Press The amphitheatre has fallen into disrepair in recent years, and is no longer used as a venue for campus events. The renovation will restore it to popular use.

Multicultural Fair to SGA Executive Cabinet rejects motion to support DivestUMW celebrate 25th MARIAH YOUNG Association of Residence Halls President Managing Editor Mia Bolesis, Honor Council President anniversary STUDENTS JOIN TOGETHER ON APRIL 11 SARAH GRAMMER Assistant News Editor

The University of Mary Washington once again celebrate a diversity of cultures at the 25th annual Multicultural Fair.

On Saturday, April 11, vendors will cover campus selling food and handmade crafts for students, faculty and community members to enjoy.

A popular event each year, the Multicultural Fair attracts a crowd of thousands who come to shop, eat and watch a variety of performances throughout the day. Performances include musical groups from different genres and dance performers, as well as student groups such as Eagle Bhangra. All entertainers come from a wide range of cultures and are meant to give those who attend an appreciation for cultural diversity.

Among the handmade crafts are often clothing items and jewelry. Many vendors also sell wooden kitchen utensils, or handmade wooden statues. Henna, glitter tattoos and face paint decorate visitors while they enjoy the festivities.

As usual, the Multicultural Fair offers a horde of food possibilities, including gyros, corn dogs, fries, smoothies, lamb, chicken, beef and funnel cake. UMW’s own Wholly Habaneros truck is a food option as well.

Certain parts of the campus will be filled with activities, especially for children, where stations will be set up for kids to make crafts of their own. The crafts are borrowed from many different cultures in order to help the younger children to experience new ideas.

IN THIS

ISSUE

The University of Mary Washington Student Government Association’s Executive Cabinet rejected a motion by the Student Senate to issue a statement from the SGA in support of DivestUMW’s actions during their most recent meeting on Monday, April 6.

The Student Senate, at its weekly meeting on Wednesday, April 8, motioned to overturn the Executive Cabinet’s decision, but failed to receive the two-thirds majority vote required.

In a 2-5-2 vote, Legislative Action Committee Chairman Joe Dolan and Student Government Vice President Nate Levine voted in support of the motion, while Judicial Review Board President Lanieta Budi,

UMW alumna Susan Stimpson runs for VA house of delegates EMILY HOLLINGSWORTH Assistant News Editor

A candidate with a familiar university background will be appearing on the ballot in the next Virginia election.

Susan Stimpson, who graduated from the University of Mary Washington in 1992, is running in the Republican primary of Virginia’s 28th District, which includes parts of Stafford County and the city of Fredericksburg. Stimpson received a Bachelor of Arts at UMW and received a Master of Public Administration at the University of West Florida. She is running against Speaker William Howell to serve as the Republican candidate for the House of Delegates seat.

Stimpson served on the Stafford County Board of Supervisors as chairman from 2010 to 2013.

Through working with the Board of Supervisors, Stimpson experienced first hand the impact of local government involvement in the community.

Susan Stimpson Susan Stimpson graduated from the University of Mary Washington in 1992 and is running for office.

Stimpson said she believes the House of Delegates needs representatives who have worked in local government and understand the needs of communities around the state. “[The members of the general assem-

bly] lose touch with the impact of their decisions on their citizens,” said Stimpson.

Stimpson also has experience as a board member of the Potomac Rappahannock Transit Commission and the Military Af•STIMPSON | 11

ONE NOTE

MEDIA CENSORSHIP

DIII WEEK

One Note Stand honors Bob Ericson in annual concert.

Focus on media censorship may be hypocritical.

Athletes share why they chose to become eagles

LIFE | 6

VIEWPOINTS | 5

SPORTS | 3

NEWS THE

BLUE & GRAY PRESS

MISSION

The Blue & Gray Press is published every Thursday in the University Apartments Clubhouse for our university community. The goal of The Blue & Gray Press is to produce high quality and accurate news in a manner compliant with the Society of Professional Journalists ethics code. In its coverage, The Blue & Gray Press strives to highlight the community of the University of Mary Washington, as well as deliver fair and accurate coverage on the issues important to our students.

EDITORS-AT-LARGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Alison Thoet

MANAGING EDITOR Mariah Young

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jonathan Polson

SECTION EDITORS NEWS Hope Racine Nephthalie Lauture

VIEWPOINTS Tess Osmer

LIFE Amanda Motley

SPORTS Chris Markham

ONLINE

Lauren Brumfield

PHOTO

Ginny Clark

ASSISTANT EDITORS Emily Hollingsworth Alex Obolensky Mikey Barnes

ADVERTISING TEAM BUSINESS MANAGER Cara Sexton

ADVERTISING MANAGER Jess Wu

FACULTY ADIVSOR Steve Klein

CRIME COVERAGE POLICY The Blue & Gray Press will publish the names of students who are formally charged by the University of Mary Washington Campus Police or the Fredericksburg Police Department to have committed acts of extreme violence against members of the UMW community or pose a large threat to that community, when names are released to the public. The Blue & Gray Press will publish names and write articles about criminal acts on a case-by-case basis according to the aforementioned parameters.

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Student Senate fails to overturn Executive Cabinet •STUDENT SENATE | 1 Board of Visitor’s refusal to fully consider their proposal for the creation of an exploratory subcommittee on the feasibility of divestment.”

The SGA Executive Cabinet voted to “release a statement of their own accord regarding the failed motion,” according to the SGA Executive Cabinet minutes.

During the Executive Cabinet meeting, Zakaria Kronemer, co-founder of DivestUMW, and approximately five other members of the student group were present.

According to Kronemer, DivestUMW’s activism on campus, including the sit-in at George Washington Hall, which is currently in its second week, has received widespread support from students and faculty.

“There is a unique and monumental support for this issue that has not happened at this university before,” said Kronemer.

During the most recent Student Senate meeting, SGA President Samantha Worman said, “There is nothing morally wrong with [divesting], it would better our futures.”

While some Executive Cabinet members supported the statement because it reflected how students’ voices have not been recognized, others were not comfortable specifically mentioning DivestUMW and believed the endorsement would exclude students who have different opinions about the issue.

At the meeting, Worman said discussing options at the next meeting would give the members time to come to an agreement that would represent the viewpoints of the members of the Executive Cabinet.

“We’re constantly moving forward as a university, and the cabinet will do our best to represent those views and values in our future statement,” said Worman.

According to Nate Levine, the Executive Cabinet will need to get Senate approval for any statement they want to publish on behalf of the whole student government.

During the Senate meeting, many student senators voiced concern about the rejection of the original motion.

“By not supporting the group that is taking action, or not saying their name, it is not giving them the support they need,” said senior Patrick Burnett, a student senator.

Worman insisted the Executive Cabinet would work to issue a motion that was not exclusively about DivestUMW, but rather one that focused on student activism as a whole.

“We are going to be in support of student empowerment and activism,” said Worman.

According to Worman, the statement will be issued before the coming BOV meeting, where Worman also plans to address DivestUMW’s status and efforts.

Some senators indicated there may not be full support of divestment or the sit-in on the university’s campus, but according to Burnett, DivestUMW collected over 1,000 signatures from current students, 250 alumni and two-thirds the current faculty.

According to Ray Santivasci, the support of Greek life of campus should have been approved if that was the standard.

“We should not support an individual group. It is unfair to the percentage of the student body that we haven’t heard from,” said Santivasci. “We have had a 1,000 signatures from a student body before then the president silenced the student body with a moratorium.”

Ginny Clark/ The Blue & Gray Press DivestUMW members have been sitting in George Washington Hall since Thursday, March 26.

According to Burnett, the Student Senate better represents the student body in

The BOV refused to establish a sub-committee to investigate pathways toward fossil fuel divestment. #‎whoseside are they on?”

The motion to issue the statement was not introduced in Senate until April 1. At that time, the motion passed in the Senate and did not continue on to the Executive Cabinet.

The Student Senate concluded without crafting a new statement.

Emily Hollingsworth contributed to this report.

