The Blue & Gray Press by The Weekly Ringer

THE

BLUE &GRAY

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON STUDENT NEWSPAPER

UMW reports a sexual assault affecting a student

March 24, 2016

VOLUME 89 | ISSUE 18

PRESS

SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE

1922

University holds first ever Social Justice Summit

SARAH GRAMMER News Editor

University of Mary Washington students received disturbing information from the university that a fellow student had been abducted and sexually assaulted around 3 a.m. on Friday, March 13. It was not stated whether the student was male or female. It is said that the student was approached by two white males in their early 20s near the intersection of William Street and Stafford Avenue. The men pushed the student into a dark colored vehicle containing two more men. The student was then driven to an area in Stafford County and sexually assaulted. The Title IX coordinator did not receive word of the assault until March 17. Students across the UMW campus are shocked not only that an incident like this happened to one of their own but that incidents like this are still happening in the world at all. “It was very alarming to hear about something so awful happening in our community,” said sophomore biology and intended theatre major Lauren

•ASSAULT | 11

Students participating in conversation at the University of Mary Washington’s first Social Justice Summit. WEIQI LIU Staff Writer

The James Farmer Multicultural Center and Student Transition Program hosted its first Social Justice and Leadership Summit on Saturday, March 19 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Hurley Convergence Center Digital Auditorium. This is the first time the University of Mary Washington has organized an event related to social justice and leadership. More than 20 students of diverse backgrounds attended the summit. Guest speaker Joan Iva Fawcett, director of Student Government Advising and Leadership Programs and the associate director of the LEAD Center at

the University of California, Berkeley, facilitated the summit by motivating and encouraging students to participate in many engaging activities and share thoughts and experiences with peers in a safe and unpressured environment. The Social Justice and Leadership Summit created an experiential opportunity for students to develop a concept and understanding of identity, social justice and allyship and better their college experience. The workshop helped students to support and promote social justice and equality on campus and within their respective communities, equipped students with the knowledge and skills needed to encourage and lead social change and explain the connec-

Weiqi Liu / The Blue & Gray Press

tion between leadership and social justice. Carmen Flores, a junior international affairs and music double major, believes that the summit experience will help her become more open minded. “I completely agree with that we are all based on perception, how we perceive certain group either base their ethnicity or their religion,” Flores said. “What I’m hoping to get out this is understanding why other people think a certain way. I hope to become more open minded, when I see a social justice problem, I can see it from a different angle, not just mine own way of think-

•SUMMIT | 11

A closer look at Sodexo and catering for student groups EMILY HOLLINGSWORTH News Editor

Registration opens for High Five Hurley | 10 UMW Relations

IN THIS

ISSUE

Smoke wafted over the outside of the University Center last Monday as the University of Mary Washington’s Class Council started Junior Ring Week with a bang, offering hamburgers and beverages to students with the swipe of an Eagle Once card. Sodexo, the organization that heads UMW’s Dining Services, catered the event, an employee grilling burgers as condiments and drink coolers stood ready nearby. Student organizations like Class Council may have used Sodexo’s catering services before to provide food and beverages for large events. While the catering services may be a conve

•SODEXO | 10

SUPER MEN

BAD NAME?

ERG A-THON

Best moments from Mr. UMW 2016

The term “queer” comes under scrutiny.

Crew team hold all-day fundraiser on Ball Circle.

VIEWPOINTS | 4

SPORTS | 3

LIFE | 6

NEWS

Editors: Sarah Grammer & Emily Hollingsworth | blueandgray.news@gmail.com

Nancy Redd inspires students during Women’s History Month

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.

EMILY HOLLINGSWORTH News Editor

EDITORS-AT-LARGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Chris Markham

SECTION EDITORS NEWS Sarah Grammer Emily Hollingsworth

VIEWPOINTS Hannah Parker

LIFE Della Hethcox

SPORTS Mikey Barnes

ONLINE

UMW Relations

LAUREN GUSTAFSON Staff Writer

Nancy Redd, a host for HuffPost Live and former Miss America contestant, captivated an audience of all ages Monday, March 14 as the keynote speaker for Women’s History Month celebration at the University of Mary Washington. “More people need to be on board with women helping women,” Redd said. She stood at the podium in Lee Hall room 411 with a screen behind her, slides and images punctuated her discussion about body image. Her voice carried and the audience of men and women, students and adults stayed focused on every word she had to say. Redd was one of the founding hosts of “Huffpost Live,” a live streaming network which won three consecutive

Ethan Tobin

Webby awards, the most recent being in 2015. She recently ended her time with “Huffpost Live” in February and will be publishing a book about pregnancy in 2017. Redd, who was also nominated for the NAACP Image Award and the GLAAD Award, struggled with body issues herself, which is what led her to writing her two books “Body Drama” and “Diet Drama.” The advice she gave to students was to take something that you are good at or something you see as an issue and turn it into your business. Her activism concerning body image began with protesting photoshop usage in magazines. When the Miss America pageant contestant kicked back her headshot because she did not photoshop it, she took it as a sign that something needed

Alex Sakes

Wednesday, March 24, 2016 • •

A motion last week that was tabled, that the Office of the President provide the President’s Sustainability report on Divestment to the student for region and distribution to the student body, passed.

Ester Salguero

• •

Izzy Briones

•

A motion to expel three members of senate, (later amended to two members) due to excessive absences, passed; and a motion to welcome a student as a new senator was passed. A motion that the Board of Visitors respect the recommendation of the President’s Council on Sustainability report of Divestment at the University Of Mary Washington and that the Rector and the visitors vote to endorse Option A as established by the committee, which is 99 percent divestment from fossil fuel industries in the University Of Mary Washington. The motion passed.

Kelly Emmrich

ADVERTISING TEAM ADVERTISING MANAGER Natalie Furman

FACULTY ADVISOR Sushma Subramanian

A motion for University Administration to hold a series of public forums discussing the justification for and the necessity of the proposed tuition and fee hikes they proposed the student government they would, or release a statement explaining to the student body why they are not worthy of the information and the opportunity necessary to express their opinion on the issue, passed. • A motion, later amended to add meat to the description, requested that the Dining Services committee work with Sodexo to guarantee that all foods at campus dining locations have labels listing all ingredients that are known to cause allergic reactions to avoid student illness. The • motion passed.

