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The University of Mary Washington Student Newspaper

BLUE & GRAY PRESS VOLUME 94 | ISSUE 9

Serving the community since 1922

APRIL 8, 2021

New SGA officers elected for 2021-2022 year

Virginia richardson Staff Writer

Introducing New 2021-2022 SGA Board’s Goals for the Coming School Year On March 26, results for the Student Government Association (SGA) elections that took place earlier last month were announced. Seven students have been elected to fulfill 11 individual roles within the association.

“Before all else, my responsiveness to the student body is one of my greatest priorities.” -Brianna Reaves Some of the new SGA members shared their motivations for joining and how they aim to improve the campus community. Junior sociology major Brianna “Breezy” Reaves was elected as the 2021-2022 SGA president. “I ran for SGA President because much of my work at the University of Mary Washington has been presidential by nature in regards to serving students, being a resource for numerous departments, recruiting students to the university, maintaining meaningful relationships with all students

across numerous disciplines, and amplifying the voices of marginalized students on campus, while also being in consistent communication with UMW administration and any efforts to make our university’s culture more reflective of our ASPIRE values.” Junior political science major Joey Zeldin was elected as the 2021-2022 SGA community relations committee chair and 2023 SGA senator. His goal is “to try to find ways for the community of Fredericksburg to become an integral part of campus life again, as it has been hard during the pandemic for everyone to find a sense of community with virtual learning, distancing, and trying to manage a balance between safety and socialization.” He hopes to encourage students to support the local businesses downtown as they recover from consequences of the pandemic. “I hope that with vaccinations, a downtick in COVID-19, and, of course, Eagle Pride, we can foster a healthy and happy relationship with the neighboring communities we are so gracious to be a part of,” Zeldin said. Junior economics major Denise Naughton was elected as the 2021-2022 SGA ethics and oversight chair and 2023 SGA senator. “I want to have a positive

impact on the campus community and advocate for the student body’s needs the best I can,” Naughton said. Reaves pointed to a few important issues to be brought up in the new school year. “How can we stay on top of a low report of COVID cases and continue to create a culture of prioritizing the health and wellness of UMW?” she said. “What progress are we making in prioritizing the voices of marginalized students who feel unsafe and unheard at UMW, despite our ASPIRE initiatives and campus reports? What impact do we have and can we begin to create in the greater Fredericksburg community to leave a positive mark on the

“I hope that with vaccinations, a downtick in COVID-19, and, of course, Eagle Pride, we can foster a healthy and happy relationship with the neighboring communities.” -Joey Zeldin community that makes our campus so vibrant?” With pandemic guidelines beginning to change, Zeldin hopes to encourage and facilitate

discussions on how students should continue to interact with the university and its policies. “Our mission still stands to be the voice of the students,” he said. “This is especially critical for the upcoming fall 2021 semester, as it will be a time of transition, change and general unknown as we embrace the challenges of a post-pandemic world.” Naughton said she hopes to improve communication with the student body. “I’m a big advocate for getting direct feedback from the student body through surveys and other means to ensure that we are meeting their needs and standards,” she said. “I hope to achieve passing measures that will make the student body more comfortable and hope to improve communication between students and faculty.” The SGA board aims to represent the voices of the student body and act on issues felt by those in the UMW community. “Before all else, my responsiveness to the student body is one of my greatest priorities,” said Reaves. “Without knowing the concerns, wants, needs, values, and creative ideas of UMW’s student population I believe there is very little impact that I could have on the UMW community.”

Newly-elected SGA President Brianna Reaves. Photo courtesy of Brianna Reaves

Newly-elected SGA community relations committee chair and class of 2023 SGA senator Joey Zeldin. Photo courtesy of Joey Zeldin

SGA ethics and oversight chair and class of 2023 senator Denise Naughton. Photo courtesy of Denise Naughton

CAP report recommends hiring mental health clinician, establishing council for Campus Police complaints

Madison Turner Staff Writer

On Monday, March 30, 2021, the Community Advisory Panel (CAP) completed its final report and recommendations regarding the UMW Campus Police and their involvement in the May 31 Black Lives Matter Protest in Fredericksburg. CAP concluded that, although the campus police followed policies at the time, the policies should be reviewed to determine whether their actions were in line with UMW’s ASPIRE values. The report also concluded that UMW needs mental health clinicians as first responders to mental health crises rather than armed UMW PD officers. Finally, the report recommended creating a Campus Policing Advisory Council of students, staff and UMW PD officers to facilitate further conversation between the UMW community and the police. The report they produced is split into two parts, both covering CAP’s recommendations for UMW. The first provides a factual review of the Campus Police’s involvement in the May 31 protest and a catalog of the mutual aid agreements that were in place during the protest. The second addresses whether UMW PD’s policies align with UMW’s values. Mental health crisis response Restructuring mental health crisis response was a recurring topic of discussion in student listening groups. These groups were created to hear the thoughts of members of the campus community. Dr. Tevya Zukor, director of the Talley Center, agreed that “providing a

