THE
BLUE &GRAY
PRESS
September 5, 2019
VOLUME 93 | ISSUE 1
1922 Freshman students to move from Virginia to Willard
THE UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON STUDENT NEWSPAPER
Katia Savelyeva Staff Writer
At the beginning of the spring 2020 semester, freshmen currently living in Virginia Hall for the fall 2019 semester will move out and into the newly renovated Willard Hall. The purpose of this mid-year move is to make space for major renovations set to take place in Virginia Hall. This process will involve major updates to the hall’s plumbing systems, as well as the installation of central heating and cooling. Virginia is scheduled to reopen in the fall of 2021. “We knew once Willard was finished, we’d be moving on to Virginia,” said David Fleming, Dean of Residence Life and Housing. “It was one of the first three buildings on campus, but hasn’t had major renovations since it was built.” Originally, the construction of Virginia was set to begin at the start of the 2020-2021 school year. However, the renovations in Willard, which was
“Why couldn’t they wait one more semester?” -Josie Johnson originally set to open this fall, led Residence Life to realize renovating historic dorms was a lengthier process
SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE
than expected. “We’ve decided to move Virginia students into Willard and start Virginia five months early to make sure that one opens on time,” said Fleming. While Residence Life has calculated the logistics of this move to ensure that Willard doesn’t sit empty, and that more time is given to renovate Virginia, the decision has left some Virginia Hall residents concerned. “Why couldn’t they wait one more semester?” said freshman Josie Renovations on Willard Hall are slated to be complete in time for the spring semester. Noah Strobel / The Blue & Gray Press Johnson. “As soon as we get here, and it’s floor, and I’m friends with the person Fleming. “It was also mentioned on tours our first time being away from home, who lives right across from me. So during orientation.” and we’re settled here, they’re like, let’s I’m wondering how social dynamics Among freshmen interviewed about just kick you guys out and move you are going to change as a result of not the move to Willard, however, there over there.” everyone being as accessible as they were some discrepancies regarding how Roommate pairs will be preserved previously were, or if they’ll try to they learned about the move. during the move unless otherwise configure us the same way,” said Hlaing. “I think it was actually during requested, but freshman Eugene Hlaing Dean Fleming said that the first-year orientation,” said Hlaing. “We were expressed concern for the other bonds welcome process made efforts to notify all talking about which dorms we that have developed between students. students of the intention to renovate were staying in, and then someone “I know that my roommate is quite Virginia. “We started notifying them offhandedly •Virginia | 7 close to the people who live on our during the Destination Days,” said mentioned that we’re
$3 million shortfall halts Seacobeck construction abigail buchholz and Kate Seltzer News Editors
Renovations to Seacobeck Hall came to a halt when bids from stateapproved contractors for the construction work came back $3 million more than
expected, according to UMW President Troy Paino. Paino attributed the higher prices to market escalation as a result of a smaller than usual pool of bidders and recent tariffs that have driven up the cost of steel and other supplies.
Construction cannot proceed on Seacobeck Hall until an additional $3 million in funding is secured. Noah Strobel / The Blue & Gray Press
IN THIS
ISSUE
Study Abroad
“On most of the bids, only a single bid came in because of the economy and a lot of construction that's going on around the state,” he said. “This is happening across the state, and there are several other construction projects that have experienced similar market escalation as a result of these forces.” The university is hoping to hear an update in the coming weeks about whether the state government will allocate the remaining funds so construction can resume immediately. Alternatively, the school will again attempt to secure funding through the Virginia General Assembly when the legislature is in session in the winter, with the hope of beginning construction in the spring of 2020. “The cost of the project will just continue to go up the longer we wait,” Paino said. “In order to get the project done in a timely fashion and in the most cost effective way possible, we feel very strongly that we should proceed with construction sooner rather than later and hopefully we can do that this fall.” Paino is hopeful that UMW will receive the necessary funding because the College of Education’s new home in Seacobeck Hall is in part a response to the commonwealth’s teacher shortage.
LGBTQ+ Vocabulary
“This is an important piece of that work, and I think the people down in Richmond, legislators and those in the governor's office, are very aware of that need and very supportive,” he said. In response to the $3 million shortfall, the Department of General Services directed the school to put the renovation plans through a process of “value engineering” to see where costs could be reduced. “It was very painful because we had to cut some things out of the project that people are very much counting on, including new space for our Office of Disability Resources,” Paino said. He said that the value engineered plan, which reduced renovation costs by $2 million, is the worst case scenario and would only be considered in the event that the General Assembly denies the request for funding “We probably won't be going back to Seacobeck to do a renovation for another 30 years, so this is a generational endeavor,” he said. “I would rather us wait and get the appropriate funding and do it right than to do it quickly and on the cheap and cut some things out of it that we'll regret, not just for short term but really over a •Seacobeck | 2 generation.”
Seeking Redemption
Students find value in summer programs.
Basic terminology needed at UMW diversity orientation.
Failed playoff run leads to a new drive from players.
