THE
BLUE &GRAY
THE UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON STUDENT NEWSPAPER
PRESS
October 3, 2019
VOLUME 93 | ISSUE 5 SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE
1922
Clubs and community promote sustainability and climate awareness In response to the growing dangers of climate change, several campus clubs have echoed the recent wave of global activism by promoting sustainability and climate awareness. On Sept 20, Better Energy Awareness and Mobilization (BEAM) hosted an event on the steps of the University
Center where students could sign a Sustainability worked with Into banner with energy saving tips and write the Streets, an event sponsored by a pledge to take climate action. This Community Outreach and Resources, to With more than 5,000 events spread event united organizations inside and clean up the streets of Fredericksburg. out over 163 countries, the Global outside the university. Lis Heras, a senior biology major Climate Strike has sent a message Fossil-Free Fredericksburg, a group and co-president of BEAM, said that around the world that has reached the promoting the city’s transformation to younger generations are so involved UMW campus. a fossil fuel-free community, had an in climate protests and advocating for information table set up. The same climate change awareness because it is group sponsored a Community their generation that will be the most and Kids Climate affected if no Chalk Art event on solution is “We are going to be Sept 27, where the reached. the ones living through community turned “We are the famine and all those out and covered the going to be Rappahannock River the ones living things.” Heritage Trail in through the famine and all color chalk promoting -Lis Heras those things,” sustainability. said Heras. Frdericksburg’s Some students around campus feel Citizens Climate Lobby was also that the national government has failed present, and had a table where students could write letters to them by ignoring the realities of climate their congressman explaining why change. climate change concerns them. “It’s a bit frustrating to think that the At this event, students were physical wellbeing of future generations, encouraged to ride on a smoothiethe delicate balance of our ecosystem and the valuable natural resources of making bike to blend their own our Earth are critically endangered by smoothies using just their own the current trends of human activity and energy. The bike was loaned to it’s being undermined or even ignored BEAM by Downtown Greens by our representatives,” said Rina Inc, a group that promotes Murasaki, a sophomore environmental environmental care. BEAM partnered with community organizations to promote environmental sustainability. science On Sept 28, UMW Abigail Buchholz / The Blue & Gray Press •Environment | 7
Abigail Buchholz News Editor
Annual security report shows increase in dating violence Kate Seltzer News Editor
On Sept. 30, UMW released its annual security report of crime statistics for 2018. Only the security reports for data from 2018 and 2014 are available online, and the UMW Police Department was unable to provide “The Blue & Gray” with copies of previous reports in time for publication. These reports compare crime data to that from the previous two years. For this reason, this article will examine data and trends from 2012 through 2018, excluding 2015. Here are some of the highlights.
Sex offenses The 2019 security report, which reports data from 2018, shows that forcible sex offenses – including rape and fondling – slightly decreased last year. Eighteen instances were reported in 2018, down from 20 in 2017. Previous reporting speculated that the spike in sexual assaults may in part be a result of the #MeToo movement and increased educational programs from the Office of Title IX. Instances of reported rape dropped from 16 to 12, while instances of assault or fondling increased from four to six. All of these crimes occurred on campus. There was a sharp spike in reported rapes and assaults in 2017. Kate Seltzer / The Blue & Gray Press
Incidents of dating violence and stalking both increased from 2017-2018. Kate Seltzer / The Blue & Gray Press
IN THIS
ISSUE
Data from 2012 through 2014 did not distinguish between rape and assault in its analysis. Dating violence and stalking Dating violence and stalking, both of which the school began tracking in 2013, saw a slight rise last year. Both categories had five incidents in 2017 and six in 2018. All of these crimes occurred on campus. Hate crimes There were no hate crimes reported in 2018. In 2017, four hate crimes were reported: intimidation based on sexual orientation, vandalism based on race, vandalism based on religion and vandalism based on gender.
Other trends Drug-related arrests have steadily declined since 2012, when ten people, including one juvenile, were arrested. In 2018 there was only one drug-related arrest. Two liquor-related arrests were made, including one juvenile. Similarly, there were only 38 instances of students found responsible for liquor law violations resulting in disciplinary action, compared to 112 instances in 2017. Nineteen students received disciplinary action for drugrelated violations, down from 31 the previous year. There was one case of arson and two burglaries in 2018.
Music Scene
Killing Reefs
Sunscreen chemicals are polluting and killing reefs.
The success story of a hockey dream.
LIFE | 5
VIEWPOINTS | 3
SPORTS | 8
Fredericksburg music scene quiet yet talented.