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mental health clinician as the primary responder to a mental health crisis is the preferable response protocol.” Currently, armed UMW PD officers are typically the first responders to a mental health crisis, especially late at night. According to the report, when responding to a mental health crisis, “Campus Police present themselves in full uniform, carrying a lethal weapon, which may elevate the anxiety and fear of a student already in crisis…. When Campus Police provide hospital transport, a student in crisis is placed in handcuffs and transported in a marked vehicle, adding to the stigma associated with mental health challenges.” According to the report, some of the reforms for restructuring this system include 24/7 availability of clinical staff for student support and transporting persons in unmarked cars without handcuffs to reduce the stigma associated with mental health challenges. “I agree 100 percent with the report that there is reason for us to continue to think about how to best ensure mental health coverage and services for students 24 hours a day,” said Zukor. “Being transported in an unmarked car certainly feels far less stigmatizing and far less traumatic for a student that is already in the midst of a difficult situation, or they would not be needing to be transported to the hospital.” Senior communication and digital studies major Alexandra Johnson shared her personal experience with the police responding to assist her. “Personally, I have had to have a police officer come to assist me, and in my situation, it wasn’t needed,” she

said. “I felt belittled in the moment, and like I was not being listened to. However, I have seen situations where police officers needed to be involved, because something detrimental could have happened had they not arrived. Again, everyone’s situation is different, mental health is not a black or white issue.” Zukor clarified that, although there is not currently 24/7 availability of clinical staff, “I would not want it to be misconstrued that students are not able to get mental health assistance. Sometimes it does involve the police, but the police are primarily involved in crisis work after hours, primarily when there is such concern that the student must be transported. I am not aware of any time students have not been able to get a mental health assessment, even in the middle of the night.” Protest response Last year, University President Troy Paino appointed CAP to investigate the UMW Police Department’s involvement in the May 31 Fredericksburg Black Lives Matter protest. Due to a mutual aid agreement between UMW PD and the Fredericksburg Police Department, UMW police officers were called to help Fredericksburg PD control the protest, where protesters were teargassed—many of which were from the UMW community. According to the report, during an interview with CAP, Chief of Police Michael Hall and Lt. Bill Gill confirmed the information included in the incident reports. The incident reports reveal that “The UMW Officers did not use tear gas or engage in any •CAP REPORT | 2 use of force… Fredericksburg

SCENE SETTING

UC Accessibility

The best books and the places to read them.

Out loud ordering at UC is inaccessible.

LIFE | 5

VIEWPOINTS | 3

INJURED ATHLETES Athletes grapple with missing another season. SPORTS | 8

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 Kate Seltzer

Associate Editors Abigail Buchholz Cosima Pellis

SECTION EDITORS NEWS Jess Kirby Josephine Johnson

VIEWPOINTS Abigail Weber

LIFE Erin Matuczinski

SPORTS Victoria Percherke

ONLINE Samantha Price Bernadette D’Auria

PHOTO Bryanna Lansing

FACULTY ADVISOR Sushma Subramanian

Editors: Jess Kirby & Josephine Johnson | blueandgray.news@gmail.com

Lack of communication from Residence Life causes chaos during housing selection

During the week of March 22, some students returning for the 2021-2022 academic year did not receive the time slots they were promised for housing registration. UMW Residence Life and Housing emailed all oncampus students on Thursday, March 11 informing them of when to expect time slots to be sent to them via email.

“If you don’t get into a class you can negotiate with a professor. This is different. This is for a roof over your head, it is more important to me.” -Abigail Slaughter Per the email, select groups could begin selecting housing accommodations starting March 16 and ending on March 29. Those registering in groups were set to register from March 22 to March 29, but as the day drew near, many were left wondering when it was their turn to register. “I was told I was going to

be given a time slot through email; we never got the email,” said Abigail Slaughter, a junior Spanish major. Slaughter and a group of two of her friends were waiting for more information to be able to select housing during the “Same Building Sign-Up Selection” time frame, which was supposed to occur on March 25. “I woke up on Thursday, the day of registration, and I had received nothing...I called Residence Life twice and they said to wait for the email, I never got it so I emailed them twice,” said Slaughter. Slaughter described how the uncertainty surrounding her registration for housing was more stressful than registering for classes. “Classes are different, if you don’t get into a class you can negotiate with a professor. This is different. This is for a roof over your head, it is more important to me,” said Slaughter. The only way for her to resolve her situation was to go to the Residence Life office. “I walked over to Residence Life, we are in the middle of a pandemic and I really do not want to deal with this. The

person who was working there was super nice, and she said I would be receiving an email soon. I got the email and we were given a time slot for 3 o’clock that day,” explained Slaughter. For Slaughter, the problems weren’t over yet. “Right at 3 o’clock the housing portal crashed, so I could not sign in. I was on the phone with IT and they just moved me to the next day. We were able to sign up the next day, which was Friday,” said Slaughter. After a couple of days of uncertainty, Slaughter and her roommate group were able to sign up and complete their housing registration. Residence Life closed registration for all students on Thursday, March 25 and that prevented other students from filling up the slots. Slaughter made a point to specify that even with the rough situation that presented itself during the sign-up, everyone at Residence Life was very helpful and kind. Her disappointment mainly surrounded the fact that there was a lack of communication and distribution of information. That sentiment was shared

by another student as well. “They took a while to respond back to emails...I didn’t receive an update on my housing until I emailed them about it three times,” said Marcy Juarez, a junior political science major. When asked how Residence Life could prevent future situations like these, Slaughter expressed the confusion that is felt by many surrounding the housing portal. “Even to this day; I am a junior and I have gone through this a couple of times, it is not helpful. The website is not userfriendly,” explained Slaughter. Slaughter suggested an overhaul of the portal to make it easier for students to access all the information they need for housing and the applications. Juarez suggested quicker response times. “I wish they could answer emails quicker and not take longer than two days in responding,” said Juarez. The Office of Residence Life did not respond to a request for comment by publication.

