THE
BLUE &GRAY
THE UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON STUDENT NEWSPAPER
April 21, 2016
VOLUME 89 | ISSUE 23
PRESS
SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE
Valuable items stolen from Hurley Convergence Center
Alex Sakes / The Blue & Gray Press
RACHAEL MANNING Staff Writer
would then lock the door again and return the key to the front desk. On April 7, it was discovered that As effective and well-thoughta PreSonus audio box had been stolen out as this plan may be, Berge is more from the vocal booth in the Multimedia focused on preserving the open and Editing Lab on the bottom floor of the friendly atmosphere of the convergence Hurley Convergence Center. This item, center. which is used to connect a microphone “Every now and then, small pieces to a computer, is valued at about $90. of equipment go missing; a mouse or “We have another one, we have a something,” Berge said. “It’s very rare few of them, but we’re waiting to make that something larger like this disapsure we have some way to secure it betpears but, that sort of thing can happen.” ter before we put it back,” said HCC Berge expressed vexation in conand Digital Auditorium manager Cartstantly having to deal with minor pieces land Berge. The vocal booth has been of equipment going missing, such as partially out of service since the audio markers for the white boards. “It’s frusbox was stolen. trating, but it is something you have to Berge plans to return deal with when you “Maybe the vocal booth to full want a facility to be operation as soon as the there should freely accessible to HCC staff can install a people,” Berge said. security cable, which be more security The HCC staff will make stealing the about who can go doesn’t want to audio box much more lock things down so difficult. This security to the vocal booth.” tightly that people cable would lock onto can’t use them. the device and then “[The audio box] wrap around something is not that expensive that’s stationary, such of a piece of equipas a table or pillar, so that the item canment,” Berge said. “It’s not that difficult not be removed from the premises. to replace.” Without this item, students have no The investigation into the way to connect high-end microphones theft is slow-going, especially since into their computers, since those microthe UMW Police were only notified of phones are designed to plug into devicthe theft on April 14. “We’ve gone to es such as the audio box and therefore, look at the records of who’s swiped in they are not compatible with USB ports. but there have been a lot of people in Students must plug lower-quality USB and out of the rooms so it’s hard to pin microphones directly into their computit down and we don’t want to accuse ers, which can diminish the sound qualanybody unnecessarily,” Berge said, reity of their project. This has been frusgarding the investigation process. trating to students, no matter whether While it is unfortunate that a they need the vocal booth for. member of the UMW community would “It sucks that people can’t be truststeal from the school, theft has not beed,” said senior communications and come a widespread problem. However, digital studies major Kimberly Carbajo. certain preventative measures, such as “Maybe there should be more security the installation of the security cable, about who can go [to the vocal booth].” must be put into practice. For now the She recommends a room reservation convergence center staff has to concensystem that would require people to go trate on ensuring that students have the to the front desk and pick up a key so necessary access to audio equipment in they can open the door. Once a student order to excel in their classes. is finished using the vocal booth, they
-Kimberly Carbajo
IN THIS
ISSUE
1922
Case prompts OCR arrival IZZY BRIONES News Editor
Free Lance-Star reported. With the help of the law office of Katz, Marshall & Banks LLP their complaint resulted in visits from U.S. Department of Education’s OCR representatives. On April 18 and 19 UMW hosted these representatives who met with students in student-only focus groups privately. The representatives of OCR also held “office hours” during which students could meet individually with them to share their perspectives on the important issues at hand. An email was sent from the Office of the President regarding these visits stating the following: “OCR has opened an investigation of [a] complaint filed against the University on May 7, 2015, alleging discrimination on the basis of sex and retaliation. The OCR has jurisdiction to enforce Title IX, federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any educational program or activity receiving federal funds. The University intends to cooperate fully with the OCR in its investigation of the complaint.”
On April 8, University of Mary Washington students received an email on the impending visit of government representatives from the U.S. Department of Education. The reasoning for the email, as well as for the visit of the Office of Civil Rights representatives was said to be, “regarding institutional and community response to reported incidents of sexual harassment, including those incidents stemming from social media use during the 2014-15 academic year,” the email said. In May of last year, a total of eight students including Julia Michels, Paige McKinsey, Kristine Harner, Jordan Williams and Alexis Lehman, filed a Title IX complaint against UMW. The complaint filed last year was said in the Free Lance-Star to have stemmed from threats of rape and death, in addition to cyberstalking towards Feminists United that resulted from the club’s “speaking out against Greek life and an explicit chant by the UMW rugby club,” the
•OCR | 11
New professors for two departments | 11
Brad Lamphere / Research Website
Laura Bylenok / Word Press
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VIEWPOINTS | 4
SPORTS | 12
LIFE | 6