Ice Hockey
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
ONLINE Meaghan McIntyre Samuel Cobb
PHOTO Cayley McGuire Noah Strobel
FACULTY ADVISOR Sushma Subramanian
2
Students and faculty react to House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry Josephine Johnson Staff Writer
Students and faculty are weighing in on the House Democrats’ decision to begin impeachment proceedings for President Donald Trump. The impeachment proceedings were announced by Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, last Tuesday. If the House votes to impeach Trump, he will be the third president to ever be impeached, including Bill Clinton and Andrew Johnson. Neither Clinton nor Johnson were removed from office. The pressure put on Trump by Democrats has only increased since a summary of his call with Ukraine was released. Evidence suggests Trump used his influence to pressure the president of Ukraine into interfering with the upcoming election. Trump expressed concerns about Joe Biden, presidential hopeful, and his son Hunter, who worked as a director for Ukraine’s largest private gas distributor. “If the Democrats didn't push back on the president's behavior regarding Ukraine, what would discourage him from enlisting other foreign entities to intervene in US presidential elections?” asked Dr. Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at UMW, on behalf of those arguing for impeachment. “The leverage Trump is appearing to use on Ukraine is US taxpayer dollars authorized for Ukraine by Congress – $391 million in support for a poor country facing a foreign occupation and in need of immediate assistance.” According to Farnsworth, “As long as the president retains significant support among Republican Party voters, there will not be enough votes in the Senate to convict him.” Farnsworth said the House Democrats’ timing makes sense. “While some Democrats wanted to start formal impeachment proceedings before now, it seems wise for the party's leadership to have waited until there
was widespread agreement among Democrats to proceed with a formal impeachment investigation,” he said. “There have been impeachment-related investigations going on for months, but interest has increased substantially in the wake of reports and testimony on the Ukraine matter.” UMW students' reactions range. Joey Zeldin, freshman and prospective political science and history double major said that the impeachment process is not worth it with the next presidential election coming up so soon. “We need to focus our efforts on not impeaching our president and focusing on what we can do to get a better president,” he said. “We need to focus on making the White House a better place and not focusing on getting this one president out of the White House.” “The timing is not opportune,” said freshman Simon Jones. “This is like getting the paper done the night before the due date.” Jones said he wishes the impeachment process had begun sooner but is hopeful Democrats will now have enough evidence to impeach. “Now we have concrete evidence,” he said. Freshman and political science major Jesse Frye said that the impeachment
proceedings are “much too late.” “The worst the House could do is censure, especially now,” he said. Freshman accounting major Caroline Marschall is also hopeful Trump will be impeached. “He did something completely illegal, that people can prosecute him on with rock hard evidence now, instead of circumstantial evidence,” she said. Farnsworth explained why this particular scandal might gain the impeachment movement more traction. “Democrats were clearly disappointed in the muted public reaction to the Mueller report, which they had hoped would generate support for impeachment,” he said. “The Ukraine matter, in contrast, is much simpler to understand and, from the point of view of public relations, one that can be explained to the public more effectively. Democrats will make certain that the Ukraine scandal will dominate the news cycles in the weeks ahead.” “That likely approach, by the way, was the Watergate playbook used against Nixon: put out negative information about the president in public hearings day after day and watch the president's public support erode day by day,” Farnsworth said.
Speaker Pelosi opened an impeachment inquiry on September 24.
Buisness Insider
Residents concerned for safety after assault in Virginia Hall grace Montes Staff Writer
Students who live in Virginia Hall are concerned following multiple instances of sexual battery that have occurred in the residence hall in the past several months. The most recent incident of sexual battery took place in Virginia Hall on Thursday, Sept 19 at approximately 10:20 p.m., according to the UMW police department. A UMW student residing in Virginia entered the building with the perpetrator and together they continued to the student’s room. Upon arrival to the room, an assault took place. The victim and her roommate then left their dorm room together. When they returned the perpetrator had left the premises and was unable to be located. With the location of the perpetrator unknown, the police and Residence Life
chose to conduct a thorough search of all rooms in the building. The students, unaware of the events transpiring, were evacuated by order of a fire alarm. The first Timely Warning was sent out to the UMW community at 1:27
“It definitely was a wake-up call, and so now we make sure to lock our doors.” -Hannah Underwood a.m. on the night of the incident. The warnings described the situation, including a description of the suspect, and assured students that local law enforcement was handling the situation. More emails containing updates on
the situation continued to roll into the community’s inboxes throughout the night as more information was gathered. The description of the perpetrator was given to the community by UMW police as a warning and to allow tips and information to flow in via the student body. Through the use of video surveillance and tips from witnesses, the perpetrator was identified as a student from another university. It is reported that there was no weapon used. The victim has been reported as physically unharmed and is receiving support from UMW offices. Several residents of Virginia Hall shared their surprise and concern. “It is definitely not as safe here as I thought it would be. We never really locked our doors because we thought ‘It’s Mary Washington, and nothing really happens here.’ It •Virginia | 7 definitely was a wake-
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, October 3, 2019
VIEWPOINTS
Editor: Alicen Hackney | blueandgray.views@gmail.com
Unsafe sunscreen chemicals kill reefs
Summer is officially over. As the fall only bring prices to a more competitive level to RILEY RANDALL semester drones on, students are looking keep their sales up. In fact, in July 2018, Hawaii Staff Writer forward to their next big vacation, winter banned the sale of any sunscreen that isn’t already break. For those who are fortunate enough to travel, visiting reef safe. Key West, Florida has recently done the same, tropical locations or going on a wintertime cruise are with both laws going into effect in 2021. popular choices. I’ve personally visited and have been scuba diving at both However, few people know how much they affect the locations to see the effects for myself. The dives are somber environment, particularly the coral reef systems, when they in nature, with thousands of dead and broken pieces of coral embark on these excursions. With widespread winter and lying on the ocean floor, bleached beyond recognition of summer vacation spots alongside the reef systems, the coral what it once was. But it was incredibly encouraging to see has a year-round assailant--sunscreen. that even without the laws in effect yet, reef safe sunscreens Reef safe sunscreens should be used instead of regular were almost exclusively carried on the shelves in stores versions in a conscious effort to protect the environment. nearby. Even the dive boats carried it onboard, free of They are widely available and priced similarly to their charge to any diver about to explore the nearby reefs. Efforts dangerous counterparts, all while like these are what will finally make a still providing that essential UV difference. protection. Although it’s great to see young people Coral reefs have been like Greta Thunberg speak out against decimated year after year all climate change, there is little coverage on around the globe. According to how human activity affects the coral reef the Global Coral Reef Monitoring systems of our planet. For example, Florida Network, about one-fifth of the has been experiencing coral bleaching world’s coral reefs have already for years now with hardly a clue as to the been lost or severely damaged. specific cause up until earlier this year. Another 35 percent could be lost Physical vs. Chemical Sunscreen theskincareedit.com According to a study posted in The within 10-40 