UMW PD to serve on police review council

•cap report | 1

provide security for the FPD headquarters building.” The panel also concluded that “CAP did not receive any information that contradicted the Incident Reports or Hall’s account of Campus Police involvement in the May 31 Protest.” In an interview about the report, Hall stated, “They called for help and we responded. We were not engaged with any of the tear-gassing and the city has reached out and they’re doing a review of what they did.” Hall expressed his hopes that the community does not judge based on their actions from the night of the protest. “We are one of the most diverse departments on campus and we have become an accredited agency,” he said. “These are huge accomplishments, and I don’t want the community to judge one incident. The way we work with residential life and the community I don’t want to be lost in all of this because of what happened on May 31.” The UMW Campus Police’s involvement in the protest disappointed many students and members of the University, leading them to question the Campus Police’s commitment to keeping the community safe and aligned with ASPIRE values. More students have stepped up to share their thoughts about the Campus

Police’s involvement in the protest. “I feel like they were just doing what they felt was needed, or what they were being told to do,” said Johnson. “I feel as if with a slight review and more transparency in what their role was in the protests, they would be consistent with ASPIRE values. They need to make sure every community member feels heard, regarded and safe with every interaction.” Another communication and digital studies major, senior Arthur Romps, said, “UMW Police have only ever been helpful to me on campus, several times they have used the golf carts to help me carry my tuba from one side of campus to the other, which was also one of my first impressions of the campus as a whole. Knowing they didn’t support the protests is disheartening, but I can’t hate them for it.” “I think after reading the Final Report and Recommendations provided by the University, it seems as if UMW is taking care and addressing A LOT of concerns, and UMW as a whole is trying to make sure that everyone’s voice is heard to fix these issues,” said Johnson. Moving forward The report also recommended the creation of a Campus Policing Advisory Council where students, staff and UMW PD representatives will “be a bridge between the Campus Community and the Campus Police,” according to the

report. This panel would implement CAP’s recommendations, “conduct community forums on policing topics affecting campus,” serve as an “independent panel to review complaints involving Campus Police” and “restructure the complaint reporting, review and investigation process.” The full final report is available on the CAP webpage for the campus community to read and review the recommendations. Also available on the web page is a comment form where

“The way we work with residential life and the community I don’t want to be lost in all of this because of what happened on May 31.” -UMW PD Chief Michael Hall community members can comment to share their input, perspectives and feedback. This feedback will then be shared with Paino. In a message to campus, Paino said, “This feedback will be helpful as the institution considers the report’s recommendations. My intention is to respond to this comprehensive input in early May.”

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

Thursday, April 8, 2021

VIEWPOINTS

Editor: Abigail Weber | blueandgray.views@gmail.com

UC needs to be more accessible for nonverbal students PRIYA PATEL Staff Writer

Ever since the fall 2020 semester, the dining hall has had to make changes in order to follow social distancing guidelines. Although these changes were necessary to keep everyone safe, they have introduced a new problem that many people might not have even noticed. Before these changes, there were certain stations at the dining hall where food was put out on plates as it was made, and students could pick up what they wanted without speaking a word to anyone. Now, in order to limit contact between the server and the customers, food can no longer be put out like this. This means that no matter which station a student gets their food from, it is necessary to tell the person serving at that station what they want to eat. This presents a problem for anyone who has trouble speaking in general, or just trouble ordering food specifically. There are many reasons why someone might have trouble speaking. There are people who are nonverbal, semi-verbal, unconfident in their English or

The top of the UC’s adjustments to the pandemic make it harder for nonverbal or anxious students to get food. UMW Website

have social anxiety. However, the reason why shouldn’t matter. Eating on campus should not have to be a stressful situation for anyone. It might not be possible to completely eliminate stress related to picking up food, but it is definitely possible to do more for these people. One option would be to have a way for customers to write down what they want. There could be small pieces of paper either at the entrance to the dining hall or at Eating on campus should not have to be a stressful situation for anyone. It might not be possible to completely eliminate stress related to picking up food, but it is definitely possible to do more for these people. each station for this purpose. After writing, the paper could be turned and shown to the server through the plexiglass dividers. Another option, which is also probably the better option, would be to put some sort of signage on the plexiglass dividers that indicate the different foods being served at that station. With this in place, instead of saying their order aloud, one could simply point at the signs and indicate each thing they want. Although the first option is better than nothing, this second option would be better for a couple reasons. It is less wasteful because there wouldn’t need to be so much paper and it also saves the time it takes to write out an order. These are just a few examples of ways the dining hall could be made more accessible and it would not only benefit the previously mentioned groups of people with difficulties ordering food, but it could also be helpful when the dining hall is loud and it is difficult for the server to hear the customers. With the current situation, depending on the severity of the reason someone has trouble ordering