LIFE | 4
VIEWPOINTS | 3
SPORTS | 8
NEWS THE
Editors: Kate Seltzer & Abigail Buchholz | blueandgray.news@gmail.com
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 Lauren Closs
Associate Editors Grace Winfield Ginny Bixby
Buisness Manager Lucas Burkholder
SECTION EDITORS NEWS Kate Seltzer Abigail Buchholz
VIEWPOINTS Alicen Hackney
LIFE Cosima Pellis
SPORTS Jack Hagn
Seacobeck on hold •Seacobeck | 1
The delay to the College of Education’s construction was met with disappointment but not surprise from some students. “I was a little frustrated that the College of Education wasn't going to open on time, but to some extent I wasn't super surprised, because a lot of our projects on campus have been delayed,” said Ashely Dimino, a sophomore history major and student in the College of Education. Currently, many classes required for the College of Education are held in Trinkle, which has led to some concerns about overcrowding. “I can completely understand why some people feel like we should have our own separate building, seeing as [there are] already so many departments kind of crammed into Trinkle,” said Henry Wharton, a sophomore history major in the College of Education. Wharton also said that one of his education classes in Trinkle had to switch rooms last minute because the room they had originally been assigned to was too small. “I am not sure if [Seacobeck] is going to open before I graduate, which means we’re in Trinkle for probably the rest of my time at UMW, which is manageable, but it would be nice to have our own space because there are so many majors crammed into that building,” said Dimino. Melina Furches, a sophomore art major in the College of Education, expressed similar concerns. “I was pretty excited that we’d be having a building before I graduated, and now it's not working,” she said. As the university waits for more funding, Wharton says he is not worried about the impact on his education. “We still have the professors and we still have places to do our work. Most of our work is being done outside of the school anyway, we're going to schools, practicums and things like that. So most of our general learning experience-wise is done off campus,” he said. “I'm hoping that they'll keep us updated on how UMW is trying to get the money and also what they project their opening date to be,” said Furches. “I would really like it to open before I graduate, and I’d just like to be kept updated if it's going to happen especially before housing next year.”
ONLINE Meaghan McIntyre Samuel Cobb
PHOTO Cayley McGuire Noah Strobel
FACULTY ADVISOR Sushma Subramanian
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Students in the College of Education look forward to use of Seacobeck Hall. Noah Strobel / The Blue & Gray Press
Hunter Rauscher hopes to use the new grant to expand services.
University Relations
Eagles in Recovery program receives $50,000 grant
abigail buchholz News Editor
The UMW Eagles in Recovery program was awarded the “Expanding Collegiate Recovery in Virginia" grant, valued at $50,000. Hunter Rauscher, associate director for Residence Life and Housing, founded the Eagles in Recovery program. The awarded grant will help Eagles in Recovery expand their programming. The grant will be spread out over the next two years. According to Rauscher, the first year will be dedicated to expanding upon and establishing basic services to improve the experience of students in the program. Rauscher plans on using a portion of funds to outfit the Clubhouse, a communal place in the Link for those in recovery, with improved furniture and amenities. The Clubhouse is open to students in the Eagles in Recovery program from Wednesday at noon till Monday mornings at 8 a.m. “If their friends are going out and trying to go drinking or maybe there is active drug going on and they feel uncomfortable about it they have a place where they can go. There’s an Xbox, there’s a Keurig, so it’s just kind of a hang-out so it just gives them that safe place,” said Rauscher. Some of the funds might also be invested in providing snacks, such as donuts and coffee, for the various meetings the program sponsors. Rauscher explained that there is a greater significance to the addition of donuts and coffee to the meetings held at the Clubhouse than meets the eye. “What’s kind of interesting about it is it’s kind of a service component. Somebody has to go get the coffee and donuts, which means they have to show up early, there’s some kind of routine. There is responsibility there, and sometimes people going into Eagles in Recovery need that responsibility and that’s why it services one of the pillars of AA or NA,” said Rauscher. Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) are groups for recovering addicts. Al-Anon and NarAnon, two groups that also have meetings within the Eagles in Recovery program, are for family and friends of those in active addiction or recovery. Rauscher also envisions the grant assisting in strengthening the connection between Eagles in Recovery and local treatment centers. He hopes that students struggling with addiction on campus will have the option to participate in intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) at these treatment centers.
These IOPs are designed so that the students can continue with their classes or jobs while recovering. Then, after finishing the IOP program, the local centers would reconnect students with Eagles in Recovery and other on-campus resources. “Ideally, it would be a seamless transition from deciding to get help all the way through the recovery through the rest of their time at college,” said Rauscher. The grant money could also be spent on the general education of UMW students through tabeling or poster campaigns in order to increase students’ awareness of substance disorders. “It’s just like any of our mental health disorders and health issues that we have on college campuses,” said Rauscher. “I think that’s one of the things that helped me to understand it as a disorder and not just some sort of moral failing. I think there’s kind of a lot of power in that, so educating students with that I think would go a long way.” Alicen Hackney, a senior journalism major, serves as an Al-anon and Nar-anon group leader. “My hope with the grant is that we'll be able to accommodate students who need these meetings and fellowship in better ways,” she said. “I would love to reach out to the community in bigger ways and be able to help students better access off campus resources they may need.” According to Rauscher, the expansions to the Eagles in Recovery program are a reflection of broader national trends of addiction. “We know that the trends are showing that there is an increase all across the country of people going into recovery or in active addiction,” said Rauscher. Weekly NA/AA meetings at the Clubhouse are planned to take place on Wednesdays from noon - 1 p.m. Peer Recovery meetings will occur on Thursdays from 3 - 4 p.m. in the Link. There will also be Al-Anon/Nar-Anon meetings on Thursdays from 3 - 4 p.m. in the HCC 413. “In meetings we open with basic information about anonymity and the safety and inclusion of participants, then we spend most of the meeting with an open floor for everyone to share about their experiences in their journeys dealing with these issues,” said Hackney. “This kind of overwhelming support that’s been thrown our way by the students and the faculty and staff so it’s been great,” said Rauscher. Kate Seltzer and Tala Saleh contributed to reporting for this article.