What has characterized both parties during the 2016 presidential election, according to Virginia Sen. Bryce Reeves, is anger. The lack of positive perspective, what America is and what could be, is missing. “No one is talking about what is that vision for America,” Reeves said, believing the candidates lack the optimistic view of America that he admired in Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy, his favorite presidents. Discussing bipartisanship, his running for lieutenant governor, taking action and encouraging students to do the same, Reeves attended and spoke during a meeting with College Republicans. He discussed the end of a 60-day long session in Richmond, where he and other state officials balanced the budget. Unlike a few of the presidential candidates running, Reeves said that people will not have to guess how he will solve the issues that he sees in Virginia. “I can tell you exactly what I want to accomplish,” Reeves said. He also talked about what could be an identity crisis in the Republican Party, as candidate Donald Trump has given few specifics about how he proposes to solve issues. “In our party, we don’t know, and that scares us,” Reeves said. One student who attended the meeting, who said his and Reeves’ beliefs may not align, thanked Reeves for being willing to be bipartisan while bills were being proposed. Reeves attributed this bipartisanship to being elected to do a job that is meant to benefit everyone in Virginia, not solely one party. “I’m not elected to just represent Re-

•REEVES | 11

•

DETAILS PROVIDED BY JAMIE MCGUIRE

•REDD | 11

Student Government Association Beat

PHOTO

ASSISTANT EDITORS

Senator Bryce Reeves speaks at College Republican meeting

Emily Hollingsworth/ The Blue & Gray Press

Thursday, March 24, 2016

SPORTS

Q & A with freshman baseball standout Hank Biggs KATE LARKIN Staff Writer

UMW Athletics

Q: “How do you feel playing your first season of college baseball?” A: “I’m excited to see what this season holds for me,” Biggs said. “My personal goal for this season is to have a strong first year as a freshman and set my standards for what I want to do in upcoming years. I have high expectations for myself to improve and grow.” Q: “How is the team doing right now? What do you all need to create success or continue it?” A: “We started our season strong going 13-0 before spring break, and then after spring break we hit a wall going 1-6. We have our ups and downs, but that’s just the game of baseball,” Biggs said. “We are in a hole right now, so we are going to have to battle and play hard, and hopefully we will make it into the CAC tournament. We

definitely have decent competition this year. We have had some difficult games, but I think that we can handle it.” Q: “Why baseball? Any other sports?” A: “It’s really the only sport I’ve ever played, but it’s the only sport I’ve ever needed to play because I fell in love with the game when I was young,” Biggs said. “It just stuck with me and I worked at my game 24/7 all year round. I’m a very competitive person, and I think that’s a big part of why I love baseball so much.”Q: Q: “You are a pitcher, how is that?” A: “The pitcher is really who starts the game, and he’s got the ball in his hand every pitch so it’s a role of high importance in baseball. I played first a little bit in high school but I stick to pitching now,” Biggs said.

Q: “What was the leap like from high school baseball to college baseball?” A: “College baseball is a little different from what I thought it would be,” Biggs said. “It’s definitely more difficult, but I like the challenge and I’m having so much fun with it. I’m expected to perform at a higher level in college baseball than I ever have been before.”

because we aren’t uptight around each other and we stay relaxed.” Q: “Who would you say your baseball role model is?” A: “I appreciate all of the support that I get, and my dad was always there for me in baseball and he always taught me how to be a stronger player. I’m thankful for him pushing me to where I am today.”

Q: “What is your favorite part of playing on the team?” A: “The team has come together more so than my baseball team experience in high school, and because we are more mature we play better as a team. We all have such a strong bond,” Biggs said. “As a team we definitely know how to joke around and have fun, but we also know how to get serious. We work together well as a team

March Madness and NCAA tournament brackets sweep the nation CJ CUMMINGS Staff Writer

March Madness is the college sensation that sweeps through the nation for just three weeks out of the year. It is this phenomenon that captivates the attention of the nation where a high number of people set aside some time to form a bracket, to compete against their friends. It ranges from people who know absolutely nothing when it comes to college basketball to even those who have played basketball professionally. The struggle for most people is that when the tournament starts, anything can happen and it is really hard to prepare your bracket for that. There were over 13 million brackets made this year, an increase of 2 million from 2015. The NCAA tournament has hosted its bracket challenge since 1999.

This is the 77th year that there has been an NCAA tournament and the frenzy that is March Madness. Often, there are games where a team is not supposed to make it a close game but then they suddenly upset a top tier team. This year there has been many upsets that have occurred, even the best bracket maker could not have predicted. In the East region, the biggest first round upset was when (14 seed) Stephen F. Austin State University beat (3 seed) University of West Virginia by double digits. In the second round of the tournament, 7-seed Wisconsin nudged passed 2-seed Xavier by three points. In the South region the biggest upset has been 13-seed University of Hawaii sweeping 4-seed University California in

the first round. The Midwest region was filled with upset after upset. The biggest came on the second day of the bracket where 15-seed Middle Tennessee state University beat 2-seed Michigan State University by nine points. This region was a shocker when two teams in the sweet 16 ended up being seed higher than the 9 seed. In the West region, the biggest shocker was that 12-seed Yale University beat 5-seed Baylor University . Some teams show up at the tournament and play the best game of their college career and are able to beat any top tier team. These teams are considered underdogs in the early stages, but the unpredictability that is the tournament, is surely just crazy. While others perform just as

good as they are seeded, whether that be as a lower or high seed. To pick a perfect bracket, is there really such thing as an expert? Yeah, you may “know” more than most people, but when it comes down to the NCAA bracket time, there is no predictability. So do not feel bad if you made a bracket that got busted after the first day of games. According to ESPN bracket challenge only 0.1 percent of the 13 million contestants had a perfect bracket after the first round. That is why everyone does this because no matter your knowledge of college basketball, you still have the same odds of having a perfect bracket.

Weekly Scoreboard lacrosse:

Mar. 19 vs. Salisbury

(L) UMW: 4 Salisbury: 9

wOMENS lACROSSE

Mar. 19 @ Frostburg St.

(W) UMW: 14 Frostburg St.: 7

Upcoming: baseball

Mar. 26 @ Penn. St. - Harrisburg 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.

softball

Mar. 25 vs. East. Mennonite 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.

VIEWPOINTS

Questionable umbrella term

: r e e u

Q KYRA KETCH Staff Writer

In recent years, ‘queer’ has been used as an umbrella term for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. I would like to ask: “should it be?” The word, defined by Merriam-Webster as “worthless,” “counterfeit,” “questionable,” ‘suspicious,” “differing in some odd way from what is usual or normal,” “unconventional,” “mildly insane” and “not quite well” bears no resemblance to my sexuality. As a lesbian, I have never been comfortable with the word queer. After years of attempting to convince myself that my sexuality was not something dirty and learning to love this part of myself I had tried so hard to repress, a twinge of anger strikes my heart every time I am called ‘queer.’ I consider the word a slur and am curious as to why such a word became an umbrella term for everyone in the LGBT community. “Queer can be a great term for someone to use when they don’t feel like diving

needs to be left behind

into their whole sexuality,” said Emily Bostaph, UMW LGBT activist and creator of documentary series My Cross to Bear. “I think it’s a wonderful term to be used by people who aren’t yet sure of what they are. If people are questioning or trying to discover their true sexualities, queer gives them something to label themselves as in the meantime.” Bostaph, who also identifies as a lesbian, is far more comfortable than I am using ‘queer’ as an umbrella term. However, we do both agree on the fact that the term is a slur. “I think recently, in the past five or so years, we [the LGBTQ community] have reclaimed it as our own. We have taken back the term and now use it in an inclusive and more importantly positive manner,” Bostaph said. Reclamation of slurs is a common phenomenon among oppressed groups. However, this reclamation is usually performed on an individual level rather than community wide. While I can see the convenience of ‘queer’ in comparison to the mouthful of an acronym that is LGBT, I do not think we should place convenience above respect for the members of our community who are not comfortable with the slur.