Corporate “greenwashing” is unethical RACHEL BENOUDIZ Staff Writer

Companies attract customers to purchase “eco-friendly” options when the items are not as environmentally friendly as they seem. It’s called “greenwashing.” Greenwashing is when a company or organization lies to their consumers about environmental practices to seem more environmentally friendly. This is a common marketing tactic. Greenwashing allows companies to take advantage of people at the expense of the environment. It is morally and ethically wrong for companies to greenwash. Shop locally if you can, aim to look for fair trade stores, and if you are at a big store do your research on the company.” -Allison Grant Greenwashing should not exist, but since it does consumers should be educated on greenwashing. “Environmentalist Jay Westerveld coined the term “greenwashing” in 1986 in a critical essay,” said Business News Daily. There has been an increase in greenwashing in more recent years. The New York Times reports that a study done by Terra Choice shows “95 percent of the products marketed as eco-friendly had committed at least one of what it called the ‘seven sins’ of greenwashing.” The seven sins range from intentionally using weak data to creating fake certifications. Greenwashing harms consumers who are trying to be environmentally conscious with their purchases. This form of marketing is easy to fall for and not the fault of the consumer. Consumers should be able to purchase goods that are marketed as eco-friendly without having to inspect the legitimacy. Greenwashing is so common because over half of consumers are willing to spend more if the company is environmentally friendly. Companies take advantage of people’s desire to help the planet. This harmful marketing tactic has no benefits, and should be stopped. It is important to understand greenwashing so people can become better consumers and support businesses that actually help the environment. This marketing

Thursday, April 8, 2021

ploy plays into consumers’ want to be environmentally conscious and manipulates them. In recent years greenwashing has been used by many companies. In 2017, Walmart paid $1 million to settle a greenwashing claim that their plastics were environmentally friendly, according to Business News Daily. The Consumerist reports Kauai Coffee marketed their single-use coffee pods as “100% compostable” when the pods could only be composted in industrial facilities and not backyard composts. Greenwashing has to be understood to avoid purchasing greenwashing goods. To avoid falling for greenwashing, consumers should become educated to create a space for actually environmentally friendly products. Greenwashing has negatively impacted the steps taken to be more eco-friendly and should be eliminated from marketing. “Shop locally if you can, aim to look for fair trade stores, and if you are at a big store do your research on the company,” said senior environmental science major Allison Grant. Before buying an item that markets itself to be environmentally friendly, research the brand. Researching the product and company ensures that the company’s eco policies are actually beneficial and true. Looking at the ingredients list and checking Consumers should be able to purchase goods that are marketed as eco-friendly without having to inspect the legitimacy... Over half of consumers are willing to spend more if the company is environmentally friendly. Companies take advantage of people’s desire to help the planet. for authentic certifications is another way to prevent greenwashing. If possible, shopping at fair trade markets is also a way to prevent greenwashing. It is important to understand that greenwashing should not exist but is not the fault of the consumer but its effect can be minimized by educated consumers. Greenwashing is a marketing ploy that many people fall for. Consumers that want to participate in environmentally friendly consumption should be able to do so without second-guessing if the product is truly eco-friendly. Greenwashing is morally and ethically wrong and should not exist.

The UC used to offer food pickup, but COVID-19 restrictions mean students need to order out loud. Medina Catering on Unsplash

food, they might prefer to skip meals instead of going through that process every day. The retail dining locations have always required ordering aloud and the dining hall used to be the only option for some people to get food without speaking. Now that the dining hall no longer makes it possible to eat without speaking, meals have become an unnecessarily stressful part of campus life during an already overly stressful time to be a college student. The nature of this problem makes it difficult to be aware of. Afterall, someone with difficulty ordering food is also unlikely to speak out about a problem they are having. In order for something to be done about this problem, people need to first become more aware that a problem exists. The university needs to realize the importance of making campus dining accessible to anyone who for any reason has trouble ordering food aloud. If more people were aware of this problem, solving it would be easy and unlikely to be controversial. t

Staff Ed: UMW needs vaccine shuttle program With the state of Virginia moving to phase 2 on April 18, all students will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination. The Mary Washington Hospital will be sending out emails to schedule appointments. However, some students are running into the issue of having no transportation for their appointments. Since UMW is willing to help out its students with rides to voting polls, there should also be a designated transportation system to the Mary Washington Hospital located right behind Eagle Landing. This will incentivize students to get the vaccine, especially those who do not have cars or transportation already available to them. If students are available to pitch in for rides to those without transportation, those students should be awarded volunteer hours. The Mary Washington Hospital is currently using a drive-up system where patients must wait in a line of cars for an initial registration. . After checking in from their car, the patient is required to park and await a text message that notifies when to enter into the hospital. Students without transportation might face paying for Lyfts or Ubers, just to find out that the drive-thru system won’t work out in their Uber or Lyft’s favor. A regular fee of a Lyft or Uber would range from $9 to $14 depending on the distance from a student’s location. This might cause a student to pay even more money than desired. The vaccination shouldn’t require any student money or this much of an inconvenience. Another issue that might be in the way of scheduling an appointment is walking alone to the hospital. If possible, a walk-party should be established so that a student won’t feel uncomfortable walking to their appointment alone. The editorial staff encourages students to plan for these vaccination appointments by asking a friend for a ride, or establishing a walking-partner to and from the hospital. Students with vehicles on campus who could safely provide rides should consider doing so. People are considered to be “fully-vaccinated” two weeks after their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or the single dose of the Johnson&Johnson vaccine.