CORRECTIONS for THE Week PLEASE REPORT ANY MISTAKES SEEN IN THE BLUE & GRAY PRESS TO Lauren Closs, blueandgray.eic@gmail.com or Sushma Subramanian, ssubrama@umw.edu
Thursday, September 5, 2019
VIEWPOINTS
Editor: Alicen Hackney | blueandgray.views@gmail.com
Orientation should introduce LGBTQ+ vocabulary
Abigail Weber Staff Writer
UMW Diversity Orientation should include basic terminology for members of the LGBTQ+ community. On Aug. 22, incoming students gathered in Dodd Auditorium for “Dialogues on Diversity.” The interactive presentation examined diversity from a philosophical perspective. The presenter encouraged students to expand their horizons and urged them to acknowledge the complexity of diversity, not just race or LGBTQ+ identity. While this more philosophical, less prescriptive preparation for understanding varied perspectives and life experiences is beneficial, UMW should also include basic terminology that students may not have encountered that is essential for having productive dialogue. As “Dialogues on Diversity” pointed out, diversity also includes a wide variety of knowledge bases. What may seem elementary to someone from a very LGBTQ+ friendly school may be wholly unfamiliar to someone from a different background. For example, in FSEM 100Q’s book discussion, three people admitted to not knowing what the term “cis” meant, a number which may have been lower than the reality due to embarassment. This isn’t surprising, as for many students coming from high schools, the amount they learn varies widely by school and district. According to GLSEN’s 2017 Natural Climate Survey, 64.8 percent of United States LGBTQ+ students surveyed were not “exposed to representations of LGBTQ people, history, or events in lessons at school,” a number which can be extended to
include straight and/or cisgender students in the same schools. The majority of students at UMW come from Virginia, which has neither so-called “no promo homo” laws which prohibit teaching about LGBTQ+ identities in the classroom in a positive manner nor a required curriculum on LGBTQ+ education. This means that treatment of LGBTQ+ identities in the school system can vary widely by school and district even within a single state. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that only 27.9 percent of Virginia schools include LGBTQ+ information in health classes. With the present lack of information in school curriculums, spreading awareness of sexual and gender minorities is left up to Gay-Straight Alliances, or Gender-Sexuality Alliances (GSAs). Unfortunately, the CDC reports that only 31.7 percent of Virginia high schools have a GSA. Without the introduction of LGBTQ+ terminology, student knowledge and compassion is limited to what they learn on their own, whether it be through personal interest, experience or the media. Even in GSA clubs, members may assume that anyone who interacts with the club already knows the relevant vocabulary. “I never heard anyone ever actually formally say what the words meant,” said freshman Emma Bradley about her high school. “If you were at GSA, you knew... There was never any time when everyone just sat down [and said]...‘this is what this term means.’” While UMW supports its own GSA-like initiatives, a prominent example being PRISM, the issue remains that the lack of a fundamental understanding of vocabulary
could discourage cisgender heterosexual students from connecting with LGBTQ+ peers. Additionally, in an era where LGBTQ+ platforms and issues are gaining traction in the media and politics, a basic understanding of how to properly describe them is crucial for everyone, regardless of their relationship or lack thereof with the LGBTQ+ community. As a university that prides itself on discussion and the free, educated exchange of a wide range of ideas and information, it is critically important that we equip our students with the necessary vocabulary to do so. The diversity of our student body includes a wide variety of backgrounds and knowledge bases. In order to facilitate respectful, intelligent discussion, UMW should educate students with a basic, shared vocabulary in the opening week of programming for incoming students.
Diversity and inclusion is part of the James Farmer Multicultural Center. Cayley McGuire / The Bue & Gray Press
UMW policy prevents emotional support animal misuse despite lack of federal regulation
Reliance on an emotional support animal (ESA) is a popular method of additional treatment for those who have mental health disorders. Because there are not yet many federal regulations on these animals, it is difficult to determine who truly needs them and how they might be helpful to those who do. In my opinion, this can lead to people abusing the system to have their pet wherever they please. Here at UMW, this is not the case. The Office of Disability Resources takes this matter so carefully that it is not a simple feat for students to abuse the system on campus. However, the issue is still present on the national scope due to the lenient federal regulations on emotional support animals. There has been recent attempts to appeal to partisan concern. Recently, the U.S. Department of Transportation released a guideline to clarify the regulations behind emotional support animals on flights. According to a USA Today article, passengers have gone as far as to bring squirrels and peacocks onto airlines. Aside from exotic animals, the article notes several instances of dog-passenger attacks. Upon hearing the outrageous stories, I began to question how can these animals are used for emotional support and how they differ from service animals. College campuses are arguably the best known place for emotional support animals to be present. With an enormous change in lifestyle and stress weighing
Emotional aupport animal Dedrick.