To get a better understanding of how people feel about the word ‘queer,’ I recently held an anonymous online survey. What I found was that 54 percent of survey participants had been called ‘queer’ in a derogatory manner. A significant amount of those who had experienced this identified themselves as under the age of 18. To me, this proves that ‘queer’ is not simply a slur of the past; it is not a slur that died in the 1970’s. Individuals are still using this word to slander and subjugate us. When surveyed on if they referred to individual LGBT people as ‘queer’ without asking if those people were comfortable with it, over 84 percent of participants said that they never did so. Only 2 percent of participants said that they frequently referred to LGBT people as ‘queer’ without asking first. My question is: if we are so uncomfortable calling individual LGBT people queer without their permission, why are we comfortable referring to our entire community as “the queer community?” I agree that the reclamation of the slur is great for individuals who are questioning or feel they don’t quite fit into a more specific identity. However, many of us are not questioning, and many like me are uncom-

fortable being labeled with the slur. Our community is made of a broad spectrum of individuals, not one of which I would call “worthless” or “not quite well.” It’s about time we rethink queer.

Wiki Commons/ Google Umbrella term ‘queer’ is put into question.

Endorsement from Carson to Trump may sacrifice trust from supporters

EMILY HOLLINGSWORTH News Editor

Former presidential candidate Ben Carson announced that he would be endorsing current candidate Donald Trump on Friday, March 11, a decision I believe has cost Carson the trust he established with his voters by supporting a candidate who, so far, has seemed to share little in common with Carson’s own moral beliefs. According to Carson at a news conference, speaking at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida, a private club owned by Trump, he and Trump have settled their previous differences and will move forward with a new understanding of one another. “There are two different Donald Trumps,” Carson said during the conference, according to NBC News. “There’s the one you see on the stage and there’s the one who is very cerebral, sits there and considers things very carefully. You can have a very good conversation with him. That’s the Donald Trump that you’re going to start seeing more and more of.” Carson’s statement appears to be a pretty dramatic shift from what he has said about Trump before, saying even as recently as January that Trump was dishonest, particularly toward him, and that Trump used his malleable sense of truth to get ahead in the political game. His decision to back Trump also seems surprising considering Trump had called Carson a pathological liar in November during his campaign in Iowa, comparing Carson’s alleged habit to child molestation. It seems a little far-fetched that Trump and Carson would suddenly go from throw-

Wikipedia/ Google Former presidential candidate Ben Carson announced endorsment for candidate Donald Trump.

ing words like “pathological liar” to glowing terms like “cerebral,” particularly as they have had to interact and learn more about one another for months. Rather than backing each other because they admire one another, I think it’s more likely they are both getting something out of their deal. Carson is one of several Republican candidates who have endorsed Trump over the past few months. New Jersey gover-

nor and former candidate Chris Christie made headlines with his endorsement, which also, interestingly enough, took place at the Mar-a-Lago Club. Carson has said that he might have chosen another candidate if their campaigns had been more successful, according to an interview with the Steve Malzberg show on March 14. There has also been speculation that if Carson continues to support Trump, he might snag vice presidency, something

“THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT DONALD TRUMPS” -Ben Carson

Carson himself alluded to when asked during a campaign visit in Florida, according to the Wall Street Journal. Though it’s not entirely clear or set in stone why Carson is backing Trump, Trump certainly needs Carson’s support. If Christie’s visibly distressed expression during the news conference is any indication, some Trump supporters have seemed a little ambivalent about their decision to back him. Carson’s measured support of Trump could benefit Trump’s campaign, but might do more to hurt Carson’s own future campaign further down the road. In the same interview with the Steve Malzberge, Carson discussed the violence that has taken place in Trump’s rallies, saying that people would have normally been hesitant to step forward or “meekly submitted,” but not during this campaign. “I don’t think the country is in the mood for meekly submitting right now,” Carson said. Carson’s endorsement arguably seems like a submission, or more like a series of mental gymnastics to support Trump, who according to a study from Politico was fact-checked for each campaign for a week, and found that Trump exaggerated, mischaracterized and said false statements approximately every five minutes. As Carson now appears to be playing Trump’s game, he might be sending disillusioned voters looking elsewhere.

Thursday, March 24, 2016 Thursday, January 21, 2015

VIEWPOINTS

Editor: Hannah Parker | blueandgray.views@gmail.com

Higher standards for club leaders should be set ASHTON FERNEYHOUGH Staff Writer

We’ve all seen those movies where the athletes are the life of the party and get away with every problem or issue that might be a result of the actions from the raging night they’ve had. But from past issues that have happened at the University of Mary Washington dealing with varsity athletes and non-collegiate athletes, every year the same debate arises. Athletes think that the rules should be the same for them as regular students, but students think that athletes should have more strict rules since they represent the school. UMW should treat athletes and regular students regarding academics and punishments for athletes. These rules should apply for club athletes as well. Several cases have dealt with behavior at parties and whether or not the behavior needed to be reprimanded because of drinking and drug use. In the few cases that I have actually kept up with, one case involved a varsity team and the other involved the men’s rugby team chanting an inappropriate song. The varsity team was reprimanded for their behavior and the

UMW Athletics Varsity and club athletes need to be held to the same standard and follow the same rules.

rugby team was disbanded indefinitely. Personally, coming from a varsity athlete, I think that the school should uphold the same rules for all club sports and varsity athletics. However, if the same offense happens again, negative consequential punishment should be assigned and action should be taken from there. With academics, professors should be more lenient about deadlines and making special accommodations for athletes because although we did choose to be an athlete, we have no say in game times or departure times. Most professors are willing to work

Pepper spray, mace necessity on college campus, need policy change now RIPKEN SMITH Staff Writer

I think that if the university allows pepper spray and mace in residence halls that sexual assaults on our campus will greatly diminish. Pepper spray is a good option because it is more effective in slowing down an attacker due to the immediate inflammation of the respiratory system. Mace is considered to be less effective because it relies heavily on pain compliance, and if an attacker is under the influence of drugs or alcohol they may feel the effects less. University of California Police Department said that, pepper spray will still cause inflammatory effects to an attacker even if they are, “mentally disturbed or under the influence of intoxicants.” Since pepper spray can cause inflammation of the respiratory system to nearly every individual, it should be used more because it can help stop the aggressor from assaulting. It surprises me as to why people wouldn’t want to use the most effective tool they can, especially when it comes to their personal safety. The physical side effects of pepper spray include; skin irritation, eye tearing, burning and involuntary closing, immediate inflammation of the respiratory system, uncontrollable coughing and gasping for air and a loss of balance may occur due to reduced vision. These side effects will help give you time to get away from an attacker, which is better than nothing. As many know, sexual assault happens on our campus and campuses across the United States and in most cases the victims are females. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource, 91 percent of the victims of rape and sexual assault are female, and 9 percent are male. A key determinant in what could help

stop a sexual assault or rape is having time to separate oneself from the attacker. If the aggressor has been pepper sprayed, it is hard to them to run due to inflammation of the respiratory system and they can barely see anything due to the involuntary closing of the eyelids in response to the spray. Pepper spray doesn’t just harm the attacker, it can also harm others that are nearby, because of the effects the spray has on people’s breathing. Despite the breathing discomfort of nearby individuals, everyone should be allowed to carry pepper spray with them at all times on campus, and especially in the residence halls. In order to safely have pepper spray in residence halls you must have to go through a self defense class or seminar that teaches how to properly use pepper spray. This class would require the person taking it to sign a pledge to not misuse the pepper spray. To help deter individuals from misusing pepper spray, consequences should entail fines and possible jail time. Even though the University is making efforts into helping limit the amount of sexual assaults here on campus, the best thing to do is to start a program that would make it possible for everyone to carry pepper spray with them at all places here on campus. This program should not be mandatory, but it should be highly encouraged. Implementing a program like this has a high potential to help decrease the number of sexual assaults here on our campus.