LIFE

Editor: Erin Matuczinski blueandgray.life@gmail.com

Personal Essay: The harsh reality of teaching during a pandemic KAITLYN HUNDLEY Staff Writer

Being a teacher during a pandemic has been one of the most challenging things I have been through, to say the least. This year has been so different for myself, other teachers and students. As a teacher, we are experiencing many emotions in a single day. I am a second year teacher in a Pre-K classroom. However, I have worked in this school as a substitute and a coach over the past four years. My school has been in-person since the beginning of September. During that time, teachers were just trying to survive, hoping to make it to Christmas break while still being in-person. We went into the year excited to be a school that is having in-person class. Little did we know this would be the hardest year of all. Many things have changed since we were in class last spring. Masks are a big change, of course. But have you ever had to keep twelve 3-year-olds in a mask all day? It is not an easy task. We are having to remind students each minute of the day to pull up their mask, “put on your mask,” and “no, you cannot take your mask off.” It may not seem like a hard job, but it is sad. You can no longer see the smile of students or how they are feeling, emotions are hidden. Before, I loved seeing students smile, and now I am just frustrated that they are hidden behind a mask. This year, custodial staff cannot ensure classrooms are clean on their own. Teachers are having to do extra steps to make sure they are keeping their students healthy.

Students must remain socially distant in the classroom, making activities and socilization difficult. Authentic Images

After every play time? Spray it all down. After recess? Wipe all the equipment. Every time they touch a pencil? Wipe it. This is emotionally draining. Teachers are having to stop what they are doing and spend a lot of time having to clean. However, the school is providing what we need until we run out. If

we happen to run out of cleaning supplies, then teachers have to go and buy the products ourselves. As you can imagine, these cleaning products can be costly. Children are not getting the education they need when teachers are having to spend most of their day cleaning. We are also having to keep

students six feet apart. Being a young child, it is developmentally important for children to have interaction with other children. Students are having trouble trying to stay so far apart because all they want to do is play with one another. Teachers are also having to accommodate for this in their plans by determining where to have the children placed. It is all an extra step for teachers. In the past students were put in groups of four in a play area while the teacher is working with a student. Since the arrival of the pandemic, students are not able to be in groups. Each student has to have his or her own toy in a certain section of the room to avoid close contact. Another accommodation that we now have in place involves outside time. In the past years, students were able to play outside with other classes. Now, each class has a certain time they are allowed to go outside. This also limits interaction for the students. When I went into this profession, I was not taught how to teach during a pandemic. No amount of schooling will ever prepare you to be a teacher. It has been a learning process for me and for other teachers. However, I am glad that I am able to be in a classroom and not behind a camera, because at least I do get some interaction with students. Teachers and students are tired emotionally, physically, and emotionally. Teaching during a pandemic is not for the weak.

Teachers with younger students experience difficulties enforcing mask policies. August de Richelieu/Unsplash

Take your “Meatless Mondays” to the next level! Staff picks for vegetarian and vegan meat alternatives.

Impossible Foods

Daring

Meatless Ground Beef

Cajun Pieces

Impossible Burger

LightLife

Beyond Meat

Original Tempeh

Beyond Beef

Plant-Based Meatballs

Beyond Burger

Boca

Beyond Breakfast Sausage

Spicy Chik’n Veggie Patties

MorningStar Farms

All American Veggie Burgers

Incogmeato Chik’n Nuggets

Gardein

Parmesan Garlic Wings

Mandarin Orange Crispy Chik’n

Original Sausage Patties

Skillet Meals Chik’n Florentino

Veggie Bacon Strips

Seven Grain Crispy Tenders

Thursday, April 8, 2021

LIFE

Photo Essay: Books in their best reading environments MATTHEW SIMMONS Staff Photographer

There have been many times where I have started a book and never finished it due to the fact that it was completely different than what I was expecting. I have found that even if it is the most popular book of the year, I won’t enjoy it if I am in the wrong headspace or environment to read it in. There is a time and place for everything, and books are not excluded from this idea. For this reason, I have compiled a handful of book recommendations that are paired with a photo of the book in the best space to read them in. If I had to choose a book that everyone must read before they die, Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari would be an easy pick. Sapiens creates a timeline of how human life has changed throughout history, as well as where we are heading. Harari’s patience and attention to detail have created a history book that is just as interesting as it is digestible. It covers topics discussing imagined reality, why the agricultural revolution might have been the biggest scam in history, and what sets us apart from every other species on earth. There is a lot of information across its 400 plus pages, which makes reading it in small doses ideal. Throw this in your to-go bag and read it while in between metro stops, standing in line or waiting for your next class to start. South Of The Border West Of The Sun by Haruki Murakami is one of those beautifully written books that compels you to read outside where your thoughts, feelings and ideas are free to roam around as they please. This novel takes the reader on a journey through the life of a man living in Japan. It follows the decisions he makes and lets both the narrator and reader process feelings of emotional dependency, intuition, and love. Find yourself in a spot under a tree on a warm day, and let the vivid imagery of Murakami handle the rest.