Thursday, September 5, 2019
Erin Matuczinski Staff Writer
on students’ shoulders, it makes sense for those with emotional support animals to be able to bring their companion along. However, it is important for people to understand the difference between a service animal and an emotional support animal and the necessity for both. The biggest contrast is that service animals, according to the Americans with Disabilities Act, have the right to be in public establishments, while emotional support animals do not. ESA’s are not intended for constant comfort and care, only in-home and in times of need. Service animals serve to support their owners who need assistance for day-to-day activities. Some remain with their owners at all times. College campuses, where students are living in the same place that they learn and work, can blur these lines and make differentiation difficult. Jessica Machado, the director of the Office of Disability Resources (ODR), is heavily experienced on this difficult subject. Even though these animals are legally a housing accommodation, there is still an important process students must go through before getting such accommodations. Students who wish to request a housing accommodation must provide documentation from a licensed medical provider, as well as attend a meeting with the Housing Committee in order to determine their disability status, necessary accommodations, safety
Alicen Hackney / The Blue & Gray Press
concerns and other factors. “We take this decision very seriously,” says Machado. “There are lots of people who review and make these decisions, and it’s a really hard one.” Safety is the biggest concern for the ODR and Housing Committee. Even though there are no restrictions on what species or breed of animals that can be brought or used, it is still important to consider the rights of other students. “When you do something for one person, another person is affected,” Machado says. The aspect that sparks most confusion for students is the lack of legal regulations surrounding service and emotional support animals. According to federal law, emotional support animals are not required to have formal training. In addition, both emotional support and service animals are not required to wear an identifying vest or tag. “Service animals go through rigorous training that sometimes takes up to two years to master,” said senior business administration major Fred Guerrero. “When completed, service animals still have to abide by many rules while ‘working,’ while ESAs usually do not. This overlap causes confusion with the general public on what is acceptable and what is not.” During Machado’s interview, she made it clear that there is a wide misunderstanding between service animals, emotional support animals and the jobs that they both perform. While this may be true, the lack of federal regulations does not make the foggy subject any more clear. This has even made some students feel that the emotional support animal system can be abused. “I think it would cause people to take advantage of bringing an animal to school with them,” said senior biochemistry major Emily Matuczinski. “But if there are no formal requirements to have an ESA, I’m not sure if they are doing anything wrong.” While these concerns are understandable, and some that I have even harbored myself, UMW’s policies and actions are upheld in order to accommodate students with disabilities, not just students who wish to bring their furry friends to school. The ODR and the Housing Committee take legitimacy and safety very seriously in order to protect everybody on campus. Even if the general population may be still able to abuse the use of emotional support animals under federal regulations, UMW’s policies and actions prevent that from being the case with our students here on campus.
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LIFE
Editor: Cosima Pellis blueandgray.life@gmail.com
Summer abroad: students explore international cultures GINNY BIXBY Associate Editor
For students who don’t want to spend an entire semester abroad, UMW’s summer study abroad programs present shorter and less expensive opportunities for students who want to take classes internationally.
studying abroad can provide to students. “Going abroad gave me a new perspective of the culture that I am in at home. There are subtle differences that are fun to notice and then there are huge changes in mentality and beliefs when you go from Dublin to Virginia. Knowing both sides gives me a better understanding of both places,” said Datner.
Chloe Datner: Dublin, Ireland Chloe Datner, a junior English creative writing major, spent a month studying at Dublin City University in Dublin, Ireland this summer. The trip was led by Dr. Gary Richards, head of UMW’s Department of English, Linguistics and Communication. Datner said that even before coming to UMW, she had planned to study abroad. “I chose to study abroad before I even Datner and students at Menlo Castle . Photo courtesy of Chloe Datner came to college; both of my siblings did it and I had only Claire Marsala: Aix-en-Provence, heard positive things about it so I have France just always known that it is something I Claire Marsala, a senior French and would do,” said Datner. linguistics double major in the College “Originally I wanted to go to of Education, studied at International University of Edinburgh but it turned out American University in Aix-ento be a lot easier and more productive to Provence, France for six weeks over the do a summer program in Dublin. I knew summer. I wanted to be in the UK because it is “I chose to study abroad because it English speaking and just so beautiful helps with language acquisition, and over there,” she said. it’s a requirement for foreign language Datner said her favorite part of teachers,” said Marsala, who is studying studying abroad was getting to travel to become a French teacher. around the country and see popular “I didn’t want to study in a big urban tourist attractions. area like Paris, so I like the vibe of a “Going to Galway and the Cliffs smaller city. I got to travel to a different of Moher was by far the best part. It’s city every weekend,” said Marsala. She something I’ll never forget. The coolest visited the cities of Lyon, Nice, Annecy, thing, though, was being able to spend Marseille, Paris and Geneva over the enough time in a foreign city to know course of her program. your way around. By the end of the “I loved my professors at IAU,” said month I knew where everything was and Marsala. “I took an advanced grammar felt like a local,” she said. course and a gastronomy course. It was Datner stayed in a dorm at Dublin nice to learn about culture and language City University while she was studying for once instead of literature like we there. always do at UMW.” “We had single dorm rooms on One of Marsala’s favorite activities campus which was nice because you while on the trip to France was going to could have alone time if you needed it, a FIFA Women’s World Cup game. but you were also in the same building as “The World Cup game was pretty everyone on the trip,” she said. cool. We went to Nice to watch it. They Datner said that the biggest difference tied, went into overtime, and even had to between studying in Ireland versus at do penalty kicks,” said Marsala. “It was UMW was the professors’ Irish accents. wild.” “Other than that, it was a similar size Marsala stayed with a host family in and method to classes at UMW, which Aix-en-Provence. I liked a lot. Plus one of my professors was Gary Richards, so to anyone who is studying abroad without Gary Richards, your trip is automatically less cool than mine,” said Datner. Datner, who now works in UMW’s Center for International Education, stressed Marsala and other students at the FIFA Women’s World Cup. the benefits that Photo courtesy of Claire Marsala
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“It’s pretty weird living in a stranger’s house for six weeks,” she said. “[My roommate] and I had dinner with her and her friend every night.” Marsala said she enjoyed her trip so much that she is considering studying in France again. “As soon as I left, I wanted to go back. I’m considering going back to get my masters in French after I finish my education fifth year,” she said. Tess Darroch: Cape Town, South Africa Tess Darroch, a senior international relations major, chose to study outside of Europe. “I chose South Africa because I wanted to go to a place I did not have a lot of prior knowledge or conceptions about,” said Darroch, who studied at the School for International Training in Cape
Darroch on her trip to Cape Town.