“WE’RE CONSTANTLY MOVING FORWARD AS A UNIVERSITY, AND THE CABINET WILL DO OUR BEST TO REPRESENT THOSE VIEWS AND VALUES IN OUR FUTURE STATEMENT.” -Samantha Worman comparison to the Executive Cabinet because there are more members, and they are “better connected.”

There are 17 members on the Executive Cabinet in total, and 18 student senators were present during the vote to overturn on Wednesday.

Additionally, while Burnett says they are representative, according to the Student Government Constitution overseeing the Student Senate, in order to be truly representative, each residence hall with more than fifty students should have a senator on behalf of the Association of Residence Halls.

According to the Constitution, the senate body voting members should consist of the university population divided by fifty.

With a student population over 4,000, the Student Senate should consist of at least 80 members.

The Student Senate already issued its own statement on March 26. That statement, posted on Facebook, read: “The UMW Student Senate supports DivestUMW as they stand behind President Hurley and more than 1500 students who have signed the petition to divest. #divestumw #mymarywash”

DIVEST SIT-IN AT A GLANCE DAY 14 MORE THAN 300 HOURS NEXT BOV MEETING: APRIL 18TH SEE THE VIEWPOINTS PAGE FOR AN OP-ED BY MEMBERS OF DIVESTUMW Thursday, April 9, 2015

SPORTS

Quidditch continues rise to top

•QUIDDITCH | 12 against the No. 2 seed Dukes of JMU by a score of 50-40. The Eagles lost to Virginia Tech by a score of 60-160 in the finals.

Sophomore beater, seeker and co-founder of the club Ted Stanton said he was thrilled with the outcome of the tournament even though the team was unable to capture the tournament title.

“For a team who’s light on numbers, we competed against teams who on paper had far more depth than we did,” said Stanton.

“We pulled together a huge upset against JMU in the semifinals to reach the finals and the team collectively played great.”

Sophomore chaser and co-captain Quinn Ogden said he was also pleased with his team’s performance.

“Everyone played extremely hard, and for a D3 school we are continuing to make noise against quality D1 programs,” said Ogden, a second-year chaser for the team.

“As a chaser, it is my job to carry the quaffle and score points by putting it through the hoops to score points. Achieving that task scores ten points for the team,” said Ogden.

“Being a chaser requires a large amount of speed, agility and aggression, and as for defense, it is our job to tackle opponents, intercept passes and, by any means necessary within the rules of the game, to stop the opponent from scoring.”

Aside from the chaser, other positions on

UMW Quidditch/Facebook

the pitch include the keepers, who defend the rings from the opponent throwing balls through them to score. The beaters attempt to hit opponents with dodgeballs and protect their teammates from being hit, which would force any player on the pitch out of the game for 10 or 15 seconds. Lastly, is the seeker that attempts to catch the snitch, which is worth 50 points if successful.

Other notables on the pitch who made a difference for the Eagles in the tournament outcome included freshman chaser Hallie Heinzen and senior chaser and co-captain Riley Starrs.

Stanton expressed nothing but optimism about the club’s future.

“My hopes are to get a bid in the mid-Atlantic region for the U. S. Quidditch world cup,” said Stanton. “Last year, eleven teams from the mid-Atlantic from 80 total possible national bids were elected onto compete in the Quidditch World Cup. Our goal for the program here at UMW is to get one of those bids.”

Along with Stanton, who said he has high hopes for the club, Ogden said he is excited about the club’s future.

“I just want everyone to know that Quidditch is a ridiculously fun sport and that you shouldn’t base your perception of the sport off of a fabled image,” said Ogden.

“Quidditch is an extremely physical game that also requires a lot of skill and teamwork.”

Ogden was excited to spread the good word of his club to the community.

“Our practices are open to anyone, and if you are ever curious about the sport please feel free to come out and learn,” said Ogden. “I assure you we are one of the most friendliest and accepting clubs around.”

The club practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30-7 p.m. and on Wednesdays from 6-7:30 p.m. at the turf field adjacent to Alvey Drive. The team also meets for practice at Jefferson Square on Fridays from 3-5 p.m.

Nationals drop Opening Day game against Mets despite dominant start STEPHEN RECHTER Staff Writer

It was a tough opening day for the Nationals. They lost 3-1 to the Mets as they embarked on what many believe to be a promising 2015 season. The newly signed $200 million man, Max Scherzer, got the start against the 41-year-old, 285-pound Bartolo Colon. Colon shut down the Nationals’ offense, an ongoing concern for the pitching-oriented team that scattered just three hits throughout the game. Despite the outcome, there were still a number of positives for Nats fans to take away from this game.

First off, of course, was the stellar debut of Max Scherzer, who carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning. If it were not for the fielding errors by shortstop Ian Desmond in that inning, it is entirely possible that Scherzer could have kept the no-hit train rolling. After recording two outs, Scherzer walked a batter in the sixth, followed by a high infield popup that looked like an easy play for second basemen Dan Uggla. For some reason, Desmond called him off at the last second, resulting in the ball dropping between both players. This set up runners on second and third with two outs.

Lucas Duda would then single, the first hit allowed by Scherzer, to give the Mets a 2-1 lead that they would never surrender.

Desmond would make another error in the seventh inning: a throwing error that also led to a run. Scherzer would pitch into the eighth inning, throwing 97 pitches before consecutive soft singles knocked him out of the game. His final line was 7.2 innings pitched, four hits, two walks, eight strikeouts and no earned runs due to the errors. That is a fine debut for any pitcher, but it’s unfortunate that errors came in to play.

The heavy Colon was highly impressive

AP

for the Mets as well. He struck out eight batters over six innings of work, allowing just three hits and a single walk. It hurts a bit when this sort of pitcher beats out a $200 million investment, but it happens from time to time. The worry is that the Nationals’ offense may not be capable of properly supporting their stellar pitching staff throughout the season, and this game only raised further questions there.

The only offensive output for the Nats was still a much-welcomed sign, as Bryce Harper launched a long homer into right field in the fourth inning. He seems to relish opening day, as it is the third opening day homer of his career. He ended his day 2-4, also collecting a single in the sixth.

The rest of the Nationals went 1-27. That is a bit of a scary sign of things to come, especially against a pitcher like Colon. Regardless, with positive debuts from two of the Nationals’ biggest players in Scherzer and Harper, things do not look all that bad.

The Nats will face off against the Mets again on Thursday. After Jordan Zimmerman got the start against the Mets’ Jacob deGrom on Wednesday, the Thursday game should be a fun one, as Stephen Strasburg will face off against the powerful Matt Harvey, who has finally made his way back from Tommy John Surgery.

Spring Jubilee brings community, UMW students together CHRIS MARKHAM Sports Editor

In an annual celebration of its spring sports teams and the Fredericksburg community, the University of Mary Washington athletic department hosted the Spring Jubilee on Wednesday, April 8. Teams from across the UMW spectrum competed on what proved to be a busy day for UMW athletics.

The event featured food, games and music at the Campus Recreation turf field beginning at 5:30 p.m., and a wide variety of UMW sporting events, including women’s tennis, women’s lacrosse, baseball and a men’s lacrosse game “under the lights.” Philip Pierce, director of athletic development, and Taylor Johnson, vice president of the student-athlete advisory committee, organized the event.

The event is the spring equivalent of the annual Eagle Nation Day in the fall, also put on by the athletic department with a similar goal of getting community members involved and interested in UMW athletics. Much like Eagle Nation Day, B101.5 joined Spring Jubilee to supply the event with music and entertainment.

“It is important to myself and the athletic department mainly because we are celebrating the NCAA’s annual DIII Week,” said Johnson, a senior basketball player. “This is a time where all of the

student-athletes come together to have a Athletic Conference rival Saint Mary’s great time and celebrate our experiences College of Maryland. The game providas a DIII athlete.” ed many fireworks for the fans, as the The reason for having the event at the Eagles’ bats came to life in the fifth inturf field and “under the lights” was to ning. bring awareness to President Rick HurSenior Jono Haught continued his hisley of the need for stadium lights at the toric season with a grand slam to give Battleground Athletic Complex. Cur- the Eagles a 6-3 lead and never look rently, without stadium lights, games back, as the Eagles came away with a 9-4 played at the Battlegrounds have to be victory. Haught’s grand slam earned the played during the daytime, causing play- senior the UMW record for most home ers to frequently miss class and mak- runs in a single season, with four games ing it difficult for still remaining on fans and students the regular season “THIS IS A TIME to make it to the schedule.