When that inevitable rainy weather, in-bed-allmorning day comes, A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara would make a great companion. This title has quickly given itself the reputation of being one of the saddest fiction novels in recent years. It documents the lives of four best friends living and chasing their dreams in New York City. Yanagihara does not shy away from the harsh realities of life, and how friendship, sexuality, and success impacts each character in a different way. This upsetting, yet addicting book is best read under a blanket, on a gloomy day, where it is okay to be continuously upset over the span of a single book. The Lightkeepers written by Abby Geni is a suspenseful slow burner that puts every person and event from the plot into question. Miranda, a nature photographer, travels to a mysterious island where death, rats, and strange events are regularly encountered. Geni has written her novel in a way that transports the reader to this dark archipelago where nature is the one in control. Reading this in the forest or alongside a river will give the audience a quiet space for the reader to take note of the small details and provide an environment that can aid in its visualization.

The closing title featured on this list is the Russian fantasy novel Vita Nostra, written by Marina and Sergey Dyachenko. The plot follows a student named Sasha who is forced to attend a special technologies university. Things quickly begin to change as she grapples to keep up with this new environment, while also coming to realize her full potential and abilities. Vita Nostra has a fresh take on the world of magic that is different from anything we’ve seen in literature before. Its dark and mysterious scenes in the streets of a small town in Russia make it perfect for reading in a dimly lit room before heading to bed.

Thursday, April 8, 2021

NEWS

Sociology class hosts forum on students’ safety concerns using CAP data

jack brewster staff Writer

The special topics sociology class, Invention of Police: Social Control, held its first virtual public forum on Thursday, April 1. This forum was the first in a series of public forums regarding campus safety. Thursday’s session was focused on analyzing students’ responses to the Community Advisory Panel (CAP) survey to show how students feel about safety on and around campus. The presenters found that intersectionality, or the overlapping of oppression and privilege based on one’s identity, helped to explain how safe or unsafe students felt. Brianna “Breezy” Reaves, a junior sociology major and one of the student speakers, explained the class’s goal for the student forum. “The end goal of our webinar is to make students aware of the data that comes from student experiences at UMW as a means to begin unpacking their definition of safety,” she said.

“Access control and cameras have been improved on. The students don’t realize that a lot of the things they push for are already happening.” -UMW PD Chief Michael Hall CAP conducted this survey in the fall 2020 semester from September 28 through October 7. They sent the survey to 4,294 students through email and received 1,457 responses back. The presentation opened with a question for the audience: “What comes to mind when you encounter the word safety?” Several respondents said it meant being free from fear, being able to walk home alone at night, the ability to live without the threat of violence and not being discriminated against. When going over the data, the class presented that 89 percent of all male students and 79 percent of all female students agree that UMW is safe. When this was expanded to all students at UMW, it was increased to 93 percent. But when they separated the responses by sexuality identity/ orientation, race and gender, they found discrepancies in students’ feelings of safety, which they explained through intersectionality.

Thursday, April 8, 2021

They looked at sexuality identity/ orientation first and found that 40 percent of queer students and 56 percent of pansexual students do not feel safe at night on campus, while 52 percent of lesbian students do not feel safe on campus in general. All students who took this survey self-identified their sexual orientation. “When looking at the larger numbers, A flyer in Arrington Hall advertises the special topics sociology class’ three police forums. it seems like department], discrimination, responded to this by saying safety on lack of professionalism, “100% agree to talk and meet” campus is good, but when the in the chat. categories are broken down, the defunding and criticism. The presenters then asked In an interview, Hall added, results are very different,” said what UMWcan do to make “Always willing to [meet], the Reaves. campus safer for students well-being of the community is Similar discrepancies were as a whole. An anonymous always a priority of the UMW found by examining racial attendee wrote in the chat, “We PD. We need to change the groups. In regards to race, 40 perception of being safe so that percent of Black students do not need more funding for other programs that aren’t just the more people feel safe.” feel safe at night on campus, police department. We also Hall believes that UMW 56 percent of mixed-race PD has already addressed students do not feel safe in the the changes that students are neighborhood close to campus “We need more pushing for. and 24 percent of mixed-race funding for other “I encourage people to read students do not feel safe in programs that the reports and ask questions campus parking areas. about their requests. Most of aren’t just the police Finally, the presenters the time the things that people examined the data by gender. department. We request have already been They found that 55 percent of also need more changed or are already in the female students do not feel safe accountability and works. When talking about alone in neighborhoods at night, funding, the UMW PD takes up transparency 26 percent of female students less than 1 percent of the entire do not feel safe alone on from them.” budget. Download the Guardian campus at night and 5 percent app, you can text directly to the of male students do not feel safe -Anonymous police department. Less than alone on campus at night. 10 percent of students use it. attendee The surveys also asked for Access control and cameras comments regarding UMW PD. need more accountability and have been improved on. The In total, 125 student comments transparency from them, it students don’t realize that a lot expressed appreciation seems like they are reluctant of the things they push for are for UMW PD, while 117 to agree to a lot of what the already happening.” comments included statements students want. The JFMC, Reaves hopes that more with negative themes. When Talley Center, Title IX.” students will attend the forums the qualitative resopnses Another anonymous and get more involved. “I attendee wrote in the chat, encourage all students to get “When looking at “Implementing more involved in these forums the large numbers, it preventative measures such and to interact with the seems like safety on as awareness of how other data presented,” she said. people feel about safety. Data “The presentations are well campus is good, but like this should be advertised constructed, and the presenters when the categories more across campus to bring are very committed to are broken down, the awareness to this subject.” interacting with participants in results are different.” Other commenters said a way that further personalizes that having more forums that the material! We also have a bring awareness to student class website that provides -Brianna Reaves safety would help, and another more information about comment suggested that UMW everything.” The website can were reviewed by those who PD should host public forums, be found at https://socg371. originally conducted the such as this one, to help umwblogs.org/. survey, the negative responses students express their concerns. The class is hosting the next were separated into these UMW PD Chief Michael Hall forum on Monday, April 5 at categories: lack of faith [in the