Town. “When I go to new places, I like to try to start with as much of a blank slate as possible, while still accounting for and recognizing my societal biases. I think that going in with this mindset makes it more possible to in turn learn about the perceptions ingrained within you from your own background and you end up learning just as much about where you’re from as where you are studying.” Darroch’s program was unique in that she was able to complete an internship during her study, which is part of the reason she chose it. “Interning was amazing and the things I did with my organization taught me a lot,” she said. Darroch said she stayed busy outside of her classes and internship. “I went to a lot of political poetry discussions attended and organized by people of my generation addressing the problems that South Africans face today. For fun, I also did a lot of hiking which was incredible and allowed me to cultivate a new hobby that I hope to
continue in the future,” said Darroch. Darroch also lived in a homestay environment and said it was the best part of her program. “So many things are happening in South African politics and in Cape Town in particular and this program really placed me right in the middle of all of it. That’s because this program stresses homestay as a key component which I think is absolutely vital and necessary in study abroad,” said Darroch. Darroch’s studies while in South Africa focused on social justice and activism. “Academic wise, I believe that the lessons I learned in South Africa have been some of the most important in my life,” said Darroch. “Unlike politics courses at UMW, the speakers and texts we read really approached political
Photo courtesy of Tess Darroch
science while considering the ethical implications and also deconstructing privilege and how white supremacy in many ways still influences political thought and governance systems.” Darroch also feels that it is important for students to study abroad in order to broaden their perspectives. “I think that study abroad offers unprecedented opportunities to learn, not only about other places and cultures, but also about yourself and your role in a global and interconnected world,” she said. However, Darroch also acknowledged that studying abroad isn’t always affordable or feasible for everyone, and that she is privileged to have had this opportunity. “I am extremely grateful that I had the opportunity to study abroad with a program and in a place that has taught me so much, even though sadly the opportunity isn’t reciprocal for people in my position from South Africa,” she said.
Marsala at the lavendar fields in France. Darroch on her trip to Cape Town. Photo courtesy of Claire Marsala Photo courtesy of Tess Darroch
Thursday, September 5, 2019
LIFE Male dancers challenge insensitive comment on “Good Morning America” VICTORIA LARIMER Staff Writer
written by Courtney Escoyne, called out the insensitivity of Spencer’s comments. “It is no secret that young boys who enroll On Aug. 22, Good Morning America host Lara in dance classes face bullying to an outstanding Spencer faced widespread backlash for making degree—according to the documentary insensitive comments about male ballet dancers. DANSEUR, the statistic is 85 percent of male Spencer reported on the recently released school ballet students in the United States,” she wrote. curriculum for 6-year-old Prince George, which includes Following the release of these articles, many ballet classes. Spencer joked, “I mean, he looks so prominent members of the dance community happy about the ballet class. Prince William says Prince took to social media to express their own George absolutely loves ballet. I have news for you, opinions about the incident, including male Prince William: We’ll see how long that lasts.” Both professional dancers and choreographers. Spencer’s co-hosts and the studio audience laughed Two-time Emmy award-winning choreographer following Spencer’s comment; however, the dance Travis Wall posted a video to Instagram calling community did not seem to think it was funny. out Spencer for not only her “upsetting” These comments hit close to home for junior comments, but “inspiring [her] colleagues and computer science major, Chad Lancaster, who is an audience to participate in the laughter.” He went active member of the UMW Performing Arts Company on to address the issues of bullying, the benefits (PAC), a student-run dance company. of ballet, and encouraged boys to follow their “I feel that there is a strong stigma that men can’t dancing dreams. Wall’s video blew up on social dance, as it ‘isn’t manly.’ There is a view that if you are media with over a million views and thousands a male dancer, you have to be gay or flamboyant, and of shares across various platforms. Dance Network TV that couldn’t be less true,” said Lancaster. Following the immense backlash from Wall Male dancers with signs at protest ballet class. “Starting at the Performing Arts Company was a and the rest of the dance community, Spencer morning, Good Morning America aired a pre-recorded little scary to me for these reasons, coupled with the posted an apology on her Instagram saying, “My sincere segment in which Wall, Fairchild and Joffrey Ballet low population of male dancers. But I don’t believe this apologies for an insensitive comment I made in pop principal dancer, Fabrice Calmels, joined Spencer to stigma against male dancers holds weight against me news yesterday. From ballet to anything one wants to discuss the reality of being male dancer. any longer. Dancing is a form of expression. I believe explore in life, I say GO FOR IT. I fully believe we Spencer delivered an on-air apology stating, “I nobody should be screwed up. I did. The comment I made about dance critiqued [for dancing], was insensitive. It was stupid and I am deeply sorry. regardless of gender or I have spoken with several members of the dance background.” community over the past few days. I have listened. I Claire Marsala, have learned about the bravery it takes for a young boy senior and president of to pursue a career in dance.” PAC, also expressed It seemed that after Spencer’s apology on last frustration with Monday’s show the incident had been resolved; Spencer’s comments. however, on last Thursday’s episode of “The Ingraham “I feel like when Angle,” FOX News hosts Raymond Arroyo and Laura people ridicule boys Ingraham mocked Spencer’s apology. and men for doing “People harass you if you walk around in tights, something ‘girly,’ they’re going to harass you. It’s not exactly, you know, they’re implying that an exemplar of a male...This ended, by the way, with [the] activity isn’t 300 dancers, mostly boys, doing a class in Times respectable,” said Square,” Arroyo said. Marsala. The segment then played a clip of the impromptu Marsala said that ballet class from Wong’s Instagram account. During the there are three male clip, Ingraham