WHERE ALL OF THE games.

The Eagles im“We play pureproved to 22-5 STUDENT-ATHLETES ly for the love of on the season, COME TOGETHER TO the sport, with no extending their scholarships innine-game winHAVE A GREAT TIME volved like in DI ning-streak. and DII,” said John- AND CELEBRATE OUR The women’s son. “We believe lacrosse team took EXPERIENCES AS DIII being a DIII athlete the field shortly ATHLETES.” is something to be after the start of proud of. Throughthe baseball game out the week, we to also face off -Taylor Johnson are celebrating our against CAC rival stories of why we Saint Mary’s Colhave chosen DIII and UMW in partic- lege of Maryland. The back-and-forth ular.” game kept fans on the edge of their seats The action began at 3:30 p.m. when from start to finish, as the two teams the UMW baseball team took on Capital traded goals throughout much of the

game.

After the Seahawks held a 3-2 lead at halftime, they tacked on another early in the second half to extend their lead.

However, the Eagles responded quickly, scoring two goals in a matter of five minutes to even the game at four goals apiece.

The Seahawks scored two quick goals at the 13:50 and 13:00 mark of the second half to take a late lead, and they ultimately held on for the 6-5 victory over the Eagles. The Eagles fell to 6-7 on the season with a Saturday home game against Colorado College on the horizon.

The women’s tennis team also took to the court, but rainy weather forced the match to finish after this edition’s deadline, as did the men’s lacrosse game, which took place at 7 p.m.

The event of Spring Jubilee is young and is still in the process of gaining traction in and around the UMW community.

“Something we can improve on in the future is to have more students involved in campus that are not involved in the athletic department,” said Johnson. “We want to celebrate with people all over campus and share our experiences with them.”

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VIEWPOINTS

Letter: Rape culture not an issue at UMW, Feminists United not representative

We would like to start off by saying we, as women of University of Mary Washington, do not condone rape or sexual assault in any way. There is no excuse for the behaviors of those who commit such terrible crimes. However, after recent events surrounding an offensive chant by the Mother’s Rugby team, there has been talk of a strong “rape culture” at UMW, but our question is: does it really exist here? Feeling strongly about the issue and only hearing one side of the debate, we decided to go to the UMW Young Democrats’ meeting where the President of the Feminists United on Campus discussed the controversy surrounding the chant and its repercussions. We were obviously disappointed in what we heard her say but not for the reason you may think.

The president kept stressing the fact that there is a rape culture at this school and that sexual assault and violence against women is a tremendous problem. We want to stress that we are not trying to get between men’s rugby and FUC; we are only trying to get women and men on this campus to be unafraid to voice their opinions. We feel as though people at this school are not free to express their feelings on this issue because they are afraid of backlash from FUC and other groups. During and after the meeting, Ashley asked the president questions involving the repercussions of the release of the recording of the chant. The following is Ashley’s account of the discussion: “I attended the Young Democrats’ meeting to hear what FUC had to say about the controversy between the Feminists and the men’s rugby team. The president kept emphasizing that there is a rape culture on campus and that women are scared. I talked to her after. I asked her a couple questions at the meeting but the president of the Young Democrats quickly prevented everyone from asking questions. Both men and women were asking the FUC president questions, and she seemed surprised from the reactions she was getting and how others felt about how she was representing the women of this university. I talked to her and expressed that she shouldn’t represent all women on campus on this issue because not every woman on campus has the same opinion. She was emphasizing that it is not a battle between the men’s rugby team and

the feminists. I then asked her during her talk why men are being bullied and accused of being rapists when there are no facts to back up this evidence. I just feel that other women aren’t being heard and properly represented.”

As women and students at this university, we strongly disagree with what the FUC president had to say and believe that many other women would agree. We feel that men and women are being bullied and victimized for either standing up for Mother’s Rugby or for being a feminist. This is not the way we, as a student body, should be handling the problem. Every student should feel comfortable enough to express their opinions.

Until recently, sexual assault had not been a publicized issue at this school and we believe FUC is using the recent media attention involving sexual assault on college campuses to stir up fear in students in order to further their cause. We want to be clear that we do not disagree that rape and sexual assault are problems that should be dealt with in a serious manner.

We encourage students, both men and women, to speak up and report any sexual assaults. However, after looking at statistics and being a part of the student body, we believe that there is not a strong rape culture at UMW. According to the Annual Campus Police Crime Report in 2013, there were only four reported incidents of forcible sexual assault and zero incidents on non-forcible sexual assault. This means that out of 5,203 undergraduate students, there is only a 0.07 percent chance of being sexually assaulted at this school.

That is hardly a rape culture. Radford and Longwood, universities similar to Mary Washington in size, have more incidents of assault. At Longwood rape is 11.1 percent of violent crimes, and at Radford it is at 12.7 percent. At Radford in 2013 there were seven reports of rape and forcible sexual assault is 53.8 percent of all violent crimes. Instead of bashing this school, we as students should appreciate how few sexual assaults actually occur, and if more are not being reported we should do all we can to make people feel comfortable enough to

•Culture | 5

Letter: SGA vice president asks that students address climate change My fellow students, faculty and alumni, I write this letter as your Student Government vice president, a fatigued student and a concerned member of our community.

As vice president of the SGA, I have presided over the Student Senate for the past two years, engaging with students, faculty and administrators in order to voice our issues as students to our leaders. Your voices matter to me.

Nevertheless, our leaders in the administration and the Board of Visitors have made it explicitly clear that our voices don’t matter to them.

The DivestUMW campaign, which began in order to pressure our administration and leaders on the BOV to withdraw our investments from the fossil fuel industry, started a direct-action, non-violent sit-in more than 14 days ago to show the board and our administration that student voices do matter, and that we will not allow our voices to be actively silenced.

Despite two years of conversations with administrators, despite historic acts of civil disobedience, despite the signatures of more than a quarter of the student body and a third of our faculty, despite public endorsements from President Hurley and his democratically-elected Council on Sustainability and now despite more than 14 days of civil disobedience, our administration has yet to take a firm stand in support of divestment and, therein, the voices of the student body.

The BOV has yet to even respond.

According to the mission statement of the university, “We fulfill our mission…by inculcating the values of honor and integrity. UMW graduates are models of…responsible leadership, service to others, and engaged citizenship in a global and diverse society.”

Yet this model of “responsible leadership” in a “global society” is not being illustrated by our leaders on the board who refuse to listen to our voices and take a stand with us in defense of our ethical values as an institution.

Let me be very clear.

There is no neutrality when it comes to climate change. As an institution that prides itself on the values of honor and sustainability, we either take a stand against

the immoral industry of our time, one which continues to profit from the destruction of our futures and the lives of the marginalized across the world, or we don’t.

By not taking a stand and withdrawing our investments, we continue to actively support the fossil fuel industry, giving them the social license to continue profiting off this destruction while offloading all of the cost onto us.

In his 1841 essay “Self-Reliance,” Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “I am ashamed to think how easily we capitulate to badges and names, to large societies and dead institutions.”

We cannot continue to capitulate.

The fossil fuel industry is a dead institution and is bringing our future down with it. Failure to take action is failure to embody the values we claim to uphold.

This letter is a call to action. Divestment is not fringe; it is not radical.

It is rational, it is sane, it is necessary and it is inevitable. It is frightening that our administrators refuse to take a stand in defense of our values.

This is not leadership in a global community; this is fear and abdication of moral responsibility, and that is not what honor means to me.

We all have to make a choice, and we have to do it now.

Either we show our leaders that we will not be silenced or we accept that our voices no longer matter.

We cannot be afraid, we cannot be reluctant, we cannot be silent.

I implore you, my peers and my mentors, join us in taking a stand to defend our community values and let your voice be heard.