with athletes but there have been times when professors won’t. The punishments for these actions should also be implemented on. I talk about athletes as a whole because it doesn’t matter whether you are a varsity athlete or club athlete, you still play for Mary Washington and should be treated with the same respect either way. Although I have heard many non-athletes talk about this issue, I don’t hear many athletes talk about it unless a team has just gotten in trouble “I think everyone should be treated equally, therefore everyone should have

the same rules and consequences. I also think that is why some people play club sports, to not have the same strict rules,” said freshman Ladaijia Ball. Club sports also have a say in the matter. Some students at the school don’t classify those who play a club sport an athlete just because they aren’t on a varsity team, but reality is, they still take time out of their schedules to represent our school. “I think the school should treat everyone equally, just because they’re athletes doesn’t really mean anything. However, I do believe that clubs do need to be held up to the same standards as varsity in terms of academics and such. As a club president, I honestly get frustrated when members skip classes to come to meetings and practices. When their GPAs are slacking, nothing happens. To me, we all represent the school and we should all he held to the same standards whether it is varsity or clubs or anything,” said junior Maggie McMaken. Both varsity and club sports need to be treated the same way. We are all athletes, just at different levels. We all play for UMW, just like we are all students are at UMW.

Editorial: Incoming

students not getting what they are advertised Students at the University of Mary Washington have raised concerns regarding how dining and housing options are being presented to prospective students. Long-time UMW students believe that there is a prominent disconnect between the portrait of the school painted by the administration and what upcoming students should expect. When it comes to dining, prospective students are presented with a freshly stocked University Center dining hall, one that current students feel is significantly bumped up in quality and quantity when compared to an average day at the dining hall. The best days in student dining are when visitors are present. This is even more alarming when all incoming students regardless of whether they live on campus or not, will be forced to purchase an unlimited meal plan, which only allows them access to the University Center’s main dining hall, excluding them from Qdoba, Vocelli’s and the other options which are presented to them unless they pay more. It is not only the dining options that are misrepresented by campus administration, but campus living, too. It is important to highlight that prospective student and their parents are treated to tours of the showrooms in Randolph and Mason Halls, the two most updated halls on campus. Randolph and Mason Halls present a stark

contrast to other freshman residence halls, Bushnell and Russell, which lack adequate temperature control. Ironically, the University fails to showcase Eagle Landing, which is a popular choice for campus living for sophomore through senior students. Among the places boasted about during a prospective tour is the Hurley Convergence Center, which claims to bring the latest in technology and innovation to all students. This multimillion-dollar study area may look cozy, but it offers nothing revolutionary to students except a myriad of conference rooms and neon colored couches. While the first floor presents an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere, it is important to note that fewer than 12 desktop Mac computers are available for use on the first floor, all of which attach to a single black and white printer. If a student is already so inclined to own a recent MacBook and a personal printer, and most are, the Hurley Convergence Center does not offer anything new in the way of technology for them. These false advertisements play a part in the University’s retention rate, which suffers when students do not get what they were advertised.

By THE BLUE & GRAY PRESS EDITORIAL BOARD

Wiki Commons/ Google

LIFE

Editor: Della Hethcox blueandgray.life@gmail.com

Mr. UMW raises money for pancreatic cancer, entertains campus

DELLA HETHCOX Life Editor

As the lights dimmed in Dodd Auditorium, University of Mary Washington students settled in for a riotous evening as 11 beloved student contestants vied for the coveted title of Mr. UMW, a crown that is not worn lightly by the winner. Just ask last year’s champion, Mikey Barnes, who proudly carried out his Mr. UMW duties over the past year. Hosted by the Association of Residence Halls, the event was originally created to include the male demographic on campussince the campus was dominated largely by women due to the history as a former women’s college, and according to the current president of ARH, Ray Celeste Tanner, senior communications major. Since 1999, this popular event unites the campus in an effort to raise money for a pre selected charity. This year, contestants raised money in honor of the Lustgarten Foundation, which is dedicated to advancing the research to diagnosing, treating and searching for a cure for pancreatic cancer. During the annual event, the contestants show off their singing, dancing and other wacky talents. Over recent years, ARH has chosen themes for the event such as Disney or the Olympics, but this year was all about superheros. From Spider Man to Captain America, everyone’s favorite superhero made an appearance. Determining the theme was a team effort for members of ARH. “It’s difficult to find themes that are unique, fun, work with a large group of men, and draw in a crowd, so when the Superhero idea came up, we sort of just went with it,” Tanner said. Behind the scenes, programming chair Stephanie Buckler, junior Latin major, worked tirelessly throughout the semester to ensure the event’s success, particularly in the weeks leading up big night. From superhero research, choreography, scripts, music and Ultron and Jarvis voiceovers, Buckler has not missed a single detail. It’s not all fun and games, though, as contestants have also had to raise awareness using social media, campus activities

and work on their talents. All the proceeds raised during the change wars will go directly to the Lustgarten Foundation. For Buckler, the change wars tabled on campus were a favorite addition this year, since it involved the students and contestants interacting in person and not just via Twitter. “In the past we haven’t asked the Misters to be there during tabling, but they get really excited and make everyone else excited as well,” Buckler said. Proving the event’s popularity was the ticket line that stretched from Dodd Auditorium in George Washington Hall to the lawn in front of the Link. Students did not seem to mind as they joked with friends and chatted about their weeks. Former contestant Chris Markham, junior journalism major, and former Mr. UMW champion, Mikey Barnes, junior communications major, were the emcees for the event, bringing a lively energy to the evening with their bromance and jokes. Wearing Batman and Olaf onesies to partake in the theme, Markham and Barnes passed on wisdom to this year’s men as they paraded across the stage with their dates. Markham and Barnes seemed a bit surprised when Mr. Commuter kissed his date, although the crowd went wild. Like a traditional pageant, the eleven men performed an opening number, were subjected to awkward introductions, as well as crowd favorites: the talent portion, accompanied by superhero costumes. The Mr. UMW hopefuls showed off their diverse talents, from magic tricks to badly played Celine Dion songs on the recorder to crushing apples with their bare hands, the 11 men were not to be outdone as they vied for the title. Of course, like any good pageant, there was lipsyncing to Taylor Swift and Madonna complete with Mr. Eagle Landing losing his pants and girls rushing the stage. Mr. Ball, portrayed by Ian Spangler, was excited to be a part of the production and compete with his peers in the name of charity. “I got involved because it supports a great cause and it’s also rewarding to be a part of