said that the dancers “look like tai chi dancers in the piece she people.” is choreographing for Arroyo added, “I hope she offends a mechanic next, Travis Wall and Robert Fairchild speaking at protest ballet class. Dance Network TV this semester’s PAC Big so the boys know how to change the oil in a car.” Show. should all be free to pursue our passions. Go climb your After the episode aired, Fairchild made a post “PAC is all inclusive, no exceptions,” she said. mountain-and love every minute of it.” Many in the addressing these comments with the caption, “We riled Following Good Morning America’s broadcast, dance community were not satisfied with this apology. those folks up @foxnews pretty good.” The post has dancers from around the country rallied together to call On August 26, Wall lead an impromptu ballet class since been removed. out Spencer for her sexist comments. Dance Magazine outside of Good Morning America’s studio with fellow “Life’s too short to bother with people who think published an article the following day titled “Good professional dancers Alex Wong, Robbie Fairchild, Sam apologies, forgiveness, and ballet are stupid. Onward Morning America Thinks It’s Totally Acceptable to Quinn and Charlie Williams. 300 dancers showed up and upward,” said Fairchild. Laugh at a 6-Year-Old for Taking Ballet.” The article, to participate in the class, protest signs in hand. That Ginny Bixby contributed to reporting for this article.
New year, new paper : The Blue and Gray Press enhances print and online editions As the school year kicks off, exciting things are happening. Classes begin, clubs meet and the newspaper stands across campus are filled with fresh stacks of the Blue and Gray Press. A new year is also time for big changes, and going forward the old familiar paper will be sporting a new look. This week marks the first issue of our new eightpage paper. Previously, the print edition was 12 pages. Last year, the editorial staff decided to reduce the number of pages in a continued effort to publish only high-quality content that is important to students and the campus community. We believe this step, along with
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By THE BLUE AND GRAY PRESS EDITORIAL BOARD redesigning the appearance in the coming weeks, will increase competition for print publication and the overall quality of the paper. In addition to the print, our online edition at blueandgraypress.com is also getting a makeover. Be on the lookout for both a new user-friendly design and new content to be published throughout the semester. We are especially excited about the inclusion of breaking news stories, podcasts and videos.
With all of these new developments designed to better serve the UMW community, we are cognizant of the fact that the best student newspapers are a community effort. We always welcome contributions and feedback, and would love to expand our creative content beyond the minds of our editors and regular staff writers. Any student can contribute to the paper, regardless of status within the Blue and Gray Press club or practicum class. Additionally, we are eager to collaborate with other clubs on campus to help get the word out about interesting events or accomplishments. Feel free to contact us via email or social media.
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Weekend Events The Blue & Gray Press
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• Red Cross Blood Drive @ HCC Digital Auditorium, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. • District Debate @ University Hall, Stafford Campus, 7 p.m. • Eucharist Procession and All Night Adoration @ Ball Circle, 7 p.m. - 10 a.m.
Friday CONNECT WITH US NOW ON SNAPCHAT AS WELL
• Community Vendor Fair @ UC Chandler Ballroom, 12 - 1:30 p.m. • Avengers: Endgame @ Monroe 116, 7 - 10 p.m.
Saturday • Avengers: Endgame @ Monroe 116, 7 - 10 p.m.
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NEWS Mid-year move inconveniences students not even going to be living in Virginia for the whole year.” Johnson also said she learned through unofficial channels. “I found out two weeks before move-in,” she said. “It was word of mouth.” The first time Hlaing or Johnson said the move was mentioned to them in an official context was by their resident assistants (RAs) during introductory floor meetings. The online web page describing Virginia Hall does not presently mention the planned renovation. “It’s admittedly a little bit disappointing that I got more information from my roommate and other students than ResLife itself,” said Hlaing. Another area of concern is the logistics of moving, for which Fleming stated that plans were already in place. “The move is going to happen after winter break. We’re going to bring students in a few days early, and then we are utilizing a moving company,” said Fleming. “Students will box their belongings up, but we’ll have a moving company actually move them from building to building.” There are plans in place to ease
•Virginia | 1
the transition in other ways. The RAs working in Virginia learned of the planned move during their summer training, and were able to familiarize themselves with the interior of Willard. In addition, Residence Life plans to give tours of Willard for Virginia residents before they leave for winter break so they know what to expect when they
“It’s admittedly a little bit disappointing that I got more information from my roommate and other students than ResLife itself.” -Eugene Hlaing move in. As for the planned renovation of Virginia, Fleming is optimistic about the timeframe for renovations, particularly given the experience renovating Willard has provided. “This summer, our construction firm did some exploratory work in Virginia to learn exactly what they’re going to find,” said Fleming. “A lot of lessons have
been learned from Willard. It’s the same construction firm and same architect that are doing both projects. So we should be able to hit Virginia without too many unexpected obstacles.” While reactions from Virginia residents are mixed, Willard’s renovation and the opportunity to experience it is exciting for some. “I think it’s great. It’s a brand new hall,” said freshman Joseph Marsh. “I don’t really care about other people moving my stuff, it only took me an hour to move in.” In addition, some students are looking forward to the historic aspect of their new hall. “I always love historic buildings. As an intended historic preservation major, I think that living in the oldest dorm, which is also the most recently renovated, is going to be fascinating,” said Hlaing. As for the move itself, Fleming encouraged freshmen to reach out to Residence Life with their concerns. “We’re happy to work with students individually on what this might mean for them,” said Fleming. “Moving’s never convenient, but we as a department will do everything we can to make that process as convenient as possible.”