Your voice is all that matters, for “nothing is at last sacred,” Emerson writes in “Self-Reliance,” “but the integrity of your own mind.”

Sincerely, Your Student Government Vice President Nate Levine Nate Levine is a senior at the University of Mary Washington

Editorial: Financial literacy should be widely available on campus Regardless of the time in the semester or the season of the year, the University of Mary Washington campus is always buzzing with events, promotions and campaigns.

University relations, student-run clubs and other organizations are always offering their services to UMW students.

The Writing Center offers their advice and critiques on essays and CVs, for example, while the Speaking Center next door can aide a group of students with class presentations.

If a student is struggling in a tricky subject, Academic and Career Services on campus offers a wide selection of tutoring services. For more personal obstacles, the Division of Student Affairs recommends students talk with someone at the Tally Center of Counseling Services.

UMW faculty and staff provide their

students necessary tools for a successful college experience. But what about paying for this experience? What about paying for after college life?

The Office of Student Activity and Engagement sends out an email to the student body every Monday that tells of the events happening on campus over the course of the week.

In this past week alone, there was a “Don’t Stereotype Campaign,” where students could learn how to break their unconscious stereotypes, a discussion about the similarities between Judaism and Islam and an information session featuring a family law attorney for interested students.

While these events and the many others like them that occur every week are productive, helpful and praised by the students of UMW, we believe it is a glaring

oversight that the University does not offer more information, education or awareness for issues of college affordability and financial aid.

While the financial aid office in Lee Hall offers their services when a student has an error with his or her student account, or is applying for an on-campus job, the majority of students at UMW are still faced with challenges in their financial life at the end of the day that are not so easily addressed.

The average student at UMW takes out loans to afford college, yet there is a large percentage that do not actually understand all it entails.

UMW continually offers similar informational sessions for study abroad programs and makes them a prominent aspect of all UMW promotions and events but rarely do we see financial literacy and

education made a priority. While it may not be as appealing to the student body as studying in Paris, it is something that affects our generation in a larger way than that one-semester trip. We must be more open about the realities of college tuition.

We must provide students the outlets to fully understand their debt and find proper ways to tackle it so they can graduate with financial security.

Instead of promoting social campaigns and trips, the University should take into account that the majority of students will face debt upon graduation.

It would be beneficial to all for the University to provide more opportunities for students to become better educated in the financial realities of paying for college and the methods of handling debt in a way that it does not cripple our future.

By THE BLUE & GRAY PRESS EDITORIAL BOARD

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Thursday April 9, 2015

VIEWPOINTS

Rape culture does not exist at UMW

Editor: Mona Osmer | blueandgray.views@gmail.com

Censorship in social media shapes culture

•Culture | 4

do so.

Our views and the views of other women are not being heard, and we believe there is more than one voice besides FUC. We do not want to be represented by a select few.

We would like to reiterate that this is not solely about defending the men’s rugby team but how women on this campus are being represented as a whole. Feminism is about equality of the sexes, not about raising one gender up while tearing another down. The rugby team is just an example of what could happen to any men’s sports team at this school. Both men and women on this campus should be working to stop sexual assault; it’s not solely a FUC issue or a Mary Washington issue. We feel that they have “anti-man” sentiments on this campus and make it seem as though all men here are sexual predators. FUC claim to feel threatened and afraid but have little evidence to back up this argument. If one chant can make women on this campus feel threatened, then why haven’t more women than FUC spoken up against it? We cannot argue with the fact that there may be a rape culture globally, however, FUC is overstating its existence on this campus.

We appreciate and acknowledge the work FUC has put in to helping end sexual harassment but do not agree with the approach they have been taking recently to try to get more women involved in the debate. Using fear and claiming they feel threatened is not the appropriate way to deal with this issue. It needs to be discussed openly between all students on this campus.

Cara Palumbo & Ashley Tucker are students at the University of Mary Washington.

ALEX SPENCE Staff Writer

Jessie James Decker, a 26-year-old country-pop singer, recently began potty-training her 10-month-old daughter, and she posted an innocent photo to her Instagram account of her daughter learning to use the bathroom.The photo was quickly flagged and removed from the site.

Outraged, Decker took to the web in defense of her photo. Decker reposted a nude picture of Kim Kardashian from her spread in Love magazine, and compared it to her daughter’s picture. “Soooo this is appropriate, but my daughter going potty…with nothing showing is flagged as inappropriate??? Wow Instagram. Wow,” Decker wrote.

As an individual who typically understands the need for media censorship, I am confused by the rules and guidelines used to uphold it these days. I believe if a photograph spreads awareness, or if it makes a positive impact, then there is understandable cause for why a somewhat controversial photo would be published. In my opinion, I do not see either of those qualities being emitted through the publishing of Kim Kardashian or any other celebrity’s nude photographs.

Why is it that we are content viewing photos such as these, yet we cannot seem to look upon reality or tragedy because it make some people uncomfortable.

For example, in April 2002, The Free Lance-Star published front-page photographs of a woman named Deborah Myers jumping off the edge of the I-95 Rappahannock River overpass to her death. There was an immediate public reaction that ensued. Although not surprising, this is not the only time photographs caused a stir within readers.

Freelance photographer Kevin Carter, who often shot uncomfortable yet eye opening photos, won a Pulitzer Prize in 1994 for a photo taken during the Sudan famine. The photo revealed an emaciated Sudanese girl lying on the ground with a vulture waiting nearby. The New York Times ran this photo on the front page, and people were outraged.

Both Carter and the New York Times received a large amount of feedback from angry readers who did not understand how such an unethical photo could be published.

This photo was rejected by the public merely because of its powerful eye-opening affect and its unveiling of the tragedies of the world. Celebrities, such as Kardashian, are praised for “breaking the Internet” with nude photographs that serve no higher purpose.

“In this day and age, if you’re not doing something to help make the world even a slightly better place, then you’re just taking up space. Let’s be honest, those photos [of Kardashian] are nothing but

self-serving. And they’re not photojournalism; just voyeurism,” said Edie Gross.

The media is so focused on showing people what society tells us the people want to see that we forget about showing people what they need to see, even when it may be tough to handle.

Photographs depicting war are often censored because they are considered too graphic for some viewers, but how can one determine if it is powerful or inappropriate? I would say depicting women as pieces of meat, publishing and praising nude photos of them, is also dehumanizing.

Society’s opinion of what media censorship should be has been diluted, and I question what our standards have become.

We have neglected to make ourselves aware of what is going on around us because we are too afraid of taking responsibility for it.

For as Gross said, “Looking away doesn’t make those scenarios less real. It just means they’ll continue to multiply.

Before you know it, that horrifying image shot halfway around the world that you couldn’t look at will be replicated in your own backyard.”

It is our job to decide where the lines of media censorship are drawn.

If society would open its eyes to real issues an allow themselves to see, they would not be approving the Kardashians of the world, nor condemning the Carters.

Op-Ed: BOV tells DivestUMW member they are being a ‘pest’ When the UMW Board of Visitors rejected the formation of an exploratory subcommittee for divestment, DivestUMW immediately took action. A team of 30 students quickly assembled and flooded the hallway of Jepson Alumni Center to express their disappointment to the board members as they left the building.

The footage taken of the exchange between Rector Holly Cuellar and the concerned students was viewed over 15,000 times in just two days and reached over 900,000 users on Twitter through endorsements from organizations such as Greenpeace, Fossil Free, 350.org and the Energy Action Coalition. In the midst of all of this action, there was little time to reflect on whether the decision for immediate and direct action was necessary. On Thursday, the first night of our now 12-day sit-in, BOV member Theresa Crawley provided us with an answer.

Shoulder to shoulder, seated against the wall in the hallway outside of President Rick Hurley’s office, we watched as members from the Fredericksburg community filed past our sit-in to attend a lecture in the auditorium next door. One of those individuals was Crawley, who has served as a board member for UMW since 2012.

After less than a day of civil disobedience, we saw an opportunity to engage with our representative from our governing body and directly represent the voices of the university’s community. In the five-minute exchange that we had, three things became absolutely clear. First of all, Crawley did

not have a clear understanding of what divestment was—she repeatedly asserted that we “just weren’t ready” to transition to other forms of energy on campus.