such a quirky, exciting UMW tradition,” Spangler said, noting Buckler’s hard work. “I was surprised at how much work Stephanie put into the event. It was clear every step of the way that she went above and beyond, something for which all members of the event were thankful.” Throughout the show, Markham and Barnes raffled off movie baskets, fleece blankets, giftcards, while asking the audience to answer trivia questions in order to earn Mr. UMW t-shirts. After intermission, Mr. Alvey, Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Bushnell and Mr. Russell were eliminated. The crowd did not take these eliminations lightly, booing loudly at the results. However, the show went on and the contestants quickly moved on to the costume portion of the evening. Not to be outdone in the costume portion was the Crocodile Hunter, the Joker, Peter Parker, Penguin, Robin and Captain America. Afterwards, Mr. Mason, Mr. Eagle and Mr. Randolph were eliminated. The remaining four contestants remained on stage for the Q&A session, answering questions about their desired superpowers, their favorite superhero suit material and what it’s like to fly. The crowd found out that Captain America winds down by eating protein and playing his guitar and that Mr. Framar’s favorite superhero is the Hulk while his favorite villain is the Riddler. It turns out that Mr. Commuter really loves his (fictional) family and crocodiles. Given the choice, Mr. Ball said he would save Washington, D.C. if the world was coming to an end, because in his words, it’s the greatest city in the world. As the final votes were tallied, Barnes and Markham finally caved to crowd pressure and took to the stage for a dance off to “Come

• • • • • • • • • • •

and Get Your Love” by Redbone from “Guardians of the Galaxy” soundtrack. Although eliminated, Ultron requested that the first four eliminated contestants be allowed to return and show off their costumes. Deadpool, Ironman, Twoface and the Human Torch. Before announcing the winners, Markham and Barnes handed out awards recognizing the efforts of the contestants: Mr. Framar won the People’s Choice Award, Mr. Virginia won the Philanthropy Award for raising the most money for cancer research and Mr. Russell won the award for Social Media. In the end there could only be one winner and Mr. Commuter took home the coveted crown, with Mr. Framar as the runner up. Mr. Virginia took fourth place and Mr. Ball took third. But in the end, Spangler, like many of the contestants had one goal throughout the evening. “My goal is just to make people laugh. Especially in the midst of end-of-semester stress, I hope they walk away having had a good Wednesday night,” Spangler said.

The Contestants: Mr. Alvey: Jeremy Wickersham Mr. Ball: Ian Spangler Mr. Bushnell: Austin Williams Mr. Commuter: Tate Houff Mr. Eagle: Amik Kler Mr. Framar: Connor McLear Mr. Jeffy: Ian Purcell Mr. Mason Joemmel Tendilla Mr. Randolph: JP Burklow Mr. Russell: Sam Cragun Mr. Virginia: Joey Opiekun

Alex Sakes/ The Blue & Gray Press

From left to right: Mr. Ball (Ian Spangler), Mr. Virginia (Joey Opiekun) and the winner, Mr. Commuter (Tate Houff) proving that they have what it takes to be Mr. UMW.

Thursday, March 24, 2016

LIFE

Senior Exhibition II offers a glimpse into the student art world

Alex Sakes / The Blue & Gray Press

“UMW Landscapes,” painted plywood, by Allison Klem displayed in duPont Gallery as part of her senior year project. KATE LARKIN the exhibition made completely from it’s like a rite of passage,” Schloeder said. Staff Writer an assortment of fabric, titled “In Me“It will probably be the first piece in a moriam.” To create her senior exhibit, gallery show on the majority of student’s Each spring, the University of Mary Schloeder deconstructed bed sheets and resumes, and it could help our artists get Washington gives senior art majors an then knotted them together. The creation jobs if they wanted to become a full time opportunity to present the culmination of her piece took around two and a half artist.” of their talent and growth in the annual weeks. For many seniors, life after graduation Senior Exhibition hosted in the duPont For Schloeder, the piece represents her can seem unclear, but the exhibition helps Hall art gallery. youth, and the memories attached to her gives them a building block to furthering The first half of the exhibition took place childhood. their artistic careers. in February, and now from March 16 to “There are memories of my childhood Schloeder also appreciates the inde26, the second half of the exhibition is in here like my old clothes and sheets, pendence factor of the exhibition, and open to the public. as well as old curtains, baby blankets, how the artists are required to create and As part of their senior year, student nightgowns, things that I grew up with display everything on their own without artists are required to show their work that have just been sitting in my attic,” outside help. before they graduate, allowing the campus Schloeder said. “I made them into someDuring the weeks leading up to the exand community the chance to survey their thing beautiful instead of letting them sit hibition, the artists spend the majority of hard work after the past four years of late in a box in the attic forever.” their free hours prepping for the big event nights in the studios. Schloeder’s piece was selected to be and promoting their creations. The artists Senior art major Lilly Schloeder’s work shown in the Liberty Town exhibition, made all of the flyers, posters and press appears in the exhibition and she is thanklocated in Fredericksburg. releases for the event. ful for the possibilities that the exhibition “I think that this is a great learning expe“I’m not the type of student to just reuse offers the graduates. rience because in real life, we can’t have my old work once I’ve moved past it and “The Senior Exhibition is an amazing everything done for us,” Schloeder said. gone beyond it, so this is what I worked opportunity for senior art majors at UMW. Schloeder created an abstract piece for on over my spring break,” Schloeder said. It’s a requirement before we graduate, so

Schloeder went into the creation of her project with the concept of nostalgia as her inspiration.“I went through a traumatic experience with my family and I wanted to latch onto my childhood. Sheets are such a sense of comfort, and these are sheets that were in my house,” Schloeder said. “Ripping them apart was a sense of destruction and then knotting them back together was a process of trying to hold onto memories, but making it something completely different than before. It is taking on a new and more grotesque form.” The exhibition runs from March 16 to 26 and is free to the public.

Alex Sakes / The Blue & Gray Press

“In Memoriam” by Lilly Schloeder.

Campus publication encourages literary and artistic student efforts ASHLEY RIGGLESTON Staff Writer

Conducted via email, a staff reporter interviewed several members of Aubade: Editor-in-Chief Austen Weathersby, junior theatre and creative writing double major, Poetry Editor Claire Everett, junior English major, Prose and Publicity Editor Aeriel Merillat, senior English major, and Art Editor Tyler Duenas, senior studio art major. Each speaker has been identified by their initials and minimal edits have been made for clarity and structure. AR: What is Aubade? When was the magazine founded? What sort of material do you publish? AW: Created in 1971, Aubade, pronounced “o-bawd,” is a student-run literary and art magazine that provides an outlet for current UMW student poets, authors, and artists to be published. The Aubade is published on a bi-annual basis, allowing for new student works to be showcased every semester. AR: Why is working on the Aubade staff important to you? How is your experience working for the literary magazine different from other activities that you have en-

gaged in at UMW? In other words, what makes writing or editing for Aubade special?

