The Blue & Gray Press

Page 1

THE

BLUE &GRAY

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON STUDENT NEWSPAPER

OCTOBER 23, 2014

VOLUME 88 | ISSUE 7

PRESS

SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE

1922

Homecoming concert delayed until November

HOPE RACINE News Editor

In a departure from tradition, the University of Mary Washington’s Homecoming weekend will not feature a concert as part of this year’s festivities. In lieu of a musical concert as the headline entertainment, the ever popular Lip Sync will take center stage on Thursday, Oct. 3. The event, which is always organized by class council, features students performing dance and lip sync routines to their favorite songs. “I don’t mind because Lip Sync is such a fun event and more people should go,” senior economics major Lauren Duncan said. Previous homecoming entertainment has included groups such as Grouplove, Taking Back Sunday and America’s Got Talent contestant David Garibaldi. “I honestly enjoyed the concert last year a lot more than I enjoyed the sports, so I was disappointed when I found out there’s no concert,” Duncan said. While Saturday’s events revolve around sports games and tailgating, some students feel like the lack of concert this year takes away from the excitement of the weekend. “At most schools, the concerts are advertised as part of homecoming, and it makes it a little less traditional,” senior

TEAR DOWN THIS WALL | 11 Hope Racine/ Blue & Gray Press

psychology Meghan Bringueo said. While the concert will not be a part of the homecoming lineup, Giant Productions announced on Wednesday, Oct. 22 that there will be a concert later in November featuring artist Dev. Dev, a rapper, is best known for her song “Bass Down Low” and her song “Booty Bounce,” which was sampled in the popular Far East Movement song “Like a G6.” That concert will be held on Nov. 20.

HOMECOMING 2014 ACTIVITIES

THURSDAY OCTOBER 23

CLASS COUNCIL LIPSYNC CONTEST 8 P.M. DODD

FRIDAY OCTOBER 24

CARNIVAL 5 P.M. BALL CIRCLE ARH PEP RALLY & BONFIRE 6:30 P.M. JEFFY SQUARE

SATURDAY OCTOBER 25

SPORTS GAMES ALL DAY BATTLEGROUNDS TAILGATE 10 A.M. BATTLEGROUNDS

SUNDAY OCTOBER 26

IN THIS

ISSUE

COMMUNITY CLEANUP 10 A.M. BELL TOWER

Alumni give record amount to Mary Washington First campaign DAHLIA SOMERS Staff Writer

Due to the planning that went into the five year Mary Washington First campaign, the school’s $50 million campaign goal is now within reach. By the end of the fourth fiscal year of the campaign, the projected donations are safely over $40 million. The campaign was created to help spotlight the University of Mary Washington as a first-rate liberal arts school. It was a goal to create momentum, energy and excitement for the university, as well as increase private funds. The campaign targets alumni, parents and friends of UMW. “We want our donors, our friends, our parents, when they’re thinking about charitable giving, to put Mary Washington first,” said Ken Steen, associate vice president for Advancement and Alumni Relations. Private funding is used by the school to create a higher quality college experience and environment for students by maintaining a 14:1 student-faculty ratio and offering a range of academic programs led by experts in their given fields. The funds from the campaign are allocated to seven areas. Scholarships receive $15 million, followed by UMW Program Initiatives with $10 million. The Fund for Mary Washington receives $7 million, the amphitheater reconstruction receives $3 million and $5 million each for the College of Arts & Science, College of Business and College of Education. Data from the 2014 fiscal year shows that 61 percent of the goal, or $30,676,796 in funds have been raised. The campaign is projected to run for two more years. The 2014 fiscal year was a banner year; the university totaled $12.1 million in gifts

and pledges, representing a 37 percent increase from fourth quarter totals for the fiscal year 2013. However, dividing the money can be difficult because each department has its own interests and goals, which all require different levels of funding “Well as far as allocation, I think that the fact that the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business and College of Education all get equal amounts – that’s good,” junior geology major Taylor Coxon said. “I’m a science major so I want more money for science and science research. I don’t know how much the College of Education or College of Business need or use, but I know that research takes a lot of money.” As of March 31, $11.5 million has been committed for Program Initiatives, surpassing the $10 million goal. Program Initiatives include funds such as Arts for the Community, the Libraries and Information Technology and Center for Honor and athletics. A campaign requires effort and support to be successful; it is not immediate, Steen noted. “You don’t dare go public until you have all your ducks in a row because one of the ways you raise $50 million is by being extremely organized and strategic,” Steen said. According to Steen, Mary Washington First had a solid planning period of eight to nine months before being brought to the Board of Visitors for their approval. After that, starting July 1, 2011, there was a ‘silent’ or ‘quiet’ phase when lead money was gathered. During that time, campaign gifts and pledges totaled $28.5 million. “We extend our sincere thanks to the •DONORS | 2

SPEAK OUT

NO FLY

HOMECOMING

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Could travel bans be making the Ebola outbreak worse?

UMW sports gear up for Homecoming weekend

LIFE | 6

VIEWPOINTS | 5

SPORTS | 12


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