Secondly, she denied the overwhelming scientific consensus that human-caused climate change is a reality— one that will continue to impact millions around the globe. Finally, she viewed the student voice as a nuisance that should be silenced.

This last point was where our “conversation” ended. After becoming noticeably frustrated by our unwillingness to withdraw from the discussion, she resorted to insult: “to be perfectly honest, I think you’re being a pest,” she said as the crowd from the lecture shuffled by. She continued to say, “There’s a difference between your voice being silenced and just getting angry because you’re not getting what you want.”

Though it was dispiriting to our campaign, this interaction truly illustrated the broader issue we face as we pass the 250-hour marker of our sit-in. Crawley’s attitude indicated that her disapproval of divestment is not founded on an under-

standing of the issue.

Instead, her concern is about the source of the proposition itself: the student voice.

Rector Cuellar’s rejection of the subcommittee indicates a similar narrative: that the Board does not respect the community of the university it claims to represent.

A n d now, after 150 people, including students, f a c u l t y, politicians, religious leaders and children, have joined the sit-in, after 252 consecutive hours of occupying our president’s office, after 11 campus organizations, our Student Senate and three academic departments have publicly endorsed this historic act of civil disobedience, Rector Cuellar continues to justify her neglect for the widespread concerns of the of the campus community. We hear the same empty rhetoric: we’re already doing enough to address the issue of climate change through our recycling programs and a commitment to LEED certified buildings.

As our campus roars in support of divestment, Rector Cuellar continues to plug

CRAWLEY’S ATTITUDE INDICATED THAT HER DISAPPROVAL OF DIVESTMENT IS NOT FOUNDED ON AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE ISSUE

her ears.

We continue this sit-in with the knowledge that the cards are stacked against us.

Our university’s governing body views us not as constituents but as pests. Our concerns are to be entertained but not genuinely considered. The BOV has not taken steps to educate themselves on an issue that has garnered student, faculty, local, statewide and national support.

But we know that we have a right to a safe future, and when the well being of that future is consistently being ignored, we have a right to be angry. We know that, as students, we have a right to have our voices heard, and when our voices are not just being ignored but stifled, we have the responsibility to continue to raise them.

Sarah Kinzer & Zakaria Kronemer are students at the University of Mary Washington From the Blue & Gray Press Editors-at-large: This op-ed is a description of the conversation between DivestUMW members and Theresa Crawley as recounted by two members involved.

In an effort to confirm claims made, The Blue & Gray Press editorial board contacted Theresa Crawley to seek her remembrance of the conversation.

“I said to Zakaria that I thought he was making a pest of himself…The other quote was that he was conflating not getting his way with not being heard and that he needed to learn the difference,” said Crawley.

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LIFE

Editor: Amanda Motley | blueandgray.life@gmail.com

The One Note Stand stands up for memorial endowment

Kacie Waters-Heflin

The One Note Stand’s spring concert doubled as a memorial concert for Robert (Bob) Ericson, who passed away last April.

EMILY HANSON Staff Writer

The One Note Stand held their spring concert last Saturday, April 3, in memorial of Robert (Bob) Ericson, who suddenly passed away this past April.

The a cappella group has been fundraising with a goal of $25,000 to go toward an endowment in Ericson’s name. Fundraising began after news of his death last year.

The group gave itself five years to raise

the $25,000 in order to have the Robert Ericson Environmental Research Endowment become a reality.

With motivation and support from the community, efforts by ONS, the UMW rowing team, various student groups and the Ericson family are on track of possibly raising the full amount in a little over a year. A generous donation of $5,000 toward the cause came from an anonymous Fredericksburg community member.

As recently as last November, the group was at just $7,000 raised. Since then, the organization raised $14,000, and the fund is currently at $23,500 with $1,500 left to go.

“The Throwback Show” featured plenty of photos of young members in the group and a video montage to introduce the concert theme by having members share stories from their childhood.

This year, the group wanted to diverge

from creative concert themes of past in order to have a more relatable theme that could incorporate moments from Ericson’s life.

Junior computer science major Maddy Ernesto attended the event “to support Bob’s scholarship fund.”

Members of the university community and Ericson’s loved ones came out to support ONS and participate in the fundraising efforts. ONS t-shirts and CDs were sold, with all money raised going toward the endowment.

In accordance with the theme of throwback, a video played at intermission with images of a young Ericson.

During the intermission, the Ericsons and family friends, the Frazzas, spoke about some of their favorite moments with Bob. They shared cute stories to help lighten the mood, but there was still a sense of silent reflection in the room as members of the community remembered the loss.

The music played a prominent role in the show, and ONS impressed with their fun choice in songs, a palpable on-stage chemistry and stellar senior solos.

“My favorite was the song ‘Home.’

They did a very great job on it,” said Ernesto.

The song “Hallelujah,” performed by both members and former members of ONS, stood out as a beautiful piece in context to the memorial concert, showcasing the strength of the relationships between ONS members.

“The concert was super fun. I’m really glad I came out to support the group, ” said junior psychology major Sarah Etherton, a member of Symfonics.

Klein Theatre Preview: ‘Lady Windermere’s Fan’

Amanda Motley Life Editor

Oscars Wilde’s play “Lady Windermere’s Fan” is coming to life at Klein Theatre this week with the opening of the University of Mary Washington’s Theatre Department’s production.

“Lady Windermere’s Fan” is a production filled with love, satire and betrayal.

Lady Windermere is everything a traditional Victorian woman should be: she has class, status and riches.

The conflict begins when she finds out her husband, Lord Windermere, is inviting another woman, Mrs. Erlynne, to her birthday party. Angered by her husband’s unfaithfulness, Lady Windermere turns to her “immoral” and flirtatious side

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to make her husband jealous.

Oscar Wilde loves making satirical commentaries on Victorian women and society, which is exactly what this production does.

However, the surprising twist about who Lord Windermere’s true object of affection will leave you on the edge of your seat.

This is the last Klein Theatre pro-

duction for the 2014-2015 season. In order to prepare for each production, the cast and crew worked for weeks to make sure they deliver the best show possible.

The team worked to make sure they represent the period accurately.

Helen Housley, a dialect coach, worked with the

Geoff Greene

cast to make sure they speak in a similar fashion to the era of the play.

“It’s been wonderful. All theatre is collaboration, and I think that is very clear in this show,” said Emily Burke, a senior theatre major. “We have three student designers doing wigs, makeup and lights, as well as our professors doing costumes and sets.”

The cast of the Klein Theatre’s “Lady Windermere’s Fan” includes Burke as Lady Windermere, English and theatre double major Jake Crowley as Lord Windermere and junior theatre major Margaret Lewis as Mrs. Erlynne. The production runs from April 9 through April 19.

LIFE

Season 7 of ‘Mad Men’ opens with ‘Severance,’ leaves characters adrift

Flickr

Jon Hamm plays Don Draper in season seven of the AMC drama “Mad Men.” ALISON THOET per Draper watching a woman very much Editor-in-Chief enjoying a fur coat in front of the other mad men.

What sounds like a sensual scene in Mad Men’s opening sequence was bittersweet last Sunday, knowing there are Don’s romantic life is actually a woman only a few more chances to see it. This trying out for a moisturizer commercial, time, the reclining man began to look a lit- preparing the audience for the onslaught of what this show is about: advertisement. tle faded.

The new 1970s era slaps viewers in the Last season, fans were left with Donald Draper’s pitiable face as he imagined face with big hair, medieval sleeves, more Burt Cooper’s last goodbye, singing and hair gel and rather confusing mustaches.

Don and Roger Sterling seem to be ensashaying down the ad agency’s hallway.

This season opens with the always-dap- joying their company, but there is a sub-

tle suggestion of Don’s lonely life as he promptly turns the lights off in his apartment so as not to see the emptiness.

And just like that, a mail order girl shows up to replace the hole left in Don’s heart from his most recent failed marriage.

In the premiere, viewers also received a little more about Ken (the one with the eye-patch), showing a new focus on character development, even from those on the bottom of the advertisement pyramid.