years. It’s happening Washington Post, coral coverage in the at twice the pace of rainforest decline, yet coral reefs receive Florida Key has declined from 33 percent in 1984 to just much less attention and news coverage. six percent in 2008. They found warmer waters were not Some of the largest threats to coral reef systems are the the primary cause, but that on-shore water treatment plants chemicals found in a common vacation product: sunscreen. seemed to be at fault. High amounts of rain in Florida Many of the popular brands of sunscreen contain harmful causes run-off of fertilizer chemicals into the oceans, which chemicals that not only affect coral, but also the surrounding in turn creates massive algae blooms that kill off the coral. marine life. Chemicals like Oxybenzone (Benzophenone-3 The most interesting part of this run-off is that most of it or BP-3) and Benzophenone-2 (BP-2) have been linked by does not flow directly to the ocean. Water treatment plants numerous studies by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric receive the large majority of the nitrogen and phosphorusAdministration (NOAA) to the damage and destruction of based fertilizers, yet they aren’t filtering out these chemicals coral reef systems. Some of these lingering effects include from the water. Improved water treatment plants in the “bleaching,” DNA damage, abnormal skeleton growth and Dutch Caribbean have been known to extract this chemical. gross deformities of baby coral. These harmful chemicals are In this era of constantly improving green technologies, not only found in sunscreen, but in over 3,500 other products Florida should be able to install the same type of systems. as well such as lotions, fragrances and other skincare Before you start packing for your next big tropical trip, products. think twice about the effect you may have on coral reefs A simple search on Amazon for “reef safe sunscreen” and the surrounding marine life when you choose your pulled up hundreds of results that started for as low as $8.99 sunscreen. In a quote by James Porter, an emeritus professor for a normal 6-ounce bottle. Many popular sunscreen brands of ecology at the University of Georgia, “the fight to are following the direction of this growing trend, which will preserve coral reefs requires local, not just global, action.”
Staff Ed: guide to the impeachment process By THE BLUE & GRAY PRESS EDITORIAL BOARD
Most UMW students weren’t alive last time a US president was impeached. Here’s what you need to know about the process. 1. Only two presidents have ever been impeached. And no president has ever been removed from office. Andrew Johnson was impeached in 1868, and Bill Clinton was impeached in 1998. Richard Nixon resigned from office before impeachment proceedings began. 2. The House of Representatives does not have the power to remove a president from office. Impeachment is similar to an indictment in criminal law: it is a statement of charges leveled against a public official. If the Democratcontrolled House votes to impeach President Donald Trump, the Senate will vote on whether to convict him. Two-thirds of the Senate is required to convict a President, and only then – with twenty Republican senators defecting – would Trump be removed from office. At that point, Vice President Mike Pence would serve the remainder of Trump’s term as President. 3. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi opened an impeachment inquiry. Here’s what happens next. The House has already been investigating Trump since 2016 for acts ranging from collusion with Russia in the 2016 election to alleged hush payments to two women who said they had affairs with him. Several House committees will move forward with subpoenas and depositions over the next few weeks to determine if there is sufficient evidence of wrongdoing. If they find that there is, they will submit the articles of impeachment to the full House. A simple majority – half plus one – is required to impeach. This editorial was led by Kate Seltzer.
Investigations against Trump are justified, not a “witch hunt” This past week, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi began an impeachment inquiry into President Donald J. Trump. Like the majority of his responses, the president’s comment was delivered in a simple tweet: “End the Witch Hunt now!” The actions of President Trump displayed over the past three and a half years show a consistent trend of putting the self over the country. The Mueller Report was completed this past March, and a redacted version was released to the public on April 18, 2019. While President Trump mocked the report and said it was a partisan hit job, he failed to remember that Robert Mueller himself was a Republican who was appointed to the national scene when George W. Bush made him the United States Deputy Attorney General in 2001. The Mueller Report outlined ten instances of possible obstruction of justice. Firing FBI Director James Comey at the beginning of his investigation into Trump and making an effort to prevent certain pieces of evidence from reaching the public were two obstructions addressed. Even after the whole public testimony of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, some American people still believe the investigation was a witch hunt. Some are still wondering how people could continue to support Trump, and it is not a simple answer. It could be attributed to lack of awareness, or because the President uses his Twitter to spread false attacks and Fox News pushes the narrative in the President’s favor. The release of the Mueller Report is not the only instance in which the term “witch hunt” was used. This past week news broke that a whistleblower report was filed to the Inspector General about the potential abuse of power. This time the response was the same from Trump, but the polls slowly moved in favor of
Thursday, October 3, 2019
RAVI MAKAM Staff Writer
impeachment from the American public. This says a lot about the type of behavior that the President has been apart of, not just during his 2016 campaign until this week, but since Trump became a business mogul. Trump has always gotten himself into shady business dealings. He’s made a habit of deflecting from the main issue at hand, whether it be not releasing his tax returns or going on Twitter to blow off some steam at 4 a.m. In an article released in May of this year by “The New Yorker,” John Cassidy said, “Trump’s core businesses racked up losses of more than a billion dollars in a ten-year period.” This is the type of action that is common for Trump to partake in: making the media and people believe that you’re the richest and best businessman in the world when in reality you are quite literally the worst. This is especially dangerous when the President used his “success” as a businessman to supplement why Americans should vote for him. When asked about if the view of Trump’s business impacted his view of the election in 2016, senior English major Joe Langley responded, “ at first I thought it would be interesting to have someone with a business background run the country, but over time with
Trump attempts to convince the public of a witch hunt. Mark Wilson / Getty Images
information about his taxes and bankruptcies...it made me question if it is really a good idea to run the country like a Trump Casino.” Langley’s sentiment reflects how a lot of people are feeling now. Especially the independent voter, to have a sitting President begin to abuse his power to cover up his taxes and crimes he has committed. The question of impeachment has arisen and it should be done. It should be done for two main reasons: to open up investigations and look deeper into Trump’s financial record, and because we have impeached presidents before, just for mere social issues. His actions set a precedent that would make open abuses of power okay as well as using political positions to turn personal business profits. Senior communication and digital studies major Alex Caldas said, “I believe the impeachment inquiry is valid...Trump has been completely unjust throughout his presidency and was bound to do something to get him impeached from the very start.” Caldas also stated that Trump likely doesn’t know what most of the laws are, so he won’t even know he broke them. That’s why the President feels like it’s a “witch hunt.” Only Trump would ask a favor from the Ukrainian president to have them investigate his political opponents while withholding aid to the country. Even after all the Mueller investigation, one would think Trump would act differently. Through the last three years, it has become apparent that all the noise coming from the White House that the investigations are no witch hunt, but a fight to preserve the sacred office that the president holds. The president should put the country before politics. The best interests of the people first, not himself. Only the guilty go to great lengths to cover up their crimes.