Students disappointed with loss of dining options Laura Schneider Staff Writer
Since the closure of Qdoba, Jamba Juice and the Underground Café in summer 2019, students have expressed concern about not having as many places to eat on campus, especially those who are required to have meal plans. Panera Bread will take the place of Qdoba and Jamba Juice on the second floor of the UC but will not open until late fall 2019, according to CJ Porter, the director of Transfer and Off-Campus Student Services. Porter also said that there will not be plans to re-introduce food to the Underground for the 20192020 academic year. She believes it will be used as a programming space, but that hasn’t been confirmed. “I’d say it does affect my dining options because even though I’m a senior, I live on campus, so I have to get a meal plan,” said Alli Pryor, a senior anthropology major. “They’ve taken away Qdoba, Jamba Juice and the Underground, which reduces the dining options either way.” Some off-campus students also believe there should be more options available. “If I were living on campus, I would be very upset,” said Alex Barbuzza, a junior computer science major and a commuter student. “I don’t eat on campus too often, but when I do, I like options, and I like the ability to eat somewhere besides the fourth floor dining hall.” Students also worry about crowds at the dining spaces that are still open. “With the amount of people on campus, I feel it’s harder to go to places and it not be packed with people,” said Pryor. Porter also addressed student concerns about Panera’s use of an oven in the UC dining hall. According to
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Porter, Panera will have one oven and a Sodexo website. Late lunch is served set of wares, pans and utensils dedicated from 2 - 5 p.m. at the Campus Grill, Joe to the fourth floor. Staff will move them Stacks, Simple Servings, the Graze Bar, from the fourth floor before it opens for the Vegan Grill and the Sustenance Salad breakfast. Bar. Porter also said that no preparation Bodacious Burgers is also now of food with nuts will occur on the open on campus. It is open Monday fourth floor during its operating hours, through Friday from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. and all bakers employed at Panera and and 4 - 7 p.m., except for dinner service the fourth floor dining center “will on Fridays, in the same area as Hissho receive extensive training about crossSushi. It serves hand-crafted smash contamination and appropriate cleaning burgers, vegetable burgers, turkey and sanitizing of all food preparation burgers and hand-cut fries, according to surfaces.” Simple Servings won’t be Porter. affected by the preparation of Panera Even with those accomodations and products. the opening of Panera later in the fall, Porter also commented on the fourth UMW students feel that there should be floor’s nut-free status. more dining available to accommodate “It is important to note that the the closures. University Center has never been “I’m excited for Panera to open completely nut-free. Items with nuts because I love their mac and cheese,” have always been prepared in our first said Pryor. “but I also wish there was floor kitchen and also served in our another option opened for food as a second floor eateries,” said Porter. “We place-filler since it will take a long time could never say that the 4th floor was for Panera to open.” ‘nut-free’, only that our foods for the 4th floor were always prepared without nuts, and that will continue to be our practice.” She added that any students who have significant medical conditions that would prevent them from eating at the dining hall can apply for a meal plan reduction or exemption. There are a few accommodations in place for the closures. The lunch service on the fourth floor of the UC has been extended by 30 minutes on weekdays, Panera is set to replace Jamba Juice and Qdoba later in the fall. according to UMW’s
POLICE BEAT ABIGAIL BUCHHOLZ & KATE SELTZER News Editors
Grand Larceny On Thursday, August 8 between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., computer equipment was stolen from and a window was vandalized in the Alvey parking deck. Some equipment was recovered. This case is pending.
Vandalism On Friday, August 9 before 7:00 a.m., Campus Walk was graffitied near the Hurley Convergence Center. This case is pending. Between Friday, August 23 at 10 p.m. and Saturday August 24 at 1:00 a.m., a fire extinguisher was vandalized in Eagle Landing. This case is pending. Between Thursday August 22 at 2 p.m. and Monday August 26 at 9:49 a.m., a padlock in Westmoreland Hall was vandalized. This case is pending.
Public Intoxication On Friday, August 23 at 11:34 a.m., there was an incident of public intoxication at the Campus Recreation fields. One individual was arrested.
Petit Larceny On Thursday August 29 between 1:45 a.m. and 8:57 a.m., a bicycle was stolen from Eagle Landing. This case is pending.
Rape On Saturday May 4 between 2:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m., a student was raped in Virginia Hall. The victim declined prosecution, and the case was referred to the Office of Title IX and the Commonwealth Attorney.
Hit and Run On Tuesday, September 3 between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., a hit and run accident occurred in the Alvey parking deck. The driver failed to report. This case is pending.