CE: As someone who had been submitting my work to Aubade every semester since I arrived at UMW, I was really honored to have been chosen to be the poetry editor at the end of last year. I like Aubade because it’s so completely student run; our advisor isn’t even really involved, so it’s really just a creation of devoted and talented students. AR: I think Aubade is currently accepting submissions for their next issue. What sorts of submissions would you like to see? Why are you excited about publishing this issue in particular? AM: Yes, Aubade is currently accepting submissions for our Spring 2016 issue until Friday, March 25th. You can find updates and the information by liking our Facebook page, looking for our posts on the UMW Class Facebook pages, reading the posters placed around campus, or emailing us at aubadeumw@gmail. com for more information. As the prose editor, I personally

like to see works that create interesting and complex characters within a narrative that grapples with nuanced issues. I like to see work that is clearly important to the author, and stories that you can tell have been crafted with a lot of attention and care. We’re really looking for prose pieces that are well written, intriguing, and have something in them that we know readers would enjoy and appreciate.

AR: I am an English Major, but I have only heard about Aubade in passing. How can students get involved either writing or editing the magazine? TD: Facebook is the way I access info about Aubade. We have past and future date/meeting info on our page that can answer most questions about Aubade.

AR: What changes, if any, would you like to see Aubade make in the future? AM: I would like to see Aubade have more visibility on our campus. It would be great if more English and creative writing majors were involved and aware of the great work we are doing by publishing student’s writing and art.

@theBlueandGray

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LIFE

National Women’s History Month celebrated on campus

DELLA HETHCOX Life Editor

Throughout the month of March, communities and individuals all across the United States are celebrating Women’s History Month. From politicians, celebrities, activists, creatives and care-givers, women have made impacts on the world for centuries. According to the Library of Congress, since 1981, either a week or the entire month of March has been designated to the history of women. It was not until the late 80s that it became an official movement thanks to resolutions passed in Congress. Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama further sanctioned this project in annual proclamations, allowing March to concretely become Women’s History Month. For the University of Mary Washing-

ton and the surrounding Fredericksburg community, the University is offering a plethora of events honoring women of the past and present. This month is unique for UMW due to its origin as a women’s college. Notable alumni like Karen Olsen Beck, the former First Lady of Costa Rica, Teresa Djuric, a U.S. Air Force Brigadier General, actress Desiree Marie Velez or journalist Judy Muller have all contributed to the history of the United States, but also to the legacy of UMW. American Poet Claudia Emerson, who passed away in 2014 was one of the most prominent women to contribute to UMW as a professor of English and sitting as the Arrington Distinguished Chair in Poetry. In 2008, Governor Tim Kaine named Emerson as the Poet Laureate of Virginia, recognizing Emerson for her contributions to the literary world. In addition to her profes-

sional accolades, Emerson was a beloved professor and mentor for many students at UMW who had the pleasure of taking one of her courses or dropping by her office for a casual conversation. March 8 is International Women’s Day, a day dedicated to “celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity,” states the official website. At UMW, students celebrated with a poetry reading by Albalucía Ángel, as well as a Ladies Lift Night at the gym. Additionally, the student run club, Feminists United UMW, is taking the month to spread awareness about sexual health, women’s education and comedy, with a production of the “Vagina Monologues” on March 25 and 26 in Dodd Auditorium at 8 p.m. Tickets costs $5 at the door, or $3

in advance which you can purchase at the University Center. International Women’s Day appeared on every social media platform thanks to the hashtag #internationalwomensday, as users tweeted their thanks, appreciation, inspiring quotes and photographs of their favorite women. Celebrities such as Pink and Emma Watson tweeted their support for the day and the month. Even politicians got into the spirit of the day, as presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders tweeted “Women must have full control over their reproductive health in order to have full control over their lives. #InternationalWomensDay.” Visit http://womenshistorymonth.gov/ for event listings and biographies about inspiring women throughout national and global history.

In honor of UMW’s history as a former women’s college, here are vintage photographs of the campus back in its hey day, pulled from the UMW Digital Archives. Ranging from a talent show, studying for exams and club meetings, these photographs show the diverse nature of women who have attended UMW and who have contributed to Women’s History Month. 9

NEWS POLICE BEAT

Convenience, conscientiousness, costliness: description of catering from student groups

IZZY BRIONES Assistant News Editor

Assault Domestic Assault and Battery occurred at Eagle Landing between 6 p.m. Monday March 21 and 5 p.m. Tuesday March 22. One person was arrested and one person received an administrative referral.

Trespassing Trespassing occurred at Virginia Hall at 6 p.m. Saturday March 19. One person was arrested.

Possession Underage Possession of Alcohol occurred at the Russell Hall parking lot between 12:54 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. Friday March 18. One person received an administrative referral. Possession of Marijuana occurred at the Hurley Convergence Center at 11:45 p.m. on Sunday, March 20. One person was arrested.

Larceny Larceny occurred at Ball Hall between 3 p.m. Friday, March 11 and 10 a.m. Sunday, March 13. The case is pending.

Larceny occurred at the Marshal Basketball Court between 5:30 p.m. and 10:45 p.m. on Wednesday March 16. The case is pending.

Larceny occurred at the Marshal Parking Lot between 7:15 p.m. Sunday, March 13 and 9:45 a.m. Thursday, March 17. The case is pending

Emily Hollingsworth/ The Blue & Gray Press

Sodexo providing food service at recent Class Council event for Junior Ring Week.

•SODEXO |1

nient spot to pick up food on campus with an organization who also provides food for the cafeteria and other on-campus locations, it may also be limiting as rates from Sodexo may get expensive for large events, and policies make it difficult to order catering outside UMW. Junior Class President, Caitriona Cobb, said that Class Council caters through Sodexo frequently for events. Student groups are required to order through Sodexo unless they obtain a waiver. The group’s experience with Sodexo, according to Cobb, has been generally positive, but she did list a few issues. “We’ve had a couple of miscommunications about what we wanted to order but we’ve had fantastic service for the Junior Ring Dance and Junior Ring Ceremony,” Cobb said. “If you wanted something very specific, it is also possible that Sodexo may not offer it on their menu.” Because Class Council has not used

Vandalism occurred at Eagle Landing between 12 p.m. Sunday, March 20 and 2:15 a.m. Monday, March 21. The case is pending.

Vandalism occurred at Eagle Landing between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday, March 21. The case is pending.

The information was compiled with assistance from UMW Police Manager James DeLoatch and Fredericksburg Police Department Public Information Officer Sarah Kirkpatrick.

be similar. Comparing boxed lunches, which typically include a sandwich, chips, fruit and a beverage, Sodexo sells boxed lunches for $6.50 per person. At Virginia Commonwealth University, a budget boxed lunch is $7.99 each and University of Virginia has a similar package between $6.79 and $8.79 per person. According to Hopkins, Sodexo can cater for student groups as often as they request it. “We meet personally with student group leaders, creating events that suit their individual needs,” Hopkins said. Hopkins also said that Sodexo keeps student budgets in mind and is open to adjusting prices. “Working within budgets for student groups is a priority for us,” Hopkins said. The university is currently answering the question of Sodexo’s policy on student groups catering on campus.