If anything, Ken shows the trajectory of the innocent when they head into the ad market and the danger of focusing too much on work instead of the life not lived.

Cue Joan and Peggy, the leading ladies in this man’s business world, once again having their femininity confused with stupidity.

Peggy shirks her personal life for work, per the usual, and Joan dives into work, red beehive hairdo and all.

The two are turned into nothing more than bodies and mindless secretaries in the minds of their clients as they try to break through the walls built against women in the professional workplace, and even the stereotypes established by women themselves.

Rachel Katz, of Menken’s department store, pops into the picture for a moment, only for viewers to learn that she has actually died.

So the question arises: Why is Don seeing dead people?

Whether dancing or feeling themselves up in a fur coat, Don is haunted by people who have died on the show. Is all of the sex, drugs and drinking getting to Don’s brain finally?

This first episode gives fans another off-

screen death with Rachel, and another confusing loss for Don. Draper is seen becoming more and more reckless, with a different girl every night or having quickies with waitresses in back alleys, but there is also another layer of Don in the staring eyes and childishly innocent, hurt look at Rachel’s funeral.

This season seems to be setting up the life not lived, what people could be doing instead of slogging in the ad world.

Don turns to women to fill the void in his life, possibly even the hole left by Rachel—the woman so similar to him, yet so unreachable.

Joan goes shopping to feel better, but she cannot be treated as the successful woman she is even there.

Peggy finds some ground and is found fearless on a rather successful first date.

Don continues to be haunted by Rachel’s death throughout the episode, reminded at every turn by her.

The episode ends with Don alone at a counter, similar to other men sitting in the restaurant, alone.

“Severance,” the title of the episode, leaves viewers focusing on all things lost: a job and ‘severance package’ for Ken, Rachel for Don, the possibility of being taken seriously for Joan, any sense of being carefree for Peggy and even the loss of a long-favorite show for the rest of us.

The tone has been set for the last season: a drifting cast of characters trying to find who they are, but do they have any hope for happiness with only five episodes left?

Netflix brings action, comedy and romance to queue in April

Flickr

DELLA HETHCOX Staff Writer

Netflix has you covered during these last few weeks of the semester, whether you need to do some “research” or take a break from studying for exams.

More than 58 films and television shows were added this month for your streaming convenience.

In addition to the usual mix of classic films and recent TV seasons, another Netflix original show premiered this month.

“Daredevil,” based on the Marvel Comics character, is a new show created by Drew Goddard for Netflix that stars Charlie Cox. The show follows the transformation of a child, Matt Murdock, who was blinded as a child. As an adult, Murdock becomes an attorney with super senses, living the life of an undercover hero as a lawyer by day and a crime fighter by night.

Throughout the show, Murdock wrestles with the blurred line between right and wrong as he fights crime in Hell’s Kitchen,

New York.

For more action, watch “Noah,” the 2014 film starring Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson and Logan Lerman for a twist on the traditional biblical tale. Or try “Buffalo Soldiers,” a 2001 film starring Joaquin Phoenix as a soldier in 1989 Germany that does everything a U.S. soldier shouldn’t do—stealing, cooking heroin and having affairs with the wives of superior officers.

If foreign films pique your interest, view “A Girl Walks Alone at Night,” a 2014 Iranian film directed by Ana Lily Amirpour.

The plot revolves around a vampire in an Iranian ghost town that stalks the locals.

Stream now to find out what happens to the girl who walked home alone.

Looking for another vampire film?

Check out “Underworld,” a 2003 thriller starring Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman. Beckinsale portrays Selene, a vampire warrior that tries to eradicate werewolves until she falls in love with a human who has been bitten. Watch to find out if

Selene fulfills her destiny or follows her heart.

Horror fans should try “The Babadook,” a 2014 Australian indie horror film.

Watch in fear as a mother tries to protect her son from a boogie monster and ends up haunted instead. The film was shown at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and quickly became a favorite film among horror genre fans due to its odd mixture of heartwarming plot and classic horror elements.

If one horror film is not enough, watch “Starry Eyes,” a 2014 film written and directed by Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer, which was partially funded by a Kickstarter campaign. Alex Essoe portrays a young girl with Hollywood dreams who finds out that darkness lurks behind the glitz and glamour of celebrities.

If that’s too dark, don’t worry. Just rewatch the 2007 comedy favorite “Hot Fuzz” for some laughs. Starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as parody crime-solving police officers in England, you’re guaranteed to be smiling by the end of this

movie.

Are you a fan of Nicolas Cage and his toupée? Because “National Treasure,” a 2004 film, is now available and ready to remind you of your childhood.

For a blast to the past, watch classic films such as “Suicide Kings,” a 1997 thriller starring Christopher Walken and Sean Patrick Flanery, or “Bound,” a 1996 crime drama starring Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon.

If you’re short on time, sneak in an episode of season four of the ABC Family show “Baby Daddy,” as Ben navigates life as a single dad in his twenties with the help of his family and friends, producing comedic results.

You can also, prepare for the release of “Sons of Anarchy” season seven on April 25 by catching up on the previous six seasons, currently available for streaming.

Happy viewing!

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LIFE

Symfonics shows deadly talent

AERIEL MERRILLAT Staff Writer

Symfonics held their spring concert with the theme “Deadly Sinfonics” last Thursday, April 2 in Dodd Auditorium. At the end of each semester, the a cappella group provides an on-campus showcase to share their months of hard work arranging and practicing selected songs.

This year, the concert was free of charge to University of Mary Washington students and the public, but the group held several bake sales, sold CDs and accepted donations in order to help cover the costs of recording and traveling to competitions.

Symfonics is UMW’s oldest co-ed a cappella group, with a long history of bringing good music and soulful voices to the campus. The group was founded in 1991 and has since performed with other a cappella groups across the east coast. The group currently consists of fifteen UMW students of different class ranks.

“Deadly Sinfonics” was a play on the seven deadly sins, and as the lights dimmed on a crowded Dodd Auditorium, the enthusiastic crowd applauded the performers.

The night was full of a mixture of indie and pop singles, with everything from artists like Adele, John Newman, Bruno Mars and Dr. Dog. During the intermission, national-

ly-ranked beat boxer TylaDubya performed at the concert.

TylaDubya has performed at several venues, including at the American Beatbox Championship and serves as beat boxer for Symfonics, going by his everyday name, Tyler Weisbeck.

The night also featured another on-campus group, the Performing Arts Club (PAC), who gave a beautiful showcase of the wide range of dance types that the club performs and added a nice variety to the night of singing.

Several Symfonics’ seniors, including Lisa Johnson, Cassie Sciortino, Sarah Pollard and Jordan Reece, performed their senior solos at the spring concert.

Senior alto Sarah Pollard dazzled the crowd with her powerful vocals, choosing to showcase her range in a soulful Adele number.

As the group performed the last song of the night, the crowd filled with family, friends and students alike applauded the group, who then came back on stage for an encore performance.

“The Symfonics concert blew my expectations,” said Lexy Maratellos, a freshman sociology major. “They harmonized so well, and they kept me on the edge of my seat during the whole show.

Overall, I really loved the show and the seven deadly sins theme.”

Bully Paws raises money on campus

“THE SYMFONICS CONCERT BLEW MY EXPECTATIONS.” -Lexy Martatellos

ALEXA ALLEN Staff Writer

University Relations

Ball Circle buzzed last week as puppies invaded campus for charity.

For a donation of $1, students could get their picture taken, with funds raised going toward helping the Bully Paws organization.

Bully Paws is a non-profit organization founded to rescue, rehabilitate and re-home pit bull type dogs from across the east coast.

Bully Paws saves pits and pit mixes from being euthanized in animal control shelters.

The dogs are then placed in the Bully Paws shelter or foster homes.

The non-profit shelter is run by volunteers solely, and one of the goals of the organization is to abolish the negative

views of the pit bull breed.

Many county shelters across Virginia and Maryland will not allow certain breeds to be adopted, and often this results in pit bulls being euthanized.

However, Bully Paws networked with shelters in order to get these dogs adopted into loving homes.