Cayley McGuire / The Blue & Gray Press
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SPORTS
Editor: Jack Hagn | blueandgray.sports@gmail.com
Field hockey seeks to reinvigorate season after playoff loss
RILEY RANDALL Staff Writer
The UMW women’s field hockey team’s season came to a close last year during the conference tournament semifinal after facing a 3-0 loss to Salisbury on Oct 31. It was a tough end to the postseason after the team’s thirteenth straight 11+ win season, but now the team is poised to return to the playoffs once more. Reflecting on the loss, coach Jamie Tierney-Harris was proud of the team’s season-long journey and expressed no doubt that they would improve by the upcoming season. “The biggest thing we learned was that we can be successful playing strong teams and we have the skills and teamwork to do it. We showed a lot of improvement from the first time we had played the same team. Playing a tough schedule will only improve our confidence so we look forward to playing the teams we have on our schedule for this season and believe it can strengthen us when it comes to the CAC tournament,” said Tierney-Harris. Senior captains Lexie Dixon and Lauren Hopkins are anticipating the pressure of this season, though they are confident for what is to come. “There’s a lot of emotions running through our bodies because it’s our last year and we’ve come to the realization that… this is it,” Dixon said. As a four-year starter and captain, she has had a lot of responsibility on and off the field to boost spirits and to lead by example for her teammates. “Attitudes are contagious, whether it’s positive or negative, so as captains we need to set the example so that our team can ultimately succeed,” she said. First team All-CAC selection Hopkins is a first-year captain, though she’s started since her freshman year. Each season she’s scored exactly 14 goals, which also led the team last season.
“This is my senior year, I have to beat us in shape because in the last minutes of 14 goals. It’s my cursed number,” joked a close game being in top shape is really Hopkins. important and can influence who wins With each new season comes tremendously.” new players, and this season transfer Many sports teams believe that home sophomore Jess Smith is looking field advantage is a major factor in forward to returning to her favorite sport. their competitions, and all three players Smith started her collegiate career with agreed. Hopkins pointed out that field Susquehanna University, but after her surfaces can change your strategy and first year she decided she needed a year type of play. off from school. “The surface definitely makes a “I took a year off of field hockey and difference. Not all turf fields are the taught English in Berlin, Germany and same. Yesterday the field we played on did a lot of traveling. So I lived the life was so slow, and our team is used to of a non-athlete for about 6 months,” playing on a faster turf. The field was said Smith. also a little more bouncy, so that makes a It wasn’t long before the itch to play difference,” said Hopkins. came back to Smith. She decided she This past Sunday, Mary Washington wanted to transfer to UMW and began played a tough game getting edged by training overseas to get back in shape for Johns Hopkins 2-1. field hockey. Smith believes that the fans and “Once I decided on transferring and parents help give the players their edge playing again I started to get back in as well. “Having fans cheer you on at shape and had to build up the confidence your home turf is always a big motivator. to go to a gym in a foreign country. So No one wants to lose on their own turf.” overall, I’d say that training for this The team plays their first home game season was different and more difficult, this Saturday, Sept. 7 at noon. but after having a year of college hockey already I knew more of what to expect,” said Smith. Smith said she enjoys the intensity and competitiveness of the fitness program. “At my previous school and lots of other colleges, you run your run test in preseason and then you’re done for the season running wise. I like how Coach Harris UMW Athletics is intent on keeping Field hockey added four freshmen to the team this year.
University of Mary Washington Fall Sports Schedule
Women’s Soccer (1-1)
Aug. 30 L @ Gettysburg (3-0) Sep. 1 W @ Ferrum (2-0) Sep. 7 vs. Washington and Lee Sep. 8 vs. Bridgewater (Va.) Sep. 11 vs. Randolph-Macon
Men’s Soccer (2-0)
Aug. 30 W vs. N.C. Wesleyan (4-0) Aug. 31 W vs. Johns Hopkins (2-1) OT Sep. 7 vs. Montclair St. @ Johns Hopkins Classic Sep. 8 vs. Johns Hopkins @ Johns Hopkins Classic Sep. 11@ Lynchburg
Field Hockey (0-1)
Sep. 1 L @ Johns Hopkins (2-1) Sep. 7 vs. DePauw Sep. 10 vs. Bridgewater (Va.) Sep. 14 @ Franklin & Marshall Sep. 18 @ Shenandoah
Volleyball (1-2)
Aug. 30 L @ Franklin & Marshall (3-1) Aug. 31 L vs. Arcadia (3-1) @ Lancaster, Pa. Aug. 31 W vs. Geneseo (3-2) @ Lancaster, Pa. Sep. 4 vs. Randolph-Macon Sep. 10 @ McDaniel
Men’s Rugby (0-0)
Mary Washington is currently ranked #4 in the CAC.
UMW Athletics
The teams next home game is against DePaw on the seventh.
UMW Athletics
Sep. 7 vs. Kutztown University Sep. 21 @ Penn State University Oct. 12 @ Wheeling Jesuit University Oct. 26 @ Army Nov. 2 vs. St. Bonaventure Nov. 9 vs. Notre Dame College
Women’s Rugby (0-0)
Sep. 7 vs. George Mason Sep. 14 vs. Virginia Commonwealth Sep. 21 vs. Old Dominion Sep. 28 vs. Maryland Oct. 5 vs. Longwood Oct. 19 vs. Alumni
Full Schedule not listed above. Most recent games included. Bold indicates home game.
Last season field hockey ended with a record of 11-6, marking the thirteenth straight year that the team has reached 11 or more wins.
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UMW Athletics
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