Josephine Johnson / The Blue & Gray Press

7 p.m. about the faculty and staff data, and their third and final forum will be held on Wednesday, April 14 at 7 p.m. about the alumni data. The presenters emphasized that all are welcome to attend.

COVID-19 DASHBOARD 61 Total cases since Jan. 1, 2021

8 Active cases

0.86 7-day average cases per day

1,384 Total prevalence tests March 26-April 1

3 Positive prevalence tests March 26-April 1

161 Student health center tests

16 Positive student health center test

34 of 38 Isolation spaces available

77 of 82 Quarantine spaces available

NEWS

CRIME COLUMN

All UMW employees vaccine-eligible jack brewster staff Writer

JESS KIRBY & JOSEPHINE JOHNSON News Editors

Larceny On March 26 at 12:47 p.m. there was a case of larceny of a credit card at the Fitness Center. This case is pending.

On March 30 at 8:30 a.m. there was a case of larceny of bike parts at Eagle Landing. This case is pending.

All UMW student and faculty employees are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination. The University of Mary Washington has been working with Rappahannock Area Health District and Mary Washington Healthcare to make this a reality. Jeff McClurken, co-coordinator on the COVID task force, expressed his gratitude for the partnering organizations. “We’ve been grateful to work with our local partners. They have helped us work through the complex set of regulations and requirements you can see in the links above,” said McClurken. Prior to registration, a survey was sent out to UMW faculty and student employees to gauge the number of vaccinations that would be needed. “It was created to be able to gather together the information the local health

“I found that registering for the vaccine was rather simple and user-friendly. When receiving the vaccine, the nurses and employees made the process very easy.” -Brandon Williams

On March 30 at 12:00 p.m. there was a case of larceny of bike parts at Brent House. This case is pending.

district (RAHD) needed in order to bring our employees into the vaccination process,” said McClurken. The University is following the state of Virginia’s vaccine distribution plans. UMW employees who work in healthcare were offered the first round of the vaccine. “Other employees became eligible when the local health district entered phase 1b distribution with another range of what the state had identified as Frontline Essential Workers. As of last week, the district entered phase 1c, with other essential workers. All UMW employees became eligible for the vaccine under phase 1c,” said McClurken While early on there was a shortage

The conference center where vaccinations are taking place at the Mary Washington Hospital. Matthew Simmons / The Blue & Gray Press

in the supply of the vaccine in the Fredericksburg area, UMW employees that wished to receive the vaccine have all been granted the opportunity. “Once eligible and registered with our contacts at RAHD, our employees have been contacted to set up an appointment within a week or two,” said McClurken Brandon Williams, a senior economics major and a UMW student employee, was able to get the vaccine through the school. He said that registering and receiving the vaccine was a very simple process. “Once I completed the form stating I was interested in receiving the vaccine, I waited about 3 days until Mary Washington Healthcare (MWHC) contacted me. In the email, it has asked me to book an appointment. I was able to receive the shot the same day as the email,” said Williams “Overall, I was genuinely surprised by how quickly the process happened. Also, I found that registering for the vaccine was rather simple and user-friendly. When receiving the vaccine, the nurses and employees made the process very easy. They were very helpful and considerate.” Phase 1b also included people with certain risk factors, including age and medical conditions. Many employees registered on their own in the local health districts where they reside and through the state-wide system for pre-registration. “With these cases, we wouldn’t know if they had received the vaccine

or not, but, from what we hear, many of our employees have been able to get vaccinated on their own through those channels,” said McClurken Justin Mittereder, a UMW student employee and junior majoring in computer science, said “I had already registered to get the vaccine on my own prior to the announcement that the school made.” The faculty and student employees that were unable to get the vaccination on their own used this opportunity to receive the vaccination. “I decided basically because I feel like I have to. I was going to wait to get it when I went back home, but it will also be easier to get it here in the USA via the school,” said Badlee Nicholls, a senior international student from South Africa majoring in marketing. At the state level, there is a large amount of interest in making vaccines widely available for college students, perhaps even before they head home. “We have provided information to the Virginia Department of Health about the number of students at UMW in case the state decides to include students more broadly in the next few weeks,” said McClurken. Regardless of that decision, the state has announced that on April 18, everyone 16 and older in the state will be eligible for the vaccine and the state will start inviting members of the general public off of the pre-registration list at vaccinate. virginia.gov.

On March 30 at 4:00 p.m. there was a case of larceny of bike parts at Brent House. This case is pending.