Before any dog is accepted into the program, they must first undergo a thorough screening process to ensure that the dogs that go into shelters have the best chances of adoption Even when the shelter is bursting at the seams, all potential adopters undergo a complete application process, including reference checks and home visits to make sure that the dog they are adopting will be the right dog for them.

Foster families are also an alternative that provides a safe and loving home for dogs until they can be adopted. In some cases, a warm, cozy bed to sleep in and a guaranteed meal every day are some of the things the stray dogs get to experience for the first time.

All supplies are provided for foster parents by the Bully Paws organization.

Many dogs that come through the shelter need serious and expensive medical attention.

Senior dogs and strays are often in need of the most medical care, all of which is paid for through fundraising and donations to the Bully Paws organization.

Having so many dogs in their shelter and foster programs is a great financial burden, which is why fundraising events are so important to them.

Every dollar that was donated through the PUParazzi event made a difference.

Tips and Tricks: How to move out of your residence hall

AMANDA MOTLEY Life Editor

Whether or not we want to face the facts, the end of the semester is coming quickly. This time will be filled with long trips to the library, study breaks, friends, countless campus events and the inevitable hassle of moving out of your residence hall, apartment or house.

As a senior, I have packed up my room and belongings so many times that I perfected a method for making the move out process as efficient as possible. If you follow some of my tips and tricks, I think that you will find you can move your things hassle free.

Rule number one: Don’t wait until the last moment to pack up your room. In fact, three weeks before to your moving date is probably the best time to get started. This

way you can pack things at your own leisure. Waiting until the last moment will only cause you stress and make moving your things from one place to another more difficult.

Rule number two: Trash bags and plastic bins should be labeled as essentials. You can gather the clothes you have in your closet and tie the hangers with a rubber band. After you tie them up, place a trash bag over the clothes so they can be transported easily. All of the rest of your clothes can be folded into plastic bins and organized by season. Knick-knacks and other random items can be put into bins and labeled.

Tip: The plastic bins with four drawers need to be emptied out completely before moving. If you keep over 10 pounds of stuff in there it could cause the plastic to break and moving it could make the entire

unit break. This happened my sophomore year when I lived in a residence hall, and it ended in broken nail polish bottles and my belongings scattered over the Ball Hall steps.

Rule number three: Label everything.

As I mentioned above, this makes it easier to put stuff in separate plastic bins. Once the bins are filled with a weight that you can pick up, label it. This will help you make sure that you can find everything you need quickly when packing.

Rule number four: Try and eat all your food three days before you are moving out.

Food is really annoying to move. If it is perishable, you have to worry about it spoiling, and if it’s not perishable, you have to worry about packing it. Just save the hassle and take to your meal plan so you can use up all of those leftover swipes. Plus, unplugging your dorm room fridge will allow

it time to thaw so water doesn’t get all over your moving van or car.

Rule number five: If you haven’t touched something since move in day, it is safe to say you never will. That old shirt you don’t wear, or that lamp you haven’t switched on can all be donated. A lot of residence halls have donation bins toward the end of the semester, and Goodwill is just down the street. Donate those items you haven’t touched to make your load a little lighter.

Rule number six: Keep a small suitcase of clothes to wear during the last week of school. That way when you get home you can unpack your stuff at your leisure while still having all the essentials with you.

Make sure to pack all of your toiletries in a bag as well so they can be found as soon as you need them.

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The Blue & Gray Press is published every Thursday in the University Apartments Clubhouse for our university community. The goal of The Blue & Gray Press is to produce high quality and accurate news in a manner compliant with the Society of Professional Journalists ethics code. In its coverage, The Blue & Gray Press strives to highlight the community of the University of Mary Washington, as well as deliver fair and accurate coverage on the issues important to our students.

EDITORS-AT-LARGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Alison Thoet

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Lauren Brumfield

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Ginny Clark

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CRIME COVERAGE POLICY The Blue & Gray Press will publish the names of students who are formally charged by the University of Mary Washington Campus Police or the Fredericksburg Police Department to have committed acts of extreme violence against members of the UMW community or pose a large threat to that community, when names are released to the public. The Blue & Gray Press will publish names and write articles about criminal acts on a case-by-case basis according to the aforementioned parameters.

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Student Senate fails to overturn Executive Cabinet •STUDENT SENATE | 1 Board of Visitor’s refusal to fully consider their proposal for the creation of an exploratory subcommittee on the feasibility of divestment.”

The SGA Executive Cabinet voted to “release a statement of their own accord regarding the failed motion,” according to the SGA Executive Cabinet minutes.

During the Executive Cabinet meeting, Zakaria Kronemer, co-founder of DivestUMW, and approximately five other members of the student group were present.

According to Kronemer, DivestUMW’s activism on campus, including the sit-in at George Washington Hall, which is currently in its second week, has received widespread support from students and faculty.

“There is a unique and monumental support for this issue that has not happened at this university before,” said Kronemer.

During the most recent Student Senate meeting, SGA President Samantha Worman said, “There is nothing morally wrong with [divesting], it would better our futures.”

While some Executive Cabinet members supported the statement because it reflected how students’ voices have not been recognized, others were not comfortable specifically mentioning DivestUMW and believed the endorsement would exclude students who have different opinions about the issue.

At the meeting, Worman said discussing options at the next meeting would give the members time to come to an agreement that would represent the viewpoints of the members of the Executive Cabinet.

“We’re constantly moving forward as a university, and the cabinet will do our best to represent those views and values in our future statement,” said Worman.

According to Nate Levine, the Executive Cabinet will need to get Senate approval for any statement they want to publish on behalf of the whole student government.

During the Senate meeting, many student senators voiced concern about the rejection of the original motion.

“By not supporting the group that is taking action, or not saying their name, it is not giving them the support they need,” said senior Patrick Burnett, a student senator.

Worman insisted the Executive Cabinet would work to issue a motion that was not exclusively about DivestUMW, but rather one that focused on student activism as a whole.

“We are going to be in support of student empowerment and activism,” said Worman.

According to Worman, the statement will be issued before the coming BOV meeting, where Worman also plans to address DivestUMW’s status and efforts.

Some senators indicated there may not be full support of divestment or the sit-in on the university’s campus, but according to Burnett, DivestUMW collected over 1,000 signatures from current students, 250 alumni and two-thirds the current faculty.

According to Ray Santivasci, the support of Greek life of campus should have been approved if that was the standard.

“We should not support an individual group. It is unfair to the percentage of the student body that we haven’t heard from,” said Santivasci. “We have had a 1,000 signatures from a student body before then the president silenced the student body with a moratorium.”

Ginny Clark/ The Blue & Gray Press DivestUMW members have been sitting in George Washington Hall since Thursday, March 26.

According to Burnett, the Student Senate better represents the student body in

The BOV refused to establish a sub-committee to investigate pathways toward fossil fuel divestment. #‎whoseside are they on?”

The motion to issue the statement was not introduced in Senate until April 1. At that time, the motion passed in the Senate and did not continue on to the Executive Cabinet.

The Student Senate concluded without crafting a new statement.

Emily Hollingsworth contributed to this report.

“WE’RE CONSTANTLY MOVING FORWARD AS A UNIVERSITY, AND THE CABINET WILL DO OUR BEST TO REPRESENT THOSE VIEWS AND VALUES IN OUR FUTURE STATEMENT.” -Samantha Worman comparison to the Executive Cabinet because there are more members, and they are “better connected.”

There are 17 members on the Executive Cabinet in total, and 18 student senators were present during the vote to overturn on Wednesday.

Additionally, while Burnett says they are representative, according to the Student Government Constitution overseeing the Student Senate, in order to be truly representative, each residence hall with more than fifty students should have a senator on behalf of the Association of Residence Halls.

According to the Constitution, the senate body voting members should consist of the university population divided by fifty.

With a student population over 4,000, the Student Senate should consist of at least 80 members.