3
LIFE
Editor: Cosima Pellis blueandgray.life@gmail.com
Fredericksburg fosters unique underground music scene DALEY JENNINGS Staff Writer
so close to DC, Richmond and NOVA etc., I think most local acts would prefer to The blossoming Fredericksburg just drive the extra hour than to scramble to find music scene is somehow one of the city’s somewhere around here they best-kept secrets despite hosting some can play.” of Virginia’s best up-and-coming artists. Despite the lack of This could be due to a myriad of reasons, traditional venues available but talent and demand for such is not one to touring artists in of them. Fredericksburg, bars and Senior English major Britt Ingels coffee shops are able to hold first dipped her toes into the scene gigs that showcase the talent when her partner told her about UMW of Fredericksburg. alumni band SoBadly, which is one of The Bourbon Room / Facebook The Bourbon Room hosted the “Hidden Sound Collective” on September 19. On September 19, The her favorite acts in Fredericksburg. She when prompted. The show showed how Bourbon Room hosted the explained that she likes the music she probably one of the bigger things I’m much the music scene in Fredericksburg “Hidden Sound Collective” which hears in Fredericksburg because it is a lot doing right now, is just opening a was thriving from the support of its featured the artists Sinbad, 90wyse, less commercial than what she’s used to studio.” people, even if it is less notable than that King Jahsh and Kwallah tha God who hearing. This would be Fredericksburg’s of DC or Richmond. has just released his latest album, “It feels more personal and heartfelt first commercial recording studio, “PAIN. PLEASURE. PROBLEMS.” Kwallah tha God had just as good of a most of the time, not as manufactured as which Arslan believes would open up which is available on the Hidden time as his audience. what’s on the radio,” said Ingels. opportunities for a more stable and safer Sound Collective website as well as “It was breathtaking. I got to perform She believes a contributing factor that spot for younger music artists. SoundCloud. along with two of my favorite local keeps the Fredericksburg scene from “I want somewhere safe where The show amassed a crowd of loyal artists and everyone showed hella love really exploding is the competition with someone could teach you how to followers of the performers, who hung when I went. Exhilarating as hell,” he the neighboring cities when it comes to engineer, how to produce, vocals, like onto each performers every word, even said. venues and accessibility. all this stuff. For me I’m just doing it joining them in the designated stage area He said he likes the music in “We have very little [here], and being because I like doing it and I think the Fredericksburg because of the community needs it.” community the music scene is built from. While he knows that an immediate “I love performing in the pick up in traffic of the music scene Fredericksburg underground scene. I feel here in Fredericksburg isn’t plausible, like its nothing but love and support out he has high hopes for the future of its here if you work hard and show people popularity, knowing that the talent here that you love what you do.” will be able to keep it afloat. Besides The Bourbon Room, another “Maybe not now, maybe not five venue that has the potential to build years, maybe ten years from now. And Fredericksburg’s music scene is Katora that’s why I think it’s important to build Coffee on Caroline Street. Musician an infrastructure right now while we all and Fredericksburg local, Danny have that advantage.” Arslan, better known by his stage name When asked what he thought made “2wogirlsonecup,” which he assures has the music scene and its artists special nothing to do with the infamous video, and noteworthy, he shared the same hopes to build Fredericksburg’s music sentiment as his fellow Fredericksburg scene by building its first commercial artist. recording studio in Katora, where he first “It accepts all genres and people from got his start performing. all walks of life. Nothing matters besides “Construction actually started a few the art someone makes. It doesn’t matter days ago, and I’m building a recording if you’re from outer space. If you’re a studio inside the Katora. I think we’re genuine person, people in Fredericksburg going to turn it into a real venue, so are going to f--- with you (in a good The Bourbon Room acts as both a bar and music venue. The Bourbon Room / Facebook I’m really excited about that. That’s way).”