Lack of registration may impede world record attempt EMILY HOLLINGSWORTH News Editor

Vandalism

catering services outside of the university, Cobb was unsure if they would use other catering services in the Fredericksburg area. Sodexo offers shoestring catering, described as a “low-cost, no-frills” service available to the student government, residential students and registered student groups who want to provide food for “the enhancement of student social life on campus,” the brochure listing the menu reads. The shoestring catering is available to all student groups, according to catering director Marjorie Hopkins. The shoestring catering includes snacks and appetizers, meals for a minimum of 15 people, platters and desserts. The menu also includes birthday packages, which include a 10-inch cake, sparkling cider, a card, balloons, party bags and free delivery for $50. Compared to catering services from Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Virginia, the prices between the catering services appeared to

An event hoping to break the Guinness World Records for the most amount of people simultaneously jumping and high-fiving is weeks away, but it is hitting a slight snag as registration has not picked up since it opened on March 7. An attempt to break the record will take place on Wednesday, April 13 in the Anderson Center. The university’s goal is to get 3,000 registrations, or approximately 866 people and 433 pairs of people high-fiving. As of now, there have been about 100 pairs who have signed up, according to Erika Spivey, assistant director for University Relations. Students can register or get involved with the event by visiting www. umw.edu/highfivehurley. The event’s main goal, in addition to breaking the record, according to Spivey, is to honor President Hurley, who was also recently announced as this year’s commencement speaker during the Undergraduate

Commencement Ceremony. “Participation in the event is a great way to say ‘thank you’ to Hurley and show him how much we appreciate him,” Spivey said. “That’s why we’re hoping to fill the Ron Rosner Arena on April 13!” There will also be two days where students can sign up on Monday, April 4 and Monday, April 11 at the University Center Patio from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Anyone who registers can buy event t-shirts and practice high-fives with the event emcees, Cedric Rucker and Mikey Barnes. Registration is open to students, faculty and community members. The previous world record for the most people simultaneously jumping and high-fiving belonged to a group who had performed the record during a celebration of British Women Engineers last June. The group secured the record with 432 pairs, or 864 people. The Anderson Center Doors will open at 2 p.m. on April 13. Participants

are instructed to print out their registrations with the barcode and have a valid photo ID to enter. Students will need to pass through security scanners to enter the Ron Rosner Arena where they will be checked in, and where ultimately the attempt will take place. The official event will start with drawings and entertainment at 3 p.m. There will be a practice run before the official attempt. The event should only last a few minutes, according to Spivey. Then the judges will determine whether the university holds the record. For students who cannot attend the event, they are able to send virtual jumping high-fives, posting videos or photos on social media and tagging them with #HighFiveHurley and #RecordHighFive. The event will be recorded and streamed to Goolrick Gym, where an audience not participating in the attempt itself can watch. “It should be a memorable and exciting afternoon,” Spivey said.

Thursday, March 24, 2016

NEWS

Students respond after news Students Body of sexual assault becomes discuss positivity public importance of among issues social Redd awareness discussed for keynote • ASSAULT | 1

•SUMMIT | 1

and how to fight for it right now, we can be better equipped for the world.” Daksha Khatri, a sophomore English major, also attended and was inspired by the summit. “Sometimes we could do things that are wrong but people perceive it as norm,” Khatri said. “We do have this kind of issue on campus, if you don’t have knowledge and understanding, you can’t do anything about it.” The summit was organized by Justin Wilkes, interim director of the Student Transition Program, and James Bland, assistant director of the James Farmer Multicultural Center. Bland said that he and Wilkes want to bring opportunity to campus for student leaders or any student to come together to talk about and explore issues with social justice and understand how social justice and leadership go hand in hand. “To be a leader, students really need to be able to look at what social justice is,” Bland said. “Not only just on our campus, but also in the American society. Also the summit is for students to start to build collaboration with one another so then they can partner with one another afterward with different movements. We have members from Black Students Association, Jewish Students Association, etc. Their issues are not just their issues, but also our issues.”

Reeves emphasizes loyalty to UMW

•REEVES | 2

lieutenant governor. “My experience working for both the campaign and legislative session has been amazing,” Azzarelli said. “I’ve been given a lot of responsibility and learned so much about Virginia politics and state government. Senator Reeves runs an awesome internship program, so once I finished the program I wanted to stay on Team Reeves and help in any way I could.” Azzarelli said Reeves likes to be involved with the university and will most likely be back to speak again. Reeves has been among a few state officials who spoke with UMW students this semester. Governor Tim Kaine met with students nearly a month ago during a history class taught by Ranjit Singh, associate professor of political science and international affairs.

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Mort. “It’s terrible that this happens anywhere, but it’s easy to feel separated from it when it’s not impacting you.” Senior biology major, Alexa Allen, was equally surprised to learn how near her the abduction took place. “I was shocked to hear that this happened only two and a half blocks from my house,” Allen said. “Walking home alone at night is something that I try to avoid, however it’s a shame to think that we live in a place where it is unsafe to do so.” Another student and Fredericksburg resident, senior English major, Kaitlin Gates could not believe that this event took place in her community. “I was completely shocked to discover something like that happened especially since I grew up in Fredericksburg,” Gates said. “Obviously no place is perfectly safe, but I never imagined that something horrible like that would happen here.” Many students, like Gates, shared their concern for the victim and hopes that the victim is receiving the care that they need to live with what has happened to them. “I immediately hoped that whoever was attacked was in a safe place now and getting any help they needed,” Gates said. Mort shares Gates’ hope that the victim is safe. “I hope that the victim receives the help they need and that this incident is not taken lightly by other UMW students. It could have been any of us,” Mort said. Hearing of an incident like this can

change students’ feelings about safety on and near their campus. Many students feel as if they are still very safe on campus, even though this assault happened so nearby. “I still feel very safe on campus, but it was definitely a reminder that it is better to walk with a group.” Mort said. Other students state that the incident hasn’t changed their feelings about walking around campus at night especially since they always took precaution while walking alone or at night. “If I find myself in a situation where I would have to walk alone at night I would be sure to take extra precautions such as stay on the phone with a friend until I got where I was going, but even then there is no guarantee of safety,” Allen said. Gates shared a personal experience she had of being followed into a school parking lot by an unknown vehicle. “Having experienced a situation where I was followed by another car into the Sunken lot, the safety bubble I used to have has already popped and I’m always thinking about cars who have followed me and people walking on the sidewalks at night,” Gates said. “With the news of this incident, I feel like there’s even more reason to not be out alone at night and to possibly think twice about going out.” Despite their personal feelings of safety, students all seem to agree that being afraid to walk around campus alone is not something that should be happening. “No one should feel like some sort of prisoner,” Gates said.

CORRECTIONS for THE Week PLEASE REPORT ANY MISTAKES SEEN IN THE BLUE AND GRAY PRESS TO Chris Markham, blueandgray.eic@gmail.com or Sushma Subramanian, ssubrama@umw.edu

In the story “University examines expansion for Talley Center” for issue 17 freshman Yasmeen Alhinty’s attribution went uncredited in the following quote, “Mental illness is just as bad as physical damage… [and] people always focus on injuries that we can see while the ones that people feel are overlooked.”