The Student Senate already issued its own statement on March 26. That statement, posted on Facebook, read: “The UMW Student Senate supports DivestUMW as they stand behind President Hurley and more than 1500 students who have signed the petition to divest. #divestumw #mymarywash”

DIVEST SIT-IN AT A GLANCE DAY 14 MORE THAN 300 HOURS NEXT BOV MEETING: APRIL 18TH SEE THE VIEWPOINTS PAGE FOR AN OP-ED BY MEMBERS OF DIVESTUMW Thursday, April 9, 2015

NEWS

UMW alumna runs against Howell

STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION EMILY HOLLINGSWORTH Assistant News Editor

Bob Howell Stimpson will be running against Bob Howell, the incumbent, for state delegate in the fall election.

•STIMPSON | 1 fairs Council.

Stimpson is no stranger to state elections, as she ran for Lieutenant Governor in 2013, though she lost to Ralph Northam, who currently holds the position.

One aspect of her experience on the Stafford County Board of Supervisors that Stimpson said she wants to bring to the House of Delegates is her investment in education. As a graduate of UMW and the mother of a Liberty University freshman, making decisions that will give students the ability to be all that they can be is an integral part of Stimpson’s campaign. “[Students] have a stake in this...I decided that I was not going to sit back,” said Stimpson.

Like Stimpson, UMW students are also taking note of what is taking place in the commonwealth.

Nicole Tardif, a senior political science major and chairman for UMW’s College Republicans, takes note of a concern a lot of students have: student debt.

The state government plays a role in determining the amount universities in the state charge for tuition. Voting can have an impact on whether universities choose to raise or lower their tuition.

“Just one of the reasons it’s important for students to do that,” said Tardif, speak-

ing about students voting in state elections.

In addition to furthering education causes, Stimpson, through running for delegate, also hopes to change the long-standing issue of female underrepresentation in the Virginia government.

Of the approximately 67 members of the House of Delegates that are Republicans, only 4 are women. In the three years Stimpson served as chairman of the Stafford County Board of Supervisors, she was the only woman on the board.

While no longer on the Board of Supervisors, Stimpson recruited current Board of Supervisors member Meg Bohmke. Stimpson, through her experience in public office, said she wants to increase female representation in Virginia’s government and hopes that her position in public office will empower women to become involved in local and state government.

“I want to see more of this same generation have that empowerment and be elected in public office,” said Stimpson.

Stimpson also cited UMW as playing an integral role in her investment in the Stafford and Fredericksburg community.

“Mary Washington gave me the confidence and empowerment to make these decisions for our community,” said Stimpson.

“I WANT TO SEE MORE OF THIS SAME GENERATION HAVE THAT EMPOWERMENT AND BE ELECTED IN PUBLIC OFFICE.” -Susan Stimpson

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This week, a new Executive Cabinet was approved and is preparing to transition in the coming days, but the sitting Executive Cabinet is continued to operate as usual this week. Three student club motions were approved by the Executive Cabinet at their most recent meeting on Monday, April 6.

The meeting, which stretched for two hours, also voted and issued in the new cabinet board. The transition of current members to new members will take place next Wednesday, April 15.

Hannah Tibbett was elected as the 2015-2016 Student Government Association president. Alex Obolensky will serve as vice president, Diana Inthavong as Honor Council president and Juliet Narine as Judicial Review Board president.

The Executive Cabinet passed motions on Monday to accept proposals for three new UMW clubs. The first group, Khi Alpha, a new religious organization that

requires its student leadership to read and accept a statement of religious faith. The second group, the Transfer Student Club, would give students transferring from other universities to UMW the opportunity to meet other transfer students and plan outings.

The last group, The Talons, would be UMW’s school spirit club. They would attend campus-wide events, such as sporting events and the Multicultural Fair. They would also create a group for students who work as UMW’s mascot, Sammy D. Eagle, called the “Sammy Squad.” Approval of all three of the groups passed unanimously.

The Executive Cabinet also passed a motion to host an open meeting with UMW students about the app Yik Yak app and using it civilly. The proposed meeting will have six student leaders, who are not affiliated with student groups, and will be moderated by a UMW faculty member.

Student Senate will have their last meeting of the semester next week.

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SPORTS NCAA DIII Week 2015 Editor: Chris Markham | blueandgray.sports@gmail.com

MATHIEU WETMORE Staff Writer

The annual NCAA Division III Week began Monday, April 6 and runs through Sunday, April 12. Division III Week is a positive opportunity for all those associated with NCAA Division III athletics to observe and celebrate the impact of athletics on student-athletes at the University of Mary Washington. Four University of Mary Washington student athletes gave their opinions on why they chose to become Eagles, as well as Division III athletes.

Nick Eghtessad: Junior business major

Rory Grambo: Junior business major

“I wanted to play D3 because at Division III schools the coaches give you more opportunities to be a student first and an athlete second. I’m a big fan of how close all the teams are to each other at this school and how my coach understands that I need to balance schoolwork with my practices. I would advise a senior in high school not to overlook Division III because they think there’s less competition, because there is still a high level of competiUMW Athletics tion in Division III, which a lot of people don’t see unless they play “I decided to play Division III because it gave me a chance to really matter right away—a chance to play immediately. I also didn’t want Division III.” to commit all my time to soccer like I would in a Division I program; I Jim Granger wanted a life outside of sport. I love my decision because I did indeed matter right away; I was a starter for much of my freshman season Matthew Garstka: Junior business major and on. I also was able to have a great social life outside of soccer.

“I chose Division III because I felt I made and kept lots of friends that did not have any affiliation with it was the right level of intensity the soccer team or UMW athletics. However, I regret it because I did and commitment I was willing not get the chance to represent myself at the highest possible level. to put forward while trying to I would advise a high school senior to evaluate their priorities as a balance athletics with academperson and in college. Make a pros and a cons list, and do as much ics. I’ve loved the experience research as possible. Then, and only then, make a firm, educated deand couldn’t be happier with my cision that you will be happy with.” coach and the relationships I’ve Leah Roth: Junior biology major built while being here. But if I had not been looking to continue with swimming in college I may have gone to a school with broader options when it comes to majors. I’ve often felt limited here. If I were to talk to a senior, I would talk to them about being a big fish in a small pond or vice versa. This could weigh heavily into where they apply and the programs they look at.”

Stephanie Hallock/Facebook

Quidditch brings fictional game to life with enthusiasm, optimism ETHAN TOBIN Assistant Online Editor

Nearing the end of its second full season as a collegiate recognized sports club, the University of Mary Washington’s Quidditch team continues to raise eyebrows with magnificent tournament play.

Although a young program, the hard-working and dedicated Eagles squad continues to impress opponents across the mid-Atlantic region through their dynamic abilities and tough play. The club is also in their second season as an official member of the United States Quidditch Organization, which hosts major national collegiate tournaments and determines national rankings for teams.

In their most recent competition, the Ea-

Thursday, April 9, 2015

gles traveled to the University of Virginia on March 28, where they continued to prove why they deserve to be considered a top Quidditch program in the region.

With more than a dozen schools invited to the tournament, each team had to fight their way into one playoff bracket consisting of only four spots by winning their respected pools, which consisted of four to five teams in each pool. As a part of pool C, the Eagles scored victories against the University of Virginia, William & Mary and the University of North Carolina Greensboro, convincingly defeating their opponents 110-40, 110-40 and 130-40, respectively.

After reaching the main bracket, which also included JMU, VT, UVA, the Eagles pulled a massive upset •QUIDDITCH | 3

UMW Athletics

“I decided to play D3 because it was the perfect blend of continuing to play the sport I love and being able to have time to myself and focus on my studies. I love my decision because it let me go to a great academic school that led to many close relationships with my teammates and my professors because of the school’s size. I don’t regret anything about my decision. The advice I would give a senior in high school is making sure they figure out how much they want their college life to revolve around that sport. If they want a good mix, then Division III is the right decision, but if they want a lot of involvement in solely that sport then they should choose Division I.” Mikey was the only Congratulations Mikey one of the nine sports Barnes, our very own writers who correctly Assistant Sports Editor, predicted all three Final for winning The Blue & Four games, including Gray Press NCAA Final picking the Duke Blue Four Prediction Pool, Devils to win the published last issue. national championship.

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