Student builds community with new “Magic: The Gathering” club NATHANIEL HOLBROOK Staff Writer
“Magic: The Gathering” is coming to UMW via a club founded by sophomore Sean Manlove. “Magic” is a strategy card game with many formats of play to spice up each gaming experience. The club is expected to be recognized by UMW by the middle of October. The game is social by nature with games range from two players to four or more players. “UMW needs a ‘Magic: The Gathering’ club because there are already many new and returning players who would benefit from a place to enjoy the game and more of an organized experience as a group,” said Manlove. Manlove’s goal in starting the club is to build a community that includes returning players as well as introducing new players to a unique and welcoming environment. “I’m starting this club because I have
4
always enjoyed the communal aspect of games and I am certain that a community formed around ‘Magic’ would be both a strategically challenging experience and a great place to make friends,” said Manlove. Students are looking forward to joining the club. “I’m a big fan of ‘MTG,’ and would love to hone my skills,” said sophomore Gus Grohmann. “[I’m] looking forward to having a ‘Magic: The Gathering’ community at the university. The lack of a local shop makes it difficult to meet players,” said sophomore Matthew Bova. The closest gaming store near the school was The Sorcery in downtown Fredericksburg that closed in January 2019, limiting the places where “Magic” players could gather to play and meet new people. Sophomore Nathan Marshak said he’s excited to join “for some thrilling competitions, a chance to test out different strategies and decks, and have
the opportunity to enjoy a hobby with like-minded people.” There are also players who want a place where they can practice and become better at the game in a non-stressful environment. The “Magic: the Gathering” club is a very casual club where meetings are not mandatory. The club, once it grows to a large enough size and has a supporting community, will hold tournaments and events where players can compete to win prizes. Welcoming new players to the game and teaching them how to play, as well as providing a social environment for people who share a common interest and having a great time are all goals of this budding club.
“Magic” is a strategy card game with many formats of play. Sean Manlove / Magic: The Gatherung club
Thursday, October 3, 2019
LIFE Zen garden elements symbolize harmony, insight, wellbeing in what had been a shady, relatively forgotten corner of campus, which has been illuminated by the garden. Also, the kanji signify a term of affection.” Since the completion of the Zen garden, it has become a lovely hidden spot for students to relax and enjoy nature to its fullest. According to Hirshberg, there was a specific motivation behind its design. The
and Daoism; the aesthetic setting of these three stones in the garden symbolizes that harmonious relationship. Additionally, the bells symbolize insight and awakening and the ‘turtle island’ with the Japanese lantern symbolizes longevity or even immortality, so we could say wellbeing and safety as well,” said Hirshberg. The Zen garden has many meanings
paths and not enter the gravel area,” said Hirshberg. “People are welcome to sit on the table and stools up on the platform as The Zen garden is a hidden gem well as the three, flat-topped boulders located directly off of campus walk, on in the mulch area. It is a contemplative the way to the amphitheatre between space that is open to anyone and Trinkle and Mason. Recently completed everyone who seeks a place to relax. in 2018 and gaining the name Little Sun, Also, visitors are welcome to help the Zen garden has since become a great maintain the space by picking up any addition to UMW. litter and likewise collecting The man responsible for sticks, nuts and detritus from bringing the Zen garden to the trees (except from the gravel fruition, Dr. Dan Hirshberg, area).” professor of religion, explained While the Zen garden is out how it started. in the open, it is still a place “I initiated and coordinated that needs to be respected its approval and installation like everything else. A very (2015-18) and remain primarily interesting aspect of the Zen responsible for its upkeep, garden is the gravel area where especially raking the gravel. designs are made to represent I had a few requests for the many different things. design (karesansui or dry rock “Gravel symbolizes water garden with a triad of stones, in Japanese gardens, so the dry waterfall on the corner), but gravel area is a microcosm of it was brought to fruition by a vast ocean with three islands, Bob Chilton and Todd Stewart and the raked lines are rivulets of Gardens Unlimited, who and waves,” said Hirshberg. generously expanded it well “My current raking pattern of beyond the original plan pro concentric circles symbolizes bono,” said Hirshberg. the karmic impact of a single “They believed in the project stone that sends ripples across from the beginning and, as local The Zen garden, nicknamed Little Sun, is located in between Trinkle and Mason Halls. Iliana Loaiza / The Blue and Gray Press the ocean of the universe. It also contractors and artists, were signifies ‘the moon in water,’ a selflessly motivated to make it a very primary rock triad consisting of two in Eastern Asian culture, so to be able to classical Buddhist idiom for the illusory special offering for our community.” 4-ton stones and a 2-ton stone signifies experience something usually only found nature of the apparent world.” Hirshberg explained the origin of the ‘the force above’, earth and humanity. abroad right here at UMW is special. The gravel area is an intriguing aspect name Little Sun. “These are the three realms in According to Hirshberg, while of the garden that makes it feel complete “It was devised by Todd Stewart, one which harmony must be established visiting the Zen garden, there are a few and fully peaceful. Maintenance of the of the garden’s primary designers and and maintained according to classical things to keep in mind. Zen garden is handled by the members of installers, since the space is tucked away Chinese religions such as Confucianism “First and foremost to remain on the the Zen garden club.
EDWARD MUSSEY Staff Writer
ResLife’s six week initiative gets mixed reviews from students LAURA SCHNEIDER Staff Writer
Every week this semester, students who live on campus have received emails from their resident assistant (RA) notifying them of upcoming required meetings. In the past, required hall meetings only happened at the beginning and end of the year, or if a new RA came into the hall. Now, due to the Office of Residence Life’s six week initiative, students are expected to attend weekly meetings for the first six weeks of the semester. The program started in fall 2018 and was introduced by Hunter Rauscher, the associate director of Housing and Operations, according to John Hughey, the assistant director of Residence Life. For the first six weeks of the fall semester, RAs hold meetings with the students in their hall to discuss different topics, from community standards to upcoming events on campus. “The most crucial time for students to connect with their community is during the first six weeks of the semester,” said Hughey. “The purpose of the program is to help provide opportunities for all of our students to connect with their community, whether they are a new student living on campus for the first time or a returning student living in a community different than their previous experience.”
