The Blue & Gray Press

Page 1

THE

BLUE &GRAY

PRESS

March 28, 2019

VOLUME 92 | ISSUE 20

1922 Renovated Heslep Amphitheatre difficult to access for people with mobility impairment

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON STUDENT NEWSPAPER

SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE

GINNY BIXBY Associate Editor

The wheelchair accessible entrance to the Heslep Amphitheatre, a $3 million renovation project, is not visible from campus walk. Accessing it requires either parking in one of two handicap parking spots directly next to the amphitheatre or hiking up a steep incline located off of Sunken Road, starting behind Lee Hall. The campus walk entrances are staircases. According to the ADA National Network, the Americans with Disabilities Act, which became The amphitheatre is only wheelchair accessible from a steep hill off of Sunken Road. law in 1990, “All the programs of postsecondary institutions, including an access point to the amphitheatre financial or administrative burden.” extracurricular activities, must be from campus walk that would be ready “It is ADA compliant, but it’s not accessible to students with disabilities.” by the start of the fall 2019 semester. convenient,” said Sabrina Johnson, This includes providing architectural But until then, “what will be UMW’s vice access to necessary is for the University to president for buildings and provide assistance to folks from “It is ADA compliant, but it’s equity and residential campus walk to get to the accessible access, of the facilities. not convenient.” entrance,” said Johnson. She said amphitheatre. However, these possible methods of doing this include Johnson said accommodations using the campus golf carts to transport she has been are not -Sabrina Johnson people from campus walk to the engaged in mandatory entrance. conversations about making it more if they “would fundamentally alter “Until we get it the way we really accessible for people with mobility the nature of the service, program want it, to provide the experience access issues. or activity or give rise to an undue for everyone to be convenient and Johnson said there is a plan to build

Emily Sanborn / The Blue & Gray Press

comfortable and inclusive, we’ll be taking those kinds of measures as needed,” said Johnson. Susan Worrell, special assistant to the president for special events, said that there have not been any school events in the amphitheatre since it was renovated, although a Roman drama class has booked it for a play they are holding on April 26. “There are three events on the books for this fall because we know that after August it’s going to be totally accessible,”

•Amphitheatre | 11

Door orientation and locks in some buildings cause safety concerns Sean MOOre Staff Writer

In an active shooter situation, often the only thing that professors and students can do to make themselves safer is lock and barricade their classroom door. However, because many classrooms on campus lock from the outside and open toward the outside, these safety precautions are made markedly less effective and are in some cases outright

Some professors have expressed concern that the doors in Combs do not lock from the inside. Lauren Closs / The Blue & Gray Press

IN THIS

ISSUE

impossible to put in place. Dr. Mara Scanlon, professor of English who teaches in Combs Hall, first became aware of these issues in 2015, after she and other faculty members were asked to view a workplace safety video about what to do in the event of an active shooter. “I decided I would look at it, and when I did I realized that almost all of the recommendations given for safety were not possible in my classrooms,” Scanlon said. “There would be almost no way for me to safely secure that room for the number of people that were in it.” She then emailed her concerns to administration, who said that they would look into them and are always working hard on all safety issues. In 2018, shortly after the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida that left seventeen students and staff members dead, Scanlon felt that her concerns had not been properly addressed and again emailed various administrators, including police chief Michael Hall, and says she was given a similar response. Hall, who is also the Assistant Vice President of Public Safety, said that he and other administrators have been aware of these issues and after meeting

VAPE NATION JUUL e-cigarettes rise in popularity at UMW. LIFE | 7

even a few minutes late would have to extensively last year decided that all be admitted one on one, and there is a future buildings on campus would lot of problems with that too,” she said. feature doors that are able to lock from Austin Story, a junior computer the inside, as well as other measures science major who said that he spends such as scanners and key cards that are a lot of time in classrooms that have designed to make buildings safer. these issues, also shares this concern. As for the retrofitting the older “I do not think that the doors should academic buildings with new locks, have to be locked at all times,” he said. which according to Hall would cost “It is disruptive. Professors should be in excess of $200,000, he and other able to lock the doors from the inside.” administrators decided that the safety budget would be better spent on Hall said that he appreciates and understands this other measures, including more “There would be almost no argument, and that class flow is blue lights and way for me to safely secure also a factor when community that room for the number of evaluating the outreach and tough decisions education people that were in it.” that those in programs. charge of safety Professors do -Dr. Mara Scanlon must make. have the option Another of locking their classroom doors as soon as class starts, potential solution is the various an option that Hall says is preferable products on the market that fit over to spending the amount of money that or under doors and are specifically installing new locks would require. designed to secure classrooms in the “It is a misconception that [the event of an active shooter. classrooms] are not secure,” Hall said. “A number of schools have things “Safety is the first and foremost of our affixed to the hinges and other places priorities, but when it comes to this that prevent the door from being issue we have to ask ourselves if we opened. Some of my friends work at are looking for safety or convenience.” schools that have those,” Scanlon said. For Scanlon, this solution is not Hall does not think that such ideal. “Any student that comes late, devices •CLASSROOM SAFETY | 10

CAMPAIGN GLANCE Lesser known candidates bring change. VIEWPOINTS |

OFFENSIVE PLAYER

Allison Davis wins CAC offensive player of the week.

SPORTS | 12


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