In the story “Bioethics unveiled in entertaining lecture” for last week’s issue the byline was mislabeled as Brittnee Haynes, staff writer. It should read Emily Hollingsworth, News Editor.

•REDD | 2

to change and that sign was solidified when she saw the photoshopped results of her first magazine cover. It looked nothing like her, Women’s World white washed her and used excessive photoshop and the photograph on the projector screen behind Redd did not resemble the woman standing at the podium, according to Redd. Redd combated female stereotypes with humor but also acknowledged the devastating state of body issues throughout the world. Senior psychology major Micaela DeAsis felt that Redd was a good choice for UMW’s Women’s History Month. “She was a great pick for Women’s History Month,” DeAsis said. “I was impressed with her style and her life, she’s so young and a role model to young women, her confidence was inspiring.” While sandwich boards were scattered across campus advertising Nancy Redd as the Women’s History Month keynote speaker, there was not much else advertising the various events that accompany Women’s History Month at UMW. This was noted by junior sociology major Perri McSpadden, who identifies as a feminist. “UMW could have done more and advertised the events more. But then again, I’m never going to say ‘hey you know what, I’ve heard enough about women. I’m tired of hearing about women’s history,’” McSpadden said. Before Nancy Redd took the podium, Gladys Jordan was awarded the Monroe Medal, a prestigious honor. The UMW website states that this is just the fourth time the medal has been awarded at UMW. A statement released by the Board of Visitors states that they are honoring Gladys Jordan “in recognition of her perseverance to succeed in the face of discrimination and her lifelong commitment to education, social justice and equal opportunity.” Gladys Jordan is only the second woman to be awarded the Monroe Medal and she is the first woman of color to receive it. President Hurley, the President’s Cabinet and members of the Board of Visitors, including Dr. Teresa Crawley, were present at the ceremony. The ceremony and Redd’s presentation were the highlight of Women’s History Month at UMW. Both events showcased two women’s vast accomplishments and emphasized that while women’s rights have come a long way, there is more that could be done to progress the role of women in society.

SPORTS

Editor: Mikey Barnes | blueandgray.sports@gmail.com

UMW Crew teams erg for all-day fundraiser TESSA CATE Staff Writer

Olivia Taylor

On Friday, March 18, the University of Mary Washington’s crew team held their practice on Ball Circle rather than on the water. Multiple erg machines (a type of rowing simulator) were set up on Ball Circle from 8 a.m. to 8 a.m.. for the team’s “Ergathon” fundraiser in which rowers took 30 minute turns on the machines, hoping to receive donations in support of their hard work and give passersby a little insight into the strenuous world of rowing. “The money goes [towards] buying equipment for the team and goes to helping the team out with different expenses,” said sophomore crew team member Brian Lee. The crew team’s funding took a rough blow when they were stripped of their varsity status and reclassified as a club team in 2014. Since then, the team has been awarded team status, a step up from club. “Team status is basically varsity status but without funding,” said sophomore crew team member Kyle Moran. “The lack of funding causes us to pay out of

“THE SCHOOL DEMOTED US, AND WE DID IMPROVE...WE’VE HAD SOME OF THE BEST ERG SCORES THIS YEAR THAT WE’VE HAD, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, IN YEARS PAST” -Kyle Moran, Crew Team Member pocket for our own activities, so we have to be nitpicky now about what we do and what we train for.” In addition to funding, access to training specialists and practice spaces have been reduced, forcing the team to make the necessary adjustments and take matters into their own hands. “We had to go out and find a coach for

UMW softball off to slow start ALEXANDRIA RIKER Staff Writer

The University of Mary Washington women’s softball team for the 20152016 season has certainly been fighting through the early portion of its season that opened on Saturday, Feb. 27. As of March 17, with a current record of 11 losses and 5 wins , their March 20 games being rescheduled to Friday, March 25, the Eagles definitely have their work cut out for them for the rest of the season. After losing all but one of their six games in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the Eagles have been working hard to keep their momentum. With about a month left until the start of the CAC tournament, the Eagles will be continuing to play against competitive teams, with an opportunity to play against rival Christopher Newport University. Led by head coach Dee Conway and assistant coaches Meghan Smith, Sadie Stuart and Keith Tasaka, this season’s softball team is stacked with a variety of talented players. Conway, who has been coaching the Eagles since 1988, has led them to be CAC champions four times. There are certainly high expectations of the team from their leadership to keep working and pushing. Out of the 16 games the Eagles have played as of March 17, some of their team

Thursday, March 24, 2016

statistics include a batting average of .271, an on base percentage of .310, a slugging percentage of .349, three home runs and 57 total runs. Individual stat leaders on the team include sophomore Malia Rogers, who has the highest batting average at .476 and most runs batted in at 8. Junior pitcher Erin Stinson, who has an earned run average of 2.50 and three wins. Sophomore Courtney Merson has the highest number of strikeouts and saves at 26 and one respectively. Senior Stefannie Asselanis has the highest number of stolen bases at seven. Sophomore Hannah Hautz, who has the highest number of home runs at two. The team has had a great amount of promotional days in their spring 2016 schedule including a Family and Friends Day, Win for Wesley Day, a military appreciation day, a Special olympics clinic, and two “Rise Up” decal days.

ourselves – the school doesn’t hire them,” said junior crew team member Theo Doughty. “We don’t get access to trainers [either]. I think we get access to someone who comes in on Friday mornings at [6 a.m.]… And even then, we have practice at that time… So if you get hurt, you’re kind of in trouble.” The loss of funding and support hit the crew team hard in terms of morale and their relationship with the school. “Being demoted makes it seems like the school doesn’t really care about us. We all really love what we do and it’s really discouraging when we’re being put down,” Doughty said. “I think collectively all of us were pretty upset. For me at least, the fact that rowing was a varsity sport was one of the reasons why I came here.” Though the team no longer holds the varsity title and status they once had, their work ethic and drive are unwavering. “The actual year they demoted us to club status, we had one of the most successful seasons among any sport at Mary Washington and actually took the title for best club that year,” Moran said. “The school

demoted us, and we did improve and [are] improving… We’ve had some of the best erg scores this year that we’ve had, to my knowledge, in years past.” In order for the team to maintain this standard of success, they desperately need funds. Throughout the year, they hold multiple fundraisers including Rent-A-Rower and the Ergathon, relying on the UMW community to aid them in funding their sport. A crew team’s expenses can add up very quickly and can include uniforms, transportation, equipment and maintenance. The sport is not known as a major spectator sport and does not bring in as much money as it shells out. “I think that’s what is the determining factor for the school demoting us,” Doughty said when asked why he believes the team lost its varsity status. “I don’t really know the full story, so I can’t say exactly why, but that’s how it feels and that’s how I think almost anyone on the team would feel.”

CATCH UP. Get Ahead. Take Something New. Did you know if you earn a grade of C- or lower in a class, and you repeat the same course in the summer, the summer grade replaces the earlier grade? And if you had to drop some classes, the summer credits can help you get back on schedule to graduate.

Summer registration for undergraduate classes starts March 7. Classes start May 16.