Thursday, October 3, 2019
However, some UMW students believe the program falls short of this goal. “The meetings are a burden, not a help, to the residents,” said Alexis Erb, a senior psychology major. One reason why students feel this way are because they interfere with their schedules. “My schedule is pretty busy during the day, so the programs [don’t] really fit with my commitments,” said Glynnis Farleigh, a senior history major. Farleigh said that when she had a time conflict with a meeting, she had to schedule a meeting with her RA at a later date. Students have also expressed concerns about how much work the RAs have to put in for these meetings when many residents often cannot attend. “I can’t help but imagine the burden that RAs have to put together and submit paperwork for a program each week at such a transitional time of the year, probably well aware of a low turnout,” said Farleigh. Despite the scheduling issues, Residence Life believes that this program is still beneficial not just so students feel at home in their time at UMW, but also to help them learn skills for community building in the future. “For all of our students, the objective is to create an environment that they can call home while they are at UMW,”
said Hughey. “Beyond that, our goal is to model the creation of a community so that both RAs and residents have a reference point for what that might look like after college when they will be in charge of creating their own communities.” One RA who wished to remain anonymous said that they and the staff in their building are working to make the meetings fulfilling for their residents. “The staff all got together and looked at what the challenges we were facing with the program were and came up with changes, to come up with a program that we would all do together that would actually be worthwhile and something that would be fun for people to come to, but also fulfill the program elements,” they said. The Eagle Landing RAs hosted a water balloon fight While students recognize that as a meeting. Shelby Bell / The Blue and Gray Press the six week initiative’s goal of community building is important, they initiative is probably helpful for firstbelieve Residence Life should focus on year students, the time conflicts make it more immediate concerns related to the too inconvenient for upperclassmen. residence halls. “I think that for the most part, “ResLife should really worry about programs are better suited for first-year the condition and safety of the buildings students,” said Farleigh. “It’s hard to they put us in, not meetings that have no get even freshman to go to programs, impact on any of us whatsoever,” said let alone busy upperclassmen, who Erb. have their own schedules and social While some agree the six week networks.”
5
Weekend Events Thursday
Friday
• Thanks in Advance: Jason Robinson @ duPont Gallery • Embodiment: Figurative Works from UMW’s Permanent Collection @ Ridderhof Martin Gallery • UMW Tree Festival @ Ball Circle, 3 - 5 p.m.
• Thanks in Advance: Jason Robinson @ duPont Gallery • Embodiment: Figurative Works from UMW’s Permanent Collection @ Ridderhof Martin Gallery • Rocktoberfest @ Ball Circle, 6 - 8:30 p.m. • Toy Story 4 @ Monroe 346, 7 - 9 p.m.
Saturday • Thanks in Advance: Jason Robinson @ duPont Gallery • Embodiment: Figurative Works from UMW’s Permanent Collection @ Ridderhof Martin Gallery • Education Abroad Fair @ UC Chandler Ballroom, 10 a.m. 1 p.m. • Undeniably Adjacent Improve Comedy Show @ Monroe 116, 3 - 5 p.m. • Toy Story 4 @ Monroe 116, 7 - 9 p.m. • Harvest Festival @ Hurkamp Park, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
theblueandgraypress
The Blue & Gray Press @theBlueandGray
bgpress1922
NEWS
Campus clubs work to combat climate change
major. Heras lamented the fact that during the United Nations conferences, President Trump failed to attend the UN Climate Summit, a choice that sparked outrage across the nation.
major and vice-president of the Ecology Club. Shelby Bourquein, a junior environmental science major, expressed further concern with the political response to the climate crisis. “It’s just difficult to hear it’s a political divide. I hope that it becomes less of a divide so we could become “I hope that it becomes less unified over keeping our Earth clean for of a divide so we could become the sake of cleaner water and cleaner unified over keeping our Earth air,” said Bourquein. clean for the sake of cleaner There are several student-led projects water and cleaner air.” in the works to make the UMW campus a more sustainable and environmentallyfriendly place. -Shelby Bourquein Heras explained that the goal of BEAM is to have the campus totally reliant on renewable energy by 2050, “The United States is a huge a feat she says will be accomplished in contributor to the enhancement of part by using solar energy from solar climate change, so we owe it to the rest panels. While several of the current of the world to be a huge contributor to buildings on campus aren’t structured the reversal of its enhancement,” said for solar panels, BEAM hopes that Lance Whitesel, a junior geography the university contractors keep the environment in mind as they Fossil-Free Fredericksburg hosts chalking event for climate change awareness. continue to renovate and expand Abigail Buchholz / The Blue & Gray Press around campus. These new roofs work to start a community garden in the In response to the protesting efforts would need to be set at the correct William Street Apartment courtyard and around the world and the work of angle to the sun, and have the proper the pollinator garden by Anderson and is campus sustainability groups, Murasaki electrical sources. trying to push for a composing site. feels hopeful. Another way the campus could The environmental and sustainability “I know I sometimes get gloomy increase its reliance on renewable clubs on campus continue to push energy, according to Heras, would for change and encourage student “I know I sometimes get gloomy be from buying renewable energy participation as their peers do so across from organizations that produce thinking about climate issues, but the world. it, such as sPower, a company seeing such a large, supportive “I think it’s really important to that provides clean and affordable have more hands-on action...it’s really community of passionate and energy to customers across the great to study [sustainability] in the genuinely caring people is so United States. classroom, but it’s totally different empowering.” Murasaki, a member of the to actually go out in your life and Ecology Club, believes recycling spend your time trying to bring that on campus is inefficient and too -Rina Murasaki change,” said Brenna Creamer, a junior much biodegradable waste is geography major and president of the sorted into landfills. She believes Ecology Club. “We encourage people thinking about climate issues, but seeing that by cleaning up their act with to come out, especially to the Ecology such a large, supportive community of these basic steps to sustainable Club to work with local organizations, passionate and genuinely caring people living, the UMW campus could Students rode a bike to blend their own smoothies. especially on the grassroots level to is so empowering,” said Murasaki. UMW Sustainability / Instagram become more sustainable. make bigger change. The Ecology Club has also put in the