Thursday, April 8, 2021

SPORTS

Editor: Victoria R. Percherke | blueandgray.sports@gmail.com

Injured athletes miss out on the return of spring sports

VICTORIA R. PERCHERKE Messick had just recently had to get With spring varsity athletes returning to Sports Editor surgery after tearing her tendon at practice their game-play, some players who are after just three weeks into the season. injured are finding it hard to be excited According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association about returning to the field and contributing to their teams (NCAA), injuries can affect athletes not just physically, but comeback after last year’s cancellation. When freshman emotionally as well with some athletes becoming depressed women’s lacrosse player and philosophy major, Lola as a result in time loss in their sport. For many athletes Messick, first found out she needed another surgery, she their sport is how they cope with problems that life throws couldn’t stand to be missing out on her first season on a at them. For these athletes, not being able to compete collegiate team. means finding totally new ways to get through those “I find that as long as I stay involved with the team I have the same schedule as I did when I was playing, and it really emotions in a healthy way. helps me feel normal. I think the best way we can take care “Being injured and having to miss a season is nothing that I’d wish upon anyone,” said Sarah of each other is just to remind each other how lucky we are each day to “With everything up in the air this school Higbie, a freshman softball player. “It’s definitely changed be there, and never forget how much year, now that we are playing, we can’t take how I look at the sport, before I it hurt when we weren’t able to,” any moment for granite...We are fired up!” was running the field from the says Messick. mound and the game was in my According to Health U.S. News, hands. Having to sit out this “The more elite the athlete is, the -Sidney Eisen season has taught me how to help more identity is ... wrapped up in the team in a different aspect than that I’m used to.” the athlete role...When [an athlete is] injured, it’s a more From a recent study in the International Journal of Sports devastating blow to them because they’re losing something Physical Therapy (2014), more valuable than a recreational athlete, who might just It is imperative for athletes not to rush back to their sport be doing it for weekend fun.” when recovering from an injury. Athletes that have been Messick states that while it is difficult to have to sit on the sidelines, watching practice makes her go through positive injured in the past are more likely to be injured again in the future. emotions that help her push to continue in her physical As UMW athletes return to a normal sports schedule they therapies and stay healthy as she recovers. will face weekly Covid-19 testing, and masks being worn at While Messick is only missing out on her first year of varsity sports, some are dealing with a second season being all times except when engaged in a competition. “With everything up in the air this school year, now that we taken away from their collegiate sports career. are playing, we can’t take any moment for granite,” Eisen Sidney Eisen, a sophomore baseball player and business concluded. “We are fired up!” major, was very excited to finally be able to play his sport All spring sport games are being recorded for all fans who after a disappointing freshman year facing quarantine. desire to watch at Team1Sports. As for the spring varsity Now, another season is flashing fast before his eyes as he sports schedule, it can be found on the UMW Athletic struggles with a season-breaker injury. Department website at umweagles. “I found out I partially tore my labrum a few weeks before our first game so I was definitely disappointed when they told me I’d miss this season,” says Eisen. “Being injured and having to miss a season According to AtYourOwnRisk,“90 percent of athletes report a sports-related injury at some point in their career.” is nothing that I’d wish upon anyone.” “My story is a little different because this is my third ankle surgery in the last two years,” says Messick. Messick -Sarah Higbie recalls missing her final playing years in high school, “I missed my junior year of my field hockey season in order to be back for my senior year. But, that was obviously taken away with covid, then my second surgery happened this August.”

University of Mary Washington Spring Sports Schedule & Records

Men’s Baseball (1-8)

April 10 vs. St. Mary’s (Md.) April 14 vs. Southern Virginia April 17 @ Christopher Newport April 18 vs. Christopher Newport April 22 @ Randolph-Macon

Women’s Softball (5-5)

April 2 L vs. Randolph-Macon (7-4) & (3-2) April 8 @ Lynchburg April 10 vs. Salisbury April 14 vs. Va. Wesleyan April 17 @ Southern Virginia

Men’s Tennis (2-4)

March 27 L @ Longwood (0-7) April 3 W @ Averett April 6 W @ Washington and Lee (5-4) April 7 W vs. Southern Virginia (5-4) April 14 @ St. Mary’s (Md.)

Women’s Tennis (5-1)

March 26 W @ Washington & Lee (6-3) March 27 W @ Longwood (5-2) April 7 W vs. Southern Virginia (9-0) April 11 @ Towson April 15 @ St. Mary’s (Md.)

Men’s Lacrosse (1-5)

March 16 L @ Salisbury (7-24) March 23 L @ Hampden-Sydney (14-8) March 31 L @ Roanoke (19-7) April 6 L vs. Southern Virginia (18-16) April 10 @ Christopher Newport

Women’s Lacrosse (3-3)

UMW competing against rival, Christopher Newport.

UMW Athletics

UMW lacrosse player wears a mask while competing.

March 27 W vs. Christopher Newport (18-12) March 30 W @ Randolph-Macon (15-7) April 7 W vs. St. Mary’s (Md.) (9-8) April 10 @ Christopher Newport April 14 vs. Meredith UMW Athletics

Games are available to watch via livestream on the UMW Athletic’s webpage Full Schedule not listed above. Most recent games included. Bold indicates home game. UMW’s XC & Track team competing against Shenandoah.

Thursday, April 8, 2021

UMW Athletics