•Environment | 1
Freshmen weigh in on campus safety and recent cases of assault •Virginia | 2
up call, and so now students. Those residing in Virginia “People still let other people in to UMW students and has made many we make sure to lock Hall are taking precautionary actions in that are not usually here. You can more aware of the safety, or lack thereof, our doors,” said freshman Hannah order to feel more secure in their living figure out if it’s someone’s friend or of the residence halls. Underwood. situation and to prevent future incidents. someone who forgot their key, so that’s “Mary Washington feels like such a Some students, however, were not “Here in Virginia, we usually keep a different story. I’ve let in a couple safe campus, where something like this surprised by the incident and expressed doors unlocked, and so it’s scary to of people before because I know, ‘Oh, wouldn’t happen. But it is a college, concern about the normalization of know that someone came in, but I okay, I recognize you’ or they tell me where these things sadly do happen. incidents of sexual assault on college still feel safe here. People definitely they forgot their card to get in,” said You just don’t think about this actually campuses. lock their doors here now after what Underwood. occurring,” said freshman Madelyn “I understand that we feel happened,” said Kirstin Caish, freshman. This incident has been a wake-up call Decarli. uncomfortable The UMW with what crime log found “I feel like we should happened. It at Brent Hall expect anything now....I is sad when indicates that something like have started to learn that two reported this happens, sexual assault this is now a possibility.” but we now incidents have have to take taken place precautions in Virginia -Jon Pietrak for this. Hall within This should not be normalized, but in the last six months alone, a college atmosphere, it is starting to outnumbering the amount become something more normal,” said of incidents that have taken Grant Dixon, freshman. place at other spots on Other students felt that the incident campus. opened their eyes to the prevalence of Residents of Virginia assault on campuses. Hall have consistently “I feel like we should expect anything noted the friendly and open now....I have started to learn that this is nature of their hall, and now a possibility,” said freshman Jon have made note of how this Pietrak. could contribute to outsiders The nature of the incident has entering the building, even Virginia Hall was the location for several sexual assault incidents on campus. John Wray / The Blue & Gray Press fostered a sense of alarm in several after the events on Sept 19.
Thursday, October 3, 2019
7
SPORTS
Editor: Jack Hagn | blueandgray.sports@gmail.com
Ice hockey scores new coach, funds and membership
JOSEPH MILBANK Staff Writer
In the fall semester of 2017, three freshmen came up with the idea to start an ice hockey club at the University of Mary Washington. Two years later, they now compete in the Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League (ACCHL), host regular practices with a coach and carry a strong roster. This rapid growth is largely due to team captain Nathan Mitchell. One of the three freshmen from the original interest group, the now-junior strived hard to raise interest for and grow his team. “It’s really gratifying to see all the work come together. Last year I was struggling to get two or three people to come to practice, we now regularly have at least ten guys showing up, and we have a coach to run it,” said Mitchell. One of the reasons for Mitchell struggling to get people to come to practice was the early morning start times. “We didn’t really have any funds at that point so the only ice times we could get were at 5 a.m.” While the team didn’t see success in the competition that year, the groundwork was set for the team to thrive. “We didn’t have any backup players during games our first year, so we were
The team is recognized by a DIII league.
exhausted at the end of every game,” said Matthew McNulty, another of the three original freshmen. “We had some good games though. We had all eight players for our game against NOVA (Northern Virginia Community College) and we almost won.” Mitchell spent a lot of time that year working on recruiting players and boosting funds for the team. “I would go onto different high school hockey pages and look at the stats of different players. If I thought any would be a good fit for the team, I would reach out over social media and invite them to come to visit the school,” said Mitchell. One of those players is freshman Chase Shiring, who now goes to Mary Washington and plays on the team. “Nathan reached out to me and told me about the team and how it’s been growing,” said Shiring. “I came to visit the school and he showed me around. We’ve had a couple of practices this year, and the team is really starting to play well together.” The addition of a coach has also helped the team to run efficient practices. “I went to play golf with a friend of mine and he introduced me to the head of the range, John Sims. By chance we got onto the topic of ice hockey, and I asked him if he would consider volunteering as a coach for the team, and he accepted,” said Mitchell. “It’s made it a lot easier having a coach because it means practices can still happen if I can’t make it.” In addition to gaining a coach and new recruits, one impactful event allowed the team to rapidly expand. In an effort to increase funds, Lauren Talbert Mitchell reached out to
various companies in Fredericksburg to see if they would consider sponsoring the team. “Getting ice time at decent hours is expensive, and we were having to deal with that on top of all the costs that come with games and equipment,” said Mitchell. “I reached out to places asking them to sponsor us hoping that we could get some funds to lighten the load.” Sheehy Toyota of Fredericksburg agreed and gave the team $5,000. “I was honestly shocked when they told me,” said Mitchell. “That money has allowed us to have the resources to really compete with other teams. We can now get ice time at a decent hour, and we’ve been able to get jersey’s, equipment and cover a lot of the costs of the team. It was really a turning point for us.” With all aspects of the team ready for their second season, Mitchell decided it was time to grow the team even more. While officially a club team at the school, the ice hockey team is now recognized by the Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League (Dlll). “We had shown our potential during our first season, and we now had the players and funding to really compete with other schools, so I reached out to the ACCHL and applied to become a member team,” said Mitchell. “They agreed to recognize us, and it’s allowed us to really get our name out there.” The team now has six games and one tournament on their schedule this year and will play their first at Virginia Commonwealth University on Oct 5. “It’s really nice to see all the work pay off,” said Mitchell. “Two years ago we had no idea if this could happen. Now we’re competing against big schools and people are regularly reaching out to me about joining the team.”
Women’s tennis hits back with impressive tournament play VICTORIA LARIMER Staff Writer
On Sept 21, UMW hosted the Women’s ITA Regional Tournament at the Battleground. The ITA Regional Tournament is a three-day qualifying event in which 23 teams, all from different divisions, compete in doubles and singles matches to qualify for the next round of the competition. This year included a new twist. Instead of only the winner of the finals match, both finalists qualify for the national tournament. The UMW women’s tennis team started strong Saturday morning with several players advancing to the quarterfinals in both singles and doubles. In doubles, Claire Coleman and Abby Moghtader won a pair of matches, as did Lauren Quinn and captain Rachel Summers, advancing both doubles teams into the doubles quarterfinals. In singles, Quinn, Abby Moghtader and Coleman all won a pair of matches which advanced them all to the round of 16 on Sunday. These advancements were quite impressive to interim head coach, Art Canizares. He said, “six of our girls won their first-round matches, which for us is good. Historically, we don’t do great in fall tournaments because we gear-up more for the spring. For us to win six out of the eight was really good. We had more people in the championship than normal which was nice. For them to be dialed in enough to be winning some matches early is impressive to me.”
Thursday, October 3, 2019
The team continued to play strong finals was a great way to represent the through Sunday’s quarterfinal matches. team and the school,” said Summers. Coleman in particular played extremely With the newly added qualifying rule well. She defeated Bin Zheng of this season, Coleman has another chance Carnegie Mellon, 6-3, 6-0 in her to potentially represent the team and the singles matches, earning her a spot in school by playing in the ITA National the semifinals on Monday morning. Tournament in Rome, Georgia on Oct Coleman continued her winning streak 17-20. on Monday when she defeated Vinaya When asked about her final match Rao of Carnegie Mellon, 4-6, 6-0, 6-2. and her qualification for the national This win earned her a spot in the tournament, Coleman said, “I expected finals round against top seed, Danna to lose that match. It wasn’t a big deal Taylor, of Carnegie Mellon later that for me because the girl I played was afternoon. During her finals matches, really good. But, [making it to the final Coleman put up a valiant effort against round] was a real confidence booster for Taylor. However, despite her best efforts, me. I’ve been struggling with that a lot she ultimately lost to Taylor in the final lately, so it really helped. I might play in round 6-0, 6-4. [the national tournament]. I’m not sure if When Coleman was asked about I’m going yet.” her success in the ITA tournament, the Moving forward from this sophomore environmental science major tournament, the women’s tennis team said, “The first match was really hard for has one more tournament left for the me. I just mentally wasn’t really there. fall season before they take a break until After that, it just got easier because I felt the spring season starts up in January that no one really expects me to win. It according to Canizares. This early didn’t really matter if I lost, so having success in the ITA Regional Tournament that mindset took a lot of the pressure off gives hope for a promising season for the and made me feel less nervous.” women’s tennis team. Senior biology major and team captain Rachel Summers was impressed with both Coleman and the team’s performance in the tournament. “The team progressed really well throughout the weekend. We had a lot of people advance through the first round and make it to the second day, which was great. Of course, Claire making it to the Claire Coleman qualified for Nationals. UMW Athletics
University of Mary Washington Fall Sports Schedule
Women’s Soccer (4-6)
Sep. 25 L @ Shenandoah (3-2) Sep. 28 W vs. St. Mary’s (Md.) (3-0) Oct. 2 L vs. Salisbury (1-0) Oct. 5 @ Christopher Newport Oct 9 @ Southern Virginia
Men’s Soccer (7-1-2)
Sep. 21 W vs. Widener (1-0) Sep. 28 W vs. St. Mary’s (Md.) (4-0) Oct. 2 W @ Salisbury (2-1) Oct. 5 @ Christopher Newport Oct. 9 vs. Southern Virginia
Field Hockey (5-6)
Sep. 29 W @ Rhodes (3-1) Sep. 30 vs. Roanoke (4-3) Oct. 2 W vs. Randolph-Macon (5-3) Oct. 5 vs. Alumni Oct. 11 @ Christopher Newport
Volleyball (8-8)
Sep. 25 W vs. Marymount (Va.) (3-0) Sep. 28 W vs. St. Mary’s (Md.) Oct. 2 W @ Salisbury (3-1) Oct. 5 @ Christopher Newport Oct. 9 @ Southern Virginia
Men’s Rugby (0-2)
Sep. 7 L vs. Kutztown University (36-8) Sep. 21 L @ Penn State University (22-0) Oct. 12 @ Wheeling Jesuit University Oct. 26 @ Army Nov. 2 vs. St. Bonaventure Nov. 9 vs. Notre Dame College
Women’s Rugby (2-0)
Sep. 21 W vs. Old Dominion (38-21) Sep. 28 W vs. Maryland (41-5) Oct. 5 vs. Longwood Oct. 19 vs. Alumni Oct. 26 @ William & Mary
Full Schedule not listed above. Most recent games included. Bold indicates home game.
8